timeaftertime

by Cynthia Luhrs

  “I’ll ask Santa.” Drake made a show of entering a note into his phone.

  They all laughed, and Mildred was ashamed of herself for being so petty. She’d let them stand in the doorway with the cold blowing around them. “Where are my manners? Come in and sit down.”

  Drake dropped a bag by the door and walked in barefoot. The wretched man even had attractive feet.

  Will sank down into a chair with a groan.

  “Tea or something stronger?” Mildred asked.

  “I’ll take a beer.” Will looked to Drake.

  “If it’s no trouble.”

  “Of course.” Mildred poured drinks while Karen opened the freezer and pulled out a chicken pot pie.

  “I thought we could take it over to Miss Melba along with salad and your homemade dressing,” she said.

  “You read my mind.” Mildred gave the men the iced mugs of beer and went back to the kitchen to help Karen pack up the meal.

  Will cleared his throat. “With the convention in town, there’s not a hotel room to be found within an hour’s drive.”

  “I’ll find something. It’s only another night anyway.” Drake had a smudge of soot on his cheek. He could have died in the fire. Mildred’s hands shook as she added the lemon poppy seed muffins they’d baked that morning. What did he mean only one more night?

  Time to grow up. She stood rigid, hands pressed into the granite countertop. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll stay here.”

  Karen held up the fortune from the cookie and waggled her eyebrows, breaking the tension running through Mildred’s body. It was all she could do to keep from laughing out loud. Stop, she mouthed.

  “You all stay here,” Karen said. “I’m going to take the meal over.”

  Will and Drake stood at the same time. “I’ll take you,” Will said, and Drake sat down, a muscle in his jaw twitching.

  “I’ll make up the spare bedroom for you when I get back,” Karen said.

  “No, stay here. I’ll go,” Mildred told her. “Do you need anything? Shoes?” Mildred asked Drake.

  He looked at his feet. “I grabbed the clothes. Forgot the shoes.” He told her the size.

  “I’ll go into town. There’s a big store there, but they won’t be fancy like you’re used to.”

  He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Doesn’t matter. Just something to get by. I won’t be here much longer.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Fine. I’ll be back soon.”

  Will placed a hand on Drake’s shoulder and said something. Mildred could have sworn it sounded like “You’re an idiot.” But she wouldn’t bet on it. More like wishful thinking on her part.

  After Mildred left with her suitor, Drake scowled at the closed door. She couldn’t get out of here fast enough. The girl, Karen, cleared her throat.

  “I’m going to make up the bed for you.”

  “You’re with child. I’ll do it.”

  She laughed, the sound puncturing his sour mood. “I’m having a baby. I’m not helpless.” At the bottom of the stairs, she turned to him. “Come on up. You can keep me company.”

  As she got the sheets out and they made the bed, he kept checking his watch.

  “Why don’t you look at your phone to know what time it is?”

  “Sometimes I turn it off, but I still like to know what time it is.”

  The girl looked so young. She wore her hair in a ponytail and had on a fuzzy top and bright pink pants with matching fuzzy socks.

  “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen.”

  The same age Mildred had been when they’d met. They might have had babes. His heart clenched.

  “Where is your husband?”

  “I don’t have one.” She sighed. “It’s a long, sad story that I won’t bore you with. I’m all alone. Mildred found me and took me in.”

  Her face pale, she abruptly sat on the freshly made bed.

  In an instant, he was at her side. “Are you unwell?”

  Leaning away from him, she covered her nose. “No offense, but you reek of smoke.”

  “My gravest apologies. I shall shower.”

  At the top of the stairs, he stopped her. “Nay, lady. I shall go first. That way, if you might fall, I would catch you.”

  “That’s a pleasant thought.” She bounded down the stairs, and Drake could envision her as the daughter or granddaughter he might have had with Mildred.

  “Can I get you anything before I shower?” Drake kept his distance so she wouldn’t smell his stench.

  “I’m fine. Go.” She glanced at the door.

  “They’ve been gone a long time.” He hesitated. “How does Mildred know this Will? Is she…? Are they…?”

  “He’s the police chief, lived here his whole life. His wife passed away a couple of years ago from cancer.” She groaned and rubbed her feet. “Yes, he has a huge crush on her. No, they’re not together.” She leveled a look at Drake, reminding him of Millie when she was in a temper. “Thank you for walking down the stairs with me. Now go shower. You stink. Then I’ll answer whatever questions I can.”

  He had one bare foot on the first step when she called out, “And I have questions for you, too.”

  “Aye, lady.” He’d just bet she did. With her sweet, innocent face, she could have been a master spy.

  It had taken several scrubbings before the scent of smoke left his skin. Even after all these years, he still marveled over electricity and showers, running water. Modern transportation came in a close second.

  Karen had her eyes closed as he came back downstairs. As Drake stood there deciding whether to go outside or back upstairs, she opened her eyes.

  “I can feel you thinking from over there.” She yawned. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can move. I’m so tired. There’s whisky in the pantry if you’d like a drink. Or we have wine and vodka.”

  “Would you like a wee nip?”

  She looked startled. “I’m only eighteen and I’m five months pregnant.”

