Stealing Time (6 page)

“Hasn’t it always been...an argument?” Kate
was miffed.

“I love you.”

“And I love you.” Kate knew she’d get nowhere
with the conversation and decided to let it drop. She turned her
attention to Lindsey. “Anna wanted me to bring the book. Has she
said anything about it?”

“No, she hasn’t. That’s a strange request.
Maybe she just wants to see it.”

“I thought that, too. But I think there’s
more to it. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“Does she know Tyson stole a book?” Lindsey
made a face when she said his name, and the two friends cracked up.
“It’s not that funny!” Lindsey snorted which made them laugh
harder.

“Yes, it is.” Kate could hardly breathe.
“Anna knows, and she thinks it could turn into a huge problem if we
don’t do something.”

“I won’t be home this summer to help break
into his house,” Lindsey mood changed as she stuck out her lower
lip.

“You’re never home any summer, Linds.” Kate
started to laugh again. “Anyway, you’ll be busy with your summer
fling, Charlie, and your puppy. I can’t wait to see how much Abby’s
grown.”

“Charlie sends me daily updates and let’s me
talk to her on the phone. I know I’m strange.” Lindsey put her head
on Kate’s shoulder. “I could stay there and never come home, you
know.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.”

The plane began to descend, ready to land in
Phoenix where the families would change planes and continue on to
Flagstaff. The whole Jenkins clan would be there to meet them.
They’d drive in the usual caravan of trucks and SUVs back to the
ranch, giving Kate an old comfortable feeling.

As the families maneuvered their way to
baggage claim, she slipped her hand in Drew’s. “Excited?”

“You know I love coming here. We have a whole
week to do what we want. Horseback riding when we get there?”

“After we see Anna.”

“Of course, that’s a given.” Drew smiled and
pulled Kate closer. “Are all the secrets out now? No one’s keeping
any, right?”

Did he sense something? Did he know she had
the book? “Well, there’s just a little one. Anna wanted to see the
book.”

“You brought it?”

“Yep, can’t deny my girlfriend.”

“Well, let’s keep track of it. I’m a little
nervous about books falling into the wrong hands after what just
happened. Could you see Megan ending up at the canyon?”

Kate giggled. Megan was her eleven-year-old
cousin and interested in everything. She always had a million
questions for Kate when she arrived at the ranch. “Megan would love
it. She lives out here. But if for some reason it happened, we
could convince her it was a dream...for now.”

She heard shouting and knew they arrived at
the right baggage terminal. Aunt Sue was waving and jumping up and
down. Charlie ran straight for Lindsey.

“Abby’s in the car,” Charlie told her, and
the two ran off to the parking garage ahead of everyone else.

“Katie!” Megan squealed as she skipped up to
her. “Mommy, I’m riding with Katie...oh, and you, too, Drew.” She
gave him a quick hug.

There were hugs all around. Uncle Steve and
his wife, Uncle Scott and family plus Aunt Sue and Grandpa Dan were
all part of the entourage. Sue, Scott and Steve were Lindsey’s aunt
and uncles—brothers and sister to her mom, Beth. They were cousins
to Kate because her third cousin, Amy, married Grandpa Dan.
Confusing to explain, but they understood the family bond quite
well.

“Grandma J said to put the pedal to the metal
on the drive home. She’s anxious to see you.” Aunt Sue put her arm
around Kate. “I can’t believe you and Lindsey are eighteen! Anna
insisted on being in charge of your birthday again so I have no
idea what’s going on. I’m just following orders. Last year, it was
a cowboy party. I can’t get her to tell this year’s theme for the
life of me!”

Kate jumped in the back of Aunt Sue’s SUV
with Drew and Megan. Brandon slid in front with his mother. No one
ever talked about Aunt Sue’s husband or what happened to him. Kate
didn’t know if they were divorced or if he passed away. She always
thought it was best not to ask.

“So what do you want for your birthday?”
Megan asked Kate. “What kind of cake? I’m helping Grandma J this
year. I’m supposed to write down all the details.”

“I want all my family to be at the party, and
I like marble cake.” Kate touched the tip of Megan’s nose with her
finger. “How’s that?”

“That’s not a present.” Megan shook her head.
“The family already plans on being there.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it. Do you know the
theme by any chance?” Kate thought she’d help Aunt Sue solve the
mystery.

