Grinning, Dr. Ableman shook Dr. Moosly’s hand. “Thanks, ‘Uncle’ Thomas.”
Phoebe bit her lip. To her eyes, Mrs. Ableman’s face was starting to take on greenish hue. Her husband obviously saw it as well. “I hate to cut this short,” he said, “but we have to go.”
Director Matthews called the paramedics in from the hall, and Mrs. Ableman was placed on a stretcher. As Dr. Ableman picked up his son, Drake walked over to look at the baby. Phoebe was dying to do the same thing, but she didn’t know Dr. Ableman or his wife very well, and she didn’t want to intrude.
“So what do you think, Drake?” Mrs. Ableman asked with a proud look in her eye.
Drake stroked the baby’s cheek. “He’s beautiful.”
“I think so too,” Mrs. Ableman happily replied as the paramedics raised the rails on her gurney.
Drake deftly stepped out of the paramedics’ way and held the door open wide. As Mrs. Ableman was wheeled from the lab, he said to Dr. Ableman’s mother, “I’ll carry your suitcase to the parking lot, if you’d like.”
The woman smiled. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
Following the gurney with his parents, Dr. Ableman shouted quickly over his shoulder. “I’ll call and let everyone know what the doctor says.”
“Be sure you do,” Dr. Nelson replied.
As the lab door swung shut, motion from the other side of the room caught Phoebe’s eye. She watched as Poppa took his wife in his arms. “Dear delight,” the old man murmured, “can you believe our six-foot-four son was ever that small?”
Twinkles sighed. “I should’ve brought my camera and taken a picture.” She made a face. “Poppa, I think I owe you an apology. After studying the bruise on Dan’s cheek, I’ll finally admit that it was a slug and not a slap.”
Poppa threw back his head and laughed. “It was indeed, and it properly taught me a lesson.”
“What’s that?”
“Why, to duck, my dear, to duck.”
“You old rascal, you know I never hit you again!”
He kissed her cheek. “I made sure you didn’t need to.” As his wife gave his chest a playful swat, Poppa smiled. “Will you finally admit the truth of that other controversy?”
“Not on your life!” The old woman snorted. “I still say that riding a motorcycle didn’t cause Jay to come early. A baby will come—”
“—when a baby will come. I know.” Poppa turned to Dr. Nelson and the director. “It’s time for Twinkles and me to be getting home, but I want you both to remember that whatever the next few weeks hold, it’ll all work out in the end. Trust me. I know.”
The director shook Poppa’s hand. “Thanks for coming so promptly.”
“Not at all, my boy, not at all. Call on us whenever you have need. Now, did you change the code like Dan asked?”
Director Matthews nodded. “Yes, and I have the key to the locked box around my neck.”
“Good.” Poppa bent down and put the Wave Trapper in the doorway of the file room. When he turned it on, the sides of the pyramid broke apart with a mechanical click and opened into a shape resembling a lotus flower. With a sudden burst of light, a shimmering beam streamed out and filled the doorway with a silver grid.
As the grid sections filled with iridescent light, Phoebe gave an unconscious gasp. Twinkles looked over at her and squealed. Phoebe shrank in her chair as the old woman ran toward her, grabbed both her hands, and kissed her exuberantly on the cheek.
“I’m sorry,” Phoebe said, trying to reclaim her hands, “but do I know you?”
“Not yet, dear, not quite yet, but you will. Why, in just a few days, you and your husband are coming over to my house to celebrate your wedding anniversary. I’m gonna make white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. If our hubbies are nice, maybe we’ll share a piece with them.”
She blinked. “But I’m not married.”
Twinkles grinned and pulled Phoebe to her feet. “Not yet, but you will be. And you’ll have many happy decades of marriage.” Still holding her hands, Twinkles sighed. “Look at you. So young and pretty. My, how time flies.”
“I’m not sure I u-understand,” she stuttered.
“I know, dear, I know.” Twinkles ran a tender hand over Phoebe’s nut-brown hair. Hugging Phoebe fiercely, she whispered, “I want you to remember that God won’t give you more than you can handle. He’ll be with you every second of every moment. Promise me you’ll remember that.”
