Page 25 of When I Found You

“Stop,” I whisper to the voice in my mind telling me how easy it would be to seduce her, to lay claim to her.

You want her. You can’t deny it.

I growl and my breath fogs the glass. No. Maybe I should ask Marcy if she can stay with her until she recovers. I can’t ask Rob. That would be like feeding a lamb to a lion. It has to be Marcy. But I can’t ask my sister to go out of her way because I’m uncomfortable. She has her own life and thriving business.

The memory of Kate lying unconscious on the floor outside my office haunts me. I did this to her. I hurt her. I can set this right. But I cannot concede to my baser desires.

Until Kate recovers, she is my responsibility, nothing more.

When I return to the living room, Kate is curled on her side, her head on my pillow, fast asleep.

My heart aches at the sight. I shove the tender emotions aside and pick her up. She nestles her face against my neck.

Fuck.

I carry her into the bedroom and lay her down on the bed. She sighs when I pull the blankets around her. Her sweet smile and bewitching eyes may be hidden from me, but they’re burned into my memory.

Kate needs to get her memory back and fast, because if she doesn’t, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Part of me wants to crawl into bed beside her and hold her close. I can’t shake the feeling this is exactly where she belongs, and that thought terrifies me more than anything.

Chapter Eleven

Katherine

After a long morning, I take my short lunch to retreat to the observation deck. The brisk air refreshes me and I feel closer to Dad than I have in years. It’s Friday, which means in three days I’ll finally get to see my father. Monday morning. I can hardly contain my excitement. I’ve waited this long, two more days should be no problem.

Less than a week into my new position and I’ve already fallen into a comfortable rhythm. Gladys helps me work through any issues and Arthur, while continuously busy, checks in periodically. There’s definitely something to be said for the pace of the office setting without all the technology cluttering it up, but then again, I’d kill for a decent PC with a word processor over a typewriter.

The clear blue skies stretch for miles. Even though the sun shines brightly overhead, the air is crisp and cold. I pull my coat closer around me. Tourists bustle around the platform, but after living in the city for so long, I’m used to their presence. I lean against the railing where I stood only a few days ago contemplating the darkness around me. Today, there’s a blossom of hope I never could have imagined.

I admire the city scape in the distance, but my attention always returns to the World Trade Center buildings. The constant visual reminder of my displacement in time leaves me uneasy. So many events take place during my lifetime, I never took the time to think about them before. Could I even influence major events and save lives? No, probably not.

Every book, movie, TV show featuring time travel I’ve ever seen shows the consequences of messing with past events. Then why am I here? If not to change the world, then to change my own destiny? Frustration overwhelms me.

I wish there were a handbook or an instruction manual to help me navigate time travel. I don’t want to be the reason for nuclear war in the twenty-first century by accidentally stepping on a dragonfly. Ugh, the idea definitely leaves me queasy.

A glance at my watch tells me I should get back to work. Gladys wrote out a list of projects for me to tackle today. I’m glad for the challenge. I need something to occupy my thoughts. Between my excitement at seeing Dad next week and this complicated tension building with Arthur, my brain is overwhelmed.

The thought of Arthur makes my body heat. I push away from the railing and retreat into the elevator. Once I’m back inside the building, I unbutton my coat and refocus. This job may be temporary, but I’ll do my damnedest to make sure it’s done to the best of my ability.

I weave around a handful of people when I reach the fifty-fourth floor.

“Hi, Gladys. Did I miss anything?” I greet my co-worker as soon as I walk in the door.

Gladys jumps to her feet. “Oh, thank goodness you’re back. Arthur wants you in his office the moment you return.”

Fear grips me. What happened? What did I do? Did he somehow uncover the truth? I pull off my coat and hang it up.

“Did he say why?” I smooth my hands over my skirt.

She shakes her head. “No, but he’s in there with Mr. Cohen right now. I’ll let him know you’re available.”

Mr. Cohen. Dad. My heart stops. I’m not prepared. I’m not ready. Shit. Just breathe. I quickly adjust my blouse and pat my hair. Oh, God. I can’t do this.

“Kate has returned, Mr. Maxwell.” Gladys props the phone against her shoulder listening to his response. “Yes, sir. I will.” She hangs up the phone and nods to me. “Go ahead in. They’re waiting for you.”

“Gladys, I...” My throat constricts.

“Don’t worry. They won’t bite. Go on, don’t keep them waiting.” She shoos me toward Arthur’s office door.

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