Once in a Blue Moon (40 page)

Melissa nodded at him.
“In about two and a half years.”

Sully turned and walked
away, his shoulders shaking.

Melissa suddenly
realized that the widow had cried for the same reason; because her
son was still alive.

Melissa looked at the
dirty, kind man, crying for his son; a son that wasn’t even his own
flesh and blood. Her face screwed up and, finally, her own tears
fell. For the father she’d never had.

A moment later, a
semi-clean handkerchief was thrust into her face.

“Now, now,” said Sully.
“That’s enough of that. What’s this you’ve brought with you, Missy?
Somethin’ for me?”

Melissa took the
handkerchief, wiped her eyes and nose, and followed Sully’s gaze to
the bag of junk on the ground.

They stared at it,
trying to act cool and casual, as if they hadn’t both just lost it
emotionally.

Zeke whimpered and
pushed his muzzle into her stomach and Melissa rubbed the dumb
mutt’s head. “I want to bury a few things for Richard. I’m hoping
you have a box or something. He collects old objects, and he’ll
want this, um,” she tried to think of another word for junk,
“stuff.”

“For when you go back?”
Sully whispered the words and his eyes took on a shine of
excitement.

Melissa grinned. Well, there
was
something magical about the
whole thing.

Sully rubbed his chin
and studied the bag for a moment. He shook his finger. “I have just
the thing. Come with me.”

Melissa followed Sully
into his cabin and watched as he climbed the ladder to the loft. He
tugged a good-sized, metal box to the edge of the upper room,
climbed down a few steps, and lowered the heavy burden to the wood
floor.

He opened it, pulled
out a bunch of quilts stored inside, and set them on the table.
“Will this work?”

Melissa studied the
sturdy metal box. “Perfect.” Then unable to resist, ran a hand over
the meticulous stitchery on the quilts. Off-white blocks with green
holly, red berries and rosebuds on one, an indigo and white cotton
with a bow border on another, and a third with multicolored blocks
and a blue calico back. “These are so beautiful.”

A furrow creased
Sully’s brow. “Do you think Andy’s wife will want them?”

She glanced at him and
smiled. “Yes, I do. She’ll treasure them, Sully. So will Andy.”

Sully nodded, obviously
pleased at the thought. He pulled out a bundle of papers, wrapped
in ribbon, from the bottom of the box. “I still have these old
quilt patterns and such. Would you like to have them?”

Melissa took the
patterns, covered in flowery handwriting. “Richard’s mother quilts
and I know she’d cherish these. Perhaps we could even do some
together. Thank you, Sully.”

Color suffused Sully’s
face and he nodded once, then bent over to drag the box
outside.

Melissa followed, a
slight breeze blowing her hair into her eyes, and gathered up the
bag of junk. As she set the bag in the box, she realized that the
box itself would be a valuable antique.

Sully glanced around.
“Now, where shall we bury it?”

Melissa looked left,
then right, then circled around. “I don’t want anyone digging it up
before I do. And I don’t want it to get flooded.” She pointed to a
grove of trees. “Behind the cabin? In front of those trees?”

“That’s a likely place.
Do you want to bury it today? Or wait until you’re ready to leave?”
Again, his eyes shone bright. “We probably should wait. I might
find some more things I want to add.”

“That sounds fine. I’ll
just keep this here and then help you bury it before you go. We can
wrap the lot in oilskins to protect everything.”

Sully opened the bag
and looked inside. He pulled out a rusted horseshoe, then dug
through and pulled out the bridle and reins. Finally he held up a
fork and threw her an incredulous look. “You sure he’ll want these?
Seems like a lot of trouble for useless...er...stuff.”

“In the future, they’re
antiques. I promise, Richard will be thrilled.”

Sully’s expression said
he didn’t believe her. He shook his head and got up. “Maybe I have
a few things.” He headed back into the cabin, mumbling about silly
women all the way, and soon came back with a bundle wrapped in an
old blanket.

He carefully set the
load on the ground, and holding the blanket so she couldn’t see,
Sully lifted up a mason jar full of marbles. “For Jeremy. Do you
think he’d like these to remember me by?”

