Fighting Fate

by Louise Clark

  “All right,” Chloe said, rising regally. “I still think you ought to be eating in a restaurant. What do you have left in your bag?”

  “A half-a-ham sandwich, some cottage cheese and an apple. Are you hungry?”

  “Famished.”

  “There’s a vending machine in the lobby. We can raid it on our way out.”

  The machine dispensed chips, cookies and pop. Faith and Chloe bought samples of each then proceeded to the park. They found a bench near a bed of roses and while they lazily shared their meal they watched the bees energetically hunt for pollen among the fragrant flowers.

  “This is a very unhealthy lunch,” Chloe said, munching on a barbeque chip then dusting her fingers on one of the paper towels provided by Faith. “As a mother I should forbid you to eat such foods.” She consumed more chips. “I have to admit, though, that I love these things, junk food or not. I really miss them when I’m away.”

  “Mom—”

  Chloe swigged some pop from the can, then said, “I talked to Liz. She told me about the problems at NIT. Is Cody Simpson that sexy, dark-haired man we met at the elevator before I went away?”

  “Yes. And don’t say anything about my package, Mom. There’s nothing between us beyond a lot of office-based conflict.”

  Chloe looked seriously at Faith for a minute, then she smiled. “It’s a beginning.”

  “No, it’s not! Listen, Mom, you don’t understand. It doesn’t matter if Cody Simpson likes me. Or more to the point, if I like him. I can’t get involved with a guy from the real world. Especially a guy like him.”

  “What do you mean, ‘like him’?”

  Faith stared at the ham sandwich in her hand. She had to swallow hard to keep self-indulgent tears at bay. “He comes from the same world Dad does. And Dad couldn’t accept us. He left us as soon as he was sure I was a Beacon. He dumped us, Mom, because we’re different. Because we’re weird.”

  “He didn’t leave you, Faith. He left me. Don’t blame yourself for your father’s and my divorce, honey. We did that between the two of us.”

  Faith stared down at the sandwich without seeing it. “I haven’t seen him in three years, Mom.”

  “He travels a lot…”

  “He visits Liz all the time!”

  Chloe sighed. “Just because your father has a closed mind does not mean this young man, Cody Simpson, will be the same way.”

  Faith smiled humorlessly. “The odds are pretty good.”

  “Nonsense!” Chloe said. “You can’t judge a person on what someone else has done. Cody Simpson may be a generous, open, thoughtful individual who is entranced by your ability.”

  “I can’t take that chance,” Faith said quietly. She bit into the sandwich, chewed without tasting. “Mom, I know you won’t understand, but…I want to stop being a Beacon.”

  Chloe stared at Faith, saying nothing, her expression unreadable. She ate a chip slowly, apparently savoring the taste and texture, then she said, “It’s a God-given talent, Faith, honey. If you were not a Beacon, you wouldn’t be the person you are.”

  Faith took another bite of her sandwich. “How do I do it, Mom?”

  “Elizabeth would love to have the ability.”

  Faith heard disappointment in her mother’s voice and responded to it with an aggression that surprised her. “I wish Liz was the one who was the Beacon! Then I wouldn’t feel as if I was caught between two competing worlds.”

  “Ah,” Chloe said. “We’ve come to the cause of your feelings, I think. You’re in the wrong job, you know. You need to find something where you can make use of your talent, rather than having it lurking behind you like a burglar toting a gun.”

  “The way you do, you mean? Going back into the past to experience history, then writing about it when you come back to your own time?”

  Not only was Chloe Hamilton a tenured professor at the university, but she was considered to be one of the foremost experts on American history in the country. And in that other world, the one of time travel, Chloe Hamilton was just as formidable, for she was both a Traveler and a Beacon.

  There was a faint smile in Chloe’s eyes as she nodded. “Something like that.”

  “Can’t you understand? I don’t want to change my job. I like my job! I want to keep my job! That’s the problem. With Andrew popping in at least once a week I’m afraid he’ll somehow find out where I work and show up there. Poof! Suddenly there is a guy with long hair and ruffled shirtsleeves standing in my office. What do I do then?”

