By the time Elijah and the reverend returned from a hunting expedition, Willow had been overwrought with tears. Her father coaxed the horrific tale from her, and when realization hit, his ebony eyes blazed with anguish and revenge. He thrust Willow into the reverend’s arms. Elijah made the reverend promise to watch over her. He then reloaded his rifle and left. Willow never saw either of her parents alive again. A day didn’t pass when she didn’t mourn them and promise herself that their deaths weren’t in vain.
The isolation she felt at losing her parents at such a young age returned as she gazed at the children huddled together on the bed. Willow decided that she wouldn’t allow them to go through the same. Whether Reverend Brown liked it or not, the flames of determination weren’t doused by his harsh words. She would help these children, and she knew just how she’d do it!
First, Willow would find out where their father was sold. Disguised as a slave, she would steal onto the plantation, rescue him, and reunite their family.
Chapter Six
Instead of trekking back to his great-great grandparents’ cabin to appease his growling stomach, Thor accepted Olivia’s invitation to join them for dinner. The meal was a simple affair, which quickly put him at ease. Olivia and the reverend treated him like part of the family, encouraging him to eat more and telling him that he could use some extra meat on his bones.
The conversation was light and engaging and almost calmed his sole interest except for one small factor. Willow’s absence loomed over him like a thundercloud in the midst of a tornado.
When dinner ended, his plan to look for her came to an abrupt halt. Reverend Brown beckoned Thor to join him on the porch. His growing irritation at the delay faltered and died as he stood in awe of the twenty plus men and women who came from all directions of the sparsely populated area, heading for the barn. Thor remembered that during this time, the settlers lived far and wide in rural parts, and Canton served as the central hub. Seeing more than a dozen participants impressed him.
With the light from the sun long diminished, their kerosene lanterns created a bright orange trail. The reddish-gold glow from the lights matched the compassion he sensed from Brown’s eager followers. Thor’s awe for the man crept back over him.
He looked at Brown in wonder and asked in a quieter voice. “Are you responsible for all of them being here?”
“I can’t take credit for their kind nature, son. Our cause attracts shepherds from near and far. Under the guise of prayer meetings, they come. Friends and family recruit new members. Each meeting has a little more than the last, but today’s number is nothing short of miraculous. I suppose they feel the savagery of human bondage just as strongly as those children you helped today. They’re here because their souls won’t let them rest if they were anyplace else. If you plan to sit at the meeting, you’d best come on with me now. Olivia will join us when she’s done cleaning up.”
Thor followed Brown off the porch. The barely contained excitement of the people in the barn drew him in even as his concern for Willow’s whereabouts grew. He lagged behind Brown once they entered the barn and stood in the doorway. Half in and half out, he could hear the man’s words while keeping watch for Willow.
“Good evening to you, ladies and gentlemen. Praises be to God for such a large gathering. The Missus and I weren’t expecting this many of you, but we wouldn’t dare turn any one away. In fact, we are truly thankful because there is safety in numbers and we have never needed this more than we do right now.”
Reverend Brown’s calm, soothing tones caused a hush to fall over the crowd. Once the building quieted, he instructed everyone to bow his head while he gave thanks to God. The prayer ended with a chorus of Amen, and then an endless supply of questions interrupted the stillness of the night.
“What’s to happen, Reverend, if Georgia secedes from the Union? My cousin just came down from South Carolina, and he says that’s all they’re talkin’ ’bout up there. He says that if Lincoln wins the election, they’re leavin’ the Union for sure!” one excited voice called out. “That’ll cut us off from our brothers up North.”
“Yeah, Reverend!” another voice added. “We’re starting to have troubles with the all-fired patrollers slipping in and out our woods! There’s bound to be more of them if Georgia secedes, too.”
More voices piped in with questions. Apprehension overrode the earlier shroud of compassion. Thor turned his attention from the Brown home to look over the heads of the concerned abolitionists to focus on the reverend. How would Brown handle the tension and legitimate fears of his followers?
