by Louise Clark
She picked up the tray and smiled at him. “Okay, let’s go.”
As he followed her out the door, he heard Chloe Hamilton say, “Andrew, you have to go back. Mary Elizabeth is waiting for you. You will marry the girl and have—”
“Chloe!” Daniel Hamilton bellowed in outrage.
Chloe continued on without pause, “three children. And you will adopt your sister’s family when she dies.” The rest of what she said was lost as the back door slammed behind them.
But what he’d heard was fascinating.
The evening was clear and still warm from the day’s sunshine. Mature maple trees shaded the lawn and flowers bloomed in the borders. Insects buzzed and the occasional bird chirped. A squirrel dashed across the grass, intent on a food-finding expedition. The scene was restful, and even here, on the outskirts of a major city, it was possible to imagine what the land must have looked like when this was a prosperous farming area.
Faith set the tray onto a wrought-iron table near the house and arranged two of the matching chairs so they were close together. Cody put down the glasses and opened the bottle of wine. While Faith laid out plates and cutlery, he poured, then he held her chair while she sat, a little act of courtesy that was old-fashioned and somehow appropriate under the circumstances.
Faith held her glass of wine between her hands, rolling it back and forth while she tried to figure out how to explain the unexplainable. Cody spooned seafood sauce onto his plate, then dipped a chunk of lobster tail into it and ate. He said nothing, waiting until she was ready to begin. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful, resentful, or worried. Maybe she was all three at once.
Tonight was the second time her father had shown up on an evening when she planned to tell Cody about herself. The second time he’d undermined her nerve by reminding her of the disaster her parents’ marriage had been, all because Chloe was a Beacon, as she was.
Yesterday she’d decided it was time to commit to Cody. She had already given him her heart and last night she offered him her body. Did she have the strength to present him with her trust tonight?
She didn’t want to tell him what she was. She was afraid of seeing an expression of polite amazement on his face, or, worse, watching helpless as he walked out of her life. It would hurt too much. Over the past few weeks she’d come to depend on him. When he wasn’t around she wanted to be with him. When he was with her she wanted to explore his mind, touch his body, hear him laugh, feel his kiss.
She sighed, took a sip of her wine, and said, “My life is always like this.”
Cody smiled faintly. “You mean your family regularly comes by to bicker and fight?”
Faith laughed, though she could hear no humor in the sound. “No. Andrew shows up, just like that,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “He usually comes on Friday night to shower and prepare for the weekend. He’s quite a ladies’ man, you see, probably because he is clean and smells of my cranberry soap. Or he was until he met Mary Elizabeth and decided he’d found the love of his life. But he doesn’t necessarily have to come on Friday nights. In fact, I’m never sure when he will show up.”
“Where does Andrew live?”
This was it. The moment when she retreated or went forward. Decision time. She sighed again and drank more wine. “Cody, he used to live in the old farmhouse that my mother and sister live in.”
Cody frowned. “He used to live there?”
Trust Cody Simpson to catch the important part of the sentence. “Yeah, used to. He doesn’t live there anymore because he’s dead.”
Cody sat back, startled. “Are you telling me Andrew is a ghost?”
Faith shook her head. “No, oh no. Andrew is very much alive. But Cody, he lives in the year 1772. He’s a Traveler—that’s what we call people who can move back and forth in time.”
“He travels through time,” Cody said, enunciating each word as if to clarify the meaning in his mind.
“Yes! He travels from his own time to mine because of me—I’m a Beacon. Somehow, and I don’t know how, he can see me or sense me. He says it’s like a light in the woods on a night with no moon or stars. He comes toward that light and when he reaches it he is here with me in my time. I don’t understand it. Andrew doesn’t either. We just know it happens.”
Cody put his glass on the table. “What you’re describing sounds impossible.”
