Just in Time: Portals of Time (27 page)

“I could have helped her with all that.”

“Luke, stop being such a baby. Forget your pride. Go after her.”

He remained mute.

Jess stood. “Your call, big brother. Just don’t come crying to me later when she’s long gone and you realize how pigheaded you were.” He squeezed Luke’s shoulder, said, “I’m going to check on Helen,” and walked into the house.

Luke sat alone on the porch, staring into the beautiful day, with gloom in his heart.

“ALL RIGHT, NOW
that we’re alone, tell us what happened with Luke.” Celeste had been brimming with curiosity, but they tabled any discussion this morning in an attempt to prepare to leave and say good-bye to the Cromwells.

Except for one.

Dorian glanced around the train platform. The air was tinged with a metallic scent, but the day shone with a bright sun that warmed them. The area had been cordoned off for people with tickets, and only a few were sitting on benches; they were far away. “He gave me an ultimatum. I hated that. I hate these emotions gnawing at the inside of me.”

“I guess I was right.” Alisha sounded sad, not gloating. “Emotions and joining do not mix well.”

Celeste studied Alisha. “It seemed like you were getting cozy with David Ryan before we left.”

“No.” Alisha adjusted her sunglasses. “He’s just a nice guy. I didn’t mind spending time with him.”

“That’s the first step,” Dorian warned.

“Don’t tell Celi that. She’s already looking forward to seeing Alex Lansing too much. She’ll be spending a lot of time with
him.
And getting emotionally involved with the man could have terrible consequences.”

“I’m here, you know. And frankly, seeing Dorian so upset makes me wary of having feelings for any man.”

Conversation lapsed and Dorian thought of Luke, how tender he was during joining the night before and then how he told her not to bother coming back to him.

“Are you crying again?” Celi asked. “I heard you last night.”

She wiped her eyes. “No.”

Thoughtful, Celeste grabbed her hand. “You’re devastated. Maybe you should go back and settle this with him and meet us later.”

“No!” Alisha sounded horror-struck.

It didn’t matter. Dorian had no intention of crawling back to Luke Cromwell, as the women did on the damned video shows.

“Nobody needs to tell me that, Lisha. I’m going to help complete our next task.”

A whoosh of noise preceded the large train coming down the tracks. Celeste coughed and Dorian’s eyes stung. Alisha shook her head. “More carbon emissions. Worse ones. They seep from every means of transport here.”

That silenced the three of them. Their purpose in this time period had never been clearer.

When the large steel cars stopped, the machinery grated against the tracks making a god-awful noise. All three covered their ears. Dorian stood. “The train is a full thirty minutes early.”

“This is common practice,” Alisha told them also rising. “They have to board everyone, check tickets, let them get settled and the baggage stowed.”

Celeste stood, but Dorian remained seated.

Alisha started forward. “Let’s get on. The smell is terrible out here. Inside the train cars can’t possibly be this bad.”

She led the way, and Celi tried to grab Dorian’s arm. But Dorian shook her off. “You’ve got to stop taking on emotion for your own good. It’s your turn now to be strong. We can’t forget our mission.” She shook herself. “Besides, I want to stay as mad as hellor at him. Leaving will be easier that way.”

Her two friends—they would be sisters in Virginia, which seemed appropriate—reached the train first and climbed the steps. Dorian had followed up one, when she heard behind her, “Dorian, wait!”

Her heart practically leapt out of her chest. Turning, she saw Luke running toward her. His hair was messy, and as he got closer, she noted his beard had not been removed and his eyes were bloodshot.

She’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

When he reached her, Dorian jumped off the step and into his arms. He grasped her tightly. “Oh, God, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I know you have to go. I know you can’t tell me the details. I was being a real bastard.”

Having his arms around her was the best thing in this world. “I understand. I seek your forgiveness for hurting you.”

He set her back from him and saw the two women on the steps of the train. Alisha drawled, “So much for wanting to stay mad at him.”

