“Amber?”
Scott approached out of the darkness, his eyes on the little bag in her hand. Amber startled. He stood in front of her, his hair damp, and smelling clean.
“What are those?”
The look on his face said he already knew, and he wasn’t happy at all.
“I’m not going to take them,” she whispered.
“Then get rid of them,” he growled.
Amber stared at him. He’d never looked this angry before.
“I will, but not here and not now. I’ll put them back in my pocket where they’ve been all this time.”
Scott watched as she stuffed the bag in her back pocket. He didn’t say anything for a long time. Slowly, he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“I hope you’re not having second thoughts,” he murmured.
“I told you my thoughts changed, and I want to live. You’ll have to trust me.”
Her eyes met his. Scott reached up and touched his fingers to her cheek.
“I want to be as happy and content as Homer and Mabel are when I’m their age,” he said. “And I want the girl I fell in love with to grow old with me.”
Amber’s eyes widened. His face became a blur, and she quickly swiped a hand over her eyes.
“You’ve made a poor choice in the girl,” she whispered. “My future is as murky as the water that swept you away yesterday.”
Scott leaned in and kissed her, his fingers sliding along her jaw. “You’re wrong, Amber. For the first time in my life, I know exactly where the future’s taking me.”
Chapter 16
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d see you again, and certainly not here.”
Chris Hawley laughed as he and Scott embraced. It had been several years since they’d seen each other, and even longer since they’d gone to the same school and had done fun activities together.
Scott stepped back, his eyes roaming over his friend.
“Life here certainly suits you. You were always the typical country boy back home.”
“You’re right. This is the best thing that could have happened to me.” Chris smiled brightly as he held out his hand to the woman coming up beside him. His wife was a quiet-looking woman, her blonde hair tied in a braid that hung down her back. She held a baby in her arms.
“Francine and little Eric are the best things that could have happened to me,” he amended. His eyes darted to Amber.
The moment was rather awkward at first. Scott glanced at Amber, too. This was definitely different from how he’d pictured visiting his good friend in Texas. Not that meeting in a different century was strange enough, but he was here with Chris’ former girlfriend.
Amber approached, having stood back with Homer and Mabel at their wagon. The old couple had been kind enough to drive them all the way to Chris’ place, which had taken nearly two hours.
Francine Hawley eyed her with a curious look. She held out her hand to Amber, her soft smile inviting her closer.
“I’m sure you have a lot to talk about,” she said. “I’d best take Eric inside, and offer Homer and Mabel something to drink. Come inside, too, whenever you’re ready.”
She greeted the older couple and ushered them into the simple white-washed farmhouse. An awkward silence followed.
“Amber, how are you?” Chris ran his fingers through his hair, and laughed with a disbelieving shake of his head. “I still can’t wrap my head around that you and Scott ran into each other and came to the past. How did you end up in Heartsbridge at Moira’s Diner?” His eyes darted from Amber to Scott.
“She peeled me off the highway and brought me to the diner.” Scott took a step closer to Amber, and reached for her hand. “We met that waitress, who took me aside and told me she wanted to send me to the past, because her watch chose me.” The words sounded silly even as he spoke them, but there was no denying that they were true. “Since we’ve been here, Amber’s saved my hide a couple more times.”
Scott wrapped his arm around Amber’s waist. Chris eyed her with an appraising look, no doubt wondering if she was still the same girl he’d known months ago, a train wreck waiting to happen.
He finally asked, “So, how is it that Amber is here, too? Did Moira say that both of you had to go?”
“Amber can be quite pushy and persuasive, Chris.” Scott nudged Amber’s arm while at the same time giving her a squeeze. It earned him a narrow-eyed glare from her. He flashed her a grin, then continued answering Chris’ question.
“She barged into that back room at the diner and told me flat-out that she’d take my place. She wanted to come to the past because she had to set things right with you. We ended up coming together.”
Chris stared at Amber. “Set things right? I talked to you before I left to come back to this time for good. I thought we had already made peace?”
Amber tensed. Scott nodded in encouragement. This was her chance to tell him what she’d wanted to say, and then they could move on.
“I want to apologize to you, Chris.” Amber’s voice sounded feeble. She continued with an emotional explanation of her behavior and why, along with all the things she’d told Scott days ago. She left nothing out, including her plan to take her own life.
“Now we need to get back home, so Amber can get proper care so she can lick this thing,” Scott concluded.
“I’m sorry for everything, Chris,” she added. She stepped forward, reaching out her hand to touch his arm.
Chris stared at her for several seconds, then nodded. “I went through some hard times for a while, but I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. It was no coincidence that I ended up in Heartsbridge, and then came here. In a way, I suppose I have to thank you for that, Amber. This is where my life is supposed to be. I’m home.”
She let out a sound that was a mixture between a sob and a laugh. “I’m glad it worked out for you, and I couldn’t be happier that you found exactly what you needed in life.”
