Vestige of Courage

by Sara Blackard

  “Please.” Beatrice moved their joined hands to her chest, clasping them with her other.

  Zeke peered into her face, his brows drawing together. She prayed God would open Zeke’s heart to the truth. She didn’t want to hurt this tenderhearted man who had obviously suffered much in the disappearance of Hunter.

  He took a step back, and she dropped his hand. “You two have five minutes.” He stepped to the couch and sat, his leg bouncing as he fidgeted.

  She glanced at Chase, whose jaw was clenched tight as he stared at her. He nodded curtly before heading back to his chair. She brushed off the way her heart sank at his expression. She didn’t have time to worry about what was bothering him. She had five minutes to convince the intelligent and skeptical Zeke that time travel was real and let Chase explain why they needed Zeke’s help. She took a deep breath and marched to her seat on the couch, preparing how to explain the day her life tumbled out of her control.

  Chapter 11

  May 13, 1881

  Hey, man. I’m sitting in a boardinghouse in Denver. It’s my second trip here, and I still can’t wrap my head around the changes that are going to happen in the next hundred and fifty years or so. Now, it’s just a town full of cowboys and miners all looking either to load their pockets or empty them. I thought I’d enjoy Denver more now since it’s not such a sprawling city, but I can’t wait to get out of here tomorrow and escape back to the mountains. I probably won’t be coming back any time soon. Wouldn’t have come in the first place if we didn’t have financial issues we needed to set up. We’ve spent the last few days with our lawyers and believe we’ve set up a fund for whenever Beatrice shows up. I’m establishing it in a way that I hope it’ll survive the depression and be accessible whenever she arrives. If you’re reading this, it means you’ve at least met her. All the information for the funds will be in the chest, so maybe you can help her navigate how to get her money. Miss you, bud.

  Chase pulled out of the drive and peeked over at Beatrice. Her nervousness was evident in the way she twisted her hair around her finger as she stared out the window. He had been surprised to get a call from Zeke early that morning saying Beatrice’s IDs were ready. Just as he’d been surprised they’d been able to convince Zeke of her trek through time with relative ease, at least after Chase had mangled setting up that conversation.

  He cringed at how he’d just thrown that Hunter had travelled through time out there. He knew how hard a time Zeke had after Hunter disappeared, deciding to retire from the unit and move to Colorado. Zeke had helped with the search as he set up his security business. Chase definitely could’ve figured out a better way to drop the bomb, but he’d been so nervous, the news had just tumbled out with no tact.

  Thankfully, Beatrice had prevailed where he had failed. He tried to tamp down the jealousy elicited by the memory of her gripping Zeke’s hand to her chest as she practically begged him to stay. She didn’t mean anything by it, but it still made his jaw clench and his chest burn to think on it.

  “You ready for your first venture to the city?” He shot a smile her way.

  She shook her head. “Yes?”

  He laughed at her contradiction. “There’s nothing to worry about, Bea. We’ll just run down, meet up with Zeke at the coffee shop, and then, if you’re done, we can head back home. Or if you want, we can go exploring some. It’ll be totally up to you.”

  She briefly met his gaze, nodded, then continued to stare out the window. He turned his eyes back to the dirt road that led to civilization, but the way she kept twisting her fingers together and pulling the threads that hung from his beat-up sweatshirt she wore distracted him. He wished he could unbuckle her and pull her next to him on the pick-up’s bench seat. Maybe then her nervous fidgeting would calm. He wasn’t quite brave enough to see if it would help, at least not yet. He worried constantly that he pushed her sense of propriety. He didn’t want to be an added stress on her. She already had enough to deal with.

  Chase reached over and turned on the radio, causing Beatrice to jump. He inwardly groaned as the chorus from “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum played through the speakers. He reached to change the station, but her gasp stalled his hand.

  “I know this song!” Her face lit with excitement.

  “How in the world do you know this song?”

  “Hunter had it on his phone. It was the first song we heard when he was showing us his gear. He plays it on the guitar for Viola sometimes.” Her neck pinked in a blush as she stared at the radio.

  “I forgot about his phone. I bet that was a shock to see.” He wondered how they had reacted to all his gear.

  “Viola was shocked, to be sure. She fainted like those flighty women you read about in dime novels.” Her lips turned up into a one-sided smile. “I was enthralled by it. I spent hours listening to Hunter’s music and looking at his pictures.”

  He didn’t miss the way her eyes darted to him, and her cheeks bloomed a gorgeous shade of pink. He smiled broadly, glancing over at her with a cocked eyebrow. She huffed and turned forward.

  “I wasted so much time on that silly thing.” She shook her head and started fiddling with her sleeve again.

  “What other items were surprising to you?” He slowed as he went around a corner where another car was coming up the road in the opposite lane.

  She squeaked, grabbed onto the door handle so hard her knuckles turned white, and closed her eyes tight.

  “Beatrice, it’s okay. The road has two lanes.”

  She opened one eye as the car passed, turning her head to follow it the length of the truck. She relaxed with a sigh. “I don’t think I like driving. It’s too fast, and the roads are much too hazardous.”

