Ride The Wild Wind (Time Travel Historical Romance) (2 page)

“I don’t freaking
believe this! Damn it!”

She had the odd
sensation she’d either awakened from a dream, or she’d been knocked unconscious
and was in a coma. For a split second the disturbing idea she’d died flitted
through her mind.

She glanced down
at herself, smoothed her hands over her arms and body to make certain nothing
was broken or bleeding. Not a wrinkle on her blouse. Not a drop of blood
anywhere. A miracle considering her car had been crunched to oblivion. A car
that had now vanished.

A grandmotherly
voice, as thick as slow and thick as molasses came from behind.

Halle spun around
to face an African-American woman who was dressed in a gauzy blue gown. Wavy,
waist length silver hair fluttered behind her in the breeze. Had she seen the
accident and come to help?

She studied the
kind, grandmotherly face. A mist of soft gold ringed the woman’s body. The
scent of peppermint wafted past. An image flashed through Halle’s mind. She was
four years old and at the shopping mall. People scurried past, bright holiday
packages tucked beneath their arms. A soft-spoken older woman in a pink fuzzy
sweater tried to comfort her with a peppermint stick.
The day my mother
disappeared.

Halle’s breath
caught.
The lady in the pink sweater
. “I know you.”

The kind-faced
woman smiled. “Yes, Halle. I’m Stella. We’ve met before, but it’s been a long
time since we last spoke. You’re all grown up now.”

Thinking she was
dreaming, Halle clenched her eyes shut and willed herself to awaken. She
counted to ten but found the Stella woman still there when she opened her eyes.
This could only mean one thing.

“Did I croak?”

The woman
chuckled. “Croaked? Now there’s a word I haven’t heard in a few decades. No,
you’re not dead. Not exactly.”

 Not exactly?
What the hell kind of answer was that? Although she was relieved to discover
she wasn’t dead, it came with a caveat? She swallowed the hard lump of fear
that threatened to choke her. “Okay, then if I’m not dead is this a dream? It’s
a hallucination? I’m in a coma, right?”

“This is no dream,
baby, and no coma. You’re very much alive, just temporarily suspended.”

Suspended? She
didn’t like the direction this conversation was turning. Nope, not one bit.
 She drew in a steadying breath, preparing herself for her next question.
“Okay. Let me get this straight. I’m not dead.”

“Correct,” Stella
reassured her.

Halle gestured to
the darkness around them. “But where’s my car? It was here a moment ago. How
did it vanish?” She plucked at her blouse. “And do you see this? I walked away
from a major accident without a scratch. This has to be a dream. You’re my
nurse, right? I’m in a hospital and the meds are making me hallucinate?”

“You’re on the
bridge between the present and the past.”

Halle took a step
back and threw up her hands. “Okay. You know, lady, this conversation has
deteriorated big time. I’m either having a hallucination or I’m in a coma. Now
I just have to wake up.” She smacked her cheeks with her palms, a bit too hard
when she felt the sting.

Stella woman shot
her a look. “Quit beating yourself up, Halle. Heaven knows you do enough of
that already.” She extended a hand. “Come with me. We only have a short time to
get you to your destination.”

Destination?
Halle recoiled. “What destination?” Somehow she guessed it wasn’t Las Cruces.
Oh,
God
! She covered her mouth with her hands to stifle the scream which was
slowly rising from her throat. “I am dead, aren’t I? I knew it!”

“No, you’re not
dead, but we must hurry. Time’s slipping away.”

Halle backed away
slowly, numbness settling over her extremities. She couldn’t be dead! Even if
she was, she wouldn’t go. They’d have to drag her kicking and screaming.

“Sorry, lady, but
the only place I’m going tonight is Las Cruces.” Halle turned and hurried back
in the direction she’d come. “I really have to find my dog and flag down a ride
back to town so I can rent a car. Max!” she hollered. “Come on, mister. Shake
that curly tail.”

“Someone needs
you, Halle.”

Halle paused
mid-step as hysteria bubbled up inside her. According to this woman—
or
whatever she was
—she wasn’t dead. Yet there was no sign of her car, no
bruises or abrasions from the accident, and no Max. Reaching up, she pinched
her cheeks but the nightmare still didn’t end.

