Stealing Time (2 page)

“Pumpkin, when did you get wiser than your
ol’ dad?” He put his arm around her. “Who’d have thought a book
would bring this family closer together?” Her dad put his head back
on the sofa, appearing to be deep in thought. “You know I was upset
when your mother gave you the book to read. I didn’t want you
involved in that world. Now I believe it was the smartest thing she
ever did. It’s like you’re the connection to both worlds. There’s a
balance now.”

“Well, I almost ceased to exist on New Year’s
Day, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.” Kate rested
her head on her father’s shoulder, shuddering at the memory of what
happened just a few short months ago.

“You realize when I left here before
Christmas I had every intention of making it back in time.” Her dad
squeezed her tightly as he spoke. “I waited almost twenty years for
that telegram and was determined to go. Never in my wildest dreams
did I think anything would happen. I was a fool to think I was
indestructible, hopping from one century to the next. Nothing ever
went wrong in all those years. I felt like a superhero doing good
in the world. I would right the injustice my brother caused and
come back to my family. I’d rip open my shirt, expose the large S
on the shirt underneath, and everyone would cheer.” Her father
placed his head in his hands. “What a fool.”

“Was the S for Superman, Dad? Because if it
was, you’re Superman in my book. You rescued Drew and got here just
in time to save me. I think that’s superhero status in anyone’s
book.” Kate pulled her father’s hands away from his face. “Keep the
faith. I did.”

“Jack, remember what you told me about the
book? No one has all the answers...we’re almost at its mercy.” Drew
got up and went into the kitchen, pouring coffee for everyone and
returned with a tray of mugs. “This magical book brought us
together...for that I’m eternally grateful.”

“You’re right. I need to remember that,”
Jackson whispered as if he was trying to convince himself.

Kate looked quizzically at her father. “What
did you tell Drew about the books? This is the first I’m hearing of
it.”

“Well, let’s see.” Her dad rubbed his chin.
“I guess you’re referring to the time right after your rescue from
the river. Am I right?” He looked over at Drew.

Drew nodded. “We were sitting around a
campfire, waiting for the sunrise, so we could begin the climb to
the top of the canyon.” He glanced over at Kate. “I thought you
were up there, waiting for me. Little did I know you were here in
Ohio and used the book to time travel back to the constant,
never-changing year of 1927,” he laughed. “I didn’t believe a word
out of Jack’s mouth...until he told me you were one of the time
travelers.”

“Then you became a believer?” Kate teased.
This might be just what they needed, a discussion about time
travel. Her father loved to talk about it. Perhaps it would put him
in a better mood. She decided to leave the Tyson discussion on the
back burner for awhile longer.

“Yeah, I guess I did. We spent the night
discussing the powers of the book and how it worked. It seemed like
your father and Carl Sr. sat up many nights dissecting the ins and
outs of the book.”

Kate sighed at the mention of Carl’s name.
Married to their friend and neighbor, Maya Johnson, he was such an
important part of her journey, yet she never knew him in the
present. He had already passed away before they moved into their
home. “Carl, the first traveler.”

“We wouldn’t be here without him.” Her dad
patted her knee. “Always be grateful to him. He was a brave man.
Carl came to this country from Sweden, knowing little English, and
found his way to Arizona. His carpentry skills got him the job at
the boardinghouse where he discovered the books.”

“And he was the first to come to the
present.” Kate was in awe as she thought about it. Carl did it all
on his own. “Thank goodness he met Maya on his first trip.”

“They were the first past and present
couple,” Drew chuckled.

“But not the last,” her dad said. “Your mom
and I made the second, and now...” He squeezed Kate’s hand. “You
and that one.” He cocked his head toward Drew.

“That one!” Kate laughed as she threw herself
against the back of the sofa. “I love it.”

She leaned forward and looked at her dad.
“Now tell me the story. You and Carl put your heads together to try
to figure out the book.”

“We tried things first-hand when we could.
Experimentation, you might call it.” Her dad sat up as if he had
renewed energy, gesturing with his hands. “We finally formulated a
New Year’s Eve plan, for lack of a better name, but never put it in
motion. Carl became too ill and, as you know, passed away. I lost
the motivation to continue. Anyway, we have most of our answers
now.”

