Chapter 16 #2
“If you say so.” He gazed at her arm. “Ouch, that looks sore. I’ll ring Doctor Carrie.”
“No, it’s fine, just bruised.” She wondered then how Horland was doing.
If he fell into a trap, there’d be no one to help him out.
Now that she had the orb back, she should go back and make sure he’s safe.
No, she could change the settings and go back to when she should have the first time.
And that would be twenty years after Garlain returned to Pradwick.
That way Garlain and everyone else in that time would have aged the same as she had.
Maybe then he would believe she was his daughter.
“I thought I’d try to change the orbs’ settings, so I turn up in the right era this time.”
She went to pick up the orb from the bed but cried out. “Ow.”
Garrett plucked the white orb up. “Not now, you don’t. You can’t go back there until you heal. The people of that time apparently like traps, and I doubt that would have changed after twenty-odd years.”
“Garrett’s right,” Laura said. “You can set the orbs anytime, but right now, you need to heal and,” she eyed Bree from head to toe, “eat. You’ve lost weight.”
Bree looked down at her torn dress. “Nothing like a stroll through the forest to eat up all those pancake calories I consumed before I left.”
HAVING DECIDED TO WAIT until her arm healed, Bree spent the next few days spending time outdoors among the flower and vegetable gardens under the big blue sky and enjoying Garrett and Laura’s company.
They were tired of waiting for their baby girl to be born, and poor Laura had just about had enough of waddling around and straining to get out of every seat she sat in.
But they weren’t too tired to notice Bree’s red eyes every morning, and that morning was no different.
“Where’s Garrett?” Bree asked as she sat at the kitchen table.
“Out riding,” Laura said as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of Bree. “You’ve been crying again.”
Bree shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
“There’s nothing to decide. I have to go back to when Dad will believe I’m his daughter.”
Laura pushed her shiny brown hair away from her face and eyed Bree. “I don’t know, Bree, your aunt and uncle must have had a reason to send you back when they did. Maybe Garlain is smarter than you think—maybe he can believe and understand that you had aged in your time where he hadn’t in his.”
“I doubt it.”
“Maybe Mark and Dianne wanted you to meet Horland at the time you did, maybe that’s the real reason they sent you back then. After all, we were all part of their machinations, and we all came out of them not only healthier and wiser, but happier than we ever were before they interfered.”
Bree knew she was right, at least where her cousins were concerned, but something told her that wasn’t why she was sent back to when she would meet Horland. She just wished she knew the answer.
“I don’t think a relationship between me and Horland is written in the stars. I have the oddest feeling it’s all about my father. No, I have to go back to when we have both lived through our grief for my mother, and that means twenty years after Horland and I met.”
“But he’ll be old, and he won’t even remember you.”
A lump caught in Bree’s throat. “I know.”
Laura slid back her chair and, putting both hands palm down on the table, hauled herself up onto her feet. “Ugh, I hope I’ll have this baby sooner rather than later.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“She should make an appearance anytime soon.”
Bree leaned toward her stomach and raised her voice. “Hurry up, little one, I want to see you before I go.”
Laura laughed. “Well that should make her sit up and listen.”
brEE CHANGED HER MIND a million times while waiting for her arm to heal. During the days she pushed all thought of Horland out of her mind and ignored the growing ache in her heart.
She kept busy looking after Laura when Garrett wasn’t there and tending the gardens.
Using the work to improve the strength in her arm, she increased the load she put on her muscles every day, pushing and pulling rakes and pruning larger and larger branches, first with shears until finally she was able to use a hedge shear for the privet hedge between the main garden and stables.
She hoped the physical work would tire her enough to sleep. While she worked, she would decide to change the orb settings and go back to live like father and daughter with Garlain as only she could if she looked like his daughter and not his sister.
But as she lay alone in her bed and sleep finally claimed her, she would think of Horland, how his arms felt around her, his smile, his teasing, and yes, his kisses.
The thought of never feeling those emotions again had her crying into her pillow.
If only she had gone back to the right time in the first place, she wouldn’t have to go through the grief of losing someone while never knowing if they might have had a future together.
