Stealing Time (9 page)

“Kate, your dad wants to speak with us...at
Anna’s.” Drew shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know what it
was about.

“Uh-oh, you’re in trouble now.” Lindsey threw
the pillow once more.

Kate, still in her pajamas, could tell this
was important. Anna and her dad were in the sitting room when they
arrived. Her mom...nowhere to be seen.

“Dad, what’s up?” Kate plopped on the floor,
and Drew dropped down next to her.

“Now don’t get mad, Pumpkin, but yesterday
when you and Lindsey were sequestered we all had time to talk
and...”

“For gosh sake’s, Jackson, spit it out,” Anna
interrupted.

Drew took Kate’s chin in his hand and turned
her face gently toward him. “For the good of the family, we’re not
going to school in Arizona. We’ll live at home and go to Oberlin.
Your mother’s already on-line, downloading the paperwork for us to
fill out on the plane. She’ll help us get accepted and registered
for fall semester.”

Silence filled the room as everyone waited
for Kate’s response. Every nerve in her body tingled like she was
on fire. Her head pounded. She wanted to scream out in a primal
yell, yet she felt no tears, only anger. “Are you that controlling,
Dad?” she asked in a chilled voice.

“No, honey, it’s not about that at all.” He
rubbed his face like he always did when he was upset. “It’s more
about protection, keeping the family safe.”

Kate could feel her chin quivering but
refused to cry. “And you agree with this, Drew?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why do our plans have to change? We
planned for a year to come to Arizona and go to school. I’d be
closer to Anna and could visit anytime I wanted to.”

“Baby, listen to me. I want to go to school
here, too, but it makes sense. Jack said I could move in. I’m
practically living with you guys already. The guest room’s
officially called Drew’s room now.” He smiled at her. “The
Campbells deserve a break from me, don’t you agree?”

Having Drew move in would soften the blow,
but Kate was still confused. She looked at Anna, hoping to have an
ally. She sat calmly, not making a fuss or defending Kate’s rights.
“Anna?”

“Andrew and Jackson agreed we can meet at the
boardinghouse, any time we want, if the first visit goes well. I
can live with that.” Anna nodded at Kate as if she should agree,
too.

“Those two things help a lot. But again, no
one answered why?”

“Haven’t you figured it out?” Drew looked at
her as if she already knew.

Kate dropped her head, staring at her hands.
“Tyson.” She said his name so softly she wondered if anyone
heard.

“Exactly, we can’t do this long distance with
your dad and Carl. We may need to strategize and be available at a
moment’s notice. We’re not giving up on getting the book back.”

“It makes sense, I suppose.” Kate looked
around. “Where’s Carl? I thought he was part of these
meetings.”

“I already talked to him after he explained
about the breakfast he was hosting today,” her father answered.

“Well, I guess that’s more important. I
better go break the news to Lindsey. She’s the one who loses the
most in this deal.” Kate left the room quickly, not looking at
anyone and ran up the stairs.

“Lindsey!” she called out as she flew into
the bedroom they were sharing.

Lindsey stepped out of the bathroom,
straightener in hand. “What are you screaming about?”

“Come here. I need to tell you something.”
Kate sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll get straight to the point.
Drew and I aren’t going to school out here. We’re staying home and
going to Oberlin.”

Lindsey sank into the bed and covered her
face as if she was about to cry. “Why?”

“I asked the same thing. I think you know
why...just like I do.”

“Dammit! It’s Tyson, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Once again, he ruins things. We were
supposed to be stupid college freshmen together, doing all those
things stupid freshmen do!” Lindsey threw her body back on the
mattress.

“I know.” Kate felt badly but was glad she
and Lindsey decided not to room together. They wanted to make
friends and knew they needed to split up. “At least you have
Charlie and this place. Arizona’s so you. You want to steal that
plot of land from your mom and build on it. One day you, Abby and
maybe Charlie will live there. I want you to have your dream, so
don’t give it up.” Kate crawled up on the bed next to her, and the
two girls began to sob.

“You’re my best friend,” Lindsey said through
her tears.

