Page 24 of Stolen Time
Right — Ruth had already told me a little about the situation. And although I supposed on the surface the story sounded innocent enough, I couldn’t help thinking there was probably more here than met the eye…or the ear. While I couldn’t help thinking Seth was the more handsome of the two brothers, I also couldn’t deny that Charles was good-looking enough, had a job, and stood to take over the family business once his father decided it was time to retire. On paper, that didn’t sound like the kind of situation a girl from the mid-1920s would usually walk away from.
Then again, I had only a tiny piece of the story. If they’d turned out to be incompatible, then good on her for recognizing she and Charles didn’t have a future and that she needed to walk away.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, since I didn’t know how else to respond.
Seth smiled — not, I believed, because he was at all amused by his brother’s situation, but because I’d responded with sympathy to the small revelation. “It was hard for him,” he replied. “I suppose it’s good that she’s far away, and so he doesn’t have to worry too much about their paths crossing, but still, he’d thought they had a future and even bought a small plot down on Juarez Street to build a house. Open land is hard to come by here in Jerome, and he probably paid more for it than he should have.”
Ouch. I supposed one could look rationally at the situation and say that Charles had done well to buy the land even if he now didn’t have a reason to build on it anytime soon, but still, it had to sting.
I made a sympathetic sound, and Seth added, “At any rate, that’s why my parents are being gentle with him right now. I know my mother keeps hoping he’ll meet someone who’ll take his mind off Mary, but we haven’t seen any signs of that happening yet.”
“How long ago did this all happen?”
“Just after the first of the year,” he said. “So, I think the wound is still too fresh for Charles to even consider moving on. But you know how parents can be.”
To be honest, I really didn’t, because both my mother and father had seemed to be all right with me not knowing what I wanted to do next with my life. Sure, my mother hadn’t been completely thrilled about me coming here to Jerome, but she appeared to have reassured herself that this was only a phase and that I’d go back to Flagstaff soon enough.
And with my older sister married and providing them with their first grandchild, my parents seemed perfectly fine with me not being involved with anyone. More than once, I’d heard my mother remark that she needed at least a three-year break before having to plan another wedding. Considering I hadn’t seen anyone seriously in the past year, I figured I definitely didn’t need to worry about that particular timeline.
Obviously, I couldn’t tell Seth any of that. In fact, I had to remind myself that I was still supposed to be suffering from amnesia and therefore couldn’t recall anything of my interactions with my parents.
“I suppose so,” I said, adding, “I can’t really remember.”
At once, his expression turned contrite. “I’m so sorry,” he replied at once. “That was insensitive of me, considering….”
The words trailed off, as though he’d also realized that remarking on my “condition” might create the wrong impression.
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “No offense taken. But right now, I just don’t have much context for these sorts of situations.”
He was quiet for a moment, and I noted how his eyes scanned the restaurant around us. “Does any of this jog any memories?” he said. “Anything at all, like going out to eat in the place where you come from?”
Well, of course it jogged plenty, because I’d probably grown too fond of takeout from Bobby D’s and had eaten quite a few brisket plates and pulled pork sandwiches during my time in Jerome. Good thing I walked everywhere and the place was so hilly, or my hips might have regretted my choices of cuisine.
I couldn’t comment on that, however. Instead, I hunted around for an answer that wouldn’t give anything away but might also give him some hope, then said, “I don’t know about ‘memories,’ but something about it seems sort of familiar, as if I’ve probably eaten in a Chinese restaurant before. Unfortunately, that doesn’t narrow things down very much.”
“Maybe not,” he responded. “But still, it’s something. It might be a sign that your memories are starting to come back, if only in general impressions and not any particular details.”
About all I could do was nod. While I knew it wasn’t in my best interest to say that I was beginning to recall specifics, I thought it might not be too bad to admit to certain overall concepts and situations becoming familiar.
That couldn’t get me in too much trouble, right?
We were almost done with our meals then, so we moved the conversation to simpler topics, like the new restaurant opening near the top of Main Street and the construction of a new park with a fancy gazebo down in Clarkdale. And afterward, we headed out into a night where the moon, now a little morefull than it had been the day before, was now well above the Mogollon Rim to the east and would have provided enough illumination even if there weren’t gas fixtures mounted to the exteriors of some of the buildings, obvious relics of an earlier era. As far as I could tell, Jerome was fully electrified, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t use some of the old gas lighting if it still worked.
The way back up to Ruth’s house was steep, and Seth silently offered his arm to help steady me. For a moment, I almost demurred, but then I realized the last thing I needed was to stumble and fall, maybe twist an ankle. Yes, I’d climbed this hill before, but not in unfamiliar heels.
It felt good to lean on him…probably too good. True, it was the sort of polite gesture he would have made to any female companion, but still, I liked the quiet, sturdy strength that seemed to emanate from him, the sensation of his muscled forearm beneath my fingers.
Even though he came from a time a hundred years before I was born, he still felt more real to me than anyone I’d ever met.
When we reached the walkway in front of Ruth and Timothy’s house, though, I lifted my hand — not too quickly, because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t grateful for his help, but still fast enough that I hoped no one had seen the way I’d leaned on him all the way up here. No sign of Ruth peeking through the curtains, thank God, so I supposed it might not have mattered.
A flicker of something passed across Seth’s features, clear and fine-cut in the moonlight, but he didn’t protest. His tone was neutral enough as he said, “I hope the climb wasn’t too taxing for you. These hills can be difficult for newcomers in our town.”
“No, it was fine,” I said, then went on, “Thank you for your kind assistance. I suppose I’ll get used to it soon enough.”
Assuming I can’t get back to my own year any time in the near future,I added mentally. Since I’d failed miserably on that front so far, I wasn’t about to make any promises to myself I couldn’t keep.
And I couldn’t quite hold back the traitorous thought that if I could have more evenings like this one with Seth, then I wasn’t sure I minded being trapped in 1926 as much as I probably should have.