Melissa’s mouth parted.
“Thank you, Sully. He’ll love them.”

Next, Sully held up a
beautiful antique mirror, made of silver and decorated with
rosebuds, leaves, and fancy scripting. “For Jessica.”

Melissa put a hand to
her chest. “Oh, it’s beautiful. Are you sure? You’ll have other
grandchildren nearby soon.”

Sully grinned. “And I
have other things to give them. Make sure you tell Jessica it was
her grandma’s. Louisa would like that. She always wanted to be
someone’s grandma.”

Sully next held up an
animal pelt. “Killed this cougar in Arizona.”

Then an old pocket
watch, “This was my daddy’s.”

Next came a box of
fishing lures. “Made all these my own self.”

Melissa ruefully shook
her head. “It’s too much.”

“And best of all,”
Sully held up an old pistol. “I used this during the war.”

Melissa put a hand to
her mouth. She remembered how much Richard had wanted a gun, but
they hadn’t been able to afford one. “Oh, Sully. Richard will die!
He will absolutely die!”

Sully grinned. “Well,
don’t shoot him with it.”

Melissa grinned back.
“I shouldn’t accept, but it will mean so much to Richard because it
belonged to you.”

Sully ducked his head.
“Then I’m glad he’ll have it. He’s a good boy.”

“Sully, do you think
you could write your family history? And include that in here?
Things like that are so important to Richard and his mother. And,
well, I’d like to have it too.”

Sully nodded. “I could
do that. And I have some diary pages that Louisa wrote. What about
those?”

“Wonderful!”

Melissa realized how
much she admired this man. He was loving, generous to a fault, and
nothing seemed to get him down. He was so easy to be with because
he was always happy. It didn’t seem to matter that he’d been in a
horrible war, his wife had died, his child had left home or that he
had no family. “Sully, why are you always so happy?”

Sully lifted a
shoulder. “Better’n bein’ sad all the time.”

Melissa raised her
brows. She wished it were that easy for her.

Sully carefully lined
the oilskin in the metal box and started placing items inside.
“Tell me what happens in the future. Is Captain Kirk there? Do
people fly around in ships and explore other planets?”

Melissa grinned. Maybe
she should say yes–-he’d never know the difference--but she quickly
decided against it. There was no need to mess with the guy’s mind.
“Sorry, but no. That’s just a fictional story.” And while she was
at it, she’d keep NASA’s exploits out if it too.

He reached for the
mirror and wrapped it in cloth. “Tell me about your life.”

Of course he’d be
interested, but what to tell? “In the future, we have a large,
beautiful home on the other side of this hill. The oak tree is old
and huge in our time. We have neighbors on either side of us, but
not too close. Your cabin is still there.”

Sully nodded. “I’m
glad. What do you do all day? What is your life like?”

“Richard goes to work
every day. He’s a restorations expert. I also go to work every day.
I’m a fashion designer; a seamstress,” she clarified. “And I create
beautiful clothing. The kids go to school.”

Sully smiled, obviously
happy. “You’re building your life here, just like me. In the same
place as me. I’m glad. Glad my family line has continued. That
you’re here. Living and loving here.”

Melissa pictured the
way her life had been two and a half months ago. Quite horrible,
actually. She’d worked too much, didn’t spend time with her husband
or children, wasn’t nice to anyone, had no friends, and was on the
verge of divorce. It wasn’t what he thought. “I probably work too
much. I don’t see my family as much as I should.”

“Work is good for a
body.”

“But things are
different in our time. Life is so busy.”

“Your life sounds
wonderful. Just as it should be.”

“You don’t
understand--”

”What?”

Melissa looked into his
innocent, expressive, happy face. He wouldn’t see it. Wouldn’t see
that their lives weren’t wonderful. Tenderness for this unselfish
man made her smile. It was the same way that he refused to see how
bad his own life was. He wouldn’t see that her life was anything
but good either.

Just as it should
be.

As it would be.

Melissa shook her head. “Nothing. You’re right Sully. Our
lives
are
wonderful.”

* * *

Later that night,
Melissa couldn’t wait to get Richard alone. Couldn’t wait to share
her news with him and see his surprise! She kissed Jeremy on the
cheek, then Jessica. “You kids go right to sleep.”

