The Necklace III: London, June 1967

By Linda S Rice

When her son, Steven, tells Susan that her attorney husband is having an affair with his new paralegal, Susan is in disbelief. After all, she and Donald have been married for almost 45 years; it just doesn’t seem possible!
Devastated at the thought of Donald having an affair with a woman five years older than herself and a bit on the frumpy side, Susan begins toying with her necklace again. And, as she does, memories and unbidden thoughts of James, a member of the most famous band of all time, begin to invade both her mind and heart.
Does the necklace hold some kind of magical power? Dare she return to the past to be with James once again and, if so, will he hate her for what she did to him, vanishing into thin air and crushing his heart to pieces? Or, would she be able to start fresh and renew their love once more?
When she tells her friends the news of her husband, they can’t believe it. Deciding she needs a vacation, Joy and Alice invite her to visit them but Susan has a better idea and that is to take them into the past with her for a different kind of holiday. They agree, but it doesn’t go according to plan when Joy ends up in a disastrous affair with one of James’s bandmates and Alice is pursued by the son of a rector who she cannot abide.
And when Susan stubbornly refuses to leave James, her friends must take matters into their own hands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda S Rice
• Release date: Mar 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463296899

Linda S Rice

As a child, I was mesmerized by story tellers and my mother always made sure I had a supply of books close at hand while I was growing up. Sitting on her lap and listening to her read to me is one of my earliest memories. I remember drawing pictures and then making up stories to go with them, and as I got older, my stories became longer and more fanciful. At age ten, I began to write them down, and when I was twelve, I wrote my first "book," all handwritten. I wrote during rainy days in gym class when we all had to stay in the locker room and sit on benches. I had a small cult following of friends who waited for me to finish each page which I would then pass down the row. When I got a typewriter for my thirteenth birthday, I typed up my "masterpiece" and put it in a 3-ring binder then hid it away. The story was actually quite silly. Having a typewriter, however, made it possible for me to write even more, which I did on almost a daily basis.But, as happens to many young, aspiring writers, reality grabbed me and when I graduated from high school and headed to college then into the workforce, the dream of becoming an author washed away. It wasn't until I turned 62 and experienced my 3rd job layoff, that I decided to try and make my writing dream come true.Writing has since become an addiction to me, and I'm finding that ideas for numerous scenarios and characters keep flooding my brain, with the characters screaming, "Write about me! Write about me!"And, that's what I intend to do.

Book preview

The Necklace III

London, July 1967

When Susan’s son tells her that his dad, Susan’s husband, is having an affair with his new paralegal, she is in disbelief. After all, she and Donald have been married for almost 45 years; it just doesn’t seem possible!

Devastated at the thought of Donald having an affair with a woman five years older than herself and a bit on the frumpy side to boot, Susan begins toying with her silver ballerina necklace again. As a result, unbidden thoughts of James, a member of the most famous band of all time, begin to invade her mind and heart. Memories of the time she spent with him back in the past make her yearn to be with him once more.

Is it true that the necklace holds some kind of magical power? Dare she return to the past to be with James again and, if so, will he hate her for breaking his heart not only once but three times? Or, will she be able to start fresh and renew their love again?

Would it even…dare she think it…be possible to stay in the past with him and change history?

Contents

About The Necklace III * Acknowledgments * Dedication

Prologue * Chapter 1 * Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5 * Chapter 6 * Chapter 7 * Chapter 8 * Chapter 9 * Chapter 10 * Chapter 11 * Chapter 12 * Chapter 13 * Chapter 14 * Chapter 15 * Chapter 16 * Chapter 17 * Chapter 18 * Chapter 19 * Chapter 20 * Chapter 21 * Chapter 22 * Chapter 23 * Chapter 24 * Chapter 25 * Chapter 26 * Chapter 27 * Chapter 28 * Chapter 29 * Chapter 30 * Chapter 31 * Chapter32 * Epilogue

Excerpt from The Necklace IV * Other Books by Linda S. Rice * About the Author * Copyright

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to friends, acquaintances, and relatives, who encouraged me to move forward with publishing The Necklace, the first book in the series, the sequel, The Necklace II, and now this third book that continues the time-travel adventures of Susan in her quest to be with James, a member of the most famous band of all time.

Special thanks to my sister-in-law, Nancy Flood, for her editing help and to my numerous Facebook friends for their encouragement and time spent previewing this work.