“What’s to come, you ask?” Brown questioned, slightly raising his voice over the low grumbles of concerns. “Some of you asked the same question when the Fugitive Slave Law passed ten years ago. Didn’t you learn anything then? The patrols increased for a time, but then the lazy scoundrels became lax. Our forwarding of precious baggage never ceased. If anything, the number of occupants on the Gospel Train grew larger. The Lord was on our side then, and He will not fail us now. We’ll have to become more cautious, but we will not limit our efforts until our goal is met!”
The knowledge of the future sprang to the forefront of Thor’s mind. The rest of Brown’s moving speech dwindled to a low hum. Thoughts of the War Between the States and the number of men who fought and died consumed him. His chest ached as he remembered the total number of fatalities would far exceed the amount of American soldiers lost in both World Wars and Vietnam combined. Suddenly, the space in the barn became too tight, too constricting. He needed air and slipped out of the barn to inhale a deep, ragged gulp.
His reaction surprised him. He’d read about the Civil War for school and for leisure. Cal and he often discussed it. They even agreed to visit the famous battlegrounds with Gettysburg first on their list.
The detached way he once viewed the war would never return. Some of those men in that barn would die on a battlefield not more than a year from now. Reverend Brown could be in that number, and so could he if 1985 didn’t call him back. Thor muttered an oath and sagged against the barn.
“The meeting doesn’t interest you?”
Willow’s softly asked question startled him. Shaken back to his present environment, Thor pushed away from the barn. By the light of the moon, he looked down into her dark, compelling eyes. “I needed some air. The reverend’s speech is powerful…”
“But?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
Words lodged in his throat. He shook his head and walked past her to the porch. Her footsteps followed, and he found himself still unable to speak.
She crossed in front of him. Her cool hand took his and squeezed. “I watched from my bedroom, and I saw you leave the meeting. You moved slowly like old man Atlas with the world on his back. Would you tell me what’s wrong? Does it have to do with the future?”
Her boldness encouraged him. He pressed his hand against the curve of her smooth cheek. A dreamy sigh passed from her lips, but she didn’t move away from his touch. The pad of his thumb brushed her satiny skin.
He responded in a broken whisper, “It’s everything, Willow. Your future, my past, and our present. All of it is driving me crazy. I don’t know what to do about any of it.”
“What do you want to do?”
“This.”
Before she could escape, his arms encircled her small waist and pulled her against his chest. He caught a brief glimpse of surprise in her liquid eyes before his mouth closed over hers.
Thor began the kiss with exquisitely slow precision. He was patient, giving Willow time to adjust to the taste of his mouth on hers. Her full, moist lips softened and parted. He couldn’t resist her silent invitation if he tried.
A kilowatt jolt of electricity surged through him as the kiss deepened. His tongue explored the warmth of her mouth. He reveled in her natural sweetness. With a tentative stroke, her tongue brushed against his. The slight sensuous movement shook him to his core, and he felt like he’d been electrocuted by her innocently erotic caress.
“Willow,” he groaned against the shell of her ear after the kiss ended. She shivered within the circle of his arms, and his hold tightened. “I thought I was scared before. Now I’m terrified.”
* * *
Thor’s words dumbfounded Willow. The deep timbre of his low moans sent a multitude of shivers up and down her spine. The rigid muscles of his back rippled underneath her hands as he pulled her closer. A small ache formed in her lower belly. Wild sensations flowed through her, leaving her dizzy and weakening her resolve to avoid the man who caused them.
“Thor,” she moaned when he ended their embrace. She didn’t want the delirious emotions to end.
Does he not enjoy them, too?
“Ssh.” He pressed a finger against her lips. Taking her hand, he led her to the side of the house hidden from the barn. His hands settled at her waist. He lowered his head so that their eyes met. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I shouldn’t have kissed you, but I won’t apologize for it.”
