Erin's Rebel (27 page)

“No, Mom.” She stood. “It wasn’t that type of dream. It was more like...a vision. Grandma came to give me a message.”

Her mother stared at her. “I don’t understand.”

Erin rose and paced a few steps trying to decide what to say. She sat again and reached for her mother’s hand. “She told me I had to go back.”

“Back? To Philadelphia?”

Erin shook her head. “Back to 1864.”

“You’re talking about that again? But it was just a dream!”

“No. It was real. And I’ve got proof.” After she explained about the dates on the gravestones changing, the lines in her mother’s face deepened into a frown.

“That can’t be true,” her mother insisted. “You’re remembering it wrong, that’s all.”

“No. You’ve got to believe me.” Erin had to convince her. “I was really in the past. I met a man, and I fell in love with him. I love him more than my own life.”

Her mother shook her head. “It was a dream. No one can travel through time.”

“I did. I made things change. And now, I have to go back. I know how to fix it. Make it right.”

“What are you talking about?” Her mother’s hazel eyes widened. “I’m calling your doctor.”

“Please. I need you to believe me. When I go, you’ll have Rob to take care of you. You’ll be in California.” She cringed at the look of panic on her mother’s face. “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go back and make things right. I’m not sure how it will affect my present life, but I hope it will work out for all of us.”

Her mother’s mouth went slack, while her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “
How
can you go back?”

“I’m not sure how it works, but this,” she held up the brooch containing Will’s hair, “will somehow take me back there.”

“But what about your job at the paper?”

“I have to take care of my past life, only then will the present fall into place.”

****

Erin approached the cemetery gate. If this didn’t work, how could she go back and face her mother?

If that happened, she’d deal with it then. Right now, she had to concentrate on why she was here.

Darkness had fallen early on this late winter night. Although she’d bundled up, the tip of her nose felt numb as well as her fingers, even through her gloves.

Once she located the grave of Erin O’Connell, she brushed snow away from the base of the stone. Grandma had told her to seek
her
grave. Erin assumed this was what she meant.

“Grandma,” she whispered, “are you here?”

A light breeze rustling through the barren oaks was her only answer. She pulled the brooch from her pocket and clasped it between her gloved hands.

“I need you, Will. I’m only a shell here. I need the life I had back there with you.”

A vibration ran up her arms, weakening her knees. She sank onto the grave into the snow. Wetness seeped through her jeans, but she didn’t care. All she could see was his face the night he’d first made love to her. “I can’t go on without you.”

The buzz increased, thrumming in her ears. She collapsed on top of the grave.

“Darlin’,” she heard from somewhere far off, “Don’t go. Come back to me.”

“Will,” she called. “Where are you?”

A howling sensation overtook her. She felt herself being yanked from her body. She must be dying.

****

Erin opened her eyes. The cemetery was gone. She sat on a bale of hay in a barn.

She was back! Will, his back to her, approached the barn door. She had to stop him.

“Will,” she called. “Don’t open that door!”

He pushed the door open, then half-turned toward her, a puzzled expression on his face. She stood, already knowing who was on the other side.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Jake said.

He stood just beyond Will with a pistol aimed at Will’s chest. If she had to play this scene out again, she’d be sure to do it right this time.

“Jake, you bastard!” she called.

He looked over Will’s shoulder. “Now, now. After all I’ve done for you, missy.” Facing Will, he continued, “Reckon you haven’t figured it out yet, Captain.” He gestured toward Erin. “This whore’s a Yankee spy.”

Will didn’t move or speak.

“That’s right, Captain. She used you to get information for the Yankees. I helped her too, for money...and other things she promised.”

“Jake!” Erin shrieked, determined to play her part. “Just let us go.”

“But sweetheart, you promised me you’d get me over the lines. They know I helped you. If they catch me, I’ll be shot or hanged. I’ve got to get into Yankee territory.”

She had to distract him. Keep him from killing Will...or her. “We can all go together,” she said.

“Not likely.”

This was her cue. She had to move now.

Racing toward Will, she pushed him to the floor landing on top of him. Jake’s gun discharged. A stinging pain tore through her right upper arm. She slumped to the floor. Supporting her, Will’s strong arms were beneath her. She gazed up into his agonized face.

“You shouldn’t have done that, darlin’,” he said.

“It worked,” she whispered. “I’m still here.”

He cradled her close. “What kind of crazy, fool thing was that to do? I thought I’d lost you.”

She flinched as a sharp wave of pain knifed through her arm.

“My, my, what a touching scene.”

Erin looked up at Jake, who stood over them.

