Lightning Only Strikes Twice (20 page)

“I don’t know,” Luke replied. “He said we have to go back.”

“But we’ve tried. It didn’t work.”

“I explained that to him. He seemed to think it’s within our power to return.” Luke sighed. “He could have the answers we’ve been looking for.”

He took out the gold medallion and showed it to her. “I found this after he left. I think he dropped it on purpose for me to find. This must be the part of the phenomenon we’ve been missing.” Luke stared across the empty yard. “I wonder if he knows how it works.”

Annie pulled herself out of his arms. “You should find him and ask.”

“I’m not leaving you.” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “We don’t know what’s in that powder. It could’ve done some harm. “

“I think I’m fine now.” She took his hand. “The dizziness is fading and I’m feeling better.” She stood, holding on the porch railing. “This might be our only chance to get home. You have to go after him.”

He looked down the lane where the shaman disappeared. “I don’t know…”

“Go,” she said.

He hesitated. Everything they’d tried to return home had failed. They’d given up. Had even started looking for a suitable place to build a house after they married. Now, because of the shaman, there might be a way home after all. “Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“I promise I won’t be long.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.” She smiled.

His heart jerked.

He was torn between his desire to make sure Annie was safe and the opportunity to discover a way home. The shaman’s appearance offered more temptation than he could resist. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, but she pulled his face lower and captured his mouth.

Her lips moved under his, responding in a way that sent heat straight through him. With every kiss, their shared connection grew stronger. He was glad he’d asked her to be his wife.

Reluctantly, he lifted his head. “I’ll find him and learn what he knows. Maybe we can go back tonight.” He fingered her silky hair, then, before he changed his mind, he hurried after the medicine man.

****

Annie touched her fingertips to her mouth. Her lips were swollen from Luke’s kiss. She was amazed at how she’d grown to need his touch, his presence.

Had it not been for this quirk of fate, they’d have never found each other. Part of her was concerned that if they returned to their own time he might find her dull and uninteresting. She was afraid they’d lose their connection.

All the more reason to trust in his promise and his honor. Even though he’d never proclaimed his love, Luke wouldn’t abandon her. She didn’t believe a rift in time would keep them apart.

Annie glanced longingly to where Luke had gone, then at the waiting laundry. The vertigo hadn’t completely left, but it had eased. She brushed the dust from her face and apron, and returned to her task. A warm breeze blew today and the clothes would dry fast.

Once the basket was empty, she went into the house to fix lunch.

She was setting the meal on the table when Paul burst through the door.

Sweat rolled off his brow and he had an air of urgency. “Where’s Luke?”

Annie glanced at Luke’s place setting in anticipation of his return. “He’s not here yet. Has something happened?”

“We need his help,” Paul said. “There’s been an accident at the mine.”

“Oh, dear Lord,” Elizabeth exclaimed, standing in the kitchen doorway. She’d been resting in the living room and must have heard Paul’s voice.

Annie’s heart climbed to her throat. Even in her time, mining accidents were horrific. “How bad is it?”

“One of the shafts collapsed. There’s a half dozen men trapped.” Paul grabbed a couple of slices of bread out of the basket on the kitchen table and wrapped them in a cloth along with some jerky.

“What can I do to help?” Annie asked.

Paul stuffed the food in the pocket of a heavy jacket he collected by the door. Glancing from Elizabeth to Annie he said, “I’m going to stay until we get them out. I’d rather not leave Elizabeth alone. Will you stay with her?”

“Of course,” Annie replied without hesitation. “We’ll be fine. You do what you need to and don’t worry about us.”

“If Luke shows up, send him to the mine. We need every man who can wield a pick or shovel to help dig them out.”

Elizabeth crossed to Paul and hugged him. “Be careful.”

“Always.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Stay here with Annie,” he said. “I’ll be home as soon as we have everyone out.”

Elizabeth reached up and kissed him. They held each other for a long moment and then Paul was gone.

Elizabeth found a chair and sank slowly into it, her gaze glued to the door.

Annie moved beside her and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. “Paul will be fine,” she whispered, hoping her words held true to the history she knew.

