Daring Hearts: Fearless Fourteen Boxed Set

by Box Set

  Vivian pushed another glass to Marlene, and Marlene sauntered over to a table in the far back corner. I shivered when I saw who was sitting there, and impulsively ducked low behind the bar. Sheldon Vance. I should’ve known he’d show up eventually. He must’ve arrived just before the dancing. I would’ve spotted him sooner otherwise.

  I couldn’t keep from watching him and Marlene. Marlene said they weren’t a couple, but they were sitting pretty close together and leaning toward each other as they talked. They were laughing and smiling. Maybe he was her sugar daddy and she was ashamed to admit it? Had he bought her that beautiful dress?

  I had to know what they were talking about. I picked up a tray and started collecting dirty glasses, working my way toward their table, but careful to keep my back to them. I hovered around a table close by and caught snippets of their conversation.

  “Sheldon darling, I think I’m going to sell my stocks…”

  “Don’t be crazy. Now’s the time to buy more, not sell. It’s a bull market. Don’t you wanna be stinking rich?”

  Awesome. Sheldon Vance was doing my job for me.

  “You know I do,” Marlene returned, “but some are saying it’s going to crash.”

  “What? Where’d you hear that? It’s just fearmongering, doll. The economy couldn’t be better. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.”

  I couldn’t help but sneak a peek. I held my breath. Marlene and Sheldon were locking lips! He had to be at least ten years older than her.

  Just then Sheldon’s eyes opened and his dark gaze pierced mine. He pulled sharply away from Marlene.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed loudly over the noise in the room.

  I tried to get out of his sight, but the clientele who filled the crowded space slowed my progress.

  “Excuse me, pardon me, I need to get through…” I pushed my way past several annoyed guests. A girl spilled her drink on her dress and shouted, “Bushwa!”

  A strong hand gripped my arm and I knew I’d been caught. I turned toward Sheldon Vance and swallowed.

  “What are you doing here?” he growled.

  “Cleaning tables?”

  Smirking, he said, “You came a long way just to serve tables.”

  “Well, I’ve always been an East Coast girl.”

  “Why are you working here? Are you spying on me?”

  He leaned closer, and I felt his hot breath against my neck. “You plan on turnin’ me or my establishment in?”

  “No!” I didn’t know if it was a good idea to point out that Marlene got me the job. I didn’t want to get her into trouble with Sheldon. “I’m just here to make money.”

  He narrowed his eyes into nasty dark slits. “How’d you get outta jail?”

  I was getting tired of being bullied by him and snapped back, “How’d you get out of jail?”

  His jaw tightened, along with his hold on my arm. “You just keep your pretty mouth shut. I’m not going back to the slammer because of a dumb dame like you.” He leaned in to whisper loudly in my ear. I cringed as his hot breath blasted against my cheek. “I’m watching you. You cause me any trouble, say anything about my ‘movie,’ and you’ll be sorry you were ever born.”

  I tugged my arm free from his grip. His coal-dark eyes flashed with evil, and I didn’t waste any time getting away from him. I ran toward the kitchen, dodging couples dancing, and barmaids balancing trays full of drinks held high above their heads. I felt dizzy and hurried to the kitchen, away from the crowd of partiers and out of Sheldon’s field of vision. I didn’t want him to see me disappear into thin air.

  I escaped Sheldon but forgot about Paul Junior. His startled, wide-eyed stare was the last thing I saw before hitting the tunnel of light.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  It was dark outside and cold. I stood, panting, across the street from the apartment building where I lived with my mom. There was no fire, no policemen or firemen. The streets were quiet and isolated. I shivered, alone on the sidewalk, dismayed by the fact that I once again wore only a tank top and PJ shorts under a light jacket.

  I could sense that things were different. I just couldn’t tell how. Had the timeline been correct or, heaven forbid, was I on a completely new timeline? I raced across the street and pulled on the door. It didn’t budge, and I’d left the burning building without a key. I hated the thought of waking my mom up in the middle of the night to let me in. I couldn’t think of an excuse as to why I was out and undressed that would be believable.

