by Jennae Vale
“Are you happy, Brenna?” he asked
“Aye. I’m verra happy.”
“Me, too.” He reached out to touch her hand and brought it to his lips.
Hamish slowed his horse and waited for them to catch up. “Ye ken I’d like to time travel.”
“It seems like everyone at Breaghacraig has done so,” Brenna said.
“Everyone but me. Sara’s put in a good word for me with the witch.”
“You’ll probably have to wait for her to find you a match,” Zeke said.
“Do ye believe she can find me a wife?” The look of hope on Hamish’s face was almost comical, but Zeke didn’t laugh. He knew finding the right woman was a serious business.
“If you had asked me that question two months ago, I would have said it wasn’t possible, but now I believe she can,” Zeke said, exchanging loving glances with Brenna.
As they approached the bridge, all was quiet. Not a soul was in sight.
Zeke turned to Hamish. “You can leave us here. Thank you for the escort.”
Hamish glanced around. “Where’s the witch?”
“She won’t be here,” Zeke said.
“If ye dinnae mind, I’d like to see how this works.”
“Alright.” Zeke nodded.
“Ye can head back now. I’ll catch up with ye,” Hamish said to his men.
They all turned and rode off the way they’d come.
Zeke waited until they were far enough away not to hear or see what was about to happen. “You might want to move back, Hamish.”
They all dismounted. Zeke hated to leave Olwydd behind, but he couldn’t possibly take him. “Goodbye, my friend.” He petted the horse’s strong neck. Olwydd seemed to understand, because he leaned his large head into Zeke, almost knocking him off his feet. “I’ll see you again.”
Brenna’s eyes glistened with tears. Zeke understood that the thought of leaving Vala behind was difficult for her. She wrapped her arms around Vala’s neck, giving her one last hug. “I cannae take ye with me, Vala, me sweet, but ye havenae seen the last of me.” She stroked her soft nose one last time before handing the reins over to Hamish.
“We’ll take good care of them for ye. They’ll be waiting on yer return.” He then took the horses and stood in the distance to watch.
Brenna buried her face in Zeke’s chest. “I know it’s hard to leave her, but I promise you’ll see her again. I’ll make sure of it.”
She gazed up at him and he saw trust there. He never wanted to do anything to break that trust. He silently vowed he never would.
“Edna! We’re here!” he shouted.
As they waited, the sound of a cart approaching caused them to turn and look to the other side of the bridge. Zeke was surprised to see Wallace approaching them. “Wallace, I thought you only had to be here when someone arrived.”
“Aye. ‘Tis true,” he said, coming to a halt beside them.
“Do you also have to be here when we leave?” Zeke asked.
“Nae. ‘Tis not ye I’m here for. Edna has another traveler arriving.”
“It’s like a revolving door around here,” Zeke chuckled.
Wallace looked confused by this.
“My sister, Sara, told me you met her when she arrived.”
“Aye. Sara. A lovely lass. How is she?”
“She’s doing well.”
“Did she ever find her man?”
“She did. They’re married now.”
“Good. I see ye’ve found yer love as well,” Wallace observed.
“I have and I couldn’t be happier,” Zeke replied. “This is Brenna.”
“I’m pleased to meet ye lass. Yer off to the future, I see. Good luck to ye.”
“We’ll be back for a visit and I expect we’ll see you when we arrive.”
“I expect ye will.” Wallace moved off from the bridge and Zeke guessed he knew exactly where to wait so he wasn’t caught up in the fog.
As soon as Wallace was in position, the fog arrived, swirling around them until all they could see was fog and sparking lights.
Zeke held Brenna close. She clung so tightly to him that he could feel her trembling. “I’ve got you,” he reassured her. He closed his eyes and held her close. When he finally opened them, they were on the Marina Green.
The fog was gone and a woman passing by with her dog, stared at them. “Nice costumes,” she said and then moved along on her way.
Brenna still had her head tucked into Zeke’s chest.
“We’re here, Brenna,” he said.
“I’m afraid to look,” she confessed.
He lifted her chin with his finger. “This is your new home, Brenna. Take a look.”
Tentatively at first, she peeked over Zeke’s shoulder and then, eyes wide with wonder, she turned in a complete circle, marveling at all of it.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I cannae believe me eyes.” She spun again, taking in the buildings, the bay, the bridge. “I dinnae ken what to say.”
