ZenithRising (17 page)

“Me sister and her husband are after leavin’ Dublin next
week. When they get settled in New York I’m sure they’d be willin’ ta take me
in.”

Maggie patted her hand again. “Family is good. But are you
sure you want to go back north? New York is a very hard place for the Ir—” Noah
nudged her before she revealed anything about the future. “The weather. It’s
very cold there.”

Shannon laughed. “’Ta be sure. But ‘twas not exactly
paradise in Boston or Dublin either.”

Noah abruptly turned to Maggie. “Speaking of travel, it just
so happens the Davenports also left this morning—on a cruise to Europe. They’ll
be gone for two months.”

“Oh, um, how nice. We should do that one day.” They knew he
wasn’t killed on a cruise ship or in Europe and with him out of the picture,
there was no longer even a tiny doubt about who they had been sent here to
save.

It had to mean they would soon be home.

So why did she feel agitated instead of relieved?

After lunch, Noah pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket
and introduced Shannon to gin rummy while showing Maggie how he could make an
afternoon fly by for a brokenhearted, pregnant girl.

When the sun began to dip below the horizon, Shannon tried
to leave but Noah stopped her. “Someone might see you. Remember, you were too
sick to work today. And I, uh, can’t borrow that car again. You’d be better off
staying here again tonight and going right to work in the morning. Besides,
Maggie and I will be going out. Maybe for the whole night. And we’re probably
checking out early. So you can just make yourself at home.”

“The extra rest will be good for the baby,” Maggie added and
Shannon relented.

Although they felt confident Shannon was not despondent
enough to take her own life, they still felt more comfortable knowing she was
safe and sound until the hour came for them to be transported home. Since she
had been so distracted all afternoon by the card game, Noah taught her
solitaire for her evening’s entertainment.

An hour later they were dressed comfortably for dining at
the Emerald Patio. Noah pocketed a little cash and left the remainder with a
note for Shannon to use it for her new life. They briefly debated whether they
had the right to take anything with them and ended up choosing one item of
jewelry each. He decided the pocket watch was the most relevant souvenir he
could think of.

She put on the diamond earrings for the same reason.

They strolled arm in arm to the outdoor restaurant and held
hands while they waited for their meals to be served. There was no need for
conversation as they watched the three-quarter moon’s rise above the horizon.
They had plenty of time to finish eating before heading to the spot on the
beach where they were to be transported back to the future.

“I have a confession to make,” Maggie said once they were
headed to their destination.

“Isn’t that one of those scary conversation openers?”

She smiled. “Not this time. I just wanted to tell you that
I’ve had a wonderful time. Here, in this completely unreal situation, with
you.”

Noah angled his head toward her. “Doesn’t sound like much of
a confession. I’ve had a blast too.”

“The confession part is, for a while, I was seriously
thinking how nice it might be to stay here…with you. To not go back even after
we did our job or whatever it was.”

They had arrived at the far end of the hotel’s beach where
their journey had begun. Noah leaned down and kissed her mouth. “I love you,
Maggie. Here, there, it doesn’t matter to me. If you want to stay here, I’ll
walk away with you right now. Hell, we could hang around and try to save
Davenport in three years. Maybe whoever’s in charge would give us some extra
credit for staying overtime. I’m yours to command, Sugarlips. State your
pleasure.”

In spite of the importance of the moment, Noah’s words sent
a trill of heat into her core and she closed her eyes to savor the feeling. His
chuckle brought her part of the way back.

“If that’s what you want, we should probably find somewhere
more private.” Although the special cabana tent was some distance away, an
interior light implied it was inhabited.

She drew his head down for a long, slow kiss before giving
him her decision. “As tempting as it is, we have to go back. For all the
time-travel-paradox reasons we’ve ever heard of and because if we don’t it
might be like we were never born. I think. There was something in the dream I
had… I don’t remember it exactly but I was left with the feeling that if we
didn’t do what we came here for and didn’t go back where we belong, we
would…just fade away. I could be wrong but I’ve decided it’s not worth the
risk. We have to go back.”

