A Window in Time

by Carolyn Lampman

  “You can tell us anything, no matter how bad it seems. We’ll understand. Everybody makes mistakes.”

  “Helen!” A deep voice came from the open door. “You promised.”

  “I just wanted her to know we’re on her side,” Helen Daniels said defensively.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Hello, Daddy.” Brianna smiled as he crossed the room and gave her a big bear hug. “Maybe you’d better tell me what I’ve done so I can be properly contrite.”

  “She’s just worried about you,” he said gruffly. “We both are.”

  Brianna pulled back and looked at him in surprise. Her father never let her mother’s anxieties affect him. What in the world had she done?

  “What did you do with Tom?” Helen asked.

  “The nurse told us Brianna was awake, so he went back to the car to get that package from my cousin Betsy.” John Daniels shook his head. “He said she’d want to see it right away. I like this young man of yours, Brianna, but I can’t figure out this obsession he has with Lucas Daniels.”

  Brianna smiled. “He’s not my young man, Daddy. And his interest in Lucas Daniels is purely professional. He’s a balloon pilot.”

  “I’ve always been a great admirer of Lucas Daniels” said an achingly familiar voice. “You might say he brought your daughter and me together.”

  For an instant Brianna thought she was hallucinating, seeing the man she wished were there instead of the one that was. Then she was in his arms, and he was kissing her. It was Lucas! Really, truly Lucas. Desperately, she ran her hands over his back trying to convince herself he wasn’t an illusion. He wasn’t. Somehow Lucas had found a way to come back with her.

  Brianna heard her parent’s voices as if from a great distance. “Huh! Just friends, my eye!”

  “Come on, Helen, we’re in the way here.”

  “Don’t go too far,” Lucas said, pulling back slightly but never taking his eyes off Brianna. “We’ll have something important to tell you in a little while.”

  “Take your time, son. We’ll be in the waiting room. Just don’t forget what I told you.”

  “I won’t, Mr. Daniels.”

  “What did Daddy tell you?”

  “That you’re just like your mother.” Lucas kissed her again. “You scared the hell out of me, and all because you wouldn’t listen. I’m lucky I found you when I did, or you’d be here by yourself and up to your neck in trouble.”

  Brianna hugged him tightly. “How did you get here?”

  “The same way you did.” He picked up a manila envelope he’d dropped on the bed and pulled out an old photograph. “I think you’d best look at this first.”

  Brianna gasped in surprise. It was a wedding picture of Tom Shaffer and an oddly different version of herself.

  “In case you haven’t figured it out, that’s your great-great grandparents, Lucas and Anna Daniels.”

  “It was Tom, not Ian,” she murmured. “I hadn’t even thought of that possibility.”

  “As far as we can tell, Ian MacTavish never met Anna.”

  “No, I suppose they went out of their way to avoid him and everybody else that knew us.” She was silent for a moment considering. “My journal must have helped them. I’m glad I wrote everything down. They even knew what to do with your watch so my uncle would find it.” Brianna ran her fingers over the picture lightly. “It’s all kind of confusing.”

  “I know, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Scott can explain it to you when you meet him.”

  “Who?”

  “A young man I fully intend to know better. He’s responsible for all this, and a fascinating person to talk to. I don’t precisely understand how, but right now he and Chuck Shaffer are accessing all of Tom’s vital information on the computer and changing it to fit me. I’m going to assume his identity for a while, though Chuck says we can legally change my name to Lucas Daniels later if we decide to. In the meantime, Scott’s going to teach me all there is to know about computers.”

  “Oh great. I can just see you turning into a computer nerd. I guess I’ll have to make it a point to drag you away occasionally and have my way with you to keep you human.”

  Lucas chuckled. “I don’t understand exactly what you’re worried about, but the cure sounds fine to me. I suppose I should tell you we’re buying Scott a new computer to replace the one that was destroyed when we came forward. I figured it was the least we could do.

