“No,” he said.
“I hope I wasn’t presumptuous,” Daniel said. “I ordered it to celebrate tonight’s outstanding performance.”
“Thank you. Then I hope you’ll make the toast.” Kenzie nodded in David’s direction. “You’d think a writer would be a better toast maker than McBain is known to be. But he just holds the glass aloft and says, Slainte.”
Daniel laughed and laid his napkin carefully across his lap. “That’s exactly what I intended to say.” The waiter popped the cork and filled their glasses. Then holding his glass aloft, Daniel said, “To Miss Kelly, a talented and extraordinary woman, and to Mr. McBain, a talented musician and author, I assume. Thank ye for allowing me to share this evening with ye. Slainte.”
Their crystal fluted glasses clinked in harmony. Kenzie sipped and nodded her approval of Daniel’s choice.
Daniel tasted the Champagne and nodded in return. “What do ye write?”
“History and suspense,” David said, then quickly changed the subject. “Shall we order dinner? I’m starving.”
They perused their menus and placed their orders. Before leaving the table, the waiter topped off their glasses and left the bottle in a silver bucket near Daniel’s chair.
Amber turned toward David, wagging her finger in a thoughtful way. “McBain? I’ve seen your book. About the Civil War, right? It’s on display at my local bookstore. The placard said it’s highly recommended by Denver book clubs—”
Kenzie swung the pointy-toe tip of her shoe smack into Amber’s shin, and she jerked, color draining from her face. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Kenzie asked. “You’re as pale as that white napkin.”
Daniel jerked in his seat and turned quickly toward Amber, grabbing a small silver flask from his pocket. “Are ye going to faint again?”
“Again?” Kenzie asked.
Amber shot a scorching look at Daniel, and an even hotter look at Kenzie. “I was in my dressing room, which is small and hot, and I was dehydrated and hungry. The heat got to me. All I need is a thick, juicy steak and a good night’s sleep, and I’ll be good as new.” Kenzie crossed her arms, and Amber held up a hand as if to forestall what she knew Kenzie would say next.
Kenzie ignored Amber and said, “If you’re sick—”
“I’m not.” Amber gave David a direct look. “There’s no reason to change your plans.”
“What are yer plans, exactly?” Daniel asked.
“Rick is staying here,” Kenzie said. “At the end of Amber’s contract, he’ll escort her to Morrison for a few days to dig for fossils. Then she’s returning to—”
“Chicago,” Amber interjected quickly.
“I’m leaving Wednesday for Denver. I’ll be there for several days and can extend my trip if necessary,” Daniel said.
Amber took a sip of Champagne before saying, “It’s not—”
“That would be appreciated,” David said, talking over her.
Amber’s eyes narrowed as she glared at David.
He pushed his Champagne glass aside, picked up his whisky glass, and swirled the contents before taking a long drink. Then he set it down hard. Kenzie had seen those moves before. Next, he would barrel ahead like a train on a straight track with no curves in sight.
“If ye’re staying behind, lass, there’ll be conditions.” Although his voice was pitched low, those at the table could hear him plainly. “I may not be yer father, but I am yer protector, and ye will do what I tell ye.”
Amber gave him a look that could have held back a weather front.
In response, he took another purposeful drink. The gauntlet had been thrown down. But when the waiter brought their entrées, Amber put her pique aside and tucked into her rare steak.
Kenzie had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing. She knew David would gladly toss Amber over his shoulder and haul her ass back to the twenty-first century, but he couldn’t interfere with the stone’s purpose for her. Neither could he stay and babysit while she hunted fossils—not when the winery was burning to the ground.
Now that Kenzie had met Amber and been introduced to Daniel, she was convinced Amber would be safe under Rick’s and Daniel’s protection, and she and David could return home.
“I’d be pleased to make Miss Kelly’s travel arrangements to the capital and arrange accommodations in the city,” Daniel said. “The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad has a passenger train to Morrison. It’s a small quarry town about sixteen miles southwest of Denver. I wouldn’t advise staying there, but a visit during the day with a professional bodyguard would be safe enough.”