Jeremy smirked. “Sure,
Mom. That’s what we plan to do. Go right to sleep.”

Jessica grinned. “Yep,
we’re practically counting the sheep already,” she faked a
yawn.

Melissa chuckled.
“Brats.” She climbed down the ladder, grabbed Richard by the hand
and led him toward the door. “Come on, let’s go. It’s a wonderful
night for a walk.”

Richard pulled her to a
stop. “It’s dark outside. Should I bring a blanket?” he asked, his
voice low. “You know, in case it gets cold?” The lamplight from the
table played over his face and he raised both brows
suggestively.

Melissa curved her lips
and tilted her head, excitement making her flirtatious. “Why
not?”

Richard nabbed the
blanket off the bottom of the bed, recaptured Melissa’s hand and
allowed himself to be pulled outside. He’d barely shut the door
before she tugged him down the stairs.

He laughed. “Okay,
okay, what’s this all about? Why are you in such a good mood?”

Because the
anticipation had been building all day. Because she couldn’t wait
to get him alone and tell him what she knew. Because she was happy
he was here with her. Melissa grinned, and pulling at his hand,
urged him along. “Can’t I just be happy to take a walk with my
husband?”

“Fine by me, but are we
walking or running? Slow down.” Richard coiled an arm around her
and hugged her to his side as they headed up the dirt road. After a
moment, he let her go and took her hand.

They walked in silence
for a few minutes, the warm night air still, everything cast in
shadow, the smell of cut hay heavy in the air. Crickets serenaded
close by, and a cow bawled in the distance.

Excitement fizzled up
inside Melissa as she tried to think of the best way to reveal what
she knew. Should she just blurt out everything Sully had told her?
Ease into it slowly? Either way, she needed one concern addressed
first.

“I have a question
about genealogy. If a child were adopted, and that child were
linked to your ancestry, would that child’s adoptive parents be a
part of your family tree?”

Richard glanced at her
and she could feel his surprise. “Of course. Adoption is as if they
were born into that family.”

She knew it, but still,
felt relieved. In Richard’s eyes, Sully would continue to be
family. “But what if you then found out who that child’s birth
mother was? Then what?”

“That doesn’t usually
happen, but if it did, and if you were interested enough, then
you’d probably research both lines. Why?”

Melissa stopped and
faced Richard. Grabbing both his hands in hers, she beamed up at
him. “I have something to tell you. Something that is really going
to blow your socks off. You know that book Sully loaned me? The one
that belonged to his wife? Well, I found this letter and ...”

Melissa told him
everything: all about the Colonel, Jane Taggert and her pregnancy.
About Sully, Louisa, Andy and, finally, the identity of the widow.
She told him about the resemblance between Jessica and the photo of
young Janie Taggert. About the way Sully had confirmed everything.
About how both the widow and Sully knew about the time travel.
Everything.

By the time she’d
finished, Richard’s mouth was hanging open. “I can’t believe this!
Mrs. MacPherson is the mother of Andy Sullivan? This is amazing!
There’s never been so much as a whiff of it in the genealogy.”

Giddy at his reaction,
Melissa laughed and clapped her hands. “I know more than you
do!”

She thought about the
gifts she’d be giving Richard and about Sully’s gifts. Richard
would simply expire on the spot when he found out about the gun.
But that was a secret for when they returned home.

They started walking
again.

“I can’t believe it!”
said Richard.

They walked another
half mile on the road, Melissa giggling, and Richard reiterating
that he ‘couldn’t believe it’ every few yards.

Melissa tilted her head
to look up into the sky. “Half-moon rising.”

Richard glanced at the
moon. “The time will be here before we know it, won’t it? Going
back home will seem strange. So will getting used to doing
everything again.”

“Mmm hmm. Strange yes,
yet I’m so willing to try.”

Richard laughed.

Still on the main road,
they came to the rise in the hill and Richard stopped her. “Will
you miss all this?”

Melissa glanced around.
“What, the dirt, lack of sanitation, the quiet?”

Richard grinned. “It is
kind of romantic, isn’t it?”

She laughed. “Is it?”
she teased him.