  “Oh dear. We may owe him one, Lucas but I can’t afford a computer. They’re pretty expensive.”

  “Cheaper than a cow it seems,” Lucas said with a chuckle. “Remember your money pouch?”

  “Yes?”

  “It was full of very old, very valuable coins. You brought a fortune back with you. Anyway, Scott says we’ve done this all before. He’s convinced time is a loop rather than a straight line.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That you didn’t change history because you were supposed to be there. It wasn’t until we opened the picture that I finally understood.”

  “You mean Anna and I were meant to trade places?”

  “Exactly, and so were Tom and I.”

  “Then what did you mean if you hadn’t found me I’d be up to my neck in trouble?”

  Lucas grinned. “We didn’t come alone.”

  “What?”

  “You have a little stowaway.” He put his hand on her abdomen. “Everyone was a bit shocked when the doctor discovered him.”

  Brianna frowned in confusion then gasped as his meaning hit her. “I’m pregnant?”

  “It looks that way.”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Lucas, I’m going to have your baby!”

  “I’m glad you’re pleased. Your father was none too happy to find out he was going to be a grandpa.”

  “Oops.”

  “My thoughts exactly. Luckily he was reasonable about it.”

  “He was?”

  “I have exactly three and a half minutes to convince you to stop being so stubborn and marry me.”

  “That’s reasonable?”

  “It is compared to what your mother wanted to do to me.”

  “You’re pulling my leg.”

  Lucas raised his eyebrows. “I suppose I’ll eventually learn to understand what you’re saying to me.”

  “My parents didn’t threaten you at all.”

  He sighed. “Your father told me you wouldn’t believe it.”

  “You discussed it with him?”

  “Actually, we had a long talk about the best way to approach you with the idea of marriage right after I formally asked him for your hand. You should have seen the look on his face.”

  Brianna giggled. “I’ll bet. We don’t do that anymore.”

  “So I gathered. Anyway, your father did give me some valuable advice on handling this bull-headed streak you get from your mother.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Sorry, I can’t tell you,” he said with a grin. “You might reveal his secret strategy to your mother.”

  “Daddy’s strategy is to drag my mother off to the bedroom. It’s taken her years to train him that way.”

  “Your mother told you that?” He was clearly startled.

  “Of course not, but I’m neither blind nor stupid. I figured it out years ago.

  Lucas chuckled. “So much for your father’s approach.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I never heard either of them complain. In case you haven’t noticed, my parents are very much in love.”

  He smiled. “That’s one Daniels tradition that hasn’t changed at least.” With that he reached into his pocket for something. Brianna’s eyes widened in astonishment as he opened his hand and blue fire flashed in the sunlight.

  “Your mother’s ring,” she whispered. “You brought it with you?”

  “No, it was with the picture. Anna sent it.”

  “Anna! How...?”

  “It’s a long story. The important thing is
that it’s here. I’m warning you, I won’t take no for an answer this time.” He slipped the ring on her finger. “I love you, Brianna Daniels, and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  “It took you long enough,” she said holding her hand up to the light. “I’ve been waiting a hundred and fifty years for you to ask me.”

  “Well, are you going to say yes, or do I have to use your father’s tactics?”

  She put her arms around his neck. “I don’t know, stubbornness does have its compensations. Maybe you’d better convince me.”

  “It could be a little embarrassing.” Lucas glanced over his shoulder at the open door. “There are people in and out of this room all the time.”

  Brianna grinned. “I won’t need that much convincing. Ten minutes of concentrated huggy-bear, kissy-face ought to do it.”

  “And you aren’t worried about your father coming back in here demanding I make an honest woman of you?”

  “Nope. I heard what Daddy told you.”

  “He did say to take my time, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, but he won’t wait forever, so you’d better get started.

  And Lucas did just that.

