A Thistle Beyond Time: Book 2 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  Go to sleep now, my dear. The morning will be upon you before you know it. Things will work out exactly as they were meant to. I promise.

  And then Edna was gone. Cormac lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. How could things work out the way they were meant to? Jenna was not going to leave with him. She didnae even believe him. She most likely thought he was out of his mind. Amazingly, she still wanted to be with him, just not together at his home in Scotland. Taking a deep breath, Cormac tried to relax his mind and sleep. Tomorrow he would have to say goodbye to Jenna. It would be the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life, but he had nae other options.

  ***

  The morning light peeked through the curtains and Jenna stretched her arms overhead. She turned to look at the man lying next to her and was surprised to find him wide-awake and gazing at her with the saddest expression in his eyes.

  “I must go, Jenna,” he said. “I must be at the place where we met verra soon.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want you to leave,” Jenna cried.

  “I have no choice. If I dinnae leave today, I willnae be able to go back.”

  Jenna was absolutely baffled by his insistence that a witch had sent him to San Francisco and a witch was going to return him to his home. It went without saying that the fact he believed his home was in sixteenth century Scotland was simply beyond being rational. Despite her disbelief, Jenna decided she’d humor him and when he found he was still here later this morning, she’d do her best to help him overcome this delusion.

  “I understand. I’d like to come with you.” On seeing the brilliant smile that broke out on his face, Jenna corrected him gently. “Not back to Scotland, just down to the Marina, to say goodbye.”

  Cormac’s face fell and she felt terrible to cause him such disappointment. “I’d like that verra much,” he said quietly.

  “I guess we should get dressed and get your things together then,” Jenna suggested.

  “Aye.”

  Silence descended upon them as they got out of bed and dressed. Cormac gathered the bags of candy he had purchased and put them in the leather bag slung across his body. The bag had been a gift from Jenna.

  “Come, lass, let’s be off,” Cormac said when he’d completed his preparations.

  They headed down the hall and into the living room, where Jenna was surprised to see Dylan waiting for them on the couch.

  “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye.” Dylan stood up and wrapped Cormac in a bear hug, which was returned in kind. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you. I wish you could stay longer, but I know you have to get back. I hope I’ll be able to get there for a visit myself, someday.”

  “I’ll speak to Edna about it, she may be able to arrange it,” Cormac suggested as he clapped Dylan on the back. “And ye Chester, I will surely miss ye.” Cormac squatted down to pet Chester and the dog practically knocked him over in his attempts to lick his face. The dog’s body was wriggling left and right as he displayed his love for Cormac. “Yer a good dog. I wish I had one like ye, back home.”

  Dylan walked with them to the door. Jenna found herself amazed to think that Dylan genuinely believed Cormac was going somewhere. She kept her thoughts to herself, however. This was going to be difficult, but she’d be there to soften the blow once Cormac realized he wasn’t going anywhere.

  They reached the Marina and Jenna sat on a bench. Cormac knelt in front of her and looked so serious, it nearly broke her heart. He took her hands in his. “Jenna, love, I’m sorry to leave ye. I wish things could be different, but they cannae.” He leaned forward and kissed her. The sweet taste of his lips on hers almost had her changing her mind and saying she’d go with him, but she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. She’d get to kiss him again, she was certain of it. Cormac said his goodbyes and walked solemnly across to the spot where Jenna had first spotted him. He stood there, very still, and waited. Nothing happened, but he stayed in place.

  Jenna felt so badly for him. He really seemed to believe he was going somewhere. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about how terrible he must be feeling. His delusions were obviously still firmly in place and she didn’t know how she could convince him otherwise.

  “Edna!” he called suddenly. “Edna, are ye there?”

  Jenna couldn’t take it anymore and she went over to him. “Cormac, it’s all going to be okay,” she said soothingly.

  At that precise moment, the wind picked up and the fog began to swirl around them. “Cormac, I’ll help you.” The next words out of her mouth were impossible for either of them to hear. The roar of the wind in her ears was incredible.