“Thank ye,” David said. “Kenzie and I will stay until Wednesday morning. Once we see ye safely on the stagecoach, we’ll make our own departure arrangements.”
“But I thought—” Kenzie said.
“That we were leaving?” David interrupted. “I believe we should stay a few more days. There are more business opportunities we should investigate while we’re here.”
She pointed the tip of her shoe in his direction and jammed it into his shin. Not to shut him up as she had done to Amber, but as a thank you for not consulting her.
“Does that mean you’ll play your sax again?” Amber asked.
David smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I’m changing our plans.”
Kenzie didn’t believe that was one of the reasons at all. What was going on with him? She almost hated to ask his other reason, but she did. “And the other?”
He gave her a sly wink. “I intend to enjoy yer company.” He picked up his glass of whisky. “Here’s to time alone with my bride.”
Later that night, she and David retreated from the world into a place of their own. And afterward, buried under handmade quilts, her cheek upon his muscular chest, and his arm looped around her, she willed the moon to stay its course. But this was a quirky time. And for some reason, she believed their fourth child had just been conceived in a brass bed with squeaky springs in Leadville, Colorado.
22
1878 Leadville, Colorado—Kenzie
After four days of long talks with Amber about practicing law and their complicated lives in the twenty-first century, it was time for Kenzie and David to say goodbye. The night before, she and Amber had decided to enjoy a private breakfast at the Tontine Restaurant on Harrison Avenue, one last chance for a cherished chat before they parted.
Prior to leaving Mrs. Garland’s boardinghouse, David held her back a moment, letting Amber cross the porch to the steps ahead of Kenzie. “Be careful, lass,” he whispered. “Amber’s smart, and she knows we haven’t told her everything about brooch lore and our experiences.”
“Neither have you, McBain. You’re still holding on to a few secrets.” She and David had tried to pick up the threads of their conversation following the opening night performance, but interruptions during the day and their love fest at night allowed little time for talking. The absence of kids had turned frenzied quickies into slow erotic all-nighters.
David circled behind her and settled her coat on her shoulders. She slid her arms through the sleeves and fastened the silver cloak clasp. He kissed her neck. His warm breath tickled her, and she shivered.
“There’s a glow about ye I haven’t seen in some time.”
She tied on a bonnet that covered most of her red hair and adjusted the bow to sit jauntily below her right ear. Then grabbing a pair of gloves, she paused to inspect herself in the mirror above the hall tree, and she winked at his reflection. “I wonder why,” she mouthed.
Daniel came down the stairs carrying a valise and set it aside as he reached for the waistcoat he’d slung over the hall tree the night before. “Where are ye going?”
“Amber and I are eating breakfast in town.”
“Why spend good money eating awful food? Mrs. Garland has the best breakfast in town.” He shrugged into the waistcoat and topped it with a brown herringbone frock coat.
“You’re a pragmatic Scotsman just like my husband. He asked the same
question, and the answer is… Amber and I want some girl time.” Kenzie straightened the bow then decided she didn’t like the look at all. She removed the bonnet and exchanged it for a silly little hat that she secured with a hatpin. On the way out the door, she gave them a toodle-oo wave and hurried from the house to join Amber on the other side of the wrought-iron fence.
Daniel moved to stand in the doorway and hollered, “The stage leaves in ninety minutes. Don’t be late.”
Amber acknowledged Daniel’s comment with a smile and a wave, then she took Kenzie’s gloved hand and squeezed it. Together they steadied each other as they crossed the slippery street in boots that were never meant for slogging through the indescribable sludge.
“You need a good pair of sturdy walking boots,” Kenzie said.
“The boots I wore here will work fine. They’re not the best for fossil hunting, but they’re better than anything else they’re selling right now.”
Kenzie pulled the collar of her coat tight to keep the cold from seeping down the back of her neck. “Be careful when you get to Morrison. You won’t have clothes and equipment for fossil hunting like you’re used to.”
