“Amazing.” Ashleigh sighed and looked to where Jackie and Gabby played. “He was a virgin.”
“Really?” Carissa asked, surprised.
“Don’t tell Garrett, I’m not sure if Leon wanted anyone else to know.”
Carissa gently slapped Ashleigh’s arm. “I won’t. I’m not obligated to share girl talk. Are you going to, you know, again?”
“I was actually wondering if maybe Jackie could have a sleepover with Gabby tonight? I know Gabby’s room is right next door to yours so you could keep an eye on her for me. If she wants to, that is, I haven’t asked yet.”
“Of course. Gabby would love that.”
“Thanks, Carissa.”
“Are you kidding? I’m so excited! Leon is great, you are great, and it’s perfect!” She clapped her hands.
“Alright now, I only just met and slept with him, let’s not plan the wedding.”
Not yet anyway, Carissa said to herself as she watched her friend. She had never seen Ashleigh this happy, and she knew Ashleigh guarded her heart. Jackie’s father hadn’t been physically abusive like Parker, but he was a cheat, and a drunk, and Ashleigh and Jackie had both deserved better. Leon could be that better.
Chapter Eight
Ashleigh took a lunch tray up to Leon’s room and found he was asleep. She left it and crept back out, afraid to wake him.
The disappointment she felt that he was asleep surprised her. She found she was looking forward to the night they would spend together.
“Momma, I’ll be fine!” Jackie insisted. Now that it was sleepover time, Ashleigh was finding herself feeling incredibly hesitant. Carissa had babysat Jackie overnight before when Ashleigh had to work, but that was in the comfort of her own home, and when it had given Carissa the peace of being away from Parker for a night.
She trusted Garrett since Carissa trusted Garrett, and she had seen him with Gabby, so she knew he was not anyone who would harm her baby. She felt selfish, she realized. She was pushing her daughter off on her best friend so she could get laid. Repeatedly, she added, suddenly feeling disgusted with herself.
“Maybe I should just call this off, Jackie may need me. I shouldn’t do this.”
“Ashleigh, when was the last time you had a night to yourself? I seriously don’t mind. I’m going to take Gabby’s bed, and Garrett put together a pallet for the girls on the floor before he went to bed. I will be in there with them all night, it will be a girls’ night.”
“I don’t know. I feel guilty.”
“Oh, hush.” Carissa held her hand up. “I fully intend on having you watch Gabby and the new baby overnight so I can get some alone time with Garrett after I get my post-baby body back.”
Ashleigh laughed and felt a bit of the weight lifted. “Jackie is excited,” she noted as the girls giggled together on the pile of blankets Garrett had hauled in.
“It’s going to be fine, Ashleigh. I promise. I won’t leave this room.”
“Thanks, Carissa.” She hugged her friend and then knelt by her daughter. “I love you more than anything, Jackie.”
“I love you too, Mommy.” She kissed her on the head and then left.
It was not an easy thing to do. She very nearly turned around multiple times. She finally made it up to Leon’s room, and when she pushed it open, she saw he was still sleeping.
“Leon?” she asked as fear crept into her mind. Had he been awake at all today? He looked just like he had when she had brought him lunch, and it still sat uneaten on the tray.
“Oh, no,” she gasped when she felt his forehead. He was burning up. “Leon!” She shook him, but he didn’t budge. “Leon!” she yelled louder.
“What is going on?” Garrett burst through the door.
“His wound is infected, I need boiling water, fresh linen, and whatever you guys use to bring down fever,” she ordered him and then pulled the bandage off.
“Son of a bitch!” she growled at herself. She should have checked on him when she brought his tray up. She had just assumed he was tired from their lovemaking. Why hadn’t she checked on him? She scolded herself. She should know better!
She cleaned and rebandaged his wounds and applied some sort of salve Garrett had gotten from the village, but he was still hot to the touch. She sat by Leon’s side the entire time and barely noticed when the first rays of dawn began to shine through the window.
This was so unfair. Why would she be brought here to save a man who she would fall in love with, only to lose him again? The fear she felt at the thought of losing Leon made her realize how deep her feelings were for him. Even though she was a romantic, she had always believed love took time to develop, months, sometimes even years. But she had begun to feel it for Leon in only the matter of a day.
“There is no change,” she muttered when she heard someone come in the door. Garrett, Carissa, and a handful of the castle staff had been in and out of Leon’s room all night.
“Perhaps that is where I come in handy?”
At the sound of the familiar voice, Ashleigh’s head whipped around. She saw Mrs. Kinley standing next to a woman who resembled her closely. Siblings, she imagined.
