I'll Be Seeing You Through Time (The Dimension Keepers) Read online

  A glimpse of orange caught his eye. Red hair. He slowly approached the woman. “Jewel?” he asked as he drew closer. When she turned, relief filled him.

  “How… who are you?” She fumbled the bottle of pills in her hand, dropped them, and then bent to pick them up.

  “I’ve been sent to find you.” He stopped for a second to choose his words. “Glenn left something for you, and it’s very important that you receive it.”

  “Glenn?” Her face darkened as she twisted the gold band on her finger. “I’m not sure what he could have left to give me. He’s dead.”

  “No… I mean yes, I know. But I’m a friend.”

  “So where is it?”

  “What he gave me isn’t here.” He hated to lie, but knew he had to.” I left it back in town. If you’ll come with me…”

  She cast him a suspicious look and shook her head.

  “I mean you no harm. If you trust me and come, you will not regret it.”

  “There’s nothing that he could have left me that would take away the pain of missing him.”

  “I’m not sure about that. You must at least let me make the delivery. It was one of his last wishes.”

  Jewel searched the park, a confused look clouding her face. “How could you possibly know I was here?”

  “Glenn told me that this park was very special to both of you and that this is where he proposed marriage.”

  She inhaled sharply and tears appeared in her eyes. “Only he and I knew about this place. You must have been a friend if he talked to you about it.”

  “Please, just come with me.”

  She shivered. She wasn’t wearing a coat, so he removed his and wrapped it over her shoulders. He took her elbow to guide her back to the taxi.

  They rode in silence.

  “How long?” she asked as she looked out the window.

  “We’ll be there soon.” When the taxi pulled up to the curb, Hadley took off the other gold cufflink and placed it in the driver’s hand. He shook the man’s hand, and said, “These links were in my family for many years. I hope they fetch a fine price. I thank you for your service and for keeping your word.”

  As they moved to the front of the bookstore, Clayton waited by the door.

  His face brightened. “You found her… I was beginning to worry. What now?”

  “We have to take her through,” Hadley stated.

  “Oh no. No. We can’t.” Clayton backed away in protest. “That’s unheard of. We can’t. She’s not a traveler.”

  Hadley glared at him. “The Ancients will decide this, not you. You have made enough of a debacle of this travel.”

  “What if she doesn’t want to go?” Clayton asked.

  “According to our calculations, the bookstore will remain in its current destination for another…” Hadley took out his pocket watch, then finished, “Another twelve hours.”

  “You can’t just ‘exchange’ her if she changes her mind.”

  “Why not? She’ll just come back through.”

  Jewel held up a hand. “Would someone care to explain what the heck you two are babbling on about?”

  Clayton ignored her and asked, “What if it doesn’t work?”

  “We’ll know in a very short time.” Hadley took her hand. “Follow me into the bookstore. You will have choices after this.”

  “Choices? I thought you were giving me something Glenn left for me.”

  “Yes, it’s inside and it will all be clear in a minute.” When they reached the front counter, Hadley stopped and said to Arthur. “I never thought I would see you again old friend. I guess in our profession we can never say ‘never.’ I may see you again.”

  Arthur smiled. “You’ll make a wonderful father.”

  “Thank you.” He began to walk away then turned and said under his breath, “Take care of Clayton; he has much to learn but deep down is a good man.”

  Hadley took Jewel’s arm and led her toward the back stairs. “Which door?” he asked.

  Clayton paused and took out his watch. He pointed to the door on the right.

  When Hadley took Jewel’s hand she resisted. “Have you ever trusted someone completely?” he asked her.

  “I did once…”

  “If you’re speaking of Glenn, then trust him again. You must follow me. Do you understand?”

  “I have nothing to lose,” she said and gave a weak, cold laugh.

  When they came to the dark wooden door, he tugged it open. “Take my hand.” He stepped across the threshold and tugged Jewel’s hand.

  Again there was a whoosh of pressure and wind rippled his shirt. After so many trips through time as it shifted through the decades, he could only describe it as layers of sand sifting through his brain. Hadley swore he heard voices whisper between the dimensions. A loving look on Samantha’s face drifted into his memory and he felt her presence. This would work. It had to. The Ancients wouldn’t strand him here with his guide and leave his wife alone to carry their child. “Please…” he heard himself whisper.

  They stepped out onto the street. Hadley looked around. The cars. The people. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. He was back in 2013.

  Now he could breathe.

  Chapter Ten

  Jewel took a short step and then stumbled to a stop. Her mouth dropped as a strange mini-sized car blasted its horn and whizzed by on the street. She still had ahold of Hadley’s hand as she asked, “Where the heck am I?”

  He smiled. “I took a gamble that it’s where you want to be.”

  Behind her, a choked voice said barely above a whisper, “Oh my God, it worked… you brought her here.”