Once lunch was done, the day passed slowly. As Annie washed the dishes and prepped vegetables for dinner, she thought about the miners and their families. How horrible to know your loved one was trapped behind tons of rubble with no air and all that blackness. Tools that could save them were decades in the future.

She also wondered where Luke was. He’d never returned since going after the shaman. Paul must have found him and enlisted his help to rescue the miners. She prayed he was safe. Simply because he came from the future didn’t mean he was immune to the dangers that inherently surrounded them. Annie knew he could take care of himself, but that didn’t stop her from worrying.

Toward sundown, she carried the laundry basket outside to retrieve the clothes. Storm clouds had gathered over the mountains bringing dusk more quickly to the valley.

As she placed the basket under the clothesline, a glint of something half buried in the dirt caught her eye. Stepping over to the shiny object, she picked it up.

She gasped.

The gold medallion from her pendant!

She turned it over in her palm. No. This one was different from hers. It didn’t have a loop attached for a chain.

Luke said he’d found a medallion after the shaman’s visit, too. Had the shaman left this one for her? Did they finally have both medallions?

A raindrop landed on her cheek. If she didn’t get the clothes in quickly they’d be wet and she’d have to hang them to dry all over again. She pocketed the medallion in her apron to show Luke when he returned and then unclipped the clothes from the line.

As she folded the last shirt into the basket, she heard a scream from inside the house.

“Elizabeth!” Annie dropped the basket and ran inside. She nearly tripped on the leg of a chair in her rush to get through the kitchen and upstairs to Elizabeth’s bedroom.

She found the expectant mother sitting on the bed with her legs drawn up, clutching her stomach.

“Elizabeth.” Annie gasped at how pale she looked. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s time,” Elizabeth said through clenched teeth.

“No.” A cold sweat broke across Annie’s forehead. “It’s too soon. You said the baby’s not due until the end of the month.”

Elizabeth groaned and arched her back. “I guess I was wrong on my dates.” She smiled weakly. “The baby thinks it’s time.” She gasped and clutched her middle again. “Annie, you have to get the doctor.”

Annie stood frozen to the floor, torn with indecision. She was afraid to leave, but she couldn’t just dial 9-1-1 for help. Nor could she deliver a baby on her own. She didn’t know the first thing about newborns.

“Annie! Hurry!”

Elizabeth’s shout snapped through Annie’s stupor. She rushed out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and through the living room to the porch.

Black clouds darkened the sky and the streets were already deep in shadows. Because of the mining accident, the doctor wouldn’t be in his office. Desperate to help Elizabeth, she headed toward the mine. Then she spotted Willie Beacher racing down the street.

“Willie,” she called.

The youngster ran up to her. “Hey, Miss Annie. Did you hear about the mine?”

“Yes. It’s a horrible accident. But that’s not why I called you.” She gestured back to the house. “Mrs. Crawford’s baby is coming. I need to find the doctor, but I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“Oh.” Willie glanced uncertainly at the house. “Do you want me to stay with her?”

“No, I want you to find the doctor and bring him here. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure.” Willie started to run toward the doctor’s office.

“No, Willie.”

The boy stopped and looked at her.

Annie pointed in the other direction. “Doc’s going to be at the mine.”

Willie nodded and raced toward the mine.

“Tell him to hurry!” Annie called after him.

She ran back inside where she found Elizabeth curled in a ball on her bed.

“How are you feeling?” Annie asked.

Elizabeth lifted her head and stared at Annie with pain-filled eyes. It seemed impossible, but her face was even more pale. “Where’s Doc?”

“I found Willie Beacher outside and sent him for the doctor.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Good.” She let go a slow agonizing groan. “I don’t remember the first one hurting like this.”

Annie pulled down the covers of the bed and helped Elizabeth undress. “I’m sure you just forgot,” Annie replied. “I’ve heard that’s why women are happy to have more than one child. They don’t remember how bad the pain was with the first one.” No sooner had she’d said the words, than she wished them back. What a stupid thing to say to a woman who’d lost a child.

Elizabeth tried to smile. “You may be right. But this time sure does feel different.”

