Karen D. Badger - Yesterday Once More (35 page)

Jordan stifled a gasp as the date registered in her brain. She cleared her throat to mask her surprise. “Well, I guess I should go settle in. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Can you find your way out?” Maggie asked.

“No problem,” Jordan replied. “This place already feels like home.”

* * *

“How long has she been gone?” Andi asked.

Kale looked at his watch. “About two hours. That would be roughly 12 hours for her.”

“Maybe we should check the communication portal,” Andi suggested.

“You’re right. It’s about time we checked it again, anyway.” When Kale reached into the hole, he expected to find it empty. Instead, his hand made contact with something. “There’s something in here,” he said as he grasped the object. It was a bottle. He handed it to Andi as he climbed out from under the bench.

Andi held the bottle up to the light. “There’s something inside. Look!”

Kale looked at the object, now backlit by the ceiling light. “It looks like paper. Jordan, you’re a genius.”

Kale took the bottle and pried off the cap. A few firm shakes and the edge of the paper protruded from the opening. Carefully, he extracted it from the bottle. He unrolled the paper and laid it flat on the workbench, holding the curled corners down with his fingers. Andi read the note over Kale’s shoulder.

Kale and Andi: I arrived safely. As luck would have it, I also arrived just in time to save Maggie from a winch that had fallen from a rafter to the floor of the barn in the very place she had been standing. This particular incident is described in one of Maggie’s diaries under the date September 23, 2018. By the way, I need you to find that diary and tell me what the first couple of lines of the entry are for that day. Kale, I know you’re probably thinking that I’m messing with the past by preventing accidents that were supposed to happen, but I just couldn’t help myself. I acted on instinct. Anyway, I ended up introducing myself to Maggie by tackling her to the ground. Very suave, Lewis, very suave. I don’t have a lot of room to write, but suffice it to say that I’m fine and have figured out a way to be close to Maggie. What I need you two to do for me is to send a bag of clothing sturdy enough for farm work, and, of course, please include a piece of paper containing the diary entry for September 23, 2018. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I love you guys. Jordan.

“Jordan, you’re playing with fire,” Kale said.

Andi furrowed her brow. “Farm work?”

* * *

Maggie kicked off her boots, stripped off her blue jeans and flannel shirt, and threw everything into a heap by the side of the bed.

“Wow,” Jan said, entering the bedroom. “Now that’s what I call a nice welcome.” 

Maggie slipped a tank top over her head.

Jan frowned. “I take it you’re not interested in making love tonight.”

Maggie stood in front of the dresser mirror and tousled her curly hair. “It’s been a long day, and not a little frightening.”

“How so?”

“For starters, having a three-hundred-pound metal winch nearly fall on my head this morning. Do you realize I could have been killed? Thank God Jordan was there.”

“There’s something odd about that one,” Jan said.

Maggie turned to look at her. “Why do you say that?”

“What do you know about her? Where does she come from? What did she do for a living before she came here? Have you asked her any of those questions yet?”

“I know that her family raised horses. I know that she’s from somewhere around this area, but she hasn’t specified exactly where, yet. I know she seems to know what she’s doing on a farm. I know she’s good with her hands, and I know that if she hadn’t been here today, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now. For me, that’s all I need to know.”

Jan snorted. “I’ll bet she’s good with her hands.”

Maggie stomped up to Jan and stopped within inches of her. “What exactly to you mean by that?” she demanded.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how attractive she is,” Jan said. “Are you going to pursue her like you did me when I first came to work for you?”

“The way I remember it, that pursuit went both ways,” Maggie replied.

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure she’s going to be a welcome addition to the crew. She has kind of a know-it-all attitude.”

“Oh, really? Just how much time have you spent with her to come to that conclusion?”

“I don’t need to spend time with her. I think I’m a pretty good judge of character, and she doesn’t look like a farmhand to me. She looks more like she should be sitting behind a desk or teaching school or something like that.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that she’s very capable of working a farm. She inspected the rafter after you said it was probably a weak point in the wood, and she found where someone or something had mechanically cut through the boards.”

“What?” Jan said. “How the hell did she come to that conclusion? I looked at the boards myself and saw no such thing.”

“Well then, either you didn’t really look or you didn’t know what you were looking at because she showed it to me. It was obviously sawed—not broken and not splintered.”

Jan paced back and forth across the bedroom, clearly agitated. “I don’t like what you’re implying, Maggie. You shouldn’t be letting this Lewis character put those kinds of thoughts in your head. She’ll be nothing but trouble for us. Mark my words.”

Maggie intercepted Jan’s path as she crossed the room. “Let’s get one thing straight, Jan,” Maggie said in a stern voice. “When it comes to this farm, there is no ‘us.’ This is my farm, and I will run it the way I see fit. Is that clear?”

* * *

Jordan, your “message in a bottle” approach was a brilliant idea. I guess I don’t need to nag you about interfering with the past. Just know that everything you do there will change something about the future. Please be careful. We’re checking the communication portal several times a day, so be sure to let us know how things are going, and especially when you need to come home. You asked for an excerpt from Maggie’s diary. Here it is: “September 23, 2018. This is the day I almost died. Luckily, a beautiful blue-eyed guardian angel came to my rescue.” I assume you had something to do with that particular entry? Again, Jord, please be careful. We love you. Kale and Andi.

“Wow, I guess Kale is right. Everything I do here has the potential to change history, so to speak,” Jordan said out loud as she rummaged through the bag of clothing Kale had sent.

“Thanks, guys. This is perfect.” She zipped the bag and carried it to the bunkhouse.

