A Chance In Time (4 page)

At least the rain had finally stopped.
It had rained the entire day and then most of that
morning.

The door opened so he opened his eyes
and turned his head in Penelope’s direction. He smiled at the
concern in her eyes.

“
It looks worse than it
is,” he assured her before he went into another coughing
fit.

She quickly placed the bucket of water
on the table and dipped a cup into it. When he stopped coughing,
she held the cup out to him. “This will help.”

He tried to say thanks but the tickle
in his throat made him think better of it. Accepting the cup, he
sat up and drank the cool liquid and handed it back to her. “Thank
you.”

To his surprise, she leaned forward
and touched his forehead. “Good. Your fever hasn’t
returned.”

He liked the feel of her hand on his
skin. He liked it too much. Clearing his throat, he said, “I’ll be
fine. This is just a common cold.”

“
As long as you keep
getting better, I won’t complain.” She removed her hand and went to
the table where she set the cup down. “I never should have let you
fix the roof while it rained. You would have been better off to
wait until now.”

“
If I had waited, you’d be
looking at a hole the size of my hand instead of the small crack.
That roof was falling apart fast.”

“
Maybe so but a roof can be
repaired. Life is much more fragile.”

She meant her husband, he realized. He
guessed that being a bride for only a year had taught her that
lesson. “At least you two were happy.”

It was better than he and
Evelyn had done. Five years he stayed married to her, only to find
out she and his brother had been playing him for a fool. Why didn’t
he notice the uncanny resemblance between the boy he thought was
his son and his brother?
Because my
brother and I share the same genes. How was I supposed to put two
and two together until I dug out that birth certificate and
confronted them?
And what a way to confront
them—while they were in bed together.

He forced the memories
aside. That was all in the past. Well, in
his
past anyway. “Tonight, I’m going
to sleep on the floor. You need to get your bed back.”

She glanced his way as she crossed the
room to a trunk. “I’m fine on the floor.”

“
Maybe. But you’re a woman.
It’s not right for me to take the bed.”

“
You’re sick.”

“
I’m well enough to sleep
on the floor now.”

She sighed as she opened the trunk.
“Alright. I’m too relieved you’re alive to argue with
you.”

A smile crossed his lips. She was
probably the only person who cared about that, and it made him feel
good. It made him feel like he actually mattered.

She pulled out a rifle.

“
What’s that
for?”

“
We need meat. I’m going to
hunt.”

“
You hunt?”

“
My husband taught me
shortly before he got sick. He insisted that I needed to know how
to take care of myself if something were to ever happen to
him.”

“
Smart man. I’m sorry he
died.”

She stared at the rifle in her hands
and took a deep breath. “I am too.” She looked up at him. “But I
can’t bring him back. I have to move on.”

He nodded. What else could she do? All
of life was about adapting to whatever crap came someone’s way.
Whether it was him and his crummy marriage that ended in a divorce
or her happy marriage that ended in death, they had their own
difficulties to overcome.

“
Good luck hunting,” he
said as he settled back onto the bed, suddenly feeling tired. “And
I promise to spend my time resting.”

She smiled before she left.

A beautiful smile. Much too beautiful
for a thief.

Chapter Six

Two weeks passed and, to Penelope’s
relief, Cole returned to full health. She wouldn’t lose him like
she’d lost Randy. She blinked. Lose him? That was an odd thought
for someone she hardly knew. She forced the observation aside and
finished making breakfast.

Cole returned from feeding the horses,
looking silly in clothes that were much too tight on him. His steps
halted and he raised an eyebrow. “Something funny?”

Clearing her throat so her chuckle
would cease, she said, “You’re taller than my husband was. His
clothes don’t fit you very well.”

He grinned and shrugged. “Who am I to
complain? At least they stay on.”

She set the biscuits and pancakes on
the plates before turning to the small table where she placed them.
“I hope you brought your appetite.”

“
I did. You better watch
out though. It seems like I’m hungry all the time now.”

“
That’s because you need to
get your strength back. I have extra food prepared.”

He sat at his place at the table.
“I’ll try not to eat you out of house and home.”

“
Eat as much as you want.
I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“
You may not be saying that
when you realize how much I’m capable of wolfing down.”

She smiled at his joke and joined him
at the table. He sat in front of her, which she privately enjoyed
since it gave her liberty to look at him without being obvious. Now
that his sunburn had healed and he had shaved, she could see his
face clearly. He was a handsome man with his dark blond hair with
bangs that fell over his forehead. He pushed them back, but they
usually ended up falling forward again. He had kind eyes, a nice
nose, and full lips. His shoulders were broad and his body strong.
Yes, she did enjoy looking at him.

She touched her bun. What did she look
like? She knew she’d let herself go since her husband died. Did she
let herself go too far? Randy used to like her hair when it was
down. Maybe she should do that again.

He picked up a biscuit and put butter
on it. “Do you make your own butter?”

She nodded and took her hand off her
hair.

“
Isn’t it a lot of work?
Don’t get me wrong. This stuff tastes better than anything I bought
from the store, but it can’t be easy. Don’t you have to churn this
stuff?”

He had an odd way of talking, but she
liked it. Smiling, she replied, “I don’t notice how much work it
is. I did when I first came here. But I don’t anymore. I guess I
got used to it.”

“
That’s only natural.” He
took a bite and swallowed. “This is really good. I’m glad I have
enough of an appetite to enjoy it.”

“
Thank you. I’m glad you’re
well enough to enjoy it too.” She picked up her biscuit and decided
to butter it as well.