“And you’re mine...next to Anna.” Kate sobbed
and laughed at the same time.

The girls clung to each other as if this was
the last time they’d ever see each other. Kate knew things would be
different from now on. “We’ll always have high school...”

“That sounds like a line from some old
movie,” Lindsey sniffed.

“I think it is...” Kate nodded solemnly.

“Except it’s ‘we’ll always have Paris’...not
high school.” Lindsey’s voice was wistful. “Now do I have to go to
the airport and send you on your way, too?”

“If she doesn’t get dressed, we’re not going
to make it.” Drew stuck his head in the door. “You two look like
you just watched six sad movies in a row.”

“Only one.” Lindsey held up her finger. “This
one is the saddest of all.” She pointed to herself and then to
Kate.

Kate reluctantly got up and began packing.
She dashed into the bathroom to throw on some clothes. “Ready,” she
said more to herself than anyone else in the room.

Drew took her luggage and disappeared down
the stairs. Kate and Lindsey were alone again.

“Good-bye, roomie. Wish us luck.” Kate didn’t
want to cry anymore. There was nothing she could do about the
situation except live it the best she could. “I’ll miss you.”

Lindsey stood stoically, watching her friend
go out the door. “I wish I could be two places at once. Can I steal
a book and meet you at the canyon? We could spend some time there
because when we start school, there won’t be enough time left for
us at the end of the day. Better yet, let’s have that old book take
us back a few weeks so we can catch Tyson in the act.”

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could steal
time?” Kate asked as she walked out to the waiting car and back to
her life in Ohio.

Chapter
Six

Kate settled into a routine after the return
home. She helped Drew pack his things at the Campbell house and
stack the boxes in the Roberts’ garage. She found it hard to
believe he accumulated so much in the short time he had lived in
the present.

While Drew and her dad were on their annual
summer trip to New York City, Kate brought a box a day into the
house and rummaged through it, sorting Drew’s things into piles.
She didn’t put anything away. He needed to do that himself. She
just wanted to stay busy and keep him close to her.

After they returned, Kate waited in
anticipation for the day she could return to the canyon. She had
promised Anna they could meet on Kate’s second day there.

“I’m so nervous and excited, Kathryn.” Anna
told her over the phone. “We need a code word so you know it’s
me.”

“Good idea. You pick. Make it something only
a few of us will know.”

“How about if we use my great-granddaughter’s
name? Lindsey Campbell.”

“That’s good. I’ll let the others know. And
Anna? I hope this works out. I really need you in my life right
now.”

“I’m only a phone call away, love.” Anna
sounded like a caring grandmother, but Kate would never tell her
that.

Her mother wasn’t thrilled with the idea of
Kate returning to the canyon this summer. Last December was
particularly stressful for her. She thought she was losing her
whole family and might forget they ever existed.

“Mom?” Kate found her in the kitchen. “Anna
and I have a password. You need to know it, too.”

“Are you still intent on going back?” Her mom
stared at her with concern in her eyes. “I’m starting to hate that
place. I feel like we’ve opened a can of worms.”

“How can you say that? If you hadn’t met Dad,
you wouldn’t have me.” Kate was a little insulted.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I need an
adjustment period. I’ll be ready to go in time for your
wedding.”

Getting married again made Kate tingle with
excitement. Last year she was filled with nerves, but this ceremony
would be like renewing their vows on their first anniversary. She
knew what to expect and could enjoy the day, tucking away more
memories. She had met Drew’s parents at the first wedding plus her
Grandmother Lilly, her dad’s mother. Kate would see them all again
and planned to keep everything the same. They found out the hard
way what could happen when Carl went off script—history could
change. Kate liked to believe if it did occur, it was supposed to
happen.

She also discovered people living at the
canyon had memories from the very first time she was there. Last
year she didn’t arrive until the second day, but everyone knew
her.

Maya, Carl, her father—all of them—still
didn’t know the power of the books or all its secrets. That’s why
it was so important to get the book back from Tyson. No telling
what he could do to their canyon history.