I dedicate this (and all books in The Necklace series) to all those women out there whose teenage heart was captured by a rock star/musician and who have remained loyal through the years. May this fantasy story lighten your spirit, make you both laugh and cry, and let you know that your dreams never need to die.

Lastly, and most importantly, I’d like to thank my husband, Michael, for his patience while I wrote, re-wrote, revised, and edited over the many months it took me to complete all three of these books.

To contact the author,

e-mail Linda at [e-mail]

Facebook Author page

Dedication

FOR Shelley Joy Bridgman-Baker

and Mari Alice Richards

Prologue

Susan’s previous trips into the past to be with the man she had secretly yearned for since age twelve, had ended in heartbreak, not so much for her, but for James, the man of her dreams and a member of the most famous band of all time.

Her first trip, back to June 1962, where she first met James, resulted in a tempestuous, one-week love affair, fraught with conflict, soaring emotions, and unbridled passion. Of course, coming from the year 2014 and being age sixty-two in her seventeen-year-old body, created quite a number of complications. Susan was from an era of liberated women, used to having her way and doing as she pleased. James, age twenty, from a middle-class working family, was old-fashioned in his thinking and tried his best to force Susan to conform to what he felt was proper behavior for a good and modest girl in the era of the early sixties. Their physical attraction for each other overwhelmed their differences, however, when Susan’s rampant seventeen-year-old hormones met head-on with James’s young and potent virility. In the end, though, Susan had to admit that James wasn’t the paragon she’d made him out to be in her mind for so many years, and that what she had back in the future was far better than anything she would ever have had with him.

Unfortunately, Susan made a mistake. She left her necklace with James back in the past, a silver ballerina necklace that her grandfather had given her for her twelfth birthday. It created a link between them that could only be broken if Susan were to go back into the past again to retrieve it.

Five months later, Susan again returns to the past, to November 1962, just as the most famous band of all time is on the brink of fame. Upon seeing James, Susan is overcome once more, and James likewise, is smitten again by the green-eyed, blonde American girl. Off they go into another affair, this one much more stormy and full of passion than the last. James falls deeply in love with Susan and proposes marriage. She is so unnerved by his proposal, however, that her stunned and speechless response betrays her. When James realizes she’s lied to him and that there’s another man in her life, he becomes so incensed and anguished at her duplicity that Susan, now in danger from James’s murderous rage, is immediately returned to the future, once again leaving her necklace behind.

Finding herself back in the present again, Susan begs to be sent back one last time, promising she will get her necklace back. Susan is returned to February 1964, in the guise of a ballerina as the band is making their first American tour and is scheduled to be on the Ted Flannagan Show along with Susan, who will dance The Dying Swan. James is drawn to the shy ballerina, and hoping to get her into his bed for the night, gives her a silver ballerina necklace he discovers in his suit jacket pocket. But, as he places it over her head and his hands rest on her shoulders, recognition of who she is becomes crystal clear. Before he can react, however, Susan vanishes back to the future once more.

Chapter 1

Donald’s Betrayal

Susan was pacing back and forth in the great room of her house, waiting for her son, Steven, to call her back. The news he’d imparted to her yesterday after visiting his dad, her husband, Donald, at his office, had her in a dither and angry as hell.

According to Steven, Donald was having an affair with his new paralegal, a woman named Melanie, who he’d just hired three months previously when his long-time paralegal, Amanda, had retired.

The news was devastating on its own, but the fact that Melanie was five years older than Susan and a bit on the frumpy side, was what hurt the most. Susan made it a point to stay in shape, and at age sixty-three, she still looked pretty damned good. Not many wrinkles, a trim yet still shapely body, and even only a few gray hairs.

An affair was hard to believe and even harder to accept. Donald had never strayed once during their forty-four years of marriage, and Susan made a point to keep him happy, especially in the bedroom. Donald had always been a fantastic lover, and her response to him had always been over-the-top passion. She never denied him and often initiated intimacy, much to his delight.

At least she thought he’d always been delighted. What had gone wrong?  Why would he turn to another woman when she was always willing and eager to satisfy his every desire?

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But, most of all, she wanted to know why.

When her iPhone rang, she instantly answered. It was Steven.

Hey, Mom, he said.  How are you doing today?

I’m doing okay, thanks, but your dad didn’t come home last night. He said he slept on the cot in his office. He’s been busy preparing for that huge environmental case you’ve been following.