* * *

“No sir, I inspected the board myself. In my opinion, it looks as if it were cut mechanically. The break was straight and clean instead of jagged and angled, as I would expect it to be if the board had snapped under the weight of the winch.”

Jordan listened as the contractor reacted to the information she’d just given him.

“Okay then,” she said. “I’ll let Miss Downs know one of your carpenters will be here today around noon to inspect the board. All right. Thank you. Good-bye.”

Maggie had entered the house at the end of Jordan’s conversation. While Jordan finished her call, Maggie sorted a handful of mail. “What did he say?” Maggie asked without looking up.

“He’s sending a man over at noon to inspect the beam.”

Maggie threw the last envelope into the bill pile and then looked up at Jordan. “Wow. Daddy never looked that good in those jeans.”

Jordan blushed. “Stop that. You’re embarrassing me,” she said. She couldn’t tell Maggie that they were actually her jeans, courtesy of Kale and Andi.

“Hey, how would you like to accompany me to an auction?”

Jordan shrugged. “Sure. If you want me to, I’m game.”

“All right then. Give me a minute to freshen up, and I’ll be right with you. Help yourself to some lemonade while you wait. I won’t be long.”

“Take your time, I’m on the clock,” Jordan joked. She watched Maggie ascend the stairs. Then she went to the kitchen and took the pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator. As she was pouring herself a glass, Jan walked in.

“Does Maggie know you’re helping yourself like that?” she asked curtly.

“As a matter of fact, she does. I’m waiting for her to freshen up. We’re going to a horse auction,” Jordan replied.

Anger sparked in Jan’s eyes. “I guess it will be a threesome then,” she stated.

Just then, Maggie breezed into the kitchen. “Okay, I’m ready.” She stopped short when she saw Jan. “Jan, I’m glad you’re here. The building contractor is sending a man over in about an hour to inspect the damaged rafter. I think it might be beneficial for you to meet with him. I’m taking Jordan with me to the Mustang auction. We’ll be back later this afternoon.”

Jordan locked eyes with Jan. If looks could have killed, Jordan would be dead on the spot.

Jordan sat in the passenger seat of Maggie’s pickup truck. She couldn’t help but steal glances at the redhead driving.

“Okay, I give. What do you find so interesting that you feel compelled to stare at me?”

Jordan felt herself turn red with embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I can’t help myself,” she confessed.

“No, really, I’m flattered, actually. But why can’t you help yourself? I do want to know.”

Jordan was surprised. “You mean you don’t know?”

Maggie glanced at Jordan quickly then turned her attention back to the road. “Know what?” she asked.

Jordan shook her head. “Well, I’ll be damned. Maggie, you are a beautiful woman. In fact, you’re more beautiful in person than in print.” Jordan realized her slip of the tongue as soon as it left her mouth.

Maggie frowned. “When exactly did you see me in print?”

Damn it, Lewis, you screwed up big time! Think before you open your mouth.

“Well, I did a little research on you and your farm before I came to apply for the job. I found a picture of you that was taken at some county fair a few years back.”

Maggie appeared to be deep in thought. “I see. Do you really think I’m beautiful?”

“I’m surprised you have to ask that question. I would think you’d have suitors lined up for a mile.”

Maggie chuckled. “It’s pretty much common knowledge around town that Jan and I are a couple, so there haven’t really been any offers for quite some time now.”

“Did you date much before Jan?”

“A little, but I had a bad experience with a girl named Jess when I was in my twenties, and that pretty much turned me off relationships for a while. Jan is my first serious relationship in a long time.”

“How long have you and Jan been together?”

Maggie thought for a moment before answering. “For about four years.”

“Hmm,” Jordan said.

Maggie tossed her a sideways glance. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Jordan looked down at her booted feet on the floor for a moment or two before answering. “Well, I guess I just don’t see that she’s your type.”

“And why do you feel you’re qualified to know what my type is? Hell, you’ve only been here for two days.”

Jordan wanted desperately to tell Maggie that she knew practically her entire life history, at least from the time she was sixteen years old, but she decided to play her cards close to her chest. “You’re right. I apologize, but it doesn’t feel right to me. Don’t ask me why. It just doesn’t.”

“I don’t appreciate you talking about Jan that way. I’ll decide what my type is, not you. Jan suits me just fine, thank you very much.”

Maggie and Jordan rode along in silence for a few moments. Finally, Maggie broke it. “What exactly do you think is my type?” she asked.

Jordan thought for a moment.
How do I say this so it doesn’t seem self-serving?
“I guess your type would be someone who was your intellectual equal, someone who could give you good advice yet know when not to cross boundaries. That person should complement you physically as well. You’re a very beautiful woman. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your feminine nature doesn’t fit the profile of someone who can run a farm all by herself.”

Maggie glared at Jordan. “Let me get this straight. First you tell me my partner is stupid and she gives bad advice, and then you have the audacity to imply I can’t run a horse farm properly because I’m too feminine?”

Jordan smacked herself in the forehead with the heel of her right hand.
Damn it, Lewis. You can give Kale advice on how to win women over, but you suck at it yourself.

“No, no. That’s not what I meant.” She looked at Maggie’s shocked and angry expression. “Look, I’m digging a hole for myself that I won’t be able to climb out of if I keep running my mouth, so let’s just forget I said anything.”

“Oh, no, you’re not getting off that easy. Now, explain what you meant.”

Jordan placed her hands on her thighs and dropped her head back to look at the ceiling of the truck. She inhaled deeply then turned her head to look at Maggie. “Okay. Let me just say that most of the feminine women I have known in the past are pretty high-maintenance, and quite frankly, they tend to prefer someone more on the butch side to take care of things for them.”