by Cathy Peper
“Your Daddy will always protect you,” Bryce said, shooting Ari a look. A look that said he was going to go dump the body. She nodded, nausea churning in her stomach. Perhaps Bryce was right, but it felt sordid and wrong to her. As if they were the criminals and not the man who had nearly cut her throat and threatened all their lives. A man who took advantage of a woman and stabbed the man who came to her rescue. A man who deserved to die.
Bryce pulled Hannah into a one-handed embrace. “Go down another slide,” he said, pushing her back towards the play area.
When Hannah ran off with a giggle, he skewered Ari with a look. “Stay here. It shouldn’t take long.”
* * *
Ari didn’t ask where he was going. She didn’t want to know. When he took her keys, she made no protest. What was driving without a license compared to murder? No, it wasn’t murder. Bryce had acted in self-defense.
She drank her coffee but ate little of her food. The warmth soothed her, but she was too nervous to eat. If the police caught Bryce disposing of the body, he would be arrested.
Someone slipped into the chair across from hers and she jumped.
“Where’d your boyfriend go?” the reporter asked.
“He went to get a drink. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“I’m a reporter. Everything is my business.”
Ari wondered how anyone could stand living like that. “Why can’t you leave us alone? Bob is a good man. He saved that girl.”
“My paper made him out to be a hero. I just wonder why I can’t find any information on him. Where did he grow up, where did he go to school?”
“What difference does it make?”
“Everyone has baggage. Usually, I can find it with a quick Google search. But when I searched Bob I found nada. Zilch. It’s like he didn’t exist two weeks ago.”
“He doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Don’t you have a more interesting story to follow?”
“I think the story is here.”
Ari sighed but faked a smile when Hannah approached them. This time her daughter climbed into her chair and dunked a nugget in the barbecue sauce. Ari hoped she wouldn’t mention the “bad man”.
“I’ve seen you on TV,” she said instead.
The reporter looked a bit surprised. “You must be my youngest fan. Most kids your age don’t watch the news.”
“I like to watch Nick better.”
“Nickelodeon,” Ari said, in case the woman assumed Hannah meant a person named Nick.
“Yeah, I got it. I watch Nick myself, kiddo.” She slipped from the chair. “I’ll be around.”
I hope not. Ari tried the fake smile again. What would the reporter do? Would she try to find Bryce? Would she wait in the parking lot until he came back? The coffee sat in her stomach like acid. She should eat something. If the reporter ever found out what Bryce was really doing, she’d have the story of her lifetime.
Time dragged as she nibbled on her food and responded to Hannah. When Bryce finally returned, a dusting of snow covered his ash brown hair.
“It’s snowing?”
“Just a bit, but we should get going before it gets worse.”
Ari called Hannah, who came without complaint, having tired of climbing around nearly an hour ago. They had left their wet coats in the car and the bite of the wind tore through their shirts as they scurried across the parking lot. Ari was relieved to see no evidence of dents or scrapes on her Honda. Bad enough to drive for the first time in the dark, but to add snow to the equation…well, she was glad her car was unharmed.
Bryce handed her the keys and they buckled up. She pulled out of the parking lot, turning the radio to a news station, hoping to hear the weather.
No one spoke. The only sound was the radio. After hearing the forecast, which called for no more than an inch or two of accumulation, Ari changed over to a music channel. Hannah had fallen asleep in her car seat and Ari didn’t want to ask Bryce what he had done with the man’s body. He didn’t offer any information, but she could sense the tension in his frozen posture and grim expression. His eyes stared out at the road, but she didn’t think he saw the snaking asphalt.
Finally, Ari broke the silence. “That reporter, the one who interviewed you at the hospital, she approached me at McDonald’s.”
“Still snooping around? She won’t find anything. Our problem should not resurface.”
Ari’s hands tightened on the wheel, knowing Bryce spoke literally. “I haven’t thanked you.”
