The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (37 page)

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“I would,” Sasha disagreed. “Troll letting you come with me is almost as good as him bringing you home to meet his family and about as close as he can get to that on Jarved Nine.”

Lia shook her head. “We just met.”

“It happens that way sometimes. I knew the first instant I saw Flare that he was going to be important to me. We hit a few obstacles along the way, but we’re together twenty years later.” Before Lia could comment, Sasha said, “There’s an open table.”

The doctor waited until they were seated to begin quizzing her, but it was done with such good-natured interest that Lia found herself sharing more than she intended. The colonel-from-hell could learn a thing or two from this woman, she decided, but she liked her. Some of Lia’s answers were odd, she knew it from the confusion she’d see cross Sasha’s face from time to time, but the psychologist didn’t look at her like she was off-centre and she liked the easy acceptance.

What was taking Troll so long? Lia swivelled in her seat and studied the line until she spotted him. He’d nearly made it to the food. She turned back in time to see Sasha’s smile. “It doesn’t mean anything,” Lia blurted.

“No? I don’t think you realize how many times you’ve glanced over to check where Troll is, or how your tension level has risen the longer you’ve been separated from him. Like it or not, you’ve developed a bond with him.”

Lia opened her mouth to explain again that she’d just met the man, but it had gotten her nowhere with Sasha earlier and Lia doubted repeating it would make any difference. The doctor had her mind made up. With a silent sigh, Lia let it go. What did it matter anyway?

She didn’t believe in love at first sight, and no matter what this woman thought, Lia hadn’t fallen for a blue-eyed stranger with a sexy smile. Destiny be damned.

Troll held Lia’s hand again as they meandered slowly through the city. Dusk was settling, but it wasn’t dark enough yet for the lights to come on. He felt a pang of guilt over having fun today while his team was searching for a spaceship that didn’t exist, but it wasn’t like he could tell the Colonel anything, not without getting into explanations he’d rather not make about things Sullivan would never believe.

The drawing of Lia was tucked safely inside his wallet, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. From the moment Gram had given it to him, Troll had known this day would come. No psychic was ever accurate all the time – free will caused things to change frequently – but it hadn’t mattered. He’d simply known.

Maybe that was why he’d played so free and loose with women when he’d been younger. No point getting attached to one when Lia would arrive someday.

Despite this, he’d still needed a good ten minutes after seeing her this afternoon to corral the fear. He’d walked away from the infirmary and paced until his hands had stopped shaking and his breathing had slowed to normal.

Free will. He had it, too. Just because Gram had said the woman in the drawing was The One, it didn’t mean he had to go along with that. If he wanted, he could do his job and walk away at the end of it without a problem. Troll had long ago mastered the art of remaining disengaged on any meaningful level.

And then he’d touched Lia’s hand.

As easily as that, the apprehension had evaporated as if it had never existed and he’d seen the future. One
possible
future. He and Lia had been playing together, laughing, and he’d felt the depth of the emotion between them. It had decided things for him and brought up a new concern – could he convince her to give it a chance and see where things went between them?

“You’re awfully quiet,” Lia said.

“Sorry. I was thinking about how much I’ve enjoyed spending the day with you. My teammates are going to give me shit for pulling this duty while they’re roughing it outside the city walls.”

“Why would they do that? It wasn’t your decision.”

Troll grinned. “Because I plan to rub their noses in it. If they didn’t give it right back to me, I’d be worried.”

Her laugh travelled through his body and left his cells buzzing. He hardly knew her, not really, and even if she was The One like Gram said, like his own vision seconded, it didn’t mean they were meant to be together in this life. The idea made him want to learn everything he could about her just in case this was all he had.

“If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?” Troll asked, picking one of the dozen questions jumping in his mind. “I mean, in whatever time you’re in or whatever world you’re on.”

“You want to know my big dream, huh?”

“I want to know
all
your dreams.”

Silence. He could sense her reluctance and decided it would help if he went first. “You know what I’ve always wanted to do? Buy a sailboat and travel around the world, go from place to place and stay as long as I like. Maybe dock her and head inland when the urge struck. It’ll never happen, though.”

Lia looked at him. “Why not?”

“The war for one. Even after it ends, it won’t be safe. There are mines, old hatreds,” he explained when she appeared confused. “Bunch of other issues. Money is another factor. Boats aren’t cheap, not ocean-going vessels – and supporting myself while I sailed?” Troll shook his head. “The logistics aren’t workable, not for a man earning army pay.”

“But if you really wanted to . . .” She trailed off.

“Maybe that’s it. I don’t want it badly enough.” He shrugged. “Definitely not badly enough to leave Spec Ops.”

They walked without speaking for a few minutes before Lia asked, “Have you considered that Special Ops is your dream?”

That stopped him in his tracks and Troll thought about it. After a few moments, he nodded slowly. “You could be right. It’s never been something I sat and thought a lot about, though, not like the boat.”

“The boat’s your fantasy, a way to leave behind the stress of life for a little while. Fantasies and dreams are different.”

She said that with such authority that Troll smiled. “So your fantasies about climbing on top of me and having your wicked way are different than your dreams?”

Even in the fading light, he could see the blush stain her cheeks. “You can’t know – I never said –” When his grin grew bigger, her eyes narrowed and she groaned. “Damn, you were fishing . . .”

Troll released her hand and put his arm around her shoulders instead. “Yep. So now that you probably can’t get much more embarrassed, why don’t you share your dream?”

“You’re more diabolical than I thought.”

“I prefer to think of it as ingenious.” He kissed the top of her head, steered her towards a nearby park, and sprawled beside her on a bench. They had a view of the city from here, including the pyramid, but the thing was so flipping huge that it was hard to avoid it. She still didn’t say anything, but Lia snuggled into his side and Troll enjoyed the warm weight of her against him as he waited for her to talk.

