Hearts Through Time Read online

  Nick shook his head. “No. That wouldn’t be good. We need to talk to Cassandra, even if it means Vanessa is there with us.”

  “All right. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  He climbed out, then walked around the car and opened Abigail’s door. The way his gaze swept the parking lot, she wondered if he was checking to see if anyone was watching them. It would be rather comical to see a man talking to himself and opening the car door for nobody.

  As they entered the nursing home, she noticed Vanessa right away. Although the model wasn’t dressed as immodestly as she’d been the last time Abigail saw her, Vanessa’s clothes still clung to her shapely figure as if they’d been painted on.

  “Nicky!” Vanessa hugged him and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’m glad you made it.”

  “Of course I made it. I’m excited about meeting your great grandmother.”

  Abigail felt her hands curl into fists. She wished that woman would keep her hands—and lips—off Nick. Be a good girl, she reminded herself as she followed them down the hall.

  Nick glanced at Abigail a couple of times, and Vanessa followed his gaze. Abigail stuck out her tongue at the clinging woman, but of course only Nick saw her.

  “What are you looking at, Nicky?” Vanessa asked.

  “Um . . . oh, just the elaborate furnishings.”

  Vanessa arched a brow. “Really? I thought they were quite drab.”

  “Oh, no. They’re very beautiful.” He winked at Abigail.

  Soon they entered a small room. A woman sat wrapped in a blanket in a cushioned chair facing the window. Limp, snowywhite hair hung over her shoulders, and deep wrinkles covered her face and hands. Her dull eyes looked at Nick and Vanessa as they walked in.

  Although Abigail remembered seeing this woman somewhere before, she couldn’t pinpoint where. The elderly woman resembled Vanessa quite a bit.

  Nick pulled a chair closer to the old woman, while Vanessa sat on the bed next to her.

  “Grandmama?” Vanessa said in a loud voice. “This is the friend I was telling you about, Nick Marshal. Nick, this is Cassandra Westland.”

  The old woman glared at her granddaughter. “I’m old, not deaf!”

  Abigail giggled, then automatically covered her mouth.

  Nick gave Cassandra his best smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Westland.”

  She eyed him with an arched brow and nodded. “You’re a handsome young whippersnapper, aren’t you? Well, I’ll warn you now, if you’re planning on marrying my great-granddaughter for her money, you won’t get a dime. I’ll see to that.”

  Abigail gasped, holding in another laugh.

  Nick chuckled and shook his head. “No, ma’am. Vanessa and I are just friends, I promise.”

  The older woman huffed and turned her face back to the window. Nick glanced at Abigail and shrugged before looking back at Cassandra.

  “Mrs. Westland, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions,” he began. “I’m a lawyer, and I was doing some research on one of my cases last week when I ran across your picture on the Internet.”

  The older woman turned and looked at Nick, but she didn’t say a word.

  “The picture was taken in front of Vanessa’s father’s building,” he continued. “The year was 1917. Do you remember that?”

  Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Of course I remember. I was in the photo, wasn’t I?”

  Abigail stifled a laugh, not wanting to distract Nick or make him laugh. The old woman sure had spunk, even at her age.

  “That’s great,” Nick said. “I find it fascinating that a single young woman would have the kind of money to buy such a building back in those days.”

  Cassandra gave Nick a toothless grin. “It shocked most of Sacramento’s high society at that time, too.”

  “How did you do it?” Nick asked. “I mean, how did you run a business as a single young woman? I’d think it would have been hard back then.”

  “It was very difficult, and people didn’t take me seriously. The building was purchased as my engagement present. I didn’t have to pay a penny for it. Not long after that, I married. Vanessa’s great-grandfather handled most of my affairs then.”

  Abigail wrung her hands, hoping the elderly woman would say something to help with her case. She glanced at Nick. He stared hard at Cassandra, and Abigail knew he was thinking about his next move.

