by Mari Carr
“You’re joking, right?” Tori asked.
“Not at all, although I admit, it sounds pretty farfetched. When a person stands under the tree and wishes for their heart’s desire, the tree becomes a doorway. When the tree brought me here, I was wishing for a home, a real home. One without wheels and a carburetor.” Erin referred to her childhood spent on the Delancy Dreamer’s bus.
“I went to the tree that night after you and I spoke at the Grange,” Hayley said. “Remember I had the nightmare and woke you up.”
“Yes,” Tori said. “I thought you were going back to sleep.”
“I couldn’t,” Hayley replied. “I remembered I’d left a book and few other things under the tree earlier. I went to get them. At the same time I was wishing I could find Erin and that I could stop having those damn bad dreams. Both wishes came true.”
“I found your backpack the morning after you disappeared,” Tori replied. “I realized you’d gone back to the tree, and that’s when I began to suspect you and Erin had both suffered the same fate.”
“Suffered is an interesting word,” Hayley teased, looking at her husband.
Jack pulled Hayley close to place a kiss on her cheek.
“The point is that we both made wishes and they were fulfilled.” Erin said.
“So what’s the secret to returning?” Tori asked skeptically. “I sit under the tree and wish to return home.”
“I’ve never tried,” Erin confessed. “I have another friend for whom the tree has worked. She was able to return home after traveling to another time. She believes that the solstice plays a part in the magic. If that’s true, you may not be able to return until December, around the time of the winter solstice.”
Hayley grinned. “On the bright side, you’d be home in time for Christmas. I know how you love spending the holidays with your mum.”
“My mother’s probably spent the last two months relieved to have me out of her hair.”
“First of all, for all her faults, Tori, your mother is probably quite distressed about not knowing where you are. That’s the worst part about choosing to stay here. Our loved ones back home will never know what became of us,” Erin said.
“I hate to put my parents through that kind of pain. I nearly died thinking the worst had happened to the two of you,” Tori admitted.
“I think about Marian every night,” Hayley confessed quietly, clearly upset at leaving her mother behind.
“Oh, Hayley,” Tori added. “I should have told you right away. She’s fine. She misses you terribly, but she met this really sweet accountant in the firm where she took a secretarial job. They’re engaged. She invited me to their wedding. It’s scheduled for October.”
“Really?” Hayley was clearly thrilled with the news about her mother’s newfound happiness. “I was so afraid she’d be alone. She got a secretarial job? She’s getting married?”
“Yep,” Tori was pleased to be able to share such comforting news. “He’s a widower with a twelve-year-old son. They’re both crazy about your mom. She and I wrote a few times. The last time she sent me a picture of the three of them together. She looks terrific.”
Hayley brushed a tear from her eye, and Jack’s arms tightened around her. “She’s happy,” Hayley whispered to her husband, her smile bigger than the room.
“There is one other thing, though,” Erin added.
“The tree doesn’t listen to the words you speak, only what’s written on your heart. If it’s truly not your heart’s desire to return, the tree won’t take you back.”
“You mean if there’s something holding me here, I’ll stay regardless of my wish to return.”
Erin shrugged. “I think so. I’m fairly certain you can never return once you leave, so you have to be very sure you want to go back.”
“What?” Tori said. “I can’t just click the ruby slippers three times, chanting ‘There’s no place like home.’”
“Ruby slippers?” Alex asked, confusion on his face.
“Nope,” Erin said with a laugh, ignoring her husband. “Your heart will make the wish for you.”
“How do you know all this?” Tori was intrigued by Erin’s knowledge on the subject considering she’d clearly never attempted to return.
“I met someone who knew about the tree’s magic. Her name is Lady Linley and she explained it all to me.”
“And she’s the one who believes the solstice plays a part?” Tori recalled that regardless of what she desired in her heart, she might not be able to return until December.
“June twenty-one, my birthday hits around the summer solstice, and that’s the day all three of us traveled through time. Lady Linley traveled first during the summer solstice and then returned during the winter one.”
“Well, I suppose I’ve done what I came to do so my heart’s greatest desire has been answered.” As soon as she spoke the words, a chill ran through her at the thought of returning to the future and leaving her friends so soon after finding them again.
“Do you think that really was your heart’s desire? What you were truly wishing for under the tree?” Erin asked. “Perhaps you wanted more than merely to find us.”
“What else could I have been wishing for?” Tori knew the answer. All her life, she’d wanted to find true love, a man who loved her for herself. She’d spent a lifetime wishing she could find a handsome hero like those on the pages of her romance novels.
“What are you going to do now?” Erin asked, as a roll of thunder crashed in the distance jerking Tori to her senses.
“Oh, no,” she cried, jumping up. “Another storm. Ben.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Ben,” Jack said, in response to her distress. “He’s weathered worse than a little rain.”
“No,” she cried, genuinely upset. “You don’t understand. I have to find him. Oh, my God, why did I let him leave like that? I wasn’t thinking clearly. We have to find him. Now.”
“Why?” Alex asked. “Tori, Ben will be fine.”
“No, he won’t.” She looked at Hayley. “Please, help me.”