“I’ll improvise, and I don’t intend to gallivant around dressed as a woman, either. That’ll make it harder to dig.”
“I’m not thrilled about leaving you behind, especially with the weather changing.” Kenzie shoved her free hand into her pocket. “I don’t know how you’re going to dig now anyway. It’s too blasted cold.”
“There’ll be a couple more weeks of warm-enough weather. After that, there’s no point in sticking around.”
Surprisingly, Amber hadn’t mentioned the Royal Gorge War. After reading the documents in David’s file, Kenzie was now well-versed on the issues before the court, but she wasn’t going to bring up the litigation. If Amber jumped into the dispute it could extend her stay by several months.
“Here we are,” Amber said, pushing open the door of the Tontine Restaurant.
The steamy heat of the packed room vanquished the chill that had settled in Kenzie’s bones during the brisk walk from the boardinghouse, and the aroma pulled the trigger on her appetite. She gave a cool nod to the mostly male patrons—some smiled, some eyes widened in recognition of Amber, and others glanced up but showed no interest at all.
Kenzie pointed toward an empty table. “Let’s grab it quick.”
They removed their coats, adjusted their hats, and tweaked their sleeves before settling themselves on opposite sides of a small table covered with a white tablecloth. The seating for two was positioned next to a grandfather clock that kept a persistent beat.
Kenzie signaled a harried-looking waiter—a young man wearing a stained white apron—who was rushing through the restaurant dispensing hot biscuits. He stopped at their table, smoothing his hands over the apron’s smudges, as if he could magically make them disappear.
“What can I get ya’, ladies?” he asked.
Amber smiled at the toothy young man. “Coffee, ham, sunny-side-up eggs, and biscuits, please.”
Kenzie perused the blackboard. “I’ll have the same.” Sunlight from a side window reflected off the table tops straight into her eyes. She shifted in her chair to avoid the glare.
Amber glanced around the restaurant. “They say this place is equal to any restaurant in America and is the highest-priced grub joint in the world.”
Kenzie laughed. “Don’t worry. McBain’s paying for breakfast.”
The waiter returned with two cups of coffee that came with their own little cloud of steam above the rim. He set them hurriedly on the table, rattling the cups and spilling coffee into the saucers. “Sorry,” he said, before dashing off to attend to another table.
Kenzie refrained from smirking at the waiter’s back as he dashed off with his thumbs tucked into his apron band. She poured the overflow back into the cup.
“Tell me about the brooches again,” Amber said, keeping her voice low, but loud enough for Kenzie to hear over the subdued laughter and clink of cutlery on fine china.
“I want to know why the brooch brought me here. Was it to hunt fossils? Save Noah? Meet Daniel? Meet my grandparents? Are there hoops I need to jump through before I can go home? Is there a checklist of tasks I need to accomplish? How will I know when it’s time to go? You’ve said before you didn’t know, but I need your best guess.”
As Kenzie considered Amber’s question, she settled carefully into the ladder-back chair. “Stick close to the party line,” David had said. And that’s what she intended to do. She crossed her legs, but her squirming caused the rails and spindles to make annoying creaking sounds. She considered moving to another chair as a stalling tactic, but the exasperated sighs coming from the other side of the table nixed that idea.
Kenzie slid the linen napkin from under the cutlery. “I don’t know.” A statement she would never make to a client. Then, “Only you will be able to answer that question.” Something else she’d never say to a client.
Amber tapped her fingers on the tabletop, matching the metronome-like beat of the clock. “You said the same thing the first time I asked, the second, and the third. You’ve got to give me something before you leave. Anything that’ll help me understand what’s going on here.”
Kenzie took a sip of coffee, appreciating the rich dark flavor, then set the cup and saucer aside. “When the emerald brooch took me back, I had no idea why I was in a war zone without the benefit of backup or even a weapon to defend myself.” She paused, swamped by the memories. She twirled the absent West Point ring she always wore on her right hand, but couldn’t wear in the nineteenth century.
