In Due Time

by Bethany Claire

  None of it made sense—not the innkeepers’ strange behavior or the attack they’d experienced—not the sudden appearance of Jeffrey or his unusual home. Even the mattress she lay on made her nervous. Curiosity had caused her to reach her hand over the side of the bed to feel the material, and it truly felt as if the entire thing had been sewn by hand. She was almost certain if she were to pull back the blanket she’d find no manufacturer label. Who and where did people make their own mattresses anymore?

  Eventually, the whirlwind of thoughts exhausted her and she drifted into an uncomfortable and restless sleep, only to be awakened the next morning by the sound of Jeffrey’s front door swinging open as the deep voice of a Scot filled the room.

  “Jeffrey, I apologize for waking ye, but Grace says she needs to see ye right away, that ye are to be making a travel forward today. She wants to speak with ye…”

  The man’s voice trailed off as Kathleen threw Jane’s arm off her waist so that she could sit up in the bed, causing the man’s eyes to lock on her for the first time.

  “Ach, I apologize lass, I dinna know that Jeffrey…” the man allowed his speech to drift as he scooted back uncomfortably.

  Just as the stranger started to leave, Kathleen saw Jeffrey leap up from his place beside the fire.

  “Eoghanan, wait. This isn’t what it looks like at all.”

  Kathleen stood, leaning to poke a hard finger into Jane’s ribs to wake her. “Get up.” She muttered in Jane’s direction as the man spoke once more.

  “There are two of them, Jeffrey? Was one no enough for ye?”

  Kathleen didn’t like the stranger’s insinuation and took a step forward to squelch his assumption. “Excuse me? Who are you to make such an accusation?”

  His eyes grew wide as she spoke, the expression on his face changing from one of silent condemnation to utter shock as he turned his attention back to Jeffrey. “She’s American?”

  Jeffrey nodded, and Kathleen’s brows pulled together as she waited for Jeffrey’s response.

  “Yes. Let’s go get Grace.”

  The intruder left without question, and Kathleen immediately moved to block Jeffrey from following. “Nu-uh, explain. Now! Why did he ask that? Of course I’m American. Hasn’t he ever seen an American before? And why…” Kathleen stopped as she looked Jeffrey over, a tan linen shirt covering his upper body, his lower half covered by a similar, unfamiliar material. She’d noticed in the dark, but in the daylight he looked even more ridiculous, like he should have been in some sort of period play. “Why are you dressed that way? Why do I feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole?”

  His answer sent a wave of panic and fear rushing through her.

  “Because Kathleen, you kind of have.”

  CHAPTER 16

  One thing Kathleen learned from their move to Scotland was that in times of crisis, she clearly had her shit far more together than Jane. While usually very collected, Jane’s reaction to traumatic or frightening events was not a healthy one. If Kathleen believed Jane’s reaction to their supposed attack was ridiculous, it was only because she’d not yet seen her go into a state of full-on denial over the next shock that would come their way.

  After Grace’s husband, Eoghanan, returned to Jeffrey’s cabin with Grace in tow, they’d been forced to listen to a story so elaborate and unbelievable in its possibility that Kathleen would have been worried if Jane had accepted such news at face value. But after spending the entire day at McMillan Castle, surrounded by people dressed in clothes clearly made by hand and facilities entirely without modern conveniences, she found herself with little choice but to believe what they’d been told— that instead of being attacked, the rocks they’d thrown had sent them tumbling into the seventeenth century.

  While Jane had spent the afternoon glued to Grace’s side, babbling and growing rather hysterical in her insistence that all of this was some huge elaborate ruse, Kathleen had spent the majority of the day observing and reflecting on this impossible truth.

  Truthfully, it explained many things Kathleen knew Jane had wondered about for months. No wonder Jane had been unable to track down a cell number for Grace or that she’d had such difficulty locating an address.

