“I want you inside me,” she whispered.
“I’m here…”
Chapter Six
The dream ended abruptly. Dammit. When Glenn opened his eyes, he swore he could smell Jewel’s perfume, Skylark. She would kid him that it was the only ‘girly’ thing she liked. He bought her a bottle a few weeks ago… hell.
Time was no longer relevant. Two weeks. Two decades. Two centuries. Nothing was in a straight line and his mind was a jumbled mess.
He laid his arm over his eyes to block out the morning light and pulled in a centering breath. It was definitely Skylark. It hung in the air and wafted to his nostrils like a powder lilting fragrance. Okay, he’d officially lost his mind. No one else smelled like Jewel. God… no one felt like Jewel. The dream ended before they…well, had finished the deed, but Glenn still felt the softness of her against his bare skin. The sigh she made when he tasted her breast. He was still hard as stone with the lingering feel of her fingers.
His heart ached from the loss of his life—in more ways than one. Glenn’s chest still felt stretched from the water he’d imagined or really had inhaled. He rubbed a hand over his ribcage and sat up.
After a shower, Glenn felt shocked that he actually figured out how to make the coffee machine run. He was determined not to give up until he got some rich, dark brew. Water had to go in one place, the grounds in another and coffee came out somewhere else. It wasn’t damn brain surgery. Ten minutes later, the pot was full and he poured a true cup of victory.
There was a knock on the front door as he finished clearing the counter of grounds. He opened it to find Sam.
“Hadley ran to the corner store for some orange juice. Pregnant ladies and their demands.” She laughed. “I sent him out for salted caramel ice cream the other night. He had to go to four stores and was gone for hours… poor guy.”
Glenn saw grease on the bag, and asked, “What’s in the sack? I hope it’s something to eat.”
“Doughnuts. Maple’s my favorite and I hope you like them too. Hadley got a few chocolate ones just in case.” She laid a hand on his arm and dropped her voice, “I wanted to talk to you before Hadley came back. He really feels terrible about what happened yesterday. I know you barely know the two of us, but please, you have my word, Hadley would never hurt a soul. He’s the best man I’ve ever met.” She smiled and patted her stomach. “I can’t lie… the baby would know, and what kind of parent would that make me?”
“I’m not mad.” From the sincere tone of her voice, he knew she told the truth. He’d already made his mind up that he wouldn’t be upset. He’d believed Hadley before. “Did you say there are maple bars?”
“Here you go.” Sam handed him the bag. “Between the ice cream and the charts and grafts he’s working on, he hasn’t gotten a solid night’s sleep for weeks.”
When Hadley arrived, Glenn let him in. Hadley passed Sam the orange juice and asked if he could pour himself coffee.
Glenn sat at the kitchen table and crossed his legs at the ankle. “Sam mentioned charts and grafts? Do they have anything to do with the bookstore?”
“If I know where it will be next, and if it’s close enough for travel, then I can be there to guide the ones who come through the portal.”
“But you knew when I was coming through. How did that happen?” Glenn asked.
“It was a fluke that I found the bookstore the night you arrived. I need to find the correlation to establish a more permanent pattern.” Removing a folder from his satchel, he spread the sheets on the table. “We have acquired the information from various research facilities. What I am looking for - in the data is ferromagnetism. Ferromagnetism is…”
Glenn finished his sentence, “A physical phenomenon in which certain electrically uncharged materials strongly attract others. It can be found in nature, lodestone and iron. They’re often called natural ferromagnets.”
“Since they were discovered 2,000 years ago, I believe this is what the Ancients used for transportation. Every day we use ferromagnetic materials in a wide variety of devices like electric motors, telephones, and loudspeakers.”
“I studied ferromagnetism in college,” Glenn said.
“That’s good. Maybe you can help me attain a deeper grasp of knowledge on the subject.” Hadley tapped the pages with the tip of his index finger. “In these data sheets, I’m looking for a large spike in the ferromagnetic fields. I believe that this will mark where the bookstore will arrive next.” He paused and looked at Glenn. “I only wish to help travelers, and to make their journeys smooth. If we know where the bookstore may be, we can guide them in their transition.”
“Would you like me to take a look at the data?” Glenn asked.
“I’m sure you have more pressing things to attend to.”
Glenn smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “Well, I figured out how to use the coffee machine, so it looks like the rest of my day is free. You know, I am…was one of the quartermasters on my ship. I attended college to learn how to read navigation charts, maps, and data.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Please. I could really use something to do. I need to feel as though I can somehow fit into this century and not just be a block of wood dropped here out of the sky.”
“I understand.” Hadley watched Sam go out to the kitchen before he asked, “How are you doing today?”
“Okay… I guess.” Glenn shrugged. “I dreamed of my fiancée Jewel last night. It was very real. I swore she was there.”
“I know how difficult it must be for you. We greatly miss the people we leave behind. If working on the data can help you adjust, I would be honored to have your help.”