  “Jenna, ye must get back away from me,” Cormac shouted.

  “No, Cormac. Please, listen to me!” She grabbed his hands and tried to pull him in the direction of the bench, but the swirling fog wouldn’t allow it. Jenna wasn’t sure what was happening, but she knew she needed to get Cormac out of there.

  “It’s too late, Jenna. Hold on to me. I dinnae wish to lose ye.” Cormac pulled her in tight to his body and held her in a vise-like grip. What happened next was too unbelievable for words. The fog continued to swirl and little pops of light burst around them. The ground seemed to drop out from under her feet and she felt herself moving at a high rate of speed.

  “What’s happening?” she screamed, but the wind ate her words and the fog swirled around them like a tornado.

  NINETEEN

  Jonathan walked into Joe’s Diner and sat at a vacant table. He thought he’d have some breakfast, before heading over to Jenna’s to confront her about her latest stunt. He couldn’t believe she’d had the nerve to get a restraining order against him. He’d show her, no restraining order was going to keep him from getting to her and completing his plan. She’d ruined his future when she got the annulment, but what she didn’t know would definitely hurt her, and he’d be rolling in the dough soon enough.

  “Hi, my name’s Sophia, can I get you some coffee,” the waitress asked when she sidled up to his table.

  “Hey, Sophia, yeah, I’d like that very much.”

  “I’ll be right back with the coffee, and then I’ll take your order.” She smiled sweetly at him.

  He winked at her. He loved to flirt, and this waitress was just his type. She might come in handy as an aide to his future plans, too.

  Sophia brought his coffee over and took his order. “Come back and sit with me,” Jonathan offered with another suggestive wink.

  She thought for only a moment before she responded. “Okay, my shift is just about over anyway. You’re my last customer,” Sophia said.

  “I hope I can be more than just your customer,” Jonathan pretended to sound hopeful, and he could tell Sophia was falling for it.

  She brought his order back a few minutes later and sat down opposite him, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I don’t often get invited to join people at their tables. Thanks for asking.” Sophia was obvious about giving him a head to toe perusal, and he could tell she was definitely interested.

  “I’m happy you agreed to it. What are you doing after you’re done here?” he asked casually.

  “Not much. I was going home to do some laundry,” she said.

  “Laundry! That’s no fun. Why don’t you come with me, I could use your help.”

  “What do you need my help for?” she asked.

  Jonathan could see she was intrigued and he wanted to make her feel at ease. “I know you don’t know me, but I’m a fine upstanding citizen. Everyone around here knows me, so if you want to check my references, you can start by asking Joe. He’s known me for years.”

  “I’ve seen you here before. I’m not worried about you.”

  “Okay. Then let me tell you what I’m up to. You can help me out and I’ll take you to dinner later. How’s that sound?”

  Sophia considered for a moment before she responded. “Well, I guess it depends on what you need me to help you with.”

  “I just need you to be my arm c
andy.” Jonathan smiled his most charming smile and he could see it was making Sophia feel special by the way she sat up a little straighter in her seat and brushed her hair back from her face. “My ex lives nearby and I’m going to pay her a little visit. I need her to think I’ve moved on… with you. Do you think you could be convincing in that role?”

  Sophia nodded, but he caught the hesitation in her eyes. “Sure, but why do you need her to think you’ve moved on?”

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little self with the details. I’m completely over her and I have been for a long time, but she won’t let me near her and I’d really like for us to be friends, after all, we were together for a long time. So, I thought if I showed her I had a beautiful lady like yourself, she’d be more receptive to my friendship. It would make our lives a lot easier, if there was no tension between us.”

  “I can understand that. I’ve got friends who got divorced and they hate each other. It’s made their lives hell for years,” Sophia said. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully, and Jonathan was certain she was going to agree.

  “Yeah, so you can see what I mean. Good. You’re not only beautiful, but you’ve got brains, too. I find that very attractive in a woman.”