  “You don’t worry about it,” Chloe said. She eyed her daughter. “You’re crossing your bridges before you come to them, Faith. Andrew doesn’t know where you work and he won’t unless you tell him. Right now he appears in your living room because it is located in what was once a copse of trees on his farm. It’s easy for him to get to you, so he does. He’s not likely to go hunting for your business location. Why should he, when he can see you on Friday evenings and bathe in a luxury that is sinfully self-indulgent in his own time?”

  “You’re missing the point, Mom.”

  “So explain it to me.” She finished the last of her chips and crumpled up the bag. Faith offered her what remained of her spicy corn chips, which Chloe took with a greedy pleasure. Faith bit into her apple.

  While she chewed she tried to put her feelings into words. It wasn’t easy. “Mom, I find being a Beacon stressful. It interferes with my goals. You tell me I should open myself up to new experiences, that I need to allow myself to get close to a guy. How can I as long as I am a Beacon and I might have Uncle Andrew show up at any moment? If I am to have any kind of life, I need to stop being a Beacon. I want it to go away.”

  Chloe finished the corn chips and added this bag to the first. She wiped the orange residue from her fingers as she said, “It won’t—go away I mean. To be a Beacon is a privilege that few people have. It is programmed into you at birth; it’s not a learned skill. You are a Beacon, Faith, just as your eyes are gray and your hair is blonde and you stand five-foot-nine inches tall. It’s part of you.”

  “Mom —”

  “Hello, Faith.”

  Faith’s body jerked with tension and she looked up at Cody Simpson with terrified eyes. “Ah, hi Cody.” What was he doing here? And, oh my heavens, how much had he heard?

  Well, the first one was easy to figure out. His long body was clad in runners, shorts and a t-shirt. A portable media player was attached to a black armband that peeked out from under a short sleeve. Clearly Cody was out jogging. He pulled his earbuds out as he spoke and swung them gently back and forth.

  Though it was interesting to discover how Cody kept that excellent body of his toned and fit, Faith refused to be distracted by his appearance. She had to find out how much of her conversation with her mother he had heard.

  She was staring up at him, trying to read his expression, when her mother cleared her throat and said, “We met once before, but I don’t think we were introduced. I’m Faith’s mother, Chloe Hamilton. And you are?”

  Cody’s blue eyes slid from Faith to Chloe and he smiled.

  Boy, did he smile. Cody Simpson’s smile could melt the polar ice cap, not that Faith was affected by it, but she could see that her mother was. Chloe was dimpling and—dear heaven! Was she flirting with him?

  Cody laughed and introduced himself, apparently perfectly happy to have a woman old enough to be his mother make eyes at him. Faith glared at Chloe. Where had she learned that head tilted thing and looking up through her lashes? She had evidently picked up some very bad habits during her visit to the 1860s.

  Still smiling, Cody looked over at Faith. “Hey, your mom is great, Faith. You should bring her to the picnic tomorrow.”

  When pigs could fly.

  “What picnic?” Chloe asked, all innocence.

  “The company picnic, Mom. It’s for NIT employees only.”

  “That’s the official word,” Cody said. “But I’m told lots of guys bring their wives and kids. It’s on a Saturd
ay, which is family time, not company time. Ava the Oppressor ought to realize that when she makes an event a command performance.”

  “Is Ava an oppressor?” Chloe asked, interested. “Faith’s sister, Elizabeth, calls her the Tyrant Lizard, but I thought that was because Liz is studying evolutionary biology and links all kinds of inefficient behavior to extinct creatures like the dinosaurs. Faith never confirms or denies.”

  “She’s just trying her best, Mom.”

  Cody laughed. “Ava the Tyrant Lizard. I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He shot a sideways look at Faith. “I think Faith is more tolerant than I am. I’m not happy with Ava at the moment. I don’t think she’s doing her job and, to be fair, she doesn’t think I’m doing mine.”

