“Just as long as it’s not the Jurassic Period,” JL said. “Why do you think she’s gone back to the late 1870s?”
“The Kelly girls and their father have always been intrigued by the Royal Gorge Railroad War. The case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The Hughes family was heavily invested in the Rio Grande Railroad. The settlement cost them a ton of money. I found mention of two interesting historical characters involved in the railroad war.”
“Who?” Rick asked.
“Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday,” David said.
“Doc Holliday?” Rick asked. “The Doc Holliday? I’ve read Westerns my entire life. I love everything about the Old West—range wars, Indian wars, railroad wars, saloons, dancehall girls…”
JL palmed her forehead and took a deep breath. “Terrific.”
“Everybody is in California,” Elliott said. “We can’t put a rescue team together.”
“I’m going,” Connor said. “If I can get another volunteer—”
“Count me in. I wouldn’t miss this,” Rick said.
Kenzie looked up from the document she was reading and stared at David, color draining from her face. His heart caught in his throat. “What’s wrong, lass?”
“Olivia and Amber are…” She stopped, finger combed her hair, and held her hand there as if holding her head to keep it from falling off. “The Kelly sisters are… They’re my best friend, Trey Kelly’s, first cousins.”
“Are ye sure?”
“He never referred to them by name. They were always just the sisters. Every winter until he went to Afghanistan, he’d go to Colorado to ski with them.”
“Connor,” David said, “ask Olivia about her cousin.”
“I will as soon as she wakes up,” he said.
“Add my name to the team. I’m going with you, Connor,” Kenzie said. “I have to help Amber.”
David moved to stand in front of her and glared. “No, ye’re not. Ye can’t leave the twins and Laurie Wallis.”
“If I use the diamond or the amethyst brooch, I’ll be back before they even know I’m gone.”
“Ye don’t know that for sure.”
Kenzie came belly to belly with him. So close he could smell her coconut shampoo. So close he could taste the bagel and cream cheese she’d just eaten. So close he could feel himself inside of her. That close, but emotionally they might as well be a mile apart. What she was suggesting wasn’t within the realm of possibility.
“Listen, McBain… Trey Kelly sacrificed his life for me”—she poked David in the chest—“for the mother of your children. Even if I’m separated from them for a few weeks, we can suffer through it. Trey’s family has suffered for years without him. And he’s never coming back. I will. And I have to do this.”
David put his hands on her shoulders. “I can’t let ye go, Kenz. Last time ye time-traveled, yer life and Laurie Wallis’ life were put in danger. I won’t let ye do it again.”
Her face flushed red with anger. “I graduated at the top of my class at West Point and I did two tours in Afghanistan. I’m a trained soldier—”
“And ye almost died there, too.”
“We’ve been married for seven years and we’ve never argued like this.” She glared at him. “We’ve never disagreed over anything major, but this could strain our marriage. I owe a debt to Trey Kelly that I can never repay. Rescuing his cousin will go a long way in doing that. You can’t stop me.”
She whirled around and stormed out of the room.
9
The Present, MacKlenna Farm, Lexington, Kentucky—Kenzie
Elliott followed Kenzie into her office across the hall and closed the door quietly. “What’s going on here, lass?” His expression was easy to read, his tone merely confirmed it. If there was one thing Elliott detested, it was friction and strife within the family.
She crossed her office to the wall of windows behind her desk and gazed out over the white, wood-planked paddocks. There wasn’t a window in the mansion, security office, or the corporate center that didn’t have a view of the fenced enclosures. The horses on MacKlenna Farm were turned out daily unless the weather was too severe. Today, mares and their yearlings romped in the paddock closest to her window.
Moms and their children.
Kenzie, the twins, and Laurie Wallis owed their existence to Trey Kelly’s sacrifice. A day never went by without acknowledging his act of courage and love. For the first time since he covered her body with his to shield her from a bomber, she had a chance to repay him, repay his family. As much as she loved David, he would not stand in her way.
