Bought His Life

by Aleka Nakis Tia Fanning

  “Phone service is still down. They said it was minor damage to the top floor of the building. Windows and planters, but the television coverage made it look bad. And if it was so minor, why isn’t his phone working?”

  “Try to keep the line open so he can get through when he calls.” He increased the speed of the wipers and lowered the radio volume. Then in an attempt to calm and reassure her, he patted her shaking knee. “I’m sure Pops is fine. Like you said, nothing happened to the second floor and the news said no one was injured. Maybe he went to visit a friend or something, and he wasn’t even there when it hit. He might not even know about it.”

  “Maybe, but unlikely.” She crossed her legs and squeezed her hands between her thighs. “He rarely goes far on late summer afternoons because of the storms. It can come out of nowhere. Torrential downpours with no warning are common. He’s agreed not to venture out in the afternoons.”

  “The storms are tricky in this area.”

  “Yeah. He should be at home. You see, two years ago it was decided that his vision was deteriorating and he shouldn’t drive anymore. He gave me his car and promised to use taxis or the shuttle for his errands. For any long trips, we’re usually together. That’s why I took the Caddy in for service. It sits most of the time, but when Pops visits, we do Key West, Marathon or Largo once or twice a day. He likes to try new fishing spots all the time, but he always ends up at the dock in the backyard.”

  “He sounds like a fun guy. I can’t wait to meet him. Maybe we’ll drop a line in the water together.”

  Her phone chirped, and she immediately touched the screen to activate it. “Where are you?…Islamorada…”

  Jack heard one end of the conversation, but the relief in her voice was unmistakable. He smiled, and at the same moment the rain let up and the sun peeked through. A rainbow crossed over the road ahead of them.

  “No. Stay put and let Marty go home. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes… Don’t argue. I’m already on the road… It’s okay, Pops. Glad you thought to check the car when you realized you dropped it… Okay, wait ten minutes and order us two coffees.”

  Amazed with the love and adoration her voice held, he stole a quick glance at her. There were tears in her eyes, but she sounded sweet and understanding to her grandfather.

  “Say hi to Marty and Joan for me. I’ll see you in a bit… Love you, too.”

  “Better?” He asked.

  “Much,” she said and slid along the seat to cozy up against him. “I don’t know what came over me, but I was terrified I’d lose him. I overreacted. He decided on coming in early to surprise us and save me the trip up to Largo to pick him up.”

  “Who’s Marty?”

  “Marty is his fishing buddy. They live in the same building and spend much time together. His daughter, Joan, has a place in Big Pine, and they were driving down for the weekend. Pops came along for the ride. You’ll meet Marty at the cocktail party.”

  Jack nodded, secretly relieved himself. The thunderstorms had been fierce and had lasted longer than on other afternoons. When they couldn’t reach the old man on the telephone, he’d grown concerned that Emily would have more to deal with.

  Five minutes later, she told him to make a left into a lot with a large building sporting a bass as a mascot. They parked and walked on a wooden deck running along the bay to the large shop. Nurse sharks and tarpon swam in the water beside them, and people leaned over the railing to watch them. Jack whistled as he saw the long wooden bars under the tiki where the daily catch was displayed.

  “A fishing haven.”

  “Pops seems to think so.” She looped her arm through his and led him indoors. “He’s waiting in the restaurant.”

  The place was full of fishing gear and gadgets. There was a huge aquarium, boats and even clothing in the store. Obviously a one-stop place for fishing enthusiasts. Jack could imagine getting lost in here for a few hours.

  Emily dropped her hold on Jack and went into the outstretched arms of a man standing by a corner table. Hugging and kissing in greeting, they were completely absorbed in each other. Then the older man looked at Jack and waited for his granddaughter to introduce them.

  “Jack, this is my Pops, John Mitchell.”

  There was a familiar gleam in those blue eyes, but Jack couldn’t place it. He offered his hand. “Jack Carter. Pleased to meet you, sir.”

