“I don’t want to talk about this right now. There’s no point.” She’d experienced his feelings, as he had hers. In order to be together, one of them would have to make a great sacrifice, and she wasn’t ready to face that inevitability. “No decisions need to be made today, or … or …” Her throat closed. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow evening after my shift,” she rasped out.
“Meredith, look at me.”
She shook her head as she gathered the letter, the rest of the vellum, and the pen. She stuffed everything into her backpack and hurried to the door. “Gotta go.”
Daniel called after her, but she didn’t stop, and he didn’t follow. She slowed her pace and attempted to calm herself. Things might be completely different once they met in the flesh. In his desperation, of course he’d develop feelings for whoever threw him a lifeline. That didn’t mean the attraction would play out in real life.
She continued to rationalize all the way back to the cabin, but she couldn’t deny that what she felt seemed damned real to her as well. She needed to give Aunt Beth a piece of her mind, because her aunt had been the one who had convinced her that she couldn’t ignore the summons.
“Only the one summoned can help the spirits who called to them, my ass,” she muttered.
Meredith had a sneaking suspicion Beth had made that part up on the spot. Her aunt had always been overly dramatic, and she’d always loved drawing those around her into the dramas. Meredith had always been an onlooker, never the one drawn in … until now. She wished her aunt had minded her own damned business.
No way could there possibly be a happily-ever-after for her or for Daniel. Either one of them would have to sacrifice everything for the other, or they’d have to go their separate ways. “What a mess.”
10
Meredith wore her Edwardian walking suit, the undergarments that went with that era—plus her modern-day bra—and the leather ankle boots. The groups she’d led all day seemed to appreciate her effort to represent the era she spoke about. Little did they know her main goal to was make a hasty exit into the past after her shift. Her stomach had turned to a tight ball of nerves as she counted down the last minutes as tour guide for the day.
“Notice the bullet holes in the wall here?” she said, touching one of the holes. “This happened when two men fought over a young woman who worked here at Keoghan’s Saloon. She called herself Lily Lovelace.”
One more stop, and she’d be free to grab her already packed duffle bag and hike to Daniel’s camp. He’d be waiting for her. The skein of nerves in her gut tightened, and her pulse surged. Clasping her hands together in front of her, she gazed at each of the family members in her last group for the day, a couple and their three daughters. “Shortly after that bar fight, Miss Lovelace and her wounded lover disappeared and were never heard from again.”
“Do you think the two might haunt this saloon?” the oldest of the three girls asked. “Maybe the other guy in the gunfight finished them off in a crime of passion.”
Meredith had seen a few of the saloon’s ladies of the night haunting the room, and it was possible. Still, she preferred a more romantic end to the story. “I believe she and her lover ran off together, married, and lived happily-ever-after in Deer Lodge, or Hellgate, which later became Missoula.” She laughed as the three girls rolled their eyes in unison and groaned.
“Our last stop is the gift shop,” she said, gesturing toward the saloon’s double doors. “There you can purchase books about the history of Garretsville and mining in the Garnet Mountains.”
Meredith herded the family into the building and passed them off to Judy. “Thank you for visiting Garretsville today. I hope you enjoyed your tour,” she said in a rush before turning to Judy. “Well, I’m off.”
“Good luck, Meredith. John and I are looking forward to hearing about your visit,” Judy said, winking at her.
“Thanks. See you later.” She’d already told the Schultes about her plans, and she’d given them written instructions to follow in case she didn’t return on the very day she left. They were to contact her father and aunt and explain everything. Her mom and dad would then contact the rest of the family, and if help was possible, they’d find a way.
She wouldn’t need help though. Everything would go as planned. The tangle of nerves in her gut seemed to suggest otherwise. She ignored her apprehensions and hurried past the schoolhouse to where she’d stashed her bag in the brush.
Hoisting the strap of the duffle over her shoulder, she set off at a brisk pace for Daniel’s camp. Her mind and insides churned with the now familiar combination of fear and anticipation. Soon she’d meet Daniel in the flesh.
