A Stone in Time

by Kim Allred

  Edward shook his head. “The woman who sold it didn’t get the buyer’s name. But she did mention someone else asking about it.”

  The statement rocked Ethan. He was close. It had to be the item he was after. “Is it possible the buyer may have owned an antique store, and they were buying it for a store collection?”

  “Possibly. But it sounded more like a private collector. My dealer said the buyer paid a decent sum for it. Most store owners look for deals. They want a higher margin.”

  A private collector would make it almost impossible to find. He could search for weeks for the smallest of clues.

  “What about the Antique Market?” Tildy’s voice pierced the air from across the room.

  “That woman has the hearing of an owl. But she’s right. It might be your best option.”

  “I’m not familiar with the name. Is that another store?”

  “No. It’s a trade paper, covers most of the Pacific Northwest. If your buyer was a collector, odds are they subscribe. You could put in a personal ad, describe what you’re looking for. If they’re serious, they’ll see it. We all watch the personal ads.”

  He placed money on the counter for Edward to place the ad for him. Tildy received a kiss on her cheek for her brilliance before Ethan exited the shop.

  A small glimmer of hope followed him out the door and into the afternoon sun. He let the optimism flourish on his drive back home. He had done what he could. Now he was back to the waiting game. He still had one other avenue, but that was proving to run aground as well.

  25

  The sea was black, a dark, silent void where nothing could be seen—a stark contrast to how blue it had looked earlier, with the sun sparkling on its surface. The icy water sliced through her. She wouldn’t last long enough to be saved—she’d die of hypothermia before anyone could find her. The salty brine of the murky depths made her gag. Stark terror immobilized her—she could drown long before freezing to death. She was sure the boat had capsized and that Finn was lost somewhere in this void with her, although she couldn’t see him. A deep sorrow joined her fear. Her mother would be forced to deal with another death so soon. Stella would be royally pissed at her stupidity. Even Adam floated into her consciousness. Would he even care if she was lost to the sea?

  AJ searched the water around her. Nothing there. She shook her head to clear her mind, the effort slowed by the density of the water. She needed to find the surface. Something blocked her from turning, not allowing her to swim to safety. She flapped her arms, unable to find anything to grab on to, unable to pull away. Her legs were stuck, perhaps pinned to the boat—somewhere behind her. That was why she couldn’t see the surface. She was unable to twist her body to look. Panic set in. She was going to drown.

  As swiftly as the water had extended its icy grip, AJ was pulled away, as if a giant mechanical arm had reached down to pluck her from the depths. She had to close her eyes against the bright light. Her head rocked back as she gasped in a deep breath, then fell forward as she hacked up salt water. Fresh air burned its way back into her lungs. She couldn’t understand why it hurt so much to breathe. She took in more deep breaths, each one more painful than the last, the salt burning her throat. More pain when someone pounded on her back. Then it stopped.

  “Are you all right? Can you hear me? Slow down, don’t gulp,” said a muted voice.

  She shook her head to clear her ears. All she could hear was the rushing of the waves, like holding a shell to her ear. She wanted to push her hair back, but her arms were trapped beside her and, unable to free herself, panic returned.

  “Calm down, lass, you’re safe. You took a quick tumble, but you’re safe now. You need to take slower breaths, let the water work its way out. Try not to fight it.”

  The soft Irish lilt and calming words penetrated AJ’s waterlogged head and eased her panic. Her arms were tucked inside a soft, warm blanket. She had been saved after all. Finn rubbed her arms and covered her head with a blanket, or maybe it was a towel. Her hair was being dried. She opened her eyes again, fighting the sting of the salt water and the stabbing bright light. She could make out the edge of the sailboat, part of the sail, and the ocean beyond.

  The boat was fine—it hadn’t sunk. Behind her, Finn rubbed her arms and head, drying her off. She coughed some more. Finn’s words made sense, and she slowed down, feeling better.

  Then the shivering began. Finn’s arms tightened around her and pulled her close. She accepted the warmth, leaning into it. The trembling faded. She dropped her head back on his shoulder and let the sun heat her face.

