Time Will Tell (Timeless Series) (11 page)

A tear broke free. Libby wiped it off and looked away, shaking her head. In admitting to the trip, she’d finally faced that fact.

He reached over and took her chin between his forefinger and thumb, forcing her to look at him. “It’s just not feasible. There has to be some reasonable explanation.”

“Why is it so hard to believe?” Tears began streaming down her face. Libby didn’t bother wiping them away. “Do you think I’d make this up?”

“No. I’m sure you think it’s true, judging by your reaction.”

Libby stared through a watery gaze, too stunned to say more, her heart tearing in two as his pleading gaze begged her to back down. She couldn’t.

Finally she found her voice. “I think it’s time you left.” She pointed to the door. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. What’s more, I think we should call off the wedding.”

“You’re overreacting.” Frustration was evident in every one of Dave’s syllables.

With a sad smile, Libby shook her head. “No, Dave, I’ve finally come to my senses. Please leave. I’ll take care of canceling the plans for the wedding.”

“Libby, don’t do this. It’s crazy. Please give it some time. We’ll work it out.”

More tears broke free. She didn’t know what upset her more—his attempt to placate her or his refusal to acknowledge what she had to say. It all hurt so much. Still, she shouldn’t have been surprised, knowing him as she did. Dave Phillips was too stuffy to believe in magic. How could she have thought that he’d ever be able to understand or accept her?

“Please go,” she said on a resigned sigh. “I can’t discuss this
any more right now.”

“
OK. I’ll leave.” Dave’s pleading eyes said it all. He was clearly at a loss as to what to do next. “I know you’re upset and this conversation is leading nowhere. But this isn’t over. Please don’t throw us away. I’ll give you a little time before you cancel our plans.”

Her shoulders slumped. Too exhausted to argue further, she didn’t add that she just didn’t see how marriage between them would ever work.

Dave moved toward the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her with a worried expression. “Will you be OK?”

She nodded.

“Please, Libby. Give this a few days, OK?”

“Sure,” she said with a wobbly attempt at a smile. “But I don’t think a few days will matter when it’s obvious I can’t be the type of wife you need.”

“Don’t say that! You are exactly what I need. I’ll call you in a few days.” And then he was gone.

Libby stared at the empty spot that Dave had just vacated for the longest time, feeling emotionally drained, but at the same time feeling relieved. It seemed as if a big weight had been taken off her shoulders. She had expressed her feelings to Dave and had told him what was in her heart. That in itself was cathartic—gave her a sense of liberation. Maybe things would work out.

~

Libby began avoiding the oak trees. After her argument with Dave, she’d felt their pull too many times while passing by them. That alone was scary enough and kept her wondering. It was as if she hadn’t learned her lesson or completed her wish, which made some kind of weird sense, considering she and Dave were still at odds. Still, she had no intention of going anywhere but her own century. How women stood the constraints back then, she had no idea.

Thankfully, her final days at the store had flown by in a blur, and in that time she hadn’t seen or talked to Dave. Instead, she texted him and poured all of her energies into the farm, as the camping sessions were in full swing. Working with the horses and the children acted as a balm. When immersed in her duties, nothing else mattered. Unfortunately, Dave and her postponed wedding still lurked in the back of her mind, which is why Libby agreed to have dinner with him later that evening. She did love him and wanted to fit into his world. He deserved a second chance to fit into hers.

Then, there was her dad. Tom Edwards was furious to learn of the postponement. Libby lacked the nerve to tell him she was reconsidering it altogether when he’d practically had a stroke after hearing her news about quitting Dillard’s to go back to Twin Oaks.

The only person who made the whole mess endurable was Bev, Libby’s rock. Their conversations always steered away from her love life, and the two mostly rehashed Libby’s time travel and the reasons for it. Today, Bev wanted to meet for lunch under the trees. She wouldn’t say why, only that it was important.

Determined to ignore any and all mental calls, Libby grabbed the picnic basket she’d filled earlier and headed out.

Bev was already sitting on a blanket when Libby plopped down next to her. “What’s up?”

“Did anything out of the ordinary happen when you went back in time?”

The concern in Bev’s tone drew her gaze. Her brow furrowed. “I don’t follow.”

Sighing, Bev leaned against one of the giant oaks. “Sam’s having trouble forming his trust. Someone contested the property’s ownership. He has to appear in court with proper documentation in order for the title to clear.”

“What does that have to do with me going back in time?” she said, reaching for the basket.

“Sam’s deed isn’t just
missing, it’s as if it never existed. I believe someone messed with the county’s records between the time you went back and now.”

Sandwiches in hand, Libby froze. “That’s impossible.”

Bev’s eyebrows shot up. “Is it?”

A sense of dread nestled in her stomach. She handed Bev a sandwich. “What’s this someone’s name?”

“T. P. Smithers.”

“
Smithers?” Libby’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh my God. That’s the name of the guy who rode that horse into the ground. You know—the jerk Colin got rid of. He said he’d get even.”

“I
googled him.” Bev’s earrings danced as she nodded excitedly. “He’s a slick lawyer out of Louisville with a shady background. Not much nicer than your guy, which means they’re probably related. I always wondered how guys like him pass the bar.”

“Did my going back in time change history?” Libby sat back on her heels, not wanting to believe it. She glanced up at the trees and heard their call—one much stronger than before. Was that why she’d started feeling their pull again? The thought had merit and was worth considering, especially if her actions caused trouble for Sam and his plans.

As realization filtered into her expression, she glanced at Bev, who gave her a “what else could it be?” look.

“You have to go back to undo it.”
Bev’s expression hardened. “We can’t let Mary’s dream die. It will kill Sam to see this land subdivided and sold off.”

