Time Trap

by Danele J Rotharmel

  * * *

  “It’ll feel good to get this stubble off me,” Dan said, peering at his chin in the mirror. “I know Gil hates it, but I hate it even more. I’ll never forget the embarrassment of using that blasted beard as camouflage. It made me look like a badly groomed porcupine. I hope when I grow old, my hair won’t turn wiry.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Peter said, handing him the razor. “Just look at Poppa.”

  Dan squirted shaving cream into his hand. “That’s true. It’s such a comfort to know what you’ll look like when you get older.”

  Peter leaned against the sink and watched as Dan ran the razor over his chin. After a moment, he asked quietly, “So, how does it feel to be a father?”

  Dan paused in mid-stroke. “After the initial delivery, it’s been wonderful. There’s something that happens when you look at your child for the first time—it’s hard to describe. I knew I’d love my son, but the sheer volume of emotion that hit me when I held him was overwhelming.” Dan ran the razor over his cheek. “Why the sudden interest?”

  “It isn’t sudden. You know I want to be a father.”

  “Then why don’t you make it happen?”

  Kicking at a piece of wadded paper towel on the floor, Peter grumbled, “You have no clue what it’s like to try and find a wife. When you were ten, you learned the name of the woman you were going to marry and the date you were going to meet her. You even had her engagement ring put on a chain around your neck. When we were teenagers, I used to be so jealous of you and that ring of yours.”

  “You’ve never mentioned that before,” Dan said, catching Peter’s eye in the mirror.

  Peter tugged at his ear. “Maybe tonight, I feel like being honest. I want a wife and children. I want them badly. But I don’t think I’m ever going to get them.”

  “Why not?”

  “When I was teenager, I asked God for an unmistakable sign to show me which woman He intended me to marry. I asked Him for one specific thing, and I’ve never found it. As I get older, I don’t think I will. The chances grow less likely with each passing year.”

  “What was the sign?” Dan asked, setting the razor down.

  “That’s between me and God. But if I ever find a woman who fulfills my prayer, it’ll be almost as big a miracle as the one that brought you and Gil together.”

  Dan wiped his face with a paper towel. “Are you sure you’re asking for the right thing?”

  “I prayed that prayer when I was seventeen, and I’ve prayed it every night since—I feel peace about it.” Peter sighed. “I won’t settle for anything less, but I’m running out of hope.”

  “Don’t give up. You deserve a family, and you deserve to know you have God’s best.”

  “You don’t think I’m being unreasonable?”

  Dan shook his head. “Marriage is hard work. It helps to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your spouse is the one God intended for you. It makes the rough times easier and takes away the convenient ‘out’ button. After all, if you can’t be satisfied with God’s best, who can you be satisfied with?”

  “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

  “I am.” Dan tossed his paper towel in the trash. “Gil’s a wonderful woman, and I’m crazy about her, but there are times she could try the patience of a saint—and I’m definitely not a saint. Knowing God meant for us to be together helps when aggravation crops up.”

  Peter’s lips twitched. “Even the aggravation associated with motorcycles?”

  Dan groaned. “I can’t believe she rode that blasted machine and made Jay come early!”

  Peter pointed at Dan’s chin. “You missed a spot.”

  Picking up the razor, Dan turned back to the mirror. “You know, Pete, Gil has this crazy idea that you and Laura would make a good couple.”

  Peter blinked. “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

  “The idea took me by surprise too, but Laura’s a terrific woman. Are you sure she doesn’t fit the bill?”

  “I don’t know,” Peter mumbled. “Truthfully, I’ve never thought about trying to find out… Are you sure you heard Gil correctly? She was talking about our Laura?”

  Dan nodded. “Why not?”

  “Laura’s like a sister,” Peter sputtered. “I think of her the same way I do Angelina.”

  “I know, but maybe she’s the answer to your prayer. Stranger things have happened.”

  “That’s what you said when you asked me to be your friend in middle school.”

  Dan laughed. “Our friendship worked out. Maybe a relationship with Laura would too.”

