Guardian of the Stone

by Amity Grays

  As a modern day woman, she wore modern day clothes. A simple T-shirt, though modest, emphasized nicely her feminine physique, and her jeans, worn and beaten, could stop traffic with how well they fit her hard-not-to-follow curves. They couldn’t have been more eye-catching if they’d been spun of fine gold.

  He could barely keep his eyes off her, though he really should try perhaps a little bit harder.

  “Do you read?” she asked, sitting back down in her seat beside him and bringing him out of his musings.

  “Yes, mostly thrillers, war stories, occasionally a western. To be honest, I’m usually too busy.”

  Looking around, she made sure no one was listening and then leaned forward. “What do you do, Dane, when you’re not rescuing damsels and traveling through time?” She was nothing short of adorable when she teased.

  Leaning in closer, he whispered, “I tackle dragons and fight giants.”

  She laughed, the soft familiar sound filling his heart as well as their surroundings. “A regular David bettering Goliath.”

  “Only Goliath’s strength isn’t so much in his physical size as it is in the size of his army or, in many cases, cartel.”

  She quit laughing. “That must be very frightening?”

  “It can be. They have a lot of loyalty. Not just from those who work for them, but from those who fear them as well.”

  “That would be very difficult to work with.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “Not nearly as difficult as a rebellious damsel.”

  She blinked, obviously taken by surprise. “Certainly you’re not speaking of me.”

  He chose not to answer.

  “You’re teasing me.”

  It amused him how certain she was of the fact.

  A soft floral fragrance tinted with an alluring mix of exotic accents—not quite musk, but every bit as sensual—drifted slowly his way. Beneath the perfume, he could still pick out her natural scent. He’d missed it. He’d missed her. In a sense, he was still missing her. Having her so near without holding her close was its own kind of loneliness.

  Her bright blue eyes sparkled against the intense sun. She looked down to hide a nervous smile. He’d been staring.

  “Sorry,” He shook his head. “It’s hard to remember you don’t know me.”

  “It’s all right.” That time she smiled openly. “It’s hard for me to remember you do know me. How long were we together?”

  “I found you the first day. They hadn’t expected company, so they’d done very little to hide you or cover their tracks. They were on foot, with passenger—finding you was easy. Taking you was easier yet. You’re very cooperative when you’re unconscious.”

  “What? I was unconscious?”

  “You were drugged,” he said as he fiddled with the various knickknacks scattered across the table. For the life of him, he couldn’t quit grinning. Visions of her first reaction were still clear in his mind.

  “I was drugged?” She frowned as though perplexed. “Why is that funny?”

  “It’s not, not at all. It’s just…you weren’t always the most cooperative.”

  Her lips parted as though about to argue the point. Dear Lord, he wanted to kiss her.

  “I find that hard to believe,” she said, crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat, transforming instantly into the stubborn, headstrong woman he remembered from France.

  He couldn’t help himself, he laughed out loud.

  “Rude,” she chided, “and completely unfair. For all I know you could be fabricating the whole thing.”

  “And I’d do that why?”

  She looked away. “I don’t know. I don’t know you. It’s hard, harder than I think you realize—not knowing.”

  “Sorry, Edeline. I would never purposely hurt you, and I give you my word—I will not lie to you.”

  Their eyes met and held. Just as they had done so many times during their journey toward the portal, they seemed to connect on a much deeper level. In this world, just as they had in the other, they would share an unusual bond.

  But that wasn’t the only connection which survived.

  Whatever they had between them, whatever it was which pulled them together and made it so difficult to part, had made it through the centuries. She was his, and somewhere deep inside her, he hoped that she sensed it.

  Big green eyes looked up at her from behind the tin box holding the cash.

  “Can I help you?” Edeline asked, looking down at the small redheaded boy.