  Nick cleared his throat and leaned closer to Cassandra. “One of my clients says she is a distant relative of Edward Carlisle. Do you remember him? He was the one who owned the building before you bought it.”

  Cassandra’s eyes widened and her face turned pale. Abigail’s heartbeat kicked up a notch. The old woman knows something!

  “Yes, I remember him.” Cassandra nodded. “He died a couple of weeks before his daughter killed herself, if I remember correctly.”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  The elderly woman cocked her head. “And your client says he’s a distant relative? Edward’s only brother was adopted. Edward didn’t have any blood relations.”

  “Yes, I was aware of that, but my client seems to think she is related directly to Edward Carlisle.”

  Cassandra flipped her frail hand through the air. “Hogwash.” She held a pink handkerchief to her mouth and coughed loudly. Her eyes were steely brown as she narrowed her gaze at Nick. “From what I remember of Edward, he was married to his newspaper. He didn’t have time for a wife. Even his own daughter was left out most of the time. But if by chance he did have illegitimate children running around, he wasn’t about to admit it. He never did like owning up to his mistakes.”

  Abigail’s heart sank. Was this woman saying her father had sired children he wouldn’t recognize as his own? No, she wouldn’t accept it. “Nick, she’s lying!” she said angrily. “My father didn’t have other children. He was a prominent society figure. He did own up to his mistakes when he made them.”

  Nick looked her way and shook his head as if telling her not to say any more, even though only he could hear her. But it hurt her to think Cassandra Brown thought of her father this way.

  Abigail sank to the floor beside Nick’s chair, tears gathering in her eyes. Cassandra was right about how Edward Carlisle had treated his daughter. But even if Abigail had been put second in her father’s life, he had still loved her. If he did have other children, she believed he would have loved and cared for them, too.

  Suddenly, Abigail felt at once all the heartache and loneliness of growing up and wanting her father’s attention. Her chest tightened and she could barely breathe. She wanted to fling her arms around Nick and cry on his shoulder, but instead she reached for his hand. Automatically, it seemed, his fingers wrapped around hers. Warmth spread through her like it had done the last several days, but something was different.

  She glanced at their hands and shifted her fingers against his. It was a solid connection—she actually felt his hand, as if she were still alive!

  A gasp tore from her throat as Nick’s palm covered her hand. His skin was a little rough, just like her father’s had been, and his fingers were strong as they gently rubbed hers. His gaze dropped to their clasped hands and then met her stare. His blue eyes widened, and she knew he felt it too.

  What’s happening to me? Abigail thought. I can really feel him! Yet there was nothing she could do right now to express the excitement building inside her. Nick also looked out of sorts as he blinked and glanced at the floor, then tried to continue his conversation with Cassandra.

  Abigail dropped her head to their clasped hands and kissed his knuckles. Touching his skin with her lips felt heavenly. She slid her cheek along his fingers, relishing in the joy of feeling.

  Nick cleared his throat and squirmed in his chair. “So, Mrs. Westland, I get the impression you knew Edward Carlisle well.”

  Cassandra shrugged. “As well as anyone in town, I suppose.”

  “So you do you think he had other children besides Abigail?”

 
Abigail glanced at Cassandra and noticed tears gathering in the older woman’s eyes. A few silent minutes passed, and Abigail felt her heartbeat strumming in her throat.

  “Grandmama?” Vanessa finally whispered. “Did you hear the question?”

  “Of course I heard him, Vanessa. I told you before, I’m not deaf.” Cassandra waved her frail hand to shoo her greatgranddaughter away, then shook her head. “I’m tired now. Please have your friend leave. I don’t wish to think about that time in my life any longer.”

  Nick stood and Abigail followed, still clutching his hand. He looked at Vanessa and shrugged.

  “If I said anything out of turn, I’m sorry—”

  Vanessa shook her head as she ushered him out of the room. “Grandmama gets this way a lot. It’s like she’s lost in memories.”