  If this slow driving dirt road freaked her out, what was she going to do when they made it to the interstate and town? He was glad he’d decided to bring the big truck instead of his red Shelby GT500. Hopefully the height and size of the truck would make her feel safer.

  “Maybe try not to think about it. Just experience it.” Was he really that lame? He wished he could whack his head on the steering wheel. He shrugged when she gave him a puzzled look. “So, what gear of my brother’s surprised you?”

  “Surprised me good or bad?” She shook out her hands before turning to him.

  “Either. Both.” He smiled at her.

  She snorted, making him chuckle. “A good surprise, aside from the phone, was Hunter’s gun. It was so light in my hands. The few rounds I shot before we buried it were entertaining. Amazing, really, how accurate that small thing was.”

  “We’ll have to go shooting when we get back to the property.” Chase hoped having something she could look forward to would make the experience of going to town more enjoyable.

  “We can do that?” She bit her bottom lip. Her face seemed to shine at the prospect.

  “Absolutely.” He was determined to take her shooting often if this was the reaction he received.

  She turned forward and watched eagerly out the window. He let the quiet settle as he tapped his thumb on the steering wheel to the music. It was hard to miss how the busier the street got, the tenser she became. Her head whipped from side to side as they drove through the New Castle neighborhoods that took them to the interstate.

  “Look … look at all these houses.” Her voice shook. “They’re all so huge.”

  Chase surveyed the neighborhood with genuine interest for the first time since moving to Colorado. The houses were all lined up nice and neat with their fenced-in yards. Each house had two stories and a two-car garage. With the neighborhood being relatively new, the houses made his look like a tattered patch job, which it was.

  “Just your typical American neighborhood. Too expensive to truly afford, but limited options available.” He shrugged. “Give me the mountains any day over suburbia.”

  His skin tingled at the realization that what he said was true. He never imagined he’d actually prefer his isolated home over living in town, but the more houses they passed on t
heir way to the interstate, the more the thought solidified in his gut.

  He stopped at the light and glanced over at her. She was slumped low in her seat, biting her thumb nail. Her eyes darted left and right as cars drove by. Her eyes widened suddenly and she pointed a shaky hand to the interstate in front of them.

  “They’re going too fast. It’s not … I can’t …” She turned her wide eyes on him.

  He reached across the seat and grabbed her hand. “It’s okay, Bea. We’ll take the frontage road before we get on the interstate.”

  She nodded absently and clenched his hand in hers. He put on his blinker and when the light was green, turned onto the frontage road. He kept glancing at her, his worry climbing like his speed. Her hand shook violently in his and her breathing was fast and choppy. Maybe coming to town wasn’t such a good idea.

  Coming to town was a horrible idea. Beatrice clenched Chase’s hand tighter, knowing she should let it go so he could drive properly, but needing the anchor to keep her from sliding into a miry pit she couldn’t escape. She’d never been more terrified in her life. How was she to adjust to this time when the simple act of traveling made her want to run for the hills and never come down? This wasn’t how she handled problems normally, and she worried the trek through time had scrambled her nerves, if not her brains.

  She watched the vehicles racing on what Chase had called an interstate, running parallel to their road. The speed at which the cars passed their truck and disappeared into the distance had her stomach doing somersaults. She didn’t know if she could do this, and wasn’t that just dandy. Here was an experience she thought she’d only ever dream of, and she was about to faint like those insipid dime novel females she’d mocked earlier.

  She watched in horror as a car rushed up behind another one. It swerved into another part of the road where a different car was already passing the slower vehicle. She couldn’t take her eyes off the three vehicles, knowing the impatient driver was about to cause an accident. Her body shook violently as the fastest car got dangerously close to the car in front of it. The air whooshed out of her lungs when the reckless driver finally drove around both the other vehicles and accelerated off.

  “Are you alright?” Chase gave her hand a little shake.

  “That car … it almost rammed into the other car.” She stared wide-eyed at him. “It was so close, driving right up behind the car in front of it. Why did the driver do that? Why would someone endanger the other people like that?”

  “A lot of people are in a hurry, always rushing here and there.” He shrugged. “It probably wasn’t as dangerous as you think. If it was winter and the roads were icy, then I’d agree the driver was being an idiot.” He glanced over at her, smiling sheepishly. “If I was driving the Shelby, you might think I was being reckless. I’ve never been in an accident, though, and I try not to crowd others’ bumpers.”

  She peered back at the interstate and slammed her eyes closed, pressing her forehead to the door’s window. She couldn’t do this. She’d always been able to hide the fear she often felt by taking action. When she and Pa had gotten stuck in a terrible storm and Pa had been knocked unconscious, she’d built a shelter and started a fire. She kept them both safe and warm until the storm had passed. Her stomach had been in knots, and her hands had shaken so hard she almost couldn’t get the fire going, but she had found comfort in knowing what had to be done and doing it.