  He took the last bite of his cookie and chewed—a concerned scowl sitting heavy between his young brows. Swallowing big, he placed the book he had tucked beneath his arm onto the table. A big goldfish swam across the cover. The boy squared his shoulders and pinned Edeline with a no-nonsense stare. “I know the book says a dollar, but I’m hoping you’ll be reasonable.”

  The smile escaped, but she quickly reeled it in.

  “Uh oh, Eda,” Paul said from behind, “I believe you have yourself an experienced bargainer.”

  “Reasonable, huh?” She picked up the book and eyed it carefully. “Let’s see.” Flipping the book from side to side, she raised it against the sun as though inspecting a flaw. “The cover does seem a bit worn. I imagine that’s worth a slight discount. How does fifty cents sound?”

  He uncurled his fist and counted the change in his hands. His big green eyes saddened. “Not reasonable enough.”

  “Of course, I haven’t yet inspected the interior. We all know we can’t judge a book by its cover, now don’t we?”

  “Yes, ma’am. My mom says it all the time.” He bit into his bottom lip. As his one hand fisted around the two dimes and one nickel held in its palm, he crossed two fingers on his other.

  The look of hope on the child’s face was priceless, worth much more than twenty-five cents.

  The pages were spotless. “Well, it could be better,” she said, shutting the book and placing it back in front of him. “Why don’t we say…”

  The boy’s shoulders tensed and lifted as he squeezed his crossed fingers tighter.

  “Twenty-five cents. Does that sound more reasonable?”

  A bright smile emerged along with two dimes and a nickel. “Thank you,” he said with an ear-to-ear grin.

  “Nice doing business with you,” she said as his mother approached carrying a small redheaded girl in her arms.

  “Did you find something, Billy?”

  He raised his book proudly for her inspection. She noted the sticker and looked curiously Edeline’s way. “Should I—”

  “We’re good,” Edeline assured. She’d slip in an extra dollar of her own at the end of the day.

  “Cute kid,” Paul said with a chuckle as the boy and his mother continued to browse.

  “How’s the sale coming?” asked a familiar voice from somewhere down the sidewalk.

  She turned and smiled that way. “Hunter, hello, I’m glad you could stop by.”

  “Hey, it’s a great cause—wouldn’t miss it.” A friendly smile spread across his face as he neared the stands.

  She waved him over to her table. “These are my friends, Paul and Amanda Dowen.” She nodded their way. “They own Paperback Adventures.” She gestured toward Hunter. “This is Hunter. He was kind enough to pack the books for me this morning.”

  “Half a block,” he said with a roguish grin, “not quite as gallant as it might sound.”

  “Still very thoughtful,” Edeline assured. She smiled toward Dane as he approached the table. “And this is Dane. Dane this is Hunter.”

  Dane’s eyes noticeably narrowed. At first it seemed as though neither man would make an acknowledgment past the point of sizing the other up. Finally Dane stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Hunter.”

  Hunter took his hand and shook it slowly. “You look familiar. Have we met?”

  “It’s always possible. I do a lot of contract work. I’m a carpenter.”

  “Hmm.” Hunter looked doubtful. “Maybe.”

  Th
e two men weren’t going to be friends, that much was obvious. Edeline wasn’t certain if she’d ever felt so much tension between two strangers. “Can I help you find anything,” she asked, anxious to get the two apart.

  “I’m a big history buff. Got anything in that genre?”

  Edeline and Amanda both laughed. Paul’s contribution to the cause was a full rack alone of history.

  “I’m a big fan myself,” Paul confessed. “Let me show you what we’ve got.”

  The two men disappeared.

  Amanda stood from her seat. “I better go replenish the cookie trays. Mrs. Taylor’s looking none too pleased about their current empty status.”

  Edeline would have thought it a tactic to leave her and Dane alone, but she’d seen Mrs. Taylor’s sour expression and realized it was true.

  “People take the ‘free punch and cookies’ thing seriously,” Dane said, taking the seat Amanda had vacated.

  She laughed. “Yeah, well, no one likes false advertising.”