“Where are you off to, Meredith?”
She jerked to a halt. She’d been watching the ground, her mind on other things and not where she was going. “Just taking a walk, Oliver. What are you doing here?”
“Same. Walking.” He eyed her duffle bag and the clothes she wore. “What’s with the bag and the clothes? Not what you usually wear on a hike, yeah?”
Frustration flared. He had no boundaries, which was why she’d kept her plans from him. “It’s really none of your business, is it?”
His eyes widened, and he looked a little stunned by her curtness. The stunned look quickly turned to offended indignation “Nope. I guess not. See you at supper.” He passed her without sparing her another glance.
“See you then,” she called to his back.
Meredith released the breath she’d been holding. Now she had guilt to add to the pile anxiety already sitting on her shoulders. She’d left dealing with Oliver’s sulky questions to the Schultes, and they didn’t deserve that. Oh, well. If everything went according to plan, after three weeks in the past, she’d be walking back to Garretsville on this very same point in time, and she’d have a story to tell. They would have supper together, and everything would return to normal … everything except for her heart.
By the time she reached Daniel’s camp, perspiration trickled down the back of her neck and at her temples, and she had to work to get enough air into her lungs. Partly due to the altitude, and mostly due to the way she’d hurried uphill to reach her destination. As promised, Daniel was waiting for her.
“Daniel,” she said, coming to a halt. “Whew, I need to catch my breath. Meredith moved to sit on one of the many boulders that were so common in these mountains.
He drifted over to stand before her. “You’ve not changed your mind then?”
She smiled as her insides performed a series of skips, hops, and jumps at the sight of him, and at the thought of what she was about to do. “No. I haven’t changed my mind.” Originally, she’d planned on staying one week. Soon, two weeks sounded better. Finally she’d decided to arrive two weeks prior to Daniel’s murder, and stay another week after. More than anything, she wanted to spend time with him, even if it did make their eventual parting more difficult.
Meredith pushed herself up from the boulder and hiked the strap of her duffle bag higher over her shoulder. She drew the small leather pouch from her pocket and took out one of the diamonds, closing her fingers around the crystal.
Daniel came closer. “Let me see, love.”
She held her hand out to him and slowly opened her fingers, fixing her attention on him and not the stone. “I’ve been afraid to look at them, fearing I’d trigger the magic before I’m ready. Who knows where I’d end up?”
“Hmm.” He studied the gem. “It’s pink.”
“Is it?” Her brow rose. “Pink diamonds are rare.”
“And this one is flawless, weighing in at about three carats, I’d wager.”
“A fortune.”
“Aye, Meredith, a fortune.”
“Okay, I need to center myself, concentrate, and open the portal. Hopefully I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She returned the leather pouch holding the other diamond to her pocket.
“Aye. Will you be distracted if I remain nearby?”
“No. Actually, I think having you he
re might help.”
“All right. I’ll be over there beneath that tree,” he said, pointing to one of the many pines growing around the clearing.
She nodded, turned away and began concentrating. She’d done a search for an 1854 calendar, and concentrated on that Tuesday in time. Right here, the sixth of June, 1854. She repeated the words over and over in her head while fixing the image of the boulder where she’d just been sitting firmly in her mind. She opened her palm and stared at the uncut pink diamond nestled in the palm of her hand. “I want to be right here, on Tuesday, the sixth of June, 1854.”
A shimmer appeared in the air and grew until the undulating waves of pale pink and pale green were nearly as tall as she was. Swallowing convulsively, she stepped toward the passage she prayed would take her to Daniel. “Right here, the sixth of June, 1854. The sixth day of June, 1854, on Tuesday in this very spot,” she uttered as if it were a mantra. Tentatively, she took one step closer, trying to see what lay beyond the undulating light.
“Meredith,” Daniel’s shout reverberated inside her mind. “Look out!”
Something slammed into her from behind, pitching her forward. A whooshing force caught her. Colors and shapes stretched past her in a dizzying blur as she sped through time and space at the speed of light.