Lights were illuminating the buildings when she finally spoke. “You’re patient, aren’t you?” Lia didn’t pause for an answer before continuing, “I want to be a writer, OK? Not for company newsletters or employee magazines, I mean stories. Fiction.”

She tensed slightly as if bracing herself for his reaction and it made him wonder if in the past others had scoffed when she’d found the courage to share her dream with them. “Yeah? Cool. I’ll read for you if you want.”

“What?”

The disbelief in her voice stung, but Troll pushed it aside. He couldn’t blame her since she hardly knew him. “I know, you’re thinking a guy like me won’t be much help, but while school wasn’t my thing, I’ve always loved to read.”

“I wasn’t—” Lia sat up and stared at him. “People discount you because you’re so good-looking, don’t they? That’s what you thought I was doing
.
”

Troll shrugged.

“Idiot.” She scowled. “I’ve been with you all day and you snagged me on the sexual fantasy thing. I’d have to be stupid to miss how sharp you are.”

His lips twitched. She’d just called him an idiot and then turned right around and said she knew he was smart. “ Why’d you question my offer then?”

“Because usually when I mention I want to write novels, I get laughed at, or humoured, or stared at in disbelief, or my favourite response – ‘You weren’t good enough to get a real job in journalism, but you think you can write a whole story?’ Oh, wait, then there are the practical people who tell me nobody reads any more and maybe I should try writing a movie or video game script, but that isn’t what I want to do. No one has ever offered their help before.”

The hurt lifted and Troll could breathe again. “Well, you got it if you want it. You ever think of writing science fiction? ’Cos I gotta tell you, falling through a wormhole and winding up in the future would make a great story.”

With a smile, Lia settled against him again. “It’ll never sell,” she told him. “And how could I write a book where the heroine returns home again while I’m trapped?”

Troll felt his gut clench, but he kept his muscles loose. They’d been playing, but her comment reminded him that he hadn’t won her yet. He tried to come up with more positives about this time. “Sasha likes you.”

“You can’t know that,” Lia argued.

“Yes, I can. She gave me a thumbs-up sign when she walked behind you.”

“She didn’t.”

She sounded both hopeful and horrified and Troll found himself smiling again. Lia made him happy. It was scary when he thought about it too long, but, hey, he’d been anxious before and taken action. “She did. You’re already making friends.”

Stiffening again, she moved far enough away to break his hold. “Why do you keep trying to sell me on how great it is to be stuck here?”

No guts, no glory, Troll thought and plunged in. “New Orleans, 2002.”

She stared at him blankly.

“You saw Madam Genevieve in a shop not too far from Jackson Square and had a reading done.”

A furrow formed between her brows and Troll watched Lia search her memory. He was aware of the instant it came back to her. “How the hell do you know that?”

“She’s my grandmother.”

“Why would she talk about me so many years after I saw her? It’s not like I ever went back and I can’t imagine she told you about all the tourists she did readings for.”

“She didn’t. Only you.” Troll reached for his wallet, took out the drawing, and unfolded it. For a moment he hesitated, worried about how she’d react, but he passed it to Lia anyway. “She gave me this when I was eighteen and said you were my destiny. Gram told me you asked her about your soulmate. Do you remember what she said to you?”

Her confusion was brief. “That I’d meet him . . . in the future.” Lia looked stunned. “But she couldn’t know – could she?”

Troll shrugged. “Maybe. Gram is eerie with what she can see, but she didn’t specifically mention time travel to me when we talked.”

She glanced briefly at the drawing and then back at him. “This scares me. Why are you taking it so calmly?”

“I’m not. I’m probably as edgy about this as you are, but I’m not willing to let that stand in my way, not when I’ve spent years wondering how we’d find each other. Let’s throw the dice and discover what we could have.”

Staring into his eyes, she studied him for a moment. Troll remained quiet, giving her time to consider things. “Here,” she said at last and handed him the sketch.

He waited for her to say more, but she didn’t and he put the drawing away. Growing up with his grandmother, Troll was used to the psychic stuff, but most people weren’t and it left them uneasy or sceptical, or both. But he’d thought Lia would be different – she felt the pull between them every bit as strongly as he did, he knew it.

Fear. He sighed. She didn’t have his training and experience, so he’d give her time and let her grow accustomed to the idea of the two of them. It wasn’t as if she was going anywhere.

Lia pursed her lips and Troll found his attention drifting. Damn, he wanted his mouth on hers again when he didn’t have to consider where they were or who might stumble on them. Maybe they should head back to his quarters. They’d have privacy there and he wouldn’t have to worry how far things escalated. He had a feeling they’d both lose control fast.

Her gasp yanked him back to the here and now.

For a split second, he thought she’d read his mind about taking her to bed, then Troll realized she was staring into the city. He turned to see what had her alarmed. No one was coming towards them. “What?” he demanded.

“The wormhole.” She pointed to the top of the pyramid. “It’s back. It’s back!”

And before he could react, Lia took off running.

Lia wasn’t surprised when Troll caught up with her, but she ignored him. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. What he’d said in the park echoed through her mind.
Let’s discover what we could have.
It was tempting, but she hadn’t opened the vortex and this might be her only opportunity to go home. How could she throw it away on a possibility? On a hope?

She didn’t know where she was going, but she zigzagged through the streets, keeping her gaze locked on the pyramid. Maybe it wasn’t the most direct route, but the wormhole was still glowing when she reached the base.

Troll took her hand, stopping her as she began to climb. Before she could pull free, he said, “There’s a faster way.”