But Celi smiled sweetly. She said, “It’s about time, Lucas Cromwell.”

“How did you get on the platform?” Dorian asked, standing close, holding on to his shoulders.

“I bought a ticket.”

“You can’t come, Luke.” This from Lisha.

“I know. It’s the only way I could get out on the platform. I don’t even know where it’s for.”

A man in uniform approached them. “Ladies, sir, it’s time to board.”

Alisha and Celeste walked into the train car, and Luke pulled Dorian out of the way of other passengers. He cupped her face with his hands. “Call me as soon as you can. I won’t ask any questions about your whereabouts or what you’re doing.”

“We can video phone—Skype—so I can see your face.”

He nodded and smiled. “My love is yours, Dorian. Always.”

She smiled back. “I love you, too, Luke.”

Welcome to my new series, Portals of Time. This trilogy has been a labor of love for me as I’ve always been a science fiction/time travel aficionado. But since my first love is romance, there never seemed to be an opportunity to combine the two genres until now. I came up with the original concept for the trilogy years ago, and at last it’s come to fruition. Since all the stories take place in the present, I think I was able to keep the books classic Kathryn Shay with a twist. I thoroughly enjoyed creating the new world of the future, playing around with language, and at the same time building a great romance and saying something important about society.

As for JUST IN TIME, I relished setting up the dynamic between Luke and Dorian. Truthfully, I didn’t know how they’d react to each other in the beginning. I’m partial to reluctant lovers and, boy, are these two determined not to fall for each other. Fate, though, has something to say about that, as usually happens in my books. Didn’t you laugh their sparing? And swoon over those kissing scenes?

Finally, Jess and Helen became so special to me throughout the books and I hope they were to you, too.

Don’t miss the next two novels, PERFECT TIMING, with Celeste and Alex, and ANOTHER TIME, Alisha and David’s story. I can guarantee each presents something different.

Kathy

Just In Time

In JUST IN TIME, Dorian Masters must save the life of research scientist Jess Cromwell by preventing his murder in five months. Cromwell’s work would eventually set the standard for eradicating all carbon emissions. But Dorian has to find the assassin first, while Jess’s brother, Luke, cynical New York cop and exasperating man, seems determined to stand in her way. Unaware of her background, Luke questions her suitability as a bodyguard and challenges her on the mistakes she makes about everyday things, including how she talks. But the stakes are high and together they race against time to save Jess’s life.
Amazon

Perfect Timing

In PERFECT TIMING, Celeste Hart, a sensitive, travels to Washington D.C. to sabotage the life’s work of Dr. Alex Lansing. Unbeknownst to him, his research into human sexuality drugs causes infertility in the centuries to come. When Celeste becomes his children’s nanny, she falls head over heels for the kids—and for their brilliant, sexy father. But can Alex forgive her deception when he discovers how and why she’s tricked him? With the survival of society hanging in the balance, everything hangs on Alex’s decision.
Amazon

Another Time

In ANOTHER TIME, anthropologist Alisha Law has accompanied her two colleagues to the present day because she understands the customs, morés and convoluted language of the 21
^st
century. Not only does she dislike everything about this time period, but she’s mystified by its odd sexual customs. When Pastor David Ryan befriends her, she’s confused about him, too. He actually believes in a Supreme Being and the archaic concept of religion, neither of which exist in her time. But when they grow close, and fall in love, she becomes wary when he asks her break all the rules of time travel.
Amazon

A USA TODAY bestseller, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher. She has self-published 12 original romance titles, 36 print books with the Berkley Publishing Group and Harlequin Enterprises and 1 mainstream women’s fiction with Bold Strokes Books. She has won five RT Book Reviews awards, four Golden Quills, four Holt Medallions, the Bookseller’s Best Award, Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year and several “Starred Reviews.” Her novels have been serialized in COSMOPOLITAN magazine and featured in USA TODAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and PEOPLE magazine. There are over five million copies of her books in print, along with hundreds of thousands downloaded online. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and children.