“Okay.” He looked around and up at the moon. “We have no way
of knowing exactly where the
zenith
is but I think the moon is just
about at the same part of the sky it was for our trip here. And this is
definitely the same rock. So I guess there’s nothing left to do but wait.”

And wait they did. Five minutes passed, then ten, as the
moon crept across the heavens.

Maggie remembered the tingling sensation that had crawled up
her legs before they were transported but so far she hadn’t felt anything close
to that. What she did feel was the same sense of agitation she’d had off and on
all day. “Something’s wrong.”

Noah frowned. “Something like our timing’s off or wrong in a
big way?”

“Big, I think. I don’t know. I just feel…off-kilter, as
though I should be doing something other than standing here.”

Noah scanned the area around them for the umpteenth time.
“Speaking of being off-kilter…”

She followed his gaze and saw a figure as far away as the
tent. The person seemed to be weaving in and out of the tide, falling down,
getting up and staggering a bit forward before falling again. With nothing
better to do while they waited for transport, they found themselves watching
the awkward calisthenics. When the person was about a hundred feet away they
could tell it was a man in a tuxedo, taking drinks out of a large bottle, which
he managed to keep upright even during multiple stumbles and recoveries.

The man finally stopped trying to walk when he had drained
the bottle. With a disgusted growl he tossed it into the ocean. For a moment he
stood staring out at the water then he removed his tie, jacket and shoes.

“What is he doing?” Maggie murmured to Noah.

“It looks like he’s about to take a swim but he looked too
drunk to be doing that. Maybe I better—”

“
No.
” Maggie grabbed his arm as he started away. “We
can’t move from here. We could miss our chance to get back. He might just want
to wet his feet.”

Noah returned to her side. “You’re right. Let’s give him a
minute.”

The full minute wasn’t needed however. Without removing any
more clothing, the man walked straight into the ocean and disappeared from
their sight in seconds.

“Stay here,” Noah ordered Maggie as he dashed off.

“Not without you!” she replied, running right behind him.

He managed to shed his shoes and jacket before jumping into
the waves. Maggie stared in horror as Noah dove down, came up for air and dove
down again. Was this the cause of her edginess? Was this the
something
she felt coming all day? Would this man die because she stopped Noah from going
to him immediately? Or was it her fate to lose Noah after admitting she loved
him?

Oh dear God, please help them both.

The next few seconds felt like an eternity but Noah finally
surfaced, hauling the man along with him. Maggie had never felt so useless as
she watched Noah breathe life back into the limp figure. It didn’t surprise her
in the least that he knew how to rescue a drowning man or perform CPR.

It took only minimal effort before the man began to cough
and gag and throw up a disgusting amount of the liquid he had recently
swallowed. However, the instant he got control of his stomach he swung at Noah.
“Damn you! Damn you!”

Noah grasped the man’s flailing arms. “Damn yourself. I just
saved your drunken ass.”

“Did I ask you to save me?” the man yelled hoarsely then
started to cry. “I wanted to die.” He sobbed and gasped and sputtered before
adding a pitiful, “I don’t deserve to live.”

Noah glanced up at Maggie. “Should I throw him back in?”

Her mouth dropped open in shock before noticing his smirk.

With one hand he forced the man’s head toward Maggie and
said, “Do you recognize him?”

She stared and blinked at the sad, soggy drunk and suddenly
realized who it was. “Broderick?”

He squinted up at her. “Do I know you? Never mind. I don’t
care. I hate you both.” He dropped his head and sobbed like a wounded animal.

Maggie knelt down and murmured to Noah. “Could
he
have been the one we were supposed to save? Do you think that’s why we weren’t
taken back?”

He shook his head. “I never read anything about a rich
politician’s kid being found dead on this beach and it doesn’t seem like it
would have been overlooked.” He gave Broderick a nudge. “Hey. What are you
doing here? I was told you were on your way north.”

He shook his head slowly from side to side. “Uh-uh. Nope. I
tricked ‘em. It was the only way. I told ‘em I wanted to take the train an’ I
told the broomstick I was driving and they won’t know until they all get
there.” His words were slurred but he seemed somewhat proud of what he’d done.
When he didn’t receive any praise he gave his excuses. “I tried to tell them. I
did. They wouldn’t listen. They all wanted to stick me with that bug-eyed
broomstick. They didn’t care what I wanted. They didn’t care about what was
right.” He sniffed and blew his nose in his hand only to be confused about what
to do with his hand.