  Why did that voice sound familiar? She’d tried to forget that voice, but it was back. Someone took her by the upper arm and turned her around. When she saw Glenn’s face, she stared at him for a long moment. She’d been a strong women her whole life, so why were her knees not supporting her? She didn’t care how or why he was here, he just was. Jewel let out a cry and threw her arms around his neck. He stumbled back a step from the impact, but she held on. Pulling him to her, she kissed him. His lips were warm against hers and he tasted like Red Vines licorice.

  He took her face in his hands. His voice cracked, “You’re here,” he repeated as he pressed his forehead to hers.

  She closed her eyes tight and then opened them wide. He was still there. She kissed him again to see if he would disappear. Her body trembled with emotions so explosive, Jewel wasn’t sure what to do first. Should she laugh? Cry? Scream? Hell, she’d deal with the roller-coaster going on inside her later. Right now, she’d kissed Glenn again to make sure he was real. She brought her mouth to his forehead and pushed his soft, sandy brown hair away to kiss his temple. From standing in the warm sun, his skin tasted salty from perspiration. “I… did I take the rest of the pills? Am I dead?” she asked not letting go of his arm.

  He took a step back and looked at her with so much love in his eyes; she thought her chest would cave into her backbone. “No… thank God. Neither of us is dead.”

  “But… you are. You’re dead.”

  “In a sense, I guess I am, but here, I’m alive. It’s a long story.”

  “Jewel, I know this is difficult for you to comprehend,” Hadley said. “I spotted a small park bench around the corner. If you allow us to take you there, Glenn will try to explain some of what’s happened,”

  Jewel let the two men take an arm and walked with her until they reached the bench. She sat and Glenn joined her.

  “I’ll come back in say a half hour.” Hadley looked at Glenn. “I know it won’t be easy but try your best to explain. Good luck.”

  “I’ll need it.” Glenn gave him a thin smile. “Thanks.”

  The bench and the small park were off the busy stree
t and offered them privacy. “Your mother called me,” Jewel began. “She said you were lost at sea and declared dead.”

  “My mother…” he stopped, and his face grew dark. “It must have been so tough for her to receive the news. I’m not sure how to explain this or how all of this happened either, but this is what I remember. On the last night we spent together, I was on the way back to base, and I stopped at the bookstore you were just in. It’s some kind of a time portal. When I went through the door, I was in the year 2013 and not in 1942.”

  She shook her head. “This is impossible.” She wanted him there, so he’d appeared. A convenient story her mind told her and conjured another illusion. Jewel couldn’t allow her heart to be pulled through hell again.

  Glenn took her hand, squeezed it, and then touched his hand to her cheek. “I know how crazy it all sounds. I’ve been telling myself this the last few months too. Common sense tells me that there’s no such thing as jumping in time, but I’m here with no idea how to explain it. I felt myself die in 1942 when I went down with my destroyer. Hadley told me it was like there were two of me— the one in that time and the one here. That I died, but here, I’m alive. This was the time I’m supposed to live in.”

  “The dreams I had were so real, there was a part of me that knew that you were still alive. I couldn’t tell what was real anymore. I decided that I couldn’t live without you. I missed you that much, and you were alive all along? Why didn’t you come back for me months ago?” Heat flooded her face, she wasn’t sure if it was anger or hurt.

  “How can you even ask that? You don’t think I would have if I could? I’ve been in just as much pain as you, and desperately missing you every moment of my day. I tried. I couldn’t. Once I came out the other side of the bookstore, I was somehow blocked from returning and we had no idea where the bookstore was. But I helped Hadley locate it on maps and data he had; otherwise it would have been impossible. As soon as we found the bookstore, I knew I had to come back for you. Hadley was the only one able to travel back through, but we weren’t even sure of that. It was dangerous for him and his wife is having a baby.”

  “Why him and not you?”

  “Do you really think I would choose not to come back for you? I love you! Believe me, I am trying to understand all of this too.” Glenn’s brows were pulled low. His look told her that he was fighting to get her to understand. How could she be mad? Glenn was here and alive. She smiled and his features softened. He went on, “Hadley refers to himself as ‘a guide.’ The guides are certain people who can move in and out of the portal. I felt you were close to the breaking point, and that’s why I was so desperate to get to you. He came as soon as we found the bookstore, and Hadley traveled back to find you.”

  “I was at the park where you proposed to me.” Jewel ran her fingers over the warm knuckles of his hand. He felt real.

  “You talked about wanting to join me. I knew you were contemplating suicide… I…” his voice cracked. “You were… are my world. This craziness of being here is hard enough, but the thought of you dying because of me... I couldn’t stand it.”

  “How could you possibly know what I was thinking?”

  “I had a dream we were both in it. I think you were pulling me in to experience your dreams. I figured it out by the second dream. We were on a beach. A car from this time. That’s why you thought it looked strange.”

  Her head swam. “I… I remember that.” How could it be? She thought she’d throw in a little test to see if he was telling the truth. “If this was a shared dream, why were we running and playing with a baseball?”

  A sideways grin quirked the corner of his lips and he said, “Baseball? I don’t remember any baseball. What I do remember is I was about to make love to the most knock-out redhead in the world. But the dreams always stopped just at the best time.”