  Once, a mountain lion had caught her off guard, stalking her from above and spooking her young horse right out from under her. She had only panicked slightly when the cat had clamped down on her arm before she pushed the terror aside to save herself by dispatching the lion. Through all her troubles, her Pa’s voice would speak softly in her head, reminding her of what to do. But she didn’t know what to do here. Pa’s voice, which had always guided her through sticky situations, was silent, as if it hadn’t made the travel across the years with her.

  “We’re almost there, Bea, then you can relax, have some coffee, and adjust.” As he reassured her, the truck slowed and turned, then sped up much quicker than any of the other times before.

  Beatrice’s eyes flew open, her heart jumping clear into her throat. They were speeding up fast as they ventured onto the interstate. Breakfast moved up to where her heart had just been, and she swallowed hard.

  “No.” The word was barely audible as she yanked her hand from Chase’s and pulled her knees into her chest. “No, no, no. I can’t … I can’t breathe.”

  “Beatrice, I need you to calm down. Take a deep breath.” His words sounded strange and muted as her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

  She needed safety, needed to do something. She was clueless what to do as the fear threatened to choke the life right out of her. She unlatched the belt pinning her in place.

  “Hey, Beatrice, wait. What are you doing?” His hand skimmed her shoulder as she fled to the floor, huddling into the smallest ball she could clench into.

  She heard his voice frantically speaking, but no words formed in her head. The vibrations of the truck as the wheels rushed across the road pounded into her head. Her breath took on the rapid pace of the vehicle, and her head began to swim. She laid her head on her knees, caving in to the panic that threatened to pull her under.

  Chapter 12

  February 19, 1883

  Hey, man. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Thinking about all the things I never told you. Yeah, I know, get over it, right? Well, there’s one thing I always admired about you, Chase. It actually made me jealous more times than not. Anyway, you are able to connect with people on a level that I’ve never been able to. You seemed to know what another person needed. Remember when we were in middle school and were out playing with the neighborhood kids? That little girl Maria who lived down the street fell off her bike and broke her arm really bad. Remember that? Everyone else was freaking out, running, screaming for their parents, but you went to Maria and got her to calm down by the time her mom came running up. I’d knelt across from you in awe that day, wondering how you could know exactly what to say when everything I tried just made her cry more. You’ve always been that way, able to get to the heart of a person. I love you, bud.

  “Siri, call Zeke.” Chase yelled at his truck as he drove. He glanced over to Beatrice where she huddled on the floorboard, his heart stuck in his throat.

  He didn’t know what all was going through her head but it must be horrible with the way she shook uncontrollably. Her rapid breathing had him worried she’d hyperventilate and pass out. He’d never been so afraid in his life as when she had unclicked her seatbelt and started scrambling. He had prepared to slam on the brakes just in case she opened the door in her panic and tried to get out of the vehicle.

  “Hey man, you almost here?” Zeke’s voice sounded through the truck speakers.

  “Zeke, she’s flipped. We got on the interstate, and she totally lost it.” Chase cringed at how frantic his voice sounded.

  “Well, get off the interstate. I can meet you in New Castle or up at your place.” Zeke’s voice sounded infuriatingly calm.

  “I just got on the interstate at Canyon Creek. There’s nowhere for me to turn around.” He took a deep breath, trying to invoke the relaxed attitude he normally exuded. His heart still erratically beat in his chest.

  “I’ll meet you at the DQ right off the first Glenwood exit.” Zeke’s car revved up as the phone disconnected.

  Chase quickly surveyed Beatrice. She had clapped her hands over her ears and was whimpering. He stretched his hand to try and comfort her, but she had stuffed herself into such a tight ball, he couldn’t reach her. Indecision roared within him. Should he stop the truck and calm her down or keep going the five miles or so to the exit? Should he slow down to make it easier on her or speed through the canyon to get stopped quicker? He pushed his hand through his hair, disgusted with himself for not knowing what to do. Lord, help me?

  He peeked over at Beatrice again. His inability to ease her terror sat h
eavy in his stomach. He wanted this over, wanted to take her in his arms until she recovered from this new barrier she had to overcome. He pushed the pedal further and rocketed through the canyon. As the shadows on the deep canyon darkened the interior of the truck, the words from the psalm he’d memorized in his childhood came tumbling from his mouth.

  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

  His frantic heart rate slowed as he spoke the ancient words of hope. He chanced a glance at Beatrice and sighed in relief. Though she still shook where she was huddled, her whimpering had been replaced with shaky whispers of the psalm. He’d never been more thankful his mom had preferred the King James Version of the Bible than now.

  “Beatrice, I promise you, everything is going to be alright.” Chase added his voice to hers as they repeated the psalm. He wasn’t sure how he’d keep his promise, but he would do everything he could to make things better for her.

  He turned onto the exit. The last five miles had passed like forty. He entered the DQ parking lot and pulled in next to Zeke, who’d parked toward the back of the lot next to the trees. Before he had the truck turned off, Zeke opened the passenger door and crouched down so he was level with Beatrice. He pushed his hands through her hair and spoke her name softly.