All My Tomorrows (16 page)

CHAPTER 17

Maggie spent the rest of the day cleaning up the mess she had made in her bedroom by tearing out the sheetrock in front of the diaries. She would have to hire a contractor to repair the wall, but at least she had peace of mind that Jordan was not lying to her. It was nearly dark when she finished. Electing to forgo dinner, she poured herself a tall glass of wine and started a fire in the living room fireplace. She threw several large pillows on the floor in front of the hearth and sat on them, contemplating the flames. The house was empty and dark… and very lonely. John had gone home for the night, and she was alone.

She replayed her last conversation with Jordan, over and over again, while trying to make sense of what Jordan was telling her.

Is it really possible she traveled through time? What did she say… her parents died two years ago in 2103, so that means she was living in the year 2105 before she came here. That's eighty-four years from now. Will time travel even be possible in eighty-four years?

Maggie sat with her knees up and arms wrapped around her shins. She rested her forehead on her knees and began to cry.

How will I live without you, Jordan? I have never loved another human being the way I love you. Why does life have to be so complicated?

She propped her chin on her knees and stared at the fire once more.

I wish I would have let you explain how you knew I was in danger. You said I died over and over again. What do you mean by that, Jordan? It's so hard for me to even imagine it. I am so angry at myself for not giving you the chance to explain.

Maggie drained her wine glass and refilled it with the bottle she had placed on the hearth in front of her.

Where are you, Jordan? Where did you go? What you said earlier is right, you don't exist in 2019. You have no social security number, no credit cards, no cell phone, no history at all. Hell, you don't even have a car or a valid driver's license. Sweetheart, how will you survive? I'm so sorry for not listening to you. I'm so worried about you. Jordan, please come home.

Maggie refilled her glass a third time, emptying the remainder of the wine into her glass. She wrapped her arms around her shins once more and allowed the tears to roll down her face.

What good is having this farm if I have no one I love to share it with? Maybe you should have let me die, Jordan. You have risked everything in your life to save mine, and what did I do to repay you? I threw you out. I didn't believe you. I didn't trust you. I am so sorry.

Maggie drank the rest of the wine in her glass then put it on the hearth and laid her head on the pillows. Within moments, she was asleep.

* * *

Maggie awoke the next morning with a nagging headache. She rolled over and looked at the ceiling and wondered why she wasn't in her bed. It was then she realized she had fallen asleep on the pillows in front of the fireplace.

"Oh my God," she said, pushing her self into a seated position. "I can't believe I drank that whole bottle of wine last night. No wonder I've got a headache."

Maggie climbed to her feet and tossed the pillows back onto the couch, each time fighting the pounding in her head as she bent down to pick up the next pillow.

"Remind me never to drink wine again," she said to no one in particular.

She shuffled into her bedroom and looked at herself in the mirror. "Maggie, you look like death warmed over," she said out loud as she took in appearance. There were dark circles under her eyes and her curly red hair was even more unruly than usual. She began stripping her clothing off then threw them into the laundry basket located beside the dresser… directly in front of where she had torn the sheetrock from the wall.

Maggie sat heavily on the bed and looked at the hole in the wall. "Jordan," she whispered as her handiwork reminded her of what had transpired the day before.

"Jordan, where are you? Where did you sleep last night?"

Maggie fought back tears as she stripped off the rest of her clothing and headed to the bathroom to shower.

"Good Morning, John," Maggie said as she entered the barn to saddle Shawny for their morning ride.

"'Morning to ya, Miss Maggie," John replied. "I take it Jordan is sleeping in?" he asked. "She promised to give me a hand stacking the hay bales today."

Maggie threw the saddle over Shawny's back then stopped to look at John. "Jordan is gone, John."

John lowered his chin to his chest. "That's a pity, Ma'am. She was good people. Seein' as you and she were supposed to get married soon, I thought…"

"Well, she's gone. She left last night." Maggie resumed saddling her horse.

"I know I shouldn't be so bold, but Jordan was my friend. Do you mind me askin' why?"

"We had an argument over something she was keeping from me… something she should have shared with me when she first arrived."

"You mean the time travel thing?" John asked.

Maggie pulled the belly strap tight then stopped short. She walked over to John and stood directly in front of him. "What did you say?"

"I asked if it was about the time travel thing."

"You knew about that? She told you, but kept it from me?" Maggie said, her anger escalating once more.

"No, Ma'am, she didn't tell me about it."

"Then how the hell did you know?"

"I was in the tack room fixing one of the pitch forks, when all of the sudden, a wind kicked up inside the barn, so I peeked my head outside the tack room into the barn proper to see if you had left the main door open. A flash of light lit up the room in the center of the barn where the hay bales were stored. It only lasted a second or two, but when it was over, there was Jordan, sitting in the middle of the floor, all wrapped up in a ball. She just appeared outta nowhere."