  AJ stayed that way until she could talk, her throat raw after choking out all the water. “How long was I in?”

  He took a moment to respond. “You were never completely in the water. I caught your life vest before your feet left the deck, but the boat heeled over, which put your head, your arms, and a bit of your shoulders in the water. About a minute at most, probably less.”

  She popped up, hitting Finn’s chin, surprising him by her quick reflexes. “That’s all? I never left the boat? It seemed a lot longer than that.”

  Finn suppressed a grin. “Aye, it would have seemed longer to you. It happened quickly, but I have found the mind slows in times of danger. Makes you see things more clearly.”

  AJ’s cheeks flushed. She’d freaked like some child for a whole minute, allowing panic to take over instead of logic. She should have been able to handle herself better, and the truth was difficult to hear. She stood, hoping she didn’t send the boat reeling again, but it seemed sturdy enough. Planting her feet wider apart, she glared at Finn, who was fighting a grin. “I thought you were an expert seaman, a captain of your own ship. You almost sank a toy boat!”

  As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. She was being peevish, and he had every right to toss her back into the icy depths, but she had been more scared than she wanted to admit.

  Finn’s grin widened. He leaned back against the hull, but he kept his voice gentle. “If I wasn’t an expert seaman, we would have both landed squarely in the water with our toy boat sinking fast.”

  His gaze examined her so thoroughly, AJ reflexively pulled the blanket tighter.

  “You’ve soaked the blanket through. Let’s change it. There’s another one here somewhere.” He lifted the seat, revealing a storage locker underneath. “Ah yes, there’s a couple more.” Finn tossed AJ a fresh blanket and towel, taking the wet ones she handed back.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m behaving like a child.” Her sigh was shaky.

  “You shouldn’t feel foolish. It could have been dire if I hadn’t been close.”

  He was placating her, but he looked sincere, so she acquiesced. She rubbed her hair with the towel, and when it was dry enough, tossed it with the other wet items next to the locker. She ran her fingers through the damp locks to put them in order for the sun to dry. She kept the blanket around her and sat next to him. “So, what happened?”

  Finn laughed, and when AJ winced, he placed a hand on her hers and squeezed. “If I live to be a hundred, I will never see such a perfect combination of events like that again. When you stood, you stumbled on the lines, just as a wild gust hit us. The boat heeled sharp to port, giving you a dunking before I was able to catch you.” He released her hand and looked past her to the shore, the crooked grin still wide on his face. “It could have happened to anyone.”

  “Really?” AJ was skeptical.

  “Oh, aye, I’ve seen many strange misadventures on the sea. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  AJ studied his face, looking for some sign he was lying to her, but other than his apparent amusement at her situation, his story matched her increasing recollection of events. “This is one for the storybooks for me. It was so weird how long it seemed when I was under.” AJ played with the edges of the blanket. “I guess I owe you one.”

  “I’ll try not to ask too much in return.” Finn shifted the tiller, his focus returning to the sails, but AJ could see
his attempt to suppress a chuckle.

  AJ checked her clothing. The only item still damp was her blouse. She removed the blanket and folded it, trying to remember where they’d left off in the interview. They had been discussing how he came to own the boat. If she didn’t know any better, she would suspect the gust of wind, as he called it, was another diversion tactic. The one thing she did believe was how seriously he took the sea. He wouldn’t risk something so dangerous just for a change in conversation.

  “It looks like we have a visitor.”

  Finn turned the boat toward shore, and they entered the bay. The Daphne Marie sat tall and stately against the dock, as if everything they had said about her earlier was of no importance. While it seemed unbelievable that a ship so beautiful could possibly be the bearer of bad omens, she understood the concept. In researching the small artifacts she’d discovered through the years and the histories she’d uncovered, she’d learned that many people put stock in an item’s ability to bring good luck or bad. Some even claimed the providence held to family lines, so the piece might bring bad fortune to their particular lineage, yet carry good luck or no blessings at all to anyone else.