  Coming Soon From

  Red Canyon Press

  The Jinx and the Pinkerton

  Carolyn Lampman

  CHAPTER 1

  Independence, Missouri 1856

  “What do you mean I can’t travel with your wagon train?” Charisse asked indignantly. “My money is the same as any man’s.”

  “No single women.” The wagon master eyed her with studied insolence, then spit a stream of tobacco juice at a passing beetle. “You’d slow us down. A woman just can’t keep up.”

  “That’s ridiculous. My team is as fast as anybody’s.”

  “You’ve driven a wagon before?”

  Charisse crossed her fingers behind her back. “Yes,” she lied. “I got here from St. Louis, didn’t I? The wagon is loaded, and I’m ready to go.”

  “Then I suggest you find a man to drive it for you. Evenin’, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and walked away.

  Charisse sighed in defeat. Drat it all, anyway. He was the third wagon master to turn her down in two weeks. It was always something. Either she was too young, or too pretty or too inexperienced. To listen to them, you’d think only ugly old men who had driven back and forth to Oregon a dozen times were allowed to travel the Oregon Trail.

  Her thoughts were gloomy as she trudged back to the hotel. She’d fully expected to be well on her way by now, leaving Preston and her old life far behind. Instead, she’d run into one difficulty after another. First, it was finding a wagon she could afford and having to settle for a team of evil-tempered mules instead of the powerful but docile oxen she wanted. Then her driver deserted her two days out of St. Louis. Now, wagon masters turned her away one after another. It was beginning to look like her money would run out before she could sign on to a wagon train. By the end of next week, it would all be gone, and she’d have to sell the wagon.

  Maybe you really are a jinx. The hateful words popped into her mind, tightening her throat and making her stomach clench. Charisse pushed the thought away in anger. That was Preston’s delusion, not hers. Luck, good or bad, had nothing to do with her temporary setback. It was merely time to reconsider her options.

  Charisse’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as something flew over her head, ricocheted off a window with a resounding crack and bounced downward. “What in the world…?” She put her hand up to protect her face and something smacked into it. Her palm stung as her fingers reflexively closed around a ball. A small boy came careening around the corner, a charming little scamp with tousled red hair and brilliant blue eyes.

  “You caught my ball!” Dried tear tracks streaked his dirty face and one bloody knee showed through a rip in his pants, but his smile was bright as he gazed up at her.

  “It found me,” she said, looking ruefully down at her hand. His smile faltered. “Did it hit you?”

  “No, but it was going pretty fast when I caught it.” She chuckled as she handed his ball back. “Looks like you’ve had quite a day of it.”

  The engaging grin returned full force. “It’s been the funniest day of my life,” he said with conviction.

  “I’m glad, because your mother will have something to say about your clothes, I’m sure.”

  “Don’t got a mother, and Pa don’t care. He says boys got to get dirty to live.”

  “You must be living high on the hog then,” she said with a smile. “How about if I clean that knee for you?”

  He tipped his head to the side. “Don’t know. Will it hurt?”

  “I expect it might. Still, it’s bound to hurt a whole lot worse later if I don’t.”

  “You got any iodine?”

  “Not with me, I’m afraid.”

  “Then I guess it’s all right,” he said dubiously.

  Charisse’s lips twitched as she pulled a clean handkerchief out of her reticule. “Why don’t you have a seat there on the steps while I get this wet?” She dipped the handkerchief in the horse trough and wrung it out.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Charisse,” she said, kneeling down in front of him. “What’s yours?”

  “Toby.” He made a face. “It’s Tobias really, but Pa said I don’t have to call myself that unless I want to.”

  Charisse smiled. “Your father sounds like a sensible man. If you ask me, you look far more like a Toby than a Tobias.”

  Toby gave her an approving grin, and Charisse’s heart turned over in her chest. He was such a beguiling little urchin she just wanted to hug him, to remind herself that innocence still existed in the world, that life could be good, and children didn’t always die in their mother’s arms. “I’ll make this fast,” she said abruptly. “It’s almost dinner time, and your father is probably wondering where you are.”