“Thanks. Leave the file and I’ll look over it. Can you show me an example of a past chart so I can see what type of data I’m looking for?”
Hadley lifted another folder and pointed to the highlighted area.
“Okay, I used to be pretty good at reading maps… oh, seventy years ago or so,” Glenn said, as he looked over the sheets.
“I have no doubt.”
****
1942
The next day, Jewel went to the recruiter’s office and joined the Marines. The following week she attended basic training. She didn’t mind the slang names of Marinettes or Glamarines but she preferred her official title of Private First Class. After basic training, she was stationed back in California at the Mojave Naval Air Station. Jewel wanted to do anything she could to help other young men from being killed and end the damn war.
What she’d hoped was that it would also end her memories of Glenn, but her thoughts were stronger than ever. She scrubbed a washcloth roughly over her face and looked into the foggy mirror over the shower room sink. Jewel straightened her beige tie and pulled the gold buttons on the front of her dark green Marine uniform straight at the waist.
She hadn’t talked much to the other girls about what happened to Glenn. There were enough sad stories circulating. The truth of the matter was everyone there had lost someone they loved in the war. She was no different.
Jewel checked in with the photography department and got her Graflex camera, flash and bulbs. The thing weighed close to twenty pounds and she knew her back would ache by the night’s end. She’d put up with a little pain because these assignments were the fun part of her job. Tonight John Wayne, Bob Hope and Veronica Lake were performing for the servicemen. These photo jobs were much more enjoyable than her daytime duties of taking photos of crashed planes.
Jewel was popular amongst the other lady Marines in her division. She’d always take their shifts for extra work. Anything to keep her mind occupied.
The smoky servicemen’s club was lively and the show that night had a combination of music and comedy. When she finally took a break, the bartender spotted her and knew her order by memory. Coke with extra cherries. She sipped the cool liquid and set her h
eavy equipment on a table.
A finger tapped her shoulder. She turned to see who was behind her.
“Your friends over there said that you could use a dance.” The dark-haired soldier tipped his head toward the group of women sitting in a corner booth. “The name’s Jim,” he said loudly to be heard over the band music.
“Thanks for asking, but no.”
“Come on, please. You’re the only gal here who isn’t with someone tonight.”
Jewel looked down when his fingers touched her hand.
“Just one dance?” he asked again.
Her chest felt tight, but she knew she had to move ahead with her life. Glenn wasn’t coming back. She asked the bartender to watch her equipment and let Jim lead her to the dance floor. When she stiffened, he loosened his hold on her waist.
“It’s only a dance,” he said with a smile. “I’m not asking to get married.”
“I know.” She fought back tears and dropped her head to his shoulder. He was a nice man and just asking for a dance. He wasn’t there to change her life. Her life already changed and she wasn’t ready to move on.
The band began to play, Stardust.
Jim stepped back and asked, “So why do you think that Artie Shaw divorced Lana Turner? I can never imagine anyone divorcing Lana Turner.”
Jim’s abstract question made her smile. “Maybe he didn’t like blondes?”
“Who doesn’t like blondes…” he paused, looking at her and then added, “But you’re kind of cute for a redhead.”
“I think that was meant to be a compliment. Speaking of blondes, I took some great photos of Veronica Lake tonight. If you stop by the photo lab tomorrow, I’ll make you a copy of her photo and maybe if she comes back you could have her autograph it.”
He took her hand and twirled her in a circle. “I’ll be there. I have a collection of pin-up gals going in my locker. Do you think there might be a chance I could get a few more prints for the other guys? Maybe five? I would be the hit of the barracks.”
“I can do that, but for tonight, I need to head back to turn in the equipment.” Jewel excused herself when the song finished.
“Sure,” he said. “See you tomorrow?”
A large part of her knew she needed to get out more but the part called her heart wouldn’t let her go. When she returned to the barracks she took the pills the doctor gave her to help her sleep. The pills were good. When she swallowed them it meant, on most nights, Glenn was in her dreams.
Somewhere in-between
Glenn was behind her on the beach. His strong arms encircled her waist. Jewel leaned back into him and tipped her head letting the breeze ruffle her hair.
“I miss you so much,” Glenn whispered into her ear as he nuzzled the lobe of her ear.
She took a breath of the moist sea air and watched the gulls swoop overhead. Turning on the pads of her feet, she wound her hands behind his neck. Dropping to her knees she pulled him down to the warm sand beside her.
He ran a slow glance over her face, down her arms and to her breasts. The subtle scan accelerated her pulse.
Jewel drew his shirt open and explored the texture and taste of his skin. The roughness of the coarse brown hair tickled her lips as her tongue touched an erect nipple. She looked down the deserted beach and knew that she had the power if she wanted. She wouldn’t… couldn’t let him go this time.
Their eyes met as she slid the silky material of her dress off one shoulder. Jewel worked the material lower seeing Glenn’s eyes darken with desire as she exposed each inch of skin. Bending forward she lowered her breast to his mouth. His eyes closed and his hands moved her closer. The tip of his tongue traced her nipple sending a shudder of desire through her.
