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It worked out that Megan didn’t have to eat mongoose or lizard after all.
After they’d dressed, she’d strolled through the woods with Carter, helping him gather berries and fruits and then, satisfied with their find, they’d headed back to their settlement, happy to flop down on the grass and devour their feast.
“You got away this time,” Carter told her. “If we were going to stay here any longer than another day or two, you would definitely need protein. Like it or not, mongoose would be on the menu.”
She grimaced. “Isn’t that a kind of weasel?”
“What? Got something against weasels?” Then he grinned. “Or maybe lizards are your thing.”
She shot him a cutting glare. “Will you get serious? It’s almost sunset. Shouldn’t we be talking about our plan to get back to the ship?”
Looking apologetic, Carter gave her a rueful grin and nodded. “You’re right. This is not the time to be horsing around.”
By the time they’d finished their discussion, they had a clear plan of action. In the dark of night while the pirates were busy cavorting with women of the town they would make their way back to the spot where they’d hidden the boat. They would stealthily row out to the ship then use the ropes they’d left dangling, to sneak back on board.
Until then, though, they would just have to bide their time. It would not make sense to go into the town while it was still bustling.
As the sun sank and the sky grew dark, Megan shifted closer to Carter, seeking solace in the size and strength of him. It was disconcerting, being there in the woods, shrouded in the shadows of night. But, with Carter close by, she would be brave. He was strong and he was fearless and, even more important, he was protective of her. The way he looked out for her, she had little doubt that he cared.
The thought gave her a moment of pause. The man - his arms wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her warm - how much did he actually care? Was she being too optimistic to think he might actually...love her?
She thought about it some more then she gave herself a mental shake. No, she’d never been an optimist and she wasn’t about to start now. Carter had admonished her to look on the bright side but how could she when, from her personal experience, it was so much safer to be prepared for the worst? That way, you would never get hurt.
The memories washing over her, Megan sighed.
Carter’s arms tightened around her shoulder. “Something wrong?” His voice was tinged with concern.
She shook her head, but then she made a liar of herself when she sighed again.
Carter squeezed her shoulder again. “Come on, Megan. There’s something on your mind. Speak.”
It was an order and, like she’d been waiting for this excuse to unburden her mind, she obeyed. “Carter,” she said softly, “you’d told me to stop being such a pessimist, to look on the bright side...but it’s hard.”
There was a second of silence, like he was waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, he spoke. “Why is that?”
She drew in a shallow breath. “It’s hard because, no matter how hard I try, I’m always messing things up.”
This time his question came quickly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She shrugged. “You’ve seen me in action. It’s because of me that we’re in this mess. I was the one who flipped the switch that shot us all the way back into the past.”
Carter shook his head. “It was an accident. It could have happened to either one of us.”
She was next to shake her head. “These things never happen to you, Carter. Only me.” Then she chuckled softly. “The story of my life.”
“Meaning?” He sounded confused, but it was clear he was also curious.
Megan grimaced. She’d never shared her secrets before, not even to people she considered her friends, but somehow she knew she could trust Carter with that private side of her. More than that, she would trust him with her life.
Her mind made up, she began to speak. “It seems like I always look on the sorry side of things, but I have good reason.” Wanting to fully focus on what she was saying, she shifted away, letting her hand slide off his arm. It was feeling too good, having him holding her like that, but she wanted no distractions. “It all started when my parents got a divorce. It was my fault.”
His response did not surprise her. “That’s a common reaction from the children caught up in a divorce but I’m sure you know that’s not true.”
“In my case, it is.”
“How so?”
“My dad told me so.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then he spoke. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, he did.” Megan was not going to back down on that one. “He wanted my older brother, but he didn’t want me.”
“Why wouldn’t he want you?”
“After my brother, he told my mother they couldn’t afford any more children. He’d lost his job at General Electric and he was having a hard time finding another. He felt like he couldn't afford a bigger family.” She grimaced. “And then my mom got pregnant.”
“He couldn’t handle it?”
