The Dream Jumper's Pursuit Read online

  Tina looked at her. “Your husband is a fighter. And he loves you very much.”

  The woman nodded. “Lloyd said you work to find abducted children.” Her eyes filled with tears. “We don’t talk about little Julia, but I know that means a lot to him. And to me.”

  Jamey hugged Tina to his side. It was true then. Milton had lost a child to a heinous crime, his hard crust guarding a heart that had been broken in the worst way imaginable.

  Tina spoke. “When he gets back on his feet, we want you both to be our guests on Maui. Take some time for yourselves. We have a big house and a guest house out back if you want privacy. Only thing is you have to tolerate a dog and a baby, but you’re welcome to come stay with us.”

  Before Milton’s wife answered, they were gone. Sucked into another dream. Tina was pulled backwards first and because they held hands, he followed with a jerk. The journey seemed longer than usual, but within three seconds, landed on a familiar beach on Maui. Molokai loomed miles off Fleming Beach, just below the Hawaiian burial ground and Dragon’s Teeth. The surf rolled in to the long beach as Obi jumped at the edge of the water. Jamey put his arm around Tina’s shoulders and they watched another version of themselves walking up ahead.

  “Think they can see us?” she asked, against his shoulder.

  “I don’t think so. I remember being in this dream once before, and I don’t see another me, where I watched it before.” He pointed up the beach, just below the ground cover that paralleled the sand.

  Tina looked over at him. “When were you in this dream?”

  It wouldn’t hurt to tell her the truth. “It was just after we found Hank’s body. Before you got pregnant.”

  Tina stopped and looked at him, her head slowly tilting to ask for more information.

  “I knew there was a possibility of having this child, but the future isn’t secured just because we see these dreams.” He pointed to the threesome up ahead. “It was when we were brand new and I didn’t know if you’d keep me on.” He smirked.

  She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Oh, Baby. I was wondering how to keep you on after you saw how messed up my baggage was.” She looked ahead to a group of picnickers, then back to Jamey. “Do you see my mother and your father over there with Jade and Jasmine?”

  “I do.”

  “And look how big Kai looks. How old do you think he is, eighteen months?”

  “You’re the expert.” He remembered that Kai was able to speak a few words like Obi and Dada. “If the twins are here, it might be next summer.” His daughters looked older too, age more measureable in children. Jade grabbed a Frisbee and both headed off to the surf.

  “Let’s get closer.” Tina started forward, pulling him with her. “I want to hear what we’re saying.”

  Jamey knew what they were saying, but walked with her. At the end of the beach, Pops poured Elizabeth a drink from a pitcher and together they laughed at Jade and Jasmine jumping around in knee-deep surf.

  “Obi Wan Kenobi,” the older Tina shouted. “Get back here, you old turtle hunter.”

  Kai thought this was funny from his perch on his father’s shoulders. “Obi, Obi,” he said.

  Jamey and Tina moved closer to hear.

  The older Tina turned and walked backwards, smiling up at the little boy. “You love Obi, don’t you, Kai?”

  “Mama Up!” The boy reached for her and she lifted him off Jamey’s shoulders to set him on the sand.

  The child was the spitting image of Jamey, right down to the slightly lopsided smile. Tina and Jamey watched their boy carefully navigate the uneven terrain of the beach, his arms held out from his sides for balance. He squatted to pick up a stick. “Dada.” It was a present for his father.

  “Thank you, Kai,” Older Jamey said, the collection of sticks in his hand growing.

  The older Tina took Jamey’s hand and she twirled under his arm, into his hug. “My father would’ve loved Kai. I wish he’d lived to meet him.”

  “Me too, Darlin’.”

  “Lucky for my mom, I finally understood how fiercely a mother will fight for her child’s well-being. Without that, forgiving her would’ve been difficult.”

  “I can’t imagine what she went through when Kristoffer died.” Obi dug for something in the wet sand at the edge of the surf.

  “What if Kai is a jumper? What’ll we do, Jamey?"

  “He’ll use it for the greater good, like us.” Jamey stopped and looked into her eyes.