“Stay with me, Martin. Why were you trying to drown
yourself?”

“I had to get drunk first, you know. I’m not even man enough
to do it sober. She deserves so much better than me.”

“She, who?” Maggie interjected.

“My sweet Irish rose. The mother of my child. She’s gone and
it’s all my fault. And I would rather die than live without her.” His head
dropped to his chest again with another wounded-animal cry.

Maggie poked him to make him look at her. “If you’re talking
about Shannon O’Toole, she hasn’t gone anywhere.”

“Oh yes she has. I found out the broomstick went to see her.
I don’t know what she said or did but when I went there Shannon was gone, with
some of her things. Then I looked for her here an’ they said she didn’t come to
work. I have no idea where she would go. I didn’t know what to do. So I just
stayed here.”

“And got stinking drunk,” Noah finished for him. “Tell me
the truth now. What were you planning to do if you found Shannon last night?”

He tried to sit up and look dignified. “I was going to take
her away from all this,” he said with a royal wave of his hand. “I was going to
make her my wife. She’s going to have my baby, you know.”

“As a matter of fact we do know,” Noah said. “We also know
where Shannon is. And although I think you might be right about not deserving
her, I’ll let her decide what to do with you.” He gripped the man’s arm and
jerked him to his feet. “Come on. I’d wait until you were less disgusting but I
think enough time has been wasted already.”

Broderick was clearly bewildered and still very inebriated
but Noah didn’t give him much choice about what to do next. Maggie quickly
gathered up both men’s shoes and jackets and caught up with them. By the time
they neared the bungalow, Broderick seemed to be walking a little steadier.

Before stepping onto the porch, Noah grasped the man’s
shoulders and gave him a rough shake. “Listen to me now. You got lucky tonight.
In fact, you are one lucky son-of-a-bitch to have somebody like Shannon love
you. If I ever find out you mistreat her in any way, I will come after you and
finish what you tried to do tonight. Got that?”

Broderick straightened his back and lifted his chin. “Yes
sir. I will take care of her, I promise.”

“Then go on inside and tell her what an idiot you are.”

Maggie handed the man his jacket and shoes and wished him
good luck. Noah took his clothes from her and waited to make sure Shannon
accepted her man’s apology. Of course she did. The fool was as alluring as a
lost puppy, a very wet, lost puppy.

Noah put his arm around Maggie and turned back the way
they’d come. “Well, that was certainly an interesting turn of events.”

She hugged his waist as they walked. “I’m pretty sure
interesting
is an understatement. From what I just heard, we saved Shannon but in
attempting to protect her we created a different situation that had Broderick
trying to drown himself. I think we have our answer as to what happens when you
mess with history.”

“Ah, but we were in the right place at the right time to
save him as well and make everything right.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. We’re still here. I’m pretty sure we
missed—” She went rigid as a tingling sensation tickled the bottoms of her
feet. Uncertain if that meant they were about to be zapped where they were or
if it was a warning, she grabbed Noah’s hand and started running. “I think it’s
happening. Hurry up. Faster.” His reaction was to pick her up and do the
running for both of them.

The tingling was traveling up her legs now, inching higher
and growing stronger by the second. They barely reached the egg-shaped geode
when the sensation filled her completely, shimmered then faded away. “Did you
feel that at all?” she asked as he set her down on the sand.

“Are you kidding? It was like holding on to a live
electrical wire. Are you okay?”

She did a quick mental check. “Yep. It seemed stronger than
the first time but if I remember correctly you had me pretty distracted.”

He gave her a quick kiss then turned her head with his
finger. “Look.”

She dragged her gaze away from his face and gasped when she
realized what he wanted her to see. The moon and stars offered just enough
light for her to see the row of colorful cabanas in the distance. “We made it,”
she exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck. His arms closed around her
waist and he swung her around several times before setting her down again.

The mini-celebration ended with a kiss that said everything
about how happy they were to have made it, to have saved two people and their
baby, to be together, in love in the perfect time and place.

