Ashley bit back fresh tears. Everything confirmed what she’d suspected.
“If I hear from him, I’ll let you know about the bike.” It was doubtful that she’d ever hear from him again, but she had to say something to Agnes.
The old lady turned to shuffle out the door. “You do that, dear. I know he’s trustworthy and will return the bike. I was just getting worried about that boy.”
Ashley wished her a good night. She didn’t say that she didn’t share her neighbor’s confidence where Vin was concerned.
Her phone rang at that moment. Ashley jumped. Moira Lockhart’s name appeared on the display.
“Hello.” Ashley cleared her throat when the word came out raspy.
“Hi, Ashley. I just called to let you know I’ll be on the morning flight home from New York, and I wanted to make arrangements to get the watch back. I can see about getting a flight to California, perhaps, and then back to Texas from there.”
Ashley shook her head. She ran her hand over her forehead and swiped some hair to the back of her head. The watch. Was it still here, or had Vin taken it? She rushed to her bedroom. It was still where she’d left it on the nightstand. Ashley reached for it.
A second dose of adrenaline shot through her. The hands had definitely slowed since she’d left for work this morning. Did that mean that Vin had managed to figure out how to get a flight to Texas and had gone back in time?
“Ashley?”
“Can someone time travel even without the watch being present?” Ashley blurted into the phone.
There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line.
“I’m not sure. That’s never happened before. I know that Vin would have to be in the room at my diner in order to time travel. That’s the only way. I think the watch is simply an indicator, but it shouldn’t matter if it’s in California and he’s in Texas. Why? What’s going on?”
Ashley inhaled a deep breath. Her voice trembled. “Vin left to go back to Texas. He’s going back to the past. He wants to kill his uncle because of something I found on the internet. This morning, the hands were still moving fast. Now, they look like they’re about to come to a stop.”
Another moment of silence. “If the hands are as slow as you say, Ashley, there’s no time for him to come back if he already time traveled. I’m so sorry.” Moira sounded almost as devastated as Ashley felt.
“If you can fly to California to pick up the watch, I’d appreciate it,” Ashley said listlessly, and disconnected the call.
She sank into the couch. Tears of despair and anger began to flow. Why had she felt the need to go digging on the internet? If she hadn’t shown the article to Vin, he would never have left.
She shook her head. No, it was better this way. Better to find out now that revenge was more important to him than she was. Her broken heart would take a long time to mend this time. He’d been so angry this morning, he hadn’t even looked at her, as if he was already in another time, plotting his revenge against his uncle.
Numb and mindless, Ashley moved through the house. She peeled off her work uniform and slipped into her pajamas, then curled up on her bed and let the tears flow until she sank into a fitful sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, dreams of Vin became more vivid. He held her as she cried against his chest.
“You don’t care about me. You’re more bent on revenge than love,” she murmured.
“You’re so sure that no man will ever love you, you’ll think the very worst before letting him explain,” came the reply.
“What am I supposed to think when you disappear, and don’t say a word to anyone? It’s clear that you don’t want me or care about me.”
Strong hands held her by the arms and gave a gentle shake.
“Wake up, Ashley. I’m right here.”
Startled, she blinked into the darkness. She wasn’t asleep, and this wasn’t a dream. He was here, in her room, and he held her.
“I didn’t go back to Texas. I wouldn’t know how to get there even if I wanted to go back. I just needed time alone to think. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, and I understand how it must have looked when I wasn’t home.”
“But –”
“Let me finish. Yes, I was angry all day, but as you said, going back wouldn’t have changed anything in my past. It would have only devastated my future. I don’t want to lose the most important thing in my life. And I know I’ve made the right decision.”
Ashley fumbled for the light on her nightstand. She clicked it on, and squinted while her eyes adjusted to the brightness. Vin sat beside her, staring at her with undeniable love in his eyes. She stared back, and the truth sank in. He hadn’t left. He’d never intended to leave.
“Where did you go?”
Vin chuckled. “I rode Mrs. Filmore’s blasted bike as far as I could out of town to be alone and fire off a few rounds from the Winchester. It’s my way to clear my head.”
Ashley flung her arms around his neck, and he held her tight.
“I’m sorry. I’ll never doubt you again.” She laughed between her tears. “I wasn’t thinking clearly earlier, or I would have realized that there was no way you could have managed to get to Texas on an airplane carrying a rifle.”
