The receptionist led them into an exam room, and Chase coaxed Sarah to take Emily out of her sling. The baby began to cry at being woken from her sleep, and again when the woman held a thermal pad to her forehead to check her temperature.
“We can get a weight on her later,” she remarked when Emily wouldn’t stop crying, and rushed out of the room. “The NP will be in shortly,” she called over her shoulder.
Sarah shot him a grateful look when Chase gathered Emmy into his arms and held her over his shoulder. He patted the infant gently on the back, and her cries lessened.
“She doesn’t like all the bright lights,” Sarah said, gesturing with her chin at the ceiling. The white walls and cabinets were brighter than snow in winter, illuminated by the LED lights shining down on them. “What did that woman hold to her forehead?”
“It’s something that measures her body temperature,” Chase explained. Good thing the woman hadn’t asked to listen to Emmy’s chest with a stethoscope. That might have really put the scare in Sarah. No doubt the doctor, or nurse, or whoever, would do that.
“I understand a little better now what you were feeling when you came to our time, Chase.” Sarah hugged his arm and gazed up at him. “At least I was more prepared, coming here.”
Chase grinned. “I don’t think you’re prepared for anything here in this time, Angel. But you have nothing to worry about, okay?”
She nodded.
Someone knocked on the door, then immediately opened it. A tall, thin woman with short brown hair, and wearing a white lab coat, walked in. Chase stepped forward. The friendly smile on the woman’s face froze in surprise. Her eyes widened as they traveled over him, no doubt wondering about his clothes.
Tentatively, she held out her hand. “Mr. Russell, I’m Nurse Practitioner Osborne. I understand you have—”
Osborne? What a coincidence.
Aimee gasped loudly behind him, cutting off the woman’s words.
“Jana? Oh my God, Jana,” Aimee cried, and pushed past Chase. His forehead wrinkled, and he shot a confused look at Sarah. She shrugged, then looked at her mother, who had thrown her arms around the taller woman.
“Aimee?” the other woman’s incredulous voice rose a few notes. They stepped away from each other, their hands still on the other’s arms, staring as if they’d each seen a ghost.
“What on earth are you doing here?” they both said simultaneously. Then they broke out in sobs and laughter, and wrapped their arms around each other again.
Chapter Seven
Sarah stood silently by while her mother and this other woman embraced and cried with joy. Her eyes darted to Chase, who stood there with an amused look on his face. Emily appeared content, at least, resting against her papa’s shoulder.
“How are you here?” the woman named Jana said, wiping at the tears running down her cheeks. “I thought we’d made sure the time travel device was going to be hidden forever under the Lower Falls.”
Sarah’s mother pulled out of the hug, her forehead wrinkled. A puzzled look swept over her. “We?” she asked.
Jana gave her a searching look. “You don’t remember, do you?” She nodded as if understanding. “Dan thought it might be this way.”
Sarah’s eyes moved from the woman to her mother, who looked even more confused.
“Dan?” she asked tentatively. Her mother had, apparently, been rendered uncharacteristically speechless.
“So,” Chase interrupted, drawing out the word. “What a coincidence that your best friend works here in Yellowstone, and her last name is Osborne.” He paused, his eyes going from one woman to the other. “Or is it a coincidence?” He added, leaving the question hanging. Both women stared at him.
Sarah’s mother glanced from her friend to Chase. She blinked and shook her head as if to clear her mind, and stammered, “Jana, this is Chase Russell, my son-in-law, and my daughter, Sarah.”
Jana placed her hand in the one Chase offered her, then she smiled at Sarah. “I have a daughter about your age. You two could be sisters.” She chuckled. Her eyes filled with tears, then she turned her attention back to Sarah’s mother.
“You don’t remember that I was in the past, do you, Aimee?” she asked tentatively. “I was there, and so was one of your descendants. His name is Dan Osborne, and I’m married to him.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open, and so did her mother’s. Chase gave a quick laugh. “Does he happen to resemble Daniel Osborne?”
Jana shot him a hasty look. “They could be twins.”