“What was the plan? The New Year’s Eve plan?”
Kate was curious. “If you had conducted that experiment, you might
have the answer. The only one we’re not sure about.” Then she hung
her head. “Never mind. I think
I
was the experiment. We do
have the answer. If someone stayed at the canyon into the New Year,
I wouldn’t be here. Your life would have continued on in the past.
You could never return to the present. Mom would be a distant
memory. Someone you remember meeting in 1927. And me...never born.
I was fading away that last day. I could feel it...” Kate had to
stop herself before she said what really scared her. No one would
remember her because she never existed.

“Enough! We’re done talking about it. No need
to bring up bad memories.” Drew held up his hand. “We’ll never let
that happen again. No one will ever go to the canyon that time of
year.”

“But I still want to know.” Kate looked at
her dad with sad puppy dog eyes. “What was the New Year’s
plan?”

“Actually, it was a silly little experiment.
We planned to take a cat or dog back in time, leave it closed in
the master bedroom of the boardinghouse. We planned to go back in
January to see if it was still there.”

“A dog from the future going back in time?
Too science fiction for me!” Drew howled with laughter.

“Not that far-fetched. The space program used
animals before they let humans go into outer space.” Kate defended
her father. “You still have to catch up on your history, Drew.” She
winked at him.

“Thanks, Pumpkin.” Her dad gave her a huge
grin. “It does sound a bit crazy. We didn’t know if the animal
would transport back to the canyon. We were working on that part
when...”

“Carl became ill.” Kate finished for him. “I
can see how you didn’t want to continue without him. He discovered
the books and was the first to travel and unravel the mysteries of
the book. I’m so glad I got to know him, if only back at the
canyon. Carl may have passed away, but he lives on there.”

“Another mystery.” Drew shook his head.

“One we’re grateful for.” Kate’s dad raised
his mug in the air.

“We could’ve used his guidance a few months
ago.” Drew held up his mug in response.

Kate decided to keep focusing on the
positive. “Luckily, you made it back to Ohio just in time. We never
had to find out what would’ve happened to me. I know you made the
decision to live in Mom’s world. I’m so glad you did.” Kate patted
her father’s face. “You were afraid, and rightly so, that I might
not have been born if you hadn’t gotten back in time. But I would
have never forgiven you if you left Drew behind.”

Suddenly Kate felt a cold chill sweep over
her. The time travelers had had that discussion before. You may
only have one chance to come to the present to stay. Her father and
Drew aged here in Ohio, in the present. They couldn’t keep starting
over. Kate wiped a tear from her eye as she thought of her
Drew...her handsome, dark-haired, emerald green-eyed Drew being
left behind, unable to come to the present ever again.

“Kate? Kate, are you okay?” Drew was now
sitting beside her.

“Oh, I was daydreaming, I guess.” She took
his hand. “I was thinking about how you wanted to marry me in
another time, got here and realized it wasn’t going to happen.” She
took his hand, hoping he’d believe the little white lie. Drew knew
she was still preoccupied with their dual lives. When he came to
the present to live, Kate found he had strict values. No sex until
marriage. She devised a plan to get married in the past, hoping
Drew would accept those terms. He did, in a way. His rule now was
no sex in the present. They weren’t married.

“But we still got married, didn’t we?” He
gave her a wide grin.

“Yes, and it was wonderful.” In their hearts,
they were committed to each other, no matter the decade. Drew, with
his old-fashioned values, wouldn’t make love unless they were at
the canyon where he considered them married. She tried hard to
change his mind, but he wasn’t budging.

Kate sat up and stared at her father. They’d
gotten off track, and she thought it was a good time to bring up
Tyson again. Talking about Uncle Albert may have hurt her case, but
she decided to forge ahead. “Well, Dad? I’m waiting on the Tyson
decision.”

“He gets one more chance, and that’s it.”

Kate kissed him on the cheek. “See, that
wasn’t so hard, was it?”