“I love you, Sugarlips,” Noah said with a grin.

“Really?” she asked, tilting her head at him. “After
all
this time? Things have changed, you know.”

“Really.” He forced his expression to turn serious but it
only lasted a heartbeat. “But speaking of things changing, I think the next
order of business is to figure out what time it is now, or what day is probably
a better question.” He reached into his jacket pocket and smiled when he found
the gold watch. Flipping it open, he turned to let the moon illuminate the
inside.

Maggie felt a flutter of happiness when she saw the wedding
photo was still in place but got confused by the placement of the timepiece’s
hands. “Ten thirty? Wasn’t it going on midnight a few minutes ago?”

Noah studied the watch then looked up at the sky. “It’s
different. The stars and moon were in different positions. I’m sure of it.”
Suddenly his eyes widened. “The moon is
full
. Like it was when we left.
But I also remember looking at the time when I first opened the watch…when we
were getting ready to go out that first night in the bungalow.”

The memory came back to her in a flash. “Yes. I remember you
saying something about it being around ten thirty when we were transported. Is
it possible that we’ve been brought back at the same time we left?”

He chuckled. “Anything’s possible. But there’s one easy way
to find out for sure.” He took her hand and led her to the cabana where they
had dined in such exotic luxury. Aware of the possibility of intruding on
another guest, he cautiously poked his head into the opening and laughed aloud.

She let him lead her inside to see what he found so
humorous. The remains of their dinner, including the half-full bottle of
champagne were exactly where they’d left everything. Even their robes were on
the lounge, as though Reynard had never moved them for their convenience. “This
feels almost as strange as it felt when we discovered we had been zapped to
1927. It’s like we were never gone.”

“Thank heavens we brought proof,” he said, fingering one of
her diamond earrings. His fingers trailed from her lobe down the side of her
neck and traced the line of her spine.

What they had just been discussing floated away as a warm
glow spread out from every spot Noah touched.

“Do you remember what we were doing right before our little
trip?”

“Mm-hmm.” She closed her eyes and sighed with the sweet
memory of how mesmerizing his kisses were and how anxious she was to get back
to the inviting lounge-for-two inside the cabana. As though no time had passed
at all, her vagina contracted with anticipation and a warm wetness prepared her
for his entry.

When she opened her eyes she saw him gazing down at her with
such intensity she thought she could hear his thoughts.
I love you.
Or
were those her thoughts? It didn’t matter. Something mind-altering had happened
to them and they were now bonded in more than a physical way.

And yet the
physical
way was the one she was most
interested in at the moment. Her hand slipped between their bodies and found
his arousal. She loved the way the loose trousers allowed his cock to expand
for her as easily as if he were naked. She molded her hand over it, tightened
her fingers and got an instant response.

She held his gaze with hers and, moving only her hands, she
unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them and his drawers down over his hips. Her
fingers roamed over his belly, his hips and teased his buttocks before
returning to play with his shaft. When he tried to kiss her she avoided his
lips and knelt at his feet. “Not yet,” she warned.

While the fingertips of one hand grazed up and down his penis
and around the head, the fingernails of the other tickled his balls until he
closed his hands over her upper arms and brought her to her feet.

“My turn,” was all he said.

She stood still as he removed his clothes then undressed her
with such adoration she could have come without his touching her. But touch her
he did, as slowly and teasingly as she had him. Each bit of flesh he exposed
was treated to a kiss except for one. He purposely avoided the one area of her
body pulsing the strongest for his caress. Her curiosity was aroused as much as
her pussy by the time he sat down on the lounge and positioned her with her
back against his chest and her hips between his open thighs. She could feel his
rigid cock pressing against her lower back, not where she wanted it but erotic
all the same.

His hands slid from her thighs up her abdomen and cupped her
breasts. “Just relax,” he murmured as his hands continued up over her nipples,
her shoulders and down her arms.

“Watch the waves and imagine we’re floating on them. Feel
the ocean rising and falling like the breath of the Earth itself…” His
fingertips ran up and down her thighs, abdomen, breasts and arms, over and over
as he spoke.