by Cathy Peper
Gordon thanked the man and proceeded to book passage for him, Olivia and her maid, on the first keelboat he found. He returned to the hotel to pen a letter to his secretary, instructing the man to investigate the steamboat industry. Olivia returned a few hours later, her maid and guide burdened with packages.
“I see you had a productive day, my dear,” he said as they made their way down to dinner in the hotel restaurant. The waiter seated them at a private table in a small nook and brought them menus and wine.
“I didn’t expect much from a backwater town, but the designers here are very talented and use high-quality fabric, much of it imported from Europe,” Olivia said as she perused the menu.
“It’s good you were successful since we leave tomorrow morning for St. Louis.”
“But we just got here! I would like to see more of the town and can’t imagine getting back on a ship so soon.”
“A boat, not a ship. The captain gave up his cabin, for a fee, but conditions will not be what you’re used to.”
The waiter returned and took their orders. Olivia was polite but distant with the man, the perfect lady. As soon as he was gone, however, she turned a pout upon her husband. “You warned me this would not be a luxury trip, but I still hoped to be able to see the sights and get a flavor for the frontier.”
“You and your maid are more than welcome to stay here. Conditions will be rough in the interior and possibly dangerous. Have you heard about the earthquakes?”
“Yes, my dressmaker mentioned them. Seems trade has been interrupted. She might be exaggerating, trying to justify the outrageous prices she charges, but…” Her voice trailed off as she studied Gordon. “No exaggeration?”
“To be honest, I thought the same, at first, but the man I booked passage with told me of the trials he faced getting down river. The earthquake altered the course of the river in many places and banks caved in, sinking many boats. It would be best if you remained here.”
The waiter brought their soup and Olivia stirred it until he had left. “Safer and more comfortable, but I didn’t come along to be pampered. I want to see the country, to see what, in addition to the girl, persuaded Bryce to give up his inheritance and come live here.”
Gordon narrowed his eyes at her. He’d been surprised when Olivia asked to come. Sometimes he forgot she had once been intended for his son. “He was young and enamored of some girl, an all too common story. Don’t take his rejection personally, Olivia.”
“It’s hard not to. But don’t worry; I’m not angry with him. I won’t make a scene.”
“I should hope not.” Gordon couldn’t picture her throwing a fit. He admired her self-control almost as much as he appreciated her youthful, attractive appearance.
The waiter appeared with their main course. Olivia had barely touched her soup, a spicy concoction of noodles and vegetables.
“Eat up,” he advised as he cut his steak. “We won’t get such good fare on the keelboat.”
* * *
Ari took advantage of not having a child in tow on her shopping trip. She dealt with the ATV first, calling the office of the rental place and reserving a three-wheeler for the next day. The owners weren’t going to be too happy when she and Bryce disappeared with their vehicle, but she would deal with that when they returned. If they returned. She experienced the horror of being trapped in an unfamiliar time. To Bryce, it all seemed a great adventure, but she’d had her life turned upside down, as had Tori.
Next, she drove to St. Louis where she visited an outfitter store. She found the generator they had chosen. Even though it was the smallest one they could find, it was heavy, and she had to ask one of the employees for help to get it in the cart. Then she wandered up and down the aisles, marveling at the products. Life in the nineteenth century would have been far more bearable with even a fraction of these gadgets.
Still worried they might not make it back, Ari selected a handful of items. They couldn’t bring everything. There would be limited room in the ATV. She grabbed lightweight survival blankets, a few vacuum packed meals, energy bars, and a good canteen. Then she examined the solar chargers. With one of these, she could keep her phone working, although there would be no service, of course. Two chargers joined the other items in her cart. Finally, she picked out long sleeved, moisture wicking shirts, heavy wool socks and thermal gloves for all three of them.
She winced at the total rung up by the cashier but swiped her credit card. If they found the treasure, she would be able to pay the charges, and if they never returned, well, it wouldn’t be her problem, though she hated the thought of stealing.
She made two final stops back in Ste. Genevieve, the grocery store and the gift shop at the historical home where she worked. She found Hannah a skirt and bodice and bought two, in different colors. They would be in the past for at least a week, she figured, even with the help of the ATV.
When she returned home, Hannah ran into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Missed you, Mommy.”
“Hey, I wasn’t gone that long. Everything go okay with you and Dad?”
“Yes, but he didn’t want to play Barbie with me.”
“I told you he was busy. We are planning our trip for tomorrow.”
Hannah huffed. “I know. At least he did help me put some of their clothes on.”
Ari smiled, picturing Bryce dressing Barbie dolls. “That was nice of him.”
“Where are we going anyway? Daddy won’t tell me.”
What to say? She could hardly tell Hannah they were going time traveling. “Daddy and I are searching for a way to go visit Aunt Tori.”
“You said we would probably never see Aunt Tori again, that she had moved far away.”
“I know, but we might have found a way to do it. That’s why we have been so busy the last few days.”
“Molly says you can take a plane anywhere.”
