A Time For Will

By Libby Campbell

When cowboy Will Dawson lands on Lissie Pettigrew’s doorstep, she doesn’t think it’s the universe working its miracles. She thinks it’s another of her sister’s practical jokes.

Will remembers going into the barn on his family farm. Then lightning crackled and the earth fell away beneath his feet. That was 1885.

Lissie doesn’t believe in love, let alone love at first sight. But this stern cowboy, who is so unfamiliar with the modern world, sends her heart racing with his caring but strict manners.

Will wants to return to 1885. Lissie wants to find her twin sister, who disappeared at the same moment Will was dragged through time.

Lissie may only see her sister again at the cost of losing Will forever. If things go wrong, she may lose both of them. The forces that split the time-space continuum are stirring again. Will and Lissie weigh the risks before returning to the portal.

Disclaimer: this time travel story has steamy and erotic elements, including spanking of adult women. If this content is likely to offend you, please do not read this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Libby Campbell
• Release date: Jan 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781990303234

Libby Campbell

My romance novels feature strong, self-reliant women and the powerful men who love them. Romantic by nature, I write the stories I want to read: those that feature a spicy power exchange and deliver a sting in the tale.Canadian by birth, I also lived in Australia for a couple of decades. While living there I overcame my aversion to saucer-sized spiders and, as a condition of marriage to my Aussie Prince Charming, I swore a lifelong allegiance to the Melbourne Football Club.Then family called and my husband and I packed up and moved. We now live on a rocky island on Canada’s West Coast, close to beaches that once were frequented by smugglers and rumrunners.My passions are reading and writing. I adore all animals and love hiking, beachcombing, and an occasional night of dancing.

Book preview

1

STRANGE DAZE - NOW

It was an unseasonably hot autumn day when Verity Pettigrew was driving along a quiet country road and a spear of white lightning blazed across the sky. She jerked her truck to a stop in the middle of the road and stared. What she’d just seen was impossible. There wasn’t a cloud in the bright blue sky.

With shaking hands, she shifted into gear and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. Then she sat, her eyes fixed heavenward, and wondered what she’d just witnessed. There hadn’t been another car on this road since she left the small town of Milford, five miles back, so she couldn’t ask anyone else if they’d seen it too. Surely it was just her imagination. To calm herself, she closed her eyes to begin some yoga breathing. Big mistake. The image of the lightning bolt materialized in front of her, as clearly as if it had been burned onto her retinas.

Her phone rang and when she saw her boyfriend’s image on the screen, she accepted the call with a trembling hand. If he’d called five minutes later, she would have been in the no- reception zone, and offline for the next few days other than when she drove back to Milford for supplies.

Michael wouldn’t like the idea that she’d failed to call him before going into radio silence. The thought of how he’d express his displeasure sent a tingly rush of lust and anticipation through her.

She turned off the truck’s engine and said, Michael I’m so glad you called.

Babe. Michael’s deep voice boomed out of the hands-free speaker. Where you at?

Verity distracted herself from the shock of what she’d just seen by picturing him in his corner office with the view over the Pike Street Market and Seattle Harbor. He’d be wearing one of his custom-made suits, with a white shirt, French cuffs with gold cufflinks, and a Ferragamo silk tie. With his expensive haircut and lean, muscular build, he’d look like an ad from GQ. Her blood ran hot at the thought. She loved a man in a good suit the way some men loved women in skimpy lingerie. If he could see her now, in scruffy jeans and a paint-splattered t-shirt, he’d shake his head with amusement because he’d know that underneath it she wore a lacy bra and panties, one of the many sets he’d given her. The heat of his image calmed her. It reminded her of what was real.

Still, she was shaken and hoped he might have an idea about what she’d just seen. I’m about half an hour from the farm, she said. And I just saw—

—someone who wanted to buy six hundred acres of dumped trash, blackberry bushes and cottonwood trees? Michael interrupted and laughed at his own, hopeful joke.

Very funny. No, not that. She kept her tone light because she needed him to listen, not harp on his thought that she and her sister should sell the old property. I saw a bolt of lightning in cloudless sky!

I’m not surprised. You’re probably hallucinating because you work too hard. You’re burning yourself out, girl. I keep telling you’ve taken on too much. You girls should sell the place. He sounded impatient.

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, not wanting to have the city vs country debate again. Michael lived in a brand-new condo on the water close to Seattle’s university district. He thought old buildings were best managed with wrecking balls and bulldozers.

When Verity and her twin Felicity learned that they’d inherited a derelict farm in the Methow Valley they drove out to see it with Michael and their younger sister, Hope. He took one look at the overgrown acres and declared that they should sell the place as soon as probate was finished. An opinion he continued to repeat often.

The more he said it, the more determined Verity became to prove him wrong. It was a wonderful property in a beautiful valley. It could be something special.

