“I have to get to Scott,” she cried, grabbing his arms for support. “You can hide at the boarding house. No one will look for you there.”
He seemed to hesitate, then nodded as he ran toward the alley.
“There’s a back door.” Amber pointed at the faint outline of the boarding house’s rear entry.
Vin set her on her unsteady feet, then as quiet as a thief in the night, opened the door and ushered her inside. He slipped in behind her. A faint light from the front of the building provided enough light to see. Amber rushed to the door that led to the back room and tore it open. It was empty.
“Scott?” Adrenaline rushed through her, making her limbs go weak all over again. Was she too late?
“He’s not here anymore, Amber.”
Amber spun around at the sound of Cissie’s voice behind her. “You didn’t make it back in time.” She looked somber, then her eyes narrowed on Vin, who stood in the shadows of the hall.
“He saved my life . . . twice.” Amber looked from Cissie to Vin. “He needs a place to hide for a while.”
Cissie stared at Vin Kincaid, then her features softened and she nodded, although she still seemed reluctant about helping an outlaw.
“You can stay here until morning, but I warn you, I can’t abide guns in my establishment.”
Vin Kincaid nodded in silence. His hand moved away from the gun at his belt.
Amber shook her head. “There has to be a way for me to get back home. I can’t be stuck in this time without Scott.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She’d gambled with something she’d thought she had to do to bring closure to her plan, and she’d lost. She’d seen the disappointment in Scott’s eyes the night before when he’d caught her looking at the pills. Going back to the future without them seemed like the best way to prove to him that she’d changed.
Cissie wrapped her arm around Amber and led her down the hall to sit at one of several small tables.
“I’m sorry, Amber. I wish there was something I could do, but it’s beyond my control.”
Vin emerged from the hall.
“I appreciate the offer to let me stay, but I’d best be going.” He tipped his hat at Amber, nodding at her. “I’m sorry for whatever happened to your man. I was hoping that by cutting you loose, you’d both be safe and find your way back to town. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of, but I ain’t a killer.”
Amber smiled through the tears. “Thank you, Vin. Scott knew you were helping us.”
“I don’t know if we’re kin or not, but he was a good man.”
Amber sniffed at his words as more tears streamed down her face. Vin talked as if he thought Scott was dead. In a way, he was, since he didn’t exist in this time. What was she going to do now? She’d succumb to the cancer slowly, or however this thing progressed, and ironically would now be facing the fear she’d tried to avoid after all. She laughed.
Vin turned to head to the back of the building.
“Wait!”
Cissie’s loud voice startled Amber, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair. Her head snapped up. Cissie stared at her watch, then looked at Vin Kincaid before her eyes darted to Amber.
“The watch. The hands are moving again.” With wide-eyed disbelief, she stared at the outlaw, who wore a deep frown.
“Vin Kincaid, how would you like to help Amber get back to Scott, and get yourself out of the predicament you’re in at the same time?”
Vin’s expression conveyed that he thought the woman was loco. He glanced at Amber, who’d bolted from her seat to look over Cissie’s shoulder at the watch. Sure enough, the hands were spinning around the clock face the same way she’d seen the one in Moira’s possession spin.
“Scott ain’t dead?” Vin took a hesitant step closer.
“No, he’s in the future, and it appears that you’re the only one who can get Amber back to where she needs to go.”
Amber stepped up to him. Vin Kincaid, 1880’s outlaw, in the future? It didn’t seem likely, but stranger things had happened. She and Scott could help him adjust. He wouldn’t be alone, and if she understood the workings of this time travel thing correctly, he could choose to come back, provided it was before the clock hands stopped. She’d make sure to tell him not to make the same mistake she’d made.
“You two are both loco,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what it is you’re sayin’, but if Scott’s alive, let’s go find him.”
Cissie led the way to the back room. Amber stopped in front of Vin.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and grabbed his arm.
Cissie gave Amber a quick hug once they were all in the room. “I’m so glad this worked out for you.” She tossed a skeptical look at Vin. “I’m not sure about this man in the future, but it’s not up to me to decide who time travels and who doesn’t.” She clutched her watch, then left the room.
“What’s this all about, Miss Amber?” Vin stared at her with a perplexed look.
“I know this is difficult to understand, but Scott and I are from a time in the future. We were sent here through some time portal in this room. I don’t understand it either, but it seems to be controlled by the watch you saw in Cissie’s hand. It only works for certain people. It doesn’t work for me, but it did for Scott, and apparently it chose you, too.”
Vin stared at her, dumbfounded, then laughed. “You’re saying, I’m going to some future time?”
She nodded, holding her breath.
Vin peeled his hat from his head and raked his fingers through his hair. It was longer than she’d ever worn her own hair. He was sinfully handsome, in a rakish, outlawish sort of way . . . like Scott.
He shook his head. “I ain’t going to the future. Glad to be of help to you, Miss, but I can’t do this.” He moved to the door.