  I searched for the button that had our last name—Donovan—but couldn’t find it. It used to be the fourth one from the top in the column on the right. I squinted. Not there. Had our name shifted? A thorough check confirmed what I already had guessed. I didn’t live here anymore.

  This was good! Hopefully it meant I lived in my house with my whole family again. Unfortunately, it meant I’d have to traipse all the way across town.

  Walking alone half-dressed after dark wasn’t a smart thing to do. I dug through my backpack, relieved to find my cell phone there. I almost called Nate, but I remembered how he looked at me when he said we had to go back and fix things together. I didn’t feel like explaining everything that had happened. I brought up Lucinda’s name and pressed call.

  Three rings then she answered with a sleepy hello.

  “Lucinda? It’s Casey.” I held my breath. Did she know me? Were we friends?”

  “Hey, Casey. What’s up? Why are you calling so late?”

  I almost burst into tears. “We’re still best friends?”

  “Of course we are. Hey, I overreacted about your California tripper friend. Sorry. You’re allowed to have new friends. I have them, too. I was being stupid.”

  “You don’t know how happy I am right now!”

  She paused before asking, “Casey? Is something wrong?”

  “Something was wrong, but I think it might be right now. But I need a favor. I need you to come pick me up.”

  “Where are you?”

  I gave her the address.

  “What on earth are you doing there?”

  “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it on the drive home.”

  “I’m getting dressed as we speak.”

  I rubbed my forehead, trying to work out the headache that had developed over the course of the evening. “This is going to sound like a strange question, Luce, but can you tell me where I live?”

  “Oh, God, Casey. You have amnesia? And I’m the only one you remember? BFF for the win! Don’t worry, I’m leaving right now. See you in fifteen.”

  Okay. I guess I’d find out where I live soon enough. I huddled in the alcove of the apartment entrance and hummed a tune to pass the time. I got a little too animated with a Taylor Swift impression and swiped a hand through sticky silk.

  “Ew!” I jumped back, wildly brushing the web and any spiders from my hands.

  A car pulled up, blinding me with its headlights.

  Lucinda rolled down her window and called out. “Nice dance!”

  “Ha ha,” I said, racing for the warmth of her car. I squeezed in and rubbed my legs. “Turn the heat up.”

  Lucinda pushed the lever to red. Her gaze took in my lack of clothing. “So… pajama party gone wrong?”

  I ignored the taunt. “Something happened when I was in Hollywood.”

  “I know. You kissed Austin King.” Lucinda pulled out into the street. I had about twenty minutes to tell her everything.

  “That’s not all that happened. I was so upset about cheating on Nate like that, I triggered a trip. At the same time, Adeline had been fighting with her boyfriend, and she triggered a trip. When I ran away from Austin, I ran into Adeline.”

  “Oh my God,” Lucinda said, anticipating what I was about to say. “You didn’t…”

  “We did. We went back in time together. Only my loop was to 1863 and hers was to 1956.”

  “Which one did you go to?”

  “Neither.” I paused for effect. “We went somewhere ne
w for both of us. 1929.”

  Lucinda gasped. “1929? Seriously?”

  “Super seriously.”

  “What happened?” She stared at me wide-eyed for so long, I had to motion to her to keep her eyes on the road. Then I told her about getting conned into helping the Vance brothers rob a bank. “It’s so stupid.”

  “And they arrested you?”

  “Handcuffs and everything.”

  Lucinda shook her head with disbelief. “Casey, you live the wildest life.”

  “I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

  She exhaled. “Okay, lay it on me. What’s the good part?”

  “We tripped back to our present, to the party at Bluebell’s and no one knew we’d left. Except someone had been taking pictures of me and Austin, beyond the kissing one, making it look like we’d been flirting and hanging out a lot, when mostly I was glaring at Austin and trying to get away from him.”

  “Who’d do that? And why?”

