Yeah, well his mishap is only temporary and his wounds will heal. Why should he be upset?
Amber scoffed. Optimism had gone out the window over six months ago. She straightened, wiped her face with a paper towel, and combed her fingers through her hair. She stared at her reflection again. Nothing out of the ordinary to see. She looked perfectly normal, except for the red splotches on her face from crying. Her chest heaved as she inhaled a deep breath, faced the bathroom door and reached for the handle.
She froze. Muffled voices came from the hallway right outside the bathroom.
“You can change in the back room. I’ve got some first-aid stuff in there, too, if you want to clean some of those cuts and scrapes.”
“Thanks, Moira. I appreciate it.” Scott’s voice had once again lost the sarcastic edge he seemed to reserve for her.
“I can’t believe you rode a bicycle all the way from Montana to Texas.” Moira laughed softly. “You must really enjoy adventure and the unknown.”
Scott chuckled. “I do. I needed to get away for a while, and this was the perfect outlet.” He certainly didn’t sound as defensive with the waitress as he’d been in the car.
“Get away from what?”
There was a slight pause. “Responsibility, mainly,” he said slowly. “Trying to prove that life’s worth living, no matter what gets hurled at you.”
Amber frowned. What would he know about that?
“Sounds like you’ve had some rough things happen to you.”
Another chuckle. “I’ve always liked adventure, living on the edge, you know? My girlfriend couldn’t handle it, especially after I had a mountaineering accident a little over a year ago. Broke a leg, an arm, and was in a coma for about a month. My folks thought I’d finally slow down, but I think the experience made me more determined to enjoy life.”
“That sounds scary. Not too many people would bounce back from something like that and with such a great attitude. Your friend, Chris, for instance.”
Amber held her breath. She leaned her head against the door to hear better. From the sound of the voices, they were moving away from the bathroom and further down the hall. Clearly, Moira knew more about Chris than she’d let on earlier.
“Do you know Chris?” Scott asked. “I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.”
There was another lengthy pause. “He was troubled when he came to the diner a while ago. I sent him somewhere to find himself, and to find his true love. He wasn’t too happy about it at first, I’d imagine, but in the end, he thanked me.”
“His true love? That sounds a little fairytale-ish.”
Moira laughed again. “If I told you where he was, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. But let me ask you this – if you could go somewhere for the ultimate adventure, would you consider it?”
“I guess it would depend on where and what sort of adventure.”
“Don’t call me crazy, Scott, if I tell you. I didn’t prepare Chris properly, and that might have been a mistake on my part, so this time I’m going to do it a little differently.” After a slight pause, Moira continued, “I can send you to the past.”
Amber lifted her head away from the door. Send someone to the past? She nearly laughed out loud. In her head, Ashley’s words mingled with the last thing Chris had said.
“Gabe kept joking with Morgan that he was from the nineteenth century.”
“I’m going to a different time and place.”
Amber blinked and shook her head. What if it was true? What if it was possible to time travel?
What do you have to lose to find out?
Her heart pounded faster in her chest until it nearly hurt. She leaned her head back against the door. Scott laughed and said something, but the words were too muffled. Moira was talking again.
“I can offer you a chance at something you might not know you were even looking for, Scott. It sounds like you’re not sure yourself what it is you want.”
“So, you’re offering me a chance to time travel, is that it?” The sarcasm he’d used earlier in the car was back.
Moira sounded unperturbed by it. “This watch I’m wearing tells me when someone comes to my diner who is in need of a change, and perhaps in need of finding their heart’s match. Sometimes the person we’re destined to fall in love with lives in a different century.”
“Right now, all I need to change are my clothes, Moira. And the only person I need to find is someone who can fix my bike. I do appreciate the offer, though.”
“Suit yourself. The watch hasn’t been wrong yet. Take all the time you need in the back room. I’ve got customers to wait on.”
Amber stood straight. She shook her head again. The idea of time travel was a bit too much, but other people she knew had alluded to it, too. If Scott didn’t want to go to the past, she’d certainly take his place. It was better than staying here. In fact, it was more than better. Going to a different time was the perfect solution.
Slowly, she turned the knob to the bathroom door and opened it. She slipped into the hall, glanced toward the diner, then down the narrow corridor to the room at the end. Moira was talking to a customer, so Amber rushed to the back room and slipped inside.
“What the –?”
Amber spun around at the surprised voice. Scott stood in the middle of the room, buttoning up a pair of jeans. His torso was bare. He stared at her for a second, then his grin was back.
“Don’t you believe in knocking first?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but reached into his backpack and pulled out a faded blue t-shirt. He slipped it over his head, which only accentuated his lean and well-sculpted upper body.
Amber stared for a second longer than she should have, then looked away. The jeans and t-shirt were a definite improvement over the bike shorts. She moved to the couch that stood against the wall and sat, then stared up at him.
“I overheard what that waitress was saying to you.”
Scott chuckled. He bent to pick up his backpack and hiking boots, then joined her on the couch to put them on.