* * * *

“So we’re all friends again?” Tyson rose from
his seat at the diner and walked over to pay the bill. “This is on
me.” He smiled at them, but Kate thought there was a touch of
sadness behind it.

Drew put his arm around her. “Happy?”

She nodded. Maybe all could be right in the
world again. Karma just had to be on their side. Ty apologized over
and over. He said he’d never do anything mean to Kate or hurt her
in any way. “He does live across the street. It’s not like we’d
never see him. And what’s the saying? Keep your enemies closer?
Easier to keep an eye on him.” She rested her head on Drew’s
shoulder as Tyson returned.

“All set. See you in school.”

Kate was surprised he acted so normal. “Ty,”
she called out to him. “Thank you...for everything.”

After he left, she turned her attention back
to Drew. “So, husband, ready to go home and report to my dad? I’m
sure he left instructions to call immediately if anything
happened.”

Drew could only laugh as he waited for Kate
to slip out of the booth.

As they walked into the house, the first
thing she did was to announce they were home. “Dad, we’re back safe
and sound. Come out wherever you are!”

He rounded the corner of the family room.
“Just watching television...basketball game. I can turn it off.
Tell me how everything went.”

“Mmm, aren’t we supposed to not want to tell
you about our social lives? I think I read something about
helicopter parents. They hover too much,” Kate joked.

“I have every right to hover after what I put
you through.”

“Dad! You’re not going to start that again. I
thought we cleared the air.”

“Maybe your dad still needs to talk. Do you,
Jack?” Drew turned to Jackson and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe I do. But Katie’s right. You kids need
some privacy. You don’t need your ol’ dad lurking about.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Kate hugged him.
“And remember I want to be called Kate now, please.”

“Old habits die hard, kiddo. I’ll have to
stick with Pumpkin.”

“Pumpkin will do.” Kate laughed and grabbed
his hand, leading her father to the dinette table. “Sit. I’ll make
you some coffee. Didn’t Maya drop off some cinnamon bread?”

Soon they had her dad laughing and making
plans to go back to the canyon with Drew during spring break.

“I like that we’re getting back to normal.”
Kate smiled at the men in her life.

“If normal includes time travel, I’m right
with you.” Drew took her hand. “But it has to be with you, no one
else.”

Kate’s dad rose from the table. “I think I’ll
leave you two lovebirds alone.” He walked over to where she was
seated. “Thanks for forgiving me. I’ll never intentionally put you
in harm’s way again. I’ll protect you with my life as long as I
live and breathe. Did you hear that, Andrew?”

“Dad! Stop being so dramatic. Drew would
never put me in danger.” Kate saw the hurt and guilt in her
father’s eyes again. “You need to let it go. I have.” She got up
and pulled Drew with her. “Homework!” She headed for the stairs.
“Love you, Dad!”

When they reached her bedroom door, Kate
turned to Drew. “I thought we had this settled. Am I going to have
an overprotective father now?”

“I think he’ll get over it. Just give him
some time.”

“Time. Sometimes I think it’s on our side,
and then I feel it works totally against us. I felt a gigantic
clock ticking inside me the whole time we were at the cabin. It was
awful. On the other hand, I can’t wait to get back there and see
everyone. I miss them.”

“I know what you mean.”

“You’re going tonight, aren’t you?”

“We agreed I shouldn’t tell you when I
go.”

“Well, this is special circumstances.” Kate
pretended to pout, stomped over to her bed, and sat down.

“Special circumstances?” Drew slid in next to
her.

“Yes, I decided I need to know where you are
at all times.”

“I’m right here.” Drew’s lips found hers as
he pulled her close. “I’m not going anywhere, Mrs. Martin.”

“So you’re not going to the Grand Canyon
tonight, Mr. Martin?” Kate whispered between kisses. She loved
using their names from the past.

“Yes, I am.” Drew took a deep breath. “Darn!
You got me!”

“Maybe I can persuade you to stay here.” Kate
giggled.

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Kate suddenly realized she felt fragile after
the weekend. The dream, discussing New Year’s and meeting Tyson
brought back a lot of memories. It wasn’t fair to place her fears
on him. “You go, and have fun. I’ll be here when you get back.
Can’t wait to hear about it.”