  “My gut says Fiona’s behind it somehow.”

  “But,” Lucinda squinted in thought. “She was in Spain. That’s a pretty long reach.”

  “She hired someone. I wouldn’t put it past her. Desperate people do desperate things.”

  “Hired who?”

  “Spike, maybe. He never spoke two words to me the whole trip.”

  “That just proves he’s shy.”

  I shrugged. “Or devious. Anyway, I tripped back in time again, this time with Nate.”

  “Here in Cambridge.”

  “Yeah. He was so mad my loop had rerouted to 1929.”

  “Yeah, I’m kind of mad, too. The Watson family watched out for you. It was comforting for me to know. Now who’s going to take care of you?”

  “I take care of myself, Luce.”

  “I know that. I just meant…”

  “I know what you meant. Sorry, I just feel so guilty that this situation happened in the first place. Anyway, this is the part you’re not going to believe. When Nate and I returned from 1929 to the present, our timeline had changed.

  “Changed? What do you mean?”

  “I mean, my parents were separated. I lived in that apartment building with my mom, and you and I weren’t friends.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What? Is that why you were stuck on the other side of town?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, how…?”

  “I tripped back to 1929 again, without Nate this time, and tried to fix things.”

  Lucinda pulled into the drive of my house, the same one from before. Tim’s car sat in the driveway. I let out a long breath. “It looks like it worked.”

  Lucinda cut the engine and stared at me. “You’ve been busy.”

  “And I’m exhausted.”

  “Well, go get some sleep and promise me you’ll try to stay put for a while. I, for one, am happy with things the way they are now. I don’t want you to go changing things.”

  “Believe me, I don’t want to change things either.”

  Except for the distance that had grown between Nate and me. That I wanted changed.

  “Thanks for coming for me, Luce. I owe you one.”

  “I think you owe me more than one by now.”

  I chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Thanks for the Sparks Notes version of events,” Lucinda said. “I’ll call you tomorrow and you can fill me in on all the details.”

  I tiptoed through my house, pausing to do a little happy dance when I confirmed that everything looked just the way I’d left it—lived-in messiness, but not too messy, all the same furniture and pictures on the wall, Dad’s coats in the closet, Tim’s backpack by the door. I eased up the steps, avoiding the creaky spots, and slipped into my bedroom. Sleep claimed me hard and fast, and I even dreamed I was snoring.

  My alarm startled me awake. I hadn’t set it, but a version of me must have. I wouldn’t have minded a few more hours, but it was a school day, and I couldn’t afford to get behind if I wanted to graduate with honors.

  I lumbered dutifully to the shower and enjoyed the hot water and the modern plumbing. We had so much simple luxury in this century I never wanted to take it for granted.

  I found Tim in the kitchen when I went looking for breakfast. I squeezed him from behind. “It’s so good to see you!”

  “Hey,” he said. “I’m trying to butter my toast here.” He watched me as I moved to our massive fridge and pulled out the giant jug of milk. I poured it into my cereal and took a bite.

  Tim grinned. “Okay, spit it out.”

  “The milk?” I said coyly. “I don’t think Mom would appreciate that.”

  “You’re a comedian. Did you and Nate have fun last night?” He winked. “That would explain your good mood.”

  I scowled at him and felt my joy at returning home ebb. Nate and I did not have fun last night. We hadn’t had fun in a long time, but I wasn’t going to tell my brother that. I picked up my cereal bowl and took it upstairs. I passed Mom in the hall.

  “Good morning,” she said before disappearing into her office. I grinned. Take that, Bretton Wiles Interiors.

  I closed the door to my room and situated myself on my bed, careful not to spill any milk. I thought about Nate as I finished my breakfast. I had to do something for him. To show him how sorry I was and how much I cared about him and that I wanted to make things right between us.

  The question was what?

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  I barely had my teeth brushed when I heard Lucinda honking her horn. I sneaked a quick look in the mirror. I wore jeans with sneakers and a plaid button-down shirt. I suddenly was unsure about my choice, but I didn’t have time to change my mind. I snatched my jacket and purse off my desk chair and hurried down the stairs.

