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

“Me?” Ensley shoved her hands behind her back, refusing to retake possession. But it was a surprise twist. And come to think of it, her only chance to bail.

Take it and run!

Ensley glanced at the door, then back at Meredith, and felt defeated. JC’s mother had coerced her into doing something against her better judgment.

“You keep it. I don’t have the right mindset.”

“Please take it. I’m afraid I’ll drop it,” Meredith said.

Ensley widened her eyes for emphasis. “Then I definitely shouldn’t hold it.” She moderated her tone of voice to convey the seriousness of her excuse. “Remember, I dropped mine and started this whole mess.”

Meredith made an exasperated sound. “Don’t worry. You won’t drop this one.”

Ensley made the same exasperated sound. “If we get stranded, I’ll remind you of your misplaced confidence.” She somehow, even with shaking hands, managed to open the brooch. “Let’s concentrate on JC.”

Meredith laced her arm with Ensley’s. “Okay.”

“Here we come, JC.” Then Ensley recited the chant, hoping this wasn’t a huge mistake.

61

Mallory Plantation, VA—Ensley

The ride through the vortex tossed Ensley here and there, and when it finally ended, she was tangled head to foot in the cape Meredith had given her. As the fog started lifting, she pocketed the brooch before placing the basket on the floor and untangling herself. Then she dug into her bodice for her lame excuse for a weapon.

When enough of the fog lifted that she could see her surroundings, she shook the tension out of her shoulders and relaxed her grip on the silver-gilt letter opener.

Kenzie spotted her and blinked. “That was quick!” Then alarm replaced her surprise. “Where’s everyone else?”

Ensley looked around the room, and her shoulders knotted again. “Oh, God! I lost Meredith.”

“What about the others?” David asked.

“Others?” Ensley asked.

“Where’s Braham?” Charlotte asked.

Ensley was too worried about Meredith to think about the others right now. “It’s just the two of us, and Meredith was afraid we’d get separated. We have to find her. She’s so distressed she might panic.”

“Meredith doesn’t panic,” Kenzie said. “Calm down. Don’t worry. The brooches have never spit anyone out along the way.”

“There’s always a first time.”

“She’s on the property,” David said, “and she knows her way around. I’ll notify security so they can pick her up.”

Just then, the door swished open. Meredith marched in and scanned the room. When she saw Ensley, she said, “Oh, good! You made it.”

Meredith didn’t seem particularly surprised or concerned, but Ensley was so relieved she plowed into Meredith and hugged her with such force they almost tipped over. “You scared me to death. Are you okay? You must have been so afraid when you landed alone.”

Meredith patted Ensley’s back. “There, there. I knew where I was, so I wasn’t scared.” She released Ensley. “Where’s James Cullen?”

“Over there,” Kenzie said, pointing in the direction of Charlotte’s exam room.

Meredith headed in that direction, but David blocked her path. “Not until ye tell us why it’s just the two of ye. Where the hell’s Elliott?”

“Where’s Braham?” Charlotte demanded.

“Braham is one of the instigators. He, Cullen, and Austin cooked up a plan for me to confront Elliott. I did, and here we are.”

A frown rippled over Meredith’s face, like a stone thrown into black water. “Elliott’s drunk and locked in his room. Now get out of my way, David. I’m not in the mood to put up with anybody’s shit right now, and that means you, too. I’m going to see my son, and Ensley can fill you in on what’s happened. Move!”

Kenzie joined David, so they stood side by side, arms crossed, wearing identical frowns. Talk about a power couple. Man. Double the power. Double the trouble. Surely Meredith would back down now.

“We didn’t let Elliott get away with brushing us off, and we’re not going to let you do it, either,” Kenzie said.

David snapped his hands to his hips, determination prickling like barbed wire on top of a chain-link fence. Nothing was going to get past him. “What’s the deal?” he demanded.

Meredith looked at Ensley, almost pleadingly. All she wanted was to see JC, and Ensley didn’t think Kenzie and David should interfere.

Ensley picked up the basket and pulled out the bottle of sherry, like a rabbit out of a hat. She’d much rather have a shot of whisky, but this would do for now. “Let Meredith see JC. I have here a bottle of her best sherry, so let’s each have a glass, and I’ll tell you what happened and how I channeled my best Kenzie McBain.”

A smile winked at the corner of Kenzie’s mouth. “I hope it got you what you wanted.”

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I certainly got more than I expected.” It was weird how her voice sounded confident while her insides were churning.

David muttered, “A glass of sherry in exchange for information. No Scot in his right mind would ever agree to that.”

“Well, I’m offended. I’m mostly a Scot, and I don’t think it’s such a bad deal.”

“If it’s Meredith’s Manzanilla Pastrana, I’ll drink with you.” Kenzie went to the drink bar and collected two beer glasses. “Sorry about the glasses, but it’s either whisky, beer, or coffee down here.”

“I brought the glasses. You can’t drink this sherry out of a mug.”

While this was going on, Meredith tried to step around David, but he blocked her again, and Ensley was relieved she had the letter opener and not Meredith. The daggers flying out of Meredith’s eyes were dangerous enough.

Charlotte joined them while snapping off her latex gloves. “Meredith, JC’s sedated. He’s over here. Did Elliott tell you what happened before you left my husband behind?” Charlotte’s Southern accent was a hundred percent stronger than before.

David gave Meredith a small grunt of disapproval but otherwise moved out of the way. Meredith swung off her cape and dropped it on the stainless steel table.

“Elliott played the video of James Cullen’s violent outburst for me,” Meredith said, following Charlotte to an alcove with a single bed. “I can’t get