“The part where she sent Chris to the past, and wants to send me, too?”
Amber glanced at him. “You don’t believe it’s possible?”
His brows arched, and his forehead crinkled in amusement. “Do you?”
Amber shrugged. “Would be nice if it was,” she mumbled.
Scott laughed. “Sure, who wouldn’t want to take a trip into the past? I wonder how far back in time she wants to send me. I think I’ll pass, but if you’re serious, I’ll tell her you want to take my place.”
He winked and moved to stand. Before he got to his feet, a flash of light illuminated the room, then everything went dark.
Chapter 4
“What just happened?”
Scott rubbed his fingers against the side of his head, the blood pounding at his temples. He opened his eyes and blinked. The bright light from a second ago was gone, and the entire room had become dark. He stood, but swayed to keep his balance from the sudden dizziness that overtook him. Next to him, Amber groaned.
He inhaled deeply. The stale air in the room seemed different somehow from the last breath he’d taken before the flash of light nearly made him pass out. His eyes widened as his focus cleared in the dim light. A lantern flickered in a corner, but there was no overhead light. This wasn’t the same room from a moment ago.
Scott’s gaze dropped to the multi-paned window framed in wood. It was dark outside, and only a faint light came from somewhere up the street. What was going on? A moment ago it had been noontime and the sun was shining.
Amber came up beside him. “Where are we?”
She bumped into him on unsteady legs, and grabbed his arm. He sucked in a quick breath when her hand clamped onto his elbow, the one that was raw and skinned from his earlier mishap.
Scott extracted her hand from his arm, gritting his teeth at the sharp sting on his skin that sent pain shooting up to his shoulder. No doubt it would take a few days to get a good scab over the i
njury. He’d have to see what sort of bandages he had in his first aid kit in his backpack.
“Far as I know, we’re still in the backroom of the diner.”
That didn’t explain what had happened to the sunlight, or the rest of the day, for that matter. Scott took a step toward the window. The bare floorboards beneath him creaked. Earlier, there had been a carpet.
“We got transported back in time.” Amber’s voice was filled with awe.
Scott smirked. “I’m not ready to go there.”
He peered out the window. The street was definitely different from what it should look like. There wasn’t much to make out in the darkness. A couple of faint street lights seemed to be lit along the main road, but since this room was in the back of the building, there wasn’t much to see at all. Scott’s eyes widened when the definite silhouette of a horse with a rider galloping up the street popped into view for a split second.
No way.
He shook his head and laughed. There was no way that waitress had sent him and Amber to the past. He raked his fingers through his hair. He turned away from the window to face Amber, who stared at him expectantly. She didn’t look convinced about the situation, either, regardless that she’d boldly proclaimed that she’d be happy to go to the past.
“What other possibility is there?” Amber pointed at the lamp in the corner. “Look around. The room looks totally different.”
She had a point, but it didn’t mean they were now in a different century.
“Well, at least we’re still in the same location, I think.” Scott smiled in an effort to make light of this bizarre situation, because he had no brilliant explanation at the moment.
He reached for his backpack on the couch, and rummaged through it, digging for his cell phone. He tapped the power button. The screen lit up, but there was no signal. Scott frowned. He’d had perfect signal in the diner a few minutes ago. Moira was going to give him the number to a bike shop in town.
“I know you don’t want to believe in time travel, but the last time I saw Chris, he used words that could have meant he was going to a different time. And that waitress knew him. I bet she sent him to the past, too.”
Scott glanced at Amber. She was convinced about this time travel thing. Great. If he really was stuck in the past, how was he going to get back to the right century? And why did he have to get saddled with someone like Amber? He tossed his phone back in his pack, which he then threw over his shoulders.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out for sure.” He headed for the door. Amber lunged at him and grabbed his arm. At least it was his good arm this time.
“What are you going to do? You can’t just go out there without a plan. What are you going to say if you run into someone?”
Scott grinned. “I think you’re the one without a plan. You wanted to trade places with me, remember?”
Amber glared at him. “I’m not scared. I just think we need a plan.”
“I have a plan.” Scott moved his arm to encourage her to let go.
The longer she held onto him, the more his skin began to tingle, and some strange electrical sensation crept up his limb. He studied her wide eyes, filled with sadness and uncertainty. The soft glow from the lantern made her auburn hair shine like copper.
If she hadn’t followed him into this room, he would be facing the unknown by himself. Scott shook his head. It would have been better if she hadn’t followed him. Amber was nothing but trouble. No wonder Chris had called it off with her. This girl was completely wrong for his long-time friend.
He turned away from her again and reached for the doorknob. It had definitely been a handle earlier. He swallowed his unease at what he might find outside this room, but he wasn’t going to stay here any longer.
The hinges creaked when he opened the door. Amber was right behind him. She didn’t touch him, but the soft fragrance of her perfume drifted to his nose, and there was something about her that made him fully aware how near she was. His heightened awareness of her was probably due to the simple fact that she was an annoyance and he was waiting for her to make another cutting remark, or something.