The wind blew through the trees and leaves drifted down to vanish from sight beneath the windowsill, and something froze inside her—like a deer stuck in the headlights—she wasn’t sure which way to turn. Her head started to throb, pounding in her skull.
She faced Elliott. “Go away. I don’t want to talk.” She picked up a remote on her desk and dimmed the overhead lights to stop the flashing in her eyes.
“Suit yerself, but I’m going to talk to ye.”
She covered her ears and whispered, “Lower your voice. You don’t have to yell.”
His hard gaze dissected her, top to bottom, as if she were a specimen in his vet lab, and she sneered at him. Casually, he sat in one of the chairs fronting her desk and crossed one leg over the other, in that irritating manner he had.
“I get that ye think ye owe the Kelly family for the sacrifice Trey made. I even get that ye believe ye should go rescue his cousin. What I don’t get is why ye’re fighting with yer partner. If ye want to go, I’ll support ye. But ye can’t leave until ye and David have resolved yer differences. Ye’ll need to negotiate this.”
“Negotiate?” She was incensed. “Are you crazy? Why should I negotiate when I’m in the right?”
Elliott flicked at the knife-edge crease down the center of his khakis, almost absentmindedly, and she wanted to slap his hand. Stop that. He probably wasn’t even aware of his habitual tinkering with the dry cleaner’s precision.
“Marriage,” he continued, “is a partnership, and ye and David have one of the strongest ones I’ve ever seen.”
She snorted. “From what I hear, you would have been laughed out of this office if you had given anyone marital advice fifteen years ago.”
“Don’t sass me, Kenzie.”
“I’m not in the mood for lectures, insights, words of wisdom, or even advice from Obi-Wan or Yoda, whichever one you’re supposed to be. Save your breath.”
“I never thought the one thing that pulled ye and David together would pull ye apart,” Elliott continued as if she’d offered no protest. “Ye’re both soldiers. Ye fight the world as a unit. Ye’re stronger together. Ye think ye can go back for Amber, find her, help her fight the battles she’s gone back to fight, and do it without David.”
Kenzie sat in her desk chair, crossed her legs and arms. “If Amber has a fourth of Trey’s intelligence, natural ability, and wherewithal, then yes, I can help her without David being there.”
“I’m going to tell ye the same thing I’d tell David if he were sitting in front of me. Ye won’t like what I have to say, but here it is. Ye’ve lost yer single edge. Ye’re a double edge sword now, and yer survival depends on both sides. Ye either go together, or neither of ye will go.”
“You can’t stop me, Elliott. Don’t even try.”
He stared at her and there was something in his eyes, as if he saw her exactly as she saw herself—the deer in the headlights—and he needed to slam on the brakes. “I can stop ye, and I will.”
She braced her hands down on the desktop, stood abruptly, and leaned forward on her hands, getting into his face. “Are you threatening me?”
“No, I just want ye to get out of the headlights. Ye have three children and it’s not practical for ye to go on an adventure.”
If she’d been hit over the head with the butt of a rifle, her head couldn’t possibly hurt worse. It was about to explode. She pressed
the heels of her palms to her temples, ran out of her office, and burst through the door of the restroom.
A deafening blast, loud enough to puncture her ear-drums had her ducking. The T-Man attacked from every direction. Bombs exploded all around her. Smoke billowed. Flying shrapnel sliced through her flesh. Her gaze darted from one side of the outpost to the other. There was nothing close by to shield her. She had to find cover. Blood dripped down her side. Shaking violently, she dropped to her knees. Another explosion rocked the ground. Something heavy fell on top of her. She tasted blood. Bombs blasted all around her. There was no escaping the conflagration. The dense smoke made her cough. Her army fatigues were soaked with blood. The pain was excruciating. She was going to die and there was nothing she could do.
Someone grabbed her from behind, wrapped arms around her, and she screamed. “Run.” She fought hard, punched and kicked.
“Shh. Ye’re safe, Kenz. No one’s going to hurt ye. There are no bombs, no explosions. Ye’re safe here with me.”
