A Stone in Time Read online

  AJ smirked at the children’s assault on Mom’s perfect domain. The living room, typically spotless of clutter or dust, lay strewn with toys, sweaters, and overcoats, cast about as if a tornado had burrowed its way under the front door and exploded into action. Before she could regain some composure from the earlier onset of the little people, the same unruly group raced past her again, heading for the noises coming from the kitchen.

  AJ approached the jovial sounds. Smells from the kitchen caught up with her, and her stomach announced its own pleasure at the aroma with a light rumbling.

  Sure enough, they were all there. AJ stopped at the doorway to watch the domestic play unfold. Helen, light and graceful, pearls resting against her soft coral sweater, moved from stove to oven, making sure one item didn’t cook faster than the other. They’d expanded the kitchen a few years before, moving the stove to the island and the oven against the wall. Her mom waltzed back and forth between them, the large spoon in her hand moving in time with the phantom music.

  Adam, AJ’s older brother, stood next to the marble counter top, surveying his family, the beer in his hand encouraging his growing paunch despite his weekly runs. Yet even with the recent weight gain, he sported the look of the Ivy leaguer he had become. His short-cropped brown hair and soft face still held his charming boyish looks.

  Adam’s wife, Madelyn, sat at the antique French dining table. Her big blonde hair appeared even larger than normal, and her makeup, while artfully applied, seemed excessive for the weekly family gathering. Their young children sprawled around her, coloring books and small treats finally settling them down in motion if not in sound.

  AJ slid to the side counter and poured herself a generous glass of red wine before entering into the fray, keeping her escape route behind her. She couldn’t help but smile, even if her family usually grated on her. She leaned against the counter, participating from the margins, silently completing the camaraderie with her mother, her brother, and his family. The only missing link was her father. Yet he still seemed present through the short bouts of laughter, discussions of gardens and home improvements, and the latest antics of the grandchildren.

  Suddenly, with the absence of her father, the gap between her and her family widened, leaving her a little empty. An outsider, not fitting into this family scene after all. But before she could turn and sneak out, Helen greeted her with a quick hug, cutting off her escape.

  “You’ve been working too much again,” Helen said.

  “I know, Mom.”

  Helen gave her a once-over and tucked a curl behind AJ’s ear. Her smile was a little sad as she moved back to the stove, allowing AJ to join the family gathering.

  AJ wanted to say something to ease Helen’s concern but moved farther into the kitchen instead, edging into the family circle, where her brother’s unusually warm greeting threw her off-kilter.

  “Sis, what took you so long to get here? Don’t tell me, working late again. I’ll tell you, this sister of mine doesn’t know when to say enough.”

  AJ rubbed her forehead as Adam blathered on. This was going to be a long evening.

  “Come over here and sit, sit. Tell us all about your day in the news world.” Adam spread his arms and pointed to a stool close to him.

  AJ stiffened at Adam’s exuberance. She preferred his normal indifference to her life, but she did as she was told. Curiosity could never hold her back, even when her little voice told her different.

  “Nothing much happening in the news today, Adam.” Testing the waters.

  “Nonsense. I don’t believe that for a minute. Not the exciting life of my little sister and the world of headline news at the Baywood Herald.”

  “That’s enough, Adam. Let your sister come in and relax,” Helen said. “And introduce your friend.”

  AJ had just grabbed a barstool at the side counter, but the mention of a friend swung her around. That explained Adam’s unusually warm greeting. She searched the room, not sure how she had missed him earlier. Adam’s notorious attempts at matching her up with some mole of a man annoyed her. He knew she would deplore anyone he trotted out. She suspected he did it to torment her. He couldn’t possibly expect her to succumb to the family life with a quiet and boring man.

  But when she faced her intended foe, she did a double take. Her skin prickled. Her brother had thrown her for a loop. This stranger exuded a formidable presence that left AJ speechless, and more than a little curious.

  Dressed in a dark gray tailored suit, the stranger watched her from across the room, ensconced in a large, cushioned chair. She wouldn’t call him pretty-boy handsome. He wore his short dark hair slicked back. His partially hooded eyes, buried deep within his hawkish face, seemed to see everything before coming to rest on her. His long legs stretched out into the room, and his arms relaxed on the arms of the chair. But his penetrating gaze reflected something else. A raw power and control emanated from him, like a stalking panther, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

  For a reason AJ couldn’t explain, he didn’t intimidate her. Instead, she felt a connection to him, not out of desire or magnetism, but something instinctive she couldn’t put her finger on, some funky déjà vu. She shrugged it off, irritated with herself. She must be tired. AJ broke away from his stare and turned back to her brother, who, she saw with some annoyance, watched them closely.

  “So. Who’s your friend?” AJ said.

  “Great timing.” Adam became more animated. “This is Ethan, fairly new in town. Thought he could use a home-cooked meal.”

  “And where did you meet Ethan?” AJ spoke to Adam, but she couldn’t help glancing at the stranger.

  “Through work. He owns the security company we recently signed with.” Adam’s smile seemed permanently plastered on his face.