  “Is it someone you know? She seems agitated.” Finn pulled in the sail, easily guiding the small craft toward the dock.

  Stella wasn’t so much agitated as plain irritated. Still shaken by her close call, AJ wasn’t ready to face her. She couldn’t fathom why Stella had come out to the inn until she looked at her watch. Almost two in the afternoon! She must have gotten worried, maybe even a little pissed, when she found the centuries-old ship and no one else around. AJ wasn’t sure what had made her stick around, and she hoped Stella hadn’t called the police.

  “Yes, I know her.” AJ tossed her blanket on the growing pile, then nudged the pile with her foot to a corner where they couldn’t be seen, like a thief hiding evidence. But a glance toward Stella told her she didn’t need to be worried. Stella had stopped pacing when she got a good look at Finn Murphy.

  Stella’s expression changed from annoyed to intrigued—and then, looking at AJ, back to irritated. AJ tugged at her blouse and stood a little straighter, which proved difficult in the slow-moving craft with Finn preparing to dock. AJ had a great deal of explaining to do, again. She’d planned to come clean with Stella, eventually, and would have done it today. Too late for that. Stella watched Finn’s every move, and AJ could guess what ran through her friend’s one-track mind. AJ hadn’t disclosed Finn’s good looks, and she’d been out with him for several hours on a tiny boat. She reddened and scanned the boat for any last-minute housekeeping.

  Finn maneuvered the boat to rest against the dock and addressed Stella with a full-on grin and his best Irish. “Do you mind taking the line, lass?”

  Stella glared at AJ and seemed satisfied with her sheepish look. Turning back to Finn, she presented him with her most gracious smile and held out her hands. “I may not be able to get on a boat without losing my lunch, but I know how to tie one to a pier.”

  After tossing the line, Finn watched her tie it off and, nodding his approval, threw her the aft line.

  AJ rolled her eyes. Stella wouldn’t let her off easily. She searched for something to say to take control of the situation, but nothing came to mind, still a little fuzzy from the cold dip. Finn jumped onto the dock, but before facing Stella, he had the courtesy to turn and hold a hand out for AJ. She accepted his help, grabbing her bag before climbing from the boat.

  “And who do we have here?” Finn accepted Stella’s hand, but instead of shaking it, he bent his head and dropped a quick kiss.

  “Stella Caldway. AJ’s friend.” Stella glanced at AJ, her gaze dropping to her hand. “Or so I thought. Where has she been hiding you?”

  “I didn’t know I was being kept hidden.” Finn’s smile was engaging, his curls escaping from place, as if he could master them to fall over his brow on command. He glanced at AJ. “We’ve only met a couple of times. I believe I’m one of her stories.”

  “AJ mentioned a larger ship. You’re the captain of this other one too?” Stella looked at the small craft and back to the larger vessel.

  “It seems it’s easier to learn to sail on a smaller boat. This is Finn Murphy,” AJ said, finally finding her own voice.

  “Well, he could have been this Mr. Jackson you talked about, but you don’t look as old as I was expecting.” Stella stared at Finn, who in turn gave AJ a questioning look.

  AJ pretended she hadn’t seen Finn’s glance and kept her focus on Stella. “Weren’t you going to call to check in?” AJ smiled, although it probably looked more like a leer, and she couldn’t keep the nip out of her response.

  “I tried several times but kept getting your voice mail, so I drove out. Didn’t want anything to happen to you.” Stella was still smiling at Finn.

  AJ checked her phone. She had several messages from Stella. “I never heard the phone ring. We must have been too far away from cell towers.”

  “Uh-huh.” Stella pulled her gaze away from Finn and gave AJ a closer inspection. “Are you wet?”

  AJ blanked. Sometimes she hated Stella’s powers of observation. Some parts of her blouse had dried faster than most, leaving light spots of dampness. She had no idea how to respond.

  “It’s the hazards from sailing on a small craft,” Finn said. “We took a quick turn about, and AJ got caught in the spray.”