  Sophia blushed and Jonathan knew his ploy was definitely working. He finished his breakfast, making small talk with Sophia and sent her obvious signals that he was interested. She was eating it up. He paid the bill and then waited while Sophia went in the back and changed out of her uniform and into her regular clothes.

  “Wow! Look at you. Even more beautiful out of your work clothes. I’m a lucky guy.” Jonathan was laying it on thick, but again, she didn’t seem to notice. “Let’s get out of here.”

  They walked the few blocks towards Jenna’s house. He used to live there too, and the thought that she’d thrown him out and cut him off was a bitter pill to swallow. But he had a plan and this was merely step one.

  They stood across the street while Jonathan checked his watch. He’d wait a few more minutes - it was still early. He knew Dylan was there and was positive he’d follow his usual schedule of walking Chester, the devil dog, himself. Once he was gone, he’d be able to talk to Jenna without interruption. If he could convince her he was over her and he wasn’t angry about the money, then he was home free. She’d let her guard down and drop the restraining order.

  The door opened and Jenna came out, holding Cormac’s hand. He heard Sophia gasp when she saw them. “Is something wrong, Sophia?”

  “No. It’s just that I know them. That’s Jenna and he’s Cormac. He was flirting with me at Joe’s and Jenna was pretty jealous,” she announced, with a malicious grin on her face.

  “Is that going to be a problem? Will you still be able to help me?”

  “Sure. No problem. It’d serve her right if she thought I had both of you interested in me.”

  Jonathan cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t like her much, do you?”

  “No. She’s one of those girls who looks down her nose at people like me. It’ll be nice to get some respect.”

  Jenna and Cormac were headed off down the street. Jonathan didn’t know where they were going at this hour, but he was determined to follow them. “Come on,” he said as he grabbed onto Sophia’s hand and pulled her down the street with him. “Looks like they’re heading for the Marina. We’ll hang back a bit and see what they’re up to and when the timing’s right, we’ll approach them.”

  “Okay. Whatever you say,” Sophia said.

  When they got to the Marina, Jonathan was surprised to see Jenna sitting on the bench, while Cormac looked to be saying goodbye. This was perfect. Jenna was a much easier target without that Scottish bastard in the way. Cormac moved to a spot on the green and just stood there.

  “What’s he doing?” Sophia wanted to know.

  Jonathan motioned for her to be quiet. The air around them changed. It seemed to be charged with an electrical current. He watched in fascination as Jenna went to Cormac and he embraced her just as a whirlwind of fog began swirling around them. Weird lights were flashing and the wind had picked up. His curiosity got the better of him and he started to head in their direction. Sophia followed along, gripping his hand. As they reached the outer band of the fog, Jenna and Cormac were no longer visible. “Where’d they go?” Jonathan wondered. “I can’t see them.” He pulled Sophia deeper into the fog and before he knew what was happening he felt himself falling. Where there once had been solid ground, now there was nothing but air rushing past as if he was being hurtled through space. He could hear Sophia’s screams as she clawed her way into his arms. “Hold tight,” he yelled, but he really didn’t have to, he was wearing Sophia like she was a second skin. He felt her go limp in his arms, but he held on to her, not sure what would happen next. Fear was lodged in his throat and he didn’t want to go wherever he was headed, alone.

  ***

  When the swirling stopped, Jenna found herself still anchored in Cormac’s arms. They hit the ground hard, but Cormac took the brunt of it as Jenna landed atop him.

  “What just happened?” Jenna asked, searching the unfamiliar sites surrounding her.

  “Jenna, yer not going to like what I have to tell ye, lass.” Cormac looked like a man who was sure he was in trouble.

  “What do you mean? Where are we?” She could feel herself losing control of the fragile grip she had on reality.

  “We’re back in Scotland, in my time. There’s the bridge, right over there.”

  Jenna looked in the direction he was pointing and was surprised to see the bridge he spoke of was not the Golden Gate Bridge, but a small stone bridge spanning a stream. Panic filled her and she wanted to run, but where? She had absolutely no idea why she wasn’t on the Marina Green. The only answer was standing right in front of her.

