Capturing the Cavedweller's Heart

by Shanna Hatfield

  Hannah turned and opened the drawer she’d taken the pencils from then set a key on the counter by the money. “If you do go out, which I’m strongly advising against, lock the door behind you. You’ll have to use this key to get back in. Do not lose the key.”

  “Stay here, don’t use the money, don’t lose the key,” he muttered, watching her lips move. She’d painted them with something that made them look like a ripe berry. He wanted, more than anything, to taste them. To see if they would be as sweet as the berries they’d eaten at her sister’s house.

  About to lose his grasp on his control, he moved back. “I’ll be fine.”

  Hannah reached up and patted his freshly shaven cheek. “I know you will be. Just be careful.”

  She opened the door and started to leave then looked back at him. “Oh, and do not put anything metal in the microwave. Understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “Stay out of trouble, and I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

  Thor watched her walk down the hall and step onto the elevator. The sight of her walking in those heels made it impossible for him to focus on anything for a good hour after she left.

  He put the clothes into the dryer, considered putting the rest in the washer, then decided he better not touch them in case he did something wrong.

  Too worked up to watch TV or even draw, he took the money she’d left on the counter and stuffed it, along with the key, in one of the zippered pockets on his shorts, pulled on socks and his hiking boots, then left the apartment.

  In need of a distraction, of something to work off his nervous energy, he could no longer sit idly in one place. Besides, the fresh air would do him good. After all, how much trouble could he get in? It was just a walk around the building where Hannah stayed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hannah tucked a burner phone into her purse, wishing she’d thought to purchase one for Thor yesterday. Her meeting with Mr. Hurley had run far longer than she expected. She had no way to contact Thor and let him know it would be a while before she returned.

  She hurried back to her Jeep, ran by the grocery store to pick up a few essentials, then raced back to the apartment. Arms loaded with bags, she unlocked the door to utter silence.

  “Thor?” she called after setting the grocery bags on the counter. Afraid the ice cream she’d purchased would melt, she hastily put away the food then noticed the missing key and money she’d left on the counter. He hadn’t drawn anything, and a quick look confirmed he hadn’t eaten one of the frozen dinners she’d left for him.

  “Thor?” she called, rushing to his room. The bed he’d slept in was made, but he was nowhere to be seen. She checked the bathroom, her room, even looked in the little storage closet at the end of the hall. Nothing. He was not in the apartment.

  Hannah snatched up her purse and keys and raced back to the lobby. “Have you seen him?” Hannah asked the doorman, holding out her phone with a photo she’d snapped of Thor when they’d stopped to look at Mount Hood yesterday.

  The doorman nodded. “He went out before lunch. Said he was taking a walk. Haven’t seen him come back, though.”

  “Thanks, Stu.” Hannah hurried outside, uncertain whether she should try to find him on foot or in her Jeep.

  Perhaps he hadn’t gone far and had just lost track of time. If he left before lunch, though, he’d been gone at least six hours.

  Panic fueled her steps as she raced down the street, wishing she’d taken time to change her clothes or at least her shoes. She retraced the path they’d taken that morning, stopping at the bakery to ask if they’d seen Thor. No one had, so she continued on her way. She searched the park and asked at every eatery if anyone had seen him.

  One man sipping iced coffee at an outdoor table said he thought he saw Thor walk by earlier. Hannah thanked the man and left, hoping to catch up to Thor before he got himself into trouble.

  Although he was a grown man capable of killing dangerous animals, she thought him as helpless as a child in the city. He couldn’t read, for goodness sake, had no idea about money or expenses, and was likely to step into a busy street without noticing the cars zooming by.

  What if he’d been injured? Taken to a hospital?

  A lump of dread weighed heavy in her stomach while fear clawed like acid up her throat. Hannah took off her shoes, holding them in one hand as she broke into a jog. Up ahead was a place food vendors set up their carts. Maybe the aroma of cooking meat had lured him there.

  She asked around, and the hot dog vendor nodded when she showed him Thor’s photo. “That dude was my best customer today. He ordered a hot dog, ate it in two bites, and had three more, then he told everyone standing around that the hot dogs were the best he’d ever eaten. I gave him two free ones for all the customers he sent my way today.”

  “When was he here?” Hannah asked.

  “That was around one o’clock. I haven’t seen him since then.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Is the dude in trouble or something?”

  Hannah shook her head. “No. Just lost. He’s not from around here.”

  “I figured that.” The man smiled at her. “Good luck finding him.”

  Hannah didn’t need luck, she needed help. Sending up a heartfelt prayer, she continued her search. An hour later, she stood at a crosswalk trying to decide which way to go next when she heard someone call her name.

  She looked up and saw Thor running down the side street toward her. Relief flooded over her with such force, her knees buckled, and she would have fallen if Thor hadn’t suddenly been there, wrapping his arms around her.

  “Oh, Thor! I couldn’t find you. I searched everywhere. The hot dog vendor and the man at the museum and…” Tears stung Hannah’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She never cried in public, didn’t even like to see displays of public affection, but couldn’t stop. If anything had happened to Thor, she didn’t know what she’d do. She would have died if he’d just disappeared.

