Chapter 15

Tallis stood in his front room watching his family. They were having fun counting down to the new year, but they were all on edge. None more so than him and his wife. The past five days had been everything he knew they would be. Having Melody as his wife was better than the dreams he’d had.

He knew they were disgustingly sickening to his family, but he didn’t care. His entire family had stayed since the wedding, knowing that the final showdown was coming, but none of them had stayed at the Ranch house.

Even Sara and Cynthia had moved into one of the cowboy cabins up in the modern section. Sara had laughed when he’d told her they didn’t have to move out. “You might not care about us being in the house with you two, but we care. Your love is sickening to us poor single women. If I have to see you lock lips once more I’m going to hurl.”

He knew in reality everyone was giving them every moment they could just in case they were wrong and these five days were all they got. He’d expected Reverend Johnson to show up earlier that week to remind them that the contract was up, but he hadn’t and now it was New Year’s Eve. Just a few hours before Melody was supposed to leave and never return.

Once again Tallis said a silent prayer beseeching God’s mercy, grace, and protection over his marriage and his wife. While he understood her desire for birth control so that she wouldn’t possibly end up in the past with a child, she couldn’t explain. He wished she was pregnant, as that would be one more reason they could give for her staying.

He jumped at the knock on the front door. His Callin’ letting him know that the time had arrived. Everyone went silent and looked at him. He nodded, pulled out the box of their proof, and sat it on the table, then walked over and opened the door. “Thought that might be you.”

“Good evening, Mr. Ryder. I’m here to collect Miss Hughes, her contract is up.”

“Sorry, but there’s no Miss Hughes here.”

The Reverend sighed. “These games are not amusing, Mr. Ryder. We both know that I brought Miss Hughes here to work for you six months ago and informed you I’d return for her today.”

Tallis nodded, “I’m not playing games, Johnson. I agree with everything you just said. I never denied you brought Miss Hughes here, I just said there isn’t a Miss Hughes here now.”

“May I come in and check that for myself?”

“Are you indicating that you think I’m lying to you, sir?”

The time traveler sighed. “Not at all, Mr. Ryder. I just need to verify that Miss Hughes is not here for myself.”

“My family is here celebrating the passing of the year but sure come on in.”

The man straightened his tie and entered the house and walked into the front room and stopped. “Well see, Mr. Ryder, I guess you are either mistaken or were trying to deceive me. Because I see Miss Hughes sitting in that chair beside the side table with the box on it.”

“So you are calling me a liar in my own home, sir.”

“I’m just stating what I see.”

“Then you should know that you are mistaken, Mr. Johnson. That isn’t Miss Hughes sitting in that chair.”

“It’s Reverend Johnson, and that is most certainly Miss Hughes.”

“Reverend? Ordained man of God, are you?”

“That’s right.”

Tallis smiled. “Got any documentation to prove that?”

“Excuse me?”

Tallis rubbed his chin. “See, you keep insisting that you’re a Reverend. I’ve seen nothing to prove that at this point. So I’m asking, do you have proof of your ordination with you that I can see?”

The man looked at Tallis dismissively “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I don’t think I am being ridiculous. I tell you honestly that there is no Miss Hughes here, and yet you insist there is. I ask for proof that you’re an ordained man of God and you have none to offer me. I have proof to offer you.”

He held out his hand and Melody reached into the box and handed him a folded legal document. “For example, Mr. Johnson, this is a Certificate of Ordination issued to one Reverend Henderson by the Montana Ministerial Alliance stating that they ordained him in accordance with the scriptures. Would you agree with that?”

“What is the point of all this, Mr. Ryder?”

“Yes or no, do you agree this document is proof of Reverend Henderson being an Ordained Man of God?’”

“Fine, Yes. That is indeed proof of the man’s Ordination.”

“Thank you. Then I offer you proof that there is no Melody Hughes here then.”

