Stealing Time (3 page)

“Okay. You’re sure?”

“Yes, positive.” Kate walked over to her
desk. “I really do have homework.”

“So do I. I’ll see you at school
tomorrow?”

“Of course. Tell Lindsey to call me so we can
plan a shopping trip.”

“Senior Prom, right?” Drew smiled. “I didn’t
forget.” He headed for the door and then turned. “I love you,
Kate.”

“Love you, too.” She waited until she was
alone and placed her head on the desk. Somewhere in the back of her
mind, she heard the ticking clock...slowly counting down the
minutes left in her life. “I beat the clock,” she said
defiantly.

Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them
away. There was no real reason to cry. She was safe and alive. She
had Drew, and life was back to normal. Wasn’t that every girl’s
dream?

Chapter
Two

Kate twirled in front of the mirror. The ice
blue chiffon strapless dress billowed around her as she spun. She
stepped closer, inspecting her make-up and tucking a loose strand
of hair back in place. Her light brown hair, streaked with blonde
highlights from the sun, hung in curls down her back.

“Senior prom,” she said aloud to the empty
room. “Who would have thought my date would be someone I met in
1927?”

There had been no tears in weeks. She knew
she shouldn’t have kept things to herself, but she wanted the
family to think she was okay after what happened at the canyon. At
times she had trouble shaking the feeling she didn’t exist. No one
would remember a Kate Roberts lived on this earth...because she
hadn’t. She told no one about the episodes, deep dark depressions
that swept over her. Her heart would pound, and her stomach
clenched into a tight ball making it impossible to eat. Dreams sent
her back to that time and place more than once. Drew’s cabin at the
Grand Canyon. 1927. The last day of the year. The dreaded clock
ticking in her head. She’d dream she was in a room, and no one
could see her. She’d call out to people. They’d look right through
her, as if she didn’t exist. She’d wake, crying and have to
convince herself she was safe at home with Drew and her family.

So on this day, Kate finally felt like
herself. The last few months at school were so normal she felt like
she was in an old-fashioned sitcom. Drew would meet her at her
locker. They’d hold hands and go to class. They’d eat lunch in the
cafeteria with their friends, and Drew would drive her home. She
might as well wear his letter sweater to school every day as the
finishing touch.

“Kates? You in there?” A knock at her bedroom
door interrupted her thoughts.

“Yep! Come in.” Kate turned from the mirror
and saw a vision of pale yellow float into the room. “Lindsey, you
look beautiful!” She grabbed her friend and hugged her tightly.

“So do you.” Lindsey spun in place. “Can you
believe we graduate in just a few short weeks?”

“Yes...and no.” Kate’s voice dropped to a
whisper.

“Why so sad?”

“Things will never be the same again. We’ll
all move on. It will be different.”

“I thought you liked different, Mrs.
I’m-married-but-I’m-really-not.”

“You know what I mean. Stop teasing.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be in Arizona this time
next year.” Lindsey clapped her hands. She was accepted at the
University of Arizona and would join her cousin Brandon and
boyfriend Charlie there.

“Speaking of Arizona, is Charlie
downstairs?”

“No, he dropped me off and will come back
with Drew. He knew we needed girl time. Jordyn should be here any
minute.”

“We hardly see Jordyn anymore. We used to be
like the three Musketeers.” Kate bounced onto her bed.

“She really keeps busy. She signed up for
prom committee besides everything else she does.”

“Are you guys talking about me?”

The girls giggled and rushed to embrace their
friend standing in the doorway. “Jordyn!”

“Pretty in pink,” Lindsey cried.

“Jordyn, your dress is gorgeous.” Kate
thought it looked designer and was dying to ask the question like
on the red carpets—“So who are you wearing?”—but restrained
herself.

“Thanks, the moms splurged a little.”

“Your moms are the best.” Lindsey paused.
“I’m going to miss them.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet. You’ll have to tell
them. They’re right downstairs.”

The girls looked at each other and said
together, “Helicopter parents!”

“Good thing you’re going so far away for
college.” Jordyn put her arm around Lindsey. “Mine will probably
visit every weekend.”

