Nick ran through the darkened, empty halls, heading for Abby's office. He stumbled into a machine, twisting his ankle. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself to keep going. Two doors away from the room the deafening sound of a gunshot echoed through the building.
No—he couldn't be too late! He slammed his shoulder into the door and it flew open. In the darkness someone moved. He leapt toward the shadowed figure. As he wrestled the person to the floor, the gun exploded again, and a slicing pain pierced Nick's left side.
In the dark, he fumbled to find the weapon. When his fingers closed around the hot steel, he yanked it out of the killer's hands. The woman screamed and wrestled under him, but he held her tight.
Warm, sticky blood flowed from Nick's side, saturating his shirt and vest. Trying to ignore the pain, he threw the gun across the room and pinned the woman's hands above her head.
"Let me go!" she yelled.
"You killed Abby!" His voice broke as he said her name.
"Good! That was my intent," Cassandra snapped. "She deserves to die. I'm the one who should get our father's inheritance, since I was the one he ignored all my life."
Nick grasped her shoulders and shook her until her head knocked hard against the floor. Suddenly, on the other side of the room, footsteps creaked on the floor. Within seconds the light in the room flickered on.
Abby stood facing him, her white knuckles pressed against her mouth. "Nick?"
He released Cassandra and scrambled to his feet. His head spun in circles, and his body grew weaker by the second. As he stumbled toward Abby, she dropped her gaze to his left side. Her eyes went wide and she sobbed.
"It's okay," he whispered, gathering her in his arms. "It's just a flesh wound, really." It hurt unlike anything he'd felt before, but he wasn't going to let her worry.
Cassandra jumped to her feet and ran toward the door. Abby tore away from Nick and beat the young woman to the door.
"I think not, dear sister," Abby growled just before she punched Cassandra in the face.
A crack rent the air, and the woman landed on the floor in a motionless heap.
Nick sighed and leaned against the desk. His head swam, and the dizziness reminded him of how he'd felt just before he traveled through time. Did this mean he was going back? No! He couldn't. He couldn't leave the woman he loved.
Abby rushed to him again and grabbed him, holding him up. "Nick, you're losing a lot of blood. I don't know what to do."
"Lay me down," Nick instructed. She helped him to the floor. "Take off my shirt," he said. He assisted as much as he could in removing the garment, each movement bringing new agony. "Now wad up the material into a ball and press it hard against the wound. It'll stop the flow of blood."
Tears pooled in Abby's eyes and she nodded. Her arms shook, but she managed to press on the wound. The pain intensified and Nick cringed, praying he wouldn't pass out. As long as he stayed alert, he might stay in the past with her. If not...would he return to his time?
She looked away from him and glanced around the room, before jumping to her feet and darting to the bookshelf. From between two books, she pulled out a bottle of bourbon. When she reached his side again, she lifted his head and brought the bottle to his lips.
"This might dull the pain slightly."
"No, no. I...I don't drink. Besides, I'll be fine."
Abby sighed, and then moved the shirt so she could pour the liquid on his wound.
Pain sliced through Nick's abdomen, and he clenched his teeth. He hoped the old-time remedy worked. If it took away even a fraction of the pain, he would be grateful.
Abby pressed the blood-soaked shirt against the wound once more. She offered him a comforting smile before pushing the hair off Nick's forehead and placing her hand there. "You still feel warm, so I think you'll be okay."
He forced a smile. "I'm so happy...she didn't kill you. I...tried to get here...before she could pull the trigger."
"I remembered when you told me someone was going to shoot me. So I decided to lower my head to the desk, hoping the bullet would miss me. Then I dropped to the floor, in case she tried to shoot me a second time." Abby caressed his face. "You saved my life, Nick."
His vision blurred even more as a dark shadow swept over him. No! He couldn't leave her. He couldn't go back to his time unless Abby came with him. Or was he going to die in her arms right now?
Nick blinked and tried to focus on her beautiful face, but her image kept getting smaller. "I love you, Abigail Carlisle. I always will."
"Nick?" She clutched his hands, but he could hardly feel her. "Nick!" she screamed, but the sound faded.
Nick found himself moving through a dark tunnel toward a bright light. If all the near-death experiences he'd heard about were true, he was dying. He didn't want to die, because Abby was alive. He had to be with her.
"Nick?"
He concentrated on the voice. "Mom?"
"Nick, it's all right. I love you, but I know you'll be happy somewhere else."
A lump lodged in his throat. Those were the words she'd spoken before Nick's father took him away from her. Why was he remembering them now? "Mom?"
"Shh. Everything is just as it should be. Follow your heart, and you'll be fine."
Tears ran down Nick's face. His mother was the only good reason for returning home to the twenty-first century. He'd just started getting to know her again, and if he stayed in 1912, that chance would be gone.