This was it. He was about to tell her that she was a nut case and he didn’t want anything more to do with her. “It does, doesn’t it? Look, Cody…” She could hear her voice crack and struggled to control raw emotions. She was shaking now, so she put her glass on the table too. Staring at her hands, she said, “It’s an ability that runs in my family. My mother is both a Beacon and a Traveler. Her mother, my grandmother, was only a Beacon, but my great-grandmother was a Beacon and a Traveler too. Not everyone in the family has it. My sister is completely normal. She says she wishes she had the ability, but I know she doesn’t, not really. Why would she want it?”
“Because it’s fascinating,” Cody said. “Faith, there has to be a scientific reason for this!”
Faith looked at him gloomily. “Probably. It’s not exactly something we talk about in a casual way. One of my ancestors was accused of being a witch in seventeenth century Salem because of her ability to travel. Another was exiled from Boston because of it. Being different—being this different!—can be dangerous.”
Cody stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, then he reached out. He touched her cheek, stroking gently in a gesture that conveyed awe and incredible tenderness. “And you told me.”
“Yes,” she whispered. She was unprepared for his response, but could feel a sense of wonderment bubbling deep inside, contained now, but ready to rise to the surface as it grew and expanded.
“Faith, I am honored.” He slid his hand into her hair to draw her close, then he kissed her with that same tenderness and a triumph born of awe.
Dizzy with sensation, Faith found herself curled on his lap, her body melting into his. What had he said? I’m honored. I’m honored? Had she heard right?
When the kiss ended she said, “Cody, you’re not…I don’t know…frightened by my ability?”
Drawing his thumb along her lips, he laughed. “Frightened? Faith, I’m intrigued! You have people from the past coming into your life all the time. What a privilege.”
She pushed on his shoulders, arching her body back so that she could see his face. “Does that mean you want to continue being with me?”
He looked surprised. “Yes, of course! What did you think, that I’d dump you because—”
Faith felt her skin heat as she nodded.
“Why?” Cody said, frowning. Then understanding dawned. “Oh. Your father.”
“My mother told me that she’d hidden her ability for years because she knew my dad wouldn’t understand. Eventually he learned of it though. At first he though she was crazy, then he thought it was just plain weird. He wanted her to stop doing it and when she couldn’t, he decided it was because she wouldn’t.” Her voice lowered almost to a whisper. “He said she’d made her choice and it wasn’t him.”
Cody smiled and kissed her lightly on the chin. “Faith, whatever makes you the person you are is okay with me. As long as Andrew doesn’t show up when we’re making love, he can visit as often as he wants.”
Faith laughed, a little shakily. “Cody, are you sure?”
“You bet.” He stroked the length of her long, bare leg, exposed by the short skirt of the shimmery red dress, and grinned like a buccaneer at her quick intake of breath. “If I can handle your father, dealing with Andrew will be a snap.”
She put her head on his shoulder and snuggled close. She was shaking, from a release of the tension she had been holding on to for so long. Cody’s arms closed around her, keeping her safe. No matter what was to come she truly believed that he was willing to accept her for what she was. It was a wonderful feeling.
“Hey,” he said, after a minute.
“I’ve got plans for tonight. Have some of that lobster, enjoy a glass of wine and fill me in on what’s up with Andrew so we can figure out how to get rid of him and the rest of your family.”
Faith laughed and left his lap for her chair, reluctantly. While they nibbled on the lobster and drank the wine, she told him about Andrew, Mary Elizabeth, and her father, George Strand, and the role Andrew would play in George Strand’s fate. Cody listened patiently, sitting relaxed in his chair, one ankle propped over the other knee.
“Now Andrew is frustrated. Every time he tries to make points with Mary Elizabeth her father turns on him. He wants to know if his trouble is worth it. He wants to know if he marries Mary Elizabeth, what part her father will play in their lives, and he wants to use the Internet to find out.”
