Stealing Time (27 page)

“We’re a team.” Drew nodded.

“Exactly. Now go get ready. Freddie will be
calling soon. And, Drew? We don’t need his money.”

“I know. I’ll tell him tonight.”

* * * *

Drew’s phone rang at exactly seven p.m. They
headed down to the lobby where a chauffeur greeted them and
escorted them to the car. Kate climbed in first, followed by Drew.
Freddie held an open bottle of champagne and began filling three
glasses.

“Cent’ anni
.” Freddie lifted his
glass.

“Cent’ anni
.” Drew touched his against
Freddie’s.

Kate joined in, having no idea what they were
saying, deciding it must be some old Italian toast.

Drew saw her wrestling with the translation
and whispered, “Hundred years. Did you ever watch
Godfather
II
? It was Michael’s toast. Actually it’s shortened from ‘may
you live one hundred years’.”

“Well, you’ve lived one hundred years but
just didn’t know it.”

Freddie chuckled. “I’m getting close to that
myself.” A shudder went through Kate as he reminded her of her
loss. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t. Kate and I just lost a very
good friend a few weeks ago. She had a very long life and died
peacefully, but was Kate’s best friend.”

“I’m so sorry. Did I know her?”

Kate shook her head. “I don’t think so. She
was a friend from the canyon... Anna.”

“I think I remember you mentioning your
friends during your visit. The other one was Lucinda, I
believe.”

“Yes, great memory, Freddie. She turned out
to be my great-great aunt.”

Freddie was silent for a moment. His gaze
seemed to bore right through Kate. “When you get back home, I want
you to tell Jack he made the right choice--coming to the future,
marrying your mother, having you—all the right choices. There’s an
aura about you, which I never noticed before. It’s as if you were
supposed to be a connection to the past and the present. Life would
certainly be different without you in it.”

Kate recalled a conversation she had with her
father months ago that sounded almost like this one. She certainly
wasn’t special and didn’t know why everyone kept insisting she was.
“Thanks, but I’m just your average teenage girl.”

“Not average at all.” Freddie took her face
in his hands. “
Fiore raro
.”

“We’re here.” Drew pointed out the window.
Kate saw the golden letters spelling out Delmonico’s over a
beautiful, ornate door. As he helped her out of the car, he said,
“Rare flower. Thought you’d like the translation.”

They filed into the dining room and heard a
voice come from the bar. “Papa!”

A gorgeous, young woman with jet black hair
and sparkling chocolate brown eyes came running up to Freddie. Kate
swore it was Maria. From the look on Drew’s face, he thought the
same thing, too.

“Miranda, what a nice surprise!” Freddie
kissed the girl on the cheek. “Drew, Kate, this is my great-great
niece, Miranda Castle.”

“Call me Randi.” She shook both their hands.
“Papa’s the bomb. The coolest and pretty hot, too. Don’t you
agree?”

Miranda seemed a little drunk to Kate, but
she went along with her. “Absolutely.”

“Papa, these people look a little young for
you to be chillin’ with. What’s the story?”

“These are clients who turned into good
friends, Miranda. Perhaps you’d like to get to know them.”

“Sure, later. I’m hanging with some friends
now. I’ll stop at your table later.” Miranda kissed his cheek and
made her way back to the bar.

The trio was shown to their private dining
area and seated. “We’ll try the Gaja Barbaresco, James,” Freddie
said to the waiter. “Steaks all around, but later.”

The waiter seemed to know what Freddie meant
by “steaks all around” so Kate didn’t open the menu. She trusted
Freddie’s judgment. She assumed the Barbaresco was a wine and a
little surprised the waiter didn’t ask for identification.
Shrugging it off, Kate decided to go with it. This was the first
time she’d drink in a public place, but if they didn’t care,
neither would she. Kate planned to enjoy the evening.

“Randi looks so much like Maria I thought it
was her at first.” Kate wanted to find out more about her.

“Doesn’t she? She’s Teresa’s daughter and was
the crisis at the office. Nothing major. Just a little fender
bender.” Freddie acted like it was over and done with, and he took
care of it. “Andrew, our sister’s lineage consists of all girls.
Each generation had just one girl, ending with Miranda. I try to
get Miranda to stop her partying ways and come and work at the
firm, but she wants no part of it.”