  “No war." Tina said.

  “Maybe he’ll help us look for missing kids.” They watched Kai follow Obi along the sandy shore.

  “Do you miss it?” she asked.

  “Jumping? Not when you bring me along.” Jamey ran to catch the boy, playfully sweeping him into his arms, and setting the child on his shoulders again.

  When Tina caught up, she linked her arm in his, looking pensive. “I love finding kids, even if it means putting them to rest.”

  “You use your gift well."

  “And you use your gut reactions well.” She poked him in the ribs. “And I love your guts, James.” He laughed, and as they moved in to kiss, Kai grabbed a fistful of both parents’ hair and yanked hard.

  This was where Jamey had left the dream the last time˜. The pain of having his hair pulled must’ve woken him. Jamey, the jumper, turned to his wife as they walked behind their future selves. “Think this is next summer?”

  Just then the older Tina lifted Kai off Jamey’s shoulders and set him on the sand, holding his hand. She turned to face the couple behind her. “It’s September, and we can see you, as well as hear you. You are see-through and barely there but we hear you perfectly. Right Jamey?”

  “I’m trying to ignore those eavesdroppers behind us, to tell you the truth.” He turned around and looked at the couple standing behind them. “Wow, Tina,” he said. “Look how flabby I was from all that Nicaraguan beer. I’m glad I started working out again.”

  The younger Jamey looked down and had to admit, he’d gotten a bit soft in the middle but not flabby. “Hey Man, I just spent three weeks looking for Wyatt.”

  The two couples smiled at each other as Kai leaned down to pick up another stick in the sand.

  Tina, the jumper, spoke to her older self. “I don’t lose this ability, do I?”

  “Not in the next year,” Tina said. “But it’s okay. Look at it this way—we find missing kids.”

  The younger Jamey nodded. “What about Afghanistan? Do I go back?”

  “Negative. Milton has the locator taken out and grants you, me…I guess…a discharge. I just came back from Virginia, as a matter of fact. They have someone better in Sixth Force. Someone who can mind walk, it’s called.” He looked over at his wife and son who were digging in the sand. “Milton and his wife stayed with us a month. He’s retired now.” Older Jamey locked eyes with his former self. “There is nothing better than this life here on Maui, Dude.”

  “Hey, let’s have a foursome,” the younger Jamey said, and they all laughed. “I wonder if Pops and Liz can see us all out here talking.” It didn’t seem like anyone noticed the anomaly. “Freaky shit,” Jamey shook his head. “I doubt we’ll ever know all the secrets of dream jumping and I hope we stop trying to figure it out.”

  The future Jamey answered. “We do. Once Milton retires and guarantees my discharge, things lighten up. Dream jumping isn’t so bad when it’s not for the military. We do good work for missing kids. This next year is fantastic, but I can’t tell you all that.”

  Tina asked the other Tina about her mother and Pops and while they were talking, Jamey leaned in and whispered to the older Jamey. “I still got it?”

  He nodded. “As good as Tina. Long distance too. I’m just getting ready to tell her now I’ve been discharged.” He nodded to his wife.

  “Wow.”

  Tina broke through. “Here comes Jade and Jasmine. We better clear out.”

  She hadn’t heard the exchange between both Jamey’s about his ability to dream
jump on his own, which was Jamey’s intention. His Tina was safer without that knowledge for now.

  The older Jamey put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and nodded to the younger couple on the beach. “We are freaky ass weirdos. All four of us.” They laughed and the older couple turned and started to walk away.

  Before they got too far, Jamey stopped and called over his shoulder. “Don’t just stand there, you two. Go wake up and start living.”