  Right. He knew that. In the modern world, things were different. He was tired too, thinking of England and his own time. He poured a whisky and joined her.

  “Do I still smell?”

  She sniffed and grinned. “Nope. Now you smell like honeysuckle.”

  Drake laughed at her tone. She was a kind girl. “Millie isn’t back yet?”

  Karen watched him for a few moments. “You still love her,” she said softly.

  A song about a woman like a hurricane played in the background.

  “I do.”

  She nodded. “I knew it.”

  Where was a battle when he needed one? Drake would rather draw his sword than face this girl and answer questions about Millie and his feelings. Thankfully, she instead asked him about the casino and Vegas. Talk turned to her and the baby, and still Millie had not returned. At that moment, Drake both envied and hated the police chief of Holden Beach. Whoreson.

  THIRTEEN

  Mildred jangled the keys in her hand, glad Karen had turned on the porch lights.

  “You didn’t have to drive me to the store and stay all that time with Melba. I thought she would talk all night. Better watch out—she might be ninety, but I think she had her eye on you.”

  “It’s quiet in the off-season. I was happy to escort you.” Will took a step closer until he was inches from her. “Mildred—”

  Why was he doing this now? She wanted to scream. “I should go in and check on Karen and my guest.”

  The scent of his cologne filled her nose. It smelled of citrus and stability. He was a handsome man, kind and good—and she’d never wanted him that way.

  He took her hands in his. “I care for you. Even before I married, I desired you.” He reached out, touching her cheek, the calluses on his fingers rough against her skin. “You came back from college a different person. You never laughed or talked to anyone. It was like your light burned out.”

  His breath smelled of peppermint. With a step backward, the knob of the door pre
ssed into her back.

  “Don’t be angry, but I did some digging. And do you know what I found?”

  With a hand on his chest, she pushed him back a step. “Don’t. Leave old ghosts alone.”

  “You left to go to Vegas for a summer and you made me a promise. Do you remember?”

  He was unyielding as she pushed again. “It’s the past. Leave it alone, Will.”

  “You promised me we’d be together when you came home, and then when you did, you wanted nothing to do with me. You rejected me.”

  This time she poked him in the chest, her voice rising as the wind sent her hair whipping into her face. “And you married your wife six months later. She loved you and you loved her. So what does it matter now?”

  Mildred shivered. The temperature had dropped. There was a frost warning tonight, but somehow she knew the cold came from within, from the knowledge another relationship of hers was about to be forever changed, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  “I would have never brought it up until Drake Gregory showed up in town.” Will’s eyes were black as the sky above. “It took me a while, but I found a certificate of marriage between Drake Gregory and Mildred Merriweather.” He took her by the shoulders. “What aren’t you telling me? Did he hurt you?” His fingers pressed into her arms, and she cried out, making him let go. “I swear, if he hurt you, I’ll make him pay.”

  “You’re hurting me.” She rubbed her arms. “And you’re acting ridiculous. Leave the past alone. It’s mine and it’s none of your business.”

  She put her key in the door as Will placed his hand over hers, stopping her.

  “Are you afraid of him? I’ll throw him out.”

  The doorknob turned and Mildred stumbled, would have fallen if Drake hadn’t caught her.

  “Is aught amiss?” He pulled her behind him and stepped into the doorway. Drake cleared his throat, fingers drumming against his jeans. “I clearly heard the lady ask you to leave.”

  Will thrust his chin out, the vein in his neck pulsing. “Mildred?”

  She forced Drake to turn sideways so she was standing in the doorway as well.

  “I’m tired, Will. Go home and get some sleep.” She looked at Drake. “I’m fine.” Leaning down to pick up the bags, she blew out a breath, tired to her bones.

  “Leave now and I’ll chalk this up to both of us having a stressful night.” She straightened and met Will’s eyes. “Cause a further scene and our friendship is done.”

  Will narrowed his eyes at her before stepping back. “When he hurts you again, I won’t be there to pick up the pieces, Mrs. Gregory.”

  “You didn’t pick up the pieces before—it was my sisters that were there for me. Even when I wouldn’t tell them why, they always supported me. The Merriweather women are always there for each other.” She stepped back into the welcoming warmth of the kitchen and turned out the porch light before calling out, “And it’s Merriweather, not Gregory. The Merriweather women always keep their own names when they marry.”

  She slammed the door, her hand shaking.

  “Millie.”

  She thrust the bags at Drake. “I picked up sneakers and socks for you.”

  “Damn the shoes.” He pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms. “All I care about is if you’re unharmed. I beseech you, Millie. I would gladly give my happiness to see you content. Don’t shut me out.”

  She was so tired of being strong. Of keeping everyone out. The wall within cracked as she wrapped her arms around him, the silent tears soaking into his flannel shirt. And Drake just held her. He let her weep, stroking her hair, murmuring words in another language.

  A small sob escaped, his arms tightened, and he swept her up in his arms, carrying her to the sofa. He put her down and covered her with an afghan. She smelled the whisky as he came back from the kitchen, holding two glasses.

  Without a word, she took a sip, willing her nerves to calm. He held her hand, the warmth of him seeping into her. He’d always been like a roaring fire. She’d joked that she’d never be cold as long as he was next to her.