  “I’m going, Mom!” I shouted. Her voice filtered after me, “Have a good day!”

  I hopped into Lucinda’s idling car. She glared at me and pointed to her face, “If these bags don’t go away by the time I meet up with Sam, you are in big trouble.”

  I laughed. “Hey, my bags are no better.”

  Lucinda examined her eyes in her rearview mirror before checking over her shoulder and backing out of my driveway. “Have you talked to him yet?” Lucinda asked.

  I knew she meant Nate, and my pulse quickened. “No, not yet. I’m afraid, Luce.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Of what? Nate loves you.” She reached over and patted my arm. “One stupid little mistake can’t change that.”

  I hoped she was right. I smiled to reassure her that I was okay. “Eyes on the road, Luce.”

  Sam was already waiting for Lucinda at the school parking lot. I waved her off, remembering all the times she had done the same for me when Nate was a student here. I maneuvered down the busy hallways to my locker and searched for the books I needed. Nate used to always lean against the neighboring locker, taking me in with interest when I dug through my things. He didn’t think I noticed him watching me, but I had, and I loved it. I stared at the locker door, imaging him there.

  It was my turn to make the big gesture, but what? Guys have lots of choices when shopping for girls: flowers, chocolates, jewelry, but what does a girl get for a guy? Beef jerky?

  The first bell brought me to my senses, and I hurried to my next class. I hadn’t even had a chance to check in with Adeline. I wanted to make sure there were no shifts of change for her. I texted as I walked.

  Casey: I’m back and timeline seems restored on my end. How’s it with you?

  She didn’t respond right away, and then I remembered she was three hours behind and probably still sleeping.

  I plowed into a body, and my books tumbled to the floor.

  “I’m so sorry…” I began, then I saw who it was. “Oh, it’s you.”

  Austin King crouched beside me, picking up one of my stray textbooks. “Hey, you ran into me.”

  We stood at the same time, and Austin placed the book on my pile. He grinned crookedly and saluted as he walked backward, away
from me. “See you around, Donovan.”

  I couldn’t wait for the school day to end. I was both eager and nervous to see Nate, and that was the only after-school activity I had planned. I drank extra coffee at lunch to ward off the yawning fits my traveling jaunt had caused. Sam joined Lucinda and me at our table at lunchtime and despite the way he sprawled out in his chair like a drowsy dog, and the way he kept his hand possessively on Lucinda’s leg, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

  Austin sat with his buddies at a table by the window. A new girl with wavy auburn hair sat to his right. She gazed up at him through fluttering eyelashes, and I worried she might drop to her knees in worship. He caught me looking and cocked a brow. I rolled my eyes.

  Misha sat alone with a textbook opened in front of her, but her interest didn’t lie in whatever was written there. Her eyes were locked in on someone across the room from her. I followed the path of her gaze. Of course.

  I excused myself to Lucinda, went to Misha and pulled out a chair. She startled when she saw me and nervously pushed up on her glasses.

  “Oh, hi, Casey,” she said. “How are things?”

  “I expect you know,” I said. Even though I’d been extremely busy with other more pressing things, the whole photo mystery had worked itself out in the background. It wasn’t too hard, really, to figure out who was present when all those compromising photos had been taken. I just didn’t understand why until now.

  “Is it because of Austin? You like him, but he liked me?”

  Misha blanched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The photos, Misha. You took the pictures of me and Austin together on the Hollywood trip and posted them online.”

  Misha’s expression hardened. “So what if I did? You had Nate Mackenzie and that wasn’t enough. No, you had to have Austin, too! At first I thought, since we shared a room and were sort of friends, that maybe he’d notice me. That his interest would shift from you—not available—to me, available. But no matter what I did, I stayed invisible like always.”

  “If you were trying to hurt Austin,” I said. “I don’t think it worked.”