  Heat flooded Faith’s cheeks as he eyed her. She moved her head, denying her reaction. Cody smiled.

  He turned back to Chloe. “Faith is caught in the middle, I’m afraid. It’s not fair to her, but then there’s plenty of things Ava does that aren’t fair.”

  “This is very interesting,” Chloe said, looking from Cody to her daughter. “It helps me understand some of the problems Faith and I were just discussing.”

  “Mother!” Faith said loudly.

  Chloe grinned mischievously. “My poor daughter would have a fit if I told you what we were talking about, so I won’t. I won’t come to the picnic either, though I can guarantee Faith will. She always does go to NIT functions.”

  “Cody doesn’t care about what you and I were talking about,” Faith said, having finally gotten over the shock of meeting Cody Simpson here.

  Cody’s brows shot up and he said, “I think that was a very broad hint that I’m not wanted. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Hamilton.”

  “What a nice young man,” Chloe said, as both women watched Cody Simpson’s muscular form jog down the pathway.

  “He’s a computer geek and he’s driving me crazy,” Faith said. “When Sue Green gets back from her medical leave, he’ll be out of my life. Forever.”

  Chloe shot her a speculative look. “Think so?”

  “Yes, and you’re crossing bridges that aren’t even there.”

  Chloe laughed and didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  Chapter 8

  “Fabulous day, isn’t it?” Ralph Warren gazed around the park where the annual NIT company picnic was taking place. Ava had exceeded expectations this year, finding a location that boasted plantings of annuals and perennials, all in bloom; graveled paths that twisted through groves of evergreen bushes and lofty trees; and charming walkways under vines of jasmine and honeysuckle. As well, there were open areas where a croquet game had been set up and volleyball and badminton nets erected. In the center of it all was the NIT command post, where the beverages were laid out and the food was prepared. The whole event had an air of upscale casual fun. Ralph was clearly very satisfied with everything about the party, including the weather, which had cooperated with a bright blue sky, peppered with white fluffy clouds, and warm temperatures.

  Faith smiled at him. Ralph had every right to be pleased. Back in the days when she’d handled all the management details except sales and promotion, she’d been the one to put this event together, so she had a good idea of what the elegant charm was costing—more than it had in the past, that was for sure. But then NIT had changed and grown so much in the last year that image had become an important component in the annual event. Trust Ava to understand and capitalize on that.

  “I spoke to Grant Balfour and Jason Wong earlier. They were about to play volleyball against Ava and Angela. They all seemed to be having a terrific time.” Balfour and Wong were info tech executives from two of their new long-term contracts.

  Ralph nodded, suddenly serious. “I’m delighted to hear that. I must say, Ava excels at ensuring that NIT puts on the right corporate image. I think today she’s outdone herself, though. Perfect weather, a great location…” This time his sweeping gesture was meant to encompass the park they had rented for the afternoon. “Wonderful food and drink—have you had anything to eat yet?”

  Faith held up her glass, which had once contained lemonade. “I’ve already munched on a hotdog, thank you, Ralph.”

  He looked horrified. “Not just a hotdog, Faith. A gourmet European sausage. Surely you noticed the difference?”

  Faith hadn’t, but she wasn’t about to argue. “It was delicious. I enjoyed it very much.”

  Ralph nodded. “I did too. A great choice.” His gaze strayed, swept the crowd, caught on something. His eyes narrowed. “I think I see Max Brand over there. You’ll excuse me, Faith? I must go have a word. He’s one of our best clients.”

  “Sure,” Faith said to Ralph’s retreating back. She scanned the crowd, found a likely contact and started networking.

  An hour later she had chatted with three members of the Board of Directors, two senior engineers, several clients, the vice-president of marketing and the chief financial officer. Each conversation had included the weather, the great location, the fabulous food and what a great company NIT was.