  Dane didn’t respond. She couldn’t help but notice how he kept looking back toward Hunter. “You do know him, don’t you?”

  “Vaguely,” he confessed—his expression grim. “Are you walking home after this?”

  There was a great deal of concern lingering behind the question. She was certain his concerns stemmed from Hunter. He didn’t like the man nor, it seemed, did he trust him.

  “Yes, after we get everything put away.”

  “I’ll walk you home.” A kind gesture, but it came across more like a command.

  “It’s really not necessary. I walk back and forth all the time. It’s safe. Besides it might take us a few hours to get it all put away.” She looked across the street at the black Suburban. “And don’t forget, I’ve got Rambo and Rocky ready to take action.”

  He grinned. “I’m walking you home.”

  Her gaze drifted back to where Hunter and Paul stood conversing over an open book. “Are you worried about Hunter? You really needn’t be. He seems like an okay guy.”

  “Look,” he said, moving closer, “you don’t know the man, Edeline. He’s taken an interest. You need to be careful.”

  “I hardly know you better. Perhaps I should be leery of you as well.”

  The hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. She instantly regretted her words. “All right,” she said, “thank you. I’d love for you to walk me home. Besides, I’ve been looking forward to getting you alone.”

  “Really?” he replied with a sheepish grin.

  She couldn’t help herself. She batted her lids. “Oh, yes. I’ve been tossing and turning and dreaming of it for days.”

  He laughed out loud. “I’d love to read more into that, but I have a feeling we’re talking less a seduction and more an interrogation.”

  “Afraid so,” she said, before looking down. “I know I’ll never live it, but it makes it no less my life.”

  A warm hand ran gently across her face. “I understand that more than you know.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  DANE SECURED THE LAST BOX with a good round of masking tape.

  “That should do it.” Paul patted him on the back. “Thanks for your help today. I’m not sure how we would have managed without you.”

  “I’m sure you’d have managed, although I was surprised at how busy it stayed. Is it always like this?”

  “When we have our charity sales it is.” Paul secured the deposit bag and shut the till. “We beat last year’s fundraiser by near two hundred. Father Tom will be thrilled.” He handed the bag to Edeline.

  “You’re a peach,” she said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a big hug.

  “What about me?” Amanda complained.

  Laughing, Edeline turned to hug her friend. “You are the cherry on top. Thank you both so much.”

  “We enjoy doing it. Besides, you were right here with us, pal.” Amanda smiled. “So was Dane. Give Dane a hug too.” The smile widened.

  Dane couldn’t help but grin as Edeline threw a bewildered glance toward her friend. Amanda was many things. Subtle wasn’t one of them.

  “I won’t bite,” he assured.

  An all-too-familiar crimson covered her cheeks. Pulling in her bottom lip and dragging her feet, she approached him tentatively, moving slowly into his arms. “Thank you, Dane. You were a huge help. Please don’t judge me by my friends.”

  He realized he should have thought it through the moment she embraced him. Instinctively his arms wrapped around her. God, he loved the way she felt in his arms.

  “Your friends define you perfectly,” he said, finally letting her go. “They’re kind and caring and as real as a person can ask for.”

  Beautiful blue eyes stared at him silently.

  “Ohhh…” Amanda sighed.

  “Ah, thanks.” Paul chuckled. “I have to agree,” he added with a wink toward his wife.

  “We should be going,” Edeline said, grabbing her purse and avoiding all eye contact.

  The bell above the door jingled as they stepped out into the night. They walked silently to the next block, the black Suburban never far away.

  He looked her way. “Did I embarrass you?”

  “No,” she said too quickly before sighing and looking boldly into his eyes. “It’s just…you barely know me, yet you sounded so sincere.”

  “I know you better than you realize.”

  She moistened her lips. “You made a comment earlier that made me believe we didn’t get along.”

  “We argued a time or two. It was your fault.” He grinned at her look of indignation. “Hey, I told you I’d never lie.”

