Page 88 of Timeless: Encore

Now, we have a choice to make. Each of us.

We can hold on for grim death to the past.

Or … let go.

So we can, at last, both be whole.

Chapter thirty

FIONA

Six Weeks Later

Iwipethesweatoff my forehead.

Justice raises his fists in the air. Petra, Daire, and Emilie are doing a choreographed dance routine to the delight of the staff. Wolf stands to the side sullenly. Every now and then he glances at Jetta, who is lip-synching into a wooden spoon.

Tonight’s song?Kick Itby Less Than Zero.

Put it into overdrive

Now I’m just tryin’ to stay

alive

And kick it, kick it

I’m just trying to stay alive

And keep my heart open wide

And kick it, kick it

Me, Zoey, and Ronni grab wooden spoons and join Jetta. The four of us shimmy around the dining room and belt out one of LTZ’s biggest hits at the top of our lungs. Interact with our back-up dancers, much to the amusement of Ty, Connor, and Zane, who stand to the side, watching the whole spectacle.

When the song is over, Jetta shuts off the music. The guys join us and we’re all treated to panty-melting kisses from our respective partners. The staff pretend to fan themselves until I shoo them off to clean up from dinner service.

Gus opens in the new year, all seatings but a few I’ve held back are sold out for twelve weeks.

Tonight, it was just the six of us plus Carter and Lianne. A mini-celebration and a soft-opening kind of evening. Ty and Zoey have been married for an entire year. Little Oliver was born about a month ago, it’s their first night out.

Not that their son is far away. Olga is watching all the kids next door in the green room at The Mission while the adults celebrate. We converted it into a temporary playroom.

“Oooh. Let me get a picture of the three of you.” Zoey waves Carter over to where Ty and Zane stand. It takes her at least five tries to get a serious photo between the eye rolls, faux boogies, and general boys-being-boys behavior of three adult rockstar men.

When things settle down, the guys hang out in the lounge area while the ladies visit at the U-shaped dining table.

“You’ve pulled it off, Fee.” Ronni holds up her teacup. We all toast with caffeine-free herbal tea. Zoey’s breastfeeding. Ronni and I are avoiding alcohol. Officially, we’re each attempting to add members to our respective families. We’re both over thirty, and I’m still considered higher risk due to my previous preeclampsia complications, so we’ve given up the wine in solidarity.

Zoey holds her cup with both palms and blows on the steam. “I wish Alex and Jace could be here.”

“I do too.” I lean back and watch my team clean the mess up from dinner. “I think they would have liked it.”

“When they get back from Italy, it will be nice for the boys to reconnect. I think Jace and Ty need to have a serious conversation, though.” Zoey’s eyes flick over to Ty, who’s joking around with Connor.

“It will be fine. I just know it.” Ronni nods. “We’ll bring everyone out to the ranch to get Santa pics with the horses, and voila. All will be well. Those horses make everything better.”

Every now and then, Justice, Petra, Daire, or Wolf pop over to speak to me. Ask a question. Check in about how the food is. We’re a well-oiled machine from all of the work we put in earlier this year.

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