Chapter Sixteen

Another night and Nicole couldn't sleep. She had never been a good sleeper and tonight was no exception. She kept feeling the sting of the pain of her past as if the entire thing had happened days ago instead of years.

Her mother wasting away in that hospital bed, her father turning to the alcohol and killing himself in that car, her best friend and boyfriend betraying her for nearly two full years before she finally caught them at Lisa's apartment.....

Damn her memories! She had always been good at forgetting the past and blocking out the pain but it seemed the last few days it kept finding its way into her brain.

Nicole decided that since milk had helped the night before, it might just help again tonight. She slipped on her pink fuzzy slippers and pulled her thin robe over her tank top and flannel pants and then made her way into the hall.

She stopped outside of Ian and Andrew's room and opened the door just a crack so she could peek inside. Ian was sound asleep on the floor with a pillow over his head and Andrew was sprawled across the bed with his empty whiskey bottle tucked safely under his arm. His loud snores were filling the quiet and Nicole shook her head as she looked at him.

She felt sorry for both Andrew and Bethany. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened in town because she hadn't had a chance to talk to Bethany and Andrew had been too drunk to be of much help in figuring anything out. He had been hanging all over everyone, singing sad songs and jumping on the tables to proclaim his love for a woman who didn't feel the same. Andrew had carried his sad party well into the night, howling at the moon and quoting Shakespeare, which Nicole had actually found impressive. But now the drunken boy was passed out and snoring peacefully.

Nicole wasn't sure she liked the fact that a nineteen year old boy was drinking so heavily but she knew there was no point in saying anything. The McEllis brothers were only a temporary fixture in her life and would soon be going back to their own time where it was perfectly acceptable for a nineteen year old to drink all he wanted.

Nicole closed the door silently and then walked down the hall, pausing at the door to Cavanaugh's room. It was nice to be able to be around the man without him scowling at her every moment but she could still feel the wall he was trying to keep between them and she wished she could just knock it down and convince him to let her in, though she knew that was something that would only come with time... or at least she hoped it would. Then again it had been over three years and he hadn't healed yet so maybe he never would. Maybe he didn't want to.

She shook her head. Thinking about Cavanaugh certainly wasn't going to help her relax and invite sleep to come.

Nicole walked as silently as she could down the stairs, hoping to keep from disturbing Jamison, but when she stepped into the living room she found him awake and staring into the fireplace just the same as he had been the night before. Jamison acknowledged her presence with a smile which she returned and then without a word she went into the kitchen, poured two glasses of milk and then joined him on the couch.

"Another sleepless night?" he asked her as he took the glass she offered and leaned back against the couch.

"Yes," Nicole replied. "I see you were having one as well."

"Side effect of being a lawman, I suppose," he replied with a sigh. "And of being an ass."

"You're not an ass, Jamison. I'm sorry I was so mean to you before we went to Uncle Silas's earlier. I have no right to judge you when I don't even really know you."

"It's odd though that I feel comfortable enough to talk to you," Jamison countered, "I don't usually feel that way with people."

"I guess that witch knew what she was doing then. I don't normally trust people but I trust the four of you. I feel like your long lost sister," she added as she nudged him gently with her shoulder.

"That would make the looks you've been sharing with Cav pretty inappropriate," Jamison reminded her and Nicole couldn't help but laugh lightly.

"Well I feel like yours, Ian's and Andrew's long lost sister," she amended. "Has Andrew always been such a big drinker?"

"I hadn't seen Andrew in a long time. I hadn't seen him in eleven years actually when he showed up to see our mama before she died. From what I can tell he started drinking not long after he left home. Andrew has always had a hard time holding still or concentrating. I thought he'd outgrow it as he got older but I was wrong. Ian said the alcohol helps Andrew deal with it but it just makes him wilder and more annoying for everyone else to be around."

Nicole nodded and there was a comfortable silence between them for a few long minutes. Finally Nicole took a big drink of milk and then glanced in Jamison's direction, "What happened to Cavanaugh and his family?"