  “What color was the car I saw?”

  “Red. I saw the sports car in the show window earlier in the day. It had silver side mirrors and dark tinted windows with a white stripe up the side.”

  She drew in a sharp intake of breath. “That was the car I saw in the dream.”

  “I know.” Glenn scooted close. “Honey, I know how crazy this all seems. But, I think that someone, whoever that is, is trying to give us a second chance. I lost you once almost seventy years ago, but if you’ll stay with me, I’ll never let you go again.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. Nothing threatening, a brief touch of his lips to hers. She knew this kiss. No one had ever made her feel special like Glenn did. She choked back a sob, grabbed him, and pulled him to her.

  “It’s not a dream?” she asked as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “This time… it’s real, or as real as I can make of this crazy world.” He spoke against her ear in a rush of words. “Please, forgive me. I’m so sorry for the pain you went through. It wasn’t my fault. What can I say so you’ll believe me? I had no control over it. I love you so much… I never meant to hurt you.”

  Jewel rained kisses over his cheeks, then clasped his face between her hands and pressed her lips to his to silence the rest of his sentence. “I can’t believe it! You’re here… you’re really here.”

  He inhaled sharply as she curved her body against his. He slipped his tongue between her teeth. Her body melted against his. The dreams made her miserable, because Jewel knew she would never have the chance to be held again in Glenn’s arms. But here he was. Holding her. Caressing her. If she had a choice, she’d let him make love to her here in the park. If this moment was pulled away from them, she wanted memories that would last for eternity.

  Someone cleared their throat and reluctantly they broke apart.

  “It looks like all is well?” Hadley asked in his proper British accent.

  Glenn grinned. “I would say more than good.”

  Hadley’s brows furrowed. “As a guide, I have to abide by the rules and ask a few questions. Jewel, you’re in a different time. You are seventy years in the future. I have to know for sure that you understand this and that you wish to stay. If you do wish to stay, I doubt you will ever be able to return to your previous time.”

  She looked from Glenn back to Hadley. “Glenn can’t go back to 1942?”

  “I’m afraid not. In that time he’s dead.”

  “What about me?” she asked.

  “You were allowed to travel. But you can travel back if you choose. This is now your time and you can stay,” Hadley said.

  “Glenn will stay here with me, in this time for good? No more time-traveling?”

  Hadley shook his head. “No more traveling for any of us. We’re here now. Do you have family? You will never see them again.”

  “No. There’s no one.” She wrapped a hand around Glenn’s arm. “He’s my only family, there’s nothing for me back in the other time.”

  “When we get back to San Francisco…” Glenn began.

  “Wait.” Jewel raised a hand, palm out. “If we’re not in San Francisco, where are we?”

  “We’re in Portland, Oregon. But we can be back there in a few hours.”

  “It will take a bit longer than that,” Hadley commented. “We’re going to have to drive. Glenn, you were supplied with proper ID when you traveled but Jewel doesn’t have any. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t have time to create one. The airlines won’t let her on the plane. I’m having a rental car delivered. It just arrived.”

  She let Glenn take her hands and rose to her feet.

  “Where ever Glenn is, that’s where I want to be,” she said and smiled. She’d sort through the impossibility of it later.

  ****

  Hadley grabbed his bag out of the trunk. “I called Samantha. You can take the rental car. I’m sure that you have much catching up to do.”

  Glenn extended his hand. When Hadley shook it, he pulled him i
n for a hug. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

  “You’re the one who figured out the maps to prove where the bookstore would be. We make a good team and I think we can help other travelers. We can work together.” Hadley smiled. “I’ll talk to you more about it… in say a week or so.” He winked and tugged the car keys from his pocket. Hadley tossed them to Glenn.

  They watched through the airport windows as a car eased up to the curb. A pretty and very pregnant brunette stepped out. She ran to Hadley and threw her arms around his neck and gave him a huge kiss. Even at this distance, Jewel could see that the woman cried.

  “That’s Sam,” Glenn said. “She’s a great gal, and a little emotional because of the baby. I’m sure you will get to know each other well. But right now, we have something much more important to do.”

  Jewel raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be, Mr. Miller?”

  “I’m an old-fashioned guy. I’m going to marry you, Miss Miller and make you Mrs. Miller before the day’s end.” He took her hand and rubbed her finger. “I see you’re still wearing that puny gold band I bought you.”

  “I would wear it forever.”

  “There’s a jewelry store and a formal shop by my apartment. Hadley filled my bank account. He claims he got lucky on some land purchases regarding his family’s estate in England. I’ll pay him back when I can, but this time, I’m going to buy you whatever you want.”

  “I’m not taking this ring off.”

  “You don’t have to, we’ll just add a wedding band… with more diamonds. There’s nothing too good for my gal. Around the corner is a little wedding chapel. If you want a big church wedding, we can still do that, but for now, I’m not letting you get away again.”