Ride The Wild Wind (Time Travel Historical Romance) Read online

  At the top of the hill, the highway curved wide and the blurry red taillights of the car ahead disappeared. Vision hampered by the driving rain, Halle slowed her speed, shoulders tense and aching.

  Panic struck as doubt crept in. What if this woman refused to see her? What if she drove nearly two hundred miles for nothing? She drew a deep calming breath and held it a moment before exhaling. No. It wouldn’t happen. She’d waited too long to find the missing puzzle piece. This imposter wasn’t going to slip away. She’d get her answer, one way or another.

  A flash illuminated the road ahead, followed by a crash that rattled the earth as if a bomb had detonated. Halle sucked in a breath. Had lightning struck the highway? Or was that...

  Oh, shit! A man on a horse! What the hell was he doing in the middle of the interstate?

  She hit the brakes, too hard she realized when the car fishtailed slightly. Righting the vehicle, she drove on, her eyes scanning the roadside for signs of the horse and rider, but it was as if they’d disappeared.

  Her gaze darted along the sides of the darkened road. Where had they gone? More important, where had they come from? A solid rock wall rose up on her right. A steep, fifty foot drop into the canyon flanked her left. There was no way a horse could simply vanish into thin air.

  She blinked hard as the hill loomed into view again and she heard the whine of her old car’s transmission as it made its ascent once more. Wait. Hadn’t she already passed this spot a few seconds ago? The road before her curved wide and the tail lights of the car ahead disappeared as before. Déjà vu?

  “Max, something’s wrong with me. I know we passed this exact spot a few seconds ago.”

  Thinking she’d not ventilated the art room well enough and paint and epoxy fumes were causing hallucinations, she rolled down her driver’s side window and drew in deep breaths of fresh air. Cold rain pelted her arm and face. When her gaze swung back to the highway, from the out of the darkness the horse and rider cantered back onto the road a few yards ahead. She let down on the horn. The man appeared oblivious.

  Halle yanked the wheel left and braked hard. The car swung around on the slick, glassy pavement, making a full rotation. Max yelped and dove to the floor. Unable to gain control of the wheel, the front end impacted the silver guardrail. As the car careened down the road’s shoulder, the deafening sound of scraping metal and breaking glass drowned her screams. The driver’s side window fell away. The front fender ripped apart and bounced off the hood. Halle stomped the brakes but the soft, muddy shoulder gave way and the car lunged forward into the abyss of the night.

  The car stilled.

  Steam hissed from beneath the hood. Numb, she stared at the illuminated dashboard as the wipers kept time to the erratic beat of her pounding heart. Holy shit, that was close. Why didn’t the airbags deploy?

  “Max? Are you okay, buddy?”

  He yipped from beneath the front seat. A good sign.

  After unbuckling her seat belt, she leaned forward, and rested her head against the steering wheel for a moment. Calm down. You didn’t hit the horse or the man.

  Drawing in a steadying breath, she sat back slowly and assessed her surroundings. To her surprise, the rain storm had ceased. Glancing to her right, she noted only darkness with intermittent flickers of lightning in the distance. On the driver’s side, enormous bare tree branches rose up to cradle the car. Leaning forward, she peered through the windshield. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The sky above had cleared. A lone star winked at her. And a vast, black void lay below.

  “No.” Realization of her precarious situation dawned on her. The car wasn’t at the bottom of the ravine. It was perched in an ancient juniper growing out of the side of the cliff!

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Oh. My. God. Don’t move. Don’t panic. Someone must have witnessed the accident. They’ll call for help.

  She heard a snap, followed by a metallic clunk. The car shifted and broke free before it plummeted in a free fall. There was no time to scream, no time for a prayer. The impact jarred every bone, joint and tendon in her body. Glass shattered. Metal crunched and groaned. Choking dust swirled about her face.

  And a deathly pall settled over the car.

  A pulse thumped wildly in her ears.

  A pulse?

  I’m alive.

  She reached across the seat for her tote bag, rummaged through. Where was the cell phone? On the table in the art room. She’d have to trek back to the highway and flag down help.

  Turning the latch on the dented door, she gave it a hefty shove but it didn’t budge. Maneuvering in the seat, she drew her knees to her chest, and then kicked hard with both feet. A shower of tiny pieces of window glass pelted her legs, although she barely felt it. Oh, freaking great. I’m going into shock. She shook the debris from her stockings and stepped out into the chilly night air. Her shoes sank deep into the mud.

  Max. “Come out, buddy. We’re all right. Let’s go get help.” No sound came from beneath the seat. “Max!” she screamed, then dove back into the car, searching frantically front and back and beneath both seats. Where was he? Had he bolted when she opened the door?

  Climbing from the car, she yelled again for Max, the thankless little shit.

  She investigated what appeared to be a foot trail, freezing in the eerie soundless blue darkness. The landscape had changed. Wait. Where was the star she’d seen earlier? She wheeled around. My car! Oh my God. Where the hell is my car? Cautiously, she retraced her steps in the direction she’d come, but the car was gone.

  “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 arou
nd 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 kind 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.”