“I don’t want your apologies. I liked it.”
“Oh, God,” he growled in a harsh whisper. “Willow… please, don’t tell me that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it makes me want to do it again, and I shouldn’t. You understand, don’t you?”
Willow nodded. They became quiet. Slowly, her senses returned. She remembered her earlier decision and stepped free of his hold. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked to a fallen log and sat. She wasn’t surprised when Thor joined her.
“For me to act on my attraction to you is. . . well, it’s wrong. I don’t know what I’m doing here or how I got here. I could fall asleep tonight and wake up in my own time tomorrow.”
“I know, Thor, and I understand. I shouldn’t have said what I did either. I am not lacking in morals. Please forgive me if my behavior contradicted that.”
He reached for her hand. “There’s no need for forgiveness. I enjoyed it,” he added with a throaty chuckle.
His touch, warm and protective, threatened to confuse her again. She snatched her hand away, stood, and turned from him. “I suppose we shouldn’t speak on it again.”
He was quiet for a moment. When he finally replied, his voice was low with resignation. “I suppose you’re right.” The log creaked as he shifted his weight. Twigs crackled beneath his footsteps, and then the heat of his body enveloped her as his sweet breath whispered against her ear. “It’s getting late. I should get back to the cabin. I’m sure Anders and Eva are wondering what’s keeping me. Goodnight, Willow, and pleasant dreams.”
His finger trailed a whispery soft path down the side of her arm before he moved away. Willow turned on her heel and went after him. His comments about his journey through time worried her. If he woke up in another place, she wanted him to remember her.
“Thor!”
He halted his retreat and waited. She circled in front of him. His gaze never wavered as he stared down at her. “Yes?”
“I wish you knew how or when you’ll return to your time.”
“So do I. It would make things a lot easier all around.”
“Well, I just wanted to tell you how pleased I’ve been to know you.” Her hands shot out to rest on his broad shoulders. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned forward and brushed a chaste kiss across his cheek. When she pulled back, tears blurred her vision, casting him in a watery haze. “Goodbye, Thor.”
With tears streaming down her face, she ran inside the Brown home and closed the door firmly behind her.
On wobbly feet, she pressed down the hall to her bedroom. The quaint confines offered the comforting solitude she desperately needed. Goodbyes battered her soul and saying goodbye to Thor made her heart ache. The finality of her words was beyond his understanding. She planned to leave that night and now, she must accept that upon her return, he might be gone.
More tears rolled down her cheeks. She rubbed them away with the heels of her hands and sniffled. Crying wouldn’t change the facts. Besides, even if he remained in 1860, there could never be anything more between them than friendship. The excitement that pulsed in her blood at his nearness must be ignored. Her goal to reunite the children with their father must take precedence over the tingling sensation of Thor’s soft lips on hers or his hard, muscled arms wrapped around her.
The memory of her first kiss rocked her. Trembling fingers pressed against her mouth as she closed her eyes and relived the savory taste of Thor’s lips and the woodsy scent of his body.
A shout roared from the barn, and her eyes shot open. “Blessed be!” she muttered. That quickly, thoughts and longing weakened her. She wasn’t a hypocrite, but continuing to think of Thor would deem her one.
Daydreams and wishes were a senseless waste of time. More pressing matters warranted precedence, and their names were Nat, Charity, and Clay. The children needed their father, and she needed now more than ever to prove that she could play a vital role in the anti-slavery movement. Who in this township knew more about the ravages of slavery than her? Who lost their parents to the vicious cruelty of bounty hunters? Slave patrollers did not hesitate in taking Bessie and Elijah Elkridge’s lives. Outwitting them as she walked the woods did little to repay the pain and loss her parents’ deaths caused. No, she wanted more. She
needed
to reunite the children with their father. Surely, afterward the reverend would understand that she was no longer the little girl who clung to his hand, but a woman fully capable in guiding her people to freedom.