  Relieved by Finn’s rescue, AJ tallied how much she owed him. For some reason, he kept covering for her, making excuses. “Well, now you know I’m fine.” It got quiet, so AJ kept talking. “Did you want a tour of Finn’s ship?” She pinched her nose and then remembered to turn to Finn. “Sorry. If it’s okay with Finn.”

  “That would be grand.” Finn turned to Stella. “Would you like to come aboard?”

  “I’d love to.” Stella gave AJ a wicked smile. “As AJ knows, I can get seasick standing on this dock. I don’t want to tempt fate.”

  “Not everyone has sea legs, but I wish there was another way to show my hospitality,” Finn said.

  “Well, that’s easy enough. We’ll have to get together for drinks sometime.”

  “I still owe AJ an interview.” Finn walked them to the other end of the dock. “I’m afraid the sailing lesson took away from all the questions she had planned for me.” Finn stopped at the edge of the path and turned toward the women.

  AJ still wanted to finish the story, but she was surprised at Finn’s offer to continue a discussion he didn’t seem happy to share an hour earlier. Maybe Stella was the key to getting Finn to open up. Right now, all she wanted was to get home, take a hot shower, and put the spectacle of her sailing adventure out of her mind. She turned to Finn. “Thank you for the lesson. I know I was a slow student. But I need to get home. I’ll be in touch about the article.” She turned toward the path, taking a few steps before calling back. “Are you coming, Stella?”

  Stella stared after the retreating AJ. “I guess that’s that.” She took a moment to look Finn over. “It was nice to meet you, Finn.” She paused. “You’re a fine-looking man, Mr. Murphy. Be careful with AJ.” She turned to catch up with her friend.

  “Aye,” Finn said as the women walked away. If Stella had meant her remark as a warning, and had it been another time, he would have found AJ to be an interesting challenge. These two could easily distract him from his goal. Guilt wrenched him, and he pushed it back, knowing full well that dwelling on the past would get him nowhere.

  He turned back to the small craft to square her away after the trip, smiling at his remembrance of their morning. But his mood faded when he recalled the panic that overcame him when he’d almost lost AJ overboard. She could have slipped from his grasp. His breath hitched. He should have paid closer attention to the wind. The woman had beguiled him.

  He had some time on his hands while he waited for news from his source. There wasn’t anything keeping him from enjoying the company of two intelligent women. His lips twitched. If only for the conversation.

>   26

  At the parking area, AJ said little to Stella, simply promising to meet with her later. She raced out of the lot and drove, not to any place in particular, keeping her speed near the limits. She appreciated Stella’s concern for her safety, but she had wanted to be in control of the timing to explain Finn, and she’d allowed it to get skewed. She needed to climb, clear her head, and work through the whirlwind in her mind, but the best climbing spots would be overrun with tourists this time of day. In the end, she found herself in front of her mother’s house.

  If she had planned on finding solace with Helen, she was mistaken. No one was home when AJ tried the door. Of course, it was Sunday. Her mother spent most of her time with Adam and the kids on Sundays and met with her own club groups on Saturdays. It was almost to the point AJ had to make an appointment to see her mother. But if she was honest about it, her own schedule wasn’t any better. Just as she had been close to her father, the link between mother and son was as strong as ever in her family. Helen had bonded with Madelyn, even tolerated Madelyn’s tendency for histrionics, and she never posed a threat. She always conceded to Madelyn on decisions involving Adam or the children, her presence supportive from the beginning, tying the two together.

  If AJ didn’t have her own singular nature, she might have been jealous, but she never worried about getting time with her mother. Their relationship had always been casual, before and after her father’s death. They spoke a few times a week, and AJ stopped by for morning coffee or, on the rarer occasion, after work to relax with a cocktail. But not today.

  AJ headed for the library. She wasn’t ready to review her tumultuous day with Stella. And if she went home, she’d be forced to relive her day with Finn, her embarrassing dip in the ocean, and the fact she walked away with little information. Or had she? She didn’t know, and if she couldn’t find a strenuous activity to block the restlessness, there was only one other option. Work.