“I don’t know if it’ll work without you in this room.”
Vin stopped, his hand on the door handle. “You let me know if it don’t work.”
Just as a flash of light appeared in the center of the room, Vin Kincaid slipped out the door. Amber blinked. She moved to go after him, but something held her back. The room illuminated, then went instantly dark. When she opened her eyes again, she stared at a computer monitor on the table in a corner.
“I’m back,” she whispered, trembling with excitement. “I’m back.” A wide smile formed on her face. Her eyes darted to the door. She was alone in the room. Had Vin time traveled, or had he left before it had happened?
Her hand trembled as she opened the door and stepped into the hall. Dishes clattered in the kitchen of the diner, and country music blared from the jukebox in the dining room. Amber moved toward the sounds. Her eyes immediately fell on a familiar figure, and her heart melted.
Scott sat slumped over at the counter, his head between his hands. He looked as if someone had died.
“Scott,” she whispered, and rushed up the hallway and around the counter. His head raised and his eyes widened in disbelief. Not a second later he was there, lifting her off the ground in a fierce embrace.
“I thought –”
She interrupted what he was going to say by pressing her lips to his. It wasn’t hard to guess what he’d thought when she hadn’t returned and he had to come back to the future on his own. She drew back and clasped his head between her hands, staring into his eyes.
“I love you, Scott Kincaid. It’s going to take more than a silly watch to keep us apart from now on. We’re both survivors, and I’m ready to start the fight so you and I can have many more adventures together.”
Scott set her on her feet, but wrapped her in an embrace filled with promise and hope for the future. His lips descended on hers, to seal their timeless bond with another kiss.
Epilogue
One year later…
Amber left the doctor’s office with a spring in her step. She wouldn’t have been able to hold back the wide smile she wore if someone held a gun to her head.
A memory flashed
in her mind of that final night she’d been in Heartsbridge of 1880, when someone had held a gun to her head and threatened to take her life. She’d realized then with more clarity than ever that she didn’t want to die.
She skipped down the steps of the medical building and into the bright sunlight. Tilting her head back, she inhaled a deep breath of the crisp autumn air. Her eyes scanned the parking lot until they rested on the blue pick-up truck parked a short distance away.
Leaning against the truck’s tailgate was a familiar figure, his hands crossed over his chest. He pushed away from the vehicle when she approached, her steps growing quicker with each footfall. He held out his arms and she ran into his embrace. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around.
Scott kissed her while still holding her up off the ground, and Amber wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I take it you got good news?”
Amber grinned, nodding. “The best. All the tests came back clear. The doctor says at this point, the cancer is gone, but they will still want to monitor me over the next few years to be absolutely sure.”
He nearly squeezed all the oxygen from her lungs, his arms trembling as he held her.
“I always knew you’d beat this thing,” he breathed against her neck. “No matter what, you’re the strongest person I know.”
Amber pushed against his chest. She needed some air. “You’re going to test that theory by crushing me to death?” She smiled again, then her face became serious. She looked up into his dark eyes. “I have to warn you. Ashley told me she’s going to give you a great big hug the next time she sees you, because you were the only one to talk me off my ledge.”
“You did that all by yourself, Amber. You never wanted to end it all. From the moment I met you, I saw you were full of life, even if you didn’t want to admit it.”
Amber shook her head. “It’s all because of you, Scott. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you. I owe you everything.”
He winked. “I’m glad you decided to pick up a stray off the street that day myself. My life hasn’t been the same since I met you, either.”
Scott had taken Amber to a doctor the day after they’d returned to Heartsbridge. He’d referred them to a cancer specialist, who’d done some more tests to confirm the cancer and whether it had spread, then suggested treatment options.
Right after her appointment, Scott had taken her on that first date . . . in Montana.
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” he’d offered.
“Show me your world, Scott. I think it’s time we get to know each other better.”
Their first official date had been a picnic under the stars along the banks of Scott’s favorite childhood fishing hole. Many more such dates had followed.
The prognosis for her complete recovery had been excellent, but the treatments had left her weak and sick for several months. Scott had been at her side the entire time, even though he had some business of his own to take care of.
While she’d been undergoing cancer treatments in Texas, he’d gone back and forth to Montana, settling things with his parents. During the weeks of treatments, she and Scott had looked through countless magazines and books as they dreamed about future camping, hiking, fishing, and kayaking adventures they would take together. She’d enjoyed every minute of it.
Over the months, the bond they had formed during their ordeal in the past had only grown stronger. Scott had become her best friend, in addition to the guy she fell in love with, and while she hadn’t had any previous outdoors experience, she’d discovered that she loved the things he did, and would always be eager to go on an adventure with him.
Scott set her on her feet. “I have some good news to report, too.”
“I like good news.”
He reached into his back pocket and produced an envelope. “I am now officially in business as a Montana outfitter and backpacking guide. My father forwarded the letter to me, saying the deal had gone through.”