  “And so, of course, why not bring him to a family dinner.” AJ sounded peevish but couldn’t stop herself. She could never get the upper hand with her brother without sounding like a whiny schoolgirl, and she wished she had agreed to that drink with Stella.

  “You can’t blame Adam for it.”

  The deep voice startled AJ. The stranger rose from the chair, and in one fluid motion, suddenly stood at the counter next to her and Adam. The swift movement triggered AJ’s instinct to take a quick step back. His smile at her response lightened his face, making it less severe. She detected an underlying accent.

  A blush tinged AJ’s face, an annoying emotional reflex she could never control. She had been rude, attempting to thwart her brother at this man’s expense. “I’m sorry, it’s been a long day and I was caught off guard by a visitor. So you know Adam from work?”

  “Yes.” Ethan’s smile remained, and he studied AJ, making her squirm under the inspection. “Adam and I have been working through the security changes at his firm. I’m afraid it was me that made mention of missing home cooking. I’ve been living out of a hotel since I arrived.”

  “So you’re not staying long?” AJ regretted the words as soon as she said them, so she busied herself with the tasty appetizer tray her mother had laid out, taking one just to lay it on a napkin.

  To her surprise, Ethan laughed. “Just arrived and trying to get rid of me already? Adam did warn me you’d be difficult to win over.”

  AJ bristled at his response, and a glance at her brother told her Adam had no desire to reduce the friction he’d created after setting the tinder.

  “Ethan was telling us he was looking for a place to either rent or buy. Isn’t that right?” Helen slid AJ a refreshed glass of wine.

  AJ upended the glass, drinking more than she intended. “Sorry.” AJ held on to her glass and forced a smile to return. “So, you’re moving here? Where from?”

  Ethan welcomed a refill of wine from Helen, reducing his height advantage by leaning against the counter. “Here and there over the years. My business takes me to many places.”

  “So not from anywhere in particular.” AJ’s reporter instincts, prompted by his elusiveness, begged to be unleashed, especially
after the dry spell she’d been having at work. She stared out the kitchen’s bay window, her spirits dampened by thoughts of work. Focused on her own thoughts, she missed her mother’s question.

  “AJ, did you hear me? What do you think?” Helen pulled plates and bowls out of cabinets. “Let’s all move into the dining room. We might as well get to know each other over a nice meal before it overcooks.”

  “I have no doubt Stella would love to jump in and take care of Ethan’s needs,” said Madelyn, who had observed the exchange of words from the table where her children still colored. “She knows it all, or so she always reminds us.”

  AJ glared in Madelyn’s direction. “I don’t know if Stella has time to add another client, but I can ask her.”

  Picking up steaming bowls of mashed potatoes and green beans, AJ headed for the table. Ethan fell in behind her with another bottle of wine and a basket of rolls. That close, she picked up a whiff of his scent, warm and masculine…and something else, light and barely perceptible, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She almost jumped when he spoke.

  “I understand you’re an expert on history.”

  She placed the bowls on the table and settled into her regular spot at the table, startled when Ethan sat next to her, in what had been her father’s chair. It was the only chair available, but it vexed her anyway.

  “I don’t know that I would use that word. I’m no expert, but I do enjoy exploring the past.” AJ accepted another glass of wine, but before their discussion could go any further, Adam’s kids, forgotten for a while, burst into the room. They chattered away, taking their places at the table, waiting for Madelyn to dole out their portions of dinner.

  “Something I also have an interest in. I would like to hear your favorite eras.” Ethan gave her a warm smile and filled his plate, oblivious to the noise from the children. “Perhaps we have one in common.”

  AJ nodded. Any further discussion seemed fruitless until the din of the kids subsided, their voices silenced by the food shoveled into their mouths.

  “I have a marvelous idea.” Helen controlled the passing of plates and bowls, ensuring Adam and his family had everything they needed. “AJ, you should take Ethan around town. Get him more familiar with the city.”

  Adam barked a laugh. “Perfect.”

  AJ considered kicking Adam, but she wasn’t twelve. She turned her stare to her mom. Everyone thought themselves a matchmaker. “I’m not sure I’m the right person.”

  “Who better than a local reporter?” Adam scooped more potatoes onto his plate.

  AJ squared her shoulders. She squashed the desire to tell him what those potatoes were doing to his midsection.

  “I don’t want to intrude on your time,” Ethan said. A smile hovered before he sipped his wine.

  “I’m just not sure about work.” The words squeaked from AJ and she lowered her head, refocused on her plate.

  “I’m sure the paper can get by one afternoon without you.” Adam winked, the action so swift, AJ might have imagined it.

  “Great. That’s settled, then.” Helen patted AJ’s hand before picking up her fork.

  Trapped by the family, AJ forced a smile before choking down a bite. Her previous hunger vanished under her new burden, playing guide to Adam’s friend. She sneaked a peek at Ethan. He appeared to be enjoying a conversation with her mother about the dishware of all things, a collectible from the early 1900’s. She’d heard the story a hundred times.

  She couldn’t raise the energy to feign interest. She grabbed a roll and caught Adam staring at her. His face filled with complete satisfaction. He had won a perceived battle. AJ stayed on the task of buttering her roll, ignoring whatever game her brother seemed to be playing. She poured a touch more wine, and when she looked back at him, he had fallen into deep conversation with Helen and Ethan.