“Oof,” she grunted as she landed on the hard ground with her duffle bag beside her. The breath had been knocked out of her, and a weight pinned her to hard, rocky ground.
“Sorry. Sorry,” Oliver said as he rolled off her.
Oliver? It took her several seconds before she could breathe again. Once she was able, she got to her hands and knees and glared for all she was worth. Judging by the backpack he carried, and the jeans, flannel shirt and leather hiking boots he wore that could easily pass for this era, he’d planned this. How?
“Dammit, Oliver! What the hell were you thinking? What the hell are you doing here, and … what the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I didn’t want to miss out on the experience of a lifetime.” His expression smug, he cocked a brow. “I did ask that you keep me in the loop, yet you and the Schultes conspired to keep your plans a secret from me.”
“What makes you think you had the right to know anything about my plans?” She clenched her jaw, trying to rein in her anger. “This doesn’t involve you, and I had a good reason not to tell you anything. Have you forgotten what happened when you ignored my warning about ghostly encounters? You were nearly possessed.”
“Nearly, but I wasn’t. I had prepared for that possibility by carrying sage and a moonrise crystal with me.”
“How the hell did you know I—”
“I’ve been spying and following you around since the night you told us the story about your older sister and her trip to the third century. Figuring out what you planned to do was a no brainer. Actually, I’m surprised that fae man didn’t detect my presence outside of the saloon.” He shrugged. “Either he wasn’t looking for spies, or he didn’t care.” He tapped his noggin. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
“Yeah, you kinda are,” she gritted out. “This isn’t a game. You don’t know how your shove has affected where and when I landed.” Her throat clogged with dust and a rising lump, she stood up and began brushing herself off.
“Doesn’t matter. Whenever this is, it’ll still be an adventure like no other.” He smirked. “I wasn’t about to be left out, and besides, we have the second diamond to get us back.”
“Obviously it doesn’t matter to you, but it matters a great deal to me. It means even more to the two men whose murders I’m trying to prevent.” She glowered. “And what’s with the we? We don’t have the second diamond. I do. I hold the ticket for the return trip, and if you do not do exactly as I tell you while we’re here, I will return to the twenty-first century without you.”
“You wouldn’t do that.” He smirked.
“I wouldn’t bet on that if I were you, you selfish little twit,” she bit out. “You’ve jeopardized my entire reason for doing this, and it was already dangerous enough to begin with.”
For the merest instant, fear flickered through Oliver’s eyes, and Meredith suffered another twinge of guilt.
“Looks to me like we’re exactly where you intended to be.” He pointed behind her.
Meredith whipped around fast enough to make herself dizzy. Her eyes filled as she viewed Daniel’s cabin, the shed, and the wagon just as she’d glimpsed them when he’d written the letter. She went weak with relief. “Okay, so this is the right location, but it might not be the right time. You definitely broke my concentration.”
In that same instant, the sound of men laughing and talking rolled toward them from over the hill behind the cabin. Her gaze shot to the rise as the voices grew louder with each passing second. Ignoring Oliver, she focused all her attention on the crest of that hill and held her breath. It was all she could do to keep from crying out as Daniel appeared, and she had no control over the onslaught of tears trickling down her cheeks, or the sniffling. He was very much alive.
Oliver held out one of those small pocket packets of tissues, and Meredith realized she still gripped the pink diamond in her fist. She flashed another scowl in the teen’s direction as she reached into her pocket and slipped the stone back into the pouch. Then she snatched a tissue from the packet he still held out to her and wiped her cheeks and nose, never taking her eyes off Daniel and his partner.
The two men caught sight of them and stopped in their tracks. They exchanged a few words. Finally, the shorter man nodded—he must be Charles—and they began walking again. Once they reached the front of the cabin, Daniel called out, “Are you lost? Can we help you?”
“No, we’re not lost, Mr. Cavanaugh. I’m here to deliver a letter,” she managed to respond despite the tightness in her chest and throat. His beloved face lit up, and her heart opened like a morning glory catching the first light of a new day.