  “Please! Your nose is growing right in front of my eyes.”

  He laughed. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you back there.”

  “It’s all right.” She glanced up into the clear evening sky. “Don’t be sorry. It was a nice thing to say and very observant. Paul and Amanda are two of the kindest, most caring people I’ve ever met.”

  They walked the next block in silence. The night had cooled nicely the heat of the day. Many of the windows lining the tall brick buildings along their walk were opened wide. Various aromas, laughter and song drifted out into the darkness, adding a peaceful background to their slightly less than comfortable silence.

  Then, inevitably, the questions began. “So, tell me.” She tilted her head his way. “How is it you know Hunter?”

  There was no “right way” to break the news, so he said it like it was. “His name’s not Hunter. His name’s Phillip Graham. He’s one of the men who kidnapped you.”

  She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide and incredulous. “What!”

  He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “That’s why I couldn’t tell you earlier. He can’t know that you know. You have to remain approachable.”

  Edeline continued to stare at him, her mouth still agape.

  “You’re having a hard time with it, and that’s perfectly understandable,” he assured.

  She shook her head as though trying to reorganize her thoughts. “He…you…I…”

  He laughed. “Okay, now you’ve lost me.”

  Her eyes searched his. “Hunter was one of them?”

  “Graham,” he corrected with a nod.

  “Are you certain? He seems so nice. I mean I—I can’t imagine.” Doubt played like a drama across her lovely face. “Certainly you’re mistaken.”

  He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’m not mistaken. His name is Graham, and he’s one of the men I saw. There’s very little, if anything, I don’t remember and still see vividly. Every face. Every word.” He took a deep breath, the memories every bit as vivid as he claimed. “Every moment is etched deep into my memory. You can believe me, Edeline. Graham was there.”

  Disbelief turned to worry. “Dane, he recognized you.”

  “No. He only thought he did.”

  How was he going to explain it? Graham hadn’t actually recognized him. They’d never met before their excursion in Fra
nce. And the Graham whom Dane met in France wasn’t the same Graham he met today. Like Edeline, that Graham had been from the future. Dane was the only one from the present who had actually been there.

  “What Graham recognized was the look, the stance, the soldier. He simply recognized his own kind.”

  “His own kind? Are you saying he’s a soldier?”

  “Was. Like me, he was a time traveler. For thirteen years he worked directly under General Matthews. No one’s made more trips through the portal than he. The man’s practically a legend within our small group.”

  “Why would a legend do such a thing?”

  He shook his head. It was a question he’d been asking himself over and over. “Sorry, Edeline. That’s a question you’ll have to save for Graham.”

  She shifted her weight uncomfortably before turning toward the black Suburban. “They should arrest him.”

  “For what? He hasn’t done anything. Not yet.”

  Sighing in frustration, her shoulders lifted and fell. “Something has to be done. I can’t live caged like this forever. I’ll go insane.”

  Lowering his gaze, Dane stared down to where their feet now met nearly toe to toe, so close to actually touching. He looked back up. “We have to do this right. There’s too much at stake not to—you for example, and you’re not something I’m willing to risk.”

  Taking her hand in his, he gently pulled her back into a stroll. “Graham wasn’t alone in this endeavor by any means. And the men we suspect backed him are very dangerous men—men we need faces and names for.”

  She shook her head, looking off into the distance. “It’s all so silly. How can so many believe such a ridiculous tale—a magical stone, a mystical treasure and one extraordinarily unextraordinary girl?”

  “Unextraordinary?” He squeezed her hand and chuckled. “That word belongs nowhere near you.”

  Long curling strands of gold cascaded across her shoulder as she turned her head to look his way. “Tell me about it. What happened in France?”

  “How much do you know?”

  “I know as much as my father.”

  Dane hesitated, looking away.

  “I know he’s not my birth-father, if that’s what’s worrying you.”