Amber hugged him close again. “I’m so happy for you, Scott. I know your parents wanted you to work in the family business, but this is your dream.”
“My younger brother is much more suited to take over the ranch. He’s the one with the knack for horses and cattle, and loves it more than I do.” He chuckled. “My mother is happy that I’m finally doing something responsible rather than just bumming around the country on my bike.” He dipped his head and kissed her again. “Although that was the best thing I ever did for myself. That, and going on an adventure with you in the past.”
Amber hugged his arm. “I think I prefer to have any future adventures with you right here in the present.”
Scott laughed. “Me, too, but it was rather fun, especially since I got to meet a mysterious ancestor.”
“I meant to ask you about that. Did you find Vin in your family’s history? You spent a lot of time on the computer last week researching it.”
What had happened to Vin that night Amber returned to the present remained a mystery. Had he left the room at the boarding house before the time travel had taken effect?
They’d gone back to Heartsbridge and asked Moira if he had come through the portal, but she’d said there had been several people who had come through that she’d helped, but no one by the name of Vin Kincaid.
Scott shook his head. “There is no mention of a Vin Kincaid from Texas anywhere in the family history. I found out that Jack Kincaid, the man who made his fortune in the cattle business in Texas, moved his operation to Montana in 1880. Years later, he died of mercury poisoning, of all things.”
Amber’s spine tingled. The chemo had made her sick. It was difficult to imagine what it would have been like to die of some horrible poisoning back in those days. “That doesn’t sound very pleasant.”
“All of Jack’s assets went to his only son, Jack Junior, who downsized quite a bit,” Scott continued. “The ranch still prospered, and it grew in wealth again over the years. The only odd thing I found was an old letter that someone had written that said Jack Senior had a brother who was disowned for marrying a woman he thought wasn’t good enough because she was poor. The brother’s name was Jonathan Kincaid, but nothing else was ever mentioned about him again.”
Amber hugged his arm. “Despite the mystery, it sounds like the Kincaids are destined to be successful at whatever they do. Your business will also be prosperous.”
Scott grinned. “I’m going to give it my best shot.” He reached for Amber’s hand. “But I need a partner, both in my business and in my life.”
Amber lowered her gaze. The look in Scott’s eyes made her heart beat faster. He reached into his back pocket again, this time producing a small black box. He opened it in front of her, displaying a modest diamond that dazzled as it reflected the sun’s rays. She held her breath, staring at the ring.
Scott dropped to one knee, right in the parking lot of the medical building.
“I love you,” he murmured, his eyes on hers. “I’ve asked you before and you refused to marry me until your treatments were over and you were given a clean bill of health. I’m holding you to that promise. Amber, will you finally marry me?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she nodded. The lump that formed in her throat prevented any other response. Scott stood and slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her into his arms, sealing her promise with a kiss.
“I love you, Scott. I’m ready to start our new adventure in life… together.”
Thank you for purchasing and reading TIMELESS BOND. I hope you enjoyed the story. To help other readers such as yourself discover new books, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon.
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You can read Chris Hawley’s story in TIMELESS HEALING.
To find out about Scott Kincaid’s family in 1880’s Montana, check out IN HIS TOUCH, 2016 RONE Award winning novel in American Historical Romance.
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The next book in the Timeless Hearts Series is called Timeless Pleasure, written by Sandra E. Sinclair, and will be available May 14, 2017. Scroll down for a preview. You can find all the books currently available in the Timeless Hearts Series here:
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About the Author
I am an award-winning, best-selling western historical and time travel romance author of the Yellowstone Time Travel Romance Series, Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, Teton Romance Trilogy, and the Blemished Brides and Wilderness Brides Western Historical Romance Series. When I’m not writing about Yellowstone, the Tetons, or the old west, I’m out hiking the trails, spending time with my family and pets, or catching up on much-needed sleep. I am happily married to my high school sweetheart, and we have two boys and a menagerie of animals including dogs, cats, horses, chickens, guinea pigs, and bearded dragons.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the warriors out there who are fighting a battle against cancer. You are all heroes!
THANK YOU!
A special Thank You goes to Alice Robbins, who knows first-hand what it’s like to battle reproductive cancer, and come out victorious! Thank you for your insights and invaluable input with this story!
I wish to thank my editor, Barbara Ouradnik, for the countless hours helping me perfect the story, not only fixing my grammar and wonky sentences, but also ideas and insights for making the characters and story stronger and the best it can be.
Also, my group of beta readers for this book - Heather Belleguelle, Lisa Bynum, Sonja Carroll, Shirl Deems, Becky Fetzer, Cissie Patterson, Alice Robbins - who were the first to get their hands on my chapters, and who supply me with their insightful comments and let me know what works and what doesn’t.
Timeless Bond (Timeless Hearts Book 8) Page 13