The Amber Brooch: Time Travel Romance (The Celtic Brooch Book 8)

by Katherine Lowry Logan

  “I try to make Pa smile when he’s sad, like I throw sticks for Ripley when she wants to play. Pa changed when he met you. He’s not sad like he was. He smiles. When you were on stage singing, he was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Even when my ma was alive.” Noah ran his hands through Ripley’s fur.

  “You asked me why I wanted a ma, why I wanted you.” He stopped petting his dog and looked up at her. “I don’t need a ma, Amber. Pa gives me a mountain of love. And if you ask Pa, he’ll say he doesn’t need a wife. But, here’s the truth…we both need you. You make us smile, and we laugh because you say funny things we don’t understand. You give great hugs, you’re a wonderful cook, and you have time for others. Digging in the dirt for fossils is something men do, but it doesn’t stop you from doing it too. You’re smart, and I’ve never asked you a question you couldn’t answer. You know math and science better than my teacher. You’re different, but Pa and I like that.” He puffed out his little chest when he finished.

  A stream of tears poured from her eyes, as if a faucet had been left open to run up a huge water bill. “You’re amazing. You have the biggest heart, just like my granny.”

  “So you’ll do it?” he asked.

  “Do what exactly? Marry your dad and live with Mrs. Garland in Leadville?”

  He nodded.

  She laughed and ruffled his hair, realizing she’d missed so much in her life because kids weren’t part of it.

  “All I can promise is that I’ll talk to your dad and tell him about our conversation.”

  Noah licked his lips, and his eyes told her that he had one more point to make. She held her breath, knowing this was the big one. The one he’d been building up to.

  “My ma and pa were always hugging and kissing. Like the McBains. And at night when the lights were off, and they were in bed, they moaned a lot. The next day, they were always smiling. If you and Pa hugged and kissed—”

  She placed a finger across his lips. This was one topic they weren’t going to discuss. If he needed a birds and bees lesson, he’d have to get it from Rick. “As I said, I’ll tell him about our conversation.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise. Now, go play. I’ve got some fossils to find.”

  Noah and Ripley ran out the front door, and she sat there motionless, gazing into the flames, seeking the soothing influence of the fire. What was she going to do? She knew in her heart she couldn’t stay, so how could she prepare Noah and Daniel for another major loss in their lives?

  Daniel, we’ll have to do this together, and we better do it right, for all our sakes.

  35

  1878 Denver, Colorado—Olivia

  The roller-coaster ride through time happened quickly, confusing Olivia’s brain with a dizzying array of visual images and both high and negative Gs. She’d had no time to prepare for the next twist or turn, and her internal organs had been tossed like a bag full of corn, especially her stomach, which was now probably lodged inside her brain.

  She opened her eyes. Closed them. Opened them again. Rubbed them. Closed them. Took a few deep breaths and opened them again. Nothing changed.

  The town spread out before her could have been heaven, it could have been hell, or could be a movie lot at Paramount Pictures. If her eyes didn’t believe what she saw, then the stink of manure, unwashed bodies, and garbage certainly did. She had traveled through time and that reality ping-ponged from the logic side of her brain to the creative side and sent waves of shock zip lining down her spine.

  Where was Connor? As soon as she found him, she’d apologize for all the horrible words she’d thrown at him. But where was he? She’d been gripping his steel-band arm during the twisting and turning. And now he was gone, and so were Kenzie and David.

  If I stay in the shadow of this wagon, shaking like a fool, I’ll never find them.

  A train whistle sounded, she jerked, and the ground shuddered with the rhythmic vibration of a passing train.

  Move. Step up on the walkway. Look for help.

  Amber had come through the fog by herself and had managed. Olivia could manage as well. She could be afraid yet choose to act. Courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Granny’s advice always came in handy.

  “On we go.” Olivia took several deep breaths then hopped up on the walkway.

  See, that’s not so bad.

  She gripped the railing and surveyed the scene.

