Needing a moment to think, Lila glanced toward the house. She hadn't thought about Skeeter worrying about her. Did he? Was that why he worked so hard?
"Lila?” Jessie asked.
She fluttered a hand. “Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying."
"Good. I know we're both going to be fine. As well as our babies. Nothing is going to happen. Trust me."
Lila bit her tongue. Why did everyone in the past put such trust in each other? Skeeter had no reason to worry. But Kid and Jessie did. If only the other girl would agree to go back to the future with her. Then they would both be fine. Maybe she could still find a way to convince Jessie. Now that the house was almost complete maybe she'd have time to design a plan. She reached over and laid her other hand on top of Jessie's to console her fears. “Yes, we are both going to be fine. And so are the babies."
"Thank you.” Jessie picked a cup up. “Now look at this china. It's gorgeous."
Lila played along, not really interested in the china. Her mind searched for the information she'd read on the internet about pregnancy. She didn't want to do it, but perhaps fear factor would be the best route to get Jessie to go with her.
After she'd oohed and ahhed over every plate, bowl, and serving dish, she was happy to see Snake approaching. She needed some time to fully plan her new approach to Jessie's well-being.
"How is the hoeing coming?” she asked. The brother had tilled up a large patch of earth for a garden.
"I'm ready to start planting. Thought you'd like to see it,” he said, stopping in front of them. Snake leaned down, patted the dog's head. Sammy laid his head back down on Jessie's knee. “It's getting late in the year for planting, but the growing season here is long, so you should still have a fair harvest."
Lila was on her feet, wrapped an arm around his elbow. “Thank you for all your work, and yes, I'd love to see it."
He looked at Jessie. “Care to join us?"
She shook her head, smiled at Lila. “No, thank you. I think I'll stay here in the shade."
Lila returned the grin. At least Jessie was making an attempt to heed her warnings. “We won't be long."
"Take your time,” Jessie responded.
She fell into step beside Snake. Skeeter's younger brother was a master gardener. The family claimed there wasn't a plant, tree, nor flower he couldn't make grow in the sometimes desert heat of the grassland. The patch of earth he'd prepared was several yards behind the house, in direct sunlight all day. A low fence surrounded the entire area.
He noticed her gaze. “I built the fence to keep the critters out. Without it you won't have anything to pick.” He pointed to two large barrels. “I also brought along some willow branches. Chopped up and left to soak, they make excellent fertilizer. After a couple weeks you can plant the mush and new willow trees will grow."
"Really? I've never heard of that."
"It's not widely known, but ask Jessie. She has a forest of weeping willows growing behind her house.” He opened the narrow gate and led her up and down the rows, explaining where each seed should be planted.
Lila was interested. She had several indoor plants as well as an herb pot in her apartment. The thought of a real garden had her hoping it would take a couple months to dig out the tunnel so she could actually tend the tiny plants. As long as she got Jessie to the future before her ninth month, everything should be fine.
Snake bent down, picked up several round seeds. “In every hole you have to put three seeds."
"Why three?"
"One for the grub worm, one for the birds, and one to grow,” he explained with a very no-nonsense tone.
"Oh, I never knew that."
"Remember it, and you'll always have plenty to eat.” He handed her a trowel and a small container of seeds.
She nodded and set about planting her new garden, while contemplating her plan of getting Jessie to the future. She might have to invite Kid along to make it work. She began to giggle. The thought of the two Quinter brothers living in two-thousand-eight was comical.
The next morning, as a cool breeze blew beneath the flap at the back of the wagon, Lila twisted her head on the pillow, opened her eyes. The sun hadn't risen yet, but was sending a few pale pink streaks in warning of its upcoming shine. Something out of the ordinary caught her attention. She peered closer and a smile tugged on her lips.
On her pillow, a few inches from the end of her nose sat a little, bright-green tree frog. His bugged-out eyes moved about as if he was a taking a good, long look at his new home. The floppy skin beneath his wide mouth billowed now and again.
Skeeter, curled against her back, slipped his hand out from beneath the quilt, and snatched up the little critter. He leaned over and let the frog go outside of the canvas stretched over their wagon.