“Yes, it’s going to be a Roaring Twenties
birthday party. Personally, I don’t get it.” Megan slowly shook her
head and shrugged.

Kate turned to Drew, and they smiled
knowingly. “Where’s she getting the clothes for us to wear?”

“Don’t worry. She’s been ordering on-line for
weeks.” Megan put her hand to her cheek, giving them an exasperated
look. Kate had to suppress a giggle.

“I did get a text to bring a suit.” Drew
leaned over to join the conversation.

“She ordered a bunch of straw hats for the
men to wear. That’s what they wore in the summer.” Kate could tell
Megan was enjoying the attention. “I already have my flapper
dress.”

Aunt Sue pulled into the driveway. “We’re
here! And completely informed on the birthday festivities!”

Kate waited impatiently for Megan to open the
door and slide out, finally slipping out next and running for the
door. “Anna!” she called as she ran through the house, heading for
the apartment.

Anna stood at her door, tears falling freely
down her face. “Kathryn, my Kathryn.” Anna held onto her tightly.
“Come in. How was your flight?”

“Fine. Now, how are you? Let me look at you.”
Kate sat down next to Anna on her loveseat. “You’re beautiful as
ever.”

Anna’s pure white hair was pulled back in the
style she wore while working at El Tovar—a simple bun at the nape
of her neck. Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement. “Did you
bring the book?”

“Of course.” Kate pulled it from her bag.

“Is it alright if I keep it?”

“That’s a strange request.” Drew stepped into
the room.

“Let her explain.” Kate took Anna’s hand.

“I want to go back, back to the
boardinghouse. I want to see everything one more time. I miss it.”
Anna wiped a tear from her eye.

“You’re already there. There can’t be two
Annas.” Drew sat down on the other side of her, taking her hand to
soften the blow he just delivered.

“We don’t know until I try. Right?”

Kate gave Drew a stern glance.

“No, we don’t. The worst that can happen is
there are two Annas of different ages. We’d have to keep them apart
for a day.”

“Then you agree? I can do it? I’ll wait and
go whenever you say. I know I won’t be able to return until July
with Kathryn. I could help with Tyson, too.” Anna seemed eager for
an answer.

“I can agree to one day as long as you wait
until Kate is there.” Drew raised his eyebrows at Kate. “Well?”

“Agreed.” She took Anna’s other hand.

Anna pulled them close and put her arms
around both of them. “You’re the two best friends a girl could ever
have. Now I have something special to show you. Drew, go find my
son and tell him it’s time—he’ll know what you mean—and Kathryn and
I will be right behind you.”

After Drew left, Anna turned to Kate. “It’s a
surprise for Drew. Help me up so we can join them.”

Instead, Kate stayed put. “First, I have to
ask you something. You don’t have to answer and can tell me it’s
none of my business, but what happened to Sue’s husband? The first
time I came for a visit, I thought she was married. It was my first
visit, and we were here for such a short time. But I remember a man
being here. No one ever mentions him.” There was a long pause. Kate
felt bad she broached the subject. “That’s alright. You don’t have
to answer.”

“No, there are no secrets between us. I’m
just thinking the best way to tell the story.”

“There’s a story?” Kate settled back, ready
to hear more of the family history.

“Sue was never married. The man you remember
from that visit was just a friend.”

“Brandon? Megan?”

“Same father. His nickname was ‘The Wild
Thing’.”

“Intriguing. Go on!”

“Well, Craig, his real name, was something of
a ladies’ man, if you know what I mean. I think he dated every girl
in his high school class. Sue was always smitten with him. After
she graduated from college they dated on and off for a number of
years, but he was a wanderer. Never liked to stay in one place too
long. Guess he felt the same way about women. Her father and my
Daniel were always inviting rancher’s sons over to distract her,
but it never worked. Then when she was twenty-eight she got
pregnant. We thought we’d be throwing a huge rancher’s wedding, but
instead Craig disappeared. He resurfaced about five years later,
all apologetic, hat in hand. Sue took him back. He was around for
two or three years until Megan was born. And we haven’t seen him
since.”

“Is he still alive?”

“We think so. The girls mention him once in
awhile. They know it’s a sore subject with most of us here at the
ranch.”