He took the next legal document and handed it to the time traveler. “As you can see, this is a document that proves that Reverend Henderson, an Ordained man of God conducted a marriage at his church on December 24th of this year between one Melody Hughes and one Tallis Ryder. It further states that it was conducted in the presence of God Almighty and family and friends. Thus proving that there is no Melody Hughes here.

The woman sitting in that chair is my wife, Melody Ryder. So there is nothing for you here, the woman you’re looking for isn’t here.”

“This doesn’t matter, Mr. Ryder, my contract supersedes this because it existed prior to this marriage.”

“No, that’s where you are again mistaken, Johnson. Again let me reiterate your contract is verbal, is it not? I mean, the one with me was, so I’m assuming the one with Melody was as well, is that true?”

“Yes, it was verbal.”

“So it’s not a written and signed contract?”

“No, I just said, it’s verbal.”

“Well then, it’s not legally binding at all, Sir. You would think a man such as yourself would know that in this country, at this time, a verbal contract is in fact, not a contract at all.”

“What do you mean by that, at this time?”

“Let’s not beat around the bush, Johnson. I think you made a contract verbally with Melody 147 years in the past and expect to enforce it here in the present. But legally you can’t enforce it.”

“What in the world makes you think my agreement with Miss Hughes was made 147 years ago? Did she tell you that?”

“No Melody has told me nothing about her past or about you. Except that she had a contract with you.”

“You see Johnson, you are not the only person in this house with, shall we say, special gifts and callings from God. I have a lot more proof for you that you have no right to remove my wife from this ranch. But I think now is an important time to get your boss to join us. Won’t you ask your boss to join us?”

“My boss?”

“Well, not your ultimate boss we both know that is God and He’s already here. But he lets humanity work these discrepancies out amongst ourselves most of the time. I mean Sophia Devereux. She’s your supervisor, is she not?”

“How do you know about Sophia?”

“I told you, I have special gifts and callings too. I’ll explain everything and we can clear this up if you’ll just ask her to join us.”

“She won’t, you know.”

“Oh, I think she will. Tell her if she doesn’t I’ll send everything I know about her to the U.S. Marshal Service. I’m pretty sure with my cousin’s connections there, that there’d be an investigation into how she is operating on a commission given over 100 years ago.”

Johnson stepped into a corner and turned his back and lifted something to his face and spoke into it. After a few minutes, he turned back around. “She’s on her way, why don’t we all have a drink while we wait for her.”

“I don’t think so. No one here is thirsty.” Tallis smiled. Shortly thereafter, there were footsteps on the porch and a knock on the door. Tallis opened it. “Miss Sophia Devereux, thank you for coming so quickly. I should have expected nothing else for a time traveler.”

“I’m sorry, who are you and what did you call me?’

Tallis laughed. “Let’s not play innocent, Miss Devereux. I’m Tallis Colton Ryder, do you know who I am?”

“Yes, you’re the young man Reverend Johnson was supposed to help by bringing a historical expert. Who should be on her way by now.”

“Well see, that’s where we have a problem and I’ve explained it to your employee. But he seems unwilling or unable to comprehend that his contract is void.”

The woman laughed. “I’m sorry you are the one mistaken, our contracts are eternally executable.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Yes, they are.”

“No, let me explain. Your man here made a contract, a verbal contract that isn’t legal or actionable in this day and age, by the way, with one Melody Hughes. However, Miss Hughes doesn’t exist anymore, so your contract is no good.”

“What do you mean, Miss Hughes doesn’t exist anymore? She’s sitting right there.” Once again the finger was pointed at Melody.

“You’re mistaken, Miss Devereux. That’s my wife, Melody Ryder. I have a covenant signed by an ordained man of God that that woman is my wife. Married to me in the presence of God, in a church dedicated to God and our Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve shown those to your employee and explained that when that man pronounced us man and wife by God’s authority, Miss Hughes ceased to exist. Furthermore, I have your own Boss’s written statement that your contract is worthless.”