here to take Tim home.”
Willie sighed. “He’s enlisted. They won’t let him go.”
I felt like stomping my feet like a child. “I don’t care.”
I zeroed in on Tim. “You are coming back to the Watson farm with me tonight.”
Tim crossed his arms. “No I’m not. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“You are not excused!”
Tim just smirked. “I hope you can find your way out without being caught. I’ll deny knowing you if you are.”
I’d run out of time trying to make him come to his senses. I felt the dizziness start. Oh, no, and with Willie standing right there.
“Would you give us a moment?” My voice was tight and I reached for my throat with my hand.
“Are you alright?” Willie said. He stepped closer instead of leaving.
“Please, Willie.”
I didn’t have a choice. Tim and I were going to disappear before Willie’s eyes, but I couldn’t risk leaving Tim here.
I grabbed Tim’s hand.
But he did to me what I’d done to Nate and tugged it loose just before I disappeared. For the second time, I left my brother behind.
But I wasn’t alone.
Chapter Fifteen
CASEY
I’d started to fall when Tim pulled his hand away, and another hand grabbed mine. Moments later I was looking at Willie’s wild-eyed face and I started screaming.
I was back at Cambridge Commons standing on the step stool with Willie beside me, his hand in mine. He wore his Union uniform, with his army cap sitting at an angle on his red head. The crowd started clapping and I heard people saying “How’d they do that?” Even the gawking teens looked impressed.
Lucinda’s arms dropped to her sides, her jaw slack.
And Nate glared, his eyes darting from me to Willie and back.
I stepped off the stool and reached for him. “I’m sorry.”
“You did that on purpose.”
“I thought it would be easier if I only had to worry about bringing one person back.”
“Looks to me like you brought the wrong person.” He clenched his teeth and a ripple of fear dripped down my back.
Then he turned to Willie and shook his hand. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
Nate might as well have pulled a gun on Willie, that’s how frightened he looked.
The crowds returned to their nattering as if they were totally used to people appearing out of thin air and acting oddly in public places.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lucinda said, picking up the stool. Then to me she whispered, “Well, at least he’s cute.”
Willie gulped “Did he say the twenty-first ?”
I gave him an apologetic look then ran after Nate, who walked briskly, keeping a full pace ahead of my stride. “Nate?”
“You could’ve told me how you felt.” He stopped abruptly to face me and let out a frustrated breath. “So, where is Tim, then?”
“He wouldn’t come with me!” I let my voice go all whiney.
I’d never seen Nate angry before. Frustrated, yes, exasperated, yes, but not truly angry about something I’d done.
It scared me a little.
He spun away and I turned back to find Willie slumped to the ground. Lucinda waited next to him, looking unsure about what to do.
“Willie.” I rushed to his side and pulled him to his feet. I didn’t miss the strange stares and the rising curiosity of the crowd around us.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, trying to sound soothing. “But we have to go.”
Willie scanned our surroundings as we marched through the park. The way people dressed or barely dressed. It was a twenty-first century summer, and Willie was seeing more skin than he’d ever seen in his life. The buildings towered over us, and I imagined the traffic noise must’ve been almost deafening to someone from 1862 who’d never seen a motorized vehicle.
He looked shell shocked, like he’d just survived a bad accident or witnessed a tragic event.
“I’m
Willie sighed. “He’s enlisted. They won’t let him go.”
I felt like stomping my feet like a child. “I don’t care.”
I zeroed in on Tim. “You are coming back to the Watson farm with me tonight.”
Tim crossed his arms. “No I’m not. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“You are not excused!”
Tim just smirked. “I hope you can find your way out without being caught. I’ll deny knowing you if you are.”
I’d run out of time trying to make him come to his senses. I felt the dizziness start. Oh, no, and with Willie standing right there.
“Would you give us a moment?” My voice was tight and I reached for my throat with my hand.
“Are you alright?” Willie said. He stepped closer instead of leaving.
“Please, Willie.”
I didn’t have a choice. Tim and I were going to disappear before Willie’s eyes, but I couldn’t risk leaving Tim here.
I grabbed Tim’s hand.
But he did to me what I’d done to Nate and tugged it loose just before I disappeared. For the second time, I left my brother behind.
But I wasn’t alone.
Chapter Fifteen
CASEY
I’d started to fall when Tim pulled his hand away, and another hand grabbed mine. Moments later I was looking at Willie’s wild-eyed face and I started screaming.
I was back at Cambridge Commons standing on the step stool with Willie beside me, his hand in mine. He wore his Union uniform, with his army cap sitting at an angle on his red head. The crowd started clapping and I heard people saying “How’d they do that?” Even the gawking teens looked impressed.
Lucinda’s arms dropped to her sides, her jaw slack.
And Nate glared, his eyes darting from me to Willie and back.
I stepped off the stool and reached for him. “I’m sorry.”
“You did that on purpose.”
“I thought it would be easier if I only had to worry about bringing one person back.”
“Looks to me like you brought the wrong person.” He clenched his teeth and a ripple of fear dripped down my back.
Then he turned to Willie and shook his hand. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
Nate might as well have pulled a gun on Willie, that’s how frightened he looked.
The crowds returned to their nattering as if they were totally used to people appearing out of thin air and acting oddly in public places.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lucinda said, picking up the stool. Then to me she whispered, “Well, at least he’s cute.”
Willie gulped “Did he say the twenty-first ?”
I gave him an apologetic look then ran after Nate, who walked briskly, keeping a full pace ahead of my stride. “Nate?”
“You could’ve told me how you felt.” He stopped abruptly to face me and let out a frustrated breath. “So, where is Tim, then?”
“He wouldn’t come with me!” I let my voice go all whiney.
I’d never seen Nate angry before. Frustrated, yes, exasperated, yes, but not truly angry about something I’d done.
It scared me a little.
He spun away and I turned back to find Willie slumped to the ground. Lucinda waited next to him, looking unsure about what to do.
“Willie.” I rushed to his side and pulled him to his feet. I didn’t miss the strange stares and the rising curiosity of the crowd around us.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, trying to sound soothing. “But we have to go.”
Willie scanned our surroundings as we marched through the park. The way people dressed or barely dressed. It was a twenty-first century summer, and Willie was seeing more skin than he’d ever seen in his life. The buildings towered over us, and I imagined the traffic noise must’ve been almost deafening to someone from 1862 who’d never seen a motorized vehicle.
He looked shell shocked, like he’d just survived a bad accident or witnessed a tragic event.
“I’m
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