  What do you think will happen when he returns to his own time? a voice intruded in her thoughts.

  Hannah ignored it and hugged him tighter. “You scared me half to death,” she said, feeling anger replace her irrational fear. “Didn’t I ask you to stay at the apartment?” she asked, pushing away from him.

  Reluctantly, he let her go, although he took her shoes from her then held her hand in his. “I only meant to go for a short walk, then I was hungry and found the hot dog man. I like hot dogs.” He gave her a boyish grin that made her heart flutter. “I looked around, went to a museum where they had a stagecoach. I would like to ride in one. When I left, I wasn’t sure which way to go and have been trying to find my way back. I am sorry.”

  To his credit, Thor did look repentant as he stood there, holding her hand right along with her heart.

  “You’re forgiven, this time, but don’t you ever run off like that again. Who knows what might have happened to you.” Hannah took her shoes from him, slipped them on, then flagged down a taxi.

  “What is this?” Thor asked as they climbed inside. On the ride back to her apartment, she explained taxis and public transportation.

  When they were in the apartment, Thor ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I think I’d rather face down a bear and a lion together than be lost in your city again.”

  Hannah gave him another hug then stepped away when she felt his hand tightening around her waist. If she had any hope of surviving with her heart intact, she couldn’t let herself fall any more in love with this mysterious, magnificent man.

  “Here,” she said, taking the burner phone out of her purse and handing it to him.

  “A phone?” he asked, taking the cell phone from her.

  “Your cell phone. My number is already programmed in it. If you’d had it with you today, you could have called me, and I would have been able to find you.”

  “Phones are good,” he said then made her show him how to place a call to her. She grinned when he insisted on trying it out and took
her phone from her pocket to show him that it worked.

  “I’ll take care of dinner while you go wash up,” she said, giving him a nudge down the hall.

  Hannah ordered pizza for delivery then took a quick shower and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. When she returned to the kitchen, Thor sat at the counter, drawing.

  “I want to remember what I saw today,” he said, drawing rough lines that she could see resembled a wagon.

  “You liked the historical museum, didn’t you?” she asked, brushing her fingers across the back of his neck, consumed with the need to touch him.

  He looked over his shoulder at her with such heat in his eyes, Hannah felt like she might melt into the floor. His gaze held hers for the length of several heartbeats, then he looked back at the drawing. “If I remain here, I would like to be a cowboy, like Jason, and live on a ranch. I like the horses and cattle and open spaces. I do not like the city.”

  “I know just what you mean. I much prefer to be at the ranch or a dig site than here, but sometimes I have to work in the lab.”

  “Like Bailey’s lab?” Thor asked.

  “Yes, like Bailey’s lab,” Hannah said as the doorbell rang. She snatched up the money she’d set out to pay for the pizza then opened the door. The smell of pepperoni and spices filled the apartment as she shut the door and returned to the kitchen.

  “That smells good,” Thor said, moving his papers off the counter so she could set the pizza boxes down. She’d ordered two and had different toppings on each half so Thor could try a variety.

  He liked the one loaded with meat best, which made her smile. The cavedweller might have left his time, but he still loved his meat.

  After they’d eaten and stuffed the leftover pizza in the refrigerator, Thor asked how her meeting went with Mr. Hurley.

  “Just fine,” Hannah said, unwilling to share the truth. Mr. Hurley had agreed to continue funding their project, but only after Hannah went with him to lunch then took him to the lab and spent all afternoon evading his groping hands. Charles Hurley was old enough to be her grandfather, a good six inches shorter than her, bald, and mistakenly convinced every woman he met thought he was the catch of the century. Just because he had billions of dollars didn’t mean Hannah was interested. She’d politely but firmly refused his advances.

  Once she’d shown him the lion’s paw pouch, though, he’d forgotten all about trying to woo her and focused entirely on the artifact samples she’d brought along.

  He’d asked so many questions and wanted so many details, she’d spent hours outlining the dig, what they’d discovered, and what they yet hoped to find. When she mentioned the bones she’d found and Bailey Morgan taking over, he said he’d reach out to her as well.

  Exhausted from handling Mr. Hurley and worrying about Thor, Hannah could barely keep her eyes open by the time eight o’clock rolled around that evening.

  “I’m going to bed, Thor,” she said as he flipped through one channel after another, searching for something that interested him. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Sleep well, Hannah, and thank you for coming to find me.”

  “I would go anywhere to find you, if I thought you were lost,” she said and blew him a kiss. In her weary state, she didn’t even notice the way Thor’s eyes widened in surprise as he attempted to catch it.

  The next morning, she awakened to the delicious aromas of coffee and bacon. For a moment, she stretched in bed, thinking of spending the day at the ranch, then realized she was in her apartment in Portland.

  Hannah jumped out of bed and raced to the kitchen. Thor was leaning against the counter, sipping coffee from a mug that had “It’s Good to Be Queen” printed on the side.

  “Good morning,” Hannah said, pushing hair out of her eyes and glancing from the coffee maker to him to the oven. She pulled open the door and saw the bacon was nearly cooked. Thor had found the toaster and the loaf of bread she’d purchased. Several slices were missing, and she noticed the trail of crumbs down the front of his shirt.