“The girls?”

“Retta and Lucy.”

Kate had to smile as she heard her third
cousins being called girls. They were far from girls, probably in
their eighties by now. They were her great-great Aunt Lucinda’s
daughters. “What do they have to do with this?”

“Oh, sorry, I left that part out. Remember
Trevor?”

“I believe Lucy or Retta told me their Uncle
Gilbert Hasting adopted Trevor when he was a young boy. He ran the
ranch for Lucinda after Gil passed. His family still lives at the
Circle H with them.”

“Craig is one of Trevor’s grandsons.”

“What?” Kate was surprised to learn another
Hasting had a life intertwined with the Jenkins side of her family.
She referred to the Hasting clan as the other side even though they
were all connected through her mother. Amy Hasting, Lucinda’s third
daughter, married Anna’s son, Dan Jenkins. That’s when the
connection began, and they all became cousins. Kate saw the two
families as an intricate design, woven carefully through time,
crossing paths intermittently.

“Lucinda called it a scandal and said the
families shouldn’t be procreating.”

“Tell me she didn’t say that!”

“I think she said things she didn’t mean,
Kathryn. She viewed it as another Hasting/Jenkins connection she’d
have to be a part of—something she always longed for herself. First
me and Daniel. Then my son and her daughter.”

“Daniel loved you, Anna. He never led her on.
Always remember that. That was Lucinda’s weakness. We all have
them. I remind myself of her wedding day. I picture her crumpled on
the stairs, so vulnerable when she saw you and Daniel
together...”

“Say no more. You’re right. That’s just the
way Lucinda was. Sue was her granddaughter, and Craig was family in
her mind. Trevor’s adoption didn’t matter to her. She loved him and
always thought of him as family. We all know it wasn’t inbreeding,
but it didn’t make Sue feel any better that her grandmother felt
that way. Craig Hasting was...is...her only true love. Oh, she’s
dated some and came close to marrying once but put the brakes on
before it went to that level.

“Sue’s been good to me and her father,
running the ranch and making a perfect home for the family. She has
a good life. Dan’s leaving the ranch to her. She’ll always have a
home.” Anna wiped a tear from her eye. “Watching her through the
years gave me a little insight on how Lucinda must’ve felt. Pining
away for someone she could never have.”

“Do Brandon and Megan know their father?”

“Only Brandon. When Craig returned Sue
thought things would be different and made sure Brandon had a
relationship with his father. He was five at the time and seven or
eight when Craig left.”

“And Megan?”

“She doesn’t know anything about her father
and never asks.”

“Wow! That’s quite a story. Thanks for
sharing. I think I better get you outside before the boys wonder
where we are.” Kate helped Anna up, waiting for instructions.

She guided Kate outside to the backyard and
headed toward the barn.

“Is it a horse named Canyon?” Kate guessed.
Canyon was Drew’s horse that waited for him back in 1927.

“No, we have plenty of horses here. Don’t
need one more,” Anna laughed.

They slowly made their way to the barn, and
upon arrival Kate saw the doors were wide open. The stables were to
the left, but Anna made a right hand turn. “In here,” she
pointed.

They entered another big room where there was
a large object covered by a tarp. Drew and Grandpa Dan waited
patiently beside it.

“A car?” Kate couldn’t figure out the
connection to Drew and the thing underneath the huge cover.

“Not just any car,” Anna waved her hand,
“Dan, show him.”

Dan grabbed the cloth and pulled.

“The Packard? Daniel’s car!” Drew shouted,
covering his face with his hands. “I can’t believe it.”

Kate winced as Drew ran his hand over the
hood. He gave away too much information and seemed too familiar
with the car. She hoped Grandpa Dan didn’t notice.

“Dad kept this car because it reminded him of
good times and friends. It helped him remember a good friend he
lost that year, a guy named Andrew. Right, Mom?” In all of the
excitement, Dan appeared not to have heard what Drew said.

“Yes, son.” Anna smiled.

“I used to help Dad work on this car. We’d
polish it up and take Mom for a spin whenever she wanted. Then I
moved away, and it fell into disrepair after Dad got sick. For some
reason, Drew, Mom wanted you to see the car. She thought you’d be
interested. None of the kids are.”