Without pause, Hayley nodded. “Okay. Take it easy, Tor. We’ll find him. Where could he have gone?”
“Firebrand,” Jack was clearly intent on putting Hayley off.
“Save your breath, Jack Campbell. We are going to find that idiot friend of yours, come hell or high water. So are you going to help or not?”
“Dammit,” Jack muttered under his breath. “I don’t suppose I can ask you ladies to wait here while Alex and I go fetch him.”
“Nope,” Hayley replied with a smile. “We’ll split up. We can cover more ground that way.”
“Fine,” Jack said curtly, “but we are going to discuss this habit you have of jumping into things regardless of the danger.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Hayley said. “Like we haven’t had that conversation a hundred times before.”
“Jack,” Alex said. “Why don’t you and Hayley head in the direction of Waterplace? Maybe he went home. With the storm coming, it’s likely he’ll try to find shelter and there are a couple of homes between here and there. Check those.”
“What about us?” Erin gestured to her and Tori.
“Erin,” Alex said hesitantly. “I really think you should stay here with Elise, in case Ben returns.”
“Very well, husband,” Erin agreed. “I don’t think Chelsea should be left alone either, and I can see Tori has no intention of remaining behind.”
Tori hugged her friend. “Thank you Erin. What about us?”
Alex reached for his jacket. “You and I will head back to the cabin. Perhaps he didn’t intend to go far at all. He would go there for shelter to ride out the storm.”
“Okay.” Now that they had a plan, Tori was anxious to be on her way.
“If the storm becomes too bad, find cover and ride it out for the night. We’ll meet back here first thing in the morning,” Alex added as the four of them started to depart.
“Hayley.” Tori pulled her fri
end away from the men. “If you find Ben, don’t leave him alone.”
“What?” Hayley asked.
“The s-storms,” she stumbled. “They bring up bad memories for him.”
“I see,” Hayley replied with a nod. Tori knew she did. Hayley, no stranger to nightmares, had apparently exorcised her own ghosts in the past year and Tori was glad to see it. Hayley would know how to help Ben if she found him. She only hoped the same was true for her.
“What is it?” Tori asked when Hayley continued to look at her.
“I can’t put my finger on it,” Hayley replied. “But you’re different. More confident, self-assured. As my mother used to say, full of vim and vigor.”
“In love.” She was afraid Hayley would laugh at her silly confession.
“Well, that was obvious the second Ben walked into the cabin. Feels terrific, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll let you know when all of this is over,” Tori replied.
“Are you ready, firebrand?” Jack asked gruffly from the doorway, angry at the thought of taking his wife out in the middle of a thunderstorm.
“Ready, Captain,” Hayley fired back with a smug salute, then she squeezed Tori’s hand. “I’ll bring him back to you if I can.”
Chapter 21
V is for Veracity
Due to the high winds and driving rains, the ride to the cabin took much longer than normal. Tori could barely see the ground in front of the horse, and she had no idea how Alex was managing to direct it. Because of her poor equestrian skills, she had chosen to ride with Alex on his large stallion rather than risk attempting to control her own horse in the storm.
As they approached the cabin, she saw a light flickering through the window.
“It would appear we’ve found our lost sheep,” Alex said pointing.
“Yes.” Tori was concerned what state Ben would be in. As they reached the edge of the copse surrounding the cabin, she looked at Alex. “Would you mind very much letting me take it from here?”
“Pardon me?”
“I’d like to go in alone.” She was unwilling to expose Ben’s secret depression to his friend. If he was truly in the depths of his despair, he wouldn’t want Alex to witness it.
“Are you certain?” Alex was clearly concerned about leaving her alone in the face of Ben’s previous anger. “I could help you explain about your circumstances.”
“I’m sure,” she replied. “I’d really like to handle this myself.”
“As you wish,” Alex answered. “Promise me, no matter what happens, you will remain with Ben in the cabin until the storm abates. This is no night to be out alone.” Even as he spoke, Alex had to raise his voice to be heard over the rain and thunder.
“I promise.”
“I’ll wait until I see you enter. Give me a wave if he’s there, and then I’ll head back to the Grange.”
“Be careful,” she said as he helped her slide down to the ground.
Watching her make her way through the mud and driving rain, Alex yelled, “You too,” before turning his horse to wait for her signal.
The cabin was only dimly lit, the light of a lone candle and dying fire the only illumination. The room was tidy, and no evidence of the afternoon’s adventure remained.
Despite the day’s unpleasant events, she thought the small cabin was rather quaint. She could understand why Hayley and Erin were drawn to it. It would make a welcome haven for the June girls in this time so far away from their true lives. It was a place of absolute peace and privacy where Erin could sing her favorite songs without fear of being overheard. There was also plenty of room for Hayley to practice her Tae-bo moves and karate kicks without distressing the servants. It was a home away from home. It was perfect.
Shivering from the cold, she turned briefly to wave to Alex before stepping completely into the room to confront her lonely soldier. At first she didn’t see him and panicked she’d sent Alex away too soon. But a soft voice from the corner set those fears to rest.
