Out of Time (Lovers in Time Series, Book 1): Time Travel Romance

by Marilyn Campbell

  He walked around behind her and kissed the top of her head. "We can stay here as long as you like, just so you don't make me sleep on the floor."

  Tilting her head back, she drew him down for a soft kiss. "The only way you'll be on the floor is if I'm down there with you."

  He gave her one more brief kiss then moved away. "You know, I always thought I'd like to try my hand at writing a novel. This looks like the perfect opportunity to try." He picked up one of her books sitting on the table. "And I'm going to begin by familiarizing myself with what makes a bestseller today."

  She smiled when she saw which one he'd chosen. "I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts about chapter five.

  * * *

  Dillard frowned at the evidence spread out on his kitchen table. His friend at the forensic lab was pissed with him for making him drop everything and risk his job for the sake of a joke. The only problem was, it wasn't a joke.

  The fingerprints he'd lifted off Kelly Kirkwood's car were a perfect match with a convicted murderer named Jack Templeton. A comparison of the photos he'd taken of Duke McCoy and Jack Templeton's mug shots also seemed to confirm that they were one and the same man.

  But Jack Templeton had been executed at the age of thirty-four in August, 1965. Exactly fifty-one years later, he seemed to be back, without aging a day. That might be possible based on the information he'd uncovered about the electrocution. If, instead of being spontaneously combusted, Templeton had fooled everyone and had somehow actually escaped, he could still be alive today. However, he'd be eighty-five years old and the man putting a big smile on Kirkwood's face couldn't possibly be that old. It occurred to him that Templeton could have escaped and been immediately frozen but that would require a mad scientist. Or maybe aliens abducted him out of that chair and just dropped him off again.

  That morning he'd followed the couple all the way to Charming, where she had been staying prior to her recent visit to Atlanta. That was another factor that fit perfectly into the puzzle without giving him a whole picture. Why was she in Charming, the site of the murder for which Templeton had been executed? The second big question arose when he learned whose home they had driven to. Why would they be visiting the husband of the woman Jack Templeton had murdered over five decades ago?

  Rather than stay on their tail in a location that would make it impossible for him to remain unnoticed, he'd returned to Atlanta to find out whatever he could about Duke McCoy. Unfortunately, the conclusions he came to made no sense.

  He had called his client as he had promised to do but instead of giving him any information over the phone, he made an appointment to meet with him personally the next morning, explaining that he had some interesting photos for him to see. Hopefully, after a good night's sleep, he'd know what he was going to tell the man.

  * * *

  "There's nothing worth eating in this refrigerator," Jack complained two hours later. "I knew we should have stopped somewhere on the way here."

  Kelly set down her pen. "I guess we could drive into town and pick up some groceries before the store closes."

  "Is there a decent restaurant where we could eat first?" She pulled her brain the rest of the way out of her story and gave him her full attention. "As a matter of fact, there is but I don't think we should spend a lot of time in Charming. Or Buford for that matter. I don't want to risk bumping into Junior. How about a drive around to the other side of Lake Lanier? We'll eat and buy groceries over there. I'm ready to stop for today anyway."

  * * *

  Junior knew everything was going to work out for him as he watched the black sports car drive away. Thinking that Kelly Kirkwood seemed like the kind that might go out to dinner rather than cook, he had decided to hide in the woods behind the cabin for a while. His patience had paid off.

  He was somewhat surprised to find the doors locked against him but he figured that was her big-city fear coming into play. It was such a waste of time when the windows had no latches on them. He was inside in a matter of seconds.

  There was still sufficient light from the setting sun for him to get a good look around. He kept in mind his father's orders to make sure he left everything exactly the way he'd found it.

  From a quick tour of the cabin, it was clear that her assistant was living here with her, which did not please Junior one bit. He'd been daydreaming about coming out here while she was sound asleep one night. It would be so dark, she wouldn't be able to guess his identity. He imagined himself becoming her secret dream lover who only comes to her under the veil of night.

  It would be like having Ginger all to himself again. But the man with the Detroit Tigers cap, whoever he really was, was in the way. Just like the other man from Detroit had been.

  He couldn't resist taking a moment to run his hands over the outfit she'd worn at lunch. And when he found where she kept her lingerie, he had no choice but to handle the silky panties and bras. He slid a black lace bra over both sides of his face and imagined how it must look pulled tightly against her womanly flesh. He wondered if her pubic hair was reddish-gold or dark brown like Ginger's. He could never forget what a surprise that had been when he finally got to see it. His eyes closed so that he could savor the memory of rubbing his face in those precious curls after having waited so long.

  It was more than he could bear. He wanted this woman, even if she was only an imitation of Ginger and, one day soon, he would figure out a way to have her. But for now he was forced to accept a substitute. Choosing the only plain white panties in the drawer, he made himself at home on her couch. Seconds later, he had convinced himself that his nylon-covered fist was actually Kelly Kirkwood's lush body.