  The old man just stared, said nothing, then nodded as he sat and gestured to the coffee. The threesome sat, and Jack added sugar to his drink to busy himself and give Em some time with her grandfather.

  Recognition played on his mind, unsettling Jack each time he met the old man’s gaze. Who was he? Where did he know him from?

  “You gave me such a scare. I thought you were home when the tornado hit.” Emily brought Pops’ hand to her cheek and placed a kiss in the center of his palm. “I thought my life would change today and never be the same again.”

  Pops chuckled and kissed Emily’s hand in turn. “How many times have I told you, my silly girl, that I’m too lucky to have anything like that happen?”

  Jack’s head snapped up, and he once again caught the old man’s gaze. Pops gave him a knowing smirk and raised his brows in warning not to reveal what he’d just realized.

  John Kelsey Jones! Mr. Lucky Charm himself.

  “All this excitement has me in need of the ladies’ room. Again.” Emily shrugged, dropped her napkin and stood. She squeezed the weathered hand on the table and placed a quick kiss on her grandfather’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

  As they watched her walk down the corridor, Jack moved his chair closer and cleared his throat. “Jones?”

  “In the very flesh, Captain.”

  He rubbed his forehead and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. What are the chances this could happen?”

  “You should know better than to ask me that question. It’s not about chances. It’s about luck—”

  “And you are the Lucky Charm.”

  Snapping his fingers and grinning ear to ear, the old man did a jig in his seat. “Hot diggity! We did it. You traveled through time, sir. I knew it had worked for you. I just didn’t know how. I guess in a different way, but it still worked. You look the same as the day we jumped from the plane. When did you come through?”

  “A few days ago.” Jack was astounded by the enthusiasm Jones exhibited. He was as giddy as the day he’d learned he’d been chosen for the mission.

  “Grey?” A look of concern crossed his comrade’s aged face.

  “He’s fine. We came through together—in Marathon.” Jack glanced down the corridor, but there was no sign of her. “The fucking triangle spit us out a few miles from where we started.”

  “It spit me out in the middle of Central Park, in the early of the nineteen fifties. I made it to the lieutenant’s house down here, and he arranged for my new identity. Any traces of John Kelsey Jones are gone. I’m a Korean War veteran, as far as my paperwork is concerned. That was Jensen’s doing so I could retain my benefits. You know he made it all the way to Admiral?”

  “I do,” Jack said, rubbing his hand over his forehead. “But I don’t know anything about a Korean War.”

  “We have time, sir. I’ll get you up to speed. Guess fate didn’t want us to change history, after all.”

  “By choosing the 1936 Olympics, we made every effort to minimize our influence in events,” Jack reminded Jones. “We wanted to prevent loss of life, not change the future.”

  “I may be old, but I remember the arguments. I remember how the superiors had weighed our interference, and I remember the need to stop the senseless massacre. But, Jack, it wasn’t for us to decide. There are greater forces at work.”

  “So many people died. We could’ve prevented their deaths. We could have eliminated the evil and changed history.”

  “We had—we have no right to change history,” Jones said, waving a finger in the air. “I know how you’re feeling. I truly do. Guilt gnawed at me for years. As I
read each report of what were horrible discoveries in Europe after the war. I blamed myself for not succeeding in our mission and for failing a race of people. But, one day, it hit me. Where would we be if we’d succeeded? Maybe the bastard wouldn’t have died? Maybe the war would have claimed even more souls. We don’t know. We’ll never know.”

  “The United States is still here. Humanity has survived—at a very high cost,” Jack added. “But don’t you ever wonder about the good we could have done if we’d prevented him from growing so powerful?”

  “Always,” Jones replied, rolling the edge of the napkin before him. “It wasn’t my place to alter the path of history. I had no right. We had no right. It wasn’t our duty to correct; it was our duty to protect.”

  Letting the older man’s words work in his mind, Jack acknowledged that any interference would have changed the results. No one knew how. It had always been a gamble.

