s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

wedding ring.
Instinctively, she knew. This was it! This was what they d been searching for. Her
wedding band. Without looking, she knew what the inscription on the inside said.
Dance with Me. Her hands shook as she fingered the warm metal. Holding it up, it
glistened in the sunlight and she confirmed the inscription. Her heart ached, the pain
would be unbearable but if memories were all she could have of Stanley and their life
before then that s what she would take.
She closed her eyes and slipped the ring onto her finger.
Sensations, memories, emotions bombarded her. A lifetime of thoughts joyous,
wonderful, heartbreaking, sad flooded through her. Wild flashes of light exploded
behind her eyelids. Thunder filled her ears. She gasped and clung to the counter.
The oddest feeling overtook her. She had two distinct sets of memories one as a St.
Augustine shopkeeper in the early twenty-first century and another as a society lady in
88
Waltz Me Through Time
the early twentieth century. The first set began where the second set ended. When she
thought she could move without throwing up Juliana Douglas Caldwell opened her
eyes.
She shifted her gaze from right to left. Nothing had changed in the shop. The
electronic register remained on the counter. The display cases held antiques and vintage
items. She still wore the wrinkled dress and dainty shawl.
The only thing different was her.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a blur. It streaked by her and was gone
before she turned her head. Excitement bubbled up within, spreading like electricity
through her veins.
The blur whirled by her again and began to take form as it spun through the
display counters and tables. Another clap of thunder and a blinding light filled the
shop. She held her breath as a wondrous joy washed over her. Giddy with anticipation,
she clasped her hands together as the form, dressed in a tuxedo with tails, stopped in
front of her.  Stanley!
She rushed into his arms, almost toppling him over. He caught her around the
waist and held her to him.
 Now that s the sort of greeting I like. He leaned back, his dark eyes examining
her. After a moment a wide smile spread across his face. He picked her up and twirled
her around. Her arms circled his neck and she brought her lips to his. As he deepened
the kiss he set her on her feet and ravaged her mouth. She clung to him, silently vowing
never to let him go.
His eyes twinkled when he broke the kiss and searched her face. The cleft in his
chin deepened.  What did it? What made you remember?
She held up her left hand, allowing the wedding ring to glisten in the sunlight.  It
was in the trunk, in a small box buried under all those things. At first I thought it was
the earrings. I had one. I mean, here in this time, I had one, and there was one in the box
89
Eileen Ann Brennan
but and then it didn t work and then wait a minute. How did you find me? The
trunk is gone.
 Gone? His expression changed from loving delight to the familiar thunderclouds.
 That man from yesterday. He got in the shop and stole it. Well he paid me for it
but I didn t sell it to him. He got in and took it. Oh Stanley, I thought I d never see you
again. It was horrible. Here I go and fall in love with you and then discover I ll never
see you again. She buried her face in the crook of his neck.  Oh how I love you. The
wild thumping of his pulse as he held her to him reassured her he had truly returned.
 It seems that it was not the trunk that called me to find you when it was opened.
He tilted her chin up to look at him. In the depths of his eyes, she saw hunger. She saw
lust. But most of all, she saw love.  No, it wasn t the trunk, my darling. It was the ring
that called me.
 I don t understand. If it wasn t the trunk, where were you? I ve been miserable for
hours, thinking I d never see you again. All that time spent weeping over her lost
future or was it her lost past?
 Stanley Caldwell, where the hell have you been? She would have stomped her
foot but it seemed a bit melodramatic.
He leaned down and brushed his lips to hers.  My love, time travel is not exactly a
science. It appears my timing is a bit off. I thought I would return to find you sound
asleep. In fact, I had planned to join you in bed to show you how much I missed you.
Her insides quivered then she remembered why he d left.
 Did you find your brother? What did he say?
A wicked grin spread across his lips before his mouth found hers with a searing
kiss. That s what it was, his branding kiss.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted his lips from hers, leaving her wanting more.
 Whatever his advice was, it doesn t matter now. Are you ready, Mrs. Caldwell?
She didn t pretend to misunderstand. This was it.  We can t stay here?
90
Waltz Me Through Time
He shook his head.  We don t belong here.
 What will happen to all this? She waved her hand.  What will happen to Second
Hand Rose?
 It will become a memory that eventually will fade. People will remember a quaint
shop somewhere in St. Augustine that had a lovely proprietress who sold antique [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]