  Kathleen knew if she’d been alone, everything wouldn’t have been so easy for her to accept. Rather than worrying over how to make her friend see the truth, she would have been seriously concerned over her own sanity. But with Jane experiencing the same thing, combined with Grace’s absence for months, it was the only thing that really made any sense, even as impossible as it all seemed.

  She couldn’t begin to wrap her mind around how a thing such as time travel could exist, but Kathleen figured that many of life’s biggest truths were that way anyway. Best not to overwhelm oneself with trying to figure it out when all that really mattered was that it undoubtedly existed.

  The revelation of time travel didn’t only shine light on all of Jane’s questions about her sister, but it also gave Kathleen pause over Jeffrey’s behavior so many nights before.

  It wasn’t that Kathleen believed a man’s kiss to be a promise of a life spent together—she’d been around and dated enough men to know that, for many, a kiss could be given out as casually as one would offer a stick of gum to a stranger. That, or a kiss was simply deemed a necessary act one had to complete before moving on to explore what lay south of a woman’s waistline. But Jeffrey’s kiss had been none of those things. Although it held no promise, he’d not given it casually.

  Instead, it held a sense of knowing so strong that it had taken Kathleen’s breath away, and she knew it had Jeffrey’s as well. He’d kissed her when she’d been angry and confused as to his behavior, and the moment his lips touched hers, she’d understood—he didn’t want to fall for her, but his kiss was an undeniable admission that he had.

  She didn’t know him, not really, but for years she’d listened to Jane’s stories and, little by little, year by year, she’d fallen for the idea of Jeffrey Oakes. And to Kathleen, the idea was enough, for there he could remain at a perfectly safe distance, unable to hurt her, incapable of shaking up the plans she’d worked so hard to lay out for her life.

  His kiss had shaken up everything. In that moment she’d realized that her gut had always been right—if she met him, she would fall for him. And fall for him, she had, the first moment she’d looked up to see the spaghetti stain splattered across his shirt. His kiss had been affirmation that he cared for her as well.

  Why then had he left so suddenly, making no effort to explain his behavior in the days or weeks that followed? These were the questions Kathleen had wrestled with every day since the kiss and only now, as she watched the sun fall over her first day in the seventeenth century, did she wonder if she knew the answers to the questions that ate at her.

  Jeffrey knew that when he and Cooper left they were coming back here. Had he left her to protect them both—believing that such feelings were pointless if they could never exist in the same century? Maybe, maybe not, but she knew this much—she’d been a coward the day Jeffrey had come by Jane’s apartment to say goodbye. She wouldn’t allow herself to be so cowardly again.

  * * *

  Most people around McMillan Castle didn’t bother knocking, least of all my young son, his mother, or Eoghanan, so it surprised me to hear the sound of knuckles against my door just after sunset.

  “Come in,” I shouted toward the doorway, not thinking for a moment that I would turn to find Kathleen stepping inside. After the way I’d treated her at every one of our meetings, I’d been sure she would stay as far away from me as possible.

  I smiled as I stood to move toward her, hoping once again that she would see the apology I’d yet to give her. “It’s too dark for you to walk all the way from the castle over here by yourself.”

  She shook her head, stepping fully inside so that she could close the door behind her. Immediately, the space between us seemed to turn electric, that same tension building that had existed the last time we’
d found ourselves alone together.

  “No, the sun was still up when I left. It wasn’t that dark.”

  “How’s Jane?” From what I’d seen, Kathleen seemed to be adjusting to the shock of learning a witch had spelled her into the past rather impressively. Jane, on the other hand, was freaking out enough for the both of them.

  “Um…” she shifted from foot to foot and smiled not at me but at the wall behind me. I could tell that she avoided my gaze intentionally. “Well, you remember that day Jane faked the headache?”

  I nodded, lust surging through every inch of me at the memory. Of course, I remembered. It hadn’t left my mind for a moment.

