Stealing Time

by Nancy Pennick

  “Aren’t you ambitious today? I’m surprised you’re washing the car.” Kate’s dad walked out of the garage. “Hello, Tyson.”

  “Hey, Mr. Roberts. Just showing Katie how it’s done.”

  “Looks great. The car might end up being yours after all.” Her dad raised his coffee mug at her like he could read her mind. “Coming in? We have some college planning to do.”

  “Yeah, in a minute. Thanks for the help, Ty. When are you leaving for school?”

  “A little earlier than I thought. I’m helping Erin move into her apartment. I’ll stay with her until freshman orientation. So I’ll only be here for a few more days.”

  “Oh, you’re leaving this week.” Kate did a celebration cheer in her head. “This is it then. We’re all going our separate ways.”

  “Don’t make it sound so final.” Tyson tossed his towel on the car. “I’ll be back for Thanksgiving and the preseason basketball game.”

  “True. So you’re not coming back till then?”

  “Not planning on it. Going to be working out with the team and studying.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Okay, maybe a little partying thrown in there. You and Drew should come down and visit sometime.”

  “We’ll see. We have school, too, you know.” Kate hugged him quickly and ran in the house.

  Drew and her dad were standing in the kitchen on guard like they were waiting to hear her scream and come to the rescue.

  “Drew, thanks for not coming out.” Kate put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

  “I knew what you were up to. I hope it worked.”

  “Yeah, he thinks he was dreaming. The gravy and knife wielding man helped put him over the edge.” Kate giggled as she pictured the scene in her head. “Dad, if you could have seen Anna and Thomas. They were so believable. Anna offered to pour gravy on Ty’s apple pie.”

  “Quick thinking on all your parts. Now if we had the book in our possession, this could be over.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Tyson said he’s leaving early for school, the end of the week. I’ll go over after he leaves and find it. I don’t think he’d take the book with him.”

  Kate hoped this would end it. They had more important things to think about. At the canyon everyone was preparing for Lucinda and Henry’s wedding in September. Daniel Jenkins would return from his cattle drive, and Anna would see him for the first time that weekend. Kate needed to help her friend during the wedding weekend. Anna wasn’t looking forward to it because she knew how hurt Lucinda would be when she saw Daniel and Anna together.

  Anna was a young girl so in love at the time she didn’t notice Lucinda’s pain. Since Lucinda was getting married to someone else, Anna assumed Lucinda was over Daniel. Kate was the only witness to all the heartache. Maya kept telling them “what will be, will be”, and Anna believed it at the time.

  Now a much older and wiser Anna was attending the wedding, hoping to ease a little of Lucinda’s pain. She knew she couldn’t alter history, but there might be something she could do.

  In the present, Kate and Drew had books to buy and needed to get ready for fall semester. Her head spun with the details of her two lives. She knew she had to concentrate on one thing at a time. The first on her to-do list was to get the book back from Tyson, and that’s what she planned to do. No matter the cost.

  * * * *

  “The strangest thing happened at work today, Kathryn.” Lucinda helped Kate slip on her bridesmaid’s dress for the final fitting. “A young man, very handsome by the way, was at my station for lunch asking if I knew a Katie Roberts.”

  Kate’s heart began to pound. “And what did you say?”

  “I said I didn’t know anyone by that name or Drew Kelly either. He didn’t seem satisfied by my answers. Looked at me as if I was lying.” Lucinda cupped her hand over her mouth. “I’d never lie, would I?”

  That was a hard question for Kate to answer since she knew Lucinda was marrying someone she settled for instead of admitting her true feelings for Daniel Jenkins. The love she felt for her great-great aunt won over, and she answered, “No, you never would.”

  “Then he said he hoped I wouldn’t serve him apple pie and gravy. I think he was a little touched in the head, if you know what I mean.”

  “Crazy?”

  “Well, I was trying to be kind, but yes, crazy.”

  “I’m sure you won’t be seeing him again. Now what do you think?” Kate twirled around in her dress.