“
I take it you’re leaving tonight,
Kate?” Her dad overheard their conversation as he entered the
kitchen. “I’ll be at the canyon if you need me.”

“I didn’t need you the first time I was
there.” She didn’t mean to be short with her father but felt like
he was still controlling her life.

“You’re absolutely right,” He held his hands
up in the air. “Just saying...”

“Sorry, I’m a little nervous about Anna. You
do need to be available the day she arrives. Stick around the
boardinghouse. I’ll invite you for breakfast.”

“Okay, it’s a deal. Maya’s prepared, too. I
don’t know if I can keep Carl away, but I’m working on it. One
problem at a time. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Drew came in from the garage carrying another
box. “Well, I’m ready for tonight. Let’s keep it simple. Kate does
her first day routine. We all meet back here tomorrow and phone
conference with Anna.”

“I’m going to be on my best behavior.” Kate
wanted everyone to feel confident, hoping that reassured them. The
canyon was her favorite place on earth, and no one could stop her
from going back.

* * * *

All went well the first day at the canyon.
Maya woke Kate and told her to get ready for work. The only
difference was Kate knew she was Maya, not Mrs. Johansson. Maya
smiled and reminded her to call her Mrs. Johansson like always.
Kate met the girls—Lucinda, Anna and Ruthie. They drove in Mr.
Johansson’s 1925 Buick to work. The girls barely talked to her.
Everything took place just like it should.

When Kate got to work she appeared helpless
although she knew what to do. Anna was assigned to train her which
was the beginning of their friendship. Kate couldn’t wait until she
was told to gather some eggs because that was the moment she met
Drew. She wondered if he’d be leaning on the back of El Tovar like
the first time she came out of the henhouse.

When the time came, she dashed out the
kitchen door, running to the fence. She had become adept at
climbing over it but took her time, just in case first day jitters
set in. As she entered the henhouse, she eyed all the hens sitting
on their nests. She knew which one would give her trouble. Right on
cue, Darth Vader, as Kate had come to call her, started to peck at
her hand. Kate just laughed and avoided the blow. “Oh, Darth, if
only you knew this wasn’t the first time we’ve met!”

She walked toward the door, and as she opened
it, Drew was standing there. He took the egg basket from her hands.
“Drew! This isn’t how it was supposed to be.”

“I didn’t want to watch you fall over the
fence like before.” Drew kissed her quickly as they walked toward
the fence where he gallantly helped her over. Kate was a little
disappointed but knew it wouldn’t alter history in any way.

* * * *

Once Kate was back home in Ohio, the family
gathered around the dining room table with Drew and Carl for the
phone conference with Anna. After hearing all the updates from the
ranch they started discussing the plan.

“Anna.” Kate’s dad took the lead. “If you
wake up in the same room with your younger self, we could have a
problem. Hopefully, you’ll be upstairs with Andrew and me. We never
did this before so we’ll take it one step at a time. Kate plans on
going to young Anna’s room after she wakes.

“Remember, leave your book on a table or
nightstand next to your bed and wait for dusk, or it won’t work.
Then start reading the book and when you grow tired, place the book
back on the table. You’ll return the next day, and no one will know
you were gone.”

“Except if anyone checks on you in the night.
Do they, Anna?” Kate remembered when she had her concussion her
parents kept checking her.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Great, then I’ll see you later...actually
tomorrow morning.” Kate looked around the table at everyone. “So we
all know our assignments. If there’s an old Anna and a young one,
our job is to make sure old Anna gets to see everything she wants,
keep her hidden throughout the day and then get her safely back to
Arizona. Agreed?” These were the people Kate trusted most in her
life. They nodded in agreement. “And Carl, you promise to stay away
tonight? You can come back tomorrow.”

“Yes, I promise. I’m going to have a long
video chat with Renae. She enjoyed seeing Drew and your dad in New
York by the way. I heard they went to dinner.”

“We certainly did. It was an enjoyable time,”
Kate’s dad answered. “That girl’s a keeper.”

“Well, it’s getting late, and I have things
to do.” Kate rose from her chair. “Good night, everyone. Coming,
Drew?”