by Tami Dee
"Hhrm-hum. Perhaps you two would like to take this to another room." For the second time in less than twenty-four hours Rosie's amused voice shattered the moment.
Leif and Kat sprung apart and Kat gave Rosie a look telling her exactly what she thought about her timing.
Rosie laughed. "Leif, the agent taking care of the paper work on your penthouse just called. She said that they were able to push up escrow and a courier will be delivering your key here this afternoon."
"This afternoon!" Kat exclaimed. "How is that possible?"
"Money talks, Kitty Kat," Singlee said, yawning as he emerged from his burrow on the couch. "Money talks."
Kat wasn't sure how she felt about the abrupt way she was losing her houseguest. On the one hand, she was happy that Leif would have his own place and a penthouse at that. Yet, on the other hand, an acute sense of despondency was settling itself around the vicinity of her heart.
True, he had only spent one night in her hovel, and, if she were to be honest with herself, she would have to admit that she had been a wreck the entire night they had been alone together at her place. Good grief, she thought in exasperation, she hadn't even taken off her clothes to sleep.
So why the news that he was getting his own place -- soon -- make her feel abandoned?
Kat jumped when she realized that Leif had come to stand in front of her, gently laying his hands on her shoulders. Her breath caught and she sucked her bottom lip under her teeth. The heat from his callused palms seeped through her blouse and slid down her arms turning them as useless as cooked spaghetti hanging at her sides.
"Kat, I meant what I said that first night," he said. "You will be moving in with me."
It was a quiet declaration, laced with determination. A touch of panic gripped her. She wondered if anyone had ever told this man no and gotten away with it.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't force a sound. She sincerely hoped her denial would make it past the tightness of her throat. She didn't have a chance to find out.
"You promised to assist me, Kat," he reminded her. "And I have every expectation that you will honor your word. It is clear that it would be all but impossible for you to do so if you are living away from me and working all your jobs. I have already spoken to Sam."
Her mouth dropped open and an outraged squeak came out.
He ignored it.
Not looking in the least apologetic, he continued. His tone was all business. "I explained to him that you would be taking some time off. I also approached your various other employers and let them know the same thing. I will be paying you while you assist me. For the duration of my stay in your time, I will be your one and only boss. As we have already discussed, I plan to leave you financially secure before I return to my time, but if for some reason you still want your jobs back, they will be waiting for you."
Kat opened then closed her mouth several times. The arrogance. The nerve. The high-handedness. How dare he? He might be a big shot jarl where he came from, but he was not her ruler.
Shrugging out of his grip she grabbed her tote from the table and slung it over her shoulder then stomped her way to the front door, resentful that, because of the thick carpet she could not make the noise she would have liked to make to show her fury. To her immense frustration, even the heavy door of Rosie's apartment conspired against her show of temper, barely making a sound as she slammed it behind her. She gave the metal security door a hard kick in retaliation.
"Ouch!" Tears sprung to her eyes almost blinding her as she hobbled down the long hall to the waiting elevator which, thankfully, was open. She fell inside and leaned against the mirrored wall as the doors slid closed.
"Who does he think he is anyway?" she muttered to herself as she pressed the button to the lobby. The elevator slid downward silently as she swiped away her angry tears.
By the time the doors opened, she had regained a measure of composer and, with her head held high, she stepped into the glittering lobby. And right into Leif. His hands reached out to steady her and she slapped them away.
"How did you get down here so fast?" she demanded through clenched teeth.
" I took the stairs," he answered calmly.
Was he so thick in the head that he didn't see how mad she was at him?
Kat jerked her head up to see him smiling down at her. Her heart did a flip-flop that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Confused, she dropped her gaze to the polished marble floor, trying to shake the uncanny feeling that he could read her mind.
"No, elskaminn," he said. "I can not read your mind. But your lovely face is so expressive that only a blind person would not know what you're thinking." He placed a gentle finger under her chin and tilted her face towards him. "Do you have any idea how breathtaking you look when you're angry?"
Then his lips touched hers and Kat knew that she was falling in love with the high-handed, bossy, sinfully handsome, thousand-year-old Norseman.
Chapter Seventeen
The elevator bell dinged and the door slid open behind them as Rosie and Singlee stepped into the lobby and joined them.
Singlee slung an arm about Kat's shoulders and gave them an encouraging squeeze.
At the empathic look in his eyes, Kat felt ashamed of herself. She knew that she had acted like a spoiled brat storming out of Rosie's apartment the way she had. Less than forty-eight hours ago, Leif had orchestrated and executed a plot that very likely saved her life. And what had he asked in return? Simply that she concentrate on assisting him in his search for a way home, a search that she promised she would help him with anyway. And he was offering to pay her for her time and effort.
Given all this, surely he wasn't asking much. Indeed, all though Kat had accused him of arrogance, it seemed she was the one with that particular problem. For the first time since her Amma had gone into the home, Kat was painfully aware of what she lacked in a material way, and now she was ready to strike out against Leif simply because he suddenly had an abundance.