“For what?”
“Saving us, of course.” She took her eyes off the road long enough to gaze at him in astonishment. “You haven’t been in this century more than a week and already you’ve rescued three people. Where did you learn to move like that?” Her memories of the attack were sketchy. The man’s knife had nicked her throat as she collapsed in his arms and pain and fear had narrowed her focus. She had taken a huge risk. He could easily have killed her before she was able to free herself, but she’d understood what Bryce was telling her almost as if they had been telepathically linked. Better to take a chance at escape than allow that evil man complete control. But as she struggled with her attacker, Bryce cut across the water like an Olympic swimmer, exploding out of its depths like a creature of the deep.
“I learned to swim as a boy but practiced continually once I bought my keelboat. I always found it remarkable that some of my men didn’t know how to swim. There they were at the mercy of the river, but they didn’t take the time to learn a basic survival skill.”
“My parents insisted that Sebastien and I learn to swim at an early age, but as I grew older my stepmother discouraged me. She said it wasn’t ladylike. Since coming to the future, I’ve gotten back to it.” But she would never be able to move as fast as Bryce had. Every movement seemed calculated, up to swinging the shovel with lethal force. “Did you have to kill him?”
Bryce stared at her. It was dark in the car, but she could feel the weight of his gaze. “Reggie? He threatened the life of my woman and child. What else would you have me do?”
“If you had only knocked him out we could have brought him back to the dock and turned him into the police.”
“So they could let him out on bail again?”
“They wouldn’t. Not this time. Not when he had committed two crimes so close together.” She wasn’t absolutely certain, but she was fairly sure.
“It would still have drawn the attention of the police, something I can’t afford. And he suspected I had found something out there. Something valuable.”
The buried treasure. “We don’t need it. Sure, it would have been nice not to worry about paying the bills, but we can manage without it. I’ve been doing so for years.”
“We will have to lay low for a while. Perhaps I can try again come summer.”
“No. We’re not going back there. Ever.”
“I refuse to apologize for killing a man who stabbed me, threatened to kill you and Hannah, and tried to rape a woman. I heard the men talking as they stalked that girl. This wasn’t their first assault and it wouldn’t have been their last. I did the world a favor by taking him out.”
Ari released a shuddering breath. “I know he wasn’t a good person. Perhaps you did do the world a favor by getting rid of him. But that’s not our job. In this time, police and the court system handle criminals. The Wild West is long gone.”
Bryce took a while to respond. “I’ve been here less than a week. I’m still acclimating to a new situation. But I’m not sure I will ever be able to stand by and do nothing while a man puts a knife to the throat of the woman I love. The police would never have been able to get there in time, even if we could have contacted them on your cell phone.”
Ari’s insides, still cold in spite of the heat, food, and drink, warmed several degrees. He loved her. Although he had offered her marriage, she hadn’t been totally sure whether he did so because of Hannah or for her assistance with the modern world. “I’m sorry, Bryce. You did what you th
ought was best. He took us all by surprise.”
Bryce grunted, sulking like a little boy. Ari almost smiled. Men. She drove on, headlights cutting through the dark and highlighting the flakes of snow. She kept her speed moderate, although she wanted to be home already, curled up on her couch watching TV with Bryce next to her and Hannah safely asleep in her room. She had wished for both excitement and romance to enter her life, but the romance had brought more excitement than she could handle.
Eventually, they reached Ste. Genevieve and she carried Hannah inside. Her daughter awoke as Ari put on her pajamas and tucked her beneath the covers.
“Is the bad man really gone, Mommy?”
“Yes. Everything is okay. Go back to sleep.”
“Leave the door open.”
“Okay.” Ari usually insisted upon closing the door. Hannah had a Disney-themed night light that provided a small amount of light. But with all Hannah had been through today, she needed to know her mother was nearby.
Bryce sprawled on the sofa, his face pale. “I think I might have opened my wound.”