“What does she want to do?” Kate asked with
interest.

“Model, be an actress...pipe dreams.”

Freddie sounded so much like Nicolas at that
moment, Kate wanted to scream. Instead she remained outwardly calm
hoping it was because Freddie came from a different generation.
“How old is she?”

“Just turned twenty-one, thus hanging at the
bar.”

“What if you helped her follow her dreams, so
she could see if they work out or not?”

“What a great idea!” Randi’s voice came from
behind Kate. “Uncle Freddie would never go for it. He has a work
ethic and doesn’t consider acting work.”

“She reverts to Uncle Freddie when she’s mad
at me.” He leaned toward Kate like he was telling a secret.

“Freddie.” Drew spoke up. “I think Randi
deserves a chance. Just like the chance you were given.”

“Oh, has Papa told you the boring story about
Lillian Woods? Without her he wouldn’t be where he is today? Blah,
blah, blah.” Randi made an unattractive face.

“Yeah, he has. I think it’d make a wonderful
story. I want to be a writer and would love to write it. I’m in my
first year of college and hate it. It’s not for me...or maybe I
haven’t found the right place for myself.” That was the first time
Kate admitted out loud she didn’t want to continue going to school.
Looking over at Drew, she saw he was stunned.

“I think you and I could be very good
friends.” Randi pulled up a chair and sat next to Kate. “How about
turning your book into a movie, and I could play the part of my
great-grandmother Maria?”

The two girls chatted while Drew and Freddie
held their own conversation. When Randi was ready to leave, she and
Kate exchanged numbers, promising to keep in touch. Kate told her
she’d work on Freddie to be more open to her career choices.

“I owe you, Kate.” She gave Freddie a quick
peck on the cheek and bounced out of the room.

“I like her, Freddie. She has a good head on
her shoulders. You need to support her. Just because she doesn’t
want to be a corporate lawyer or work in your office doesn’t mean
she’s scatterbrained. Her words, not mine.” Kate sipped her wine,
taking in the two brothers, one still a teenager and the other at
the end of his life. The pull inside her and the voice in her head
had stopped. Lillian wanted the reunion more than Kate getting her
royalties. She wanted the brothers to find each other once again.
Kate held up her glass, “To Lillian.”

The brothers joined the toast. “Lillian.”

“I never dreamt our two families were
connected.” Freddie set his glass down. “But Lillian did and never
let on.”

“She was protecting all of us. You, her son,
her granddaughter, even me.” Drew took a breath. “You probably
wouldn’t have believed her if she told you the truth.”

Freddie laughed loudly. “No, I don’t think I
would have. I had enough to deal with back then. Now let’s get down
to business, Kate. While you were visiting with Miranda, Andrew and
I went over the contract details. Even though you’re not married in
the here and now, I assume I had permission to discuss it with
him.”

“Absolutely. One day we will be married.”

“Hopefully, this summer and we want you
there.” Drew still didn’t seem to understand what Kate told
him.

“That’s a little soon.” She gave Drew a
“don’t get your hopes up” look. “But eventually.”

“God willing, I’ll be there.” Freddie called
the waiter over and motioned he was ready for dinner and another
bottle of wine. “So let me summarize what I know. My family thought
Andrew passed away after Thanksgiving, and his bride, Kathryn,
disappeared into thin air.” He took a breath, placing his hand on
his chest. “Still gets to me...sorry.”

“That’s alright, take your time.” Kate
squeezed his arm in support.

Freddie began again after a few sips of wine.
“In reality, Andrew came to the present, which was really the
future to him, to live with Jack Woods and his family. Jack is now
Jackson Roberts who also came to the future to live after marrying
Joanna. They had a child. That’s you, Kate. And you were given the
book to read that took you back to the past.” Freddie started to
chuckle. “If I told anyone that, they’d think I was quite mad and
lock me away. Charlotte would be in charge. We wouldn’t want that
now, would we?”

Drew laughed with him. “I’ve got to meet
Charlotte. She sounds quite interesting.”

“Oh, you will one day, I assure you.” Freddie
patted his brother on the arm. “I like the fact you changed your
last name to Kelly, mother’s maiden name. The women in our lives
have had a big impact on us. Don’t you agree?” He nodded toward
Kate.