When had she turned into such a person? Her Amma would be disappointed in her.
"Leif," he said, needing to make things right. "I..." She cleared her throat and tried again. "I just wanted to tell you that I don't mind helping you. And you don't have to pay me. Really."
She met his eyes and her breath caught at the warm, slightly amused glint within them.
"And will you do me the honor of keeping me company in my new shelter, Kat?" he asked her.
Heat crept to her cheeks. "Well, when you put it like that, it would be rude of me not to."
"Then it's settled," he told her. "I suggest we make our way to the bank. There are papers you need to sign as my beneficiary and I believe there is the matter of a key?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, Kat silently counted to ten. She had agreed to help him, but she certainly hadn't agreed that every thing he owned would become hers when he returned to his time. "Well talk about that later," she said tightly.
"No need for discussion," he assured her. "It's settled."
Flashing her that aggravating, confident smile that made her heart flutter despite her irritation, Leif turned on his heel and made his way to the exit, leaving a gaping Kat and snickering Singlee and Rosie to catch up.
*****
Twenty minutes later the foursome entered the lobby of the First National Bank led by Leif, who strode confidently to the teller's window. The stale scent of money permeated the air.
Rosie and Singlee settled themselves on to the leather couch situated between two potted palms in the center of the bank while Leif and Kat met with Mr. Carter, the young man that would be assisting them.
Within thirty minutes, the papers were signed and tucked away in a green file folder. Rosie had been added to the account at Kat's insistence. "Just in case," Kat had told Leif at his questioning glance. She knew eventually he would want to know 'just in case' what.
Mr. Carter, Leif and Kat stood. Kat grabbed her tote from the floor beside her chair and slung it onto her shoulder.
>
Mr. Carter held out a thin hand to Leif. "If there is nothing else..."
Kat gripped the key her grandmother had given her in her fist and its small metal teeth bit into her palm.
"My grandmother is Dagmar Hannedottir," Kat spoke up before she lost her courage. "She suffers from severer dementia and on my last visit she gave me this key."
Kat held out her hand for Mr. Carter to view the key.
"At the time she gave this to me," she continued, "she was unable to say what bank it belonged to, or even if indeed it belonged to a safe deposit box. When I saw Mr. Nabboddrson's key, I couldn't help but notice that it was identical to this one. Would you have any record of my grandmother having an account with this bank?"
Mr. Carter pushed his corn-rimed glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose and peered at the key Kat held out.
"If you will excuse me for one moment, Miss. Jonsdottir," he said politely. "I will inquire if your grandmother does indeed have an account with us, and if so, if she made provisions for us to speak to you regarding the account. Do you mind if I take the key with me?"
Kat hadn't thought about the possibility that she may not be able to gain information. Her nerves were stretched taut as she handed the key to Mr. Carter. As soon as she did a sense that something extraordinary was about to happen washed over her.
Several tense minutes later Mr. Carter returned.
"I apologize for the wait," he said. "Your grandmother does have an account with us and if I could just see your ID, we can proceed."
After digging through her tote for her wallet, she pleaded with him to allow Leif, Rosie and Singlee to accompany her. Mr. Carter led them into the well-lit vault, indicating that they be seated at the large table that centered the room. They each pulled out their high-back, dark leather chairs and sat down. Mr. Carter walked to the wall of boxes and ran his gaze down the aisles, stopping at a rather large box in the third row from the bottom. Using Kat's key, he sprung the lock and grasped the handle, pulling the heavy looking box from its cubby. Soberly, he set it on the table in front of Kat then left the vault.
Kat hated the way her hand shook as she reached for the lid but somehow she knew that whatever was hidden away in this box would change her life.
Chapter Eighteen
Leif's heart went out to Kat as he watched her open the box. He understood that her Amma was unwell and that they had been separated for some time, but he was unsure why this viewing was quite so difficult for her. He could only hope she would explain later. Until then, he would offer her his emotional support.
As soon as the lid opened, the small room filled with a familiar scent, the very aroma that until this moment Leif had only smelled in his sleeping hours.
His eyes stung and his heart thundered under his ribs.
"It smells like Amma, Rosie," Kat said quietly.
Rosie leaned in closer and breathed deeply. "Lavender and Bengay ointment. Only her."
Tears filled Rosie's golden eyes and Singlee reached over and patted her hand as Kat pulled a small white cloth with violet flowers stitched onto it from the box.
As she handled the cloth, the air surrounding him thickened.
Leif was too stunned to speak.
He turned his gaze to Kat. As clearly as if the ancient were standing in the room with him, her words rang through his mind. "You must cherish her as I have. Protect her from her enemies. Promise me, Leif. Promise me."
A feeling of rightness settled upon Leif as the mystery that had haunted him for so many years was solved. The ancient who had spoken to him, extracted promises from him, guided him in times of trouble, was Kat's Amma. And the one he was to protect was Kat herself. More miraculous still, he had fulfilled his vow without even realizing that she was the one he had pledged to protect.