When probate was finally settled earlier in the year, and the property was transferred to the twins, she and Felicity started going there regularly. They consulted with engineers and contractors and were now starting to have the most urgent repairs attended to. In a couple of hours, Felicity and Hope would join Verity for a week of working on the house. Just them and an army of skilled trades people.

To Verity’s astonishment, Michael had agreed to visit on the weekend and pitch in. She sensed that he was humoring her with his offer, but she accepted it anyway. He thought they were renovating it for their personal use. He didn’t know that Verity and Felicity had other plans.

Yes, they were going to restore the old farmhouse, but that was just the start. They were going to fence the land for horses, build some cottages, and set up a country retreat where people could get away from it all. Verity could see the cottages clearly in her mind. They’d be built in a cozy half circle around the main house, each with a small private garden and a hot tub. She and Felicity, or Lissie as she was known to her nearest and dearest, would welcome people from all over the world to their deluxe resort.

But, before any of that could happen, they had to make the house livable.

As if to signal he wasn’t going to get into the discussion about the property again, Michael cleared his throat. Then he said, in a voice he might have used on a child who thought there were monsters under the bed, So you think you saw lightning on a perfectly fine day?

"I did see it. Weird, huh?"

I’ve never heard of it before but there’s an air force base nearby. Maybe they’re testing new communication equipment or something. I’m sure it was some ordinary event that we civilians don’t need to know about. Michael said without conviction. In a more interested voice, he added, Did you pack sunscreen?

Yes, of course. Verity grinned, even as her head started to ache. She loved how protective he was.

And you’ve got enough drinking water for the rest of the week in case the pump fails?

Why would it? But yes, I’ve got several four-gallon blocks. Sometimes his paternal nature was a little much. Milford was less than thirty minutes from the farm.

He murmured his approval. Food?

Thanks for your concern. That was over the top and her head was starting to pound. She wanted to get moving but had to stay where she was or risk losing signal. Trust me. I know what I need. Besides, I’m going to a remote house, not to another planet. This time she failed to keep the impatience from her voice.

Watch your tone, please. His voice was gentle but strict.

Verity swallowed as her pussy clenched and hungry warmth pumped through her. Some kids had helicopter parents. She had a helicopter boyfriend. Michael was protective and loving, always looking out for her well-being. More importantly he was one of the few men who wasn’t intimidated by her efficiency and confident manner.

They’d met a year after her parents had died, a year that for her had been filled with endless visits to an attorney’s office and innumerable decisions about herself, her two sisters, and their future. Those responsibilities had overwhelmed her. From their first meeting, Michael had sensed she was drowning and helped her far beyond his role as a financial planner. With considerable effort, he’d finally sorted out her parents’ messy investments. His decisive nature lit a fire in her which continued to burn brightly.

He was a dominant, old-fashioned kind of man who invited her on dates where her only responsibility was to be ready on time, dressed for the occasion, and on her best behavior. That last requirement was underscored on one of their early dates. They were playing pool and Michael missed a shot. Verity cleared the table and won ten dollars off him, teasing him the whole time about being beaten by a girl. When he told her enough was enough, to let it go, or she’d wind up over his knee, he laid down a challenge she couldn’t resist. She offered to give him his money back to save his wounded pride.

Then, without preamble or warning, he marched her out of the bar to a dark corner of the parking lot where he lifted her skirt and smacked her bottom hard, more times than she had the presence of mind to count. To her surprise, Verity discovered she liked being dominated and spanked like that. It freed many of her inhibitions. Later he asked her to stay the night and she said yes for the first time. When they made love, she reached a high that she didn’t know existed before then.

Frequently since then, she’d deliberately provoked him to get that sort of attention. He didn’t hesitate to turn her over his knee if he thought she deserved it.

Sometimes the spankings were playful. Sometimes they were discipline, plain and simple. Either way, his loving aftercare always stoked her passion. Verity accepted this aspect of their intimate life without telling anyone about it. She made Michael promise to keep it secret too.

Ever since that early date, she’d learned to recognize when she was stepping over the line. He never acted without due warning. She could decide if she wanted to provoke him and reap the consequence. Today she didn’t feel like earning a trip over his knee, so she changed her tone of voice.

I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday. Do you think you’ll be able to get away early? she asked cheerfully. He had no interest in the errant lightning bolt. She’d have to figure that one out for herself.

Nothing will stop me, he said. If you need anything you can’t get in Milford, I’ll pick it up on my way there. His voice was affectionate and for a fleeting second, she wished he was with her.

I miss you already, she said, reaching for the ignition.

Miss you too. Michael’s words hung in the air before he cleared his throat and added, Make sure you don’t let that crazy sister of yours convince you that you want to live out there. Your place is here in the city. With me.

They blew kisses to each other, and Verity disconnected the call.