“There’s a tradition that all a West Point graduate has to do is knock his or her ring on the table and all Pointers present are obliged to rally to his or her side. I had my ring, but no one would have believed it was mine, or come to my rescue. I was a trained soldier and couldn’t tell anyone.”
“That had to have been horrible,” Amber said.
“Dealing with Trey’s death was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Dropped in the middle of World War II London was the second. Fortunately, I befriended Molly Bradford Hamilton who helped me get a job with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park.”
“She’s such a sweetheart. But tell me about Turing. The man fascinates me.” Then Amber waved her hand. “But not now. Go on.”
“One afternoon,” Kenzie continued. “I met my grandfather at the canteen at Bletchley. He was an American GI on escort duty and just happened to be there.”
Amber covered her mouth, gasping. “My God. Did he know you? Oh, that’s silly. He wouldn’t know anything about you. What’d you do? You didn’t tell him, did you.”
“No. It wouldn’t have made sense to him.” Kenzie took another sip of coffee before continuing. “My grandfather’s story is, or rather was, a sad one. Right before D-Day, he was killed outside of London. He was posthumously labeled a spy and traitor and stripped of all his benefits. My grandmother received nothing.”
“That’s awful. At least you got to meet him.”
The waiter delivered their plates and Kenzie picked at the eggs and ham. “Not only did I meet him, but I changed his future.”
“I thought you said—”
“Avoid changing the future at all costs? Yes, I did, but I justified it. I believed the change would only affect my family.”
“But you had no way of knowing what the ripple effect might be.”
“Exactly. But I had to take a chance. My father grew up under the stigma of having a traitor for a father. It turned him into a jaded person and alienated him from his family. We didn’t get along at all. When I interfered in my grandfather’s life, I changed his legacy, which ultimately changed my Dad’s life. When I got home, I didn’t recognize him. He looked the same, but he had become a loving and caring man. It took me a while to trust that version of him.”
“You changed what happened to your grandfather, which changed your father’s life, but it didn’t change yours. Is tha
t what you’re saying? I don’t understand how that’s possible.”
“There’s so much about the brooches we don’t understand. But I can tell you this. If you screw with your family history while you’re in the past, when you return to the future, what you remember might be completely different from the rest of your family’s reality.”
Amber glanced off, her expression one of deep thought. “That’s scary.”
“Yeah, it is. Go hunt dinosaurs for a few days, then hurry home. As a dear friend of mine was fond of saying, ‘Round home, collect your two hundred bucks, and get the hell out of there.’”
Amber gave her a bittersweet smile. “That was Trey’s favorite saying.” She sighed deeply. “A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of him.”
Kenzie reached out and squeezed Amber’s hand. “He’s constantly on my mind. More so now that I’ve met you. And, I’m struggling with what he’d want me to do. Would he tell me it’s safe to leave you behind? Or would he tell me to stay and ensure your safety? I don’t know, and the uncertainty is”—Kenzie swallowed against the knot in her throat—“tugging on my heart.”
Amber put her hand over Kenzie’s, stacking it between her own. “I can only guess, but I believe he’d approve of what you’re doing. You’re leaving me with adequate resources and a private bodyguard. You’ve got three babies waiting for you at home. It’s time for you and David to go. You’ve done all you can do here.”
Amber’s reassurance lessened some of Kenzie’s guilt, but not all of it. “I won’t breathe easy until I see you again. Promise me you won’t take any risks.”
“I promise…” The word trailed off, ending in a small shrug.
Amber tried to release Kenzie’s hand, but Kenzie held on. “Your hands are swollen. Is that from digging up fossils?”
Amber pulled back her hand and rubbed her fingers over the joints. “My joints are stiff, too, and the altitude has bothered me more than usual. I guess for those reasons alone, I won’t be sticking around here very long.”
“Good. Then I hope your knees, elbows, and ankles bother you, too. That way you won’t stay more than a couple of days.”
The Amber Brooch: Time Travel Romance (The Celtic Brooch Book 8) Page 26
