Fall (Roam Series, Book Two) (6 page)

I remembered an internet article about the history of downtown Cleveland.
“The Hanna Fountains. Those were removed years ago… water duct issues, freezing and thawing or something… Logan, 1955?” I tried desperately to button my jeans, finally laying back on the bed and pressing speaker phone. “West would be there… the West of 1955, right?”

He was silent for a while. No matter how much I tugged on my jeans, they would not close. “I have an idea, but you have to listen. It’s dangerous, and we’ll need help. It might be impossible.”

Impossible, like squeezing a twelve-week-pregnant abdomen into size one jeans that fit a day ago?
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get him back.”

Logan was silent for a long moment. Finally, he cleared his throat. “I’ll be over in an hour,” he said brusquely.

“I’ll be here.”

I
decided to spend the hour waiting for Logan by preparing my thoughts for the year 1955. The montage scene running through my head was sound-tracked to
Mr. Sandman
, the inevitable outcome of watching
Back to the Future
as many times as I had.

As entertaining as wearing poodle skirts and drinking root-beer floats at the counter of some diner sounded,
I knew the moment we dipped our numbers into the fountain the nostalgic ideas would disappear. We had to have a solid plan in place, and I had only one goal- finding West.

I leaned back on my pillows, cradling my stomach in my hands. When the fatigue washed over me, in
the early afternoon like it was, I knew better than to try to fight it. Closing my eyes, I curled against the pillow.

The nap felt like only minutes. I blinked, recognizing the feeling of fingers touching mine. When I could see him clearly, Logan moved closer, wrapping his arm around my waist as he knelt next to my bed.

“I’m sorry I made the numbers change,” he murmured. I sighed, not quite awake enough to speak. “I can’t believe I forgot it’d happen. I’d never want to hurt you like that, especially now,” he smoothed his hand over my shirt, freely touching my stomach beneath. I moved to stop him, but he turned to me, his dark eyes persuasive. “I just want to touch you. That’s all.”

I held my breath, feeling his fingertips explore my tightening skin through the thin tee-shirt. He gazed at me, heavy-lidded. “I know you love him. I know that,” he whispered, as if reminding himself.

“I do,” I said, my voice wavering.

“
I’ll do everything I can to find him. I promise you,” he stopped his touching, pulling away to stand up. “I owe you that.”

I thought of the intensity in his voice.
He believes he can atone for all of the other lives through this one,
I realized. I stood up slowly, wrapping my arms around him.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“Tomorrow night,” he announced, nodding. “We’ll spend today and tomorrow getting ready, have dinner with my parents, and leave.”

“If only a few minutes pass here, then they’ll never know we left,” I remembered.

“I hope not.”

“I don’t know my name in 1955. West would never tell me every story
about our lives because he didn’t want me to worry…,”

“
He called you… Annie. When I…,” I watched him replay the horrific scene at the gas station in his mind, and I shuddered.

“Don’t. It really doesn’t matter.”

He sat down on the bed next to me, holding my hand. “The restoration of the Peterhof Fountains- the Grand Cascade- was completed in 1950. We’re going to 1955. I’m thinking that… somehow we can…,”

“Go back to Russia,”
my words caught in my throat; I threaded my fingers through his to keep from twisting my hands. “We can go back to 1977- through the fountains again. Logan, you are… I can’t believe I didn’t think… thank you,” I managed, springing to my feet. “We’ll need passports, and money, and…,”

“Roam, it’s not that easy. The state of the United States a
nd Russia was different in the fifties. How different… well, I was hoping you could help with that part.”

I nodded,
quickly gathering my long, chestnut-brown hair into a ponytail and securing it with a holder that I snatched from my night stand. “Yes. Definitely. Um… Eisenhower was president… and he was the Supreme Commander of NATO until 1952. That’s important- he helped create the European-American alliance early in the Cold War. Right after Eisenhower took office, Stalin died- he was the leader of the Soviet Union for over thirty years and…,”

“Cam
,” Logan stood in my pacing path, holding me by the shoulders. “Let’s just work on recreating the… let’s call it the ‘wallet’ that West had. Documents, money, passports that look right.”

“Right… I’m sorry, I’m just so… anxious,” I sighed. “Where are we going to get money, Logan? Money that’s printed- dated- before 1955?”

“Do you think it’ll matter? Who will look at the dates, really?”

“
Cash
looked
different. It wasn’t just the date. Anyone would take a look at our money today and think we’re using counterfeit bills.”

“And if we do a Google-image search, get some heavy bond paper, and just do
some printing and cutting?”

“
And mess with the economy? I feel that’s irresponsible and…,”

“Oh Roam, who
cares
?” He rolled his shoulders and neck, exhaling deeply. “Who
really
cares
? The world is
supposedly
ending if we don’t fulfill this prophecy. If
I
figured this out- the reverse coordinates being another fountain, going to Russia again- it’s only a matter of time before Troy does. If he hasn’t already. I lay awake at night trying not to fall asleep and have nightmares about
killing
you, but all I can worry about at night is
Troy
breaking into your house and
murdering
you.”

I widened my eyes, listening to his tirade.
Did Troy only know about Russia? What if he does know about other fountains- other doors?
I crossed the room to West’s carry-on, dropping to my knees on the soft, beige carpet. “We need to go into West’s house. He may have documents we can use- or money. I… I think he would be okay with us doing this.” I reached into his bag, feeling through his clothes until I found his house keys and wallet. Violet had driven West’s car back to Virginia, and I assumed she still had the vehicle with her.