“Well, that explains it,” he said, relief in his voice. He rolled his eyes.
“Wait,” Sarah’s mother said slowly, her face still contorted with confusion. “You were in the past? How? When?”
“When your twins were born. It’s a long story. When Dan and I came back to this time, we wondered if you and Daniel would remember any of it. There was an old Indian who led us to the time travel device.”
“I knew it,” Chase said loud enough to startle Emily awake. The baby began to cry. “Sorry,” he mumbled, and patted his daughter’s back. Sarah reached up and took her from him.
“And you’ve come back to the future . . . how? Why?” Jana glanced from Chase to Sarah’s mother.
“Because my daughter needs surgery, according to Aimee,” Chase said.
Jana’s eyes roamed over him. “You’re not from the nineteenth century, are you?”
Chase shook his head. “I time traveled by accident last summer. At least I thought it was an accident until a few days ago when a Shoshone elder gave me the time travel device that Daniel got rid of the year before.”
Jana shook her head. “Amazing,” she mumbled. “If it hadn’t happened to Dan and me, I never would believe any of it.”
“Let me guess,” Chase scoffed. “A Shoshone elder sent you to the past, too. And since Aimee doesn’t remember it, he did something to alter time. It’s what he told me would happen to us if I don’t find the ancient trinket he wants me to bring back. I agreed to do it because it was the only way to get treatment for Emily.”
“Sending Dan and me back to the future at a different time than when we left was to our benefit.” She stared, wide-eyed, at Chase. “Dan died in the past. The time travel device brought me back here to the day I met him, and it was as if the events after that never happened. But we have the memories.”
Emily cried harder, and squirmed in Sarah’s arms. She turned her back on everyone in the room, and unbuttoned her shirt to allow the baby to nurse. She tried to follow the conversation, but it all seemed so unreal, not to mention confusing. A jolt of fear gripped her. What if Chase didn’t find the artifact that the elder had asked for? What would happen to Emily? She shook her head, and gritted her teeth. She wasn’t going to fall apart crying now. Chase had never failed her. He wouldn’t rest until he found what he needed.
“Sarah.” Chase’s quiet voice at her ear startled her. She looked up into the love-filled, tender eyes of her husband. “Jana’s ready to take a look at Emmy.”
Sarah nodded, and lifted the baby for Chase to take. She hastily buttoned up her shirt, and turned to face the woman and her mother.
“Please, tell me what‘s wrong with my daughter,” she said softly. “And how we can help her get better.”
Jana smiled. “Lay the baby on the exam table, Chase, but hold on to her.” She raised her eyes to Sarah, and smiled. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
She lifted Emily’s doeskin shirt, then pulled a black, snake-like rope from around her neck. One end looked to be split down the middle, and she inserted the ends into each of her ears, then held the shiny, flat, circular other end to Emily’s chest. She seemed to be listening for something.
“I can definitely hear a murmur, and there is a lot of congestion. Her heartbeats are abnormally fast.” Jana said, and stepped back, removing the black dangling things from her ears. “We’ll do a chest x-ray and an ultrasound to confirm, but I think you’re right, Aimee. She has congestive heart
failure, which could very well be due to a septal defect.” She looked up and met Sarah’s eyes. Sarah blinked away the tears that threatened to spill. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of this woman, and she didn’t really understand her words. Chase’s warm hand on her back gave her some measure of reassurance.
Jana reached out and touched Sarah’s arm. “She’s going to be all right, no matter what. This is an easy repair, Sarah.” Her eyes went to Sarah’s mother. “It’s a much simpler procedure these days to repair the hole than what you might remember, Aimee.”
“How so?” her mother asked.
“All we need is a tissue sample from her, and we can genetically engineer new cells to perform a specific task – in this case, her heart cells. They are then implanted laparoscopically, and they’ll repair the defective area within a few weeks. In the meantime, we’ll get her on some meds to help her little heart so it doesn’t have to work so hard, and ease her congestion.”
