“How do you do, Mr. Magnusen? I’ve heard a good deal about you.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” he said with a smile. “Please, just call me Bo. Mr. Magnusen makes me feel old.”
She blushed. Thor was the first white man she ever addressed by his first name. Doing the same with his father would take some getting used to. In her time, elders were treated with respect. His father’s offer explained Thor’s openness with her and the runaway children. For them, the display of etiquette was unnecessary. The treatment of others conveyed respect more than spoken words.
A finger tapped her shoulder. She glanced up into hazel eyes that crinkled with good humor.
“I’m his brother, Cal. I’m not sure if I want to know if you’ve heard about me.”
She laughed. His family was friendly and funny. She understood why Thor was so open to her when they met. Candor came naturally to him.
“Nice to meet you.”
“And please, call me Cal.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cal.” She nodded toward his father, “Both of you.”
“Are you tired?” Bo asked. “Would you like something to eat? We caught a mess of fish and were about to fry some up. Have a seat, Willow. Thor, you can just set that bag down over there. Cal and I want to hear everything, but not with you hovering by the door. Come in and close the door before the flies trail in after you.”
Cal pointed to a long, plush object that took up the center portion of the living room. It reminded Willow of a settee, but the one the Browns’ had wasn’t nearly as long. She sat and found it surprisingly soft. Her fingers traced the intricate patterns of flowers and leaves that covered the furniture while her bespectacled gaze stared in wonder. The cabin was huge!
Cal sat on a chair across from her and continued to stare. Without looking away, he asked, “Pop, you don’t need help with the fish, do you?”
Thor kicked his brother’s foot as he passed him to sit beside Willow. “Leave her alone.”
Heat flooded Willow’s cheeks. “He’s not bothering me. I ’spect he’s just curious.”
“Finally, someone who understands me. It’s about time.”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. Sensing Thor’s annoyance, she raised her hand to suppress a giggle, but her efforts were wasted. Thor grunted an unintelligible response, and then Bo called from the kitchen.
“Mind your manners, Cal. Don’t pick her brain all at once. Thor, come and help me with this recipe. I can’t read your Aunt Greta’s handwriting; nothing but chicken scratch.”
Thor’s hand closed around Willow’s waist and squeezed. “Will you be alright without me?”
“I’ll be fine. Do you need help in the kitchen? I can help your pa…”
“Nah, it’s okay. He called whom he wants. He’ll probably give me the third degree,” Thor muttered. His eyes narrowed on his brother. “She’s been through a lot the last few days. Leave her alone.”
“Thor, I’m fine.” Her voice held an edge to it. His protective demeanor warmed her heart, but she did not want him to be impolite to his family on her account. There was no excuse for bad manners. “I’m sure he’s just as curious about the past as I am about the future. We’ll be fine.”
The muscles in his jaw flickered. “Okay.”
Thor crossed between Willow and Cal, and as soon as he was gone, Cal began his inquisition. “What was it like?”
“What are you referring to?” His intense stare was startling. If anyone else had looked at her so closely, she would have been embarrassed and nervous. Because Cal was Thor’s brother, she felt relaxed. Besides, his expression contained no malice, mostly interest.
“Eighteen-sixty. What was north Georgia really like? I have read books that say everybody was for secession. Would you know if that was true?”
“I know that the books exaggerate if that’s what was written. Not everyone wants to separate from the union. Many are afraid they’ll lose contact with friends and family.” She slid to the edge of the large settee. “Could you tell me what will happen? They don’t really secede, do they?”
Cal’s gaze cut briefly toward the kitchen. “He didn’t tell you?”
“He said that if I know too much the continuum will be damaged.”
“The time space continuum?” Cal’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yes, I believe that’s what he called it. What is that?”
Cal smirked. “Something he got from a movie.”
“What’s a movie?”
Cal left the chair to sit beside her. His arm spread across behind her, and he crossed one leg over the other. “You have a lot to learn. Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you about everything that happened since 1860, and you’ll tell me about your life there.”
His offer was sweet and unexpected. His willingness to help touched her. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said with a shrug, “but I’ll accept it anyway. Changing centuries is going to be a major adjustment. Pop and I are willing to do whatever we can to make things easy. I’m sure you know you can count on Thor, too. He cares about you, Willow. He may not be good about saying it, but his actions will prove it.” He took her hand and closed it between both of his. “Welcome.”
* * *
Cal’s hand closed around Willow’s and Thor’s gut clenched. What was going on over there? Why was his brother being so chummy with Willow? Jealousy had never been a part of Thor’s life until now. His heart hammered inside his chest, and he moved to exit the kitchen and tell his brother a thing or two!
“So you brought her back.”
Bo’s quiet voice and firm hand on his shoulder halted Thor’s planned attack. He glanced at his father, read the understanding in the older man’s eyes, and drew in a harsh breath.
“Cal’s welcoming her into the family. There’s no more going on over there than that.” The older man added pepper and salt to the cornmeal batter. He jutted his chin toward the stove. “Is the oil hot enough?”
Checking the frying pan helped to cool Thor’s temper. He grabbed the potholder and reached for the cast iron skillet. The adventure in time suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered watching Willow flip hot water cornbread in a pan just like this one. Could it be this was the same one?
Whoa.
It was almost too much for him to handle. He set the skillet back over the burner and stepped back.
“How long have we had that?”
“What? The stove? Pa bought that before Mama died. I ’spose it’s time we got a new one. It’s not getting hot enough?”
“No, Pop, it’s fine. I was asking about the skillet. I think I’ve seen it before. What I mean is, I think I saw Willow use it. Have we had it that long? How could it last?”
