Wakening the Past: A Time Travel Romance (Medicine Stick Series Book 2) by Barbara Bartholomew Page A

lovely name,” her grandmother countered. “Your father picked it out.”
    “You always say Daddy has no taste,” Bobbi said, grinning as though she felt the worst moment was past.
    “Roberta, I would never say such a thing.”
    “Well, it’s what you think anyway.”
    Serena ignored her granddaughter to greet Hart and thank her for looking after the wayward girl. Hart, who guessed the older woman was probably weary from the long journey and worrying about her granddaughter, invited her inside, than left the two alone while she went into the kitchen for iced tea.
    Surprisingly after the ice storm of only the day before, today was warm and spring-like and the idea of cold tea was refreshing. She refrained from heavily sweetening the drink, however, since her guest was not local, but put a sugar bowl and a container of artificial sweetener on the tray with the pitcher and glasses, wondering if she’d given them long enough to get through the first few rough moments.
    No such luck. They were in the midst of a spirited argument as she came in and she would have turned to walk right out if Serena Hudson hadn’t imperiously waved her into the room. “My apologies, Mrs. Redhawk,” she said once Hart had put her tray down on the coffee table and seated herself. “My granddaughter shouldn’t have drawn you into a family matter like this.”
    “I had to come here,” Bobbi protested, “I didn’t know where else to go. Besides, Hart and me, we have a connection.”
    Hart was afraid that was true. She didn’t want to be drawn into this matter, but remember ing how she’d felt as a girl when people acted like she was weird when she tried to tell them the things that were happening to her, she knew she had no choice but to defend Bobbi.
    “I think she was resourceful, coming here on her own and all,” the words petered out as she faced Serena’s strong look. “Mrs. Hudson, she felt she could trust us.” She looked past the woman to the girl’s troubled face. “She can.”
    “All I know is that we will be leaving for the airport first thing in the morning. I’ve booked tickets home for both of us.”
    “No, Granny!” Bobbi protested.
    “Please give her some time here,” Hart added. “She’s troubled by what she’s experienced and needs time to work her feelings through.”
    She began to pour tea over the ice already in the glasses, handing one to each of her guests and offering sugar and lemon, which both refused.
    “You sound as though Bobbi has been through some sort of trauma,” Serena protested, putting her glass down on the table without so much as a sip.
    “I believe she has been troubled by the story of what happened to your aunt,” Hart suggested. “She had a terrible nightmare last night.”
    Serena frowned. “She has been having nightmares and that’s not like her. Bobbi is a resilient child, not given to imaginings.”
    That seemed to be true enough to Hart. Bobbi was a confident extrovert, nothing like the real Hart who had been sensitive, quiet and very imaginative. She couldn’t see her as a reborn version of Hart and yet something was seriously off with the girl.
    She couldn’t let Serena hustle her back to California where there would be nobody who had a chance of understanding what was happening to her.
    “Why don’t you stay here for a few days,” she suggested, managing a rather stiff smile. “Visit a little.”
    She heard the front door open, then familiar footsteps. Alistair was home and he would be furious with her since he’d made it so clear he wasn’t ready for visitors. As for herself, she’d be almost glad to have company in the house, standing between her and this strange, unspoken quarrel she was having with her husband.
    She looked around as he came into the room, his face tight with tension. Another bad day. “No luck with finding Mr. Jeffers?” she asked anxiously.
    He shook his head, looking past her to Serena Hudson. “I’m glad you’re here, Mrs.