Lila rolled over, snuggled in chest to chest. “He wasn't hurting anyone."
His lips, warm, his breath hot, brushed over her forehead, down her cheek. “I know, but I find I don't like the thought of anyone or anything sharing your bed. Except me."
She kissed his neck, nipped at the skin. “Not even a little tree frog?"
"Not even a tree frog,” he muttered before his lips found hers.
Her hands began to knead the muscles beneath his balmy skin. She trailed her nails over his shoulders, down his muscled arms while fully participating in the kiss. It was amazing how his nearness sent her body into molten lava. Whether he was lying next to her, or half away across the yard, she craved his touch, his kiss. The mere sight of him made her breath catch and her stomach flip with anticipation.
She snuggled deeper into the feather tick and tugged on his hips, encouraging him to roll atop. Their naked bodies, ready for one another, joined together with such intensity she lost track of her thoughts, of time.
Later, sated, and basking in glory he found awe-inspiring, Skeeter caressed his wife as she snuggled in his arms, and placed a kiss on the top of her curls.
"Mmm,” she moaned, low and sexy. “Good thing you shooed that little frog away, he may have got a lesson in life he wasn't old enough to see.” Her lips pressed a light kiss to his chest. “He was just a baby."
He smiled and ran his hand over her stomach. A small, firm mound had grown between her hips bones. The thought of cradling the infant in his arms made his heart thud. “Speaking of babies, how are you doing? Feeling all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine.” A deep, long sigh made her body rise and fall slightly. “It's Jessie who needs to slow down."
A chuckle rumbled over his vocal cords. “You've told her so plenty of times."
The fingertips roaming his chest stilled. “Not you too.” She sounded disgruntled, irritated.
"Not me too, what?"
"Think I've been badgering Jessie.” She tilted her head, caught his gaze.
He chose not to comment and kissed the tip of her nose. “You need to take it easy too."
"No, I'll be fine.” She tucked her head back on his shoulder. “Jessie will be delivering her baby without modern medicine. That frightens me."
"Don't worry, K—"
Her hand covered his mouth. “I don't want to hear that Kid will take care of her. He's a fine man, but he's not a doctor. Not the doctor she's going to need."
He kissed the palm, and when she pulled it away said, “Dr. Fields will be there when the time comes.” Twisting so they laid face to face, he frowned, “You are quite the woman, worried about Jessie when you're facing the same thing."
Her face pulled into a scowl. “I'm not facing the same thing. I'll be having this baby in the future, long after we travel through the tunnel."
A chill snuck into his body. He refused to allow her to feel the shiver that wanted to shake his body, held it in with a deep breath. Bug and Hog or Snake, whenever they were free, had been digging on the tunnel, but he'd yet to tell her of the progress. Somehow keeping it from her seemed wrong, but he didn't want to get her hopes up if the portal to the future couldn't be opened again.
Kid had told him women were hard to figure out, and he'd discovered that had been putting it mildly. He felt as if he was walking on ice half the time, and finally concluded keeping his mouth shut may be his best approach.
He ran his hand down her side, resting his palm on her hip, and took the subject down a different trail. “Have you thought of any names? Kid and Jessie have several picked out."
"Yes, I know they do. But I don't. I don't think it would be right.” Again, she let out a long sigh.
The icy chill was back. “Don't think it would be right? Why not?"
"Because when I give the baby away, the new parents might not want the name I pick out. I think it should be their choice to name it."
He tried to swallow, almost choking on his own saliva. “G-give the baby away? To who?"
"I hope I get some say in that, but I've only had one meeting with the adoption agency so I don't know for sure. I'll find out after we get home."
Despite the quilt, the heat of her body, and the sunshine now filtering through the heavy canvas, the blood in his veins froze like a bucket of water in January. “Adoption agency?"
He flipped the flap open, climbed out the back of the wagon. His guts churned, his temples throbbed, and his heart felt like someone had just stabbed it with a dull knife.
"Skeeter, wait, what are you so upset about?” Lila, still in the wagon, pulled a dress over her head.
