10 Timeless Heroes; A Time Travel Romance Boxed Set

by P. L. Parker, Beth Trissel, L. L. Muir, Skhye Moncrief, Sky Purington, Nancy Lee Badger, Caroline Clemmons, Bess McBride, Donna Michaels

  She closed her rosy lips around the straw and sucked. Hard. Oh, man, he was in trouble. He’d better get rid of the images bouncing around inside his head.

  “Mmm, this is wonderful milky stuff. And so cold.”

  He could use cold about now. “Chocolate shake.” He balanced the cup against the heat of his crotch while he opened the car’s cup holder. “Set it in this when you’re not drinking.”

  They’d finished eating and he was about to pull away when his cell rang. “Hunter.”

  There was silence.

  Brendan said, “Hello, this is Brendan Hunter. Who is this?”

  A muffled voice asked, “You the cop wanted word on the drive by?”

  Brendan’s heart pounded. “What’ve you got?” He shoved the gearshift back into park and gave the phone his undivided attention.

  “It wasn’t kids, mister. The guy who shot you rolled down the window to fire. He was older than you.”

  “Grown men? White, black, brown?”

  “White, both of them.” The kid still sounded scared, but now he spoke more clearly.

  Brendan’s free hand clenched on the wheel. “I owe you. Where do you want me to pay up?”

  “Don’t want nothing.” Brendan heard a catch in the voice, as if the caller was crying. “It was me you came to talk to. I’m the one who got your friend killed.”

  Hearing the kid echo his own thoughts ripped at Brendan’s heart. “No, you didn’t. But this will help me figure out who did. Listen, kid, it wasn’t your fault—“

  The line disconnected.

  With a growl, he snapped his phone closed. He banged a fist on the steering wheel, then pulled onto the street.

  Deirdre asked, “Where are we going now?”

  Chapter Nine

  Brendan sat with a scowl on his face, apparently so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard Deirdre’s question. That first day in his house he’d explained how a phone works, so she knew someone had given him important news in this phone call. But something was wrong, so she waited for him to offer an explanation. She’d decided not to press him on it when, suddenly, he seemed to realize she’s spoken.

  “What?” He blinked, as if to clear his thoughts. “Did you say something?”

  She repeated, “I asked where we’re going now.” Looking out the window without gasping or closing her eyes while other cars came within inches of Brendan’s was difficult enough. She couldn’t imagine how people learned all the rules and kept from bumping cars together. So, she focused her attention on Brendan.

  He nodded toward a building as big as a mountain that was surrounded by parked cars. “This is the shopping mall. Mom’s store is around the corner and across the street.”

  They went to the next traffic light and turned.

  He guided the car to a stop in front of a pale yellow building. “Here we are.”

  The sign near the roof read “Sunshine Shoppe” in green letters surrounded by a smiling dark yellow sun and sunflowers. Deirdre recognized the design as one Blossom had shown her yesterday at the house.

  “Now isn’t this a lovely place?” Deirdre pressed the button that released her seat belt, pleased she’d learned to cope with at least one part of this world. “And isn’t it cheerful?”

  They climbed out of the car. Brendan put his hand at her elbow and guided her inside.

  When Blossom had mentioned her store, Deirdre had pictured a small shop with a counter and a few shelves behind it, like the apothecary at Dunkerig. This huge building surprised her.

  With large windows across the front and bright lights hanging from the ceiling, it was filled with row after row of wares. She didn’t see drying herbs anywhere. Instead, wherever she looked were jars, bottles, soaps, books, packaged food, fresh vegetables, and dozens of things Deirdre couldn’t identify.

  Brendan stayed at her side, and it was pleasing to have him treat her with respect. She saw other women give him a second look as they passed by, then glance at her with envy. Deirdre liked that they probably thought he belonged with her.

  She was attracted to him, but it might be that everything was new and she clung to him as an anchor. No, Blossom anchored her. Brendan affected her differently than his mother. He might not be a demon or wizard, but he’d definitely cast his spell and enthralled her.