Leif caught himself. He had protected her from her enemies, but did he cherish her? Could he love a woman from a thousand years into his future? And if he could love her the way the ancient wished him to, what did that do to his chances of returning home? To his time? To his father and family who needed him so desperately?
Tears streamed down Kat's cheeks and Leif left his troubling thoughts for later as he pushed back his chair and moved to stand behind her, softly brushing her hair with his hand in an effort to soothe her.
As Kat's sobs quieted, Leif realized that it was now a matter of the greatest urgency to meet her Amma. Leif could only hope that she would give him the needed direction, as she had so many times in the past.
*****
As Leif stroked her hair, Kat tried to relax. More in control of her emotions, she gratefully patted the hand he placed on her shoulder and he silently returned to his seat beside her.
Why did she feel like she had lost her Amma? Even Rosie looked as if she grieved, her eyes misty as she watched Kat clutch the embroidered handkerchief. Her Amma was safe and sound in Peace Haven, not deceased.
Perhaps going through her personal effects without her was too much like facing her death. Or maybe it was because she might find the missing piece of the puzzle which would, if Amma had her way, catapult Leif, and herself, into the past. A thousand year's past to be precise.
Then she really would be loosing her Amma as well as Rosie and Singlee, her best friends. Yes, the more she thought about it, Kat was certain that it was fear of the unknown, the prospect of doing something that she had no wish to do, that was causing her insides to churn with uncertainty and her heart to be so heavy.
Yet, could she in good conscience not follow her Amma's instructions?
Steeling herself, Kat forced herself to focus on the present. Reaching into the box again, she pulled out a book that was approximately the same thickness as her Amma's volume of legends. She ran her finger over the engraved leather cover before fanning the musty pages. "Look at this," she said. "It's written in another language."
Leif and Rosie both leaned in to get a closer look. "It's written in Runes," they said in unison.
Kat smiled as Leif raised a surprised brow toward Rosie.
"I learned to read some Norse in my ancient language class a couple of years ago," Rosie explained. "It might take awhile, but I am sure I could translate."
"I can read this," Leif told them. "It is my language."
Disappointed that she could not read the book herself, Kat handed Leif the volume then continued her search of the box, her heart thundering.
She pulled out what looked like a jewelry box. The lid creaked as she opened it and she caught her breath when she saw the string of lustrous pearls.
"Those are beautiful," Rosie said in awe, leaning in to get a better look.
Kat carefully picked the necklace up from the purple velvet lining where they had rested for twenty years and held them to her neck, tears unexpectedly burning her eyes.
"I've never seen my grandmother wear these," she said. "I wonder why she kept them here, instead of enjoying them?"
Rosie shrugged, "Maybe if you take them with you on your next visit, you can ask her. Every now and then she has clear memories of the past. Perhaps seeing the pearls will spark some fond ones for her."
Yes, she did need to speak to her grandmother, Kat realized, and soon because she truly needed answers, and not only answers regarding the string of precious pearls that now dangled from her fingertips.
"I guess that's it," Kat sighed as she picked up the handkerchief, wondering if she should leave it in the box or take it home with her.
"You know," Singlee mussed. "Some of these boxes have hidden bottoms."
And he was right. Kat found a small clasp which, when clicked, revealed a compartment in which there was a leather pouch with a thin drawstring pulled tight.
Kat knew, she knew, that her ancestress' matching pendant was secured within the small pouch.
Rosie and Singlee gave her curious looks, yet nether spoke. Shooting a covert glance toward Leif she reached a trembling hand inside the box until her suddenly cold fingers clutched the pouch. The stiff metal o
f the pendant burned through the thick leather, heating her palm.
For some reason, an unknown reason that defied reason, instead of drawing Leif's attention to the find, she slipped the pouch into the tote resting by her feet under the table.
Clearly puzzled, Singlee averted his gaze. Rosie also noticed her slight of hand and raised a questioning brow and, suddenly ashamed, Kat pressed the false bottom closed.
Only then did Leif look up from the book he had been studying so intently, his expression so dark it was frightening. Had he seen her? Their first meeting on the beach at Hyde Pier flashed in her mind and she remembered the angry, betrayed warrior, holding a knife at her throat. She had grown so comfortable around him that she had all but forgotten their first, turbulent meeting. And she had also completely forgotten that he hadn't trusted her as far as he could throw her.
Apparently his first instincts had been right, she thought, disgusted with herself. In one panicked moment, for a reason that she couldn't even comprehend, she had just deceived him by palming the instrument that she knew, knew, would transport him home.
To his father, his family. A family that needed him.
Why? Did the thought of trying to return to his time with him frighten her so much that she was willing to sacrifice his need to go home in order for her to stay? Not for the first time she asked herself what kind of a person had she become these last five years without her Amma's gentle guidance?
Guilt swamped her, perhaps there was more of the ancient Katla's blood running through her veins than she previously thought.
Not really seeing Kat, Leif returned his gaze to the book and thumbed through the well preserved pages, scanning the text.