Molly was a friend from daycare. “She’s right, but flying is expensive.” And I don’t think you can take a plane to the past.
Hannah showed Ari her newly dressed Barbie dolls and arranged them in her Barbie playhouse. Ari gave her approval and then went to check in with Bryce. One look at his ready grin and sparkling eyes and she knew he had found something.
“I kept digging after you left, getting deeper and deeper into material I couldn’t understand. While I empathize with your reluctance to alter the stone, I couldn’t see any other alternative. Then it hit me.”
“What?” Tired from her shopping trip, Ari poured herself a glass of ice tea and sat down at the kitchen table.
“The first day I was here I watched a lot of TV.”
“It’s a good way to learn about modern culture and see what’s going on in the world.”
“I didn’t just watch the news. I also watched comedies and dramas. Including medical shows. After all, I had just been in the hospital.”
“Get to the point, Bryce. The suspense is killing me.”
“The heart starting machines, where the doctors put the paddles on the patient and shock him back to life.”
“With electricity! We could use a defibrillator. Bryce, you’re a genius.”
His grin grew larger. “I told you I could learn to navigate this modern world.”
“Where would we get one?” And how expensive are they?
“I’ve seen them everywhere.”
“You have? I guess Walmart might have one.”
“Don’t worry; I will get it.”
“You’re going to steal one.” Ari heard the disapproval in her voice. But what was one more thing? She was already planning to skip out on her credit card bill if they got stuck in the past. She was also an accessory to murder. No, not murder, she reminded herself. Self-defense. Had Bryce not acted as he did, they would all be dead.
“We can put it back after we return.”
“Fine. Go ‘borrow’ a defibrillator, but don’t get caught.”
Bryce leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. “Everything we ever wanted is wi
thin reach, Ari. Have faith.”
“We’re doing the right thing,” she agreed. But as the door closed behind Bryce, the other little voice in her head quibbled.
* * *
Ari packed their bags and put Hannah to bed while Bryce was gone. He returned with a compact medical emergency kit, including the defibrillator.
“Will we still need the generator?” she asked.
“Probably not.”
“Good, I’m not sure it would even fit. Can you move it over there?”
Bryce pushed it aside and Ari placed the medical kit in its spot.
“We’re bringing all that?” Bryce asked.
“There’s three of us and I went a little crazy at the camping store.” She showed him the thin silver blankets. “It’s winter. These could end up saving our lives. I also bought a few gas cans and filled them with gas. There won’t be any place to get fuel in the nineteenth century and we’ll need it for the ATV. It’s not really safe to carry them around, but I don’t know what else to do.”
She’d buried the solar chargers at the bottom of the pile and hoped Bryce wouldn’t notice them. He might not care, he seemed to enjoy modern technology, but he might question her motives. She sometimes questioned them herself. Did she truly want to return or did she want to go back to the life that should have been hers? It appeared an easy choice—a life of relative ease or one with a degree of hardship? Offering Hannah the opportunity to be anything she chose to be or limiting her choices to marriage and a few acceptable occupations for “ladies”? But there was another side to the argument. The complexity of modern life versus a simpler time. An overcrowded planet against one which still had room to breathe.
She added a few more packaged food items, including some of Hannah’s favorite snacks.
“I wish the police hadn’t kept my gun.”
“We can bring mine.”
“You have a gun?”
“Of course. My father taught me how to shoot, although I had to take lessons to learn how to handle a twenty-first-century pistol. I don’t know why I didn’t think to pack it earlier.” She fetched the gun from where she kept it locked in a box in her closet, along with ammunition and added it to the pile.
Bryce reached for it. “Why keep it locked in a box? You won’t have it when you need it.”
“With a small child, I have to keep safety in mind. But you’re right, it does little good in the box. I used to have a permit for concealed carry, but that’s no longer necessary in Missouri. Sometimes I’ll bring it to St. Louis, but I feel safe in Ste. Genevieve.” She’d never actually used the weapon in self-defense, only shooting it at a range. That might change if they actually made it back to the nineteenth century.
Bryce set the gun back on the pile. “We had better get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
Ari wondered if she would be able to sleep. She longed to see Sebastien again and tell him that she was all right. That she hadn’t died that night. She looked forward to seeing him and Tori together and introducing him to Hannah. But she also worried that despite their careful plans it might not work. The stone might remain dormant. If it did work, it might not be able to transport the ATV and all their luggage. It could even take them to a different time altogether, although she didn’t think so. She had come forward, Tori went back and Bryce had come forward again. She saw the pattern.
Bryce touched the small of her back and she shivered. He had drawn close while she was lost in her worries and now stood within her space, radiating heat and purpose. He smelled of the shampoo and body wash she kept in her shower along with a spicy masculine scent she recalled from their courting days. He must have brought his nineteenth-century cologne with him. She swayed towards him, drawn by the familiar smell, his muscular chest and wide shoulders. She had been alone for so long.
He drew her into his arms and kissed her. His lips were soft and firm, just as she remembered. His body was more substantial, still lean but corded with muscle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered to his kiss.