“You son of a bitch,” she said. “You shot me!”

“I do believe you got in the way. It’s
him
I want.” He waved his pistol at them, then leveled the barrel at Will’s face.

****

Jake grinned. He had them right where he wanted them. He’d finish off Montgomery first, then deal with Erin. If she cooperated, maybe he’d keep her around.

Until he got tired of her.

“This will atone for all the punishments you dealt out,
Captain
,” he said. “I joined the army to escape my father, but you were no better than the bastard that raised me.”

“I was always fair with you, Wagner. If you were punished, it was because you did something to deserve it.”

Jake scowled. “All you officers are alike. You order us about and send us out to be blown to bits by Yankees.”

“I was right there with you,” the captain ground out.

Enjoying the heady feel of power, Jake smiled. “I saved your life at Cedar Creek, but now, I’ll just take it back.” He waved his pistol in front of the captain’s face.

“Jake, please,” Erin said. “Just leave us. You go ahead and find that life for yourself wherever you want.”

His hand wavered. “No. You...and him, you both caused me to suffer. You’re both going to pay.” He leveled the barrel at the captain.

“Damn you, Wagner.” Montgomery pushed Erin aside, then dove into Jake’s legs, throwing him off balance.

They fell to the floor, the captain’s full weight on top of him. Montgomery knocked the gun from his hand just out of his reach.

****

Will growled in anger. This man had hurt and nearly killed Erin. He’d never allow him to harm her again. He pummeled Wagner with both fists until he slumped beneath him.

Erin was hurt, and he needed to get back to her. He started to rise. The sergeant’s body heaved. He knocked Will onto his back and rolled on top. Will tried to push him off but froze when he felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against his cheek. “Got you now, Captain,” the sergeant whispered.

Will thought with regret of Erin. How could he save her now?

Chapter Twenty-nine

After Will pushed her aside, Erin watched him wrestle with Jake. She had to do something fast. Jake’s pistol lay on the other side of the scrabbling men. She’d never reach it in time.

The packs! Cradling her right arm in her left to give it support, she raced to the bags and found Will’s revolver. Now she knew why she’d learned to shoot. She could save his life.

She grasped the gun with her good arm. A shaft of pain radiated from her wounded arm up through her shoulder and threatened to bring her to her knees. She couldn’t fail. That would mean death for both of them. Cocking the gun, she leveled it at Jake as he pressed his pistol against Will’s face.

“Jake!” she screamed.

He half-rose and smirked. “Put that down before you hurt somebody.”

“Oh, I fully intend to hurt you, unless you get up right now.”

He rose slowly, one hand out, the other still clutching his pistol.

“Give the gun to Will,” she said.

Jake glanced down at Will, who pushed up onto his elbows. Instead of handing the pistol to him, Jake pointed it at his face.

“No!” Erin screamed. She pulled the trigger. The recoil sent a shaft of white-hot pain up her arm into her shoulder, and she collapsed onto a pile of hay, but she held onto the smoking gun.

Jake flew backward, his pistol falling to the ground.

Erin carefully placed Will’s revolver beside her. The pain in her arm and shoulder burned. She bore down as best she could and made it to Will’s side where she sank into his arms.

Glancing over her shoulder, she asked, “Is he...?”

“I don’t reckon he’ll be getting up.”

Erin turned her face into his wool coat, inhaling his comforting masculine scent. After being away from him for so long, she felt safe.

“I’d best check on Wagner,” Will murmured against her hair.

She nodded. He rose and gently positioned her so as not to hurt her arm.

“Stay here.” He moved cautiously toward Jake, scooping up the sergeant’s pistol. After inspecting the body, he turned back to her. “He’s dead.”

“Oh, God!” Erin gasped. She’d never aimed a gun at anyone before. Knowing she’d killed a man, even one as dastardly as Jake, chilled her to the bone. She’d done what she had to do to save Will, but, damn it, this was such a horrible feeling to know she’d taken a man’s life.

Will sank to her side and gathered her into his arms. “You did what you had to do, darlin’. If you hadn’t fired, I’d be the one lying there.”

Erin nodded. He turned her away from Jake’s body.

“He’d have killed us both. You know that,” he said.

“I know. I had to. He wouldn’t put the gun down. But, damn it, why did he make me do that?”

“It’s all right, darlin’.” He brushed his lips against hers.

His touch lit a fire in her. She opened to him, allowing the kiss to erase all the lonely months of her recovery, when she’d thought he had been just a lovely dream. She melted against his strong hard body. “I love you,” she murmured between kisses.