“First, he blamed her for letting it happen and then he told her to terminate the pregnancy. She refused.” She sighed. “From what I heard, things went downhill from there.”
She heard his soft growl. “That’s rough. I’m sorry, Megan.”
She laughed softly, but it was a bitter laugh. “But that’s not all. I almost killed my brother.”
“Sorry...what?”
“It was a car accident. He asked me to come pick him up from a party where he’d been drinking. On the way home I lost control of the car. I’d hit a patch of black ice. I got off with scratches and bruises but Brandon ended up having to do two surgeries on his left leg. He never fully recovered. He walks with a limp to this day.” Her heart squeezing inside her chest, she drew in a shuddering breath. “He was only twenty-six when it happened. Now, he’s disabled...because of me.”
She was surprised when Carter reached out and took her hand. He squeezed it. “Did you ever stop to think you may have saved his life? If he’d taken that road himself things might have turned out far worse.”
His words made her ponder that possibility. It was a thought that had never crossed her mind.
Then, not ready to let herself off the hook, she continued. “But that’s not all, Carter. I seem to be the cause of so much bad luck. It’s because of me that my mom is stuck taking blood pressure medications. The doctor says she’ll have to take them for the rest of her life.”
“How is that your fault?”
“It was after Brandon’s accident that mom’s health began to deteriorate. It had a huge impact on her health. She just couldn’t deal with her son losing his strength and mobility, and at such a young age.” She shrugged. “Again, my fault.”
This time, Carter did not answer.
Wanting to convince him, she pressed on. “And then, after doing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees and then my PhD I got stuck with a ton of student loans, so much that I couldn’t help my mom as much as I wanted to. I’m helping her, of course, but I wanted her to retire in style. You know, the works - Caribbean cruises, resort vacations, all that good stuff. I haven’t been able to send her on even one cruise yet. Not one.” She snorted in disgust at herself.
She was surprised when, instead of words of support, Carter cut her off. “Enough.” It was a sharp reprimand that made her jump. “You’ve had a whale of a time feeling sorry for yourself but enough is enough.”
“Feeling sorry for myself?” She couldn’t believe he’d said that.
“That’s what I said.” His confirmation was given without apology. “Your negative outlook on life is deliberate. You’re the one who keeps putting yourself down. You survived divorce and made your mom proud. You have a PhD in Atomic Physics. You’re in a select group, Megan. You saved your brother’s life and now you’re taking care of your mom. Don’t worry about the cruises. The important thing is, you’re there for her. Now, stop beating yourself down and do me a favor.”
Contrite, she glanced over at him. “What favor?”
“Say these words three times. I love myself. Out loud.”
“What? What kind of kooky thing is that to do?” Megan couldn’t believe she was getting such silly instructions from a respected scientist.
“Just do it, will you? It’s only three words. Humor me.”
Her first response was to set her mouth in a pout but when he sat there, waiting in silence, she relented. “All right,” she said grudgingly. She drew in her breath then let it out on a resigned sigh. “I love myself. I love myself. I love myself.” It made her feel so silly but, to her surprise, it also made her feel better. It actually made her feel lighter, like she was lifting a load off her shoulders. It felt so good, she decided to do it again. “I love myself, I love myself, I love myself.” The last words led into a little laugh.
“Now give yourself a hug,” Carter said.
“Excuse me?”
“Just do it.”
She did, wrapping her arms around her own body. It made her realize something else. The words, those expressions of love for self, had made her feel good. The hug made her feel even better.
Soon, Megan found herself laughing for no apparent reason. “I love myself, I love myself, I love myself.” She sang the words, hugging herself, laughing the whole time.
“And I love you.”
Megan’s laughter came to a screeching halt. She blinked then peered over at Carter. “What did you say?”
Silence. Then Carter spoke, his voice guarded, almost defensive. “Nothing.” Then he turned and lay down on the grass, his back to her. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll have to be ready to move in the wee hours of morning.”
Not saying a word, she curled up on the grass behind him, her mind going a mile a minute. Had she imagined it, that he’d said he loved her? Could she be that lucky, for this man who’d carved out a place in her heart, to have feelings for her, too?
