Highland Shifter (MacCoinnich Time Travels #4)(47)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“Not far enough. You’d think this would be easy. I wore the darn thing all the time. The chunky details I remember. The chain was thick. This stone is supposed to be surrounded by a loose Celtic knot. But there’s more to it, and this picture doesn’t quite show the details.” Helen waved at the book that managed to travel to Scotland with her. In frustration, Helen tossed the book on top of her backpack. “I know all the materials used to make the thing are virtually useless. No gold, copper, platinum. Just steel compounds.”

“Like that of the knife?”

Helen nodded. “Right. Maybe that’s what we need to use. The steel of the knife is less likely to rust.”

“I seem to remember a backing to the stones, and six prongs holding it in place.”

“I forgot about that.”

Helen sketched the prongs in place on her drawing.

“It’s still missing something,” Simon said.

“If only I had a photograph.” My camera. Helen scrambled to her backpack and grabbed her camera. “I had someone take a picture of me with an old guy wearing a kilt at a pub the first night I was in Scotland. I wore the necklace.”

Amber moved to stand behind them while Helen turned her camera on. Thankfully, it fired up without incident. She scanned the images she’d taken. Landscape shots, people milling about the hotel. Old abandoned castles from a distance.

“What are those?” Amber asked.

“Cars.”

“Moving carriages?”

Helen stopped scanning images and turned to Amber. It was then Helen realized just how awkward it would be to go forward in time. At least Helen knew enough about history to expect a lack of cars, computers, and technology. Sure, Amber had been told about the future, but she hadn’t seen anything until now. “Motorized carriages. We call them cars.”

A tiny fleck of excitement met Amber’s eyes. Helen made a mental note to go through the pictures she had in the camera with Amber to help her prepare.

“Here we go.” Helen found the photo and zoomed in. Memory of the necklace flooded her mind. “No need to guess anymore.”

“This is amazing,” Amber took the camera from Helen and stared at the display. “The image of you is perfect.”

Something Helen took for granted everyday was a miraculous invention to Amber. “Here,” she said, taking the camera from Amber’s hands.

With a couple adjustments, Helen kept the flash from flooding the room and stood back. “Move closer Simon,” she instructed.

“I haven’t done this in years.” He moved close to Amber and placed an arm around her shoulders.

“What are you doing?”

“Look over here,” Helen told Amber. “Smile.”

Amber’s smile was as fake as they came. Helen took the shot anyway. After a couple, Amber started to relax and ask questions. “Are you taking our photograph?” Helen kept shooting.

“I am.”

“But it only makes a small noise.”

“But it does a big job.”

Amber cocked her head to the side and the perfect smile lit her face.

“Got it.”

Helen walked over to her subjects and revealed what she’d captured.

Simon glanced at the photographer with a look of serene pleasure while Amber held an expression of amused fascination. “’Tis me.”

A soft chuckle fell from Helen’s lips. “It is.”

Amber placed a hand on Helen’s arm. “Please take these of all our family. Our home. So that I might look back on them when I miss my family.”

“Consider it done.”

Without warning, Amber crushed Helen into a huge hug. “You’ve given me such a gift.”

She glanced at Simon who winked at her. “I haven’t done anything yet.”

“You’ve given me something to remember everyone by. Not that I could ever truly forget, but this will make my leaving less painful.” A tear fell off Amber’s cheek.

Helen felt her eyes well up. “Oh, stop that. You’re going to make me cry.”

Pushing away, Amber picked up her skirts and hurried to the door. “Where are you going?”

“To tell my mother.”

Then she was gone.

The second the door closed Simon placed an arm around Helen’s waist and kissed the top of her head. “You’ve given her something money can’t buy.”

“It’s just a picture.”

He shook his head. “What does a family grab when their home is on fire?”

“Valuables.”

“No, lass, they grab pictures. Snapshots of family memories money cannot replace.”

“I didn’t have family photos. Didn’t have a family to take them with,” she mumbled.

Simon took the camera from her hand and placed it on the table, then wrapped a second arm around her. “I’m sorry you’ve lived your life alone.”

The hard armor built around the emotions of growing up an orphan started to crack. “It’s hard to miss what you didn’t know.” Amber’s words flowed from her mouth.

Simon didn’t appear convinced.

He tilted her head and brought his lips to hers. His kiss was full of emotion. It stole her breath and plucked away at the steel around her heart. Her arms crept around his shoulders, but he didn’t probe further, just took his time savoring this sweet kiss of promise.

Someone behind them cleared her throat and Helen nearly jumped back. Simon kept her from moving far.

They both looked at the door at the same time.

“Mom.”

Lizzy filled the doorframe and smiled. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

Simon rolled his eyes. These two had such a healthy relationship.

“You know…?” She walked in and shut the door. “You really should lock this door.”

“We were only kissing,” Helen defended them.

Lizzy waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Not that. Your camera is sitting there, and the stones. What would someone think coming across them?”

“Amber just left.”

“Yeah, I know. She said you were taking pictures.”

Slipping out of Simon’s embrace, Helen picked up her camera and took aim. “Amber wants pictures of everyone.”

Lizzy slid beside Simon and smiled. “I would too if I were leaving.”

“You are leaving,” Simon reminded her.

“Only for a little while. Fin isn’t getting rid of me that easily.”

Helen managed several shots before Liz stopped her. “We’ll get the whole family together before we leave. No need to do a bunch now.”