  “Lovely, like I thought you would be.” The girls embraced. “Bring the dress to my room whenever you’re ready.”

  After Lucinda left her little boardinghouse bedroom, Kate sat down on her bed fuming. “Tyson was here again! I need to get that book back if it’s the last thing I do. I need to give up coming here for a few days and make it my mission. Lucinda’s wedding depends on it. My own wedding depends on it. I have to protect the people at the canyon, no matter what. They didn’t ask for their lives to be turned upside down because of one teenage boy.” She took her dress and zipped it back in its protective bag as she took deep breaths to calm herself.

  Outside her door, she met Anna in the hallway. Her friend took the dress. “I’ll deliver it to the queen bee,” she said cheerfully. “I want to start working on my amends. I’m going to offer to help in any way I can.”

  “Then I wish you luck.” Kate handed her the dress. “I won’t be seeing you for a few days. I’m developing a plan to get the book from Tyson. We need to get it back in the right hands.”

  “I’ll cross my fingers.” Anna held up two fingers. “But I’ll miss you. Good luck.”

  There wasn’t much Kate could do now except wait for sunset so she could return to Ohio. When it finally came she felt relief and terror all at once.

  * * * *

  Kate knew Mrs. Gray’s jogging schedule never changed. It had stayed the same since she was a little girl. In the summer, Ty’s mom would get up, water her plants and then run through the neighborhood. She was like clockwork. That’s what Kate depended on now. The alarm on her phone was set to wake her early so she could watch when Mrs. Gray left the house. She’d be gone for about forty-five minutes, giving Kate enough time to find the key and enter the house.

  She felt like a little kid, nose pressed against the window glass, waiting for company or a special package to arrive. Breathing on the pane, she frosted the glass to doodle away the time. First, she drew a simple heart design, and when that faded, another more intricate pattern took its place.

  Suddenly, a woman in a blue running jacket and black shorts came around the side of Ty’s house. It was Mrs. Gray. Kate threw on a black hoodie, her outfit of choice for detective work. Actually Lindsey invented the look, and Kate was borrowing it, but knew her friend would approve.

  Dashing across the street, Kate made it to Ty’s backyard and snuck up the deck stairs. The key was always under a pot of flowers that decorated the perimeter. There were many to choose from and never under the same one. The pots were large and heavy, and Kate was exhausted as she got to the last one.

  No key! What the...? Heart pounding, she tried one last time, feeling very carefully under each pot. Then Kate spotted a new item in one of the pots, a green spotted ceramic frog. It was so tiny that it was almost unnoticeable among the flowers and plants. Resting behind some green leaves, the frog could be the new hiding place. Kate quickly grabbed it and turned it over. The bottom was solid. Noticing a fine line between the head and body, she gave it a pull to expose the key. Feeling like she hit the lottery, Kate wanted to shout in triumph but instead let herself into the house.

  She dashed through the house and up the stairs to Tyson’s bedroom. His mother had definitely been in there. The room was neat and clean. She quickly scanned the area with her eyes. No book next to his bed or on any surface. His mom could have put it away.

  Kate was very careful to put things back exactly as she found them while she worked her way around the room and the
n back again. As she neared the conclusion of her search, she began to panic. No book to be found.

  Sitting on Tyson’s bed, Kate began to cry. All of her frustrations built up inside. At this point she didn’t care if Mrs. Gray came home and heard her. She was so angry at Tyson for causing her grief for two years that she wanted to tear into his room, rip it apart, which was so unlike her. Kate was the one who wanted to give everyone a break and smooth things over so there would be no drama. Well, not now. She wanted drama. The bigger the better.

  Suddenly, it felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She floated above the room, watching as the bedroom got trashed. Drawers popped open, and valuables found their way to the floor. Bedding flew everywhere. The mattress now hung partially off the bed. It was like a dream, but in the back of her mind she knew it wasn’t.