  “Maybe,” Peter muttered dazedly. “But Laura…?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Peter smiled when he saw Gil’s ecstatic reaction to Dan’s freshly shaven face. She immediately made her husband bend down so she could kiss the heart-shaped freckle on his jaw. After Dan laughingly complied, he gave Peter a pointed glance, looked over at Laura, and raised his brows. Peter choked down a laugh. Subtlety wasn’t Dan’s strong point.

  Peter glanced at Laura and caught her staring at him. For some reason, he felt himself blushing beneath her steady gaze. It was almost as if she was sizing him up. The air seemed charged with unanswered questions and tense speculation. It was as if the kaleidoscope world had suddenly shifted and all he could see was Laura’s long legs and stunning red hair. Clearing his throat, he turned back to Dan and made light conversation until visiting hours were over.

  * * *

  Crystal wandered around her apartment, muttering beneath her breath. She tried working on a puzzle, but it didn’t keep her attention. Throwing a piece down in frustration, she spotted her locket gleaming beside the puzzle box. Pushing at her glasses, she picked it up and opened it. A piece of paper fell on the table. Smoothing it in her hand, she saw a verse from the King James Bible. Matthew 5:44: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

  Crystal’s breath caught in her throat. She could remember her grandfather enclosing that verse in her locket. She knew he’d be ashamed of the way she was treating Marc. She was ashamed of it herself, but her feelings for Marc ran deep, and she was afraid if she forgave him, she’d give him the power to destroy her. It was better to leave things as they were.

  “Forgiveness isn’t optional,” a voice whispered deep inside her spirit. “It’s required.”

  Crystal bit her lip. She knew she was hearing the Lord. Bowing her head, she murmured, “Even when it’s frightening?”

  “Even then. Forgiveness frees you and opens you up to love.”

  * * *

  A stiff wind was blowing as Peter left the hospital with Laura. All around him, street lights were glowing orange against the dark sky. Their hazy shimmer was blotting out the stars. Although it was late May, a storm was brewing and the wind was cold. Peter saw Laura beginning to shiver. Feeling slightly awkward, he put an arm around her shoulders to protect her from the gale.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, brushing away the tendrils of hair whipping around her face.

  “Don’t mention it,” he replied.

  Peter felt his heartbeat quicken. He’d never noticed before, but Laura’s lips formed a cute cupid’s bow, and she was the perfect height for kissing. Even as he tried to push away his unusual thoughts, he said something neither of them expected, “Do you ever wear your hair down?”

  Laura stopped short and stumbled. “What?”

  Peter, embarrassed that he’d uttered his thoughts out loud, fumbled on, “I like the way you wear your hair. It’s just that I’ve never seen it down.”

  “And you probably won’t.” Laura laughed. “It drives me crazy unless I pin it up.” She changed the subject. “Do you think Tom will stop buying stuffed animals now that Jay’s born?”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” Peter replied, thankful her laughter had broken the tension.

  They walked in companionable silen
ce to his car. The relief when he got out of the wind was palpable.

  Laura flipped down the visor mirror and groaned when she saw her reflection. “I’m glad the next stop’s home. My hair looks like a rat’s nest.”

  “Well, I suppose that answers my next question,” he said as she combed her bangs with her fingers. “I was going to ask if you wanted to grab a snack at King’s Grill.”

  Shaking her head, Laura yawned. “All I want is a bath and a bed. Can you drop me off at Hawking Hall so I can get my car?”

  “I’ll do you one better—I’ll drop you home. I can swing by and pick you up in the morning.”

  Laura’s next yawn was so big that it threatened to dislocate her jaw. “I’ll take you up on that. Would you like an omelet when you come over?”

  “That’d be great. What time do you want me?”

  “Nothing’s happening at the lab until Drake and Phoebe’s check-in. How about breakfast around nine thirty, so we can catch up on sleep?”

  “Sounds good,” he replied, pulling out of the parking lot. “Can I bring anything?”