“What are you doing here?” Ashleigh asked.
“I brought you some antibiotics and more medical supplies.”
Ashleigh shot out of her chair and grabbed the bag from Mrs. Kinley’s hand.
“This is wonderful!” Hope filled her chest as she looked at what the woman had brought.
She quickly went to work starting an IV in Leon’s arm to get him the antibiotics quickly. Once it was started, she tied the bag to one of the posts so it would stay elevated, and then went to work recleaning his wound. She cleaned it and applied the antiseptic she found in the bag to the area. Using gauze and tape, she re-covered the area and then stood back watching him.
“Fight, Leon,” she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek.
For the first time since they arrived, Ashleigh turned to face the women standing before her.
“Now, what in the hell is going on, Mrs. Kinley?” she asked her.
“Come with us, we will explain everything,” she said to her. “Leon will be fine now, trust me.”
Chapter Nine
Ashleigh followed the two women downstairs and into the sitting room she and Carissa had sat in the first night she had been there. Ashleigh saw Carissa and Garrett, Gabby and Jackie, and was surprised to see Detective Cahill and a woman she assumed must be Chloe and her son.
“It’s good to see you, Ashleigh,” he said as he held his hand out to shake hers.
“You too, Detective.”
“Just Wade, please.”
Ashleigh nodded and lifted Jackie into her arms. She felt as if she might fall over at any moment.
“I imagine most of you are confused,” Mrs. Kinley started. “First off, as Kettie and Garrett already know, my real name is Iona McKinley. I am Garrett’s aunt.”
Ashleigh had already pieced that part together, what she didn’t understand was what the rest of them had to do with it.
“I escaped to the twenty-first century to get away from my abusive husband. I met Carissa shortly after that.” She smiled at her. “I saw you in myself, and when I saw Parker go into your house that night, I knew I had to do something. My nephew is a good man, and I knew he was lonely. I had a vision of the two of you, which is why I sent you here, to him.”
She turned to Wade and Chloe next. “Detective, after meeting you and seeing how much you cared, I knew you were a good man. I had another vision, this time it was of Chloe in danger. It is why I sent you to her.”
Ashleigh saw Wade squeeze Chloe’s hand and realized she felt slightly empty without Leon by her side.
“That brings me to you, Ashleigh. I had heard Carissa speak of you often. She would tell me stories about patients you helped, and about how you refused to give up no matter what the cost was to yourself, so when I had a third vision, this one of Leon dying, I couldn’t think of anyone better to send to his sid
e than you.” Iona took a step toward her and placed her hand gently on Ashleigh’s arm. “Your heritage is from this land, I felt it the moment I met you. Once I delivered you to Leon, I returned to your time and dug into what I had felt. You are a descendant of the clan McKinley.”
“How is that possible?” Garrett wondered. “You and my mother were the only children, you didn’t have any, and my mother only had me.”
Kettie smiled this time. “Ashleigh is descended from your line, son.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Ashleigh asked and took a step back.
“You are the direct descendant from that bairn that Carissa is carrying.”
“I am so confused.” Ashleigh held her head in her hands.
“Well, I think I can safely say, I did not see that coming,” Carissa said and rubbed her hand over her stomach.
“But my last name is not McKinley,” Ashleigh insisted.
“It wouldn’t be. It was your mother who carried the line.”
Ashleigh thought for a moment. What had her mother’s maiden name been? Her parents had passed away when she was young, and she had gone to live with her father’s parents. They hadn’t told her much of anything, insisting each time she brought it up that it was too painful. How had she never looked into it?
“I need to go and check on Leon.” She looked down at her daughter. “Want to come with me?” she asked, not wanting to let go of the only thing that made sense to her at the moment.
“Can you show me how to be a doctor?” Jackie asked her as they left the room together.
Ashleigh smiled at her daughter, who sported the same red hair and freckles she did. “One day I will, baby, I promise.”
She pushed the door open slightly and was relieved to see Leon’s eyes open.
“What is this?” he asked, pointing to the needle in his arm.
“It’s called an IV. It’s a tube that’s inserted into your vein. It’s administering antibiotics.”
“What happened?” he asked and laid his head back on the bed.
“Your wound got infected.” Her eyes filled as she took a seat on the edge of the bed, still clutching Jackie. “You almost died, Leon.”
Leon took a deep breath. “Well, it sounds like I missed quite a bit, doesn’t it, wee lass?” he asked Jackie, and she smiled in response.
“Oh, and I am somehow related to Carissa and Garrett. They are my great, great, great times like five or something grandparents. I don’t know, I haven’t done the math yet. I’m just so grateful you’re okay.” Tears spilled from her eyes.