  Drake still had the habit of drumming his fingers against his hip. Mildred sat up. She’d seen that habit before. Thomas did the same thing; he’d told Pittypat it was the absence of his sword. He’d had a sword since he could walk, and being without it caused him almost physical pain.

  “What’s wrong, my lady of sunlight?”

  She met his gaze, searching for the faded scar at his collarbone, the one near his ear, and the one on the back of his hand.

  “Is it true?”

  He stilled. “Is what true?”

  Was she really going to believe him? I’m so sorry, Pittypat. Forgive me. “Did you really travel through time from medieval England?”

  FOURTEEN

  Drake went still. He’d told her about his home before the wedding, unwilling to keep secrets from his bride-to-be. She hadn’t believed him and he married her anyway, believing in time she would accept his truth. He had waited a lifetime to talk of his home, his own time with someone. To share with her what he missed, the places he would have shown her, people he would have desired her to meet.

  His phone rang, ruining the moment. It was Caroline.

  “Do you need to take that?” Mildred asked.

  He turned it off and placed it on the table. “The only thing requiring my attention is you.” Her fingers were twined with his, her skin still soft and unmarked after all these years.

  “You laughed at me when I told you my story on our wedding day,” he said. “What changed?”

  With her other hand, she covered his. “Did you know you tap your fingers against your hip?”

  He looked at his hands. “I’ve caught myself a few times, but what does that have to do with you believing me? Why now?”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “Is it too late for us?”

  “Nay, love. I’d wait for you for eternity.” His hand shook as he reached out to trace her bottom lip. The fullness always made him want to kiss her.

  “Tell me. I’ve got you. I won’t let go.”

  “Oh, Drake. I’ve been so awful.” The woman he’d never stopped loving wept as she told him the tale. Even when he didn’t remember her, his heart knew, and his soul searched for her in the face of every woman who’d ever walked through the casino doors. For him, the moment his memories came back, ’twas like it was still the morning after their wedding. No time had passed at all, even as his head told him a lifetime had vanished. He’d always loved her. Only her.

  “…Thomas did the same thing. I’m guessing you had a sword too?”

  “Aye, several of them. I’ve been collecting them all these years, not knowing why I was obsessed with them until my memory came back, and then I knew.”

  He refilled the whisky, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Karen. She needed her rest for the babe she was carrying.

  “You broke my heart when you left that morning and never came back. I spent an entire year trying to find you. Where were you?”

  “I left that morning to fetch you coffee and breakfast from Ben’s. I knew ’twas your favorite place. ’Twas still dark, and I tripped over a chair by the pool and hit my head. When I came to, I was in the hospital. They said I’d walked into a casino and scared them by bleeding all over the floor.”

  The whisky burned as he drank deeply, willing himself not to wrap his arms around her waist, rest his head in her lap, and bawl like a babe.

  “DiSilvio found me. He took me to the hospital, paid the bills, since I didn’t have any ID. The dinner theater burned down the next day, the records lost and the employees scattered. So there was no one around to say who I was when he asked. I always wore a helm at work to joust, so no one recognized my face—’twas as if I never existed.”

  “I thought you might have died in the fire,” she said. “My heart stopped when I found out and went to see the smoking ruins. There was nothing left. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Not even Bubba, the owner’s old bass
et hound. The firemen found him across the street sleeping in a doorway.”

  “DiSilvio sent me to Europe to work with a friend of his and learn the ropes from a master, as he called the man,” Drake said. “I was gone two years, and then I came back and worked at the casino. Been there ever since. It wasn’t until one of the robbers hit me over my thick skull during an attempted robbery that my memories came back. You were my first thought, Mildred. I had to find you. Even knowing you might have married someone else or run me through with a kitchen knife.”

  “No wonder I couldn’t find you. I thought you didn’t want me. That you regretted marrying me.”

  “Never. You are my world. Time may pass, but I’ll never stop wanting you. I’m too old for games. My cards are on the table. I love you. I never stopped loving you. A part of me always knew there was a piece of me missing. It was you.”

  He pulled her into his lap, stroking her hair, the silver reminding him of moonlight. “We’ve both lived a lifetime since that summer. When I married you, I meant forever. You were given to me by the fates. They brought me through time to find you. Tell me it’s not too late for us.”

  A tear fell, and he caught it with a fingertip, bringing it to his mouth, tasting the salt.

  “It’s not too late.”

  Drake didn’t give her a chance to say another word. Her skin was soft as velvet against his mouth as he kissed her cheek, her ear, and neck. His arm supported her as his other hand stroked her face.

  He murmured words of wooing as he kissed her tears away. Her arms came around him and he growled deep in his throat. She tasted of the sun. Pressing his lips to hers, he urged her to open to him, take him in. Leisurely, he explored her mouth, tasting, breathing her in. If he could stay here with her, kissing her forever, it would be a life well spent.

  FIFTEEN

  Mildred was busy in the kitchen, singing along to a song about fighting for the one you loved and not letting them fall. She’d woken up thinking about Alice’s famous homemade blueberry amaretto waffles.