  One- and two-story clapboard and brick buildings lined both sides of a wide dirt boulevard. Across the street were, according to their signs, the Doll & Louis Upholsters, Hageloor Veterinary Surgeons, Haggert Tailors, St. Charles Hotel, Wholesale Grocer, Simonton Livery, Feed & Sale Stables, and the Rocky Mountain Herald Newspaper.

  She didn’t recognize the buildings or the businesses.

  For someone well versed in Denver history, places, and physical features she was clueless as to where she was. She’d never been here before. Never seen this corner. Never seen these buildings. Was she even in Denver?

  She was in some godforsaken place in a time not her own.

  Kenzie had said if they became separated, she was to go to the meeting place—her house in the twenty-first century. She couldn’t go there until she figured out where she was, assuming she was even in Denver. There was no Uber to call to request a lift to 5431 California Street. And if she could flag a taxi, if they even existed, she had no money to pay the driver.

  So what was she to do now? She bit her lip too hard, then rubbed it with her knuckles. Her ability to roughly know where she was even in unfamiliar places was a well-developed homing instinct and had served her well in her business. But she didn’t even have that at her disposal. She couldn’t tell north and south from east and west.

  Where are the mountains?

  The skyline would give her two cardinal directions. The southern Rocky Mountains lay west, the High Plains lay east. Once she knew that, she could find her way around the city.

  The door to the Patrick Frain Saloon swung open and the smell of whisky and beer and the scorched scent of burnt coffee spilled out along with off-key piano music. The boardwalk pulsed with pedestrians and she pushed her way through the crowd. When she reached the end of the block she eased out into the street and looked in the direction of the train whistle.

  A slice of sun hovered over snow-capped Mount Rosalie, the highest summit of the Chicago Peaks in the front range of the Rocky Mountains. A shudder of relief went through her. Buildings could change, street names could change, but the mountains always stayed the same. Amber disagreed.

  Don’t tell your clients that. Extreme weather events constantly reshape the landscape. Just look at what happened during the historic rains in 2013.

  And Amber would be right. But that didn’t alter Olivia’s spiel when she drove clients around the Mile High City and its environs.

  Now, thanks to the identifiable mountain range, she knew east from west. As soon as she figured out what street she was on, she’d be on her way. But there was no street sign at the intersection. There had to be a sign somewhere. Then she spotted an address on the fascia above the Gothic arches of a two-story brick building—15TH & HOLLADAY STREETS—and let out a throaty laugh. How weird was that? This was her wheelhouse. From here, she could make her way through the city.

  “Olivia!”

  She spun in the direction of the voice. “Connor!” Vast relief settled over her.

  He removed his hat and waved, smiling. A breeze lifted his light brown hair on one side, sending a strand across his forehead.

  She waved back. “Stay there. I’m coming over.”

  The crinkle around his dark green eyes and the dimple that punctuated his smile warmed her heart. “No. You wait. It’s too dangerous.”

  She waved him off. Dangerous? Who was he kidding? She even drove in New York City. What was a little traffic congestion?

  Wagons, carriages, and riders on horseback went wherever they found an opening, and pedestrians dodged here and
there among them. When she saw an opening, she took it, and ran the gauntlet to the other side.

  Connor stood next to a hitching post anxiously awaiting her, his arms outstretched like a proud dad watching his child take its first steps. When she reached him, she grabbed his hand. Hers was icy with tension. His was warm with relief. He pulled her into his arms, and the warmth spread to her face and neck and down to her belly and beyond. It felt so right to be there, and then she remembered the pain of his lies and pulled back from his embrace.

  “I’m so glad to find you,” she said.

  “Where were you?”

  She pointed over her shoulder. “In the shadow of that wagon. You wouldn’t have seen me. Why’d we get separated?”

  He escorted her up the steps to the boardwalk. “I think the damn stones are becoming unstable. It’s time to get out of this business.”

  It was hard to hear over the sound of a brass ensemble coming from a dance hall. “Let’s cross the side street. It’s too noisy here to talk.” Crossing the next street wasn’t nearly as dangerous. They stopped on the southwest corner of 15th and Holladay. “Where are Kenzie and David?”

