Secrets of Time

by Zoe Matthews

  He had to acknowledge that there was a very wide selection at the shop; they had herbs that Keegan had only read about, and many he hadn’t ever heard about before. He wished he had access to all of these herbs for his own office. They also had many essential oils. He wanted to know more about how the oils worked, but they were very hard to find in his time. He spent quite a bit of time looking at all the options and reading the guides they had laid out next to each display. They had so much information condensed, and he was curious to see how similar it was to everything he learned in school.

  ****

  After the customer left, Megan saw that Keegan was reading their guide for essential oils. She thought now would be a good time to approach her mother. “Thank you for being so understanding of everything. I was scared you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Of course I believe you. I’ve known you long enough to know when you are rambling, you are telling the truth. When you keep a story brief, that’s when I know something is wrong.” Her mother smiled at her.

  Megan smiled back sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess you are right. How was the shop while I was gone? Any luck finding a new building to move to?”

  Her mother sighed. “No luck yet.” She looked uncomfortable and walked away to straighten a shelf.

  “What is it?” Megan asked, sensing there was something else bothering her mother that she hadn’t talked about yet.

  “Mr. Manning asked me to marry him,” Barbara said, not making eye contact with Megan, something she almost never did.

  “What?” Megan struggled to keep her voice low, not wanting to call attention to Keegan. “That little- ooh! That man makes me so angry. How could he ask you to marry him? He has been nothing but rude and belittling every time he talks to you.” She expected her mother to agree and talk about how absurd the notion was, but she just looked away. “You can’t be thinking of agreeing to this, can you?”

  “Well, he said we could keep the shop for the current price it is at now. He said it would just be a marriage of convenience. He just needs someone to come with him to social gatherings to help promote business.” Barbara explained lamely, clearly not enjoying the thought of being married to Mr. Manning at all.

  “Mom, you can’t marry that sick man. He wouldn’t take care of you; he doesn’t even love you,” Megan said, walking over to her mother so she was forced to look into her eyes. “We will find a new building for the shop, and it will be even better once we do so. You can decorate it how you want, and sell what you want.”

  “I’m sure you're right. I am just so scared of losing the shop. It’s the only thing that is keeping life stable for you and me,” Barbara admitted.

  “I know, mom. Don’t worry; something will turn up. We will make it work. We always have,” Megan tried to reassure her mother, and Barbara seemed to relax with Megan’s words.

  Barbara hugged Megan. “You’re right. I’m crazy for even thinking about marrying him. Things will work out. Thanks for being so understanding and talking me out of it. I will tell Mr. Manning that we will not renew our contract. We will need to be out by the end of the month, which is only a few weeks away.”

  “That’s alright. It will be worth it, Mom. Don’t worry,” Megan said, relieved her mother wasn’t thinking of marrying Mr. Manning anymore. Her mother deserved so much more than that grumpy old man.

  A steady stream of customers started to come in then and kept them busy for most of the morning. While Megan worked, she mentally started to make plans for everything they would need to do to set up a different shop. It would take a lot of work, but Megan was up to it. Her mother had sacrificed so much for Megan. It was Megan’s turn to start giving back.

  Chapter 17

  Megan was driving her car…again. Keegan was starting to get used to it, but he would still prefer to walk if he could. It was Megan’s lunch break. She suggested they go pick up something she called tacos. He agreed without asking what they were. They weren’t too bad, and he actually enjoyed the salsa, but it really made him miss Bridget’s good home cooking.

  Earlier that day, Megan and Barbara had been busy with their shop, so Keegan had plenty of time to think about the situation he was in. He hadn’t meant to overhear, but he did catch a few bits of the conversation between Megan and her mother that morning. Their shop was in a bad spot, or the person they were leasing from was trying to take advantage of them; he wasn’t sure of the exact situation. All he understood was they needed to try to move to a new location by the end of October.

  He knew next to nothing about moving a shop; Denver in his time only had one group of shops, so once someone set up a store, they were there until they decided to sell it to someone else. Nevertheless, he felt he wouldn’t be a decent human being if he didn’t stick around and offer what assistance he could to the two of them. He didn’t want to leave them alone in the mess they were in.

  While he was thinking of ways to help, he remembered that his house was still standing, or at least it was eight years ago when Justin still lived in the future. Justin had found the keys to the house that had been hidden under a large rock near the back door, and he was able to use the time travel keys to keep in touch with his sister. He had approached Megan and asked if she would take him to the house to see if it was still there. He watched as Megan opened what she called a laptop and used it to find out exactly where his house was.

  He had asked Megan if they could go look at his house during her lunch break, and she agreed. He had watched as Megan opened what she called a laptop and used it to find out exactly where his house was.

  So now, they were driving to the house and Keegan wasn’t sure what he would find. If the house was still standing, would someone else have bought it by now? Maybe it wasn’t well cared for and was falling apart. He hoped that was not the case. He had a deep love for this house, because it was Victoria’s, and he would be devastated to see it in poor shape.