  “Do you think she’ll have me back so I can ask her more questions?”

  “I’ll ask her, but not now.”

  Nick nodded. “I’d appreciate that. It’s very interesting talking to her. I’d like to continue our conversation later.”

  Vanessa snuggled next to his side, slipping her arm through his. “Would you like to go do something tonight? I don’t have anything planned.”

  Abigail glared at the forward woman. How dare she touch Nick!

  “I can’t. I have plans,” he said politely. “But we can go to lunch sometime if you’d like.”

  Vanessa pulled away and pouted. “All right. I’ll let you go if you promise you’re not hurrying off to meet another woman.”

  Nick tilted his head back and laughed. “Another woman? I don’t think so, Vanessa. If I was, she wouldn’t be from my lifetime.”

  He hurried to the car, his fingers still entwined with Abigail’s. Once she was certain nobody could hear them, she squeezed his hand. “Do you feel that?”

  This time when he looked at her, pleasure darkened his eyes. “You know I do. But what happened? Why do I feel you?”

  “I don’t know, but I could have jumped out of my skin with joy in there.”

  “Me too. Do you know how hard it was to act like nothing was happening?”

  He let go of her to raise the top of the convertible. Once it was in place, he opened the driver’s side door and motioned for Abigail to slide in. He sat next to her, but didn’t take her in his arms like she wanted. Instead, he started the car. Once he was on the road, he leaned back in his seat and draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. With a relieved sigh, she snuggled up to him and rested her palm on his chest.

  “Nick? What do you think this means? Why do you think I can feel you now when I have not been able to before?”

  He shook his head. “You’re asking the wrong person, sweetheart. I have a couple of guesses, but I don’t know for sure.”

  “What do you think?”

  “Well, first I think I’ve completely lost my mind and that’s why I can feel you. Or maybe we’re getting closer to finding your killer and that’s why you’re becoming real.”

  She frowned. “Then I wonder when we do discover who killed me, if I will cross over at that exact moment.”

  “I don’t know, honey.” He leaned closer and kissed her forehead. “I don’t want to think about that.”

  “Me neither,” she whispered. How could she think of leaving him when she’d just found him?

  “So then maybe we should pretend that I’m completely crazy,” Nick said, “and that’s the reason for all of this.”

  She laughed and stroked his face. “Oh, Nick. I really cannot believe I’m touching you. Your skin is so warm, so smooth.” She moved her hand down his neck to his chest. “I can feel the beat of your heart against my palm.” She smiled.

  A deep groan tore from his throat, and he turned the car down a darkened street. Soon, he stopped the vehicle and switched off the engine.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep driving when I have you on my mind.”

  In one sharp move, he gathered her in his arms, bringing his face to her neck. She sighed and leaned her head back, enjoying his hot breath on her skin.

  “Abby, I’ve wanted to touch you for so long,” he mumbled against her neck.

  “Me too.” She threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head against her.

  His hands traveled over her back and arms, then moved up to gently stroke her hair. He kissed her neck before sliding his lips to her mouth. When he captured her lips, she gasped. Every nerve responded to his touch. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying each silky strand. She wanted the kiss to last forever.

  Just as she leaned into him, a bright light shone inside the car, followed by a loud bang on the window.

  Eleven

  Nick jumped in his seat, his heart thudding so hard he was afraid it’d leap out of his chest. A bright light shone inside the car, and he squinted toward the beam as he tried to see who had interrupted his first kiss with Abby.

  The light dropped lower, and he looked into the face of a police officer. Nick groaned. Of all the nights for this to happen. He pulled away from Abby and lowered the window. “What can I do for you, officer? Is something wrong?”

  As the policeman shined the light on the passenger seat, his eyebrows pulled together and his forehead creased. Obviously, the cop couldn’t see Abby, and Nick knew he looked ridiculous.

  “Are you stranded?” the officer questioned warily. “No, I—” Nick glanced at Abby, whose hand covered her mouth, her eyes twinkling with mirth. He looked back at the officer. “I was tired, so I pulled off the road.”