She nodded with a furrowed brow.
“A nod isn’t good enough!” Twinkles insisted. “Say it!”
“I promise.”
“Remember, nothing lasts forever. The sunshine always comes out again.” Twinkles held Phoebe close. When she finally let go, she had tears in her eyes. Giving Phoebe a wobbly smile, she bustled back to Poppa’s side.
From across the room, Phoebe saw the director staring at her. When Drake entered the lab, Director Matthews winced noticeably. “I’m sorry, Poppa,” he said. “I know you and Dan wanted to keep the Wave Trappers a secret, but I forgot about the cadets. I should have removed them from the lab.”
“Don’t worry, lad,” Poppa replied, giving the director’s shoulder a pat. “No real harm done.”
Phoebe watched as Poppa and Twinkles stepped through the blue wave and shut the time portal down. When the blue light faded away, she whispered to Drake, “Did you see the hug that old woman gave me? She squeezed me so tight I thought I was gonna pop. I wonder why she thinks she knows me.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Drake spun his finger next to his head.
“I don’t think she’s crazy. I think she’s sweet. I just wish I knew who she was.”
Drake shrugged again and sat down.
Phoebe began rummaging through her backpack for a piece of gum. She listened as Dr. Moosly said to the director, “I’d better go move my car before it’s towed. I couldn’t find a parking space, so I jumped the curb and parked on the sidewalk.”
Director Matthews laughed. “So much for being a law abiding citizen, eh? Are you coming back after you move your car?”
“I can’t. I have a meeting with the grant board in thirty minutes. Keep me posted on Gil’s condition. If she takes a turn for the worse, the board can go hang. The camera Dan invented has made enough money that we don’t need to pander for endowments anymore.”
“I’ll keep you informed.”
Dr. Moosly nodded and bustled out the door, carrying his stuffed giraffe.
Phoebe unwrapped her gum and sighed. The lab suddenly seemed quiet and empty. She watched as the director turned to Dr. Nelson. “After all that excitement, I could sure use some coffee.”
“And I need a chocolate bar”—Dr. Nelson groaned, shuffling a stack of papers—“maybe two!”
“I thought you were against junk food?” Director Matthews said, tucking chairs beneath tables.
“Dark chocolate’s a health food. It’s full of antioxidants.”
“If you say so.” The director quirked his brow. “But I’m going to remember your words the next time you get on my case about my eating habits. I’m sure fries have antioxidants too.”
Dr. Nelson laughed and turned to Zeke. “Do we have time for a break?”
The computer tech nodded and polished his thick glasses against his shirt. “There’s still a seventy-five-minute window for contact with Nicki, and I’ll admit I could use a breather.”
“Go ahead and take one,” the director said. “I’ll brief the cadets.”
Phoebe sat straighter in her chair as Zeke left the lab and Director Matthews walked to her side. “We’re going to take a break,” he said. “Head over to Student Union and grab some food. We’ll meet back here in forty-five minutes to go through your last-minute field instructions.”
“What about Dr. Kingston?” Phoebe asked. “He still hasn’t shown up.”
“I’ll see if I can track Wade down, but even if your advisor doesn’t arrive, we’ll send you and Drake through GAP. There won’t be any more delays
.”
CHAPTER SIX
When Zeke saw Drake and Phoebe entering the atrium of Student Union, he motioned for them to join him. “I figured you’d be headed this way,” he said. “Have a chair.”
Smiling, they set their trays on his table.
“So, how are your nerves?” he asked.
Phoebe showed him a shaking hand. “I was all right earlier, but I’ll admit the delays have taken a toll. I feel like I’m running on pure adrenaline.”
“Your nerves will fade once you pass through GAP,” Zeke said soothingly. “I’ve watched your progress over the last few years, and I know you’ll do fine as a counselor.” He turned to Drake. “How about you? Any last-minute jitters?”
Drake looked up from his plate. “I’m fine, thanks.”
Zeke took a sip of coffee as a cheerful voice hailed him from across the atrium. Turning, he saw his friend Marc Kerry approaching. He grinned and motioned for Marc to join them. Marc, a professional time surfer, was extremely handsome and most of the girls on campus had a crush on him. Zeke watched with amusement as Phoebe blushed.
