Midnight Bayou

enough, and turn the air to molasses. The thought of it reminded him he had to have the air-conditioning upgraded, and maybe reconsider installing paddle fans in some of the rooms.
    He bought with his usual surrender to impulse, brightening the day of several shopkeepers before he stopped in a place called, simply, Yesterday.
    It was a hodgepodge of statuary, lamps, vintage accessories and jewelry, with three curtained booths on the side where patrons could buy a tarot card reading.
    It was the ring that caught his eye first. The blood-red ruby and ice-white diamond formed two halves of an interlocking heart on a platinum band.
    The minute he held it in his hand, he knew he wanted it for Lena. Maybe it was foolish to buy an engagement ring at this point in their relationship. And it was reckless to snatch at something before he’d looked at other options.
    But this was the one he wanted to put on her finger. And he decided if a man could buy a house on a whim, he could sure as hell buy a ring.
    “I’ll take it.”
    “It’s beautiful,” said the shopkeeper. “She’s a lucky woman.”
    “I’m working on convincing her of that.”
    “I have some lovely earrings that would complementthis. Is ruby her birthstone?” the clerk asked as she showed him a pair of earrings with a dangle of ruby hearts and diamonds.
    “I don’t know.” But he’d gotten her birthday from Odette to make sure he didn’t miss it. “July?”
    “Then it is. Lucky guess.”
    “No kidding.” It gave him a little tingle as he looked back at the ring. Some things were meant, he told himself. He lifted one of the earrings. He could already see them on her—just as he imagined the clerk could see Impulse Buyer stamped on his forehead.
    He leaned on the counter and began to pit Yankee bargaining skills against southern horse-trading.
    He figured they’d come to fair terms when her smile was still in place but much less brilliant.
    “Will that be all for you today?”
    “Yeah, I’ve got to get going. I’m already—” He broke off when he glanced at his watch and saw it had stopped at twelve again. “You know, I could use a watch—a pocket watch. Mine’s been acting up, and I’m doing a lot of carpentry right now. Probably smashed this one a few times on the job.”
    “I’ve got some wonderful old pocket watches and chains. They’re so much more imaginative than the new ones.”
    She led him over to another display cabinet, pulled out a drawer and set it on the counter.
    “Watches like this tell more than time,” she began. “They tell a story. This one—”
    “No.” The edges of his vision dimmed like smoke. The chatter of voices from other customers faded into a hum. Part of him remained aware enough to know he was sliding away from himself. Even as he tried to stop it, to pull back, he watched his own hand reach out, pick up a gold watch and its loop of chain.
    The voice of the shopkeeper hovered around the rim ofhis consciousness. It was another voice that stabbed through, clear as a bell. Female, young, excited.
    For my husband, for his birthday. He broke his. I want to give him something special. This one is so handsome. Can you engrave it?
    And he already knew what he would find, exactly what he would find, before he turned the watch over to read the back.
To Lucian from his Abby.
To mark our time together.
April 4, 1899
    “Mr. Fitzgerald? Mr. Fitzgerald, are you all right? Would you like some water? You’re awfully pale.”
    “What?”
    “Can I get you some water? Would you like to sit down?”
    “No.” He closed his hand tightly over the watch, but the sensation was already fading. “No, thanks. I’m okay. I’ll take this, too.”
    M ore than a little shaken, he headed to Remy’s office. He thought some time in the sensible business district, in the rational atmosphere of law, might help settle him down.
    More, he wanted a few minutes with a friend who might think he was crazy, but would love him anyway.
    “If you’d told me you were coming by,” Remy began as he closed his office door, “I’d’ve scooted some stuff around so we could maybe have lunch.”
    “I didn’t expect to head over this way today.”
    “Been shopping again.” Remy nodded at the bag Declan carried. “Boy, aren’t you having anything sent down from Boston?”
    “As a matter of fact, I’ve got some stuff coming down next week. Books mostly,” Declan said as he wandered the office. His gaze skimmed over the law