  Blossom saw them and hurried over. “I’m so glad you’re here. Let me show you around.”

  “I’ll wait in the reading area.” He pointed at two large green chairs by a long rack filled with books. He pulled out his phone as he walked away.

  Blossom linked her arm with Deirdre’s and led her. “How do you like it?”

  “It’s clean and bright and much larger than I imagined.” She caught familiar scents. “There are no plants drying. Do you gather your herbs near here?” Deirdre hadn’t seen many flowers she recognized when she’d ridden with Brendan, and there were none near the store.

  “Hardly.” Blossom laughed. “Fortunately, we have companies who grow them and make them into tablets, capsules, tinctures, or whatever we need. And the new things called vitamins you’ll have to learn.”

  “You have so much to sell. Sure and I’ve never seen anything to compare.”

  “Don’t you love it?” Blossom gestured around with pride. “Brendan bought this for me with part of his inheritance. I’d worked in a smaller place for years and always wanted my own store.” She leaned near. “He knew his grandparents would have hated him spending their money on me, and it gave us both great pleasure.”

  How pleasing to learn that Brendan took care of his mother in this way. Deirdre couldn’t imagine a prettier shop. If it were hers, she would indeed feel she’d gone on to a heavenly afterlife. “It’s so lovely you could live here.”

  “At first I almost did, but now we have ten other sales people to help and it gives me a break. I can take days off without feeling I’m burdening my staff. In fact, I could stay home and let my manager take care of everything if I wished.” Blossom waved and a woman who looked to be in her early forties came from the center of the store. “Polly, come meet Deirdre.”

  They exchanged greetings, and then Polly rushed off to answer a customer’s question while Blossom showed Deirdre around. Deirdre saw Brendan watching her as if he feared she’d run away. Where did he think she could she go?

  After half an hour, he stood and ambled over. “You about ready to leave? I have a physical therapy appointment in a few minutes.”

  Blossom patted her arm. “Don’t forget the books. You’ll enjoy reading about all the herbs and supplements we stock in the store. I’ve put in a dictionary in case you need to look up some of the words.”

  “Thank you for showing me your shop.” She picked up the stack Blossom had shoved at her and looked at Brendan. “I can leave now.”

  He reached under a counter and pulled out a canvas bag. Then, he took the books from her and dropped them into the carryall. “I’ll take these to the car for you.” He dropped a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Bye, Mom. See you at your place later.”

  When they were in the car and moving, he looked at her. “Are you supposed to read all those books?”

  “Blossom thought it would help me. Sure and it’ll take me a long time to learn everything in them.”

  He looked angry. “Seems pointless.”

  “No, it’s fascinating to me. From packages on the shelves I recognized the names of many herbs, but there were more that were unfamiliar. I’ll study, though. And I don’t understand the vitamins. Or the aroma...aroma-something.”

  “Aromatherapy. It’s trendy. Mom clears a lot of profit there.” He scowled again. “Remember you can’t work without papers, Deirdre. I don’t want to upset you, and I won’t turn you in, but it’s against the law. Mom could get in trouble if she let you work for her without the right documents.”

  “I don’t want to cause problems for you or Blossom. She may not be a heavenly angel as I first thought, but she’s very like one.”

  “Yea
h, she is.” He gave her his almost-smile. “When she stays out of trouble, that is.”

  They turned into another smooth parking area and stopped near a low brick building. “You’d better bring a couple of those books with you. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait about an hour while I go through my physical therapy.”

  She grabbed two books. “I don’t mind. I’m learning a lot about your world today.”

  Deirdre tried to study while Brendan worked but her fascination with the man kept her from concentrating on anything but him. She watched him secretly from under her lashes. Such a handsome man, his broad shoulders and long legs putting the others in the room to shame. His muscles rippled as he moved through a series of exercises on fearsome looking machines. Finally, he went into a closed off area. She sighed and settled down to read.