  Megan turned into a neighborhood, and Keegan held his breath. It wasn’t long before she pulled up in front of his house, and he climbed out of the car to inspect it.

  It didn’t seem to be in horrible shape. The trim needed to be repainted and he could see there were leaves piled in the gutters. The grass was somewhat dry and needed some care. He could see the shrubs and trees, which he had cared for himself back in his time, needed some trimming. Every problem he saw was minor and he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Megan had turned off the car and walked around to join him. “I’m surprised it’s still here. From what I can tell from the information I found on the internet, no one is living here, which is odd. Who is taking care of it?”

  “I’m so glad it is still here. It looks easy to fix up as well,” Keegan said with a smile, ignoring the unfamiliar words she used. All he understood was that it had something to do with the laptop she had used to find his house.

  He grabbed her hand; the joy he felt at seeing his house still standing made him bolder. He led her up the path to the doorway, where he could see the porch did need to be repainted and a few loose boards needed to be replaced as well. He started to make a mental checklist of things that needed to be done, then realized he wasn’t planning on staying that long. Should he even bother fixing up his house?

  Megan knocked on the front door which surprised Keegan. “I thought you said no one lives here.”

  “I did. But I would rather knock on a door to an empty home than barge in and surprise someone living here, in case I am wrong.

  Keegan laughed. “Good point.” When no one answered the door, they tried the handle and found it locked. “Let’s try the back door.”

  He led the way to the back and found the flower gardens still alive, but they were growing out of control. It desperately needed some weeding and the many rose bushes had started to take over the rest of the plants. His fingers itched to roll up his sleeves and start fixing things right then. Nothing helped him think better than working in his garden.

  Megan made it to the back door first a
nd hesitated a moment before trying the handle. The door opened and they smiled at each other.

  “Looks like we are in luck,” Megan commented as she stepped into the kitchen. “It looks like it’s been awhile since anyone has been here to clean up.”

  “Yes, it does.” Keegan coughed on some dust that drifted up off the floor with his every step. “I will have to start cleaning right away.” He walked over to the windows and started opening them to let some clean air into the room.

  Keegan noticed that the kitchen looked just like it did in his time, minus the dust on the hardwood floors. Even the rugs were the same ones Bridget had braided. He walked over to a cabinet and opened it, revealing china that was stacked neatly inside.

  “I would offer to help, but I do need to get back to the shop so my mom can go to lunch,” Megan said apologetically. “I can bring you back after work and we can get started.”

  “No, I’ll stay here and do it myself. I’m not much help at your shop anyway,” Keegan said, and walked over to a closet in the corner of the kitchen. Miraculously, he was able to find some cleaning supplies in there.

  “Are you sure?” Megan asked.

  “Of course. This is my home, and I shouldn’t leave it dirty and unkempt if I have the opportunity to clean it,” Keegan responded firmly. He could tell that Megan wasn’t sure if she should leave him alone. He quickly reassured her with a smile. “You should head back to your mother. I’m sure she is hungry by now.”

  “You’re right. I’ll leave this with you, in case you get hungry again,” Megan responded, setting down the bag of leftover tacos from their lunch.

  “Thank you. Don’t worry about coming back again tonight; you should spend time with your mother.” He figured they needed time to catch up and talk about their plans for their new shop. It would also give him time to figure out what he could do to help, and how long he should stay in the future to do so.

  Relief flooded Megan’s face. “Thank you. I hate leaving you alone on your second night in the future, but I can tell she has had a rough week. I can help her get the shop ready for tomorrow.”

  Keegan walked her to the door and Megan promised to come by the next day to see how he was doing. He closed the door behind her and got to work. He started by taking the sheets off all the furniture on the bottom level, except for Victoria’s office. He still had a hard time going into her office and would leave the doors closed at all times in his own time.

  He was pleasantly surprised to see the furniture in the same condition they were in at his own home. He used a rag to wipe and dust off the surfaces and onto the floor, then swept three times before he felt he had gotten rid of the majority of the dust. He followed up with a bucket of hot water, needing to replace it several times because it kept getting so dirty.

  It was hard work, but he moved quickly, so it didn’t take too long. He stood at the back door, looked around the kitchen, and let himself smile. It was starting to feel like his home again.

  After taking a break and eating the rest of the tacos, which didn’t taste too great now that they were a few hours old, he brought his cleaning supplies up to his bedroom and started the process over again. He didn’t worry about trying to clean any of the other rooms; he shouldn’t be needing them. It was only going to be him living in this house, and he wouldn’t be staying long.

  The entire day while he cleaned, he thought hard about how he could help Megan and her mother. He thought of some questions he could ask Megan the next day to see which of his ideas would or would not work. He had a feeling most of his ideas wouldn’t work well in her time. He wasn’t familiar with finances in this time and was surprised at how expensive everything was. He knew that meant their income was higher as well, but wondered how much higher it was.

  Once he finished cleaning his room, he brought all his cleaning materials back down the stairs and started to look through the kitchen for something to eat. Back in his time, his cook would always have fresh bread in the cupboard, and he frequently ate bread with preserves for a snack. He quickly remembered, however, that his cook was no longer around, and there was no food in his kitchen.