“Couldn’t stay away?” Ben’s voice completely devoid of emotion. “Why am I not surprised?”
Taking a deep breath, she crossed the room to the fire. “It’s cold as a tomb in here.” She winced at her words, recalling his fears of committing suicide while in the grip of his madness. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean.” He rose slowly to build up the fire. “How did you get here? Please tell me you didn’t venture out alone, or I may be forced to take you over my knee.”
“I rode with Alex. When we saw the light, I asked him to let me come in alone. I didn’t think you would want him to see—”
He clearly understood her concern. “Thank you for that, but I’m afraid you’ve wasted the trip. As you can see, I’ve not fallen into one of my dark humors.”
“The storm,” she added. “I was worried—”
“I’ve been sitting here for the past half an hour listening to the thunder, the howling wind, watching the lightning through the trees. Nothing.”
“Nothing,” she said hopefully. “No memories?”
“Not bad ones, no.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oddly enough, when I see the room flash with brief flickers of lightning, all I can see are your eyes—the way they sparkled that night in my bed—or your face with your golden hair spread out across my pillow. Every boom of thunder reminds me of how it felt to pound myself so deeply inside you, I never wanted to be alone again.” As he spoke, he reached out to run his hands through her hair.
“You’re wet,” he accused, the romance of the moment shattered as he took in her soggy attire and cold shivers with a disapproving glare.
“Maybe that’s because it’s raining outside, Einstein.”
“Einstein?” he asked.
“Never mind. You really aren’t upset by the storm?”
“Now that you’re here with me, no, not at all.” A look of amazement crossed his face. “Why did you come here? After everything I said—”
“You were right.”
“Oh, no, sunshine, I was completely, absolutely, utterly wrong. Please forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she answered. “The entire situation was insufferable. I’d just as soon put it all behind us. Chalk it up to the ‘all’s well that ends well’ category.”
“You’re going to get sick if you continue to stand around in this drafty room in those wet clothes. Turn around. Let me help you.” He turned her away from him, his hands resting on her shoulders.
“I don’t see how getting undressed will make me warmer,” she said with a giggle.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, my love. I don’t intend to make you merely warm, but hot.” His fingers unclasped buttons down the back of her damp dress one by one, as he lingered between each to plant a small kiss on her back. When he had the dress parted fully, he pushed it off her shoulders making sure it fell completely to the floor. She stood with her back to him, dressed only in a light shift.
She started to turn, but he stopped her, wrapping his arms around her, crossing them below her breasts, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Vee,” he whispered. “For everything.”
“Everything?”
“Sorry for not believing you about Prescott, sorry for accusing you of endangering Chelsea’s life, sorry for what I am about to do.”
“What are you going to do?” she whispered.
“I need you.” His clasp on her waist grew tighter.
“I need you too.”
“You deserve someone gentle, someone kind. I can’t promise to be soft with you. I need you too much.”
Tori turned to face him. “I don’t want soft. All I’ve ever wanted is you. Demons and all.”
Soon he put his words to action. Grabbing her hand, he guided it down his chest to the hard thickness beneath his pants. Tori’s caresses were light only a moment before they grew firmer, stronger, more heated.
Reaching down, he moved her hand a
s he quickly unbuttoned his breeches, parting the material to give her complete access to his erection.
“Touch me,” he demanded, his harsh breath in her ear.
Wrapping him in her grip, she rubbed him from base to tip, slowly lingering over the head, capturing each tiny drop of moisture as it escaped. He groaned and Tori, delighted by his desire, tightened her hold even more as her free hand descended lower to touch his balls.
“Sunshine,” he muttered. “I can’t take this much longer.”
Smiling, she went to her knees. He had no time to refuse as she bent forward to kiss the tip of his penis. His breathing grew heavy and labored as she teased him with her tongue, drawing it in a slow circle around the head several times before drawing him completely into the wet, warmth of her mouth.
“Sweet Jesus,” he groaned, as she slowly slid down his erect member, taking him to the back of her throat before reversing her motion, only to return again. His hands tightened in her hair as he continued to gasp and moan. Thrilled and overwhelmed by the passion of the moment, her own desire grew. She felt the familiar moistness between her legs as her body began to scream for more of him.
All too soon, he pulled her mouth away from him, bending over to pick her up. He dismissed her complaints.
“One day, sunshine. Tonight, we come together.”
Placing her gently on the bed, he divested himself of the rest of his clothing, before sitting beside her. “Are you fond of this shift?”
Shaking her head, she smiled as he tore the material down the middle, rendering her completely naked.
“What is it with you and my clothes?”
He smiled. “I resent anything that touches your body that isn’t me.”
“Well, I can tell you right now, I don’t intend to spend the rest of my days nude.”
“Then I suppose I’ll simply have to spend my entire fortune buying you new clothes.”
“Come here.” She crooked her finger. He lay beside her on the pallet, pulling her to him.
His powerful kisses made her dizzy as his hands roamed freely over her body. She had to admit she no longer felt the cold. In fact, she felt downright feverish. With a firm grip on each knee, he pulled her thighs apart, settling between them before stopping briefly.