  Tired of mixing, she wandered over to the awning where Ava and her helpers had set up the food and beverage tables. Ava’s secretary, along with Ralph’s executive assistant and the CFO’s secretary were keeping the area tidy, refilling ice buckets, and cooking the super-duper hotdogs. Faith felt a little shiver of envy. The women all had desks in the same area and were clearly used to working together. They laughed and joked, apparently having a great time. They didn’t have to go out and make lame conversation with people they didn’t know very well. Faith refilled her lemonade then asked if she could spell anyone. She wasn’t surprised when her offer was cheerfully refused. She looked at her watch and decided she’d stick it out for another half hour then be off.

  Sipping her lemonade she glanced around. The volleyball game was underway in a grassy area some distance from the refreshment table. She could go over and cheer the teams on, but she might get pressured to join the game. Though the people playing were laughing, they were sweating too and wearing shorts and t-shirts. Faith glanced down at her crisply pressed linen slacks and silk blouse. She didn’t see volleyball in her future.

  She caught sight of Ava near an ornamental pond, talking to a new employee. A moment later Ava was on the move, dragging the new staff member behind her. Ava caught sight of another solitary employee and steered in his direction. Once she reached her victim, she made introductions and left with a wave, having successfully achieved her goal. Faith chuckled to herself. Ava playing hostess was a formidable sight.

  And a dangerous one. Now on the prowl, looking for someone else who wasn’t mixing, Ava would be onto Faith at any moment if she didn’t appear to be busy. Faith was still uneasily aware that Ava wanted to use the picnic for a little lesson in Cooperation 101 between Faith and Cody. Since that was something Faith would be happy to do without, she checked for someone to mix with. She caught sight of one of the project managers looking a little lost and headed over in his direction.

  They chatted about—what else?—the good weather, the tasty hotdogs and the effort that had gone into putting on the party. The project manager was one of the new employees hired as a result of the successful contract bids. Faith couldn’t remember his name right at the moment, but he was friendly and as desperate for someone to talk to as she was.

  The conversation passed a good fifteen minutes before it petered out as another of the new managers appeared and the two men began to talk shop. Faith did a quick scan for Ava, but couldn’t see her anywhere nearby. She breathed a sigh of relief and decided that in another quarter of an hour she could decently head off. She was considering how she could safely pass the final few minutes when she heard Ava Taylor’s voice behind her.

  “Hello, Faith. Having a good time?”

  Silently cursing her bad luck, Faith turned. “Lovely, thank you, Ava. You’ve outdone yourself.”

  Ava smiled, a little smugly. In shorts and a t-shirt, wearing tiny
tennis socks and pristine white runners, she looked fashionable, tanned, and healthy. “I have an excellent team. They did all the hard work. Have you had a chance to talk to Cody Simpson yet today?”

  Feeling overdressed compared to the elegantly athletic Ava, and at a disadvantage, Faith said, “I haven’t, no.” She’d seen him just before she’d gone to the refreshment table, though. He was wearing his standard jeans and a t-shirt and a lock of his thick black hair had fallen over his forehead in a way that was far too attractive. Faith hadn’t deliberately avoided him, but then she hadn’t tried to connect with him either.

  “You must,” Ava said. Before Faith could react, Ava grabbed her arm. “Come on, I saw him over by the rhododendrons.”

  “Ava, what are you doing?”

  “Making sure that you and Cody Simpson deal with your differences,” Ava said, striding purposefully across the grass. Faith was nearly trotting as she tried to keep up with her. “Communication is important in situations like yours,” Ava was saying. They reached the rhododendron bed. Ava circled it with the concentration of a hound dog trying to catch a scent, but she came up empty. Cody had moved on.

  Relieved, Faith said, “Well, thanks for trying, Ava. Cody must be somewhere around here. I’ll keep an eye out for him.”

  Ava wasn’t listening. “Ha! There he is. Over by the volleyball game.” She headed off, Faith in tow.

  Faith could see he was eating. He popped the last of a hamburger into his mouth, licked each of his fingers, then chewed in a leisurely way while he watched the game. As they neared he tipped his head back and tossed the dregs of whatever beverage remained in a paper cup down his throat. Faith swallowed. He looked fit and strong, and way too sexy for a computer geek.