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

MacKlenna Farm, and Elliott sent one back. He said he and Meredith are taking JC home, and he ordered us to go directly to the farm.”

She stilled her hand, recalling JC’s concerns about how pissed his parents were going to be. But he wouldn’t have returned with them willingly, not without sending her another telegram.

“This sounds fishy. JC wouldn’t have left with his dad. Not willingly, anyway. So what happened, and why do we have to go to the farm?”

“Kit and Cullen stayed behind, and we’re to bring them home.”

“I don’t like the way this sounds. JC mentioned that something happened to him in Asia recently, and he couldn’t tell his dad and didn’t want to lie to him.”

“So maybe when JC got to the farm, he told Elliott, and they decided they better go home and take care of business.”

“Maybe, but he would have told me.”

“Not necessarily. Elliott could have told JC he would send the telegram.”

“I don’t know. I don’t like it. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my bones.”

“How about we recover from yesterday’s trauma before we waste time imagining another one? We’ll find out as soon as we get to the farm.”

“Okay, I’ll try. But do we have to leave right away? I’d like a couple more days with TR if that’s possible.”

“We gotta go, Ens. Tavis said not to wait.”

“Did he say why?”

“If he did, Remy didn’t mention it.”

“I’ll ask him later.” She snuggled into Austin’s embrace, not wanting to move but knowing she had to. Norman would be preparing breakfast, all the cowboys would be waking up, and she didn’t want anyone to find her in a compromising position. TR would be very disappointed in her. Reluctantly, she cranked herself up to her feet and shivered in the early morning chill.

Austin popped up and stood behind her, wrapping her in his embrace again. “You’re shivering.”

“My body chemistry is all messed up.”

She’d always thought that women who dated big, tall guys must have some kind of complex, but standing in Austin’s embrace was like having outside heaters blowing hot air all around her. In the summer heat, it might not be as welcoming, but hell, it sure was right now.

She rested her head back on his chest. “I have to buy another horse from TR.”

“Tavis left his for you.”

“Didn’t he need one where he was going?”

“Guess not. I was busy with you, and Remy hasn’t told me everything Tavis said.”

“Thank you for taking care of me. I was so out of it. If we’re going to leave today, I’d better tell TR goodbye before he rides out this morning.” She sighed and relaxed, letting Austin support her. “It sucks, but I can’t complain. I’ve had weeks with him, hours of conversations, and heard stories I’ve never read about before.”

She stepped away from Austin, but as soon as she did, her head started swimming, and she swayed. Austin caught her before she fell, sweeping her up into his arms.

She put her hand to her forehead. “What’d Remy give me? I feel like I’ve spent a week stoned out of my mind.”

“I’m surprised you know what that feels like.”

She tilted her head up. “Why are you surprised?”

“Because you’re JC’s friend, and he’s Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. He’s never done anything he wasn’t supposed to do, except for the time he ran away and got lost in a cave.”

“I heard about that. The experience traumatized JC, and I don’t think he’s ever recovered from it. And I don’t know if I’ll recover from what happened here. I may never recover my usual joie de vivre.”

“There’s nothing simplistic and relaxing about you.”

Damn. He surprised her again. She expected him to ask what joie de vivre meant. But no, not Austin. He spoke French. “Is French the only foreign language you speak?”

“I know a little bit of Italian and Spanish, too. I spent a summer playing basketball in France and picked up a few words. And Remy speaks Spanish and Sophia speaks Italian and French. And I have an aunt and uncle who are polyglots. So it’s common to hear foreign languages spoken at the dinner table. I think I know cuss words in a dozen different languages.”

“So if I hear you speaking a foreign language, I can assume you’re cussing.”

“Maybe.” He grinned. “But back to you and your lack of joie de vivre. You’re used to speeding through life at ninety miles an hour, regardless of what you’re doing. That’s why you feel thick-headed right now. You don’t know what it’s like to slow down. And,” he said in a lowered voice, “Remy gave you morphine.”

“What? Why the hell did he do that? I wasn’t in physical pain.”

“There was blood everywhere, and Remy didn’t know what kind of injuries you had. He’d read a study that giving a person morphine after a trauma, even when they don’t have a serious injury, would decrease post-traumatic stress.”

“Well, I’ve never wanted to be a test case, but—”

Sticks and leaves crunched nearby, and Ensley jerked around to look in that direction. Her heart thudded hard and fast while fear clogged her throat.

A bear!

“Mrs. Fraser. Is that you?”

No. Not a bear. It was TR. She took a deep breath, but it took a few moments longer before the wild rhythm of her heart steadied once again.

“You better put me down.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. TR won’t like it.”

Austin set her down close to a tree so she could use it for support.

“Yes, Teddy. Austin’s with me.” TR appeared in the moonlight. “He’s been telling me what happened after he killed the bear. I don’t remember much.”

“Bully! Mr. O’Grady is not only the best horseman but the best hunter I’ve ever met. He skinned that grizzly as if he did it every day and even gifted me the head.”

The thought of the bear’s head roiled her stomach, and she leaned against the tree. Austin made a move toward her but stopped himself and didn’t try to pick her up again.

“The head? How nice.” TR’s opinion mattered to