“Stuff was made with better materials back then, son. We’ve had the cast iron skillets and pots ever since I can remember. If you saw it with Anders and Eva, then we’ve had it that long.”
Thor sighed. Resting his forearms on the counter, he leaned down and looked up at his father. “This is crazy, Pop, but I know it happened. I went back in time. I met my great-great-grandparents. I helped with the Underground Railroad. It’s hard to believe I did those things.”
“That’s not all you did.” Bo rolled the thick batter into round balls for hushpuppies. “You brought Willow back with you.”
“I wouldn’t have come back otherwise.” He made quick work of washing and drying his hands. “I couldn’t leave her there alone, and if she hadn’t agreed to come with me, I would have stayed there.”
Bo placed a tablespoon of rolled batter into the popping oil. The cornmeal crackled in the hot oil. The smell of hushpuppies filled the kitchen. “She means that much to you?”
“Yeah, she does.”
“I have something for you.” Bo wiped his hands on the dishtowel and left the kitchen.
In his father’s absence, Thor finished preparing the hushpuppies and fried the trout in another cast iron skillet. From the living room, Willow’s husky voice and Cal’s deeper tones drifted to him. He sucked in his breath and told himself that he was glad she and Cal hit it off so quickly. The sooner she had friends, the more relaxed she’d be in her new environment. It wasn’t as if he wanted her to depend solely on him for companionship, or was it?
His father returned before Thor could question himself further. Bo beckoned, and Thor joined him at the kitchen table. A faded envelope rested on the table and a leather pouch sat on top of it. Bo handed the pouch to Thor. “That’s for you.”
“What is it?”
“Open it.” Bo picked up the envelope and tapped it against the table. “I was told to give that to you.”
Thor emptied the pouch’s contents into the palm of his hand. A small diamond ring with a gold band glittered under the glow of the tubular fluorescent lights. His mouth dropped open. With his thumb and forefinger, he picked up the ring.
“Where did you get this? Who told you give it to me?”
“Anders told me. It was in the letter addressed to me that told me how important that old timepiece is. He wanted you to have the ring.”
“Why? I can’t wear this, and I can’t sell it. It’s a family heirloom.”
“It was Eva’s,” Bo confirmed. “He said he wanted you to have it and when the time comes, you’ll know what to do with it.”
Later as they gathered around the dining room table, Thor pondered Anders’s gift. A diamond ring meant serious business. It symbolized a lasting commitment, reminding him of the words engraved on the watch. Did he have the dedication of his father and Anders to make a promise like that to a woman and mean it? Although he truly cared for Willow and wanted her with him, his invitation to join him in 1985 was not entirely selfish. She could thrive in his world whereas danger and limitations filled hers. The loss of her family and friends ran deep, but he had no doubts that he and his family could provide whatever support she needed.
* * *
“Thor said you wanted to go to Oberlin.” Cal passed a platter of corn on the cob to Willow. “Atlanta has plenty of good colleges. I teach History at Emory. You should come sit in on one of my classes.”
“Is that allowed? I don’t expect you to give me special favors.”
Thor poured lemonade into her glass. “Anyone can observe a class. I’ll come with you. You like Shakespeare, they have a good English and Drama department, too. We’ll get a catalogue and you can decide what you want to do.”
“In the meantime, we need to get her established here,” Bo said. “She’ll need a birth certificate—”
“Not to mention school records for when she enrolls at the university,” Cal added.
Thor felt Willow stiffen. Her food lay untouched, and her eyes held a faraway look. He reached out and covered her hand. To his surprise, her flesh was cold and clammy. He recognized the signs of being shell-shocked immediately.
“Hold on, everybody. This is her first day. We can take care of that stuff later. Let her get used to everything first.”
“They’re just trying to help,” she said quietly. “I didn’t realize how much was required.”
“It sounds like a lot,” Bo said, “but it isn’t. My sister can help us with most of it. She worked with Doc Phillips for years and before that, she was a midwife.”
“When it comes to enrolling in college, I can help with the admission forms and whatever else you’ll need.” Cal eagerly volunteered. “You’re a bright young woman. With a good coach, you will ace the admission exams. You have no reason to worry. Magnusens take care of their own, and you’re one of ours now.”
* * *
Willow clutched her small carpetbag of belongings as Thor gave her a tour of his home. The design was unlike any she had ever seen. Thor called it split-level and explained it to her. She nodded at his words but could not think of a suitable response. The travel through time exhilarated her at first, but that feeling wore off during dinner. Now she felt overwhelmed, missed her home, and wondered if she made a mistake in coming.
“That’s the kitchen,” Thor said, pointing. “It has more gadgets and fun stuff than the one at the cabin. There’s a microwave, dishwasher, fridge with an ice cube maker, and a self-cleaning oven.”
He stopped talking and she looked at him. Her brows drew together, and she assumed the confusion she felt was evident.
His cheeks reddened. “Sorry about that. This is new. You don’t have to grasp it at once. Anything you want to know, just ask and I’ll tell you.”
“Mister—Cal said the same. He gave me this.” She pulled out a slip of paper.
He took the note and frowned. “This is his telephone number. I guess he thought I didn’t have sense enough to give it to you.”
“No!” Willow said that more sharply than she intended. She inhaled a deep breath. Her rattled emotions were getting the best of her. She needed some time alone to adjust to all the changes and to understand what her life would be in this strange, new world. “I’m sorry. He just gave it to me. I think he was being nice.”
Thor folded the paper and handed it back to her. A muscle worked in his jaw. His mouth opened as if he would respond, and then just as suddenly, his expression changed. A charming smile that left her breathless came to rest on his mouth. With one hand, he grabbed her bag and slipped the other hand around her waist. His maneuvering led them to the bottom of a narrow staircase.