Yeah, well, my editor tore apart the story I wrote on the case after I interviewed Dad a few days ago. He said it was crap sensationalism. He threw it in the trash. Dad must have given me crap information about TrinCo, that company that’s been polluting the San Diego River. I know he’s defending them, but he made me look like an idiot. And he won’t even tell me the name of the scumbag politician up in Sacramento that made an under-the-table deal with them.

Now, Steven, you know Dad can’t give you any details on the case, and he certainly can’t give you the inside story on his client. You should know better than to pressure him for that kind of information.

I just thought he’d help me out with a good story for the magazine, that’s all, Mom. I know he hates me, but to make a fool of me…

He doesn’t hate you…

Yes, he does, and you know it. He’s always liked Michelle better than me. He thinks the sun rises and sets on her, especially since she passed the bar exam. I’m a nothing little writer jerk to him.

Stop it, Steven! That’s not true at all, and you know it!

Why did you want me to call you, Mom?

It’s about what you told me yesterday…you know…about Dad and…and…Melanie…

I told you what I saw, Mom, that’s all. I’ll tell you again. I walked in on them, and she was sitting on his lap, and he had his hand up her dress…and they were kissing.  Don’t you believe me or something?

I don’t want to believe you.

Well, that’s what I saw, and that’s probably why he didn’t come home last night.  He was probably with her.

Susan stifled a sob. Are you sure you’re not making this up because you’re pissed at your dad, Steven? You wouldn’t do something like that to me, would you?

Of course not, Mom. Why would I want to hurt you?

I don’t believe you’d want to hurt me, but maybe you’d want to hurt your dad.

Get off it, Mom. She’s probably just a fling or something. Maybe you should just forget I said anything.

When Susan did nothing but sniff, Steven said, Hey, Mom, I gotta go. I need to pick up the kids from the movie, and then we’re going out to dinner. Don’t think about Dad and Melanie, okay?  Talk to ya later.

Steven disconnected, and Susan stared down at her phone. She knew she needed to confront Donald but dreaded the conversation. He’d called her last night to tell her he had to fly to Sacramento and would be gone a week, maybe more, and when he stopped by to pack this morning, she made sure she wasn’t home. She didn’t want to know the truth, and she didn’t want to think about him and Melanie, who was probably going on the trip with him.

She began pacing again, her thoughts in turmoil, and as she always did when worried or stressed, she began to pull on the chain of her silver ballerina necklace, fingering the ballerina pointe shoes on the end. And, as always happened when she held onto the necklace for a minute or more, her mind began to wander into the past, and she began to think of him again…

James.

She released her hold on the necklace and took a deep breath. Yes, the memory of him and the time she’d spent with him in the past had become a dim memory to her, but what was dim really? A memory was a memory no matter how you sliced it, and if you dwelled on it long enough, it became less dim.

She decided to distract herself, opened her laptop, and signed onto Facebook. She browsed through the newsfeed, looking at random posts, then stopped when she got to one that grabbed her attention and made her grasp the necklace again.

Oh my!

It was a picture of James. A picture of him when he was young. A picture taken shortly before the breakup of the most famous band of all time of which he had been a member.

Her eyes were riveted. She right-clicked her mouse on the photo, making it larger, and as she stared into his beguiling eyes, her heart began to beat faster.

Dare she think of him again? Dare she distract herself from her current insecurity and worries and open the door to her forbidden dreams once more?

Why not?!

As she continued to stare at the picture, she became more entrapped in her memories. Looking at his lips brought back memories of his kisses. Looking at his hair brought back memories of running her fingers through it. And, looking at his eyes made her remember how he had looked at her with amber flecks sparking and how he had loved her.

A stray tear trickled down her cheek as she continued to think of him and what she had done to him.

She closed her eyes, and it was almost as if she could feel him beside her again, touching her once more, holding her in his arms…

Forbidden and tantalizing thoughts of him coursed through her and made her shiver. She knew it was wrong. She knew she should turn her thoughts in another direction, especially after her last time travel encounter with him eight months previous at the Ted Flannagan Show. Had it really only been eight months? It seemed a lot longer.

When she finally got her necklace back, it was with a sense of relief. She had chastised herself a hundred times over what she had done to James, how she had hurt him. No, hurt was too tame of a word. She had crushed him, stomped his heart into a million pieces, and left them lying on the hotel room floor.