She wheeled around
and implored the Stella woman. “Would you please help me find my car? You don’t
understand. I
really
have to be somewhere else tonight.”

 Stella
sighed. “I know this is difficult for you, but in time you’ll understand
everything. Come on. Let’s go.”

Halle put a hand
on her hip. “Look, lady—Stella—I’m on my way to Las Cruces. You got that?”

The woman arched a
brow and mirrored Halle’s defensive posture. “My goodness, but you have
developed quite an attitude.”

“Look…if you won’t
help me find my car, then why don’t you just go back to wherever you came from
because I have places to go and people to see. Maybe
you
don’t have a
life, but I do.”

“Your life isn’t
much of a life, Halle.”

Halle gasped. Why
of all the rude things to say! More pissed off than frightened, she lifted her
chin a notch. “I’ll have you know I am a much sought after artist and designer.
I’ve designed and created props and costumes for some of Hollywood’s greatest
films.” She proceeded to rattle off a few titles by name and which famous
actors starred in them, but Stella didn’t seem impressed in the least.

When she finished,
Stella clasped her hands together and cleared her throat with some ceremony.
“Yes, you are extremely talented, Halle—a truly gifted artist. But your skills
are needed in the past. 1863 to be precise.” She extended a hand again. “Now
come with me and I’ll take you to your new life.”

Halle fought the
urge to break and run—to scream. She didn’t want a new life, certainly not in a
time period without modern conveniences. There was only one thing to do. Stand
her ground and hope the situation didn’t turn ugly. “I’m not going anywhere
except Las Cruces.”

Stella’s eyes
widened. “Oh, you’ve always been a stubborn one.” She chuckled and shook her
head. “But now you’re behaving like a spoiled child.”

A spoiled
child? How dare this woman even go there!
The expression on her face must
have given away her thoughts for Stella spoke quickly.

“Now, now… there’s
no reason to be angry at me, baby girl. I’m just following orders from a Higher
Source.”

The hell with
your orders
.

The woman’s eyes
widened as if she’d read Halle’s mind.

“Look, I just
found a woman who claims to be my birth mother, but she’s not. I need to find
out why she’s impersonating my real mother. Do you know how long I’ve searched
for the truth?”

“Oh, I certainly
do.”

“Then why now? Why
do I have to leave when I was so close? It’s not fair. For all I know my real
mother was murdered while this woman tries to pass herself off as Naomi Brooks.
She’s walking around free, using my mother’s identity, and who knows what
else!”

Stella sighed. “I
can’t say why you were chosen for this assignment for I’m not all-knowing. But
I’ve been given an assignment, and so have you, Halle. And I know you’ve had
more than your share of life’s inequities, but now you have an opportunity to
change someone else’s for the better.”

Halle gaped at the
woman. Did she truly expect her to leave her old life without a fight? “I
didn’t get my turn. Where’s
my
one and only?”

Stella drew
herself up to her full height, which Halle estimated to be about two inches
shorter than herself. “You need to first realize something.” Stella wagged a
gnarled finger. “The universe doesn’t revolve around you. It never did. The
sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.”

Halle gulped.
Damn
.
She’d been psychologically sucker-punched by a…Well, she didn’t know exactly
what
this woman was. “Now you think I’m selfish because I want the truth?”

“It’s not for me
to say what I think, Halle. If it’s your destiny to uncover the truth, you
will. That’s all I can tell you now.”

Halle shifted her
stance. “Okay. Let’s back up a bit. Who exactly are you?”

“I’m your Guide.”

Definitely not
what she wanted to hear. “What
kin
d of guide?” Halle bit down on her lip
and held her breath, fearing what might come.

“Your spirit
guide.”

Holy shit!
She really was in trouble. “You’re like a guardian angel?”

Stella frowned.
“Do you see flapping wings and a halo? I’m no angel. That’s a whole other realm
and much too complicated to explain right now. I’m a guide, once human, but now
assigned to watch over people. You in particular.”

Halle’s throat
tightened. “Max won’t answer. Did he die in the wreck?”

“The little fellow
is just fine, baby. Actually, he’s running around, exploring and watering the
brush in the canyon.”