“What are you doing here?” Zeke asked as Marc sat down. “I thought The Three Musketeers were planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail.”
“We are,” Marc replied, rubbing his new beard. “Why’d you think I stopped shaving? I want a barrier against the mosquitoes. Ryan and Kyle left yesterday to find a camping spot at the lake. I’ll join them after I finish a few things on campus.”
“You procrastinated again, didn’t you? I told you last month that you’d better get those reports done before the break.”
“I know.” Marc groaned. “You don’t have to rub it in.”
Chuckling, Zeke pushed his plate of fries toward Marc. “At least when you’re finished, you can go camping with a clear conscience. It sounds like you’ll have good weather for it.”
“Do you wanna change your mind and join us?” Marc asked, taking a fry.
“Not a chance. Sleeping in a tent doesn’t sound appealing.”
“Better a tent than a motel with bedbugs.” Marc smirked.
Zeke roared with laughter. “I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“About what?” Phoebe asked, putting a straw into her strawberry malt.
Marc grinned. “You haven’t heard about Zeke’s infamous fishing trip with Andy?”
Phoebe took a sip and shook her head. “But I could use a good laugh to settle my nerves. When did the infamous fishing trip take place?”
“Five years ago on the Fourth of July,” Zeke replied. “Andy wanted to use me as a sounding board about running for office, so we headed to a fishing hole near Phantomberg, Virginia. When we hiked to the pond, we had the shock of our life. It was a swampy mess that stank of dead fish, and the bank crumbled and tumbled us into the water.”
“Oh, no!” Phoebe giggled. “How awful.”
Zeke laughed. “We came out of the water looking like green Martians and smelling like toilet bowls. We hiked back to the car, and as much as we hated to, we climbed inside.” He groaned. “On hot days, my car still stinks like dead fish.”
“So what happened next?” Drake asked, wolfing down a hamburger.
“My car gasped and died. Andy always said our horrible smell killed the engine. By the time we’d walked to Phantomberg it was after midnight, and we were beat. We looked for a hotel, but we were so dirty that no one would take us. We ended up at the Lazy B.”
“From the look on your face, I take it the hotel was pretty bad?”
“It was a dump,” Zeke said flatly.
“Tell them about your clothes.” Marc smirked, pulling a fry through ketchup.
“You always did get a kick outta that part of the story.” Zeke laughed and rolled his eyes. “Our clothes were beyond repair. The motel had a made a halfhearted stab at a gift shop, so we bought some shorts and t-shirts. Unfortunately, the only shirts available were for women. They were neon pink and bedazzled with the slogan, Pucker Up Big Boy.”
Phoebe squealed. “That’s priceless!”
“Just wait,” Marc said. “What happened next is legendary.”
Zeke took another sip of coffee. “It was about one a.m., and I was just dozing off when Andy yelled for me to turn on the lights. When I flicked on the lamp, I saw swarms of bedbugs all over the room.” He grinned. “We both kinda lost our heads for a while. While I was ripping off my infested shirt, Andy was dancing around trying to get the critters out of his hair. It was a ghastly experience. One good thing came out of it though—it was the final blow needed to make Andy run for office. As we were brushing each other off, he fixed me with a firm stare and said the bedbug problem needed tackled and he’d be just the politician to do it!”
As Phoebe laughed, Zeke saw Crystal Stuart across the atrium. “Hey, Cris! Cris!”
Crystal stopped short and turned. Zeke saw her face breaking into a wide smile when she saw him and Phoebe, but her grin faded when she spotted Marc. Awkwardly pushing at her owlish glasses, she approached their group. “Are you having a party, Zeke?”
“Just passing time,” he replied. “Do you want to join us?”
Crystal glanced at Marc and shook her head. “As tempting as that sounds, I have to run.”
“Still taking a cruise this summer?” Zeke asked.
“You bet,” she replied. “In a few days, I’ll be driving down the coastline and meeting the ship. I’ve always wanted to visit the Caribbean.”
“Bring me back a bottle of sand?” Phoebe asked.