  The End

  Thanks for reading! Truly. If you enjoyed this book/series, I would greatly appreciate a simple review on the site where you bought it. I’m a struggling new author, hoping to make a mark in this crowded market. Thank you so much for helping me. Kim

  http://amzn.com/B00VKPXB14

  Other Books by Kim Hornsby

  Necessary Detour

  The Dream Jumper’s Promise

  The Dream Jumper’s Secret

  Passion & Danger – A Ten Novel Box Set of Romantic Suspense Novels

  If you’d like to be a part of Kim’s Reading Group – Kimmy’s Krowd, sign up at her web site! Krowders get sneak peeks of books a newsletter and Kim’s been known to give out jewelry from time to time!

  www.kimhornsbyauthor.net

  Acknowledgements

  To my relatives who live in Nicaragua

  To my cousin Rob Martin and his wife Jill, who live on Mombacho and have those noisy monkeys to contend with on a daily basis. Thanks for taking me hiking in the jungle, fixing me delicious meals, taking me sightseeing, and at the end of the day letting me sit on your deck, stare at the view, and be a part of your family. My time in Nicaragua has made me a happier person. Thank you Rob for being my Nicaraguan research go to, and for proofreading this novel for accuracy.

  To Leroy Martin, Ana and Anaise, who operate El Camello, one of the yummiest stops in Granada for lunch, dinner, or late night drinks. Thanks for all the free meals and for inventing avocado fries!

  To all the lovely Nicaraguan people on Mombacho who have so little but always have a smile when the truck drives by your house.

  To the Nicaraguan Children’s Foundation who do wonderful work for the small villages and children of southern Nicaragua. And to Veronica Castro at San Juan del Sur Spanish School who made our life richer. http://www.nicaraguachildrensfoundation.com/

  To Eliza Tector who answered the call to go to Nicaragua and carried fifty pounds of crayons all over the country before we got to the tiny school to drop them off.

  If you ever go to Nicaragua, think about taking an extra duffel bag full of children’s clothes and school supplies to drop off at El Camello.

  ~

  I wrote this novel during NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, a wonderful way to get the bare bones of a story on the page in one frenzied month. Thanks to all the folks at NaNoWriMo.

  To my writing community who validate me, encourage me and guide me to be a better writer—Laurie Rowell, Alec Rowell, who plot stormed with me for this one, Christine M. Fairchild who lends and ear and a pen whenever I need her, Anna L. Walls, who edits and critiques, Alicia Dean, who does so much for so many, including me, and Lori Leger who always answers the call so patiently.

  And to my beta reading team who drop everything to read. Courtney, Ilsa, Lisa, Diana, Marie, Nancy, Terri, Lu, Mary, Jen and Cath. I treasure your opinions and your support of this unknown author. Thank you! To my friends Catharina, Eliza and Lynn. Just because. You epitomize friendship.

  No book can be written without the love and support of my sweet husband, Roland, who accompanied me to Nicaragua to research the local beer. He makes it possible for me to pursue this dream. And to my gorgeous teenage kids who I crazy love because they are mine and because they are both writers.

  And, to all the parents of missing children whose story didn’t end happily, I am so very sorry for your loss.

  Annie’s Mombacho Coq au Vin

  Ingredients

  12 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

  5 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 2 inch cubes

  2 teaspoons salt

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1 onion, finely chopped

  20 small pearl onions, peeled

  1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large shallots)

  1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

  1 pound button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved or quartered if large (should match size of pearl onions)

  1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons tomato paste

  3 cups dry white wine, California Chardonnay

  1 1/2 cups rich chicken stock

  1 teaspoon dried thyme

  2 bay leaves

  1/2 cup heavy cream

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  In a Dutch oven fry the bacon until crisp and all of the fat is rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crisp bacon bits to paper towels to drain.

  Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper. Brown the chicken pieces in the hot bacon fat, until golden on all sides. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate and set aside. Remove all but about 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chopped onion, pearl onions, shallots and garlic cloves. Cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes.

  Add the mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes longer, or until they've released most of their liquid and have begun to brown. Add the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add the wine and stock, stirring constantly. Add the thyme, bay leaves reserved bacon and chicken. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the sauce at a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, until liquid is slightly thickened. Bring the sauce to a boil and cover the pot. Place in the oven and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is very tender. Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving dish and cover loosely to keep warm. Return pot to medium-low heat. Skim any fat from the surface of the cooking liquid and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the heavy cream and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and cook for a few minutes to heat through, then serve over wild rice with mango chunks.