“This is an amazing story,” Cody said. He looked over Faith’s shoulder, lost within his mind as he thought over all she’d said. She observed him quietly, enjoying the concentration on his face and the way he absentmindedly twirled the wineglass as he thought. Something akin to contentment washed over her. Being with Cody was really all she wanted. Yes, she liked her job and yes as a Beacon she was an important component in a whole time travel system, but if she thought she would lose Cody because of either part of her life, she would find some way to let them go.
Quite simply, Cody Simpson had become the most important element in her world. She wanted him, she needed him, and she loved him so very much. She would be his friend, his partner, his lover. There would be times when she would protect him or help him, others when she would give him his space. Now that she’d confessed her greatest secret, she would also have to tell him that she’d probably lost her job and wouldn’t be back at NIT after Monday, and she’d have to explain it in such a way that he didn’t feel responsible or upset. She’d work on that. It would probably be okay. After all, he’d taken the news that she was a Beacon extremely well, considering how bizarre the whole thing sounded.
She came back to herself with a start to find that he was watching her, his expression tender. “You were far away. Where were you?”
“Thinking about you.” His smile deepened. Faith thought of their lovemaking the night before and she realized that she really, really wanted more of it. As soon as possible. “So. Got any ideas on how to handle Uncle Andrew?”
“When we came out here your mother was telling Andrew that he was going to marry Mary Elizabeth, have a bunch of kids and adopt some others. Maybe she’s already given him what he wants to know.” He shook his head. “We may have a problem if she did, though. We’re dealing with the paradox of time travel here. Is the past the way it is because the individual traveled to the future, found out what happened, and therefore acted in a certain way because he knew he was supposed to? Or will the past be changed and rewritten because the person came to the future. Which one is right?”
We. A little shiver passed through Faith. Shock. Delight. It didn’t matter. She loved the way he was joining his life to hers and her heart was singing because of it. “Is there no algorithm to explain it?”
Cody shot her a wry look, unaware of the little moment of blissful pleasure he’d given her. “Science doesn’t believe time travel is possible. No, there’s no algorithm that I know of.”
“Then you’ll just have to write one, won’t you?”
He laughed. Glancing down at his glass, he swirled the wine, then he looked up. “Would it bother you if I did?”
“Only if you published it in a scientific paper the academic world rejected out of hand and you made yourself a laughingstock.” She stared at him intently, hoping to make him understand. “Because you would, you know. No one believes in the Beacon except those who are part of it. That’s why we don’t tell just anyone about it.”
He caught her hand and lifted it to his lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“I know,” she whispered. Then she cleared her throat. “Cody. Let’s go sort this thing out and get rid of everybody.”
“Yeah,” he said, smiling at her over their joined hands. “I’m with you.”
Chapter 26
The kitchen had turned into an armed camp when they went back in. A truce had been reached, or perhaps something closer to a stalemate. The bickering had stopped, but Chloe and Daniel were eyeing each other with wary hostility, while Liz looked lost. The food on the serving plate was gone and Andrew was standing at the counter opening a bottle of wine with practiced ease. He poured a glass then raised it to the light to examine the clarity of the ruby red liquid. Apparently satisfied, he brought the glass to nose level, swirled the wine, sniffed, then sipped. He raised the glass in a toast. “An excellent claret, my dear Faith. I congratulate you.”
Chloe smiled and winked. Faith began to feel hopeful that they might be able to sort out this current family crisis fairly quickly. “Mom, how much did you tell Andrew?”
“Only what it was necessary for him to know,” she said calmly. Daniel snorted with ill-disguised contempt. She ignored him. “That he will marry Mary Elizabeth because George Strand will not be able to keep them apart. He poked and prodded me, wanting more, but I won’t give it to him.”
Andrew put the glass on the counter and headed for the refrigerator.
Cody squeezed Faith’s hand, then he wandered over to the counter and leaned against it sipping his own wine while he watched Andrew slap a packet of well-marbled rib steaks onto the counter. He raised his brows. “There’s only enough for two.”