There was no light in the corridor, either, making it even darker than the room they’d just left. Scott strained his eyes to see, but it was futile. Usually, there would be at least a faint light coming from some sort of electrical gadget, like a clock, or the lights shining through the windows from outside. Nothing. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his phone, switching on the flashlight app.
“Unless there was a power outage on the entire block, I’d say there is no electricity here,” Amber whispered behind him. “Kind of creepy. Do you think this building is deserted?”
Scott shook his head. It sure seemed like a possibility, but as he moved up the narrow hall to where the dining room should have been, he could make out curtains on the windows, and several round tables in the large space. The counter wasn’t there, and neither was the kitchen. The few tables were covered with lace tablecloths, and the windows were a lot smaller than the ones in the diner.
The more he looked around, shining the light in all directions, the more it became almost believable that they were, in fact, in another century. It was possibly early twentieth century, but more than likely sometime in the eighteen hundreds.
“I think if there is anyone here, they are asleep,” Amber whispered. “I don’t think you should be shining that light around. We look like a couple of burglars.”
She had a point. Scott lowered the phone, but didn’t turn off the app. Without it, they would be in complete darkness. A floorboard creaked above them. Scott froze.
“I’m getting out of here.” Amber moved past him to the front door. Scott grabbed her arm and hauled her back. She pushed away from him, so he tugged harder, bringing her up against his chest.
“You go out that way, you’re going to be on the main street.” He leaned forward and hissed in her ear. “I think there was another door at the end of the hallway. I bet it leads to the alley I saw from the window.”
When she relaxed, Scott let go of her arm. He shone the light from the phone on the ground and led her back the way they’d come, past the room they’d been in, and out the door. It did, indeed, lead into the alley.
Scott turned off the light, plunging them into total darkness. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Faint piano music clanked from somewhere up the main street and mingled with laughter. A woman squealed in amusement.
Scott strained his eyes in both directions. “Sounds like a lively party.”
“Where are we going to go?” Amber remained close to his side, no doubt as blinded by the darkness as he.
There weren’t a whole lot of options. There was no telling where the alley would lead, and it was so dark, he wouldn’t be able to see his hand in front of his face if they went in the opposite direction of the main street. He voiced his thoughts out loud.
“Maybe we can slip along the side of the main street and see where it goes.”
This was different than being out in total darkness in the middle of nowhere. At least he’d know what was out there. Here, he had no idea where he was going or what he might find. If – and it was still a big “if” – they were, in fact, in another century, they couldn’t very well walk up to someone and explain their predicament.
Amber moved past him toward the main street. Like a moth drawn to a bright light, she headed for the lantern hanging on a pole. Every building was dark, except for the one with all the noise. Scott grinned.
“I bet if we asked for directions at the saloon up ahead, no one would even notice we look out of place.” He glanced at the faint outline of Amber’s backside. Her dark jeans made her almost disappear from view. If they were in the eighteen hundreds, she would look more out of place than he. Women probably didn’t walk around in skin-tight jeans.
“Maybe we can ask around to see if anyone knows Chris.” Amber glanced over her shoulder once she’d reached the main street. There was
a porch of some sort in front of the building they’d just left, and it appeared as if wooden boardwalks lined the fronts of all the buildings.
“Might be worth a try.”
Scott reached for her arm again to pull her back when she would have kept walking toward the building with the piano music. Several horses stood tethered outside, and the faint lettering of the word “saloon” on the façade became visible. A buckboard wagon stood parked at the entrance to the alley leading to the street. Two horses were hitched to it. For now, it provided some cover and kept him and Amber out of sight.
As the seconds ticked by, the impossible notion that they had time traveled became real. They were, indeed, in another century, unless someone was a master at illusion. The smell of dust mixed with horse manure and the faint odor of smoke was something even a magician couldn’t produce with a simple trick of the eye.
“I think you should stay here, Amber, and let me see if I can talk to someone.”
“What? No way am I staying behind.”
Scott rolled his eyes. Should he have expected any other reaction?
“Women dressed a lot differently a hundred or two hundred years ago than they do in our time. Haven’t you ever watched a western movie?” Was it really necessary to explain? “Might not be wise for you to be seen until we know exactly where . . . when we are.”
Scott glared at her, his eyes getting more used to the dim light. She stared back at him with a conflicted look on her face. She knew he was right, but she was just stubborn enough that she didn’t want to admit it.
The outlines of three figures wearing cowboy hats came out of the saloon. They stood in front of the building for a moment, their heads together as if they were discussing something in secret. Two of them went to the horses tied to the hitching rail while the third man headed across the street and came walking toward the alley.
“Get in the back of the buckboard.” Scott pushed Amber into the shadows. There was something odd about those three, and it wouldn’t be wise to be seen by the one heading this way.
Timeless Bond (Timeless Hearts Book 8) Page 3