  Once again she thanked the saints that Gran had taught her and Ma to read the English, Irish, and Latin. Even though the new way of arranging the words slowed her, she’d be in a fine kettle of fish now if she couldn’t pour over these books and make sense of them. She’d been told her mind was keen. True, learning came easy to her. Glancing at the thick book she held, she thought that was a good thing.

  In spite of what Brendan said, Deirdre was determined to learn all she could and watch for her chance. Not that she wasn’t grateful to Blossom and Brendan for their help. She was that thankful they’d been the ones to find her, but she couldn’t live as a prisoner with them for the rest of her life. No, she’d learn a skill and then she’d be off to find her own place for her and Cathbad.

  Brendan standing in front of her startled her. “Ready to move on?”

  She stood and smiled at his choice of words, for hadn’t she thought earlier about moving on? She yearned for a wee cottage with her own things about her, her cat near, and freedom to come and go as she pleased.

  Once they were moving, Brendan glanced at her. “You’ve stalled long enough. Tell me what you know about Larry Farris and his death and how you came by the information.”

  Caught off guard by his terse tone, she said, “I’ve told you all I know.”

  “Look, I’m tired of hearing that. You knew about his dyed hair. No one but his family and I knew about that. No one else but you. How did you learn about it?" His jaw clenched and he had an angry look about him.

  “I had nothing to do with him or his death. You must trust me, for I can’t offer any proof.”

  “Trust you? Lady, I know nothing about you except that cockamamie story you fed Mom and Dave.” He shot her a glare and she feared his anger was so great he’d crash the car into one of the others on the road.

  She turned toward the window, but closed her eyes. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, for it’s almost as hard to accept as the way I arrived in your time.”

  “Yeah? Try me.”

  Eyes open, she twisted in the seat so she could watch his reaction. She’d vowed to keep her secret, but circumstances had changed. Hoping he’d understand, she admitted, “I-I have v-visions. It’s why the villagers thought me a witch. All the women in me family have had them as far back as I know.”

  He frowned. “Visions? What the hell does that mean?”

  She exhaled and prepared herself to be thrown out of the car. “There’s nothing I can do about them, they just come. Like a dream they are, except I’m awake. I see things that happened or will happen or at once I know something new, like I did your dog’s name.”

  “You expect me to believe you knew about Larry’s hair colors because you saw it in some sort of vision?” He looked doubting and annoyed all at the same time.

  “It’s true, just as I saw you three times in the week after Ma died. Before I leapt into the sea.”

  “Me? You saw me before we met?” He almost snorted, so angry and disbelieving he was.

  She nodded. “Aye, that I did. Each time was the same. You were reaching for me, arms stretched out in front of you.” She stretched toward the front of the car to show him. “I thought the vision meant you’d choke me, you see, so that’s why I screamed and ducked under the water when you tried to help me into the boat. It was a relief to know you were reaching out to help me, not to kill me.”

  “That’s the craziest thing you’ve said yet. There’s no such thing as visions and precognition.”

  “Did you never have a feeling something was wrong, and then later found it was?”

  “Yeah, but based on facts—not some woo-woo mumbo jumbo.” He struck the wheel with his fist. “If you won’t tell me the truth, then quit making up more crap trying to confuse me.”

  She touched his arm. “Sure and I’m telling you true, Brendan. When I was sitting at your table the first day, I took in your pain and saw the thing worrying you involved the man with striped hair. I spoke without thinking, and only wanted to offer you comfort for your sadness.”

  She leaned back and looked at her lap. “I should have known this place would be no different than my wee village in Ireland. Me visions make people suspicious, for they don’t understand them.”

  “Damned straight I don’t understand. How can you pretend you know nothing about Larry’s murder?”

  “It’s easy, because I don’t.”

  “Then conjure up one of your so-called visions and tell me who’s responsible.”

  “It doesn’t work that way. The visions choose me, not the other way around.” She shook her head, sorrowing that he wouldn’t understand. Owning up to the visions was a mistake, but she hadn’t known how else to answer his recurring demands.