His scent, fabric softener and after shave, was too tempting for my senses not to seek out. I inhaled deeply, tears burning my eyes.
I can almost feel him here, next to me.

“You’re right- you’re so smart,” he knelt next to me and kissed the top of my head. “I forgot you even had his bag.”

“And his laptop. I haven’t opened it,” I controlled my burgeoning tears, blinking them away. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against his chest.

“Okay?”

“I will be,” I murmured, my fingers skimming across a sapphire blue necktie. “When I have him back.”

“We’ll go to his house tonight. Let’s go downstairs and eat dinner with Morgan and Jason. Morgan was freaked out about your arm, but I promised her I’d check on you and that you were probably fine.”

“Thanks,” I nodded, sniffing. “Alright. Let’s go downstairs.”

“And Cam,” Logan shifted slightly, and I lifted my eyes to his. “If anything is too hard for you, just tell me.”

“
Thanks Rush,
” I nodded, leaning into his hug.

Dinner with Morgan and Jason ended up being a welcome distraction. Jason,
with his mocha skin as smooth as his deep, husky voice, proved to be just as skilled in the kitchen as Morgan. They worked side by side, trading teasing insults and sarcastic jibes. I was sure Morgan was in Flirt-Overdrive.

“Logan, you still planning on the Marines? Even with the baby?” Jason asked, spearing a cherry tomato from his salad with his fork.

I kept my eyes down. “Absolutely. August sixteenth- I leave for boot camp.”

“
And Roam is still going to college. We’re working everything out, aren’t we?” Morgan insisted, looking at me squarely.

“O
f course,” I nodded, moving the spaghetti around on my plate. Glancing at the window behind Morgan, I swallowed hard. “Can you close the blinds, please?”

“I got it,” Logan had them down in a flash, returning to his plate. I could tell the direct shot into our kitchen was bothering him as well.

“Where’s dad?” I shifted nervously in my chair, my back aching.

“He went out.”

Morgan’s eyes met mine.
Is he drinking again?
I asked silently. She shrugged.

“Roam
is dragging me to see
Anna-
Something tonight. I’m trying to convince her to see
Red
Dawn
instead.” Logan touched his knee to mine, and I nodded, wiping my mouth with a paper napkin.

“
Karenina,
” I corrected softly. Shadows moved beneath the slats in the wooden blinds, and I followed them with my gaze.

“
Dude, really. Chris Hemsworth is in
Red Dawn.
No
contest
.” Morgan watched me intently, and then glanced over her shoulder. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing,” I said, too quic
kly. I looked down at my plate. “Well, the movie starts soon. We have to get going.”

“Okay. Logan, please feed her. She hasn’t touched her spaghetti.” She leaned toward an empty chair in the corner of the dining room that was unofficially reserved for our purses. “Do you need money?”

“We’re good.” I tried my best to keep my annoyed comments at bay
. She loves you, she cares about you, let it go.
“You two have fun,” I smiled at Jason, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“
Morgan talked me into shopping with her tonight. Apparently stores are open now through Friday.” He rolled his eyes. “Lord help us.”

“I just have a few stops on my list, and I really want to check out…,”

“Okay, have fun,” I repeated, dumping my plate and rinsing it in the sink.

Logan and I were
on the snowy roads within ten minutes. He adjusted the temperature on his dash, tapping a knob on the passenger’s side. “Turn it down if it gets too hot.”

“I’m freezing, keep it coming,” I chattered, brushing my hands together.

After long minutes of silence, he glanced at me. “You’re shaking. Are you still cold?”

I shook my head, picturing the inside of West’s house in my mind. Vaulted ceilings, stone and oak, massive windows… Everything about the house that he built had his personal touch. I wondered if his bed was still unmade from our hasty departure to North Carolina. “I’m just nervous.”

“It’s just a house.”

“Yeah.”

He sighed. “He really means that much to you,” he said, more to himself than to me. “What convinced you? The dreams? It couldn’t have been the week you spent with him. You’re not that impulsive.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t know, Logan. Maybe it started with the dreams. But I love him, and I can’t change it.”

“Did you ever think that… maybe… it’s the sex? It’s new for you, and you might be confusing lust and love?”

“Hmn, tell me more about this diagnosis, Dr. Rush,” I covered my stomach defensively.

He tapped his turn signal, lifting his eyebrows to glance at me while we waited for the light to turn green. “I think you should sleep with me, and then decide.”

“Ha.” My hands clamped together like industrial-sized magnets. “Funny.”

“Funny, like interesting theory? Or funny, like clown?”

“This conversation is over.”

“You’ll have to help me with the road, I can’t remember which one it is,” he leaned forward slightly in his seat, peering out the window.

I didn’t want to admit I’d driven past his house at least a dozen times in the past few months. Once, I saw a truck parked in the overgrown driveway with a splashy detail across the door that read
Erie Property Management.
Obviously, West had had the forethought to maintain his property for an extended period of time…

Or forever.

“Left up here.”

He pulled off the road and turned, crawling up the driveway. “Someone’s taking care of the place?”

“I think it’s a property management company.”

“Then, he knew he’d be gone for a while.” Logan put the car into park, turning to look at me in the darkness. “
He knew you’d be left here… alone.”

“Or he thought we’d be together,” I snapped, opening the car door and stepping into a half an inch of new snow. “Knock it off.”

Walking to the front door, I easily slipped the key into the lock and turned. Logan moved in front of me. “Let me go in first. Just in case.”