The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

to hide the shock he knew was creeping across his face, but if Erik could send him visions, he could probably read his mind, too. “Do they know?”

“No, and there is no reason they should.”

“Did ye rape their mothers?”

“No. I loved both of them, and I believe the women loved me as well. They were unable to have children with their husbands. As I was your proxy when I beheaded Sten, you will be mine in acting on my children’s behalf.”

Elliott held up his hands in surrender. “I refuse to behead anyone. But I will treat them as I treat my two sons.”

Erik nodded. “I trust you to do whatever is required, and that is all I can ask. I must go now. My work is not finished.”

“Where are ye going?”

“To watch over my children for as long as I can.”

“James Cullen went back to find Ensley.”

“He found her and left her with Mr. Roosevelt in the Badlands. They intended to meet later and travel to New York City.”

“Thank God she wasn’t with him.”

“If she had been, James Cullen would have revealed every secret he knew to save her life. And they both would still have been tortured and killed.”

Nausea crawled the walls of Elliott’s stomach again, but he clenched his teeth and strove for control. “That would have started a goddamn war.”

“Indeed.” Elliott could hear Erik’s effort to convey a level of reassurance, but his sadness and regrets were clearly audible.

“I’ve delayed too long.”

“I’ll never be able to thank ye.”

“Take care of my children, and that will be all the thanks I would ever want. Goodbye, my friend.”

Erik stepped off the porch and walked toward the grove of trees behind the cabin. Elliott squeezed his eyes to wipe away the messy tear film, and when he opened them, Erik was gone. There was no fog, no smell of peat, just an emptiness where the Viking once stood.

Goodbye, my friend.

41

The Badlands (1885)—Tavis

Tavis rode to the top of a butte overlooking the Little Missouri River and reined in his horse. They’d been riding about two hours, and he was pretty sure Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch was right around the bend in the river. He dismounted, took the binoculars out of his saddlebag, and studied the landscape out over the river.

A trail of chimney smoke wafted up behind a smaller butte.

Right location. Must be the ranch.

He lowered the binoculars and considered the best way to approach the ranch. If JC was here, it would be simple enough to ride in without setting off alarm bells. If he wasn’t, the presence of three armed men might frighten the occupants. And if Ensley was there, she wouldn’t recognize them.

Was there a way to signal her?

It would have to be a signal only a time traveler would understand. Like what? She wouldn’t know the Army, Navy, or Marine signals. How about the V sign? Its first use was in 1941. Or he could flash his Superman T-shirt and sing a line from “Wish I Could Fly Like Superman.”

He rubbed his chest. The shirt was a gift from his two-year-old nephew. Well, it was actually from Tavis’s brother, who put his son’s name on the birthday gift. Tavis liked wearing it. Not that he thought of himself as Superman, but the shirt reminded him—as did the silver medallion with Odin’s spear, Gungnir, in the center, which dangled from a stainless steel chain around his neck—that he had loved ones, besides the MacKlenna Clan.

He stood at the edge of the butte. If he were Superman, he could spread his arms and fly off this hill with its steep, vertical sides and find JC. Where are you, bro?

The wind lifted his hat, and he grabbed it before it could sail over the edge and across the plain.

A knot locked down his throat. What the hell? When the knot tightened, he knew something was desperately wrong, but he had no idea what or where.

He glanced down and noticed a purple flower growing out of a crevice. He snapped it off the stem, and after a quick sniff, tucked it into his shirt pocket. The sweet scent smelled better than he did.

Remy rode up behind him and dismounted. “Do you see it?”

“No. But there’s a smoke trail over that closest butte that looks like it’s coming from a chimney. I’ll know for sure after I check the map.” He glanced around. “Where’s Austin?”

Remy pointed with his chin. “Taking a leak.”

Tavis stared in the direction Remy indicated. “I’m worried about him. Keep your eye out for trouble, will you? If anything happens to him, JL will lay into me worse than any commander I ever reported to.”

“I doan have to keep an eye on him. He’s not letting me out of his sight. I have drugs, and if he wants painkillers, I’m the only game in town.” Remy stood in his stirrups. “I can see him. He’s coming up now.”

“Don’t give him any.”

“Doan plan to.”

Tavis unpacked the topography map and compass and took a few minutes to orient himself and do the calculations. “The smoke should be coming from Elkhorn Ranch. At least we know someone’s there.” He refolded the map and put it and the compass away.

Remy opened his canteen and took a long drink. “So, what’s your plan? Are we just going to ride in and ask about JC?”

Tavis shook his head. “No, I’ll go in alone while you stay here with Austin. If JC isn’t there, I don’t want to alarm President Roosevelt. Look at us. We could easily pass for outlaws. I don’t want to make anyone trigger-happy. There isn’t much law out here, and some dumbass might just shoot us first and ask questions later.”

“By the way, Roosevelt’s not president yet.”

“I know, but he still deserves our respect, and his vision is terrible. He might not see our good hearts and intentions.”

Austin rode up, dismounted, lay down in the shade, and plopped his hat over his face. He was larger than a