“You’re too close and too emotional. I’ve never seen your emotions so close to the surface before. Tell us about your knight.”
“He’s not my knight, but he’s handsome as anything and brave and funny and clever and kind.”
“Sounds like you’ve fallen for the guy,” Garrett said, eyeing Bree intently.
“I’m not in love with him, I just like him, is all.”
“If you say so.” He gazed at her arm. “Ouch, that looks sore. I’ll ring Doctor Carrie.”
“No, it’s fine, just bruised.” She wondered then how Horland was doing. If he fell into a trap, there’d be no one to help him out. Now that she had the orb back, she should go back and make sure he’s safe. No, she could change the settings and go back to when she should have the first time. And that would be twenty years after Garlain returned to Pradwick. That way Garlain and everyone else in that time would have aged the same as she had. Maybe then he would believe she was his daughter.
“I thought I’d try to change the orbs’ settings, so I turn up in the right era this time.”
She went to pick up the orb from the bed but cried out. “Ow.”
Garrett plucked the white orb up. “Not now, you don’t. You can’t go back there until you heal. The people of that time apparently like traps, and I doubt that would have changed after twenty-odd years.”
“Garrett’s right,” Laura said. “You can set the orbs anytime, but right now, you need to heal and,” she eyed Bree from head to toe, “eat. You’ve lost weight.”
Bree looked down at her torn dress. “Nothing like a strollthrough the forest to eat up all those pancake calories I consumed before I left.”
HAVING DECIDED TO WAITuntil her arm healed, Bree spent the next few days spending time outdoors among the flower and vegetable gardens under the big blue sky and enjoying Garrett and Laura’s company. They were tired of waiting for their baby girl to be born, and poor Laura had just about had enough of waddling around and straining to get out of every seat she sat in.
But they weren’t too tired to notice Bree’s red eyes every morning, and that morning was no different.
“Where’s Garrett?” Bree asked as she sat at the kitchen table.
“Out riding,” Laura said as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of Bree. “You’ve been crying again.”
Bree shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
“There’s nothing to decide. I have to go back to when Dad will believe I’m his daughter.”
Laura pushed her shiny brown hair away from her face and eyed Bree. “I don’t know, Bree, your aunt and uncle must have had a reason to send you back when they did. Maybe Garlain is smarter than you think—maybe he can believe and understand that you had aged in your time where he hadn’t in his.”
“I doubt it.”
“Maybe Mark and Dianne wanted you to meet Horland at the time you did, maybe that’s the real reason they sent you back then. After all, we were all part of their machinations, and we all came out of them not only healthier and wiser, but happier than we ever were before they interfered.”
Bree knew she was right, at least where her cousins were concerned, but something told her that wasn’t why she was sent back to when she would meet Horland. She just wished she knew the answer.
“I don’t think a relationship between me and Horland is written in the stars. I have the oddest feeling it’s all about my father. No, I have to go back to when we have both lived through our grief for my mother, and that means twenty years after Horland and I met.”
“But he’ll be old, and he won’t even remember you.”
A lump caught in Bree’s throat. “I know.”
Laura slid back her chair and, putting both hands palm down on the table, hauled herself up onto her feet. “Ugh, I hope I’ll have this baby sooner rather than later.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“She should make an appearance anytime soon.”
Bree leaned toward her stomach and raised her voice. “Hurry up, little one, I want to see you before I go.”
Laura laughed. “Well that should make her sit up and listen.”