Two weeks later, she awoke to find her arm pain free. The bruises were an ugly fading yellow, but they were beautiful to her.
She stretched her arms high overhead and sighed. She was glad she was back to her healthy self, but that, of course, had a weight pushing on her chest. It was time to make up her mind.
She threw the covers off and had a quick shower. Once dressed, she tied her hair back in a ribbon and frowned at her reflection. “What are you going to do?”
She shook her head and grimaced. “Maybe I’ll toss a coin.” But then, she though some fresh air would clear her head.
Making sure the way was clear, she hurried down the stairs and out the back door She didn’t want Garrett or Laura to see her before her eyes returned to normal.
They had stopped asking about her swollen red eyes, but she couldn’t stand the pity on their faces when they saw her.
She knew it must have been hard for them, to see her hurting and unable to do anything about it, so it was easier to just not see them.
She stopped and took in the beautiful day.
The sun was shining, the sky was clear and the air cool but not cold.
She meandered through the garden, past the stables and into the small tree forest. It was colder in the shade and she shivered as she followed the horse path up the rise.
Coming out into the sun, she paused and let the warm rays wash over her for a moment before continuing to the large flat rock.
She sat down and gazed over the open field that stretched to the mountains in the distance.
Her gaze alighted on the old bristlecone pine tree that indicated the border of the property.
How she used to love riding over the field and climbing to the top of that gnarled tree.
She rubbed her arm as an old memory of pain had her smiling.
She’d climbed the tree so often, she was overconfident and not concentrating, misplaced her foot and fell awkwardly on a large, raised root.
Luckily, Garrett and Max were with her that day and they helped her into her saddle and led the horse back to the house.
Aunt Di wasn’t happy because she’d told Bree not to climb the tree.
Bree let out a laugh. Her aunt and uncle had banned her from ever going near the tree again, but of course, once it was Spring and her arm had healed, she was back up on the very top branch looking out over the field of wildflowers again.
She sighed. When had she stopped taking risks? It’s time.
Leaping up onto her feet, she jogged back to the house and hurried down to the basement.
She decided a new dress was in order and chose a deep purple dress from the wardrobe but kept the black cloak. It had all the pockets, and she might need them. Once she was ready, she sat at the bench with the orbs before her. “Okay Mom, Dad wins.”
She sucked in a noisy breath. “Right then, this is it,” she said, and leaving the location alone, she reset the black orb to the year 702. She did the same to the white orb and went back to double-check the black time device’s settings. However, the black orb had changed back to the year 682.
“Huh? I just changed you.”
Taking a quick look at the white orb, she saw it had done the same.
She changed them again and again they changed back. “What’s going on here?”
Every time she changed the date, it just went back to 682.
She tried again. “Stop it.”
While she sat glaring at the orbs, a shimmer in the corner of her eyes had her snapping her head around.
Uncle Mark and Aunt Di stood before the open wardrobe door.
Bree’s eyes widened, and she gasped, but soon regained her wits. “Thank goodness you’re here. These darn things won’t change their settings.”
Dianne smiled, but the discomfort in her eyes had Bree standing and facing them fully.
“That gown is perfect on you,” Aunt Di said.
Her lips quivered when she smiled, or at least Bree thought her aunt tried to smile.
Bree narrowed her eyes at her aunt. “What’s going on?”
“We are so sorry,” Aunt Di said.
“For everything,” Uncle Mark said.
Bree frowned. “What do you mean?”
Aunt Di sighed. “We have made mistakes, but at the time, we thought it was the best thing for both you and your father.”
“What mistakes?”
“I think we should have sent you home with Garlain,” Aunt Di said. “If we did, he might have been better able to cope with the loss of your mother. He would have had you to live for and to love.”
Bree kinked her head to the side. “Couldn’t you just go back and send me with him?”
“No.” Uncle Mark glanced at Aunt Di. “I don’t think it was a mistake to keep you with us. Your father was too grief stricken to care for you then.”
“Then how about you go back in time and send me when he’s had time to come to terms with Mom’s passing. What? About a year after?”
Mark shook his head. “We went back to check on him and even after what was a year later to Garlain, he was still in no fit shape to care for a child.”