Vin peeled her away from him and locked his eyes on her.
“Do you want absolute proof that I love you and have no intention of leaving?” he challenged.
Hesitating, she nodded, although she already had her proof.
A lazy grin spread across his face. “Marry me, Ashley. Tie the knot with me, and help me in this new life I’ve chosen.”
Ashley stared at him. She blinked, absorbing the words he’d said. Slowly, she nodded.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
All her dreams were coming true. Her eyes fell to the antique watch on her nightstand. The hands had come to a complete stop. Just like her cousin and her best friend, she had finally found her very own timeless hero.
Epilogue
A couple years later . . .
“How was the trip?”
“Primitive and un-modern. Not a cell phone in sight, at least not one that worked. There were a lot of cameras, though. Otherwise, nothing but a horse underneath me, and the night stars up above.”
Vin smiled and embraced his wife, who’d come waddling down the porch of their little log home. He held his hand to her swollen belly and smiled. Ashley leaned forward as best as her bulk allowed, and accepted his kiss.
“But nothing beats coming home to my wife,” he added, taking her hand. He led her back into the house, supporting her with a hand on her back as she climbed the steps.
She favored him with a bright smile. “Nothing beats having you here at home with me.”
He removed his hat and duster, hanging them on the coat rack near the door, then followed Ashley into the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her to sit. After giving her a stern look to tell her without words to get off her feet, she complied. Vin opened the refrigerator and removed two plastic water bottles, setting one in front of her before opening the other and taking a long drink. Creek water in the backcountry tasted better, but at least this was cold and refreshing after the drive home from Scott’s place.
“Scott said his clients enjoy the insights about primitive camping and life on the trail that you provide so expertly.” Ashley smiled. “You’re quite the sensation when you lead a group of adventurers out into the wilderness. I think sometimes those poor people don’t realize what they signed up for when you’re their guide.”
“Between Scott’s business and helping with the cattle operation at the Diamond K, life’s been busy.” Vin pulled up a chair in front of Ashley. His hand went to caress her belly again. “And it’s about to get a lot busier, no doubt.”
“No doubt,” she echoed.
The birth of their first child kept him on edge. Women died in childbirth all the time. He had to remind himself what century he was in. Modern medicine would make the ordeal easier and less dange
rous for Ashley, but the possibility that something might go wrong was still there. He finally had a family and a home, and the thought of ever losing the woman he loved more than anything was too much to bear.
“I want to be around as much as possible to help you when the baby comes. I told Scott I wouldn’t be leading any more groups for a while.”
Ashley tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, and she laughed. “You’ve really turned into a modern man, Vin Kincaid. I thought child rearing was a woman’s duty back in your days.”
He winked. “I like to pick and choose my centuries. When it comes to my family, nothing’s gonna keep me away.”
The love that shone in Ashley’s eyes nearly brought him to his knees. It had been a little over two years since fate had sent him to the twenty-first century. He’d gone from his lowest point in life to having everything he could ever ask for.
Ashley had sold her little house in the California desert, and the money that was left over after her grandmother’s debts had been paid had moved them to Montana. He’d gone to work for Scott, leading people on packing expeditions into the mountains. While he enjoyed the work, he would always be a cowpuncher. It’s what he’d grown up knowing.
The Kincaids of the Diamond K Ranch had welcomed him with open arms when Scott had introduced him as a long-lost cousin from Texas. Scott’s younger brother, who was set to take over the running of the ranch so their folks could retire, had suggested to everyone that Vin run the cattle end of the business after Vin had proven himself knowledgeable with cattle. Sean was more interested in horses.
Ashley and Amber had gone into business together with Morgan McFarlain, and opened a catering establishment. The three women were busy cooking and planning meals for rich folks who liked to throw big parties. Not that any of the women needed to work for money. They simply enjoyed staying busy.
“You gotta let them be, Vin,” Gabe McFarlain had told him at one time, smiling at his wife. “All three of them are modern women, and when they set their minds to doing something, there’s nothing us men can do to stop them.”
Vin had smiled at his new friend. “I’m beginning to realize that.”
“Glad you two have figured it out, or I’d feel sorry for you.” Scott had winked at both of them with a wide grin on his face, while rocking his little daughter in his arms.