  “You know, Emily—”

  “Emily may have never been born,” Jones interjected. “If we’d succeeded, life wouldn’t be the same.”

  “On a personal level, I can understand. We seem to have done all right, but I pray the damage and stain on the human race can recover.”

  “All we can do is remember,” Jones added. “Remember and never allow history to repeat itself.”

  Years of living had given Jones a wiser perspective than he’d had on the day Jack and his crew had climbed on board the plane. No matter what had transpired in the years between then and now, they had to live in the present. Had to make the proper choices in the twenty-first century.

  “You know, Emily bought your watch at a lawn sale for your birthday.”

  “Our Lucky Charm. That watch saved my life more than once. Before Jensen passed, I asked him whatever happened to the things we locked in that cabinet before we left on the mission. He couldn’t remember.” Jones smiled in remembrance. “He was a good man. A very good man.”

  “I’m happy to hear you had each other.”

  “We did. Sir, we were lucky. We are lucky.”

  Jack nodded in agreement. They were so damn lucky. “Imagine, your own granddaughter buying it as a present for you. That’s where and how I met her. I was trying to retrieve it and return it to you, but your own flesh and blood took possession of your Lucky Charm.”

  “And what are your intentions toward my Em, boy?” Jones demanded, tapping a thick, sturdy finger on the table.

  “My intentions are simple.” Relief built inside Jack over the inevitable admission of his feelings. “I love her, sir. I want to start a family with her and spend the rest of my days with her.”

  “You’ve only just met.” Jones pierced him with a daring look. “You sure?”

  “You’re questioning my judgment, Jones? Do you think I would come to such a conclusion lightly?”

  “No,” the older man replied, pursing his lips. “I just wanted to be sure. My girls are the dearest things in the world to me.”

  Jack understood what his flight buddy felt. Ten days earlier, he’d have laughed and made a sarcastic comment, but as they sat at the round wooden table, he knew that Emily was the dearest thing in the world to him.

  “Funny how things work, eh?”

  “Not funny. It was fate. Luck. The Lucky Charm, sir.”

  “Cut the sir stuff, Jones. It’s I who should be calling you sir, now.” Jack laughed. “You know, out of respect, ’cause you’re so much older. You’re damn old.”

  “Serves you right, boy. I mean, Captain. It’s payback for all those evenings I spent shining your shoes.” Pops leaned across and hit Jack on the shoulder. He continued to chuckle.

  Jack remembered the young officer’s initiation when he’d joined the unit. Demeaning his position was only part of it. The top dog image had to be maintained. They had young Jones doing more than shining his boots.

  “True. You remember?”

  “Hey, I’m old, not senile.” Jones wiped tears of laughter from the corner of his eyes and suddenly grew serious. “Does my little girl know?”

  “Not yet. I was about to tell her when we heard about the tornado.”

  “No. Don’t.” Pops raised his finger to his lips. “The girls don’t need to know. I’ll help you, Jack. I have a nice savings. It’s substantial, and it’ll help you get established so that you can take care of her.”

  “Thank you for the offer, but no.” Jack smiled at the protection the man held over Emily. But looking out for her was now his job, and it was his choice to tell her. “I won’t build the rest of our lives on a lie. She’s strong and smart. She’ll be able to handle it.”

  Emily returned, and Jack stood to pull out her chair. Looking from man to man, she wrinkled her nose and folded her arms.

  “Okay, out with it. What are you scoundrels up to?”

  “Jack was just telling me how you met and what the future holds for the two of you,” Pops spoke first. “Funny how things happen.”

  “The future?” She shifted and sat on her hands. “Pops, you’re not playing matchmaker again, are you?”

  Jack pulled her right hand from under her and into his lap. “Actually, sweetheart, we were talking about the past.”

  Em listened to the story Jack relayed slowly and kept glancing over at Pops who confirmed every word. “It’s too much to believe.”