“Sure!” Crystal gave Phoebe a quick hug. “I’ll be praying for you to have oodles of success with Nicki.”
“I’ll be praying for you too,” Phoebe said with twinkling eyes. “A little bit of divine intervention might help you find your sea legs faster.”
“You nut.” Crystal laughed. “I’ll be fine. I have my bon voyage gifts tucked in my purse. If I take an accidental swan dive off the lido deck, I can blow my emergency whistle and light a flare.”
“A swan dive might not be a bad idea.” Phoebe smirked. “If you’re lucky, maybe some hunky purser will give you mouth-to-mouth.”
As Crystal and Phoebe giggled together, Zeke saw Marc trying to catch Crystal’s eye. Crystal obviously noticed it as well. She immediately fell back a pace, smiled vaguely, and waved her hand. “I’ve gotta run. I hope you all have a great summer.”
“You too, Cris,” Zeke said. “Send me a postcard.”
“I’ll do even better than that! I’ll ship you a calypso drum.”
As Crystal walked away, Zeke looked down at his watch and jolted. “We need to leave too. We’re supposed to be back in the lab in seven minutes.”
Marc leaned back in his chair and smiled. “I guess I’m the only one who doesn’t have to hurry today.”
“True,” Zeke replied with a chuckle, “but you’re going to need a lazy day if you intend on spending your summer hiking the Appalachian Trail.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Night was gathering around Hawking Hall as Peter walked into the faculty lounge and collapsed on the couch where Laura was sitting. He watched as she slipped off her shoes, tucked her feet beneath her, and groaned.
Stretching his long legs in front of him, Peter sighed. “I hear your groan, and I second it. Thank goodness today’s over.”
Laura murmured her agreement. “I’m glad Phoebe and Drake are back in the past, tackling their field exam. I can’t believe Wade never arrived. What do you think happened to him?”
Peter roughly rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we both know.”
“Wade hasn’t taken a drink in eight months—not since Dan threatened to fire him.”
“Alcohol can be a seductive trap, especially when things are rocky. When I finally reached Jill, she admitted they’d been fighting again. That’s why she left town early with Kenny.”
Beside him, Laura exhaled slowly. “Wade’s been doing so well. I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me too.” Peter sat up s
traight. “Laura, what do you think of Drake? When I was contacting Twinkles, he came barging into Dan’s office with some lame excuse about wanting to help. It didn’t feel right.”
“Drake’s pretty full of himself, but he’s never given any trouble. He was probably trying to rack up brownie points toward his exam.”
“Maybe, but it felt like more than that.” He winced. “Drake saw the Wave Trapper we use to contact Poppa—I can’t believe I forgot to lock the door before initiating a portal.”
Laura hesitated. “You changed the code for the safe?”
He nodded.
“Then I wouldn’t worry about it. Drake’s back in the past counseling Nicki. If he acts strange when he comes home, we’ll move the Trapper to the safe in my office. Besides, we have bigger problems to address. What did Dan say on the phone?”
“Only that tests are being run on Gil.” Peter sighed. “He sounded awfully worried. I probably should’ve told him about Wade and Drake, but the timing didn’t seem appropriate.”
Laura nodded. “Are you planning on going to the hospital tonight?”
“I sure am.”
“Me too.”
Peter cocked a brow. “Do you want to carpool? There’s no sense in both of us driving tired.”
“Only if you promise not to play that horrible music.”
Peter chuckled. “Eclectic Reverberation is one of the finest groups around.”
“Their music sounds like cats screeching. I’d rather listen to fingernails on a chalkboard.”
“How about you provide the musical entertainment, then? You can sing while I drive.”
“Not on your life!” she sputtered. “My singing is worse than yowling cats.”
“Then I’ll probably love it.”
Laughing, Laura nudged his leg with her foot. “You’re never getting a chance to hear it. Let me get my purse, and we’ll go—as long as you promise to feed me along the way.”
* * *
Across town, Marc pulled into the parking lot of a twenty-four-hour superstore and mentally reviewed his shopping list. He wanted to make sure he had plenty of bug spray before he left for the woods. As he turned off his engine, a yellow car pulled into the space beside him. Marc raised his brows when he saw it was Crystal’s.
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