  “Yeah, I don’t think she’ll be having to fake a headache tomorrow. Our heads were already throbbing but she’s downed enough, I’m not even sure what it is, to render a horse unconscious. Last I saw her, Eoghanan was hauling her off to our bedroom.”

  “And how are you handling everything?” I wanted to reach out and touch her, to try and comfort her in some way, but I refrained.

  “I’m fine. I mean, I may just still be in shock. It’s very possible I could come totally unglued tomorrow but most likely not to the extent that Jane has.”

  “No,” I shook my head. I’d yet to hear of anyone quite as rattled by the experience as Jane seemed to be. “Most likely not.”

  I stepped back to make way for her movement as she paced uncomfortably around the small space of my living room. “Is everything okay? You know, I’m glad you stopped by, I’ve been meaning to…”

  She interrupted me, spinning to point a finger in my direction. “I’m changing the subject, okay?”

  When I said nothing, she continued.

  “You were trying to prevent feelings from developing, right? Because there was no point.”

  Of course that’s why I’d left her after the kiss. What sort of a fool would have done so otherwise? She was worked up—her breathing escalated and her face flushed with nervousness. I wanted to pull her into my arms and keep her there all night. Instead, I nodded.

  “Okay. Okay, that’s good then. Umm…” shyly she stepped toward me, her voice shaky as she spoke. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  I smiled as we met each other in the center of the room, pulling her hard against me as I reached her. And this time, I didn’t pull away from our kiss until the need for air required it.

  CHAPTER 17

  Kathleen sat gazing into the fire, a blanket draped around the both of them as Jeffrey wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

  “Will you return home?”

  Kathleen felt the tension in Jeffrey’s chest as he asked her the question. They’d not even been there a day, and it honestly wasn’t something Kathleen had thought on very much at all. She knew why Jeffrey asked it. It had been fear of distance that had caused him to retreat from her before. It only made sense that after their evening spent kissing and talking by the fire that this would be on his mind once again.

  “I don’t know.” It was the honest answer, but something within her grew heavy as she said it.

  Jeffrey kissed her lightly on the cheek, rubbing the sides of her arms in a gesture that Kathleen felt was more of his way of shaking the tension from himself than warming her arms.

  “Of course you don’t know. Why would you yet? What do you think Jane will do?”

  That was a far easier question. Even though Jane was still far too frightened to have put any thought into it, Kathleen knew well enough what Jane would decide to do. She, of course, would stay.

  Sure, the allure of adventure had helped in Jane’s decision to join her in Scotland and to put up her trust fund for the restoration of the castle, but Kathleen knew the real driving force behind her decision had been her desire to get closer to Grace and Cooper. They were the most important people in her life. If they were here, Jane would adjust to making her life here as well.

  “She’ll stay. As much as she’ll miss General Hospital and her coffee maker, she wouldn’t want to miss watching Cooper grow up.”

  Jeffrey smiled into her ear, and she knew what he thought even before he said it. “Well, I’m glad. Even as crazy as she is, I don’t want Cooper to grow up without her either. But you know what she’ll really miss?”

  Kathleen nodded, Jeffrey’s nose brushing the side of her cheek as she moved her head up and down, the sensation a delicious one. “Her car.”

  “Yes. She’ll be mourning that baby for months.”

  “Longer, I expect.”

  Jeffrey reached around her, tucking the end of the blanket around their feet. “Yes, you’re probably right. What about you? If you did stay, what would you be leaving behind?”

  Kathleen leaned her head back against him as she thought.

  “It shouldn’t be so difficult for me to think of things, but truthfully, very little. I have no family, and Jane’s really my only very close friend. Still,” Kathleen paused, thinking on her beloved castle, the dream she’d spent so long preparing for. “I don’t know if I could bring myself to leave Cagair Castle, to allow it to return to such a state of disrepair.”

  Jeffrey sighed behind her, standing suddenly, leaving her back cold as he extended a hand. “It’s time to take you back to the castle. Otherwise, you’ll be the subject of unfair gossip come morning. I have an idea, though, if you’d like to hear it.”