"You'll always be in my heart no matter where you are, Nick."
His mother's voice faded, and blackness filled his mind. He couldn't see or feel or smell; it was as if he drifted in a void.
Then, after what seemed like hours, he heard a voice—a still, calm voice—telling him to choose. He wanted to shout, but his mouth wouldn't move. "Abby," he called out in his mind. "Help me!"
* * * *
Abigail paced the hallway in front of Nick's hospital room. In her hands, she rubbed the locket her grandmother had given her, grateful she was able to retrieve it from Cassandra. Abigail prayed silently, willing Nick to come back into her life. The necklace did have power. It would give her Nick—her heart's deepest desire. He'd saved her life, and in doing so, he'd almost given up his.
Thankfully, after Nick had lost consciousness, Harry had rushed into the room and helped her get Nick to the hospital. The doctor had removed the bullet. He said Nick had lost a lot of blood but would live—if he regained consciousness soon.
Abigail stopped in front of his room and stared at the closed door, praying Nick would wake up. She groaned and swept the hair out of her face. She should have believed Nick. But she'd never heard of someone traveling through time, so she'd been unable to grasp the concept. Now she knew Nick had never lied to her. After talking to Harry about Mrs. Downey, Abigail knew she'd been wrong to believe the older woman's accusations about Nick. But Mrs. Downey had told the truth about one thing.
When the police came to the hospital to take Abigail's statement, they told her Cassandra professed to being Edward's illegitimate child. When she had confronted Edward, the shock must have given him the heart attack. Cassandra had planned to marry Anthony after killing Abigail, which would get her the Carlisle Empire she never had as a child—after she killed Anthony's parents, of course. Cassandra was one very confused and angry young woman.
Abigail tiptoed into Nick's room. He lay still as death, but the slight rise and fall of his chest let her know he was alive. She stopped by the side of the bed and touched his cheek. It felt cold, and she wondered how he could survive losing so much blood. She now believed he was from the future, and she wondered if he'd simply been sent to stop her death. If so, would he return to his day?
She ran her hand along his arm. She wished he would wake up so she could feel his strong arms around her. If Nick returned to his time, she would never find another man like him.
"Nick, please come back to me." She kissed his forehead. "I need you more than you realize."
Tears stung Abigail's eyes as her heart broke with emotion. For many years she'd known something was missing from her life. Because of Nick, she knew what it was—unconditional love. Her father didn't show it, and she had been so young when her mother died that Abigail barely remembered her. Lily loved Abigail, but probably only because she'd loved Abigail's father. But even though Nick had only been in her life a short while, Abigail knew his love was whole and pure. And she felt as if she had loved him for a lifetime.
She kissed his lips gently. "Nick, I've waited so long for you to come into my life. I can't lose you now. I love you."
Pressing her cheek against his, Abigail closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. At first she thought she was imagining it, but soon she was certain his skin was getting warm. When his breathing grew deeper, she gasped and pulled back to study his face. Color seeped back into his cheeks and lips. Soon his lashes fluttered and he opened his eyes.
Her heart leapt. She clenched her hands to her heart. When Nick turned his head and peered at her, a slow smile stretched his lips.
"Hello, my darling," he said with a cracked voice.
Abigail let out a joyful sob and laid her head on his chest. "Oh, Nick. I didn't think you'd come back."
He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Why wouldn't I?"
She looked at him. "I love you so much, but I thought I was being selfish for wanting you with me when you had a home and a life in a future century."
Nick cupped her chin and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. "No, I don't. You are my home. You are my life now. I don't want anything else."
Tears of happiness ran down her face as she leaned in to kiss him. He held her head as their lips met in a gentle kiss. Abigail's heart soared. Her life was complete.
She pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Oh, Nick. I love you so much, and you came back to me. What more could I ask for now?"
"How about marriage and a family with me?" He winked.
"Absolutely. That's the icing on the cake."
She cuddled against him again as he stroked her hair. "You know, there are a few things you're going to have to learn about living in 1912."
Nick raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I'm sure there are more than a few."
"One of them is how to drive." Abigail turned her head to look at him. "Harry said you scared him half to death when he saw the way you were driving. I fear if you keep driving like a madman, you'll die before you can grow old with me." She sat up and crossed her arms. "So I've decided Hudson will drive us wherever we go."
Nick grinned. "We'll see, but I do have a request." He grasped her hand. "I was thinking about not having the servants live at our home. They can be there during the day, but at the end of the evening, I want to have the house to ourselves."
Heat crept into Abigail's cheeks and she smiled. "I do like that suggestion. Now that I have you back, I don't want to share you with anyone."
"Excellent. It'll be just you and me, and our children, forever. Just as it should be."