Oh, how could she have been so blind to his love for her? How could she not have anticipated that he was going to ask her to marry him? It made her own heart ache to think about it.

But, now her heart began to feel something else, something she’d been trying to fight her whole life, something she thought she’d discarded after finding out James wasn’t the perfect paragon she’d made him in her mind for so many years, something she was sure had been erased when she got her necklace back at the Ted Flannagan Show.

…She still loved him.

In some perverse way, she still loved him as she had always loved him, and no matter how hard she tried to focus on why her love for him was wrong, she just didn’t have the strength to combat the yearning inside of her. It didn’t matter that he’d been overbearing, arrogant, or moody.  It didn’t matter that he had silly, old-fashioned ideas about a woman’s place.

None of that mattered…especially not now when she was raw with pain from her current situation related to Donald in the present.

She sighed heavily as all these thoughts raced through her brain. James was seventy-three now in July 2015. He was still insanely popular, still writing music and still performing for crowds of hundreds of thousands of people. He sometimes seemed like a curse to her, always on the news, on the Internet, on magazine covers in the grocery store. He was unavoidable.

Susan flicked off her laptop and decided to go to bed. Maybe a good night’s sleep would chase James out of her head again, and maybe she’d have time to think how to confront Donald about Melanie.

But, as she turned out the light and stared into the darkness, she again grasped her necklace, and an hour later, as she finally drifted into sleep, she was still clutching the ballerina slippers that hung on the end of the chain.

Unbidden dreams of James haunted her throughout the night.

The next morning still left her unsettled. Donald had called and sounded tired and worn out. He told her the case with TrinCo had many tails and complications and that it would take months to work out. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be in Sacramento but said he’d let her know. When he told her he loved her, and she didn’t say it back, as was their habit before hanging up a call, he asked her if something was wrong.

Is Melanie with you? she asked scathingly.

Donald seemed taken aback by the question. Well, of course, she is!  She’s my paralegal; I need her. I always took Amanda with me when I had to go out of town. Is there a problem?

Are you having an affair with her? Susan blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Susan, why would you think such a thing?! There’s never been another woman in my life! You know that! I’ve never wanted anyone but you! Why would you even think such a thing?!!"

Steven said he saw you together…she was on your lap…and you were…you were kissing her… The words came out on a sob.

Damn, Steven! Susan, I swear to you; it’s not true! Steven is pissed at me because I won’t give him privileged information on TrinCo and the Senator who made an inside deal with some environmentalists I can’t name. I told you how mad he was last week when I refused to give him any info. He probably just made up the story about Melanie and me to stir up trouble between us. Don’t believe him, Susan, please…You’re the light of my life! I love you with my whole heart! You know that!

Susan sniffed. I don’t like it when you go away for so long.

I know you don’t, honey. I don’t like being away either, but this is an important case with severe political backlash. My clients are counting on me.

I know they are…and I’m so proud of you for what you do. I guess you’re probably right about Steven making it all up. I just don’t know why he would do something so cruel to his mother.

He just wasn’t thinking, Susan. He just wants to cause trouble for me and this case. You believe me, don’t you?

Susan sniffed again. Yes, Donald…I believe you. I love you. Call me when you can and let me know how the case is going, okay?

I sure will, honey. Bye now. I love you.

Love you too. Bye…

Susan knew that Donald would be thrilled if she flew up to Sacramento to be with him, but she’d gone on trips like that before and ended up being alone most of the time. Donald spent hours in court and with clients leaving little time for her other than a few hours in a hotel room. She didn’t feel like flying to Sacramento, hating empty hotel rooms and already having been to the city numerous times before. She’d seen everything interesting there was to see.

She pondered Donald’s words. She wanted to believe nothing was going on between him and Melanie, but she still felt uneasy. After almost forty-five years together, maybe he was bored with her. Maybe Melanie wanted more of a relationship than being his paralegal. After all, Donald, with his full head of silver hair, startling blue eyes, and an awesomely in-shape body, was still a head-turner for a lot of women.

Feeling melancholy, she picked up the phone and called her old high school friend, Alice, who she’d just recently reconnected with via Facebook.

Susan had lived with Alice and her family for a year while in high school, when Susan’s mother, brother, and she had moved out to the country with her grandparents.  She didn’t want to change schools and lose all her friends, and Alice’s family was kind enough to invite her to stay with them until she finished high school.