  The fact that the fantasy brought his body to a pleasant finale without chemical assistance was all he needed to be convinced that this woman was the one he'd been waiting for. He was very tempted to leave the soiled panties behind so that she would know he'd been there and would soon be back for the real thing but his father's words echoed in his ears and he got control over the urge.

  Thoughts of his secret needs swiftly fled when he began looking through the papers on the table. As soon as he realized what Kelly Kirkwood's new book was truly about, he cursed himself for not bringing a camera. He would have much preferred to hand his father photographs rather than be the bearer of this bad news.

  One piece of paper intrigued him more than the rest, however and he committed the handwritten words to memory.

  * * *

  "Reincarnation? Ah think you've gone completely loco this time, Junior!"

  Most of the time, Junior merely resented his father but when he yelled at him like he was still six years old, he really despised the old man. "As usual, you weren't listening to me. I didn't say I thought she was reincarnated. That's what was written on one of the papers. It does seem to explain why she's so interested in the Jack Templeton case. You should have seen all the newspaper articles she had copies of, including a couple on me."

  "Is that right? So she must have recognized your name when you were introduced. Ah'm surprised she didn't go screamin' from the house."

  "Why? According to the articles, I was completely vindicated. But if you think the idea of reincarnation is loco, wait 'til you hear this. On another piece of paper, she had notes about a man being framed for his lover's murder and sent to the chair. When they throw the switch, he seems to have been spontaneously combusted but in actuality, he travels forward in time. Guess where he lands?"

  "At a cabin bein' rented by a lady author?"

  "Bingo. Sort of makes you wish you coulda gotten a good look at Duke McCoy without the hat and glasses, doesn't it?"

  Beau huffed and shook his head. "What you're suggestin' is totally outrageous, to say nothin' for bein' downright blasphemous. There ain't no such thing as reincarnation or time travel. What we have here is a beautiful bitch with a very active imagination. As far as Ah'm concerned, we now have the answer we were lookin' for. She's doin' research for her new book, which is based on the Temp
leton case, but as long as she keeps it fictional and sticks to her agreement not to go around botherin' people with questions, she's no threat to us."

  "What about her assistant being in disguise and the Detroit ball cap?"

  "Ah'm afraid we may have fallen victim to our overly suspicious minds. As Ah always told ya, no one can hurt us. Especially not a woman in her position. She could not possibly afford to be involved in anythin' more devious than acquirin' ideas for her next book. An' now Ah'm sure her assistant is exactly who and what she said he is."

  Junior strongly disagreed with that verdict but he kept his opinion to himself.

  Beau grasped his son's arm and held tight. "You stay away from her, ya hear me? She's too well known for you to be messin' with her."

  "What if she keeps snooping around?"

  Beau released Junior with a tired sigh. "If she becomes troublesome, we will discuss the matter again but until such time, you will put her out of that perverted mind of yours."

  * * *

  It wasn't that late when Kelly and Jack returned to the cabin but the busy day had taken its toll on them. They had had a nice dinner, bought enough groceries to last them a few days and had enjoyed a leisurely drive along the lake. Falling into bed together was the only thing left on their minds.

  As Kelly put the food away, Jack lit two kerosene lamps and opened the windows to let the cool night breeze flow through the cabin.

  "What happened to the screen for this window?" Jack asked as he opened the one he had come through when he first arrived.

  "What's wrong with it?" she asked without looking.

  "It's missing."

  She gave him a doubtful glance and walked over to the window to see for herself. "It was on this afternoon when I closed up." She poked her head outside and saw the screen on the ground. "It must have fallen off. I'd better go out and put it up, or we'll be attacked by mosquitoes."

  Jack insisted on doing the little chore and realized what was bothering him about the screen when he started to replace it. In order to climb in before, he had had to loosen several wing nuts that kept clamps pressed against the corners of the screen to prevent it from simply "falling off". He reattached it and went back inside.

  "Don't touch anything for a minute," he told her as he turned on the electric lamp and carried it into the bathroom.

  Kelly watched him with wary eyes. "What is it? What's wrong?"

  "I don't know. Hopefully nothing. But it's highly unlikely that the screen came off without some human assistance."

  She froze in place. "You think someone was in here while we were gone?"

  "Take a good look around. Try to remember where everything was when we left. Where's your computer?"

  She checked the bags that they had yet to unpack. "Everything seems to be where we left it. There isn't much of value in here. The computer and printer are pretty much it. Maybe it was just a drifter looking for food and when he saw what little was in the fridge, he felt sorry for us and left."

  "Do you have any money or jewelry?"

  "No jewelry except the watch and ring I'm wearing and I had my cash and credit cards with me. Anyway, wouldn't a thief have dumped drawers out or something?" She opened each of the drawers. "It doesn't look like anything's been touched."

  In spite of her assurance, his reporter's instinct was whispering that something was not right. "The few things of value are still here. Nothing seems to have been taken or searched and no notes or mementos were left behind. That probably means it's safe to assume it wasn't a drifter, thief or any obsessive fan, friend or ex-husband."

  "Sooo, what conclusion are you coming to?"

  "After today's lunch, it wouldn't have surprised me if someone had come out here to check up on what you were working on but I can't tell if any papers have been moved. Take a look."