But then she bit her lip and closed her eyes. No, that would be too good to be true. There was no way she could be so lucky that things would work out in her favor. She’d never been lucky in her life. Why would luck start smiling down on her now?
That resolved in her mind, Megan satisfied herself with the puny pleasure of moving a little bit closer to Carter and promptly fell asleep.
***
Carter could no longer deny his love for Megan. His darned mouth had let loose and let him down in the worst way. Damn!
He could have sat there for hours, just watching his sweetheart sleep. His lips softened in a secret smile. Sweetheart. Megan would probably kill him if she found out that was the way he thought of her.
As much as he enjoyed watching her, though, now was not the time. It was time to move. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Megan,” he said softly, “wake up.” Not wanting to startle her, he made sure to make his movements gentle.
“Hmm?” She blinked, then put a hand up to rub her eyes. She blinked again then peered up at Carter. “What is it?”
“Time to go,” he said softly. “Time to head for the boat.”
Her eyes widened then she sat up. “It’s time to go? Already? It feels like I just fell asleep.”
He gave her a gentle smile. “We’ve been asleep almost seven hours. We’ve got to make our move before day breaks.”
She nodded. “Of course.” Immediately, she tucked her legs beneath her and stood up. When she swayed, he put a hand out to steady her. “Thanks.” She gave him a grateful smile.
With her now wide-awake, Carter was ready to go. Taking her hand, he ducked his head to avoid the low-lying limbs and, keeping his eyes strained on the distant signal from the lighthouse in the harbor, he headed toward the seashore.
Stumbling in the dark as they were, it took them over an hour to get close enough to hear the waves washing onto the beach. Slowly, stealthily, they crept closer to the town. At this early hour Port Royal was asleep, which was both a blessing and a curse. They moved swiftly through the silent seventeenth century city, relieved that no-one was in sight, but also conscious that if they made any sound, if one of the street dogs decided to raise an alarm in the shadowy silence, they would be toast.
They were almost at the spot where they’d hidden the boat when Megan heaved a sigh, relief washing over her. She soon realized she’d sighed her relief too soon. At the sight of a light moving toward them, she gripped Carter’s arm, making him come to a halt.
“What is it?” he whispered, his voice tinged with impatience.
“That light,” she whispered, and pointed toward it.
It was some distance away. Carter didn’t answer right away but when he did, it was with a groan. “Pirates,” he said, his voice tight. “There are two of them in a boat, rowing toward shore.” As he blew out a puff of breath his nostrils flared. “They’re heading right for our spot where we hid the boat.”
“What if they see it?”
“If they do, they’ll probably recognize it as theirs.” He grimaced. “Just pray that they don’t.”
“What do we do now?”
“We stay in the shadows and wait.”
“How long?”
“As long as it takes for them to be gone.” He gritted his teeth. “But it had better be soon. The sun isn’t going to stay in bed forever.”
The closer the light came, the farther they retreated, till they’d backed all the way up the beach and into the curtain of bushes. From there, they peered out at the pirates, one of them holding a lantern while the other rowed. It was some minutes before they coasted into shore, hopped out and beached the boat.
But then, instead of taking off, the two men took seats on the sand, looking like they would be comfortable to stay there all day. What the heck?
It was not long before the men began to speak. In the stillness of the night their voices carried up the beach.
“Where she be?” asked the first one, the larger of the two.
“Soon,” said the second. He was peering toward the town. Although the shadows of the night still covered the beach, the faint light of the half-moon revealed a face that was far from confident.
“The cap’n said to stay on the ship.” It was the first one who spoke again.
“I know, but I cannot come to Port Royal and not hold my beloved.”
“I hope she be worth it.”
“Aye, she be.”
There was silence after that, both men seeming to be lost in thought. It was the big one who broke the silence.
“If we be caught, it be the plank for us.”
“Aye.” One word, said in a voice so resigned that Carter almost felt sorry for the guy.
The bigger man, clearly the older of the two, did not seem to share that compassionate sentiment. “The only reason I be with ye,” he growled, “is because ye be my kin. This be madness.”