In a swift move, he flipped her onto her back and kissed her. She began to tell him how much she wanted him to truly be there, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips.
“You’re killing me—” He smoothed a hand down her arm and kissed the underside of her jaw.
“I can’t.” A lump formed in her throat and she felt a tear skitter down her cheek.” You’re already dead.” She paused and took in a breath. “I can’t do this anymore. I thought I was strong but I’m not.”
He pulled back. “What?”
“I can’t do this anymore. You’re dead. I can’t be with you no matter how much I want it. I’d do anything to change that.” She sat up, pulled up the sleeve of her dress, and choked back a sob. Sniffing she looked back towards the parking lot and stopped. Jewel wiped away tears. With a puzzled expression on her face, she asked, “Do you see that car?” She pointed. “Why does it look like that?”
Glenn turned, surprised by her question. A sleek red sports car pulled into the lot.
It wasn’t a car from her time, it was a car from his.
“No!” He shook his head until he came out of the dream and sat bolt upright in the bed.
The dream. Jewel was pulling herself into his world through her dream. But how was that possible?
Chapter Seven
Glenn fought the fear of nodding off again and finally got out of bed. He spent the rest of the night going over the data charts. Now that he had the coffee machine figured out, he’d put it to good use and drink a few pots.
After several hours of scrolling the sheets, his finger paused. There. The numbers suddenly popped out.
He looked at the clock. It was after eight. Hopefully, Hadley would be awake.
Glenn dialed the number using the tiny, slim phone called a ‘cell.’. “Hadley, it’s Glenn. Can you come over? I think I’ve found something.”
Hadley was at the apartment in fifteen minutes and Glenn brought him into the room where he worked. Glenn sat on the couch and tipped the lamp for better light. He pointed. “See this shift in the numbers. This means there was a magnetic spike. It could be attributed to many natural causes, but I thought I’d start with San Francisco. This was the last place that we knew the bookstore to be, and where I traveled. Can you print out similar charts for, let’s say, just North America for the last six months? Maybe we can spot a similar flux.”
After Hadley ran the data on his computer, he sent it to a corner office supply store. When he returned, he laid the inch high stack on the table.
Glenn grinned, as he looked at the hundred or so pages. “Be careful what you wish for. This is a lot of numbers.” He circled the data he found on the older sheets. “This is the grid we’re looking for. How about I take half the sheets and you take the other half?”
After a few hours of searching the columns of data, Hadley pushed back from the table and groaned. “Numbers have never been my strong suit.”
“Well it’s a good thing that you found me then isn’t it?” Glenn answered.
Hadley looked at him for a long moment. “Don’t take this wrong, but you look like hell. Haven’t you been sleeping?”
“No. I barely slept last night.”
“Join the club, but I believe we carry different reasons. Yours isn’t because you were in search of an odd flavor of ice cream. Are you having a difficult time with the adjustment of times?”
“Not really.” Glenn sat back and rubbed his hands over his knees. “If I tell you why you’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I doubt it. We are time travelers. I don’t think what you say can in anyway shock me.”
“Every time I fall asleep, I dream of Jewel.”
“You loved her. I’m sure it’s normal.”
“I think that she is pulling me into her dreams. Here. In this time. That somehow, she is coming forward to be in my dreams.”
“Fascinating.”
“You think I’m crazy.”
“No.” Hadley shook his head. “I had similar dreams with Samantha. I think that when people are deeply connected, for
whatever the reason, that the bonds somehow transcend time. Our dreams rest between worlds. You’re not crazy.”
“I can’t stop it. Every time I fall asleep, she’s there. I want her to move on, but she keeps pulling me in. Holding me to her. This time in the dream… she saw a car that I saw in town at a car show yesterday. It was a Vittoria sports car. I read the history of the company. It wasn’t founded until 1988, so how could Jewel see it? After the first dream I could still smell her perfume on the pillow. It’s like our worlds are mixing. I’m worried about her. She looked so sad and like she hadn’t slept or eaten in a week.”
“I’ll do anything I can to help.”
“I know you will, if I can come up with what the hell that is.”
Chapter Eight
1942
Jim arrived outside the darkroom at exactly the time he said he would. Jewel leaned against the hot metal wall and popped the cap off the glass Coke bottle with the bent metal edge of the siding. She handed him the black and white prints of Veronica Lake in a small paper bag.
He took the photos out and then slid them back in the bag. “Thanks.” Jim tipped his hat up and squinted into the sun. “I talked to the girls at the table after you left. They said that you don’t say much, but they knew that you were engaged. Your guy’s ship went down in the South Pacific.”
She tried to calm her shaking hands and clenched the Coke bottle tight. “That’s what happened. I just don’t want people to think I want sympathy.”
“I’m engaged too—a sweet girl back in Virginia.” He pulled a wrinkled leather wallet out and flipped it open to the girl’s photo.
I'll Be Seeing You Through Time (The Dimension Keepers) Page 4