“I hope you find that, too, Amber.” Chris offered a smile. He stepped forward, and pulled her into a brotherly hug. “I wish you would have told me what was going on with you, but I suppose everyone’s lives would be different right now if you had.” His eyes drifted back to Scott while he held her. Chris’ look communicated that he was happy for this unexpected relationship between his good friend and former girlfriend, even if he was still trying to wrap his head around it.
“How do we get home, Chris?” The question that had been burning a hole in Scott’s mind had finally been asked.
Chris frowned. He looked downright puzzled. “Didn’t Cissie tell you?”
Scott shook his head, equally perplexed. “Who is Cissie?”
Chris cocked his head to the side. “Cissie Durham, the woman who is Moira Lockhart’s counterpart in this time. She runs the boarding house that is the diner in the future. She should have met you when you arrived to explain the rules and everything.”
“Rules? There are rules?” Scott laughed. “There was no one when we arrived. It was the middle of the night, and we had no idea where we were. We left the building, and got caught in the middle of a whiskey heist.”
Chris’ eyes grew large. He ran his hand along his jaw, then laughed. “I heard about that theft. Some thug cowpunchers stole a wagon of whiskey. They located the wagon a few days ago, abandoned in some gully. A couple of the barrels were empty, and the saloon owner, Tom Barton, is still spitting mad that they haven’t found the thieves.”
“I can give you names and descriptions,” Amber scoffed.
After telling Chris the rest of the story, Scott came back to his original question. “So, is there a way to get back home? You obviously came to the future and then back here again.”
“If you’ve been here for this long, we need to get to town right away and talk to Cissie. She’s got a watch that’s identical to the one you saw on Moira. The hands on the watch determine how much time you have in the past. Once they stop moving, you need to be
either back in the future, or you’re stuck forever in this time.”
Scott cursed under his breath. “Let’s get to town, then. I need to get Amber to a doctor.”
Chris nodded. He rushed to the house to explain to his wife that he needed to go to town and the reason why, out of earshot of the Suttermans. He promised to visit them in the next few days and help with some things that needed to get done around the old couple’s place, then hitched his team of horses to a wagon.
“If I never have to ride in one of these uncomfortable things again, it’ll be too soon,” Amber grumbled when Scott helped her onto the seat.
Chris drove the team at a fast clip. It was already the golden hour of afternoon by the time they reached Heartsbridge. He stopped in front of a building that looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t quite the same. The sign painted on it identified it as Cissie’s Boarding House.
A woman who looked identical to the waitress they’d encountered at Moira’s Diner greeted them when Chris led them inside. Except for the clothes she wore, her different hairstyle, and mannerism, they could be the same person. She greeted Chris with a smile, but there was tension in her eyes, and she looked worried about something.
“Are you missing a time traveler or two, Cissie?” Chris smiled, glancing at Scott and Amber.
Cissie’s eyes instantly widened, then darted to Scott and Amber.
“How do you know?”
“Because I brought them back to you.”
“Them?” Cissie studied him some more, then her eyes fell on Amber, and her clothes. An almost horrified look came over her.
“Which one came through?” she asked, her voice shaky.
“We both did,” Scott said. “It was dark and we weren’t quite sure what had happened. We left the building, since it seemed like we were breaking and entering.”
“Two of you? At the same time?” She glanced at her watch, another worried look on her face. “That’s unprecedented,” she murmured.
“Can you help us get back to our proper century?” Scott stepped closer to the woman.
“Yes, and I was fretting all this time because I knew someone had come through. I’ve never lost anyone before.” She glared at Chris. “Although, I do recall one who went missing for a while.”
Her gaze returned to Scott. “The clock hands have slowed down since yesterday. They have slowed even more now. I think if you had come back a day later, it would have been too late. If you’ve decided to go back to your own time, we’d best get you back in the room.”
Scott turned to Amber, reaching for her hand and smiling. They were going home. She was going to get treatment. Everything was going to be okay. They’d have all the time in the world to pursue their relationship, and if he had anything to say about it, she’d become more than his hiking and survival partner.
He’d meant what he’d told her last evening. He finally knew the direction of his life, not simply that he had to go from one adventure to the next. His new adventure would be with Amber, and he’d fight for her with as much determination as he’d fought to climb his mountains.
Scott shook Chris’ hand. His long-time friend embraced Amber and told them both to be happy. He said his goodbyes, then Cissie led them to the back room.
“You’ll be back in your time soon,” she said. “You gave me quite a scare when I realized someone had come through time, but they weren’t here. I can hardly put out a missing person’s advertisement for someone from another time, now can I?”
She turned to leave, then glanced over her shoulder and said, “Tell Moira hello from me.”
“Well, this is it,” Scott said, holding Amber’s hand after Cissie closed the door. He pulled Amber into his arms and leaned down for a kiss. “Are you ready?”
Amber nodded. She stood stiffly for a moment, glancing out the window at the reddening sky as the sun sank into the horizon. She moved toward it, stopped, then spun around.
“I’m sorry, Scott. There’s something I have to do,” she blurted as if she’d made a decision at the spurt of the moment, then without further explanation, ran from the room.
“Amber?” Scott called after her. What was she doing now? Cissie’s adamant voice, calling her back, came from down the hall.