The younger man heaved a sigh. “My father, I know it is, but I must see her.”
There was more growling on the part of the older man and then he got up. “She comes not. We must go in search of her.”
The younger man’s voice was breathless. “Be that wise? The cap’n and the men are scattered all over Port Royal.”
“Her cottage. You know it, do you not?”
“Yes.” His voice faltered as he said the word.
“Then we go there. If you must see her, we see her now before the cap’n and the crew rise. We must be back on board the ship before they return.”
“Aye.” The younger man made no objection, an indication of his eagerness to see his girl.
A minute later, they were walking up the beach, heading toward the town.
Megan touched Carter’s arm. “Should we go now?” Her voice was shaking.
He placed his hand over hers, hoping that would calm her. “Not yet,” he said softly. “We’ve got to wait until they’ve gone some distance away. We can’t afford for them to hear our boat scraping on the sand.”
“Okay.” She dragged the word out, clearly disappointed in his response, but at least she didn’t put up a fight.
She sat back down on the sand, still hidden by the bushes. “Carter?”
“Yes?”
“What if we never make it back? What if we’re stuck here forever?”
His heart ached for her. He could hear the fear in her voice but, as much as he wanted to reassure her, he could not lie to her. He squeezed her hand. “We will do everything in our power to make it back...but whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”
She was digging her fingers into his arm now. “But what if we get stuck-”
“Have faith, Megan. I know you’re the eternal pessimist but sometimes you’ve got to drop your doubts and fears and just focus on your goal.”
“But what if it doesn’t work?”
“Then, like I said, we deal with whatever comes our way.” Beginning to get annoyed by her insistence, he decided to lay it all out in the open. He was done coddling her. “We’ve got three possibilities. We get back to the ship and down to the hold in time to make it back to 2030 or we don’t make it back and we get stuck here.”
Her mouth set in a thin line, she frowned up at him. “And the third possibility?”
“We’re caught and, quite possibly, killed.” It was after he said the words that he realized how brutal he was being. Megan was scared enough already. There was no need to make things worse.
Taking her hand, he drew her back down to the ground. “Megan,” he said, “listen to me. I will do everything in my power to protect you. I will give...” He paused then swallowed the words, choosing instead to pull her close. He’d been about to say, I’ll give my life for you. He meant every word, but the last thing he wanted to do was muddle her mind at that moment. He needed her mind clear and in control.
He decided to take another angle. “If we don’t make it back to our time, I will help you make a meaningful life right here. I give you my word.”
The gaze Megan raised to him spoke volumes. Instead of fear and resignation he saw gut and determination. His girl was ready to give it her all.
“Just tell me what to do,” she said. “I’m ready to roll.”
He grinned back at her. “That’s my girl.”
After waiting ten minutes more, Carter quickly hid the boat left by the pirates then led the way over to theirs. Slowly, they slid it out from its hiding place in the bushes and gingerly dragged it out to the water. They would have to move quickly, before the early rising fishermen came down to the beach. By that time, they wanted to be long gone.
They didn’t start rowing immediately, choosing instead to let the little boat drift out to sea. Then, as soon as they were some distance away from the shore, they started to row, moving swiftly, never stopping until the boat was bumping against the barnacled side of the ship.
“I wonder if they were the only ones left on board?” Megan whispered.
“Hope so. The only one who should still be on board is Emmanuel. He said they usually leave him behind.”
Her mouth set in a determined pout, she nodded. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Pleased with the obvious change in her frame of mind, Carter reached out and grabbed the rope they’d used for their escape, the same one that would now take them back on board and, hopefully, back to civilization.
Holding the boat steady, Carter let Megan climb out ahead of him. Gripping the rope, she began a slow crawl up the side of the ship. He gave her a healthy head start, long enough to ensure that she was secure, and then he began his climb, keeping as close to her as he could, ready to catch her if she slipped.
They were making progress, slow but sure, when something told Carter to glance up. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat. There was a man staring down at them and it was not Emmanuel.