  Certain that she must have misread her brother, she put it behind her, allowing the conversation and meal to erase the tension of the day. She let the evening carry on around her, appreciative of Ethan’s command of the group, allowing her to distance herself and glide through the rest of the evening.

  AJ opened the door to her apartment, greeted by the pleasant sound of silence. After the hectic scene at her mom’s, the quiet soothed her, a healing balm to her psyche. She still missed the small sounds of Eleanor, whose slow and aged body would make its way from her blanketed bed to wrap around AJ’s legs, her soft purrs tugging on AJ’s heart. It had been three months since her death, and the grief still tugged. The cat had been such a part of her since her young teen years, a surprise birthday present from her father. She’d eventually go to the shelter to find another, even though she could hear Stella’s warnings labeling her a cat lady in training.

  Crossing the small hallway, she dropped her purse on the counter of a high side table discovered years before at some garage sale. This evening, her exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she wished for nothing more than her usual routine. Tempted to pour herself a glass of wine, she decided on a cup of tea instead and crashed into the soft brown couch. She dragged a worn old afghan over her lap and listened to the clicking of her grandfather clock. Frazzled from an unproductive day at the office, her earlier catnap interrupted by Stella, and the boisterous family dinner, she relished the comforting silence.

  With a cup of tea in her lap, AJ leaned her head back, her fingers wrapped around a pen in case a story crept in. Her mind had just settled when a memory from dinner jerked her upright, spilling a small drop of tea onto her blanket.

  “Damn.” The word tumbled from her mouth, and she wiped away the spot of tea, now remembering the foolish acceptance of a date with Adam’s new friend. She blamed it on the onslaught of screaming kids and her mother’s pleading glances. She didn’t know anything about this man. Would never have agreed to another meeting had she met him elsewhere. Worse, AJ would never base her opinion of someone simply on her brother’s assessment. In fact, she would automatically assume the worst of a person solely on her continual need to be combative with Adam.

  She leaned over, strained to snag her purse, then dug for her phone. She needed to get a grip. It wasn’t really a date. More like a welcome to the city. Yes, that was it. She was just helping the guy get more familiar with the place.

  The phone rang four times before someone answered. “You survived another family gathering.”

  “Barely. Adam brought a friend.”

  “The man never learns.”

  “This one was different. Not what you’d expect.”

  “Do tell.”

  “Even better, do you have some time tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Sounds like I better make some.”

  With a game plan in action, AJ grabbed a book from the end table, took a sip of her tea, and immersed herself in the life of the Incan empire. But she couldn’t quite drown out the penetrating gray eyes that haunted her from dinner.

  4

  The morning sun pierced the light clouds, temporarily holding off the predicted rain. AJ parked her car and gazed at the vacant old inn. Between climbs, AJ often visited the tidal pools nestled near the inn, her other refuge from the world. A far cry from the strenuous activity of the wall, the tidal pools substituted for comfort food, like a warm bowl of tomato soup wrapped in memories of days long ago.

  As she stood on the path, the scent of roses mixed with sea salt floated around her and spurred memories of her father. Time spent together, where no one else could mingle, not her mother, and never Adam. With their morning outings, her father chipped away at the secrets of the sea with his explanations of starfish, anemones, and how the tides worked with the pull of the moon.

  Though he had been dead well over a year now, AJ still ventured to their old haunts. Now vacant, neglected with time and the ever-changing hands of ownership, the inn sat haunted by the laughter of guests who had come and gone. Stirred by the echoes of stolen kisses and warm embraces, lovers perched on the back veranda, forever watching the setting of the sun.

  A
J stared at the front porch and the long, wide veranda that wrapped itself around the building. Rather than head straight for the pools as usual, she turned to the porch. Amazement struck her when she grabbed the handrail. The wood was smooth, as if freshly sanded and stained. The stairs appeared recently swept. In fact, the whole veranda shone—no leaves, no dirt. Images of Adirondack chairs scattered around, the large patio swing swaying in the gentle breeze, the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls her father brought with them to share, all swirled through her mind. More memories flooded in. Sitting on the front porch, just returned from the pools, her father weaving stories of pirates, their ships, and their gathering of booty.

  A melancholy smile touched AJ’s face. She ran her hand along the old paint, surprised it had neither cracked nor weathered. She couldn’t remember seeing a For Sale sign, so she didn’t think there were new owners. Perhaps the current owners had maintained it through the years, and she never noticed in her hurry to get to the pools. She laughed. Always in a rush to get someplace just to slow down and relax.

  AJ trailed to the end of the building where it turned toward the ocean. The sun warmed her skin in the morning light, dissolving the goose bumps raised by the shadowed front porch. The maintenance of the place seemed thorough. Freshly scrubbed windows caught the reflection of the ocean, and even the small yard had been landscaped with native plants and a few partially tended roses. Breaking away from the tranquil scene, AJ sighed. The inn wouldn’t sit empty forever. She needed to enjoy her retreats before the place changed.