Yeah. Sure. Her mood cooled. How could she have forgotten something so simple? Beside him, on his terms, she thought, that’s where he wanted her. There was only one problem: she was no longer sure it was where she wanted to be. She eased the big F350 truck back onto the road.

Turning the stereo up loud, she resumed her route along the deserted road, singing along with one song after another. When Beyoncé’s Put A Ring On It shuffled into play, she sang her loudest. She’d added it a long time ago, hoping Michael would get the message. He’d been quick to say things like: she belonged with him, he needed her, he wanted her. He’d never once suggested they take their relationship to the next level, that they try living together.

Whenever she hinted at the possibility of them moving in together, he said things like they shouldn’t wreck an arrangement that worked so well. The more he evaded, the more obsessed she became. Now, years down the road, he still limited their time together to dating, shared holidays, and sleepovers. She’d begun to despair that they’d ever share anything beyond that.

Then she and Lissie learned of their inheritance. Suddenly Verity had a wide new world to think about. When she was at the farm, all her city worries fell away. That was what she needed today, to be out of Michael’s reach for a while. She needed to see if she could live without him, or if he could live without her being at his side every time he wanted her company.

She said a quiet prayer of thanks to Great Aunt Alice who had willed more than the house and six hundred feral acres to her and Lissie. She’d also left them a big bank account that they were using to restore the property. Both she and Felicity were stunned when they’d learned about their inheritance, but Lissie insisted that they keep the cash portion of the estate secret. They didn’t even share the details with their younger sister Hope.

Because Michael didn’t know they’d inherited cash too, he was anxious about some of the things he knew they were doing. He cautioned Verity about pouring money into the dilapidated house, worried that she was burning through her savings. Meanwhile she was testing his faith in her judgement. How long would it be before he tried to tell her to stop throwing good money after bad?

Verity sighed. She hadn’t told Michael that she had taken time off work and had no intention of going back to Seattle with him at the end of the weekend. He’d find that out soon enough.

In the meantime, he’d continue to voice his opinions on the place whether she asked for them or not. When they’d driven out to see if the first time, they’d spent an hour driving back and forth before they’d found the overgrown entrance. Vines strangled the arch of the gate and blackberry bushes choked the rutted road to the house. Michael hadn’t been dressed for rough work, so he’d watched as the three young women cleared away enough of the jungle to get onto the goat track to the house.

Driving that rough road had tested the endurance of Verity’s ten-year-old Ford Escort. As soon as she and Lissie got back to the city, they bought themselves beefy off-road trucks. Another decision Michael disagreed with. Verity explained they had serious work to do, lots of building materials to haul around. A family sedan was out of the question. He said next time she should discuss major purchases with him first.

Now she was crossing that same access road again. With the truck in four-wheel drive, she walked it through the bumps and dips of the dirt track that didn’t so much resemble driveway or road as it did an obstacle course. The road contractor said it wasn’t as bad as it looked. It had a strong, deep subgrade. All it needed was some remedial work with a good road base laid over the top. That was scheduled to start tomorrow.

In the meantime, Verity avoided potholes and crawled through culverts. The long, slow crawl to the house gave her a chance to take in her surroundings.

She turned off the stereo, opened all the windows, and listened for sounds over the murmur of the engine of the 350. She heard an occasional crow cawing in the forest but beyond that, silence.

A hint of fall’s earthy scent rode the oxygen-rich air. This was a magical place and she feared Michael would never love it, not the way she did. He was a city person through and through. When she stepped onto the balcony at his condo, the constant roar of city traffic and the noise of the boats on the harbor deafened her. He claimed that was the sound of industry, of humanity, of progress. Verity thought she could live with just a little less humanity.

She parked in front of the house and jumped out of the truck. Stopping for a minute, she listened. Now she could hear the nearby stream gurgling over the rocks. That was the source of the farm’s water, a sound she’d never heard in the city.

Craning her neck, she looked up at the second floor. Soon the roof and windows would all be replaced, bringing the house into the twenty-first century. When the transformation was complete, Michael would come to love it. He just had to.

2

VERITY FINDS THE PORTAL - NOW

Surveying her surroundings and imagining where the guest cottages would be filled her with optimism. They were doing something important here. Her eyes wandered over the forest that covered so much of the land when she noticed something she’d never seen before. Some distance from the house was another roof, which meant another building. Was this her day for seeing things that didn’t exist?

She shook her head hard and immediately wished she hadn’t. Needle jabs of pain pierced her temples. She looked again. Yes, there definitely was a building in the middle of a dense wood. The leaves blown in heaps around the low scrub bushes said there’d been a major wind through this area since her last visit. The cottonwood trees were naked now, opening the view of the building slightly downhill from the house.

Whatever it was, it was big. She grinned. Could it be a second house maybe? The first of their guest cottages? Following an animal trail through the bushes, her cowboy boots kicked up puffs of dust in the soft fall sunlight. It was an old barn, in the