  “They could be on the other side of the city or down the block. Do you know where we are?”

  “Yes.” Not only had she found Connor, but she knew where they were. She pointed to the two-story brick building in front of them.

  “You have that look about you.” His gaze stayed fixed on her in a disbelieving sort of way. “You have a story, don’t you?”

  “This was originally called McGaa Street after William McGaa, who helped name the city’s streets. But he turned into the town drunk. The city fathers voted to remove his name in favor of Benjamin Holladay, the stagecoach king. Holladay established his headquarters in this building.” She pointed to redirect Connor’s attention.

  He laughed, and she smirked. “Go on,” he said. “I’m listening.”

  She leaned in, looked around to be sure no one could hear her and said, “By the 1880s Denver was booming, and Holladay Street had become the center of the city’s red-light—”

  “Rick! What are ye doing here?”

  Olivia and Connor turned to see a man exiting the Wells Fargo Building.

  “Sorry. You’ve got the wrong O’Grady,” Connor said.

  Square jaw, chiseled face, dark blue eyes, neatly clipped beard. Olivia recognized him immediately. He was the man in her flash. The man in David’s picture. She brazenly walked up to him. “You’re Agent Grant, aren’t you?”

  He touched his hat. “Yes, ma’am.” His eyes stayed on her, moving from the top of her head to the bottom of her boots. She pushed back her hat to see him better. A small, barely visible frown and a discreet shake of his head preceded a pissed-off look that had her stepping away from him.

  “Who are ye?” he asked.

  The sharpness in Daniel’s tone took her aback, and for a moment she couldn’t answer. When she found her voice, her words were delivered with cold deliberation. “Olivia Allison Kelly.”

  “Miss Kelly is looking for her sister,” Connor said. “We were told Amber traveled with you from Leadville. Unless you abandoned her along the way, you should know where she is, along with my brother.”

  Daniel and Connor squared off, two men of equal height and body build, both in law enforcement, neither easily intimidated. Connor was armed. She assumed beneath the black duster, Daniel was as well.

  “Who are ye?” he asked Connor.

  “Connor O’Grady. I guess you know my brother Rick. If your opinion of him isn’t favorable, don’t take it out on me.” Connor went in for the laugh. He didn’t get one, but at least the quip raised a slight smile on the agent’s face.

  Daniel scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head slightly. “Is that the same for ye, Miss Kelly? If my opinion of yer sister is unfavorable, I’m not to take it out on ye?”

  On a scale of one to ten, she relaxed to an eight, but she’d been off the charts at about a fifteen, so that wasn’t saying much. She gave him a sly smile. “Amber is such an agreeable soul, I can’t imagine you having an unfavorable opinion of her.”

  This time amusement flitted across his face.

  “Olivia! Connor!”

  They all turned to see Kenzie on the opposite corner, hands cupped at her mouth, David beside her.

  Daniel opened his mouth to speak but, at first, nothing came out. Then, “The McBains are here, too?”

  The couple crossed the street and David extended his hand. “Good to see ye again.”

  Daniel shook it, then kissed Kenzie on both cheeks. “I’m surprised to see ye here. I thought ye were heading west.”

  “That was our intention, but after the stage left Leadville, we realized we’d made a mistake leaving Amber. We should have sent a telegram,” David said.

  Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “That would have been wise. But now that ye’re here, maybe ye can convince Amber to see a doctor to find out what’s ailing her.”

  “I heard she was having breathing issues,” Olivia said, “but telling her to go to the doctor has never worked. She hates them. If our mother can’t get her to the doctor, no one can.”

  “Amber has never mentioned her parents. I assumed they were deceased,” Daniel said.

  Olivia gave Daniel a pointed look. “They’re out of the country on vacation, but they’re alive and well. And in fact—”

  “Alive and well and anxious to get their daughters home,” Kenzie interjected. “Where is Amber now?”

  “She and Rick are with my son Noah at my father-in-law’s residence on Sherman Street.”