“Momma, are you okay?” Jackie asked worriedly.
“Yes, baby, I’m just happy Leon is okay. That’s all.”
“My mom likes you,” Jackie offered.
“I like your mom, too. I’m wondering, Jackie, if maybe when I get to feeling better and can get out of this room, maybe the three of us can spend some time together? Maybe we can go to the stable and see the horses.”
“You have horses?” Jackie exclaimed, and her wide-eyed excitement amused Leon.
“We absolutely do.”
“That would be so fun!”
“Good. I would really like to learn more about the woman who I have fallen head over heels for,” he said, looking at Ashleigh.
“I would like that as well.” She smiled and leaned down to kiss him lightly.
Neither realized that in just a short period of time, they would become a family.
Chapter Ten
Iona McKinley smiled as she stared out at the Irish sunset she had missed so much. How had she ever thought leaving her century and heritage behind was the right answer?
Of course, if she hadn’t, then the three couples she had brought together would still be apart. She was grateful she had been able to bring happiness to them. Everyone deserved to be happy.
“I’m so glad you are here with me, Iona,” Kettie said as she came outside to stand beside her.
“I am as well, sister. I have missed you.”
“What are you going to do about Edgar?” she asked, referring to Iona’s abusive husband.
“He will not be a problem for me.”
“We will protect you.”
Iona took a deep breath. “I know you will, but it is not needed. I have done many good things in my life,” she said with the utmost conviction. “But I have also done things that are not so good.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have found I have no tolerance for those who abuse others. I worked hard on learning to use my time-jumping ability to escape from Edgar. I also worked hard on making sure he and Parker could not harm another person ever again.”
“Iona, what did you do?”
“I did nothing but send them on a trip,” she said simply and continued looking out as the sun dipped lower in the sky. Her mind flashed back to the looks on their faces as she left them to their deaths in the middle of a war history had taught her would not end well. She had brought both back to their own times to be buried once she had been sure they were dead. She lost sleep over it still, even though she knew given the chance, Parker would have killed Carissa and hurt or killed Gabby as well.
When she had found Edgar, he had been trying to assault one of the maids who worked in the castle when she had lived there. It had been anger that had caused her to take them both where she did, and she knew the consequences were something that would weigh on her mind for the rest of her life. Still, she didn’t regret it. She had done what she believed she had to.
“Whatever you did, Iona, they were bad men, and I understand that. I know what Edgar put you through, and from what Carissa has told me of Parker, he was just as awful. I am sorry you carry that weight with you.” Kettie hugged her gently; she had always known her so well.
Iona looked up into the sky and spotted the first star. She only hoped the good she had done—and would continue to do—would outweigh the bad. After all, isn’t that what we all hope for in the end?
I hope you enjoyed reading Their Own Time! If you’re looking for another free read, click here to download your copy of The Last Ward!
Daxon Ward turned his back on his legacy decades ago.
Destined to become one of the realm’s Guardians—a magickal subspecies with blood-deep resistance to all things magick—he was one of the few who understood their true mission.
After witnessing the murder of a werewolf family at their hands, Daxon turned his back on the Guardians without a second thought.
Now, as his younger brother is set to graduate and join the ranks of the realms’ supposed protectors, Daxon finds himself swallowing his hatred and traveling to the Guardian Training Academy.
Not long into what should have been a peaceful celebration, the academy comes under attack, and Daxon crosses paths with the realms’ most notorious assassin, a Sage with the reputation of leaving no survivors.
Faced with his own mortality, Daxon is forced to make a decision.
Does he leave the academy to defend itself? Or stay and fight beside those he turned his back on?
Click here to read for free!
* * *
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A note from the author:
Dear readers,
* * *
I cannot even begin to thank you all for the amazing support you have shown me! I am so incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life to share my stories with, and I thank God each and every day for this opportunity.
Their Own Time was a new type of project for me, but I enjoyed every moment of telling the stories of Garrett, Carissa, Wade, Chloe, Leon, and Ashleigh. I had never written a novelette, let alone three that tie together so tightly.
My favorite stories are ones that show you that you can overcome anything you have been through in the
past and move forward. That you can still trust and love.
Carissa, Chloe, and Ashleigh all dealt with their own struggles in life in different ways. Carissa ran to find freedom, Chloe focused on her son’s future, and Ashleigh worked hard to provide a better life for her daughter. Each woman came from something bad and suffered harsh circumstances that only made her stronger. Everyone has a choice and a purpose in life, and there is always hope for a bright future!
I hope you enjoyed reading about them! I look forward to many more years of sharing my stories with you all.
-Jessica
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