Amber and Scott’s girl was a year old now. There had been a time when Scott had said that Amber might never be able to have children, due to her battle with cancer of her female parts. In Vin’s former life, folks had talked about cancer in hushed tones and referred to it simply as growths. The word had always struck fear in everyone’s minds. Very few people lived very long with a growth. Thanks again to modern medicine, Amber was a survivor.
Meeting Gabe McFarlain in Montana had been quite a surprise. The two had a lot in common, having both come from the nineteenth century.
“Did you meet Cissie Durham in Heartsbridge?”
Gabe had chuckled. “No. I didn’t come here the same way as you. It appears there are different ways of time travel afoot. Would be interesting to know if the ladies that made time travel possible for you are acquainted with a certain reverend who sent me to the future.”
They’d both dropped the subject after that. Vin had no interest in going back to his time, and neither did Gabe. The man had been a big help in getting Vin acclimated to life in the twenty-first century. They met frequently and reminisced about the old days, but were both glad to be living in the present with all the modern conveniences, and most definitely their wives.
A few months after getting married, Ashley had suggested to Vin that they take a trip to Texas to thank Moira Lockhart for bringing them together.
The woman had smiled brightly. “It’s Chris Hawley you should be thanking, but since he lives in the past, I don’t see how that’s possible. He’s the one who found you, recognized you, and saved your life by taking you to Cissie’s place.”
Ashley had looked at him, shaking her head. “Do you realize that if you had time traveled when you were originally supposed to a year sooner, we probably wouldn’t have met? Or if we had, it would have been under different circumstances.”
The thought had already occurred to him. “No doubt I would have returned to the past. I wasn’t ready to come to the future then. I was glad to help Amber get back to Scott, but when I realized she and Miss Durham were serious about time travel, I bailed out. Back then, the idea sounded too far-fetched, and if it was true, I wanted no part in it.”
“What made you come back to Heartsbridge a year later?” Moira had asked.
“When I got out of jail for theft of a whiskey wagon, I left Jack’s ranch after I threatened him, and the thought crossed my mind to see Miss Durham. The idea of time travel was just enticing enough that an escape to the future was what I thought I might need. I was on my way to Heartsbridge when I was attacked.”
“The watch always knows,” Moira had said with a smile. “There’s no fighting it. Once it chooses someone, there’s no getting away from it. And so far, it’s always worked out for the best.”
“It sure has for me and Vin,” Ashley had chimed in. “And for Scott and Amber.”
Moira had nodded. “And for many other people Cissie and I have helped bring together. When it comes to matters of the heart, it’s all timeless.”
Thank you for purchasing and reading TIMELESS HERO. I hope you enjoyed the story. To help other readers such as yourself discover new books, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon.
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You can read Chris Hawley’s story in TIMELESS HEALING, and Scott and Amber’s story in TIMELESS BOND.
To find out about Vin and Scott Kincaid’s family in 1880’s Montana, check out IN HIS TOUCH, 2016 RONE Award winning novel in American Historical Romance.
To learn more about some of the other time traveling characters in the story, check out my SECOND CHANCES TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE SERIES. Jake and Rachel’s story can be found in COME HOME TO ME (a 2014 Laramie Award winner in western fiction), and Gabe McFarlain’s story is DIAMOND IN THE DUST (A RONE runner-up in Time Travel Romance in 2014)
For a complete list of my books, including more time travel and western Historical Romance, please visit my
Amazon Author Page
You can find all the books currently available in the Timeless Hearts Series here:
Timeless Hearts Series Page
A special thank-you to Barbara Ouradnik and Heather Belleguelle for going the extra mile helping me get this book done!
About the Author
I am an award-winning, best-selling western historical and time travel romance author of the Yellowstone Time Travel Romance Series, Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, Teton Romance Trilogy, and the Blemished Brides and Wilderness Brides Western Historical Romance Series. When I’m not writing about Yellowstone, the Tetons, or the old west, I’m out hiking the trails, spending time with my family and pets, or catching up on much-needed sleep. I am happily married to my high school sweetheart, and we have two boys and a menagerie of animals including dogs, cats, horses, chickens, guinea pigs, and bearded dragons.
Timeless Hero (Timeless Hearts Book 12) Page 13