  He thought for a moment, then turned and went into the backyard to see if the apple tree was still alive and producing fruit. He couldn’t figure out how, but it was thriving. He plucked a couple apples off the branches and sat down on a wooden garden bench to eat.

  This house is in much better shape than it should be, he thought to himself. The house was almost exactly the way he left it when he traveled to his sister’s ranch. The house itself was almost one hundred and fifty years old. It should be falling apart with rot and mold, but it wasn’t. Aside from a few minor repairs and some needed paint, the house was sturdy and still captivatingly beautiful. He wondered if, because Victoria lived there for so long with her keys, it had become entangled in the mystery of time travel. It was as if time travel had allowed this house to remain in good repair for so many years. Whatever it was that allowed this house to still be standing, Keegan wasn’t about to argue. He was very grateful for his home and relished the familiarity it brought in a world that now seemed so strange to him.

  He finished one apple and started on the next, only to stop chewing as a thought hit him. He and Nathan were living in the same house, only in different time periods. And Nathan had no idea. The thought struck him as funny and he laughed out loud. He knew Nathan would find the humor in their situation as well. He smiled and hoped things were going well back in his time.

  Guilt hit him as he thought of his family. They would be worried about him, especially if he didn’t return home soon. He wasn’t worried that they didn’t know where he was. He was sure that Richie and Jonathon probably saw him disappear, and he only hoped that the fact that their uncle disappeared right before their eyes wasn’t too traumatizing for them. He knew his family would be concerned that he might be stuck in a different time period, unable to return. He wished there was a way to send them a letter, as Nicky and Kimberly had been able to do with their family once they traveled back in time.

  He assured himself that they would be alright and made himself promise not to stay in the future too long. He couldn’t do that to his family- especially Patrick.

  He finished his apple and returned inside his house to go to sleep. He would talk to Megan tomorrow. Maybe together they could think of a solution for the shop.

  Chapter 18

  Megan was just getting out of the shower and drying her hair when she heard her doorbell ring. Her best friend, Abby, had called a half hour earlier declaring she was on her way with dinner. She wanted to hear a detailed story of where Megan had been, and why she hadn’t been able to answer her phone. She didn’t believe Megan’s story when she tried to explain she was just ‘busy’ and had lost her phone. Abby could be a little pushy and nosy, but she had a big heart and would do anything for her friends.

  Megan hurried to the door to let Abby in. The smell of chicken wafted from Abby’s takeout bag, and Megan’s stomach grumbled. She had stayed late at the shop with her mother to help catch up on chores. They had even spent an extra hour sipping tea and chatting. They still weren’t any closer to finding a new location to rent. Everywhere close by was either full or the prices were too high.

  “It’s about time!” Abby teased as she came in, and plopped the food on the table. “I’m starving. Let’s eat, then you can tell me what really happened this weekend.”

  Megan groaned inwardly and hoped she could think of a good enough excuse so she wouldn’t have to tell Abby about time travel. She smiled at Abby. “It smells fantastic.”

  They piled the food onto paper plates, and sat down to eat, chatting easily about Abby’s work, and Megan caught Abby up on everything that was going on at her Mother’s shop.

  “I have a friend in the real estate business. Let me give her a call to see if she knows any tips on where you guys could move to,” Abby offered.

  “That would be fantastic,” Megan said appreciatively. “I c
an tell my mom is feeling a lot of stress if she was actually thinking about marrying Mr. Manning. Ugh.” She stood up and started clearing the plates.

  “So, we are done eating now. Where have you been? You had your mom and I worried,” Abby asked.

  “Well…” Megan began. She wracked her brain for an explanation that would placate her friend, but couldn’t think of anything. Truth be told, she didn’t want to lie to her friend. She would love the opportunity to work out the details with her. Abby knew Megan so well, she would know if she should risk taking a chance of a short relationship with Keegan or not. “It’s a long story.”

  “That’s why I came over, isn’t it? So, did you get stuck in a cave? Did some psycho try to track you down and kidnap you?” Abby said with a grin, clearly trying to ease the tension.

  Megan laughed. “No nothing like that.” She led the way over to the couch and her friend plopped down next to her. “It’s hard to explain, and you probably won’t even believe me.”

  “Okay, now I’m really curious,” Abby said, turning more serious.

  “So, you know I went on a hike last Friday. I found a field of herbs that I wanted to gather to use for my mom’s shop. I was about to leave when I saw Apollo jump after something, and he...just disappeared.”

  Abby burst out laughing. “That is pretty creative. But I want to know the real story.”

  “This is the real story, Abby. I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” Megan said, with frustration in her voice.

  Abby stopped smiling and looked intently at Megan. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am.” All the emotions that had built up during the last few days started to show, and tears formed in her eyes. “It’s like my whole world has turned upside down.”

  She told Abby everything, how confused she was when everything looked different, how Patrick had yelled at her, how shocked she was to see the man from her dreams, and how scared she was that she wouldn’t be able to come back home.