Stranger on the Shore (32 page)

Sarah looked at him, dazed, still caught in the whirlpool of sensation he created each time he touched her. "This week? But Jordan, I have to be in St. Louis in two weeks."

"I know, love. If we get married this week we should be able to squeeze in a week's honeymoon. I've already got a hold on a large apartment. I'll think it'll do. It's not far from your school. But if you don't like it, we'll find another one."

Sarah looked at him, disbelief, then wonder, showing in her expressive eyes.

He groaned. "Am I going too fast? Do you want a big wedding?" He sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to bulldoze you. I like your family. I want them to like me. It's just—I want you so much and I don't think they'd approve of us living together without making it legal. But if you want more time, or a big wedding, somehow I'll manage to wait.

"I don't care about a big wedding. But how about you?" Sarah couldn't suppress the doubt in her voice. "You'll be off on another story somewhere. I'm committed to teaching next year."

"I'll be staying with you. In St. Louis. Dear heaven, do you think I'd let you out of my sight after what's happened? Sarah, you are the most important part of my life. I've always traveled because I had nothing better to do. Now, I do."

"But—but what will you do? How can you work if you stay in St. Louis?" Sarah held her breath.

"I've got a book contract that will keep me busy for most of the year. After that we'll plan what to do next. Together. We'll also have the year to build our house. It will always be here, waiting for us to come home no matter what else we decide."

"Here? We're going to build a house here? In Mountain Springs?" Suddenly she understood. "You! You bought the Caldwell place!"

"Of course I did. It was the perfect solution. We get our dream house. Aunt Cinda gets her new cabin. T.J. gets his horse ranch and—"

Sarah tried to understand what he was saying, but too much was happening too fast. "Cabin? You mean—"

The cabin down by the main road. That's okay, isn't it? I thought it would be close enough to keep an eye on her and yet she'd have her privacy. Didn't she tell you?"

"Tell me?" Sarah was now completely bewildered. "You mean she knew? But how? She described her new cabin at the picnic. I thought that was the first time you met."

"It was. Aunt Cinda dreamed up her cabin without any help from me. But after she described it, it seemed like a good idea. I went to see her after we got back from Eureka Springs."

"You were awful sure of yourself."

Jordan raked his hand through his hair in the nervous gesture she'd come to recognize. "No, I wasn't. I was desperate. And I knew what I wanted. You."

He rushed on, afraid to give her a chance to interrupt. "I hoped, if I showed you I could help you, it would count in my favor. The cabin's a business proposition—it and the half-acre lot in exchange for Aunt Cinda's forty-acres. With the timber, that's a fair exchange. She'll be close to family, but still have her own place complete with porch swing, and a bright red front door. It's designed as low-vision friendly, no steps, lots of build-ins and I've ordered a voice activated telephone system for her. I don't know about a cell phone. I know you don't have cell coverage on the farm. T.J.'s paying a fair price for his horse ranch too. Please Sarah, don't be upset. I was only trying to help."

"Upset! Oh, Jordan, it's perfect." She stretched to find his lips. "I love you," she whispered against his mouth. She felt the leashed hunger in his touch as once again she lost herself in the magic of his kiss. She had a fleeting moment to wonder if Jordan had any idea how large a wedding her family could arrange in three days.

It was the last coherent thought for a long, long time.

The End

Want more from Carol Duncan Perry?

Page forward for an excerpt from

WINGS OF TIME

Excerpt from

Wings of Time

by

Carol Duncan Perry

WINGS OF TIME

Reviews & Accolades

"...an entertaining, well written story that catapults the heroine, and the reader, into the world of Al Capone and Bugs Moran, speakeasies, and 'Yes, Sir, that's my baby'.

~Author Meg Chittenden

"...4+ Stars! A top-notch time-travel romance with a delicious 'duel of hearts' between two strong-willed lovers."

~Romantic Times

"...enthralling from the first page. Excellent!

~Rendezvous

After a day spent mostly in bed, in a borrowed nightshirt, Libby decided it was time to investigate this new world. Besides, she was tired of dragging a blanket around with her every time she crawled out from under the covers.

Once dressed, she wandered into the parlor and, surprised to see Shamus still home reading the paper, started to retreat. As she stepped backwards, he looked up to see her in the doorway. She felt the heat rise in her face as his eyes traveled over her, resting briefly on the stretched front of her borrowed shirt before traveling slowly down her breeches to her brightly polished bare toenails.

"That won't do," he said gruffly. "You can't go out of the house like that, not wearing trousers."

"As it happens, I don't feel like going out of the house," Libby said, "but at least it's better than a night shirt. Besides, it's your fault my blouse is ruined."

She took a deep breath. "You ought to be ashamed, you know," she began, "getting mixed up with a bunch of gangsters. And that reminds me, whatever made you tell the doctor I was your cousin?"

"I had to give him some reason for you to be here," Shamus said, the expression in his eyes testifying to his discomfort. "Nice girls don't—I mean... Well, Saints help me, ladies don't stay in a gentleman's home. They don't go around flying aeroplanes or getting shot, either," he added in what seemed to Libby to be an afterthought.

"Humph," Libby snorted. "Since I am here, and I do fly airplanes, and I was shot, I guess that means I'm not a lady, right?"

"I didn't say that and I didn't mean... Oh, hell, I mean heck. Look Libby, you know this isn't exactly a usual situation."

"Never mind," Libby told him. She hadn't meant to get sidetracked onto that conversation anyway.
 

"So," she said, "did you get your misunderstanding with Zeke cleared up? What does he have to say about losing his airplane? Does he know you have a bunch of bootleggers after you?"

The surprise on Shamus's face would have been comical if the look in his eyes had not been so fierce.

"How did you know about Zeke? Or maybe you were working with him. Is that why you turned up at that field so conveniently?" He took a step toward her.

Libby unconsciously retreated a step. Dear heaven, what had she said to make him so mad?

He covered the space between them and had a restraining hold on her arm almost before Libby realized he was moving.

"Oh, no, you don't. No running away. I want to know how you knew about Zeke."

Libby rarely lost her temper. Right now she knew she was very close to doing so. She stiffened under his hold, letting her eyes drop to his hand on her arm for a moment before looking angrily into his face.