“Welcome to San Francisco,” Zeke said.
“There is nae castle,” she observed.
“It’s a city, not a castle,” Zeke explained.
“Many people live here.”
“More than you’ve ever seen.”
“What are those?” she pointed to the cars buzzing by them on the road.
“Cars.”
“Ashley and the others told me about them. They are most unusual. I have so many questions.”
“I’ll answer them all, I promise. Don’t be afraid, Brenna. I’m here with you. You’re going to see a lot of things that you won’t understand. I’ll explain everything to you.”
He took her hand and began the short walk back to his home. Their home.
Epilogue
Two months in the city and Brenna Barrett was adjusting to the modern world far more quickly than Zeke had ever imagined. Edna helped out with a birth certificate and Zeke was able to marry Brenna at city hall. The handfasting was fine, but he wanted their marriage to be legal in the eyes of the law in the twenty-first century, too.
He still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be the beneficiary of Edna Campbell’s matchmaking skills. He’d spoken with her about seeing Sara and Logan in June or July and she assured him she would make it happen. He also was able to keep his promise to Duff. He had his friend, Quinn, make him a sword, which he then placed on the Marina Green for Edna to spirit away back to the sixteenth century. Wallace was there when it arrived and Edna told him that he’d personally delivered it to Duff.
Brenna joined him at work on most days. She was very good at keeping the books. She learned how to use the computer to keep his records and she was also in charge of signing up new students and scheduling classes. She was doing everything Sara had done. Wade was happy about that because it meant he didn’t have to do it and he could go back to teaching, which he loved.
After a long day at the studio, Zeke was excited to get home. He could see through the windows that the lights were on and he could hear the sounds of music playing. He could picture Brenna singing along and dancing to the tune. He smiled remembering how dark and lonely his life had been before he’d traveled back in time. He was grateful those days were behind him. Zeke made his way up the stairs to the front door. It opened just as he reached it. Brenna greeted him with Milly in her arms and a smile on her lips. She grabbed his shirt with her free hand, giving him a big kiss. Never one to miss an opportunity, Zeke wrapped his arms around his wife, knowing he’d never tire of this. Milly on the other hand was not enjoying this and let loose a yowl of protest. Zeke wasn’t about to let go of his beautiful wife, not even for Milly.
“You didn’t text me today,” Brenna said.
“I’m sorry. I was really busy. Were you worried?”
“No, but I read an article on the internet today about sexting and I wanted to try it.”
Zeke laughed and kissed her again, much to Milly’s dismay, and sent thanks to Edna for
finding him this amazing modern woman.
A note from Jennae
Thank you so much for reading A Long Forgotten Time. If you enjoyed the book and have a minute to spare, I would really appreciate a short review on the page or site where you bought the book. Your help in spreading the word is greatly appreciated. Reviews from readers like you make a huge difference in helping new readers find stories similar to A Long Forgotten Time.
If you’d like to know when my next book comes out and want to receive occasional updates from me, then you can sign up for my newsletter here http://www.jennaevaleauthor.com/news-and-events
Also by Jennae Vale
The Thistle & Hive Series
Book 1 - A Bridge Through Time
Book 2 - A Thistle Beyond Time
Book 3 - Separated By Time
Book 4 - A Matter of Time
Book 4.5 - A Thistle & Hive Christmas
Book 5 - A Turn In Time
Book 6 - All In Good Time
The Mackalls of Dunnet Head
Book 1 - Her Trusted Highlander
A Highlander In Vegas
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my editor, Jen Greybeal, for all your help. You worked with me from the very beginning on this one, making the writing process much easier.
A big thank you also goes to Sheri McGathy, Covers by Sheri, for the beautiful cover design for A Long Forgotten Time.
Thanks to my family and friends for your support and encouragement throughout this process.
About the Author
Jennae Vale is a best selling author of romance with a touch of magic. As a history buff from an early age, Jennae often found herself day-dreaming in history class - wondering what it would be like to live in the places and time periods she was learning about. Writing time travel romance has given her an opportunity to take those daydreams and turn them into stories to share with readers everywhere.
Originally from the Boston area, Jennae now lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where some of her characters also reside. When Jennae isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and her pets, and daydreaming, of course.
To connect with Jennae:
@jealil
JennaeValeAuthor
www.jennaevaleauthor.com
[email protected]