  The policeman narrowed his gaze as he focused his flashlight on the passenger seat again. Shaking his head, he lowered the light. “Well, this isn’t a very safe street to take a nap. I suggest you move on.”

  Nick nodded. “Thank you, sir. I will.” He bit his lip so as not to laugh out loud.

  He waited for the police officer to drive off, but he was clearly waiting for Nick to make the first move. Nick sighed, then started the car and pulled away from the curb.

  Beside him, Abby laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m quite certain that policeman thinks he’s going daft.”

  “I think you’re right.” Nick pulled her close to him once more. “I’m sorry we were interrupted, but maybe it’s a good thing. Making out in a parked car isn’t what I wanted to do.”

  Abigail stroked his arm. “What do you wanted to do?”

  “If this would have happened to me several months ago, I wouldn’t have a problem telling you what I wanted.” He glanced her way quickly before watching the road again. “But things have changed. I have changed, and what I want to do and what I will do are two different things. I hope you don’t think less of me if I take you back to my office now.” He squeezed her knee. “As much as I want to be with you now—alone—I think we both need time to cool off. After all, you haven’t kissed a man for nearly a century, and I—well, I just want to do things the right way.”

  She cuddled closer to him. “Why would I think less of you for being a gentleman? I know men in your century do things differently, but most men in my century had high standards, and they respected women. You have always reminded me of the men in my time, and I’m very glad you said what you did.”

  When they reached his office building, Nick parked the car, then took Abby’s hand and led her up the sidewalk. He knew he looked strange since nobody else could see her, but he didn’t care.

  Her beautiful eyes fluttered when she looked at him, and a blush stole across her cheeks. “Whatever it was that brought us together like this,” she said, “I’m grateful for this time with you.”

  He smiled. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

  Soon, they entered his office and he shut the door. Before turning on the light, Nick wrapped his arms around Abby, pulling her close. Her soft tresses cascaded over his hands, and she closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

  He brushed his lips over h
er eyelids and her nose, then captured her mouth. The kiss he gave her this time wasn’t as passionate as the one in the car, but he still felt breathless. When he pulled away, he said tenderly, “You were made to be in my arms.”

  Abby giggled. “If you really think about it, Nick, you’re kissing an extremely old woman.”

  Shaking his head, he grinned. “I don’t want to think about it that way.”

  “What are we going to do, Nick? How long will this last?”

  “I wish I knew, my darling Abby. But we will take each day as if it were our last. We will make our time together as special as we can.”

  Tears came to her eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “Is it too soon to tell you—” She swallowed hard. “I think I love you, Nick.”

  His heart ached as he considered their uncertain future. Though he’d had many relationships with women, he’d never felt this way before. “I know I love you, Abby.”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks as she reached up to kiss him. She flung her arms around his neck as he held her close. He felt a joy he hadn’t known possible, yet he knew it wouldn’t last long. She was a ghost, destined to cross over once he found her killer. Life was so cruel and unfair.

  This is heaven! Abigail cuddled against Nick’s chest as they sat together on the black leather couch in his office, staring out the open window. The night had passed with great difficulty, only because she couldn’t wait to see him again. Once he had arrived at the office, he had rescheduled some of his appointments, just so they could spend some time together. Being in love felt so wonderful, and she hoped she’d get to experience more of it before she finally went to heaven.

  Nick rubbed his hand slowly up and down her arm, then gently kissed her neck. “I can’t get enough of you.”

  Abigail smiled. “I feel the same.”

  “What were you like as a girl?”

  She shifted to look into his eyes. “Why do you ask that?”

  “I want to know everything about you.”

  “You’re so romantic. My father was very loving, but he was so busy with the newspaper that I rarely saw him. When he did spend time with me, he spoiled me considerably. When I was older, I realized he was trying to use money to make up for his absence.”