Sarah’s mother smiled. “I still can’t believe this,” she said, staring at the other woman. “You’re a nurse practitioner now. And you’re here in Yellowstone.” She laughed. “And we’re related.”
Jana joined her in laughter. “I can’t wait for you to meet Dan . . . again. He’s Deputy Chief Ranger of Field Operations. For the last few days, he’s been involved in a high profile search and rescue, so he hasn’t even been home. Of course you’re coming to stay with us. We live right here at Mammoth.” She reached for Aimee’s hands, and squeezed. “And we can catch up on everything.”
“Sounds better than the camping arrangements Daniel planned to make.” Chase grinned, then his face turned serious. “But let’s not forget the reason we’re here, and get all that stuff done for Emily first.”
* * * * *
Sarah stared at her reflection in the large looking glass that covered almost the entire wall of this small side-room that was attached to the bedroom Jana had offered her and Chase. She’d never seen such a perfect, not to mention large, piece of glass. Reaching out a tentative hand, she touched her fingers to it. It was as if she could reach right through it. Never before had she seen her entire reflection all at once, and certainly not this clearly.
Her eyes traveled down her body. The shirt and britches Jana had given her belonged to her daughter, Shelby. She’d said they looked to be the same size, and that Shelby’s clothes would fit her. She’d assured Sarah that Shelby, who was away for the summer, wouldn’t mind if Sarah borrowed some of her clothing to blend in better.
Sarah wasn’t so sure the articles fit her. Shelby must be of a slighter stature. She eyed the blue britches she’d barely been able to pull up past her hips and button at the waist. It had taken some time to figure out the thing Chase had called a zipper when she’d asked him about tie strings.
Sarah sighed. She could scarcely breathe. Even the shirt hugged her almost like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her cheeks reddened. This was how women dressed in the future? The clothing Jana wore hadn’t been this revealing, but Sarah had seen glimpses of a few women dressed in similar outfits when they had walked from the medical clinic to Jana’s home.
“Sarah, how’s it going in there?” Chase called in a low tone from the other room that connected to this small room he’d called a bathroom. “Emmy’s asleep, and your mom said she’d watch her while we’re out.”
Chase had said he wanted to take a walk with her before the sun set, to show her a little of his old world. Curious, yet anxious at the same time, Sarah had agreed to go if Emily slept. She couldn’t leave the baby alone for long. She’d demand to be fed when she woke. The medicine Jana had given her seemed to have eased her breathing already. Sarah smiled. Her daughter would live. She would be all right.
Sarah reached for the round handle on the door. Awkwardly, she twisted the shiny knob to make it open, and stepped into the bedroom. Chase stood by the window with his back to her. Her eyes roamed over his backside, and a warm tingle spread through her. He wore similar blue britches as she, hugging his hips and thighs, but they weren’t nearly as fitting as hers. The white shirt that replaced his homespun was tucked in at the waist, and emphasized his broad shoulders, the play of his hard muscles visible through the fabric.
“Ready?” he asked, and turned. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened, lingering on her britches. Sarah shot a hasty look down her front. Had she put the clothes on wrong?
“Holy smokes, you’re hot in those jeans,” he said in a low tone, and whistled through his teeth. He covered the distance between himself and her in less than three strides. His eyes roamed over her from top to bottom, devouring her with his stare.
“Hot?” Sarah asked. She hadn’t felt hot at all, but the burning look in Chase’s eyes quickly heated her from the inside out.
“Yeah, smokin’ hot,” he growled, a wicked grin on his face. His eyes connected with hers. “It means I think you’re irresistibly gorgeous and sexy.”
Sarah’s face flushed. He’d called her beautiful on many occasions, but the look in his eyes now sent flames straight to her gut. Raw desire burned in his gaze.
“These clothes,” she said tentatively, and swallowed. “How does a woman move freely in them? They are rather tight around the legs and-”
“They look just fine.” Chase grinned broadly. His arms snaked around her waist, and he pulled her up against him. Sarah sucked in a sharp breath when his hands trailed down her lower back to her rear. Slowly, his palms slid down further, cupping her bottom, then moved back up to clasp her waist.
