Halfway down the beach, the skies darkened, clouds rolling in, and the winds kicked up, swirling around them as she held tight to his arm, the ends of the scarf she’d tied around her hair blowing into her face. The sea turned angry, waves crashing against the shore with a deafening boom.
What made him look to the water’s edge, Callan couldn’t say, almost wished he had kept his gaze firmly on the sky, but there it was, a glint in the water.
He stooped, his jeans soaked to mid-calf, fingers closing around a small, cold object. As he straightened, his face blanched, the color draining from his cheeks. In his palm lay an old coin, the markings unmistakable—’twas from his own time.
The air crackled with energy, an unseen force tugged at his very being, beckoning him back to the 14th century, back to where he belonged.
Memories of his first journey through time flooded his thoughts. The disorientation, the fear, the sense of being ripped from everything he knew.
But this time ’twas different. For instead of darkness and silence, Callan found himself at a crossroads. The choice was his to make.
Return to his own time, to Blackford Castle and his newfound brother where he could build a life, the past a familiar comfort. Or he could stay, in this odd and wondrous future with Daisy, the woman who had captured his heart and shown him the true meaning of home. She was his family. All he needed in this world.
When he blinked, the clouds had vanished, sun shining down upon them, as a gentle breeze touched his skin.
Daisy’s face was pale as she watched him with wide eyes, trembling.
“Callan, you... you faded. I watched you disappear. But you’re still here. What happened?”
When he turned to embrace her, the coin fell, forgotten, carried away by the gentle waves, as he swept her up in his arms.
“I had to choose. Stay here or go back.” He held her tighter, feeling the panic running through her.
“You are my home. My family. I love ye, Daisy, and I will until my dying breath.”
Without another word, Callan leaned in slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, the two of them drawn together by an unbreakable thread. The world seemed to hold its breath as their lips met, the kiss tender and filled with a promise of something deeper.
The sensation was overwhelming. The last of the terror faded away, replaced with excitement and anticipation as Callan looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in all the world.
He pulled her closer, holding her in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather. Then his lips met hers, warm and soft, the taste of the sea on his skin, the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm.
Daisy felt as if she were melting into him, the kiss deepening as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. The world around them faded. They were together.
He chose her. Nothing else mattered.
When they finally broke apart, she was glad to see he was as breathless as she as they stood there, waves whispering their secrets at their feet.
Soon the sounds of people returning to the beach after the storm had them blinking, coming back to the present as he smiled at her, gently setting her on her feet.
Hand in hand, they turned away from the ocean, their steps sure and steady as they made their way back to the camper van, back to the life they had created together.
The fates had offered Callan a choice, and he made it without hesitation. His future, his heart, belonged here, with her, forevermore.
EPILOGUE
Ayear later…
There wasn’ta cloud in the sky as Callan walked with Daisy along the shore, waves lapping at their bare feet. Now and then, she’d bend over to pick up a shell or an interesting rock. Personally, Callan thought all the rocks looked the same.
“Daisy, what are you going to do with all those rocks and shells?” Callan bent over, picked up a pink tinged shell that reminded him of her cheeks when she was embarrassed, handing it to her.
“Pretty.” She tucked it in the pocket of her blue and white sundress. “Right now, I put them in a big glass jar and look at them. At some point I might do something with them. Who knows?”
Callan chuckled. “As ye say, love.”
There were plenty of people out enjoying the day, more coming every week with it being the middle of the high season, though nothing like Myrtle Beach.
“Remember our trip to Myrtle Beach last week? The traffic made it feel like we were back in Washington.”