"You saw her appear?" Maggie said excitedly.

"I did."

"And that didn't scare you?"

"Yes, Ma'am, it did. I thought she might be an alien or something, but she looked harmless enough. That was moments before she tackled you to the ground and saved you from the winch that fell from the rafters. You talked to her yourself. Did she appear to be dangerous to you?"

Maggie paced back and forth in front of John. "She appeared from thin air just before the winch fell?"

"Yes, Ma'am, and now I'm glad she did, otherwise, you might not be here talking to me about it right now."

"And you never questioned her about it later?"

"No, Ma'am. Like I said, Jordan is good people. Once I got to know her, I could tell she was harmless. It don't matter none to me where she comes from, only that she's good people."

Maggie stood there with her hands on her hips and smiled broadly. "We should all learn to think that way, John. If I was half as open-minded as you are, she would be here today to help you stack those hay bales."

"Do you know where she went?" John asked.

"No, I don't." Maggie rubbed her forehead. "I've been such a fool, John. She tried to explain it to me, but I wouldn't listen. It just seemed too incredible to believe, and now here you are, telling me exactly the same thing." Maggie wiped the tears from her eyes.

John put his hand on Maggie's shoulder. "I know she loves you, Maggie. She's told me so herself. Let me put out a few feelers around town to see if anyone has seen her."

"I'd appreciate that, John."

"Go on now. Take Shawny out for his ride. I've got hay bales to stack."

CHAPTER 18

Gina glanced at Jordan across the front seat of the truck. "I'm surprised you didn't show her the implant or even tell her about your own injury."

"We're dealing with a sensitive research project here, with the potential for very high-stakes political visibility. Neither Phyllis, nor the research scientists need to see the implant. They only need to be impressed enough with my knowledge of how to restore mobility and feeling to a person with a complete SCI," Jordan explained. "One thing I learned from my mentors is that you only divulge what is necessary to get the job done. Exposing anything more will only get in the way of progress, and may even put you at risk."

"What kind of risk?" Gina asked.

"Imagine for a moment that word got out about the implant. What do you think it might be worth on the black market?"

Gina glanced quickly at Jordan then back at the road. "To sell it on the black market, they'd have to take it out of you, wouldn't they?"

"Exactly, and since I wouldn't willingly allow that, what do you think my life would be worth compared to what could be made by cloning and selling this device?"

"Holy shit. I never thought of it that way."

"Hence, the need to keep that piece of information under wraps. What I will be trying to do here is to sell my knowledge and experience without putting my life on the line."

"So, how is it that you have no identification and no way to prove who you are or what you've accomplished in your life? I mean, you were obviously born, grew up, and went to school. Hell, you're a scientist. There must be some records of your degree somewhere, not to mention medical records from the implant."

Jordan stared straight ahead, unsure how much she should share with Gina. "There are plenty of records. They're just not accessible to me."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Look, Gina, you are asking questions I can't answer right now."

"You're not from around here, are you?" Gina asked.

"I grew up on a farm very near here, Gina. I just can't go into any detail right now."

"Are you a fugitive or something?"

"No."

"Damn it, Jordan. You're not giving me much to go on here. Sam and I are willing to help you, but trust can only go so far."

"Gina, the more people who know the details, the more paradoxes it creates, and that's not exactly a good thing."

"You're asking an awful lot of us, Jordan. I mean, the only thing we've got to go on right now is your connection to Maggie, and even that's not good at the moment."

Jordan nodded. "You're right. You and Sam have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I'm sorry that I can't divulge more to you right now. I'm thinking that I need to find a place to stay in Burlington, preferably within walking distance of the lawyer's office. Like I said, I have enough money to live on for several weeks. With any luck, we'll get the funding for the non-profit set up soon and I'll be back on my feet. I'm anxious to get a team together and get the ball rolling on the implant development. There are a lot of people out there who can benefit from the progress I've already realized."

"And what about Maggie?" Gina asked.

"What about her?"

"I thought you loved her."

"I love her with every fiber of my being, Gina. I would stop at nothing to get her back, but she needs to be a willing participant in that effort, and right now, she's not. And even if she was, I can't spend the rest of my life being her paid farm hand. I need to do something with my life to prove myself worthy of her. I need to prove that I wasn't lying about who I am and where I come from."

"So you have nothing… no social security number, no driver's license, no credit cards, no cell phone. How the hell did you survive without those things where you come from, Jordan?"

"I had all those things where I come from. I just don't have them here."

"Man. You are making no sense at all."

"I know this all seems very cryptic to you. I guess you can see now why Maggie freaked out and asked me to leave."

"You got that right," Gina said as she took her eyes off the road for a quick glance at Jordan.