  “Just a good appetite and something to drink.” Laura leaned back and stretched. “I ran out of the mud you call coffee during our last game night with Dan and Gil. Unless you want to drink my brand, you’ll need to bring a new batch of beans to stock my cupboard.”

  “Thanks for the warning. Coffee mixed with raspberries and chocolate just isn’t coffee. A real man needs a straight-up cup of joe.”

  “Is that so?”

  Peter could tell by the tone of her voice that she was smiling even though he couldn’t see the smile in the darkness. He’d never noticed the expressive quality of her voice before.

  “I’ll be sure to share your opinion with Dan,” she teased. “He’s the one who bought the raspberry mixture.”

  “Gil’s been a bad influence on him where coffee’s concerned. I’d never have expected him to turn into a hoity-toity coffee drinker.”

  Laura giggled. Peter thought it was a delightful sound.

  When they arrived at Laura’s house, Peter caught her staring at him with a speculative gleam in her eye.

  “You’re awfully considerate,” she said in a faraway voice as he opened her car door. “I never noticed that before.”

  Peter laughed. “Anything else you just noticed?”

  She blinked and dropped her keys. “You smell good. I like your aftershave.”

  Chuckling beneath his breath, Peter retrieved her keys and unlocked her door. Stepping inside, he flicked on the lights.

  Laura leaned against the back of her couch and kicked off her shoes. “What a day.”

  “I’ll agree with that,” Peter said. “But what a cute little kiddo it brought with it.”

  Laura’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. He looked at her curiously. Before tonight, if he’d been asked, he would’ve said her eyes were green, but green didn’t seem the right word to convey the beauty of their emerald depths. He mentally gave himself a firm shake. His talk with Dan was having a strange effect on him. He needed to leave before he said something stupid.

  Laura’s cat, Polka Dot, ran across the room and launched herself into Peter’s arms. Her exuberant welcome made him step back to catch his balance. Scratching the purring cat behind the ear, he handed her to Laura. “I’d better go. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Drive safe. If you get sleepy, roll down your window and turn on Cat’s Screeching.”

  Peter chuckled. “You mean Eclectic Reverberation.”

  “My name for that group is more apropos.”

  Laughing, Peter went out the door. As he walked to his car, the wind pulled at his shirt. Ducking his head against the gale, he wondered again how Laura’s hair would look if she let it fall loose. The direction of his thoughts made him blush, and as he drove home, those same thoughts kept him wide awake behind the wheel. Over and over, a one-word question kept pounding through his brain.

  Laura?

  * * *

  Wade Kingston’s attacker stole into the darkness behind Nicki’s house. Peering through a slit in the curtains, he could see Phoebe giving the teenager a haircut. His eyes narrowed. Phoebe was laughing. She was just another happy TEMCO clone. She had no idea what she was getting into, and he was going to be glad to show her.

  CHAPTER TEN

  May 23rd

  Faculty offices, Hawking Hall

  Sitting at her desk, Laura glanced at the clock. There were still twenty minutes until Drake and Phoebe’s check-in. Hearing Peter’s voice in the hall, she smiled. She still couldn’t envision herself in a romantic relationship with him, but the idea was starting to seem a little less ludicrous.

  Their breakfast together had been a huge success. Peter had insisted on borrowing a frilly apron while he helped her cook, and they had a funny little battle over who was able to crack the eggs and who was able to use the spatula. His antics had kept her in stitches, and when they talked over their meal, their conversation never lagged because they had so many interests in common.

  Doodling a string of hearts with her pen, Laura dialed Jill Kingston’s number. As the phone rang, she looked at her doodles and blushed—she was acting like a kid with a crush.

  “Hello,” Jill said.

  “Hi, Jill, it’s Laura. I was wondering if you’d heard anything from Wade.”

  “Not a word. I got back to town last night. I was hoping he’d left a note, but there wasn’t even a scrawled sentence on a napkin. I don’t know why I’m surprised. He’s just as selfish as ever. He’s probably passed out on someone’s sofa with a bottle of gin.”