“Kent State’s a little close.” Kate kept mum
on her college plans. She and Drew planned to go to AU with
Lindsey, but didn’t want Tyson to know the details. They told
everyone they were still deciding.

“At least I’ll have Brian to drag along on
all the outings.” Jordyn pulled a brush from her bag and ran it
through her long silky, black hair.

“So he finally decided.” Kate was happy for
her.

“He got a basketball scholarship. I’m so
proud of him.”

“Girls! Are you coming down? We’d like to get
some pictures,” a voice called up the stairs.

“That’s my mom.” Kate gathered her things.
“Let’s go before they come up.”

When they reached the bottom of the stairs,
she saw Tyson and Erin had arrived. Erin, his long-time girlfriend,
was breath-taking in a black strapless gown, closely hugging her
figure. A large solitary diamond glimmered from the necklace she
wore.

“Wow,” Kate pointed to the gem, “Is that
real?”

“Of course it is, Katie.” Tyson put his arm
around Erin. “Nothing but the best for my girl.”

Erin glowed like a girl in love, and Kate was
happy for her. Things had gone so well with Tyson over the past
months that they decided to ask him to go to prom with the group.
It was their final farewell, and Kate was glad he was included. She
crossed her fingers that his stalker days were over.

The doorbell rang. Her father jogged over to
answer it. Drew entered with Charlie, and Brian was right behind
them.

“Well, the gang’s all here,” Tyson called
out.

Kate saw her dad roll his eyes, but was
grateful he didn’t say anything. She walked over to Drew and
planted a kiss on his cheek. “So glad you’re here.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said as he kissed her
back.

* * * *

The prom theme was “Today was a Fairy Tale.”
Sparkling silver trees covered with pale blue, lavender and white
balloons gave the rental hall a magical feel. A glittering castle
shone against a backdrop of a waterfall along the back wall. Large,
white puffy clouds and whimsical lanterns hung from the ceiling.
Lanterns also dotted the way along silver paths to the photographer
and refreshments.

“This is wonderful, Jordyn.” Kate knew she
spent hours creating the fairy tale environment.

“I thought of you when we picked the theme.
You always loved fairy tales when we were little. I thought you
believed they were real.”

If only you knew
. Kate could only
smile as she remembered thinking her first trip to the Grand Canyon
was just a dream, like a fairy tale, but it turned into something
real.

The couples found a table and settled in for
the evening. The DJ played all the right music and took requests.
By the end of the night, everyone was ready for some slow dancing.
It was a great ending for the friends.

“I can’t believe Tyson’s behaving himself,”
Lindsey said to Kate on the way to the ladies’ room. “He’s danced
with Erin most of the night, asking each one of us for one dance.
I’m starting to think he’s over you.”

“Please, let’s hope so. How long has it been
since I broke things off? Almost two years?” Kate put on some lip
gloss and touched up her mascara as they settled in front of a
mirror in the restroom. “Hey, you don’t have to wait for me, Linds.
Go back to the table.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Kate dug in her purse
for her blush. She looked at all the girls lined up at the mirror,
enjoying the scene.

As she came out the door, Kate spotted Tyson
in a quiet sitting area to the side of the ladies’ room. “Ty? Are
you alright?” He sat with his head in his hands, like he was
thinking.

“Katie! Didn’t see you.” He popped up and
walked toward her. “Can we talk?”

“Sure.”

He led her back over to the seating area.
“I...I...don’t know how to put this.” In an instant, he was
passionately kissing her.

Kate’s head spun from the shock of it. She
felt Tyson’s arms slip around her, pulling her close. It reminded
her of her dream, when he was kissing her. For a second, she kissed
him back almost like a reflex. Coming to her senses, like in the
dream, Kate pushed him away. He wasn’t Drew. This was Tyson being
Tyson.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Tears
filled her eyes as she struggled for control.

“Showing how much I love you. I’ll never get
another chance before we go our separate ways.” He stepped toward
her, and Kate took another step back.

“No! Don’t start this again. I thought we had
things settled. We’re friends.”