  She did as he suggested without touching anything on the table. "It looks the same as when we left."

  Jack shook his head. "I'm probably just being paranoid. The more I think about that, if one of them had read the information on this table, we probably would have been greeted by a circle of men in white hoods when we got back. Of course, the other possibility is the man who followed us around Atlanta. Maybe he—"

  "That's enough," she said, holding up a hand to stop his speculations. "I think all this cloak and dagger stuff has got us jumping at our own shadows. The fact of the matter is, when I put the screen back on the other day, I probably didn't secure it very well and when I shut the window earlier, I must have jarred it out of place. Now I would be more than happy to go over this entire cabin with a magnifying glass if there was even one indication that someone had been inside but there isn't. And frankly, I had something more interesting in mind for tonight."

  She headed back to the kitchenette to finish putting away the groceries but he caught her around the waist and pulled her close.

  "By any chance, did the interesting something have anything to do with the baby oil you tried to discreetly slip into the shopping cart?"

  She flashed him an innocent smile. "Why don't you pull out the sofa bed while I put the food away?"

  Jack had the cushions off the sofa in an instant but his mood abruptly changed when he saw her gun. "Kelly! What the hell is this doing here?"

  She stepped closer to see what he was pointing at. With a guilty expression, she admitted, "I put it there when I still thought I needed protection from you and I guess I forgot about it. You can put it away."

  "You forgot about it? Dammit, Kelly. You don't just forget about a gun. What if someone really had broken in here tonight and found that thing. He could have gone out and killed someone with it, all because you forgot about it."

  "Whoa, boy! Calm down. Just put it wherever you'd like and I promise to be more careful in the future."

  He crossed his arms defensively and glared at the weapon. "You put it away. Somewhere that I won't accidentally find it again."

  "All right," she said. "Close your eyes."

  He did that but he still heard her open and close one of the bureau drawers and guessed she'd hidden the Walther beneath her underwear, which was the least likely place for him to stumble over it. His heart was still banging against his ribs as he heard the click of her turning off the table lamp. He opened his eyes to a room subtly lit by the kerosene lamps and no gun anywhere in sight.

  Kelly came to him and touched his cheek. "I am sorry." He took a slow breath and relaxed his body. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

  "I hate guns," he said simply then brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss before getting back to unfolding the sofa bed as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. He tried to ignore how she was standing there with her arms crossed, silently watching him with a stern face, as he went about putting clean sheets on the mattress. Finally, he met her narrow-eyed gaze and threw his arms up in surrender. "What?"

  "Is it that you don't trust me or are you too much of a man to admit you have fears?"

  He ran his hands through his hair with a frustrated sigh then sat down on the edge of the bed. Patting the spot next to him, he waited for her to join him. "It's not something I like to remember but when I see a gun... it might as well be a poisonous snake. It scares the living hell out of me."

  He shifted so they were facing each other. "I saw plenty of gunshot victims while I was working the crime beat in Detroit. But one day, when I was trying to research a story about rival street gangs, I got to witness an actual shooting. A thirteen-year-old kid from one gang had found the gun his father had forgotten to put away. When a member of the other gang insulted him, he pulled out the gun and fired six times without stopping. One boy died instantly. Three others suffered for hours before they checked out and two more were injured."

  He had to take a slow breath before finishing. "I just stood there and watched it happen. It was over before I could even think to move. It's not like I have nightmares over it or anything but I've never been able to stand having a gun aroun
d since then."

  Kelly brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. "And the first thing I did when I saw you was pull a gun on you. I am so very sorry. But I really couldn't tell that you were terrified."

  She covered his hand with hers and he felt himself relaxing. "Writing the kinds of things I did, I had to learn to hide my reactions. The fact was, I could hardly hear you for how hard my heart was pounding."

  She placed her hand on his chest. "It feels pretty normal now." She leaned toward him and brushed her lips over his. "Maybe, to be on the safe side, you should let me know whenever I do anything that makes your heart pound." As her mouth traveled to his ear, her hand moved over his nipple. "You just let me know and I'll stop immediately."

  The last of his tension slipped away. "What if I don't want you to stop?" he whispered in her ear.

  She nudged him backward onto the bed, raised the hem of his shirt and kissed his stomach. "If you don't want me to stop, you should let me know that too." She unbuckled his belt, undid the button on his jeans and placed another kiss on his navel.

  "Kelly?"

  "Mm-hmmm?"

  "Don't stop."

  She brushed her lips across the sensitive flesh below his navel. "I won't stop but I insist you allow me to do whatever I wish to your body, without your touching me." She undressed him completely while he remained stretched out on the bed. "Just to be sure you don't forget the no-touching rule," she said, placing both his hands at the top edge of the mattress. "I want you to hold on right there until I tell you it's okay to let go. Can you do that or would you rather I get something to tie you in place?"

  He bit his lip to keep from laughing. "I'll be good, mistress. I promise I won't let go until you order me to." She gave him a regal nod of her head. "Very good. Now no more talking."