A rush of guilt swamped Ari. Bryce had not only attacked that man, Reggie, he had carried her and Hannah from the boat to the car and then gone back to deal with the corpse. Plus he had taken several dives both today and yesterday. She had forgotten about his injury. “Let me take a look.”
She pulled first aid supplies from the bathroom and sat beside him. Lifting his sweatshirt, she peeled away the bandage. The slice made by Reggie’s knife, which had been healing nicely, now appeared red and swollen. “I think you tore the stitches. I hope it’s not infected. Have you been taking the antibiotics they gave you?”
“I forgot to bring them with me.”
“Here, let me get them.” She remembered seeing the bottle in the kitchen. “I don’t want you to overdose, but take two right now. You can go back to your regular dose tomorrow.” She passed him two pills and a glass of water. “Do you want to take the bed? It would be more comfortable.”
He looked up, a glimmer in his eyes. “Where will you sleep?”
“On the couch.”
He shook his head. “I’m used to sleeping rougher than this. The couch will be fine.”
“Then I guess I will see you in the morning.” She gazed at him for a moment. Part of her wanted to invite him into her bed, just to sleep. She would feel safer with his presence. But wounded or not she didn’t trust him to behave himself and frankly, couldn’t trust herself either. The attraction still hummed between them as strong as when they had first met. She pressed her lips against his but drew back before he could put his arms around her.
He let her go. She changed into her flannel nightgown, smiling as she imagined Bryce’s reaction. It wasn’t the sexiest of nightwear, but it was soft, warm, and reminded her of home. She turned back the covers but hesitated before climbing in. Needing to feel the familiar comfort of family and friends, she walked barefoot over to her dresser and pulled open the bottom drawer. She reached under her tee shirts for the framed marriage license. Just seeing her brother’s name joined with that of her dear friend would calm her enough for sleep.
To her surprise, her hand felt nothing but fabric. No hard edges bumped against her fingers. Puzzled, she dug deeper, eventually pulling every piece of clothing out of the drawer. The polished wood at the base mocked her with its emptiness. Could she have put it in a different drawer? She shoved the clothes back without folding them and opened the middle drawer. Same result. She knew it wouldn’t be in the upper drawers where she kept her lingerie, but she searched them anyway.
Could Bryce or Hannah have taken it? She would ask them in the morning, but she doubted it. For some unfathomable reason, her one tangible link to her past was gone.
Chapter 10
Ari didn’t sleep well, waking several times during the night. She dreamed Reggie came back from the dead and chased them as if they were in an old zombie film. It took her a while to get back to sleep afterward, but then she had an even more disturbing dream where she was back in the past, but no one could see her. She wandered aimlessly seeing people she had known then but hearing nothing, as if she had walked onto a silent movie set. When she finally found Sebastien, he seemed to see her, but he too remained silent, staring at her with reproachful eyes.
Sleep eluded her completely after that, but she stayed beneath the covers until dawn tinted the sky. Only then did she rise, choose her clothes and head towards the bathroom for a shower. When she finished, she found Hannah awake and sitting on Bryce’s lap while he read her a story.
Ari greeted them on the way to the kitchen where she made bacon and scrambled eggs. She waited until everyone was seated before mentioning the picture frame. “Hannah, have you been going through Mommy’s things? Something is missing from my dresser.”
“No. Can I have another piece of bacon?”
Ari handed her the bacon. “Are you sure? You’re not in trouble, I just want to find my picture.”
“I don’t want to make you mad, so I leave your stuff alone.”
“Bryce, you didn’t go through my drawers did you?”
“Of course not.” He looked insulted like she suspected him of creeping through her underwear.
“Just checking. I must have misplaced it.” She kept her voice light, but her temples were already throbbing and the bacon, which had smelled so good as it sizzled on the stove, now looked unappetizing. She finished the piece she had already put on her plate along with the dab of eggs but left the dishes, something she rarely did. “I have a headache. Can you watch Hannah?” she asked Bryce.