Annie was amazed by Elizabeth and her positive attitude after the tragedies life had dealt her. “Let’s get you comfortable. The doctor should be here soon.”

Moving the washbowl from the dresser, she placed it on the bedside table and poured water from the pitcher. She dipped in a cloth and wrung it out. As the next contraction took hold, she laid the cloth on Elizabeth’s forehead and held her hands.

The small fingers that clasped Annie’s were icy cold.

Annie rubbed them for warmth. “Try to breathe through the pain.” She’d heard that a woman in labor should pant through contractions. She didn’t know why exactly, other than it was something to concentrate on instead of the pain.

Obediently, Elizabeth took a breath, and then let out a scream.

Annie winced, but held Elizabeth’s hands tightly. Several seconds ticked by before Elizabeth’s grip loosened.

“Relax between the contractions,” Annie said. “You’ll need your rest for when it comes time to push.”

Elizabeth lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Annie dipped the cloth again and wrung it out, then laid it on Elizabeth’s forehead.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth whispered.

“I’m not much help,” Annie said, feeling lost. Learning to cook on the wood-burning stove was preferable to dealing with imminent childbirth.

“You’re here with me. That’s enough.”

Annie didn’t think so. She wished the doctor would hurry.

A knock on the bedroom door drew Annie’s attention. Mavis Beacher stood in the doorway. Willie was behind her. “Willie said it was time.”

Annie glanced at Elizabeth. She was resting between the contractions.

“It is.” Annie crossed over to Mavis. Looking beyond Mavis’s shoulder she asked, “Where’s the doctor?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Mavis whispered. “The doctor is taking care of the injured from the mine.”

Annie had nearly forgotten about the accident once her own drama started. “How bad is it?”

“They don’t have everyone out yet,” Mavis said. “The doctor is treating a couple of men who were close to the exit when it caved in. It sounds really bad.”

Annie hoped Luke wasn’t among those injured. She knew he hadn’t been in the mine when it collapsed, but there was just as much danger to the rescuers. If she wasn’t needed so badly here, she would have gone to find him. Right now, Elizabeth was her first priority.

“Mavis, I’m not experienced at this sort of thing. We need the doctor.” Annie knew she sounded selfish, but her great-grandfather was about to be born. She would do everything in her power to make sure there weren’t complications. Elizabeth and the baby both had to make it through this.

“Birthing a baby is the most natural thing a woman can do. Believe me, I’ve had plenty of experience,” Mavis said. “You and me, why, we’re just help on the side.” She chuckled. “Everything will be fine.”

Mavis sounded so confident. Annie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“Besides, it’s usually easier the second time ’round.” Mavis rolled up the sleeves on her blouse. “Being Elizabeth’s second, it shouldn’t be too long now.”

“What can I do to help?” Annie asked.

“Let’s see…” Mavis eyed the bedroom and then turned. She spied Willie standing in the corner like a statue. “You go on home, son, and help Kevin take care of your baby brother and sister. And when your pa returns, you tell him I’m over here with Ms. Crawford.”

“But, Ma…”

“Go,” Mavis said. “This is no place for a boy.”

Willie turned and shuffled out the door.

Annie smiled, then jumped when Elizabeth gasped. “The next one’s starting,” she told Mavis.

Mavis urged Annie toward the door. “You gather up as many clean towels as you can find. Bring ’em here. Then get me one of Paul’s sharpest knives and the bottle of whiskey he keeps under the side table.”

Mavis hurried to Elizabeth’s side.

Annie paused for a moment and offered up a prayer of thanks for the other woman’s intervention. Then she rushed through the house to gather up the items Mavis needed.

The labor progressed quickly over the next couple of hours. Annie waited to the side, in awe of the older woman’s skills with Elizabeth.

As the contractions grew closer together, Annie picked up the pattern and sensed the timing by watching Elizabeth’s expressions. “Mavis, another one is coming!”

Mavis removed the cloth from Elizabeth’s head. “Take Elizabeth’s other hand,” she instructed Annie.

“Breathe, Elizabeth, breathe like I showed you.” Annie demonstrated, trying to help Elizabeth focus her attention.