  Kathleen took his hands and was quickly pulled against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’ll be honest with you, Kathleen, and this sort of soul-bearing is something that does not come easily to me.”

  He pulled away just enough so that he could cup her face with his hands, locking his eyes on her with such intensity it made Kathleen’s heart pump almost painfully with the emotion she felt in his gaze.

  “I want you to decide to stay here. I know I don’t know you well, but I’d like to, and I can’t do that if you’re living hundreds of years from now. I don’t have the luxury of a choice. I won’t leave my son here.”

  He paused and Kathleen could see that he struggled for the words he meant to say. Smiling for a brief moment, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead, still keeping his grip on her face.

  “Give me a few days to help you make your decision.”

  “To help me?” Kathleen smiled, her cheeks, smashed together by the pressure of his hands.

  He kissed her softly, leaving her breathless and weak.

  “To make you fall in love with me, Kathleen. If in three days you love me more than you love that old castle, then stay. If you decide to return to the present, then you have that much more research and experience to put into the renovation.”

  It frightened Kathleen half to death to think that she was already halfway in love with him, but she couldn’t say that. She wouldn’t confess something so crazy.

  “Why three days?”

  “Because that’s how long it will take us to travel to your castle.”

  Excitement rose in Kathleen at the thought of being able to see her beloved castle in its prime—filled with the very people that supposedly haunted it in the present. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do, but she still didn’t understand why Jeffrey suggested it.

  “Why do you want to take me to my castle?”

  He released her face, stepping back a pace to hold up a finger.

  “Well, for one, it might help Jane accept everything. She’s used to seeing your castle in its disintegrated state. If she saw it now, whole and perfect—well, I don’t know how she could deny that any of this is real after that.”

  It was an excellent point. Kathleen smiled, thinking of what was bound to be Jane’s over-the-top reaction.

  “And point two?”

  He winked at her and lifted his second finger. “Travel is an excellent way to get to know someone. It will give me several uninterrupted days to show you how charming I can be.”

  Kathleen laughed and bent to fold the blanket they’d been sitting under.

&
nbsp; “Anything else?”

  “Well, yes, actually. Do you know how to ride a horse?”

  Kathleen frowned, the prospect of spending days on the back of a horse, truly unappealing. “No. Can’t say that I do.”

  Her answer thrilled Jeffrey. “Perfect. If you can’t ride, you’ll be forced to sit right in front of me for the entire journey. And if three days of that doesn’t make you fall in love with me…well, I don’t know what will.”

  * * *

  Finally, Dad was letting him in on the good stuff. He’d not even been mad at him when he told Mom about Aunt Jane being in Scotland. Now Dad was even asking him for advice.

  “You don’t think it’s entirely selfish of me, Coop? To ask her to stay here? That’s sure a lot to ask of somebody who hardly knows me.”

  Cooper shook his head, helping his dad roll up his blanket as they packed for his trip. Why did grown-ups always think that love needed to take such a long time? Sometimes, you just know. Hadn’t he already been through this with Mom and E-o?

  “No, Dad. It’s not selfish if she loves you too and she wants to stay. Asking her isn’t making her do anything. Besides, you know if later she wanted to leave, Morna would always help her.”

  Dad tied a rope around the blanket, tossing it into the pile of all the other items he still needed to pack on his horse. “You’re right, but son, I talked some big talk with her the other night and now I’m second-guessing myself just a little.”

  “Dad, she likes you. Didn’t you say she came over to your cabin and kissed you! Girls don’t come over to your cabin and do that. She has to like you already.”

  “Maybe you’re right. Still, I just don’t know if three days is enough time.”

  Cooper could see Kathleen, Aunt Jane, and E-o heading in their direction and knew he only had a few more moments to give his dad a pep talk. He moved and pulled on his dad’s hand so he would crouch down in front of him. Once their faces were at equal level, Cooper reached up and placed his hands on either side of his dad’s face.