After Susan moved in, she and Alice became like sisters, doing everything together, laughing over boyfriends, teasing each other, and crying together over heartbreak, especially the heartbreak Susan experienced when James got married. And, of all things, he married a girl named Susan, making it seem even worse.

She sighed again, waiting for Alice to answer the phone.

Hey there! said Alice cheerfully, picking up the phone on the third ring, recognizing Susan’s number on Caller ID.

Hey there, yourself, responded Susan in an expressionless voice.

Alice paused. Hey, why the sad voice? What’s up?

I found out something awful regarding Donald…He’s having an affair…

You’re kidding me! Donald isn’t the type to have an affair! He’s never strayed. Are you sure?

I wouldn’t have believed it myself if it wasn’t for Steven telling me.

Your son told you?!

Yeah, seems he saw Donald and his new paralegal, Melanie, embracing in his office when he stopped by to drop off an article he’d written about Donald’s current case…

Melanie? Isn’t she that frumpy lady you told me about a couple of months ago who Donald hired when his last paralegal retired? Isn’t she like five years older than you or something?

That would be her…and that’s what makes it even worse…At least I keep myself in decent shape, and she’s a frump!

Aren’t you and Donald getting along?

Are you kidding me?! After he won that big court case a few months ago, he took me on a fabulous cruise. We were just like newlyweds!!

Gee…I don’t know what to say about Melanie then. I’m sorry. Are you sure about all of this? It just doesn’t sound like Donald.

"Well…he did deny it…"

You confronted him, and he denied it?

Yeah, when I found out he was taking Melanie to Sacramento with him on the case he’s working on, I just out and out asked him. He totally denied it, but I still feel uneasy. Why would Steven make up something like that? I know he doesn’t get along with his dad all the time, but I don’t think he’d hurt me intentionally.

Gosh, I don’t know what to say then. I really am sorry…

No need to be. Steven tells me not to worry, that it will blow over. But I can’t help but feel hurt.

Have you thought of flying up to Sacramento to be with him?-

Yeah, but I hate Sacramento; it’s damn miserable in July with the heat. And Donald wouldn’t have time for me anyway. He needs to be in court, with his clients, prepare for the case, all that kind of stuff.

Maybe you need a break or something. Do something fun for yourself to take your mind off all of this.

Oh, I don’t know…maybe…but Melanie isn’t the worst of it…

Oh?

Yeah…

So, what’s the worst of it?

"I’ve been thinking about him again."

Him? Oh no!  You can’t mean James, can you? After all you told me happened last November when you did another one of those time travel things?

Yeah…pathetic, huh?

Well, I don’t know that I’d say quite that, but didn’t you both become cloudy memories or whatever was supposed to happen when you came back?

Dim memories…yeah, that’s what was supposed to happen.

But it didn’t? I thought you told me all was well, that you realized he wasn’t the right one for you anyway, that you argued and fought, and that he was arrogant and controlling and…

He was all those things, plus more.

Then why are you thinking of him again?

I’m not sure, but most likely because of Donald and Melanie. I keep tugging on my necklace.

"Your ballerina necklace? The one you gave James then had to go back and get? Do you want to think about James again? You know, whenever things get bad in your life, you’ve always run off with him, even if it’s only in your head."

I know.

So, is that what you’re doing now?

I’m trying not to.

I think you really need a break. Why don’t you come visit me up in Seattle? We could graze around Pike’s Market for a few days, get your troubles out of your mind, and get James out of wherever he hides inside you.

I can’t just get rid of him! He’s in my heart, not so much my head. It’s harder to get rid of things in your heart than it is your head.

You shouldn’t feel that way, you know.

I know. Susan sighed heavily again.

Well, why don’t you think about coming for a visit? I’ll do my best to cheer you up, and you can still call and check in with Donald when you need to.

I’ll think about it.

Yeah, well, do it. Plane fares aren’t that bad from San Diego to Seattle. Go make your reservations right now, then message me on Facebook and let me know when you’ll be here.

Like I said, I’ll think about it.

You don’t need to think about it. Just do it. You need a break.

Okay, I’ll check into flights and message you.

Good deal. I’ll be looking for your message.

Thanks, Alice. I feel a little better already. Talk to you later.

Loves!

Hugs back to you!

They both hung up.