Scott gritted his teeth and cursed. He rushed out of the room to go after her. Cissie blocked his way.
“You don’t have much time, Scott. I said that to Amber, but she wouldn’t listen. She said she had to do this, and pulled something out of her pocket before I could stop her from leaving. I don’t know what she meant.”
Scott stopped in his tracks. He stared at the redhead. Amber had changed her mind? She was going to go through with her plan after all. He backed up a step. No, he couldn’t believe it. She’d said to trust her.
“Scott, you have to get back to the room now, unless you want to be stuck in this time forever.”
“Damn you, Amber,” he whispered, then complied with Cissie’s wishes and returned to the room. He sank onto the couch, his head between his hands. What if she didn’t come back?
“I love you, Amber. Doesn’t that count for anything?” he shouted in the confines of this small room.
If he loved her, he had to go get her, not let her make the biggest mistake of her life. Scott sprang to his feet. Time be damned. He had to get Amber back. If he was stuck in the past because of it, it was better than being in the future without her. He’d almost reached the door when a bright flash of light blinded him, and then everything went dark.
Chapter 17
Amber ran from the diner. She had little time, and her heart beat wildly. She’d come to the past for one reason, and if she didn’t close this chapter for good, it would hang over her like a dark cloud for the rest of her life.
She clutched the plastic ziplock bag with the pills she’d held onto for so long, planning to take them at the just right time. She couldn’t leave without taking care of what she should have done all along. She darted behind the alley, following the narrow path that led to a few more wooden buildings. Her eyes darted around. The sky had already darkened considerably, and in a few minutes there wouldn’t be any light left at all.
Amber approached the back of a building, and trampled some weeds that grew tall against the structure. She ripped open the bag and shook the pills into the palm of her trembling hand. Her eyes watered, and she raised her head to stare up at the sky.
“I love you, Scott. Thank you for everything you’ve shown me and done for me,” she whispered.
Amber inhaled a deep breath, then tipped her palm, letting the pills slide out of her hand and onto the ground. As if the tiny pile was a snake ready to strike at her, she stomped on them with the heel of her boot, crushing every last one into the rocky soil. Quickly, she covered the area with more dirt she scraped together with the side of her foot.
Standing tall, she fisted her hand around the bag, crumpling it into a small mass, then stuffed it back into her pocket. She couldn’t leave something modern like a plastic bag behind. Her conscience clear, and feeling lighter than she had since before her cancer diagnosis, she spun around to rush back to the boarding house. Now she could really begin her life.
Now she could start her future with Scott. It was currently a murky future, but she trusted him. He would get her through her treatments, hold her up during her struggles, and make her laugh and smile. When it was all over, they could go on more adventures together.
She’d barely turned, when she bumped into something solid. She gasped, and nearly let out a scream. A firm hand gripped her arm and spun her back around. Before she could react, another hand clamped painfully over her mouth.
“Fancy meetin’ you here, Miss Amber,” a triumphant voice growled in her ear. “Thought you was gonna run to the sheriff to turn me in, didn’t ya? Unfortunately, I can’t let you do that.”
Jeb! What was he doing back in town, today of all days? He must have been looking for her and Scott this entire time, waiting to make his move.
She squirmed as his hold on her tightened. She tried to stomp on his foot from behind, but it was no use. The outlaw shoved her against the rough wooden wall of the building. Tears spilled down her face. She wasn’t going to make it back to the boarding house in time. She wasn’t going to leave this century alive, after all.
I’m sorry, Scott. I should have listened to you last night and thrown away the pills then. I’m sorry I failed you.
“Stop your squirmin’ and it’ll be over before you know it.”
Renewed panic rose in her at the ominous sound of a pistol cocking. She redoubled her effort to fight, but the outlaw pushed her head against the wall, nearly crushing her skull. Amber fought to stay conscious.
I don’t want to die. I want to live.
In the next instant, the pressure on her head was gone, and so was the hard body of the man who’d had her pinned to the wall. Amber slumped to the ground, her heart threatening to crack her ribs. The only noise was the sound of her pulse in her ears. She glanced up. Shadows moved in front of her, one man grabbing another and throwing punch after punch, until his opponent slumped to the ground and didn’t move again.
Amber flinched when a hand wrapped around her arm to pull her to her feet. Long hair whipped in the breeze, and the strong scent of leather drifted through the air.
“Are you all right, Miss?” a deep voice drawled. A familiar voice.
“Vin Kincaid?” she whispered, her lips trembling. Her knees buckled, and she nearly fell back to the ground. The shock of almost getting killed left her weaker than a newborn.
“Yes’m. That scum, Jeb, he won’t bother you anymore. He got what’s been coming to him for a long time. Now the sheriff can deal with him.”
“Thank you,” she stammered. “I have to get back to the boarding house.”
Voices came from somewhere nearby. Vin stiffened.
“We have to go,” he said, then hooked his arm behind her knees and lifted her into his arms.
Timeless Bond (Timeless Hearts Book 8) Page 12