She pushed against him, fought to get her arms free to defend herself, but she remained harnessed to arms of steel. “Go. You’ll die if you stay. Go. Now.”
“Stop fighting me.”
She pushed against the restraints, tears pouring down her cheeks. “Please. Go.”
“I’m not leaving ye. Shh. It’ll be over soon.”
“I can’t move my arms. I can’t breathe. The smoke is so thick. Go away. Bombs will kill you, too.”
“The bombs are gone. Ye’re home. Ye’re safe. I’ve got ye.”
She rocked against him, struggling to pull air into her lungs.
“Ye’re safe. Take deep breaths. Ye’re not injured. Ye’re not bleeding. Ye’re hyperventilating. Breathe in. That’s right. Now breathe out slowly.”
David’s voice was calm and reassuring, and she wanted to believe him. He pulled her onto his lap, held her against his chest, rubbed her back, and he hummed. The melodious sound, along with his warm breath blowing gently on her face, calmed her as nothing else could. The beat of his heart against her cheek brought her slowly back to sanity, leaving the pain and trauma of the war behind. She came back to him. Back to the present.
She took a breath as if preparing to dive into cold water. “I have to go back for Amber. I have no choice.”
“Yes, ye do.”
She cringed. “If it was your best friend who died, you’d already be packing your bags. Your resistance is because I’m a woman.”
“Ye’re damn right. Ye’re my woman, and I won’t allow ye to go by yerself. But ye can go with me.”
“How nice of you to allow me to do that.”
“Stop it, Kenz.” He turned her around to face him. “Use that Mensa brain of yers and stop thinking with yer heart. Ye have three children and it drives ye nuts when ye travel and they’re not with ye. How can ye leave this century, knowing ye could be separated for weeks?”
Her shoulders dropped, deflated, and she rubbed her fists across her eyes. “I didn’t say it’d be easy. I didn’t say I wouldn’t go nuts, but this is something I must do. Why can’t you see that?”
He watched her steadily, as if he knew the directions her mind raced. “I can. That’s why I said I’d go with ye. But here’s the deal—”
She pulled herself upright and for a moment her breath stopped. Then, “No. Deal.”
He held up his finger. “One condition and it’s non-negotiable. We’ll take Connor and Rick. As soon as we’ve located Amber and made contact, if she’s not in danger, we’re coming home.”
“I’m not leaving her behind. Just because she might not be in danger while we’re there doesn’t mean she won’t be in danger later.”
“Connor and Rick can handle whatever comes up.”
“You don’t know that.” She knew from personal experience the family’s time traveling adventures often went in directions no one anticipated, and without the means to communicate with team members, they were hamstrung.
“Jesus, Kenzie. Listen to yerself. They’re former cops. Former Marines. They’re professionals. They can handle themselves in all sorts of situations. We have to trust them to do what’s best.”
“They’re going back to the 1870s. They’re not trappers. Camping out is not their thing.”
“Colorado had hotels, trains, and even primitive telephones in the 1870s. They won’t be roughing it along the Oregon Trail like Kit did.”
“We’ll reevaluate the situation after we locate her?” she said.
He pushed damp hair off her face, behind her ears. “We can evaluate, we can discuss, but I’m not changing my mind.” His tone made it clear he brooked no arguments.
She pulled away, indignant. “What’s the point of a discussion if your mind is already closed to a change of plans?”
“Ye’re the lawyer. If it’s necessary, ye’ll find a way.”
She rested her head on his chest and they sat together on the bathroom’s cold marble floor. The warmth of his body took away the chill, and the strength in his arms removed the fear.
David’s attitude wasn’t because she was any less a soldier than he was. It was all about their family. And family had been their top priority from the day she discovered she was pregnant with the twins. They had both had rough years growing up and had committed to not repeating their parents’ mistakes. She also knew her husband well. He always had a plan and built into his plan was flexibility.
“How’d you find me?”