Alice immediately called Joy, one of Susan’s other very good friends who lived in South Carolina. Joy was also frequently on Facebook with Susan, and Alice knew Susan had told her all about her time travel experiences with James.

In fact, Joy had been somewhat obsessed with Derek and the band during her teenage years and was continually quizzing Susan about him and what he was like in the past. Susan had said only good things related to him, leaving out his relationship with Mindy and what she’d experienced concerning his dark side. The incident at Auntie Annabelle’s cottage when she’d dunked his new song in the dishwater, and he tried to break her arm, wasn’t a pleasant one. She’d wanted to forget it.

Joy was concerned about Susan when Alice told her the situation with Donald.

I told her to buy a plane ticket and come visit me, said Alice. But, I’m not sure she’ll do it. She really, really needs to get away for a while.

I agree, said Joy. I talked to her yesterday. She didn’t exactly tell me what was wrong, but her voice was very strained.

Maybe we should both go visit her and drag her away somewhere for a week or so. In fact, I could do with a few weeks away; the weather has been awful here, even though it’s summer.

That sounds great! Maybe we could all three of us meet somewhere, like Palm Springs or something. I’ve got nothing going on until September, so I’m free as a bird!

Too hot in Palm Springs this time of year!

Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we should just make Susan pick a place. Tell her if she doesn’t, that we’re going to come to San Diego and drag her away.

You think she’d go for that?

I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot, don’t you think?

Yeah, might as well. You want to call her and twist her arm, or do you want me to? I’m not very good at arm twisting.

Then I’ll call her, said Joy confidently. I’ll twist and cajole and beg if I have to.

Okay, it’s a deal then. You call her, then either message me or call me back.

They hung up, and Joy wasted no time in punching Susan’s number into her iPhone.

Chapter 2

Plans to Return

After talking to Alice, Susan became restless and began pacing back and forth again, stopping to pet one of her cats or glance out the window from time to time. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to fly up to Seattle or not. She just wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.

Her mind strayed to thoughts of James again, and she sat down in a chair and put her hands over her face, pulling them down her cheeks and heaving a heavy sigh. Tears welled in the back of her eyes as she remembered their time together, not the bad things that had happened, but all the good ones…James singing to her like she was the only person in the room…James’s warm hand holding hers, his gorgeous eyes as he looked lovingly into hers…his sweet and tender lovemaking and their overwhelming passion for each other…most of all…their passion…

It was too much, and she began to sob in earnest. Oh, to be with him again! If only for a few hours or even a day! It would heal her pain. It would take her away from the agony and uncertainty of the present. Would it be possible for her to go back in time again? To be with him once more? Would he forgive her the pain she’d caused him? Would he…could he…love her again?

Susan knew that James had hooked up with Rita, the redhead who had her eyes on him at the Dusky Club in November 1962. She knew they had become a couple, and there had been rampant rumors of them getting married. She remembered her teenage heart at the time compressing in anguish when she thought of James with her.

James and Rita were together for almost four years and most likely would have married. That is until Rita had come home to their house one day in the spring of 1967 and discovered James in bed with some American girl.

Susan’s eyes widened as she contemplated the scene. Rita, of course, would have been outraged. The rumor was that she had left James without a word or without throwing a tantrum or causing a scene. She’d just coldly and quietly walked out, and James hadn’t even tried to stop her. It was the end of their relationship.

It was also rumored that James had been drinking to excess and experimenting with drugs, which had also been a contributor to the break-up not only between him and Rita but also had caused turmoil within the most famous band of all time.

Susan sighed as she once again thought of James and the brief times they’d spent together, and the more she dwelled on it, the more James invaded her mind and heart once again.

She wanted to be with him again. She wanted to be the American girl Rita had caught him in bed with. She didn’t care if it was wrong. She didn’t care about much of anything, and the more her mind spun, the more an idea of going back into the past again solidified itself in her brain.

Yes, Alice was right in saying she needed a break. But, she didn’t need a break to visit her friend in Seattle. She needed a break to go back into the past to be with James again, to beg his forgiveness for what she had done to him.

Would he even remember the blonde American history student who had broken his heart? Would it even matter to him anymore, especially after being with Rita for four years? Would he remember her at all? Had she become a dim memory as Mika told her she would be if she got the necklace back. Could she start fresh with him, maybe even use a different name?

Yes, she would contact the Haiti ladies and see if they’d