  Hearing the angry note in Jill’s voice, Laura said softly, “He might not be drinking.”

  “Yah? What’s the alternative? Dead in some ditch?” Jill’s voice tightened. “I really thought we had a shot, you know? Wade’s been so proud of his sobriety. I shouldn’t have fought with him, but I’m human, you know? If one little fight makes him fall off the wagon, what hope is there?”

  “Just hang on,” Laura said softly. “You’ll get through this—you both will.”

  “It’s just so disappointing. He’s been hanging onto his AA chips like talismans and spouting off scriptures about relying on God’s strength. I really thought he’d changed.”

  “Have you contacted the police?”

  “Not on your life! If he’s not at a buddy’s house, he’s shacked up with some girl. The last time this happened, the police found him at a motel with a trampy waitress. I’m not going through that humiliation again. I called Phoenix last night—his parents agreed.”

  “How’s Kenny handling it?”

  Jill’s voice lowered. “I told him his dad’s on a business trip, but I think he knows something’s wrong. I could just strangle Wade! When I get my hands on him, I think I will!”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Just pray for us, will you? If Wade’s screwing up again, I’m filing for divorce.”

  * * *

  Peter sat in his office, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork, and groaned. His mind definitely wasn’t on case files and budget reports—it was on Laura’s bun. He kept wondering what her hair would look like if she let it fall free. With great effort, he forced the vision from his head and tackled a pile of papers.

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, Laura smiled as Peter came into the lab for Phoebe and Drake’s first check-in. Thomas was already there, and the three of them sat in front of the Staging Platform and talked until Zeke announced he was receiving a transmission. Behind the blue wave, the cadets came into view. Laura raised her eyebrows. Drake was holding Phoebe’s hand, and Phoebe seemed lit up inside.

  “How are things going?” Peter asked.

  Phoebe smiled. “Great! Nicki’s a terrific girl, and we’ve made tons of progress. Her main problem is a poor self-image. When I told her how wonderful her artwork was, she perked right up. She’s been having problems with bullies, and when I went with her to school today, she—” />
  “You went?” Thomas interrupted. “Where was Drake?”

  Phoebe bit her lip. “Oh, Drake’s been really busy. There’s an art festival scheduled in a few weeks, and he went to see if we could get Nicki’s artwork entered.”

  “And that took all day?”

  Drake shrugged. “Not all of it, but most of it. I had some problems trying to make it to the fairgrounds.”

  “Drake’s been working really hard,” Phoebe said defensively. “We’re a great team.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Laura said soothingly. “Tell us more about Nicki.”

  “Well, in school today, I had her report the bullies. Her school has a zero-tolerance policy in that regard, and the principal promised he’d take care of it. Nicki has a crush on a boy in science class, and I helped her approach him. I don’t know if anything will come of it, but it made her feel good to talk to him. Tonight, we experimented with makeup, and I cut her hair and gave her a makeover. She’s feeling much better about herself and about life in general. If we can get her into the art festival, I think it’ll turn things around.”

  “Is there a problem with her home life?” Laura asked.

  Phoebe shook her head. “Not really. Nicki’s a latchkey kid—both parents work horridly long hours. She’s an only child, and I think part of her problem is sheer loneliness. I plan on getting her involved in the art club tomorrow so she can find some friends, but I think the biggest boon has been our arrival. Just knowing there are people who care about her has been a huge deal. I’m pretty sure we’ll win this one.”

  “Do you have any concerns at this point?”

  Phoebe shook her head. “It’s going smoother than I expected.”

  “What about you, Drake?” Thomas asked. “Do you have anything to add?”

  Drake smiled. “I think Phoebe’s said it all.”

  Laura watched as Phoebe turned toward Drake like a flower turning toward the sun. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “In that case, we’ll talk to you tomorrow at the same time.”

  Drake leaned forward. “Sounds good.” As he pulled the game out of Nicki’s PlayFest console, the GAP wave dissipated and the temporal portal faded away.