All My Tomorrows Read Online Free Page B

would have seen it in time to get out of the way, but like you said, no thanks necessary."
    Again, a silence fell as they stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Jordan broke the reverie. "Ah, I guess I should be getting settled in."
    Maggie snapped out of her trance. "Of course, of course. Oh, let me get you some paper and a pen before you go."
    Maggie retrieved a small journal from the bedside table and handed it to Jordan.
    "Here. This is a spare journal I haven't used yet. I keep diaries myself, you know. I realize how important it is to organize your thoughts at the end of the day."
    Jordan grinned as she accepted the book and pen. "Thank you, Maggie. You know, something told me you were the diary type."
    "Really?"
    "Yes, really," Jordan replied. She added the diary to the growing heap of things tucked under her arm. She looked at Maggie. "So, if you were writing today's entry right now, what would it say?"
    Maggie looked up at the ceiling and squinted her eyes. She raised one hand for emphasis as she spoke. "It would say September 23, 2018. This is the day I almost died. Luckily, my beautiful blue-eyed guardian angel came to my rescue."
    Jordan cleared her throat. "Well, I guess I should go settle in. Thank you again."
    "You are welcome. Can you find your way out?" Maggie asked.
    "No problem," Jordan replied. "This place already feels like home."
    * * *
    Maggie kicked off her boots, stripped off her blue jeans and flannel shirt, and threw everything into a heap by the side of the bed just as Jan entered the room.
    "Wow. Now that's what I call a nice welcome," she exclaimed.
    Maggie walked to her dresser to retrieve a tank top that she slipped over her head.
    Jan frowned. "So I take it you're not interested in making love tonight."
    Maggie stood in front of the dresser and tousled her curly hair in front of the mirror. "Jan, it's been a long day, not to mention a little frightening."
    Jan pretended to be interested in something on the dresser. "How so?"
    "For starters, having a three hundred pound metal winch nearly fall on my head this morning — that's how so. Do you realize I could have been killed? Thank God Jordan was there."
    "There's something odd about that one," Jan replied.
    Maggie tuned to look at her. "Why do you say that?"
    "What do you know about her? Where does she come from? What did she do for a living before she came here? Have you asked her any of those questions yet?"
    "I know that her family raised horses. I know that she is from somewhere around this area, but she hasn't specified exactly where yet. I know she seems to know what she's doing on a farm. I know she's good with her hands, and I know that if she hadn't been here today, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now. For me, that's all I need to know."
    Jan snorted. "I'll bet she's good with her hands."
    Maggie stomped up to Jan and stopped within inches of her. "What exactly to you mean by that?" she demanded.
    "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how attractive she is," Jan said. "Are you going to pursue her like you did me when I first came to work for you?"
    "The way I remember it, that pursuit went both ways," Maggie replied.
    "Yeah, well I'm not sure she's going to be a welcome addition to the crew. She has kind of a know-it-all attitude."
    "Oh, really? Just how much time have you spent with her to come to that conclusion?"
    "I don't need to spend time with her. I think I'm a pretty good judge of character, and she doesn't look like a farmhand to me. She looks more like she should be sitting behind a desk or teaching school or something like that."
    Maggie placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll have you know that she's very capable of working a farm. She inspected the rafter after you said it was probably a weak point in the wood, and she found where someone or something had mechanically cut through the boards."
    "What?" Jan exclaimed. "How the hell did she come to that conclusion? I looked at the