That would kill Libby too. “How do I undo it?”

“By getting the original deed.”

The dread thickened, weighing her down. “There has to be another way!” She had no idea of how to do what Bev was asking, nor did she want to. Her gaze flew to the trees again. Their cry grew louder, almost a wail, as thoughts of what awaited her if she heeded their call overwhelmed her. “I can’t do it,” she whispered
, shaking her head. “I’m too scared.” Of what, she wasn’t sure. She just had this ominous gut feeling that her life would never be the same if she did what Bev was asking.

“You have to.”

“How,” she asked, even though she knew the answer.

“Simple. Just wish yourself back there. Otherwise the farm could be sold at auction.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” Libby took one more look at the trees, and stupid as it sounded, they seemed to mock her.

“Then we’ll figure out something else, but you have to at least try.”

“Let me think about it.”

“Don’t think too long. Sam only has ten days before the hearing.”

The two ate in silence. Finally, Libby sighed. “If I do decide to try, let’s make a plan, in case something happens and I can’t get home.”

Bev sat up straighter. “Why would you think you can’t get home again? You returned twice before
, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.
It’s a feeling. I can’t get rid of it, so I’m going with it. If for some reason I can’t come home, I’ll bury information right here.”

Fear crept into Bev’s eyes. “You’re scaring me. You make it sound ominous. That if you do go, you’re not coming back.”

Smiling, Libby shook her head. “I’m merely taking precautions.” Her mother’s death taught her that events she had no control over happened, no matter what. Her smile stretched and she patted Bev’s shoulder. “Your friendship and loyalty mean the world to me. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for. I love you. I’m sure we’ll be sitting under these trees for the next fifty years.”

Clutching her arm, Bev blinked back tears
. “Oh, Libby. I feel the same way. You accept me for who I am. You’ve always looked beneath the surface and seen the real me.” She wiped the moisture at her eyes. “Your belief in me is what made it so easy to believe in you. Here, let’s make a toast. To friendship! May it last through time!”

Humbled, Libby held up her cola. “I can drink to that.”

They clinked soft drink cans together and laughed.

Libby took a sip, wishing all things in her life could be as easy as her friendship with Bev. She looked up at the trees
, still feeling their pull, before glancing at Bev. “So, promise me if something happens, you’ll check the trees? OK?”

Nodding, Bev agreed. “I promise.”

Satisfied, Libby placed her arm beneath her head, lay back on the blanket and closed her eyes.

Bev’s voice interrupted the quiet. “So
, are you still avoiding Dave?”

Shrugging, Libby said, “We’re having dinner tonight.”

“Are you still having second thoughts about the wedding?”

Libby opened her eyes and sighed. “I’m confused more than anything right now. Dave is trying. It’s funny. It took me threatening to back out of the wedding for him to take my concerns seriously. Why did it have to come to that? Why does it take so much effort for us to be together?” She stopped talking and scanned the horizon, then frowned. “I only wish he believed me about my time travel.”

Bev snorted outright. “Libby, give the guy a break. It’s going to take more than blind faith for someone like Dave to believe you can go back in time.”

“You believed me.”

“Yes, but I’ve always believed in the unbelievable. That’s one of my many faults. Don’t worry. Things will work out the way they’re supposed to.” She tossed the empty baggie that held her sandwich in the basket and brushed a few crumbs off her lap. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant than being stuck in time or Dr. Bull.” She glanced at Libby. “Answer me this, will you? Are we going to Thunder Over Louisville this year?”

“I don’t know. I’ll probably be working during the air show. And the traffic’s always such a pain after the fireworks. Why?”

Bev grinned. “You need a diversion to forget all of your problems.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“While you’re thinking, add this to your thoughts. You can stay with me and we can walk, so we can avoid the traffic. We should go and have fun, even hit Giorgio’s on the way back. Make it a night. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Leave it to Bev to make big plans on a big day. Thunder
Over Louisville, one of the largest air shows and fireworks displays in the country, marked the start of Louisville’s Kentucky Derby Festival. The two-week celebration ended with the Kentucky Derby thoroughbred horse race on the first Saturday in May. “I’m not up for crowds.”

“Oh, come on
, Libby. You sound like my mother. The crowds are what make it fun.”

“Maybe,” she said, standing and helping Bev pack everything away. Both needed to get back to work.

Later that afternoon, Libby rode out alone on Thorpe’s Pride before working with a group of kids going out for their first ride. After a good run, the mare was always more docile and willing to go at the slower pace the kids needed.

Giving Pride full rein, Libby loved the feeling of becoming one with the horse. The wind whipped her hair. Greens and browns whizzed by as they galloped through the Kentucky countryside. Libby eventually slowed the mare, having traveled a good distance.

Horse and rider eased to a stop at the top of a rise, a spot where she could see rolling hills for miles. The timeless scenery tugged at Libby. This part of Kentucky hadn’t changed in over a hundred years. The continuity of the land was a constant. People came and went, they were born, gave birth, and died, and still the land remained.

A sense of peace engulfed Libby, leaving nothing of the fear or uncertainty she’d experienced on and off for the past two weeks. Suddenly it dawned on her that this land was somehow her destiny. That thought brought a broad smile to her face.

Yes! This land held the key to what was ahead for her. Sam couldn’t lose it. Not to something that happened because of her. She no longer felt reticent about what would happen. Whatever was in store for her, she would meet it head on. Libby turned the mare toward the stables and started back.

Nearing the pastures, she slowed Pride to a walk. She still had plenty of time to meet the kids. As she rode by the two oaks
, she glanced their way and quickly wished she hadn’t because their call was more urgent. So much so, that this time she couldn’t ignore it.