  “I know, sweetheart.” Her grandfather gave her a sympathetic look. “Trust me on this one. You need to go on faith and leave reason to the side.”

  Jack continued, leaving out no detail.

  “So you see, the watch you bought, and the watch which brought us together, belongs to your Pops, John Kelsey ‘Lucky Charm’ Jones.”

  Pops put down his coffee. “The mission which brought Jack here is also the one which introduced me to your grandmother.”

  “And Lawson?” She asked, her mind racing, trying to comprehend everything she’d learned.

  “Lawson is part of the team. But from the looks of things, no one wants to go back. Even if a way to jump through the years has been perfected, I believe we all are exactly where we’re supposed to be. Kimber and Lawson are reporting their findings on Saturday night, and I’ll know for sure.” Jack tapped the table and rubbed the dark stubble forming on his chin.

  “Kimber is in on this?”

  “I’m not sure how much she knows, but she knows,” Jack explained.

  Em dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her temples. “This is way too much to absorb. What’s going to happen? What are you going to do?”

  “Emily, if you’ll have me, I want to stay in the Keys. I know that by modern standards, we’ve just met, and it may appear rushed to call what we have between us a relationship, but for me, it is the ultimate relationship. I’m sure about us, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to convince you that we are meant to be together. I want to make my life here, and I want you and Jen in it. I will be the best father I can for Jen. I want to make a life with you.”

  Emily jumped into his lap and kissed him full on the lips. Pops cleared his throat to remind her he was still sitting there, and she shied away with a smile.

  “Well, I had a feeling my life would change today.” Pops tapped his fingers on the table and shook his head, sending Em a loving wink. “I knew it would never be the same again.”

  She winked back, and the men joined her in laughter. “Now, I have my own Lucky Charm, or two.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kimber’s sleepy gaze left the familiar bedroom-ceiling fan of her Key West apartment. She reached across the bedding and smiled when she felt a warm, hard body. Rolling over, she kissed the gorgeous man she’d been shacked up with for the last week. Being careful not to wake him, she crawled out of bed.

  After donning a robe and brushing her teeth, she went into the kitchen to make coffee. She glanced at the answering machine, annoyed to see she had accumulated some fifty messages during her week-long vacation from life.

  Scanning the phone numbers on her caller ID, she frowne
d. Most were from the office. What part of, “I quit,” didn’t they understand? She lowered the volume and listened to messages as she waited for the dark liquid to brew. Something on the counter caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was a small, white, folded card with her name scribbled on it.

  “Where did this come from?”

  She broke the sticker seal and opened the card. “Meet me at the café at ten. You know which one and which table. Don’t be late. J.”

  She looked at the time. Shit, it was already twenty to ten.

  Throwing on sweats and a tank top, she pulled her hair into a half-ass pony bun and ran out the door. Jogging all the way to the café, she arrived with three minutes to spare.

  Inside, she sat at their usual table and waited, wishing she had woken up earlier so she could have made some attempt at looking presentable. After all, it had been years since she’d seen Scott’s childhood best friend.

  Jason had joined the CIA after college, and she and Scott had joined the military, and later, the DEA. His job, even more secretive than hers, had him gone for long periods of time without contact. Every once in a while, she’d get a post card with a picture of some obscure overseas location on the front, but no return address.

  However, despite the lengths they would go to without seeing each other, he always managed to make it back to her when she needed him the most. For their wedding, for the time after her husband’s death when she was sure she’d lose her mind, Jason showed up, as if he knew she needed him. He’d only stay for a few hours, but that was enough for her.

  A single purple orchid appeared in front of her.

  She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around him.

  “You’re looking beautiful as always, Kimberleigh,” he murmured in her ear.

  She released him and pushed him back so she could examine him. Every time he came to her, he had a new look. Today was dark against white. His crisp white pants and buttoned short-sleeved shirt were bright against his dark shoes, dark sunglasses and deeply tanned skin. Even a white Panama hat sat upon dark hair.