Jamison sighed and took a drink of milk, his blue eyes going back to the fire, "I guess there's no harm in telling you now the he knows you know. Cavanaugh was on his way back from town. He'd been gone for a few days selling off some hogs and cattle and getting supplies. When he rode around the last bend approaching his homestead someone took a shot at him from behind a tree. The bullet went through his thigh and snapped that bone in half. Cav said he fell out of the saddle and managed to grab his gun but his attacker, or attackers, were too fast. The next thing he knew he was getting kicked in the face by a big boot and he lost consciousness."

Jamison shifted uncomfortably and looked down at the white milk sitting in his glass, "Cav woke up and was weak, he'd nearly bled to death but the wound was finally clotting up. He couldn't walk but managed to drag himself to his house. They had killed his wife, Leah, and both of their small children."

"How long was it before he came to you for help?" Nicole asked quietly.

Jamison looked at her, his blue eyes full of guilt, "About a month or so. I was passing through Virginia and I hadn't seen my brother in a long time. I wanted to see him and my niece and nephew so I decided I'd stop in. The house was empty when I got there and I saw the graves.... I immediately went straight to the nearest town and found him at the docs. Would you believe that half out of blood and crippled with a broken leg that man still managed to dig three graves before he finally got on a horse and got himself to town? Don't ask how he managed to do any of it because I don't know. I would have said it was impossible if I didn't know that Cav never lies."

Jamison shook his head, "He told me what had happened and asked for help but I didn't see any way to help him. He never got a good look at his attacker and couldn't even name a suspect. I'm ashamed to say I was more worried about building up my reputation and making a name for myself than I was helping my brother and chase dead ends."

"We all make mistakes," Nicole offered gently.

"Yes well, Cav took a shot at me through the docs window as I rode away."

"He tried to kill you?!" Nicole demanded with disbelief and Jamison shook his head.

"No," he replied with a chuckle. "He just wanted to scare me and let me know he was pissed, I reckon. Cav doesn't miss when he aims that gun of his. Even though he's peace loving and not a fighter, he is the best aim out of all us brothers."

"He told me that you had been shot before," Nicole stated and then she smiled. "And Ian too," Jamison laughed deeply and sat his glass on the small table.

"Yes! I remember that. I happened to come into the town that Ian was in and saw him limping around. I'll bet you he limped for a good solid month and it was longer than that before he could sit down without a pillow for his backside."

Nicole found herself laughing at the image that brought to mind.

"This is ridiculous!" Jamison exclaimed suddenly as he stood up and began pacing the floor in front of the fire. Nicole frowned at his sudden change in mood.

"What is?"

"Being stuck here." he replied. "I know what I have to do now. I've seen the error of my ways. I was a first rate jackass. I turned my back on my brother, I've kept Hallie stringing along all these years... There's nothing I can do about either of those things while I'm here! I need to go home. I need to follow the new lead I have on my Cav's families killer. I need to go find Hallie and take her to the nearest preacher so we can get married. I need......."

Nicole let out a loud cry of shock when suddenly Jamison was gone. She blinked several times but still he remained gone from her living room. One second he had been ranting and pacing and the next he had disappeared.

"Jamison?" she called out tentatively. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and then Cavanaugh and Ian burst into the living room. Cavanaugh had his gun drawn and his sleep lined face was tense as he searched for whatever threat had made Nicole cry out.

Ian was wearing nothing but a pair of gray long johns with his leather gun belt hooked around his waist. Nicole would have laughed at the sight if her mind wasn't already working overtime trying to figure out exactly what had happened to Jamison.

"What's going on?" Cavanaugh demanded.

Nicole frowned and scratched at her head with confusion, "I don't know...." she said slowly as she stood up and pulled her robe tight around her. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head toward the fireplace, "Jamison was right here and then 'poof' he was gone."

"Poof?" Cavanaugh asked as he stuck his revolver into the waistband of the jeans he was still wearing.

"Yeah, you know," Nicole made fists and then held them up in the air before quickly spreading out her fingers. "Poof."