Andrew grinned. “I’m hungry. I broke my fast before I called upon my future father-by-marriage, but I was unable to eat again after that thieving representative of an unjust king set his henchmen upon me.”
“A patriot, are you?”
Andrew cocked his head. His eyes gleamed. “Aye, I am. But here now, you know that word and what it means. Is it famous—or infamous?”
Cody laughed. “The paradox of time travel. Were events caused by the knowledge that they happened? Or did they happen and all of history may be changed if they do not occur as they were supposed to.”
“Aye, I see you’ve got the way of it.”
Daniel said indignantly, “You told him about yourself.”
“Yeah, Dad, I did. Do you think things between us would have worked out better if I’d pretended to be something I’m not?”
Andrew jerked his head in Daniel’s direction and said confidentially to Cody, “Don’t mind the old man. He’s always disliked me. The first time I came to visit…” He shook his head, remembering. “What a scene. I turned up in the middle of a dust-up between them—”
“Who?”
“Why, Faith and her father, of course. Over an exam she’d taken.” He propped his hip against the counter, absently echoing Cody’s stance. “Silly thing to bicker about, but there you are. They were hard at it when I arrived, Daniel mad as flame because the girl hadn’t made the top mark in her class. Not living up to her potential, he called it.” He smiled and swirled the wine in his glass as he looked over at the people sitting at the table. It was clear they could hear what he was saying, and he knew it.
Daniel’s eyes were narrowed. He’d erupt soon, but he was waiting to see just how far Andrew would take it. Faith was standing near the table, but separate, not part of either group. She was white and her body was tense. Cody reached over and grabbed her hand. He drew her to him, then he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close so that she was nestled against his chest and between his legs. She leaned her head back against his shoulder in silent surrender, and for comfort.
“I’d been out in the woods that day,” Andrew continued. He smiled, his expression almost meditative. “Avoiding my chores, even though I knew I’d get a hiding when my old man caught me. The light, when it came, was blinding. I had to go to it. I had no choice. It was filled with desperation and hopelessness, and a despair so strong it cried out with need. It begged for my assistance. I could not help but give it.”
“Are you telling me that I caused my da
ughter to become a Beacon?” Daniel said dangerously.
Andrew smiled at him, drank more wine, made him wait. Though Daniel’s eyes were glittering with a fury that was all the more potent for being tamped down, Andrew didn’t rush. “Do you remember my arrival, Daniel?”
“I do. You were dressed in a dirty shirt and breeches and you smelled of sweat and horse manure. Your hair was long and loose and you were carrying a tree branch. Even though I could see you were young, you were stocky and well-built. You held that tree branch the way a man who plans to beat another does.”
“I remember too,” Faith said. “I was crying. I’d failed you yet again, Daddy. When Andrew arrived I—” Cody kissed her neck, diverting her momentarily. Daniel’s eyes widened in shock, then narrowed. The red in his cheeks deepened. The dark, remembered emotions that had been threatening to overwhelm Faith fled. There was a laugh in her voice when she said, “I thought he was my avenging angel.”
Cody put his glass on the counter so he could wrap his other arm around Faith and pull her more securely against him. “Well, Daniel, it looks like you are the reason that Faith is a Beacon. How do you feel about that?”
“It’s nonsense!”
“I think the lad may be on to something.” Andrew held up his glass and squinted at the light as it splintered through the wine in shafts of fire. He spoke in a casual way, as if what he was saying really didn’t matter, though they all knew it did. “In the family we’ve never questioned why it begins, it just is. But if you think about it, there’s always some strong emotion involved the first time a person travels or leads someone to them.”
“Then I might be a Beacon too,” Liz said wonderingly. “I haven’t been one up until now because I haven’t had the emotional need to become one?”
Andrew replied to her, but he smiled his wolfish smile at Daniel. “Aye, could be. Mostly the Beacon is born when a person is just reaching the adult years, but it has been known to happen when a person is older.”