  Feeling the cotton sheets between her hands brought her back to reality. She wasn’t watching. She was the guilty party. Shaking her head as if to free the cobwebs, Kate flipped the mattress off the box spring, looking for the book as she went along. Slamming the pillows on the floor, she gave them a good punch. With each blow, she felt vindicated.

  “Take that, Tyson.” She screamed at the top of her voice. “Steal Drew’s book? I’ve just begun to get my revenge.” More drawers were opened, and clothes flew over her head as Kate continued the rampage. The closet was next, and for good measure, she cleared everything off its top shelf in one sweep of the arm.

  Screaming, crying as she went along, Kate finally fell to the floor drained of emotion. Sniffling, she decided it was time to give up until something came to mind.

  “Under the bed! I didn’t look under the bed!” Scooting her body along the carpet, she stared underneath. Shoes, clothes, socks and underwear were everywhere. Mrs. Gray hadn’t gotten to that part of the clean-up. Kate pulled it all out. The last thing she came across was a child’s toy bow and arrow. The arrows were made of sponge, not meant to hurt anyone. Kate sat up and held the bow in her hand. Tyson loved Robin Hood. The year he turned ten, he really wanted a bow and arrow. Kate insisted on getting it for his birthday. He told her he slept with it under his bed in case of an attack which made her giggle at the time. Now eight years later, the bow was still under his bed. One single tear dripped from her eye as Kate placed the toy back under the bed.

  Leaning against Ty’s bed, Kate surveyed the destruction she caused. Slowly getting up, she walked out of the room, back down to the deck to replace the key in the tiny frog. She made her way home, never looking back.

  Take that, Tyson. Figure out who trashed your room. Come and get me, Mrs. Gray. I don’t care. I’m a failure. I was so sure I’d get the book back, and I didn’t. I’m done with you for now, Tyson. But I’ll be back. You can count on that.

  Chapter Nine

  As she sat at her desk doing homework, Kate felt like she was away at school because her friends weren’t in town. They had gone off to distant colleges, and she was stuck here because of Tyson and the book. She was glad he was far enough away to not be a constant bother. She got the occasional text or phone call, but hopefully he was too busy with school and basketball practice to be obsessing over her.

  Lucinda’s wedding came and went without a problem. Drew and Kate were able to enjoy the wedding in a different way this time because of Anna. They loved seeing her with Daniel, knowing the present day Anna was thrilled to be there. Anna was careful not to flaunt the relationship in front of Lucinda, even letting go of Daniel’s hand whenever she was close by.

  “Did I do enough?” Anna asked Kate on the phone after they returned home to the present.

  “Of course, you did. You can’t erase the hurt. That will always be there. And you can’t change history. You had to rush into the Hasting house last minute with Daniel, but I loved that you apologized to Lucinda. Once would have been enough.”

  “That scene stuck in my mind over the years. When you told me how she crumbled on the stairs after we left, it broke my heart. I wanted to make it better even though I knew it was impossible.”

  “So will you stop feeling guilty now? You did your time. Eighty years of guilt is enough.”

  “Alright, I’ll try to let it go. It felt good to see and do it over again, Kathryn. Most people don’t get that chance.”

  Kate went over that conversation in her head as she stared down at her textbook. Anna’s right. Most people don’t get a second chance. Kate felt a twinge of guilt because she had more than one chance to get the book from Tyson and failed. She told herself to stop dwelling on it because she tried her best. Still, she wasn’t giving up.

  Days went by as Kate waited for Mrs. Gray to storm across the street and ask if she was in Tyson’s room, but she never came. She never heard from Ty either. Kate prepared herself to act innocent and offer to help figure out who could do such a thing. She never had to.

  Slamming the textbook shut, she headed for Drew’s room. They agreed to study for three hours uninterrupted. It was barely two, but she needed to talk. “Drew? Can I come in?”

  “Sure.” Kate heard a book snap shut.

  “Is that the same book I’m having trouble with?” She pointed to the closed book in his lap.

  “Living the history and reading it are two entirely different things.” Drew laughed and grabbed Kate by the wrist, pulling her toward him. “I like our history so much better. Wedding’s coming up soon.”

