Page 62 of Borrowed Time

“‘Shopping centers’?” he repeated, and she smiled.

“Places that are built on purpose to have lots of stores and other businesses clustered together so it’s easier to run a bunch of errands at once. Most of them have grocery stores or drugstores, and then maybe a pet store or a nail salon — ”

Clearly, he was going to have a lot to learn about the twenty-first century. “You have special salons just to do your nails?” he asked. Although he’d heard of nail polish — and his cousin Tilly had caused quite the scandal when she ordered some from New York, which her mother had promptly thrown away, saying that nice girls didn’t wear such things — it certainly wasn’t common where he came from.

Now Devynn grinned. “Oh, you sweet summer child.”

Before he could puzzle that one out — true, he’d been born in July, and yet he didn’t think she was referring to his actual birthday — she continued.

“Yes, women go to salons to have their nails done. In all sorts of crazy colors and patterns, so try not to stare when you get there.”

Well, he supposed there would be plenty of other things to stare at in the twenty-first century, and that meant he could probably avoid paying any undue attention to women’s fingernails.

“Did you get yours done?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“Not most of the time,” she said. “For special occasions, sure. I did them myself if I wanted to have polish on.”

“You weren’t wearing any when I found you.” At least, he thought her nails had been bare at the time.

“No, I’d taken it off a few days earlier. Good thing, I suppose. I wouldn’t have wanted you to think I was a tart.”

Because he could tell she was joking, he only smiled. “I would never think that.”

Devynn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Good to know.”

Then she got up from the log where they’d been sitting and brushed at her skirts. “Do you want to explore a bit? The going shouldn’t be too rough around here as long as we don’t stray too far from this clearing.”

Seth thought he would have preferred to remain sitting next to her, although he had to admit that log wasn’t the most comfortable seat in the world.

But they’d kissed several times, and had hashed out a few issues that had been weighing on his mind. If she still secretly thought he was making a mistake, he knew she wouldn’t argue with him, not when his mind was clearly made up.

So he rose as well, and took her hand in his once again.

“Yes, let’s explore.”

16

THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

The morning had been so absolutelyperfect that I didn’t even mind when Seth suggested we should go back to the hotel and have a late lunch. By that point, I’d worked up enough of an appetite that I was ready to head into civilization and rustle up some grub.

And if Flagstaff started to weigh on me again, I knew he’d be more than happy to blink us back to Lockett Meadow or any other place I might dream of.

Well, as long as it was still in Wilcox territory.

The one spot I wouldn’t visit was the overlook on Mars Hill. Not just because it felt too close to town for comfort, but because I knew my mother and father had been discovered there by Edmund Wilcox when they’d stolen away to share a few private moments together. Luckily, he’d come along after they were done kissing and hadn’t seen anything too incriminating, but going there with Seth still felt as though it might be tempting fate.

Just as we were heading upstairs to get freshened up after lunch, the front desk clerk called out to me.

“Miss Prewitt? I have a note for you.”

I instinctively stiffened, even as I reminded myself that Jeremiah had said he was going to reach out to me once he knew of a safe time for us all to get together so I could practice time travel. Putting on what I hoped was a pleasant smile, I went over to the desk, Seth a few paces behind me.

“Yes?” I said, and the clerk placed a small envelope in my hand.

“This came for you about an hour ago.”

“Thank you.”

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