  “Thank you for making breakfast.”

  He grunted and followed her gaze to his T-shirt then brushed at the crumbs. “I was hungry, and I like bacon.”

  She grinned. “Yes, you do. Would you like some eggs?”

  He nodded.

  Hannah made scrambled eggs while Thor poured her a cup of coffee and put more bread in the toaster. After breakfast, she dressed in slacks and a blouse, then gathered her research papers and a few things she wanted to take to the lab.

  She returned to the kitchen where Thor sat at the counter drawing. “I have to spend time at the lab today. You can come with me or stay here, but by stay here, I mean stay here in the apartment. What would you like to do?”

  “Come with you.”

  Hannah started to remind him to brush his teeth and put on his shoes, but snapped her mouth shut. Thor wasn’t a child, and treating him like one wouldn’t change the fact he was a man. One she found herself more attracted to than any other she’d met.

  She found a tote bag and added a few snacks then studied the drawings he’d been working on. A laugh worked its way free when she saw he’d drawn several pages with hot dogs. He must have really liked them.

  The sound of his footsteps drew her gaze to the doorway as he walked into the kitchen. He wore his jeans and boots with one of his snap-front shirts. He held his straw cowboy hat in his hands. As good as he looked, she had no intention of telling him he could have worn shorts and a T-shirt.

  On the way to the lab, he quietly looked out the window, seemingly lost in his thoughts. At the office, she introduced him to her colleagues, showed him around her work area, and left him at her desk with a stack of paper and a pile of pencils. He’d discovered the electric pencil sharpener and had worn three pencils down to nubs, but she didn’t care. As long as he was safe and enjoying himself, that was all that mattered.

  Hannah took an hour-long break at lunch, and they went out to eat at an Italian restaurant down the street. Thor enjoyed his lasagna and breadsticks then decided he liked her ravioli, too.

  “I will explore,” he said when they returned to her office building.

  She gave him a worried look, but he took his phone from his shirt pocket and grinned. “If I get lost, I will call.”

  Hannah took out her purse and handed him fifty dollars. “Don’t spend that all in one place.”

  “I won’t.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek then turned and walked off in the direction of a park down the street.

  “Keep him safe, please, Lord,” she whispered then rushed back inside.

  She concentrated on her work for an hour before thoughts of Thor made it nearly impossible for her to focus. By three that afternoon, she was so rattled, her hands shook. She’d just taken out her phone to call him when he suddenly appeared and handed her a frosty cup.

  “Hannah,” he said, gifting her with a boyish smile, his eyes bright with excitement. “I found the most wondrous thing. It is ice cream you can drink!”

  “A milkshake,” she said, taking a sip through the straw in her cup. It had melted slightly in the heat, but the berry flavor was cool and refreshing. “Did you have a good time?”

  “I did, but it is hot outside,” he said, removing his hat and fanning it in front of his face. “Your modern world is making me…” He searched for the right word.

  “Awesome,” Hannah blurted, unaware she’d spoken her thoughts.

  Thor grinned. “That will do.” He turned and went back to her office, and Hannah once again focused on her work. She finished a few minutes before five and collected Thor from her office before they went down to her car.

  On the way back to her apartment, she stopped and picked up Hawaiian food for their dinner.

  Thor’s stomach growled, and he glanced at the food resting on the backseat as she drove. “I smell roasted meat.”

  “You’ll enjoy it, trust me.”

  He shifted in the seat and took her right hand, cradling it betwe
en both of his. “Of all the people I’ve ever known, I trust you most, Hannah Clayton.”

  Unsettled by his words and the light glowing in his warm blue eyes, she remained silent as they parked at her building and made their way to the apartment.

  Hours later, after they’d eaten and Hannah read to Thor from a Pat McManus book, they’d both been tired and gone to bed.

  Soft voices drew her from a deep sleep. She wondered if Thor was up watching TV again. She’d found he was often restless, especially at night, and would watch something until he felt drowsy again. One night, he’d awakened her as he laughed through The Blues Brothers movie.

  The rumble of his voice and a feminine voice responding brought her wide awake. Not bothering with a robe, she hopped out of bed and hurried into the living room to find her roommate Tammie talking to Thor. Not just talking to him, but practically sitting in his lap on the couch. The two of them looked entirely too friendly and cozy, especially with Tammie wearing a filmy peignoir set that left nothing to the imagination.

  Although a small lamp by the couch provided sufficient illumination, Hannah flipped on the overhead light and bathed the room in bright light.

  Thor looked back at her and grinned while Tammie gave her a sly smile.

  “What’s going on?” Hannah asked, walking over to the couch and placing her hands on Thor’s shoulders. At that moment, she didn’t care about where he’d come from or the fact he could disappear at any moment. He was hers, and she was claiming her cavedweller.

  Jealousy made her want to shove Tammie out the door and lock it behind her. Why, of all the times for one of her roommates to show up unexpectedly, did it have to be now, when Thor was there? And why did the one who appeared have to be Tammie? She looked like a young Raquel Welch except with platinum blond hair.