  The boy bit his lip and glanced up the street. “I know, and he’s going to be mad.”

  “Because you’re late?”

  “No, ‘cause I ran away from Molly.”

  “Who’s Molly?” Charisse asked, daubing at his knee. “Your big sister?”

  “No, Pa hired her to look after me ‘cause he has business to take care of.” He sighed. “Didn’t mean to, but she was talking to her friend in the park, and a dog ran off with my ball. I had to chase it.” He hung his head. “Then I found some boys to play with, and I sorta forgot to go back.”

  “Maybe Molly’s waiting for you at the park.”

  “Nah. That was this morning. She’s long gone by now.”

  Charisse was startled. The boy couldn’t be much more than seven or eight, far too young to be on his own all day in a busy place like Independence. He was lucky he only had a skinned knee to show for his adventures. “I’m sure she’s looking for you and nearly frantic by now.”

  Toby considered this for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I think she’s glad to be rid of me. Her friend was trying to talk her into going with him when I left. Besides, I heard her tell Pa I was Satan’s own imp, and I’d be the death of her.”

  Charisse’s lips tightened. Stupid woman. Any idiot could see there wasn’t an ounce of harm in the boy. “She was probably just upset. People often say things they don’t mean when they’re angry.”

  “Molly’s always upset with me, especially when her friend is around. I don’t think he likes little boys much.” Toby sighed gustily. “Anyway, Pa’s gonna warm my backside but good for this one.”

  “If he does, it will be because he loves you. Running away like that is very dangerous. Your father will want to make certain you know not to do it again.” Charisse frowned as she gave his knee a final swipe. “Maybe you should tell him about Molly and her friend. I’m not sure she’s the proper woman to take care of you. She seems rather flighty to me.”

  “Pa said I had to learn to get along with her ‘cause he doesn’t have time to find me another one.”


  “Another what?”

  Toby didn’t seem to hear as he looked over her shoulder, his eyes widening in alarm. “Uh oh,” he murmured. “It’s Pa.”

  “Tobias Benjamin McCabe!”

  Charisse flinched. It was the most incredible voice she had ever heard, deep and compelling, though right now it reverberated with anger. She jumped to her feet with some halfformed notion of protecting her young companion, but the thought of her being able to stop the man striding toward them was ludicrous. His tall, broad-shouldered frame would have looked at home cutting ties in a lumber camp or driving railroad spikes with a heavy sledge hammer. He could brush her aside as easily as he would a pesky mosquito.

  Charisse’s stomach twisted in panic as the big hands reached out and plucked Toby off the board walk. In spite of the man’s size, there was no way she was going to stand by and watch him hurt the child. Before she could open her mouth, the man enveloped Toby into a bear hug. With eyes closed in relief, he sank his face against his son’s neck as though trying to convince himself the boy was all right. A moment later, Toby dangled in mid-air as his father gave him a shake. “Where the hell have you been?” he roared. “I’ve spent half the day looking for you!”

  Toby’s lower lip trembled, and his eyes filled with tears. “II sorta got l-lost,” he quavered.

  Before she had time to think better of it, Charisse took another step forward and lay her hand on the man’s arm. “Please,” she said, “you’re scaring him.”

  Charisse felt like some sort of loathsome creature as he turned his head and stared down at her with the most incredible eyes she’d ever seen. They were startling in the darkly tanned face; a deep blue touched with green, and right now decidedly angry.

  “I beg your pardon?” he said in an icy voice.

  She stiffened her spine. “I said you’re scaring him. Toby’s already had a rough time of it today. He doesn’t need to be bullied by his father, too.”

  “It’s none of your damn business!”

  An involuntary shiver tingled across her skin at the menace in his voice. It reminded her too much of Preston in the final months of their marriage. “Maybe not, but I’ll not stand by and watch you terrify an innocent child.”