  David took a step toward Daniel. “Why’d her plans change?” Tension etched David’s face. “When we left ye at the stage in Leadville, she intended to stay at the Hughes residence. Why the switch?”

  Daniel stood his ground, but he visibly bristled. With his eyebrows drawn down, he looked hard at David, then his gaze shifted to Connor to Kenzie to Olivia, sending each of them a silent message to back off. No one moved.

  “The telegram I received before leaving Leadville was from the agency, informing me of new orders to report to Caǹon City. I was concerned for Noah’s welfare. He barely knows his grandfather Robinson. It wasn’t until we reached Morrison that I had a chance to talk to Amber in private. I explained that having her with him would ease the lad’s adjustment. She agreed.”

  Olivia jumped out of the path of a man—his hat pulled low over his brows—before he ran over her. Connor quickly moved to stand behind her, and his hands closed over her shoulders protectively. She was acutely aware of him, and the hypnotizing aromatic blend of cedar, smoke, and exotic spices on his hands and in his hair.

  “How long will you be in Caǹon City?” Kenzie asked.

  Daniel held up the crushed paper in his hand. “The agency can’t make up its mind whether to send me to Pueblo or Caǹon City. I don’t know how long I’ll be out of town. It could be several weeks. There are two railroads trying to build up the canyon to Leadville, courts contradicting themselves, and owners hiring gangs of cutthroats to protect their rights.”

  “I’m familiar with the Royal Gorge War. Whose rights are you trying to protect?” Olivia asked.

  “I’m hired out to the Rio Grande.”

  Olivia slipped on her gloves and straightened the seams, while considering the Royal Gorge War timeline. The lease would be the next step in the process. “If General Palmer is down there, tell him not to lease the tracks to Santa Fe. That will only complicate the litigation and cost the Rio Grande hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

  “Yer sister said the same thing. Ye should talk to the general, convince him, not me.”

  “I’ll be glad to.”

  “In the meantime,” Kenzie said, “if this conversation is to continue, is there a restaurant nearby where we can escape the press of men going in and out of the Wells Fargo office and get a cup of coffee?”

  Olivia pointed. “The St. Charles Hotel is down the street. It should h
ave a restaurant.”

  “We could get rooms there, change out of our traveling clothes, then call on Amber,” Kenzie said.

  “That’s not necessary,” Daniel said. “There’s room at my father-in-law’s. How long do ye intend to stay?”

  “That depends on Amber,” Olivia said. “But I’d like to leave as soon as possible. And I wouldn’t want to impose on your family. A hotel will suit our needs.”

  Daniel’s face creased with concern. “Maybe, but Amber would like ye close by. If she has another attack ye can convince her to see the doctor.”

  “What kind of attack did she have?” Olivia asked.

  “She couldn’t catch her breath. When she lay down, it eased somewhat, and then she fell asleep. When I left a while ago, I gave the housekeeper instructions that Amber wasn’t to leave the house today,” Daniel said.

  Olivia glanced up at Connor. “We need to go by the house first and talk to her. Then decide what to do.” She turned her gaze back to Daniel. “Where exactly is the house? What’s the address?”

  “If ye’re not familiar with Denver, ye should take a hack. The residence is on the corner of 19th Street and Sherman. It’s a two-story with a mansard roof.”

  Olivia knew the area, and the corner as well. General William Jackson Palmer was another early resident of Capitol Hill, but she wasn’t sure his house was built yet.

  “Is there a livery nearby?” David asked. “I’d prefer to rent a carriage or horses to get around the city.”

  “There’s one down the street,” Olivia said.

  Kenzie gave her a questioning look. “Have you been scoping out the real estate already?”

  Olivia smiled. “I’m always looking.”

  “If I had a carriage, I’d offer to take ye,” Daniel said, “but I only have my horse. Did ye take a hack here? Ye’re blocks from the railroad station.”

  “Yes, we did. Then David wanted to send a telegram. That’s why we’re here,” Connor said.

  “Ye could have sent yer telegram at the train station.”

  “He didn’t think about it until after we left the station,” Kenzie said.