"Look, Gina, I know you don't know me, and heaven knows, you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you I only came here to save Maggie. I didn't anticipate her rejection… pure and simple, but it happened and now I have no way to go back to where I came from, so I need to make the best of a bad situation. I need to make something of myself and pay my own way."

"Why can't you go back to where you came from?"

"The path home is no longer available to me. The door has been closed."

* * *

Jordan and Sam stood on the front deck while Gina waited for her in the truck.

"Jordan, are you sure we can't talk you into staying a little longer, at least until your funding has been granted?" Sam asked.

Jordan took Sam's hand in her own. "I really appreciate everything you and Gina have done for me, Sam, but I think it would be best if I go. I've overstayed my welcome already."

"You've been here for less than a week, Jordan," Sam pointed out.

"Well, I feel like I've taken advantage of you and Gina for long enough. Thanks to your help, I have a nicely furnished studio apartment right across the street from the hospital, and I'm within walking distance of the lawyer's office as well. With any luck, I'll be able to arrange for legal identification soon and will be able to purchase a car and a cell phone."

"When is your appointment with the spinal institute?"

"Phyllis set it up for two weeks from now. That should give me enough time to pull together a convincing presentation. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about that meeting."

"Would you like Gina or me to go with you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I've disrupted your lives enough already."

"It's really no problem."

Jordan squeezed Sam's hand. "No, really. I'll be fine."

Sam opened her arms and took Jordan into her warm embrace. "Take care of yourself, Jordan. You have our cell phone numbers if you need anything. Don't hesitate to call, okay?"

Jordan stepped back out of Sam's arms. "Okay," she said.

"We're still on for dinner on Friday, right? Gina will pick you up after she closes the office. Bring a change of clothes so you can spend a night or two."

Jordan grinned. "You are such a mother hen, Sam."

"I can't help it. It's in my nature to take care of people."

Jordan descended the three steps between the deck and the driveway then looked back at Sam. "Well, don't ever change. You're perfect just the way you are. I'll see you on Friday."

* * *

"Flirting with my wife, are you?" Gina said, a twinkle in her eye.

Jordan reached for her seatbelt and pulled it across her chest. "Damn right I am. You're a lucky woman, Gina. You have a treasure there. I hope you know that."

"I most certainly do, my friend. So, did she try to talk you into staying longer?"

"Oh, yeah."

"The offer is still open, you know."

"I know, Gina, and I love you both for being there for me, but I really do need to be on my own. I've taken advantage of you two for long enough."

"We don't feel that way. There's something about you, Jordan. Something about you that made us trust you right away. It's like we've known you forever, even though it's been less than a week."

"I feel the same about you and Sam. You two have been a godsend to me since Maggie threw me out. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"I'll respect your need for secrecy for now, but I expect you to come clean with us when you can. You know you can trust us."

Jordan nodded. "I know, and yes, as soon as I feel secure and have established myself, you'll be the first ones I tell."

"Fair enough."

Gina and Jordan drove on in silence for several minutes.

"Gina, how often did you see Maggie before I came along?"

"Every couple of weeks… at least we used to see her that often until Jan became intolerable. Why do you ask?"

"I'm kind of concerned about her. Unless she's hired a replacement for me, she's pretty much alone on that farm at night. John is there during the day, but he goes home around five."

"I'll give her a call tonight and check in on her. Do you want her to know you've been staying with us?"

"I wouldn't bother. I'm not sure she'll care anyway." Jordan bit her bottom lip and looked out the side window to keep herself from crying. She covertly wiped the moisture out of the corner of her eye, a movement not unnoticed by Gina.

"Are you all right, Jordan?" Gina asked.

"I miss her," Jordan whispered as her bottom lip trembled.

"Maybe you should call her."

"I don't think she wants to hear from me." Jordan inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. "Damn. I can't believe how much it hurts."

"You love her, Jordan. I totally get that it hurts."

"Yeah, well, love sucks."

"Sometimes it does, my friend. Sometimes it does. Here we are," Gina said as she pulled into the driveway of Jordan's apartment complex. "Are you going to be okay?" Gina asked.

"How can I not be with friends like you and Sam? I mean, you find me a place to live, you fill my cupboards with food and you put yourselves on call to me twenty-four seven. I'll never be able to repay you."

Gina reached across the cab of the truck and hugged Jordan tightly. "No repayment necessary, Jord. We're glad to help."

"Thanks, Gina, and thank Sam for me again too, okay?"

"Will do. Call if you need anything."

"I will," Jordan said as she climbed out of the truck and waved as Gina drove away.

* * *

Gina tapped the Bluetooth icon on the dashboard monitor and selected speed dial. She had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel as she waited for the call to be picked up. "Damn," she said as the call went to voicemail.

"Maggie, this is Gina. We need to talk. Call me."