The gown, light green and covered with tiny, pink rosebuds, fell into place, and she began to button the front. Disheveled hair from their night wrapped in each others arms bounced about her shoulders as she peered between him and the buttons. His heart convulsed, tore. How could someone so beautiful, so loving, consider giving up the tiny life growing inside her body? A little human being she hadn't even got to know yet.
Feeling unexplainably weak, he sat on the chair near the back of the wagon, pulled his boots out from behind a back wheel. It was completely beyond understanding. Maybe she wasn't the person he thought her to be. What kind of woman wants to give away her baby? The most precious gift ever given. The one thing that meant more than all else combined.
She scooted out of the wagon, sat on the other chair to put on the new lace up shoes he'd bought for her in Nixon. “Skeeter?” Her look was perplexed. “What's up? I told you before I was giving the baby up for adoption."
His toes hit the ends of his boots with force. “No, Lila, I don't believe you ever mentioned that.” He slapped his suspenders over his shoulders as he stood.
She tilted her head, as if contemplating something. “Hmm, maybe it was just Jessie I told. It's hard to remember what I can tell someone and what I can't.” Fluffing her skirts she rose from her chair. “Sorry,” she grimaced, “I thought you knew.” Shrugging her shoulders, she added, “But it really doesn't matter."
The muscles in his neck tightened. “Doesn't matter?"
"I made the decision a long time ago.” She stepped forward, placed a hand on his arm. “I've already signed the papers."
Her touch felt like fire. He twisted out of her reach, grabbed his hat from inside the wagon bed. “We're married now, shouldn't that change things?"
"But—it's not your baby."
His face twitched as his skin tightened, pulled into a scowl of confusion. Fire-like heat stung his eyes. “I feel like it is,” he admitted.
"Someday, when we're ready, we'll have our own baby."
There were so many feelings raking his mind and body, he didn't know which one to define, which one to act on. “When we're ready?"
She nodded. “Yes, in a few years when we're settled, and have enough money in the bank to afford a baby."
"I have enough money to afford a hundred babies,” he snapped.
Her face formed a silly grin, as if consoling him. “I'm sure you do for this century. But things are a lot more expensive in the future than they are now."
His molars clamped together. He had to get away. Far, far away before the anger surging through his body exploded like a stick of dynamite. Pushing wayward curls away from his forehead he slapped his hat on his head and pivoted.
"Skeeter? Where are you going?"
He twisted, catching her view in the early morning light. It was amazing, how someone so beautiful, so charming, and hot blooded, could be so cold hearted. Skeeter forced his gaze to leave her, to look somewhere over the glistening curls of her head. “I have to go check the dig site."
"But we're moving into the house today. Don't you want to help?"
"No, no I don't.” His gaze met her puzzled one.
"Don't you want to have a say in where all the furniture you bought goes?"
A bellow of disgust grunted up his throat. “It doesn't really matter, does it?” Without a second look back, he crossed the yard.
She appeared beside him before he had the gelding saddled. “Skeeter, I think we need to talk."
The steam in his head almost hissed as it flowed out his ears. He tugged on the leather cinch strap. The horse flinched, sidestepped. Relaxing his hold a touch, he ran a finger beneath the strap, loosened it and then threaded it through and around the metal loops, forming a solid tether.
"Skeeter?” she asked softly, her voice hesitant.
Unable to speak, not knowing which angry thought rolling around in his head might burst out his mouth, he stuck a foot in a stirrup, lifted himself into the saddle. His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, encouraging the gelding to move.
"Steven Quinter, don't you ride away from me when I'm talking to you!” she shouted as the horse started to trot. Skeeter didn't even look back as he slapped the brown rump with the ends of the reins.
A thick film of tears blurred her vision, making him disappear long before Lila was ready to pull her eyes off his departing form. She could have sworn she'd told him about the adoption the first day they met.
What didn't he understand? Even in this century people had to realize you just didn't have a baby on a whim. You had to save, plan, be prepared. Her apartment only had one bedroom. She had her car to pay off, student loans, credit cards. It would be years before she could afford to have a baby—if ever.