They were still so good together. She had a few more curves, after carrying a child, but she’d been slim as a girl and the curves flattered her. Bryce seemed to agree, deepening the kiss, delving into her mouth with his tongue, his sweet heat warming the chill inside. His hand rested on the curve of her spine, supporting her even as his other hand wandered, sliding up her waist to cup her breast. Ari moaned.
“I want you,” he murmured in her ear.
She wanted him, too. There was no denying it. But giving in to desire had gotten her in trouble the last time they were together.
“What we’re doing tomorrow will be dangerous. We don’t know for sure we can make it back. One of us could die. Let me stay with you tonight. It could be our last chance.”
She almost pushed him away. He was playing on her emotions, her fears. But her wanting ran as deep as his, and his words rang true. If something went horribly wrong, she might never hold him again. Without answering, she tugged him to her room. He backed her across the threshold and they tumbled onto the bed. The mattress gave beneath their weight and the sheets slipped across her skin, unlike the straw that had formed their first bed. She worked his jeans loose and giggled as he struggled with hers.
“Why does everyone in this century wear these stupid breeches,” he muttered.
“They’re comfortable.” She helped him and soon they both wiggled free of their jeans. Shirts and undies followed. Ari luxuriated in the skin to skin contact. She’d had offers, even been tempted, but there had never been anyone for her except Bryce.
Their hands moved everywhere, testing and taunting, seeing what was new and treasuring what was not. His hand traced the cesarean scar on her belly. “A gift from Hannah,” she told him.
“They cut her out?” he sounded appalled.
“It’s common now and not nearly as dangerous as it was in our time, not with anesthetics and sterile operating environments.” Her fingers gently skimmed his bandage. “You’ll carry your own scars.”
His hand moved lower and she forgot all about scars, physical and mental. She was already wet and ready for him, but he coaxed her passion higher. It felt so good and had been so long. She reached into the nightstand by her bed and pulled out a foil packet. Bryce might object, but she wasn’t getting pregnant again.
Ripping open the package, she said, “I’m not ready to have another child.”
Bryce gazed at it dubiously. “A French letter? How do you know about such a thing?”
“A condom. Much better and everyone knows about them.”
Bryce must have seen in her eyes that she was serious, or wanted to avoid having another child himself, for he didn’t argue. She made a game of putting it on, though she was as awkward at it as Bryce undoing her jeans. They laughed to cover their embarrassment and then suddenly he was inside her and the world with all its dangers and cares retreated. All was sensation. He stroked within her and her passion blazed higher and higher until she exploded on a wave of ecstasy. He followed her moments later, gasping as he spilled himself inside her.
“I love you,” she whispered. “I always have.”
“Same here. I nearly died when I lost you. Thank goodness I’ve found you again.”
Ari snuggled into his body and he placed a possessive arm around her waist. “This time,” he whispered, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Chapter 12
Just as dawn lit the sky a pale gray, Bryce leaned over Ari and brushed her thick, dark hair aside. Her neck lay exposed, slender and graceful. Their night together had been wonderful. Better than any other woman he had ever been with, better even than the handful of times they had managed to steal together in the past. Very carefully, so he wouldn’t wake her, he worked the clasp of the necklace and slipped it free.
He almost couldn’t do it. Ari would be furious to find him gone. She would see it as a betrayal and rightfully so. But if he could save her brother and return with the tr
easure, he could win back her trust. But if she learned he had kidnapped Tori and threatened both her and Sebastien, well he wasn’t sure she would ever forgive him. There was danger involved, but if he was honest with himself, he’d made this plan to protect himself more than to protect Ari and Hannah.
Moving quietly, he exited Ari’s bedroom and entered the kitchen. Their pile of baggage sat in the corner. At least he wouldn’t have to bring it all. He dressed in silence, donning the shirt and socks Ari had bought him before covering them with the red shirt and breeches he’d brought from the past. He took his pack, the medical kit, a flashlight, and a few of the packets of emergency food Ari had shown him last night. They might come in handy. He also took a small framed photo of Ari and Hannah to show Sebastien and two gas cans. He slid Ari’s small gun into the waistband of his trousers.
Ari kept her car keys on a hook by the door and he grabbed them on the way out. Only when he reached the garage did he pull on his boots.
He still found driving a car a challenge, but at least it was a machine and not prone to attitude or skittishness as horses often were. When he pushed the gas, the car moved forward; when he turned the wheel, the car turned. But there was so much more traffic on the roads now, all these people hurrying to who knows where. He hoped it was early enough that traffic would be light.
Pulling out of Ari’s driveway, he followed the directions he’d printed off the web on how to get to the recreation park where they had rented the ATV. They had picked the location closest to Reelfoot Lake they could find, although it wasn’t as close as he would have liked. There were a limited number of places, however, which offered ATV rental, often in combination with paintball, zip-lining, and other adventure sports. He’d seen enough people shot in real life that he wasn’t sure he wanted to try paintball, but zip-lining looked like a lot of fun. He fully intended to do it once he returned. Maybe laser tag, too.