Stella drew closer
and placed her hands on Halle’s shoulders. Surprisingly, she found the older
woman’s touch warm.  “Okay. Let me ask one question. If I do this thing,
can come back when I’m finished?  You know—after meeting this person who’s
been searching for me and doing whatever it is I’m supposed to do in the past?”

Stella’s lips
pursed into a thin contemplative line. “Hmmm. You know….I believe that’s a
possibility, although I’m not sure
when
you can return. I’ll have to
ask.”

“Won’t people miss
me here? After all, I
am
the only employee right now at Back Stage.”

“Harvey will hire
someone else to replace you the day after tomorrow.”

“But what about my
apartment? What about all my stuff? Won’t my landlady will wonder what happened
to me?”

Stella squeezed
her shoulders gently. “Baby girl, your landlady won’t miss you until December.
You’re paid up for six months, remember?”

A deep ache in the
center of her chest caused tears to bubble forth. Halle bit down on her lip. No
one would miss her. No one would care that she’d simply stepped off the face of
the earth.
Except for Grace
. “Grace Montez at the state children’s home
will wonder what happened to me.”

“I’m sorry, baby.
I wish I didn’t have to tell you this but dear, sweet Grace is going to be in
an accident tomorrow and she won’t remember much about the past when she
recovers.”

The realization
dawned hard. There really was no one who cared—at least no one with two legs.
All she had in the world was Max.

“When you make the
transition to the past,” Stella began, “Max will be with you. Now close your
eyes and I’ll tell you all you need to know before your journey begins.”

 Halle closed
her eyes, then opened them. “But I’m not
dead
, right? You’re not just
saying that.”

 Stella gave
a gentle smile. “I would never lie to you.”

She snapped her
eyes shut again. “Wait.” Her eyes popped open. “And coming back to my own time
period might be negotiable at some point, right?”

“Well, yes, I
suppose, but I must check first.”

Halle swallowed
hard, her knees trembling so violently she feared she’d collapse. If this was a
dream and she was soaring high on meds in a hospital room, she’d have a good
laugh when she awakened. If not—Well, she wouldn’t think about it right now.

Keeping her eyes
closed for the most part—
she couldn’t help but peep
—she listened to
Stella.

 “In 1863, a
man named Franklin Cole killed his own half sister while ransacking her house
for gold. Her daughter, Hope Brannigan, whom he’d often abused, witnessed the
murder. Cole wanted to keep her quiet but didn’t want to dirty his hands. He
concocted a story: he returned to the family home after months away to find his
sister murdered, and his niece missing. He found a simpleton named Jack Dudley
to take Hope out into the desert and kill her, thinking if Dudley was ever
caught, he could blame the mother’s murder on him, too. But Dudley botched the
job and left the girl to die alone in this canyon. It took several days for her
to succumb to her wounds.”

Halle’s eyes flew
open at the revelation. “Oh God! The guy was a psychopath.”

Stella nodded.
“And Hope wasn’t the first innocent person to die or be tortured at Cole’s
hands. He’s killed many people, Halle, and he’s done some unspeakable things to
others. He must be stopped.”

“But I don’t
understand how all this involves me.”

Stella drew in a
breath. “Hope Brannigan was a lot like you—young and pretty and smart. She had
big dreams and even bigger plans for the future. She had her whole life ahead
of her, but Cole had it snuffed out. Hope never knew justice, but you’re almost
her identical twin. Because of your presence in the past, Cole’s evil deeds
will be brought to light. He’ll finally be held accountable for his many dark
deeds. You’re not replacing Hope Brannigan or assuming her life—you’ll have your
own—but you will be the catalyst through which justice will be served.”

Halle shook off
Stella’s hands. “But I still don’t want to leave the life I had. Can’t someone
else tip off the authorities about this Cole guy? I know you might think it’s
crappy and lonely but it’s my life and I like it. I have a cool job right now
and some day I’m going strike it big and move to Hollywood. I’ll work at all
the major studios. What else do I need to be happy?”

Stella drew close
again. “You listen to me good, Halle girl. You’ve been given an extraordinary
opportunity to fulfill your destiny. Not everyone is chosen for such a task. It
might not appear that way now, but someone is searching for you and has been
searching for a long time. When he finds you, you’ll discover there are a whole
lot of other people who need you more than anyone in your current life ever
will. Hollywood just has to wait.”