  “Like hell.” He pulled the car off the road, then grabbed her arm. “You listen to me, Deirdre Dougherty, or whoever you are. I want answers that make sense and I want them now.”

  Ma had always said her temper was her greatest failing, and Brendan’s harsh words fired her anger. She jerked from his grasp. “It’s your turn to listen, you great lummox. I’ve told you naught but the truth and you refuse to believe me. I’ll not be saying another word to you on this.” She folded her arms across her chest. With her mouth clamped firm, she stared out the window ahead of her.

  He leaned his head back against the seat and exhaled. “If that’s the way you want it, but that doesn’t mean I believe you, Deirdre. You may have my mother fooled, but I’m not as gullible as she is. I know you’re involved in this somehow.” He sat up and started the car moving again.

  Neither of them spoke again on the drive to his mother’s home.

  Chapter Ten

  After a restless night, Deirdre awoke to sunshine streaming through the sheer curtains at the window. The previous evening has been uncomfortable. Brendan glowered at her and Blossom chattered gaily, as if to make up for her son’s surly mood. Deirdre had been relieved when she could plead her desire to read in her room until she fell asleep.

  Instead of going to her shop after breakfast, Blossom hummed through the house. After half an hour, she stopped by Deirdre’s chair and patted her shoulder. “You’re studying too hard, dear. You need a break.”

  Brendan looked up from where he sat reading on the sofa and snapped, “A break? From what?”

  Blossom gestured around the room. “Sitting in the house all day.”

  “We were in town yesterday. We’ve gone out in the boat, and we walk Prince twice a day.”

  Ignoring her son, Blossom said, “Deirdre, you already know the answer to every question I’ve asked you about herbs or vitamins. You obviously learn very quickly, but it’s time you had some fun.”

  Deirdre closed the book. “I’m keen to know everything I need.” She’d added books from the house to her stack of herbals. “Today I read that many Irish settled in Texas.

  “Yes, some were my ancestors.”

  Her heart lightened. “Your people were Irish? Would I know their names?”

  Blossom appeared to think about it. “I don’t think so, it was all so long ago.” She looked surprised. “I mean, even before your time. They came when Texas was a part of Mexico. Nolan was one family�
�s name.”

  “Nolan? Hmmm, I didn’t know them.”

  Blossom looked at her son. “I’ve taken the day off to take Deirdre shopping. We’re going to hit the mall. Don’t wait supper on us.”

  Brendan looked uncomfortable. “Mom, you’ll be careful.”

  Did he mean he thought Deirdre might harm his mother without him around? Surely not.

  Blossom waved and Deirdre followed her.

  When they were in the car, Deirdre asked, “So you’ve lived in Texas all your life, then, have you?”

  “Not all my life. When I was seventeen my parents died and I was left alone. I went to California and lived on a commune. It changed to a cooperative farm just after I came there. That’s where I was when I met Brendan’s father. We lived there until Trey—that was Brendan’s father—was killed.” For the first time since Deirdre had met her, Blossom looked incredibly sad.

  Deirdre touched Blossom’s hand. “It’s sorry I am I asked, for I can see it brings painful memories.”

  Blossom heaved a great sigh, as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders. “It was a bad time for me, and for Brendan. His father’s parents came, and took him to live with them.”

  Didn’t her tone sound final, as if Brendan had been wrenched from Blossom’s arms?

  “But what of you? Did you live with them as well?”

  “Hmph. They didn’t want me. Until Trey died, they’d never spoken to Brendan or me. Then, they bribed me. They were very wealthy and Trey had been their only son. They convinced me they could give Brendan all the advantages I couldn’t, that he’d be better off with them and the doors they could open for him.”

  “A wee lad better off without his Ma? What did Brendan say to that?”

  Blossom’s face froze. “They bribed him as well. They learned I’d always loved working with herbs, so they told him they’d get me a job in a health food store, but that I wouldn’t have time to spend with him. They convinced him that if he were with them, then I’d be free to live the life I wanted.