“Certainly.” His brow furrowed, but Ari wasn’t sure if he was worried about her or nervous about being left in charge of their daughter. She took her laptop and disappeared into her bedroom. Curling up on her bed with a reading pillow and a blanket over her knees, she pulled up the genealogical site where she had found the marriage certificate. Her searches came up empty. There didn’t appear to have been any marriage between Tori and Sebastien. She rubbed at her temples wishing she’d taken some ibuprofen, but not wanting to leave her room and risk running in to Bryce or Hannah.
The marriage certificate had been there a few weeks ago. She had printed it and framed it, happy in the knowledge that her brother and best friend were together. Next, she pulled up the 1820 census. Prior to Tori’s trip to the past, she had found a reference to a Sebastien Laroush whom she had suspected of being her brother. The small cramped handwriting from the past was often very hard to read and spelling had not been nearly as standardized back then. The name was close, the dates had worked and his occupation had been listed as a fur trader. She had not been able to find him in the 1830 census, but in 1840 another candidate appeared, a Sebastien Laroosh, trader, listed with a wife and children. At that point, she had elected not to look any further, not wanting to know when he disappeared from the rolls. Eventually, she suspected she would have given in to her curiosity, but before she had a chance, Tori had vanished and everything had changed.
When Tori failed to come home from her gig at the historical house, Ari suspected the necklace had transported her through time. In the first few weeks after Tori went missing, Ari had been caught up in the police investigation, providing what information she could, all the while keeping silent on what she was sure had happened. No one would have believed her anyway. Once the investigation stalled, due to lack of leads, she returned to her research, hoping to find some sign of Tori. To her astonishment, she found the marriage certificate. She had then turned to the census information, finding Sebastien and Tori in all three records, living in St. Louis, blessed by children, and variously described as a fur trader, boatman and shop owner. Again, she had decided not to push her luck and had not looked past 1840.
Now she could no longer find a record of her brother in 1820, 1830 or 1840. It was as if he no longer existed. She tried Tori next, but couldn’t find her either. Women were more difficult to track since they usually changed their name upon marriage,
but the census usually included a wife’s maiden name, along with that of her parents. She used a different search and this time came up with a possibility. In the 1820 census, she found a reference to a Victoria Engel, nee Foster, wife of John Engel, and mother to a couple children. By the 1830 census, Victoria had been replaced by a second wife.
Ari leaned back against her pillow. She couldn’t understand it, but somehow Bryce coming to the future appeared to have changed the past—and not in a good way. Sebastien and Tori never married, meaning Sebastien probably died before the ceremony could take place. It seemed Tori had married someone else, but she too was dead before 1830. How was this possible?
Ari closed her laptop and walked into the family room. Nickelodeon was on in the background, but Bryce had found a checker set and was teaching Hannah how to play.
“King me.” He slid his checker into the final row of the board.
Hannah made a face but obediently set a checker atop his. She was so intent on the game, she didn’t seem to notice her mother’s arrival. Bryce did, however.
“Feeling better?”
“Worse actually. Let me get something for my head and then I’ll explain.” She meandered over to the kitchen, swallowed some pain relievers and returned to the checker game. Hannah appeared to be in dire straits, her dwindling supply of checkers surrounded by Bryce’s. She let them finish the game and even allowed Hannah to whine a bit about losing, before telling Hannah in her no-nonsense voice to either go watch TV or be sent to her room. With a last sullen look at the game board, Hannah settled in front of the TV.
Ari drew Bryce into the kitchen. “We have a problem.”
“What? I watched the news. No one has discovered the body and Miss Merrell hasn’t done a story on me.”
“I’ve introduced you to the Internet and all the information available there at the click of a mouse.”
“It’s amazing. When I think what I could have done with this tool back in the nineteenth century…well, I think my fortune would rival my father’s.”