“Yes, they have.” Drew tilted his glass in
her direction.

“Now...where was I?” Freddie rubbed his
forehead. “So much to comprehend. I have to let it all sink in.
Let’s see...Kate was to enjoy the summer at the canyon but met
Andrew. You two fell in love. Kate, your love saved him from
traveling down the river on schedule, and Jack was able to rescue
him. The part I still don’t understand is how come it’s always 1927
when you go back? Does that mean Andrew dies over and over again
before you saved him?”

“In our universe, it does,” Kate answered.
“My father went back every year to stop him and never could reach
him in time. We don’t understand it either, Freddie, but it’s a
special place. We’re very protective of that world. We have to be
careful what we do in the past so we don’t change history.”

“That’s a bit of a quagmire, isn’t it? How do
you know what you changed and what you didn’t? Seems like each time
you go back, something new happens. For example...your second trip
to New York. Andrew told me you stayed longer. Things went badly
from what I remember. I was kept in the dark back then but knew how
to sneak around the house without getting caught. I listened to a
lot of conversations I wasn’t supposed to.” He paused and wrinkled
his brow. “As a matter of fact, those memories are so fresh. It’s
as if they just happened.”

Kate and Drew locked eyes, knowing he was
right.

“
They did, Freddie.” Drew explained.
“We found out when we change history, people have new memories.
It’s happened before.”

“Whoa! Give me a minute. You mean a month ago
I didn’t know this?”

“That’s what I’m saying. We just changed
history a few weeks ago.”

Freddie shook his head. “Thank goodness you
got away. After your escape, I was in Father’s offices when I heard
him give the order to find that wretched girl no matter what it
takes.” He abruptly stopped and turned to Kate. “Sorry about that.
Should have kept that to myself.”

Kate patted his hand. “No problem.”

She had memories of hiding in those offices,
too. Overhearing Nicolas rant against her father. The words rang in
her head, “He’s getting too close, asking too many questions. If he
doesn’t stop he’s...”
Morto. Morto.
It felt as if Nicolas
was whispering those words in her ear right at that moment.

“Kate...Kate, are you alright?” Drew had her
by the arm. “I swear you just said
morto
.”

She sat up straight in her seat. “Don’t know
what that means. Was I talking to myself? I’m fine. Just
daydreaming, I guess.”

Dinner arrived, and plates were put in front
of them. Kate looked down at the steak, and although it smelled
wonderful and was probably one of the best she’d ever eat, she lost
her appetite.

Chapter
Twenty

“We’re home!” Kate called out to an empty
house. Drew arranged for transportation because they didn’t know
which flight they’d catch. Now they were walking into an empty
house. “Funny, I thought they’d be here to greet and grill us.”

Drew ran the luggage upstairs as her mom came
in from the garage. “Sorry! I wanted to beat you home. Got hung up
at the college. I may take on more classes next semester.”

“That’s great, Mom.” Kate hugged her.
“Something you wanted to do for a long time. I’m so glad you made
the decision to go for it. Where’s Dad?”

“Said he had some business to take care of at
the canyon. He’s been there while you were gone. He should be back
tomorrow morning.”

“What? Why would he do that? We all agreed
not to go back.”

“To New York, sweetie, not the canyon. He’s
fine. He does it all the time. I think he’s working on a new
book.”

Oh, I bet he’s working on a new book. One
titled ‘The Mob and New York City’ or ‘Nicolas takes over New
York’.
“Not good, Mom. I don’t have a good feeling about
this.”

Kate ran up to her room. Drew was opening her
suitcase and placing it on the bed. “Drew, I have to tell you
something.” Kate decided she’d leave the “killing her father” part
out of the story but had to tell the rest. “Your father threatened
mine. He said Dad was getting too close to the truth.”

“How do you know?”

“I left it out when I told you about Albert.
I was afraid you’d tell my dad. There’s no telling what he would’ve
done while we were still in New York.” Kate sat down in her desk
chair, leaning over the back of it. She took a few breaths to give
herself time to think. How could she word it without causing alarm?
“After Albert was taken away, your father called Sal back into his
office. He told him to watch out for my father. Said he could be
trouble. I don’t like this. Dad’s at the canyon right now.”