Read Online Just in Time: Portals of Time by Kathryn Shay - Free Book Online Page A

positions were reversed, would you?”
    Rhea only nodded…
    Now, Alisha decided to share her real feelings. “I guess I’ve been hoping that if we do change the future and the Domes go away, we’d overcome the odds and the Guardians would somehow know that three of us had backtracked to this time period. Maybe we
could
return to our own time.”
    “Oh, Lisha, I’m sorry you had this hope. The probability is so small, I accepted right away that we’d never return.”
    “I know, I think Dorian did too.”
    Celeste rubbed her fingers on her temples. “Thinking about all that gives me a pain in the head.”
    “We both need some sleep. We’re going over to the Cromwell house at dawning to see if we can help. I wanted to make the trip by taxi tonight, but Dorian said it was too late. Let’s get some sleep.” Without waiting for a response, Alisha grabbed her sleeping clothes and went into the bathroom, not feeling well herself. Her stomach was reacting to what could be a very complicated development.
    o0o
    THE NEXT DAY , Alisha sat at a real wood table in the eating space at the Crowell’s dwelling. She sipped her tea—one of the few kinds of sustenance in this time period that she liked—and thought about the events of the morning. She and Celeste had arrived at eight a.m. and found the Cromwells with Dorian in this very room. Poor Jess seemed disoriented and his spouse Helen distraught. Dorian showed severe signs of fatigue. And Lucas Cromwell was nowhere in sight. Dorian had told her he’d stormed out of the house after a night of unproductive discussion and intermittent sleep. After they’d been introduced, she and Celeste had spoken with the Helen and Jess for over an hour, then they retired to their bedroom. Dorian had said she’d try to rest, too.
    But after only fifteen minutes, she heard Dorian climb the steps from the lower level and come into the room.
    Scanning her, Alisha frowned. “You appear even more tired than you did before you went to lie down.”
    “I couldn’t sleep.”
    Seven hours of uninterrupted slumber was essential to health and Alisha worried about Dorian missing it. In the future, none of them experienced sleeplessness.
    “You should go running with me like we planned.”
    “Probably not. Is Luke back?”
    “No.”
    “Then I couldn’t go anyway. I have to guard Jess.”
    Alisha shook her head. “It isn’t logical that his brother still doesn’t believe you, even after I confirmed everything.”
    “Hearing the person you love most dies in the near future would muddle anyone’s mind. He said he had to clear his head and went out for a drive.”
    “I still think he could have handled this better.”
    Alisha nodded to the basement entrance. The Cromwells had purchased the huge house yearlings ago, for a much lower cost than its selling price today. There was an entire bottom floor equipped with three separate rooms and a common area. Helen and Jess had offered all three women use of the lower spaces now that there were no secrets. “Is Celeste all right? Does she need anything?”
    “I looked in on her. She’s not feeling well.”
    “Her stomach has been upset from consuming their sustenance, and with all the emotion swirling around in the air today, she became ill with it.” Alisha shook her head. “I’m glad I’m not a sensitive.”
    Dorian leaned against the counter. “Why don’t you go running alone? I’ll lie down on the sitting conformer and close my eyes.”
    “All right.” Alisha stood. Hesitating, she stepped closer and embraced Dorian. Alisha wasn’t a hugger but she felt sorry for her friend. “Try to get some rest.”
    Running out of inside brightened Alisha’s mood, though once again the sunshine made her eyes hurt. The powerful rays beaming right down on her with little obfuscation by the ozone layer forced her to put on the shaded glasses. She didn’t like them because they impeded her vision. And because she couldn’t see well and was