Up ahead, she spotted a clearing in the trees that flanked the road. She stopped, got out of the car, and walked to them. The road ran high over a small hill, and down in the valley below, she saw a village. She observed for a while, trying to absorb every detail.
She saw no cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. She saw only carriages, horse carts, and some people riding horses. No electrical posts. No lighted signs on the businesses. The people were all dressed in period costumes. The scene resembled a theme park designed to look like nineteenth century England.
But this was no theme park. Being from Florida, she had grown up going to theme parks. A park might recreate the look of the eighteen hundreds, but it would still employ modern inventions. They would have electrical lights and rides and tourists mingling with the costumed employees. This was real. The conclusion was inescapable. But impossible.
She turned around. Her unfocused gaze settled on Dale, who was just a few steps behind her. The implications of her situation hit her all at once, like a cannonball. She was completely stranded and alone. She had no family, no friends, no home, no money. She was nobody. She was in a strange world, and she didn’t have the faintest idea how she got here, or how to go back.
“I am really lost now,” she whispered.
The edges of her vision started to darken, her heart beat too fast, and fear as she had never felt before suffocated her. The world seemed to be spinning too quickly, the ground falling beneath her feet. With the last shred of consciousness, she felt strong arms grasp her—Dale—catching her before she hit the ground as she fainted once again.
She came to her senses slowly, the strong smell of lavender and alcohol stinging her nose. Dale’s worried face hovered above her. She was inside the car, laying across the back seats, her back supported in his arms as he cradled her in a half sitting position while he waved her hand sanitizer under her nose.
“Thank God you are awake,” he said. “How do you feel?”
“Fine.” She started to sit up, and he helped her to recline against the backrest. Then he half turned in the seat to look at her.
“You don’t look fine. Do you faint often?”
She had to smile at that. “I had never fainted in my life before yesterday. But then I had never been transported back in time and left stranded in a strange place.”
His understanding gaze saw too much. The sincerity and kindness in the blue depths was too much to bear, and she had to look away before she broke down again.
“Do not worry Olivia. You may be in a strange place, but you certainly are not alone. I don’t know how you got here, or how to get you back to your time, but I will help you in any way I can.”
His presence and calm manner made her feel safe. He was like a wall protecting her from the tempest of fear raging just a few steps behind her. Wanting to consume her.
“Thank you.” She had an urgent overwhelming need to be held, but was ashamed to ask. They were near strangers, but oh God, how she needed a hug! She drew her legs up and hugged them, curling in on herself since she couldn’t bring herself to ask for the embrace she desperately needed.
He seemed to understand, though. Wordlessly, he put an arm around her shoulders, holding her to his side.
It was all the invitation she needed. With a sob, she turned and threw her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest. Holding on tightly as if she were drowning, and he was the only thing keeping her afloat. Both of his arms came around her then, and he made soothing circles on her back. Holding her while she fell apart and cried her fear out.
Little by little, she regained her composure. Her situation was dire, but at least she wasn’t alone. Thank God for Dale, who seemed not only willing but able to help her. He appeared the most capable and solid man she had ever known, and he inspired so much trust. Which was strange because she scarcely knew him. But she sensed honor and strength at the very center of his character. This was a man of his word. Reliable. Trustworthy and kind. So kind. He had been so patient with her.
“Should we go home now?” he asked quietly.
“Home.” The mere word caused a deep pang of longing that threatened to crush her chest. “If only I could. But I don’t know how to get back to my home.”
“Then my home will be your home.”
Such a simple statement. Such a big promise. Stunned, and more than a little awed at his generosity, she looked up at his eyes.
He regarded her tenderly, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was a light kiss, a mere brush of lips, undemanding and brief. More comforting than passionate. Yet his lips were warm and soft and the contact spread warmth all through her body. Oh, he was good. And he pulled away too soon after that fleeting contact. She couldn’t bear that. She wanted more, leaned in... and found emptiness.