  Cormac had gotten to his feet and he was holding out his hand to help her up. She batted it away. “You, you kidnapped me! I don’t know how you did it, but you brought me here against my will!”

  “I’m sorry, Jenna. I didnae mean to bring ye. Ye grabbed on to me just as the fog arrived. I was afraid if I let go, ye might end up in another time and place, all alone. I wasnae willing to take that risk.”

  “I can’t believe this! Am I awake? This isn’t possible.” She was rapidly losing her equilibrium. “You need to take me back, right now!”

  “I’m afraid I cannae do that. I don’t know how to do it. Edna will have to help ye.”

  “Edna!” Jenna called, circling around on the grass. “Edna! Where are you? When I get my hands on you…”

  “Jenna, I know this is a shock, but try to be reasonable. Look, over there, Edna left my horse. We can ride to Breaghacraig and try to contact Edna once we’re there.”

  “No! I’m not going anywhere with you! This is beyond ridiculous. I can’t believe you did this to me.” She got up and started stalking towards the bridge. Maybe if she crossed the bridge, she’d be able to get back.

  “Jenna, where are ye going? Ye must come with me. This is not San Francisco and ye willnae be safe on yer own. Please, listen to me. I ken yer angry with me, but ye must understand that I didnae mean for ye to come with me!”

  Jenna stood with her hands on her hips and for the first time, noticed that her clothing was different. “What happened to my clothes? And your clothes?” she asked in total confusion. She found herself wearing a long medieval-looking dress and cloak. She checked her feet and much to her surprise was delighted to find she still had her tall boots on. That might become a problem if she had to do a lot of walking, but at least she had one thing to hold onto from her life in San Francisco. Cormac was still dressed in a kilt, but gone was the leather jacket and t-shirt. In its place he wore a linen shirt with laces and the kilt looked different as well. He still wore boots, but not the one’s he’d worn in San Francisco. The leather satchel still hung across his body and despite the difference in his clothing, he still looked amazing to her, but she was furious with him. He had taken her away from everything sh
e knew and brought her to an unfamiliar place, and according to him, time. Get it together, Jenna. You need him to help you. Her heart was racing in her chest and she was starting to hyperventilate. She took a deep breath and did her best to relax. Jenna was shaking uncontrollably as she walked back towards Cormac. He reached out to pull her into his arms, but she stood away from him. “Don’t touch me. Don’t you ever touch me again!”

  Cormac held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll not touch ye lass, but it might be near impossible because we have to share my horse.”

  “I’m not getting on that horse. No way. I hate horses,” she yelled.

  “Lass, it’s a long way to Breaghacraig. Ye cannae walk all that way, especially in yer tall boots.” He smiled and she knew exactly what he was thinking.

  “Stop it. Grrr… I can’t believe this. When I meet this Edna, she’s going to be one sorry witch. I can’t even believe I just said that. Witch! Time Travel! Scotland! I’m going to be sick.” Jenna started to feel nauseous and dizzy. “I think I might be going to faint.” Abruptly, she shook her head determinedly. “No! No, I will not faint.” She was determined to get a grip on her escalating fear and she would ride out the sick feeling that was overtaking her, and not let it overwhelm her.

  “Jenna, please, calm yerself. I will help ye, but I cannae do it here. We must go. It is a long way from here to my home.”

  Cormac went to get his horse “Saidear,” he said softly, as he stroked the massive bay’s neck. The horse nickered and nudged Cormac with his nose. “Come my friend,” Cormac said. As he approached Jenna, she backed away. “I told you. I’m not getting on that horse. I’ll walk. Which direction are we heading in?” Cormac pointed towards the path and she headed off at a determined pace. She could sense him behind her, but she certainly wasn’t going to soften her stance. Had he planned on kidnapping her all along? She wanted to scream in frustration, but what good would it do? As aggravated and angry as she was, Jenna knew that her only chance of getting back home lay with Cormac.