“
Today I want to teach you
how to repair a roof.”

“
Why?”

“
Because you might need to
know how to do it in the future.”

She glanced at her uneaten biscuit.
Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. That meant he planned to
leave, didn’t it? Of course, he’d leave. He had a life somewhere.
Fiddling with the napkin in her lap, she asked, “May I ask what
your life is like? I mean, before you came here?”

He frowned for a moment then shrugged.
“There’s not much to tell. I worked hard. I rarely slept in. I was
just there. Just getting by.”

That was such a vague answer that she
didn’t know what to make of it.

“
It’s peaceful out here,”
he continued before he put the rest of the biscuit in his mouth and
chewed.

“
Yes, it is. I enjoy
it.”

“
I do too. I feel as if
everything is right with the world. I would like to build a fence
for the horses, if that’s alright with you.”

“
My husband never got
around to that. I would like it. The horses need a place to
roam.”

“
I’ll do that after I
replace the roof. I forgot to ask. Do you have enough supplies to
make a roof?”

“
I’m not sure. I’ll take
you down to the cellar and show you everything. Then you can decide
what you can and can’t do. I know my husband wasn’t the greatest
builder around, and some of the things around here need
fixing.”

He smiled at her. “I like to help.
This way, I get to pay you back for all you’ve done for me. You
know, saving my life and all.”

She returned his smile. “I like the
fact that you’re here.”

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
Did she just say that? It was such a bold thing to do. And yet,
losing a husband after being married for only a year had taught her
that she couldn’t spend her life waiting. She had to make the most
of the moment, and though she understood she couldn’t come right
out and ask him to stay with her, she could be subtle, she could
let him know he was more than welcome if he wished to leave
everything he’d known behind to be with her.

Forcing her attention back to the
food, she finally bit into the biscuit.

“
I like being here too,” he
softly confessed, not making eye contact with her.

Her heart leapt. There was hope then.
She was sure of it. Maybe he was considering it. She certainly
hoped so. He was, by far, the most wonderful man she’d ever met.
Randy was dear to her of course. He’d always have a place in her
heart. But there was no denying her feelings for Cole. Maybe he’d
come to feel the same way for her.

But what if he wants
children?
A flicker of apprehension made
her lose her appetite again. She couldn’t give him any. What if he
decided to leave because of that? She would have to tell him. But
not today. Today, she’d simply enjoy the time they did have
together.

She took a deep breath and forced
herself to finish the meal.

Chapter Seven

Two weeks later, Cole checked the time
travel device. He sighed and put the device in the drawer under his
clean shirt. For the time being, he wore the clothes that
Penelope’s deceased husband wore. The man had been shorter than
Cole, but the clothes and pants fit well enough. He sighed and shut
the drawer. He had to get to Fargo.

Penelope entered the cabin, carrying a
jar of pickles. “I remember you said you liked these.” She motioned
to the jar and placed it on the table. “I will be going to town in
a couple weeks. I’m running out of supplies.”

He nodded. He knew the time was
nearing when he’d leave. He’d been anticipating it for the past
month, but now that it was close to coming, he didn’t experience
the relief he expected. Which was ridiculous, of course. He had no
reason to stay. He certainly had no business staying, not with a
woman as good as Penelope.

She grabbed a pot from the shelf and
set it on the cook stove. “I thought I’d make stew. We still have
rabbit meat to eat.”

“
That sounds good. I’ll
take care of the horses.” It was the least he could do, especially
for everything she’d done for him. “I’ll be back.”

She smiled as he left.

He pushed aside the twinge of guilt.
He didn’t deserve one of her smiles. Penelope was much too trusting
of strangers. A woman who could bear the harsh winters of this land
should have been more careful when selecting a man to heal, feed
and clothe. Someone like Blake would have been a better
choice.

He made it to the well and released
the rope, watching as the bucket descended into the dark hole.
Where was Blake anyway? His eyes swept his surroundings and not a
single person could be seen for miles in any direction. For the
moment, he was safe. But he had to get to Fargo. There was no doubt
about it. The sooner he left this homestead, the better both he and
Penelope would be.

As long as Blake didn’t find him
before he found the chip, everything could be set back in order. He
could dig for gold out in California in 1848 and strike it rich.
He’d never have to worry about money ever again. He could even come
to this time and give Penelope money to make sure she’d never have
to work hard another day in her life. There were many things money
could buy, many things it could provide, and he’d make sure to
return her kindness when he could.

He retrieved the bucket full of cool
water and carried it to the barn where the horses waited in the
stalls he reinforced. He poured the water into the trough where the
horses quickly approached. He turned to the straw that he’d brought
up from the cellar and put it in another trough for them to
eat.

Penelope could use another barn. As it
was, the weather had beaten the roof down, and if he hadn’t
repaired it, it would’ve fallen within the year. There was no doubt
about it. The woman needed money to build things that would last.
Her husband might have been a good man, but he didn’t know much
about building or maintaining his things.

Yes, Cole would get that gold and come
back to give her some of it. But he wouldn’t tell her it was from
him. She seemed to think he was a good man, the kind she could take
home to meet her mother, and as foolish as it was, he liked her
version of him. The last thing he wanted to do was destroy it. That
was when he made his decision. He would place the gold near the
well. If he buried it but let a piece of it stick out of the ground
where she usually stood, then she’d find it and dig it up. She’d
assumed she discovered it and all would be well. Yes, that’s what
he’d do.