  “That’s what I want to talk to you about. We usually go to Arizona for Anna’s birthday, and our wedding’s the following weekend. With school and midterms coming up, I think we should pass on the birthday this year. I feel bad, but we see Anna at the canyon. We can celebrate there.”

  “I agree, but it’s not every day someone turns 102-years-old.”

  “Don’t make me feel worse!”

  “I’m not trying to. Just want you to be sure. You’ll give up seeing Lindsey at the party.”

  “I know. I’m hoping she’ll come to the wedding like last year.”

  “No book available. Anna has the only one in Arizona.”

  “Ooh, why does this have to be so hard?” Kate grabbed the sides of her head. “We can’t go.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “I know. I’d love to do it all, but you’re right. We can’t.”

  “There’s no stealing time in the present, is there?”

  “No, once it’s over, it’s over.”

  “I guess I’ll go tell Mom and Dad. They’re waiting on our decision. I hate to give in and tell Mom she’s right. She said now we’re in college we’d have more on our plates and have to make choices. I hope she doesn’t say, ‘told you so’.”

  “You’re still annoyed with her from our first week on campus, aren’t you?”

  “Well, she treated us like babies. ‘If you get lost or have any questions, you know where my office is’.” Kate used her best mom voice.

  Drew chuckled. “Don’t let her hear you.” He pulled Kate into his lap and kissed her gently, then lifted her up and carried her to his bed. “We need a break, don’t you agree, Mrs. Martin?”

  “I love it when you call me that.” Kate buried her head in his shoulder. “Only, Mrs. Martin exists at the canyon. She’d love to be here, too.”

  “Only at the canyon...only at the canyon. That one time was a weakness.”

  “Drew, after reading about Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties, I can’t believe you’re that prudish. Kids our ages were going to speakeasies and having sex. It was a very freeing time.”

  “Not at my house.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that. Your father was, or do I say is, strict. I noticed he always got his way. Your mother did everything he said, never questioned him.”

  “Yeah, he was demanding. You saw how he wanted to pull me into the family business. Enough about him.” Drew kissed her lightly on the lips. “Let’s concentrate on us.”

  “Hey, I thought you two were studying.” Kate’s mom startled them into sitting straight up on the bed. “Nex
t time, try closing the door.” She smiled. “It’s almost dinnertime. I thought we could discuss the October calendar.”

  “Be right down.” Kate ran her hand through her hair. After she left, they began to laugh, breaking the tension between them. “If only she knew how hard I have to try!” Kate teased him. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Her dad was already in the family room, calendar in hand. “Everyone, get out your phones, planners or whatever you use to keep track of your schedule. I think it’s a little late to go to Arizona for Anna’s birthday. It’s just a few days away. Still, it’s doable. Let’s make a final decision.”

  “Kate and I have a paper due Monday, and we’re pressed for time. Anna already knows and is fine with our decision because we can see her at the canyon.”

  Kate looked at her mom and saw she was trying hard not to say anything. “Go ahead, Mom. Say ‘I told you so’.”

  “No, you two are adults now and have to make your own choices.”

  “Fine, then it’s settled.” Kate’s dad set the calendar down on the coffee table in front of him. “Your wedding’s this weekend.” He pointed to the next weekend on the October page. “Since we set up everything last year, all we have to do is go. That is, if you want to.”

  “Want to? Miss seeing our wedding through Anna’s eyes! Never!” Kate couldn’t believe her dad was even asking. He was right though. They didn’t need to go back every year if they didn’t want to. Things still seemed to happen, or the memory was still in everyone’s minds, whether they were there or not. “This year I won’t be so nervous. I’ll be able to enjoy it more...except...”

  “Except what?” Her father leaned forward.

  “Lindsey won’t be there. Anna’s the only one who has a book.” Kate pouted, knowing she was pouting for both Lindsey and herself.

  “Give me a second.” Her dad held up his finger as he dialed his phone. “Carl? Yeah, it’s me. Are you going to Anna’s birthday party?”