by Bess McBride
“If not, we shall start a new fashion. I am sure that life with you will involve many new customs and fashions.”
“Oh, you betcha it will.” Annie grinned. “Where’s my hat? That’s going to be one of the first things to go,” she said. Rory bent to pick it up for her. “And my skirts are getting hemmed above my ankles…just a bit, so I stop tripping over them.”
“The first time I saw you trip, you wore only those very close-fitting black things you call capris. No skirt was to blame then.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Annie said with a sly smile. “That’s the first time you held me in your arms.”
“Ah, yes, I remember now.” He gave her a brilliant smile.
“Don’t you think you can flash that smile at me, Mr. O’Rourke, and I just fall into your arms.”
“But you have fallen into my arms, Miss St. John—more than once.”
“Well, yes, I have, haven’t I?” She pulled his head toward hers again. “You know, I really do love your smile. Don’t ever stop, no matter how much I tease you.”
“I cannot, Annie. Even my heart smiles for you.”
Epilogue
Edward checked his watch. 7:20 a.m. His daughter looked around.
“Are you sure they said they’d be here at seven, Dad?
“Yes, I’m pretty sure they said they would meet me for breakfast.” He shook his head. “I must be getting senile,” he chuckled. “This isn’t the first time I’ve lost young women on this train. Actually, I think it’s the third time. There was one young lady…she was so nice. A teacher? I can’t remember her name. Wait! Ellie…like my grandmother. That’s right. And then, there was another young woman about five years ago. We were going to have coffee or something, I think?” He shook his head. “What was her name? Danielle? No, not Danielle. That was grandma’s best friend. I can’t remember.” He shook his head. “And now the two girls. I just met them a few hours ago, and I only remember the little one’s name. Annie.”
“Well, Dad, you need to stop picking up these young girls.” His daughter grinned at him.
“Very funny, dear,” he said dryly. “We should go ahead and order breakfast. I have a feeling that I might not see either one of them again. Everyone seems to get off somewhere around Wenatchee. Must be an exciting town. Maybe I should get off the train one day when we’re in the station and see why everyone disappears there. Kind of like a Bermuda Triangle, I think.”
His daughter called the waiter over, and they placed their order.
“Annie,” he said thoughtfully. “Didn’t my grandmother have a friend called Annie? Married to some famous photographer. Seems they traveled a lot together, all over the world. Their kids always had wild stories about their travels. The parents took them everywhere, kind of an early home…” He paused. “What do you all call that nowadays?”
“Homeschooling, Dad.”
“Yeah, homeschooling. Annie O’Rourke, that was her name. Boy, when Grandma Ellie, Dani and Annie got together, it was a hoot. Those women were kind of ahead of their time, you know? I guess you’d call it progressive these days.” He smiled. “They sure loved trains, those women. Talked about them all the time. Trains, traveling and time. I never really understood what they were talking about.”
Books by Bess McBride
Time Travel Romance
Caving in to You
(Book One of the Love in the Old West series)
Forever Beside You in Time
Moonlight Wishes in Time
(Book One of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
Under an English Moon
(Book Two of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
A Train Through Time
(Book One of the Train Through Time series)
Together Forever in Time
(Book Two of the Train Through Time series)
A Smile in Time
(Book Three of the Train Through Time series)
Finding You in Time
(Book Four of the Train Through Time series)
Train Through Time Series Boxed Set
(Books 1-3)
Across the Winds of Time
Love of My Heart
Contemporary and Romantic Suspense
Will Travel for Romance Boxed Set Books 1-5
A Shy Woman in Love
A Sigh of Love
A Trail of Love
A Penny for Your Thoughts
Jenny Cussler’s Last Stand
Contemporary/Ghost Story
Caribbean Dreams of Love
On a Warm Sea of Love
About the Author
I began my first fiction-writing attempt when I was 14. I shut myself up in my bedroom one summer and obsessively worked on a time travel/pirate novel set in the beloved Caribbean of my youth. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hammer it out on a manual typewriter (oh yeah, I’m that old) before it was time to go back to school. The draft of that novel has long since disappeared, but the story still simmers within, and I will finish it one day soon.
I was born in Aruba to American parents and lived in Venezuela until my family returned to the United States when I was 12. I couldn’t fight the global travel bug, and I joined the U.S. Air Force at 18 to “see the world.” After 21 wonderful and fulfilling years traveling the world and the birth of one beautiful daughter, I pursued my dream of finally getting a college education. With a license in mental health therapy, I worked with veterans and continue to work on behalf of veterans. I continue to travel, my first love, and almost all of my books involve travel.
I write time travel romances, light paranormal/fantasy romances (lovelorn ghosty stuff), contemporary romances, and romantic suspense. Visit my website at
www.BessMcBride.com