Daniel slapped his friend on the back. “See? I told you they posed no threat.” His stride quickened, and he came to stand before her. His expression curious, he studied her. “I’ve been hoping for a letter from my family for months.” He grinned.
His athletic build, open smile, the dimple just below the left side of his mouth, those bluer-than-blue eyes, and his thick, reddish-gold curls conspired together to rob her of coherent thought. She’d known he’d been handsome, but she hadn’t been prepared for how very striking and vibrant he truly was. “I’m Meredith MacCarthy,” she whispered.
“And I’m her half-brother, Oliver,” the twit beside her added, holding out his hand.
She stifled a growl. She couldn’t deny having a pretend male relative with her would make things easier. She was no longer a lone woman, and that made her more socially acceptable. Still, resentment seethed at the sneaky adolescent’s intrusion.
Daniel shook Oliver’s hand, but his gaze remained upon her. “Have we met before, Miss MacCarthy? You seem … familiar. I feel as if I know you from somewhere, but I cannot recall how or from where.” He laughed softly. “You must think me daft.
“I don’t.” She shook her head. “We have met, and it’s no surprise you don’t remember the circumstances.”
Daniel’s partner joined them. His assessing gaze was far less open. The wariness and suspicion he radiated were a force to be reckoned with.
“This is my business partner, Charles Hannigan. We were about to celebrate—”
“Daniel, we agreed.” Charles cut him off, his tone carrying a warning.
“Mr. Hannigan, Oliver and I have no wish to intrude, and please believe me when I tell you, I mean you no harm. If you wouldn’t mind, please allow Daniel to read the letter while I am present. After you have also read it, I’ll be on my way if that is what you wish.”
“What about the lad?” Charles arched a brow.
“What about him?” Meredith glanced pointedly at Oliver. “He’s capable of making his own decisions.”
“This all sounds very mysteri
ous,” Daniel said, rubbing his palms together.
Charles continued to scrutinize her and Oliver. “Fair enough.” He gestured toward the cabin. “The two of us need to wash. Wait inside where you can both sit.”
“Will you be comfortable with that arrangement, or would you prefer we remain outside until you rejoin us?” She lifted her chin and met his gaze head on. “It’s a lovely evening. I wouldn’t mind.”
He grunted, but she noticed the hint of a smile, and an easing of tension. “Nay, the temperature drops quickly in the mountains at night, and I wouldn’t want you to catch a chill. We’ll stir the fire to life for you, Miss MacCarthy.”
She and Oliver fell into step behind the two Irishmen as they led them to the cabin.
Like Daniel, Charles also pronounced her surname as “MacCartty,” and he too spoke with an pleasing Irish lilt. Charles was also a fine looking man, though he didn’t come close to Daniel’s good looks. He stood around five feet nine inches, and he was broad across the chest and shoulders. His face was more square in shape, more rugged, and his eyes were brown.
Though the same age as Daniel, Hannigan’s darker hair was already receding at the temples and forehead. He had a shrewd, assessing look, and a wary manner, which must balance out Daniel’s open friendliness and easy trust. She had no doubt the two made excellent partners.
Daniel hurried to light several lanterns once they were inside. Charles opened the flue in the metal chimney of a pot-bellied stove and stirred the banked fire to life. A flurry of activity followed as the two gathered their things, including a pail of water that sat on top of the stove.
“Make yourselves at home. We’ll be back in a few moments.” Daniel’s gaze lingered on her for a moment
Nodding absently, Meredith looked around the interior of the cabin. The first level consisted of two rooms, one was the living area, and she could see a bed and a rag rug through the partially opened door to the second room. Two chairs, each with its own footstool, sat near the stove, and a rough-hewn end table stood between them. The table held a lit oil lantern, a clay pipe holding remnants of tobacco sitting in an ashtray, and two books. She moved closer to check the titles. “Books about mining,” she muttered to herself.
Summoned in Time: A magical, ghostly, time travel romance... (The MacCarthy Sisters Book 3) Page 13