“Yes, we’re friends.” Ty wrapped her in a
bear hug and kissed the top of her head. “Friends...for now. One
day, you’ll come to your senses.”

He let her go and headed back to the dance.
She stood motionless, trying to regain her composure. The last few
months had been just a scam so he could lure her into his trap.
Kate hoped she wouldn’t always be that naïve.

As she made her way back to the ballroom,
Kate decided she would keep what happened to herself. It would just
cause friction in the group, and tonight wasn’t about that. Kate
noticed Tyson dancing with Erin when she arrived at the table.

“Good, you’re back.” Drew took her hand.
“Dance?”

“I’d like to go home.”

“We still have a half hour. Don’t you want to
stay?”

Kate struggled with the answer but knew it
would seem odd if they left early. “You’re right. What was I
thinking? I’m just a little tired.”

“Then we’ll sit here and enjoy the music.”
Drew kissed her hand as his eyes met hers. “Is there something
wrong? I see it in your eyes.” Kate shook her head. “Kate.” Drew
stood up. “Tyson did something, didn’t he?”

“Tyson always does something, doesn’t he?”
She tried to laugh it off like she was making a joke.

“If he did...”

“Drew, no. He didn’t.” Kate turned her head
and felt the tears welling in her eyes again. She couldn’t tell him
that the real Tyson emerged tonight, and she had no idea what he
would do next.

Chapter
Three

Senior year seemed to fly by, and Kate had no
idea where the days went. She stood at her bedroom window, gazing
out at the backyard on a sunny June day. The lilacs, a reminder of
Drew’s mother and their wedding, were in full bloom, proudly
showing off their dark purple and lavender colors. The pool was
open in time for her graduation party, its waters sparkling in the
morning sun. Hard to believe she and her friends recently
graduated, and their June parties started.

Her family and Drew were invited to Tyson’s
party and attended with no problems. It was like nothing ever
happened between the families. Kate was determined to make it work
and raise no suspicions. Her plan was to get through the summer and
finally put some distance between Tyson and her. Strangely enough,
Ty went back to friend mode after the dance, never referencing
their conversation or kiss.

Tyson’s mom, Mrs. Gray, went a little
overboard making them feel welcome at his party, but other than
that, Kate felt comfortable at their house. It was such a familiar
place, a place where she grew up. She knew where the remotes were
and what cupboard contained the snacks. The couch in the family
room was still the same, a little worn from all the jumping they
were allowed to do when they were younger.

Mrs. Gray was very tolerant of bad behavior
and most of the time let Tyson have his way. He was an only child,
too, and sometimes Kate was jealous of how he got to do anything he
wanted. He never wanted for toys or money and always wore the
latest fashion. Maybe that’s what helped him land his summer job as
a model. He always knew what was popular and in style plus he was
tall, blonde and good-looking.

Kate turned away from the window and decided
to get ready for her party—actually hers and Drew’s. They decided
to have a combination party because they knew the same people. Kate
went over the guest list in her head. Lindsey, Jordyn and their
families, the Grays and her mom’s family, Drew’s football friends
and her group of friends who had stuck together since elementary
school were all coming. Most important were Maya Johnson and her
son, Carl Jr. They lived next door and were like family. They were
time travelers, too.

Maya, the original traveler from the present,
was the keeper of the set of books. She had them locked safely away
in her home. Drew and Kate kept theirs on the nightstands, right
next to their beds, ready and waiting for the next adventure.
Drew’s was at the Roberts’ house since he spent most of his time
there. The guest bedroom was really Drew’s room. Kate headed for
that room now, needing to be near him for some reason. She opened
the drawer of one of the dressers and pulled out a shirt, raising
it to her face. She took in his essence, faintly smelling him on
the shirt.

“You could smell the real thing, you
know.”

Kate jumped, startled by the interruption.
“Drew, you scared me!” She playfully punched his chest and then
melted into him. “I was missing you, and...” No, need to tell him
about her Tyson concerns on their special day.

“You decided to smell my shirt,” Drew teased.
“Now let me smell you.” He snuggled against her neck, softly
kissing it.