“I thought ye were just mad,” he said, pushing to his feet. “But Elliott recognized what was happening. He told me ye were having a flashback. I’m sorry I missed the signs. I led ye there then abandoned ye.” He pulled her to a standing position. “Wash yer face. Ye’ll feel better.”
She stood in front of the sink and splashed water on her face. David handed her paper towels and she patted her skin dry. Her eyes were red and puffy. Everyone in the office would know she’d had a meltdown. But they were all family and would understand.
David put a basket of personal items she kept in the bathroom on top of the counter and handed her a makeup bag she used for touch ups. An hour earlier, she’d had shiny bronzed skin, dark-rimmed eyes and a muted color on her lips. It was all gone now. A quick touch up wouldn’t help much. Only a full-blown redo would make her presentable again. She’d go home at lunchtime and fix her face. Looking at David in the mirror, his expression said he had the same idea, but fixing her face would come after they made love and showered together.
“I thought I locked the door. How’d you get in here?”
“Opening a locked door without a key is as easy as locking it.” He picked up a hairbrush and brushed her hair.
Sighing, she allowed herself to relax under his ministrations. “Is Elliott upset with me?”
“No. He was worried. He spent years yelling at people when his demons attacked him.”
She canted her head one way and then the other, so he could brush her hair. “Are you saying his demons recognized mine?”
David’s deep brown eyes creased briefly. “What happened to ye in the war is something ye’ll never forget.” He kissed her hard then returned to brushing her hair.
She dug through the make-up bag, searching for a shade of lipstick close to what she’d been wearing. “Where do we go from here? Feed my demon?”
“And hope he dies,” David said. “Ye feel guilty because ye survived and Trey didn’t. That’s why ye continue to have flashbacks. If helping Amber lessens the guilt, I’m all for it. We’ll go together. Now, put on yer lipstick and let’s go back to the meeting. We have plans to make.”
With her hair brushed and fresh lipstick on, she was ready to face Elliott again. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Hold up a minute.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It didn’t take much for one kiss to slide into another; for his hands to glide over her breasts, down her sides, and lift her short skirt over her hips; for her hand to slide inside his khakis. He hissed when she touched him
.
“How is it that you know me so well?” she asked.
“I pay attention, and I know I can kiss ye if I don’t mess up yer lipstick.”
“And I know I can delay you for any meeting, with a simple touch.”
“I’ll be glad to accept the challenge. Anytime. Anywhere. And there’s nothing simple about the way ye touch me.” He took her lips in a scorching kiss, and she melted against him.
She raked a hand through his long hair. “Lock the door, McBain. The demons can wait.”
10
The Present, MacKlenna Farm, Lexington, Kentucky—David
Kenzie and David entered Elliott’s office holding hands. A bottle of Macallan 25 Years Old sat on the desk and Elliott and Rick held empty Glencairn glasses. David picked up the bottle and poured drams for his bride and himself.
“Here’s to whatever they’re celebrating.” He clinked his glass to hers and sipped the sweetness he expected from a sherry cask whisky. This was joined by a citrus aroma with a hint of cinnamon and the impression of an open wood fire. The finish was long with a fantastic lingering spice. Drinking the Macallan after sex was like having one more orgasm.
He smiled at Kenzie, and she tipped her glass to him, a silent acknowledgement of the special moments they’d just shared.
Elliott glanced at David, and David signaled, Ye were right.
“I’ll call Connor back and we can restart this meeting.” Elliott placed the call. When Connor answered, Elliott said, “We’re back now. What are ye going to tell Olivia?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I could tell her I have to go back to the farm for a couple of days, but I hate to leave her behind to deal with the sheriff by herself.”
“The sheriff could be a problem when Amber doesn’t come back as expected. I don’t want another situation like what we had with Amy Spalding’s boyfriend. Ye should stay,” David said. “Kenzie and I will go.”
“That makes sense,” Connor said. “With Olivia’s sister gone and her parents out of the country, she’s all alone. I mean…she has friends and all, but I think she trusts me.”
The Amber Brooch: Time Travel Romance (The Celtic Brooch Book 8) Page 14