Cavanaugh frowned and raised his brow, "I heard you yell and I thought something had happened..." he stated awkwardly as he scratched at his stubble covered jaw.

"So where is Jamison?" Ian grumbled.

Nicole let out an irritated growl, "I already told you! He was pacing in front of the fireplace saying that he knew what he had to do and then 'poof'! He was gone."

"So you're okay?" Cavanaugh asked as he looked around.

"Yes," Nicole replied and then she shrugged theatrically. "Except for the fact that I just watched a man disappear in front of my eyes."

"Lucky bastard must have went home," Ian stated as he rubbed at his tired eyes. "I'm going back to bed now since that pain in the ass drunkard upstairs is finally quiet," Ian turned and his feet dragged on the hardwood floor as he shuffled back up the stairs.

"I, uh, I'm glad you're okay," Cavanaugh admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Nicole looked into his eyes and realized just how worried he had been. She bit her lip as she remembered what Jamison had told her about his family and without putting much thought into what she was doing, Nicole closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm okay," she assured him as she stood on her toes and laid her head on his shoulder.

Cavanaugh stiffened at first at the contact but then Nicole felt her entire body fill with heat and longing as he closed his arms around her, locking her tight in his powerful grasp. It wasn't just her body that responded to his touch, her heart responded as well, filling with emotion in a way that it never had before with the touch of any other man. His body was hot and hard and yet his touch was tender and soft as he held her tight against him.

Cavanaugh breathed deep and could smell the scent of lilacs and vanilla as he put his nose close to Nicole's hair. He couldn't deny that holding her this way, feeling her full soft body pressed against his own, just felt right. It filled him with a hunger that was undeniable and a peace that he hadn't felt in a long long time.

That's why he was disappointed and slow to release his hold on her as she pulled away. He looked at her questioningly even as he scanned her body with his eyes. That robe she was wearing was thin and worn from use as she pulled it tight over the gray tank top and flannel pants she was wearing. The pink, furry things on her feet caught his attention and had him raising his brow.

"My slippers," she informed him, wiggling her feet.

Cavanaugh smiled and looked back at her face. She looked tired and confused. There were dark circles around her green eyes and her golden hair was a mess, "You should get some rest, Nicole," he stated.

"I hope Jamison is okay," she replied and Cavanaugh felt the stirrings of jealousy in his gut. He wasn't at all sure he liked the fact that she and Jamison had been sharing late night conversations in front of the fire.

"Like Ian said, he probably went home. What did he say he had to do?" Cavanaugh asked.

Nicole walked over to the couch and sat back down and Cavanaugh reluctantly walked over and sat at the other end, "He said he knew what he had to do and that he had learned his lesson. He said he was going to finally treat Hallie the way he should have been all along and that he was going to..." Nicole paused and bit her lip as she stared into the fire.

"Going to what?" Cavanaugh asked suspiciously.

"Do his best to find out who took your family from you," Nicole replied, choosing her words carefully. She glanced over at Cavanaugh and saw the surprised look on his face.

"He said that?" he asked and Nicole simply nodded. She could tell that he became lost in his own thoughts after that and so she said nothing and simply sat beside him. Soon she felt sleep trying to claim her and before she could stop herself she was drifting off to sleep.

***

Jamison looked around him suspiciously, waiting for someone to speak or step out of the clouds surrounding him. He was back in that same cloud filled place he and his brothers had woken up in before coming to the future. Jamison had to admit that the place was scarier without three more guns around him.

"Hello?" he called out as he rested his hand on his revolver.

"Hello, Jamison," the voice seemed to come from all directions and Jamison recognized it as the healer Mary's voice.

"Do we have to go through these parlor tricks?" he demanded and he heard her laugh harshly.

"It amuses an old woman," she replied.

Jamison shook his head, "Are you sending me back home or am I going to some other far off time and place?" he demanded.

"Home, Jamison. You have seen the error in your ways and I trust now that you are going to do what you can to make things right."

"Yes, ma'am." Jamison replied with a nod. There was a smile in Mary's voice when she responded.

"Good luck with your journey."