“I’m not sure I want to take you out of this house, the way you look and feel right now.” His breath tickled her cheek, the husky tone in his voice sending ripples of heat through her.
Her forehead scrunched in confusion, and she leaned back to look up at his face. “But, you just said the clothing looked fine. You don’t think this is appropriate?” She braced her arms against his chest.
Chase’s grin widened. “I think we may have to change our plans,” he drawled huskily. “I might get into a fight with every guy whose head you’re gonna turn, and” – he pulled her more firmly to him – “I think I just want to get you out of these jeans instead.” His head lowered to hers, and he claimed her lips with a hunger as if he hadn’t kissed her in forever.
Sarah molded against him, her arms snaking around his neck. Her body had been strung tighter than a war drum with apprehension for weeks, but now, her tension dissolved with the knowledge that Emily was going to get the treatment she needed to be a healthy baby. Filled with worry for their daughter, it had been a while since she and Chase had shared unabashed intimacies. She sighed, and relaxed fully against her husband’s solid strength, giving herself over to his kiss.
Chapter Eight
Chase pulled the covers back slowly, and rolled to his side. Light streamed in thin ribbons through the cracks of the window shades. When was the last time he’d slept so soundly? He swung his legs over the side of the mattress, and sat up, stretching his arms in the air. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced over his shoulder. His mouth curved in a smile. Sarah slept sprawled out in the center of the bed, her dark hair fanned out over the pillow. She hadn’t looked this relaxed in weeks.
He bent to the ground, grabbed for the pair of jeans Jana had given him yesterday after they arrived at her home at the old Fort Yellowstone residential area. Sarah’s clothes lay in a heap next to his t-shirt. Heat seared through him. His angel sure looked good in modern clothes. Going sight-seeing had been the furthest thing from his mind when Sarah came out of the bathroom.
His smile widened. They hadn’t made love the way they came together last night, ever. After their first time, last summer, Chase hadn’t seen Sarah again for five months, and he’d been cautious then due to her advancing pregnancy. Fear for Emmy’s life after she was born had given them little opportunity to fully relax and enjoy each other.
Emmy!
Adrenaline rushed through him. Emmy hadn’t woken them for
her usual middle-of-the-night feeding, and he sure didn’t remember Aimee bringing her into their room last night, either. Chase hastily pulled his pants on, eased the covers over Sarah’s sleeping form, and quietly left the room. Deep voices came from the kitchen down the hall, mingled with women’s chatter.
Chase blinked several times to clear his vision. Two men stood bent over the kitchen table, one pointing at a large map spread out before them. Side by side, the two were of similar physique and stature, but Daniel was easy to pick out in his leather britches and cotton shirt, not to mention his shoulder-length hair. The other man wore khaki ranger pants and a short-sleeved white shirt. His dark hair was cropped short, but the second he glanced up, Chase’s eyes widened. If his father-in-law hadn’t been standing right next to the other man, Chase would have sworn Daniel had gone all-out to fit into the twenty-first century. No wonder that ranger and the woman at the clinic had gaped at him as if they were seeing double.
Chase shook his head. There wasn’t a whole lot that surprised him anymore these days.
The modern-day version of Daniel straightened, and smiled. “Good morning,” he said. His voice didn’t hold quite the rich timbre as his ancestor, and his overall facial features weren’t as hard. He was definitely more laid-back.
Chase ignored the knowing stare from his father-in-law and focused on the other man. He walked fully into the kitchen and shook the hand offered to him, suddenly self-conscious that he’d forgotten to pull on his t-shirt.
“You must be Chase.” Modern Daniel clasped his hand in a firm shake. “Dan Osborne.”
Chase nodded, and grinned. “You two should swap clothes. That might be fun. I wonder if your wives would be able to tell the difference.” He winked, and earned a scowl from Daniel.
“Care for some coffee, Chase?” Jana asked. She and Aimee stood at the kitchen counter.
A Yellowstone Promise: Yellowstone Romance Series Novella Page 5
