“Well the kids haven’t seen Uncle Todd in a while. I thought it would be nice if you came over.”

His head was starting to pound. “And?”

“Come on, Todd, you know I don’t cook. Denny’s just isn’t right on Christmas.”

Damn. He was looking forward to a full day of brooding. He agreed to help his friend and was about to hang up the phone when Jake stopped him. “By the way, one of those missing women showed up last night.”

“Missing women?” Todd wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

“Yeah, I got the call yesterday. I thought you and I could check it out, maybe score a few points with the Sergeant, work our way up the ranks.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Gwen Adams, the old lady from the Renaissance Faire.”

Todd’s eyes flew open as Jake’s words registered. “Is she alive?”

“Yeah, she’s alive, in the hospital outside of San Luis Obispo. Not saying much from what I’ve been told.”

“Any idea where she’s been all this time?”

“See, I knew you’d want to know more. How about we go on up tomorrow and find out?”

Todd hung up, scratched the stubble on his chin spoke to himself, “Let’s see if the evil witch is all Myra said she was.”

Christmas, medieval style, blending with the twenty-first century was a joy to watch. Myra brought many things to share with her family. Everyone held a miracle in their hands.

“Here, Fin. I know the bathroom Tara has been on you to finish has given you trouble.” She handed him a book. “’Tis a book on plumbing that should help.”

Fin smiled, gave his thanks and leafed through the pages.

Lizzy handed a box to Tara. “I thought you might like this. Cassy took it at the Faire.”

“Did you tell her about me?” Tara took the box.

“Yeah. She thinks I’m crazy, but I told her.”

“That’s all you can do.”

“Open your gift.”

Tara slowly lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a framed picture of her and Duncan the day they were handfasted in the twenty-first century.

“Oh, Lizzy. Thank you so much.” Tara hugged her sister with tears in her eyes.

“Cian, ‘tis for you.” Myra handed him a box.

“What is it?” he asked, pulling the wafer thin device from the box.

Simon bounded out of his chair. “Dude, it’s an iPod.”

“What is that?”

Simon rolled his eyes and turned it on. “Myra what did you load in here?”

“I asked the merchant to add whatever the boys of your time listened to.” She smiled when Simon put one of the earpieces to his head and the other to her brother’s. Before long, they were both bobbing their heads and smiling.

“Hey, how are you going to charge it?” Simon asked.

Myra put her hand on the device and pulled in the energy around them, then channeled it into the machine. “Man, you have to show me how you do that. Think of the money saved on batteries, mom.”

Simon’s excitement had them all laughing.

Amber held her diary and the assortment of ink pens as if it were gold. No more quill and inkblots on parchment paper. It was the perfect gift for her eleven-year-old sister.

Lora looked over the books on healing herbs and medicine made from them.

For Ian, Myra had thought of many things, but what she brought him was what she had seen Todd enjoy. Several bottles of Scotch sat in front of him.

He poured a portion for himself and his eldest sons, all of whom approved.

“Your time has many wonderful things,” Lora said to Lizzy.

“It does. I think Myra has brought one of everything. She had us up and down every aisle at every department store.”

Tara laughed. “God, I haven’t thought of shopping in months.”

“What we couldn’t find there we searched for in other stores like it. Buildings the size of our village.”

“You jest,” Ian said waving his hand in the air.

“Why would anyone need such large buildings to store goods?”

Myra leaned over and picked up the bag of chocolates they were all enjoying. “Take these simple candies. There are maybe ten different flavors just by this name on the bag. Those flavors have different color wrappers. Why they even had pictures of stockings and snowpersons—”

“Snowmen,” Lizzy and Tara corrected together.

“Aye, snowmen decorating the bag.”

“Why so many?” Fin asked.

Lizzy smirked. “Because the companies that make them want to make money.”

“Remember I told you that Christmas was too commercialized?” Tara asked.

Several of them nodded.

“People in the future buy too much, eat too much and have forgotten about the important things. Like family.” Tara reached over and held Duncan’s hand.

Myra swallowed as her gaze slipped to the floor.

It wasn’t that she begrudged Tara and Duncan their happiness, but her heart felt empty. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever feel whole again.

Watching her baby sister with her husband filled her heart with love. Liz always knew Tara would find a deep and meaningful relationship, but never imagined it would be with a medieval knight. Everything looked like a fairy tale. From the long dress she wore, to the slippers on her feet. Liz couldn’t have felt more out of place if she tried. Yet Tara blended in quite well. Even her words had changed. A little of the MacCoinnich accent floated off her tongue and had Liz looking at her twice.

Dear Lord, she could hardly understand the servants. When one arrived in her room to help her dress, all Liz could do was stare wide-eyed, afraid to talk after Fin’s little speech about keeping her identity a secret. She didn’t have to bother.

Apparently they sent Tara’s maid who was used to their strange speech.

In fact, all the MacCoinnichs spoke differently than the others at the Keep. The family worked hard learning the verbiage of the future. That way when they had to blend in, they could.

She stole a peek at Fin dressed in a kilt. What does he wear under that thing anyway? She shook the thought from her head. The red plaid hung just below his knees. His boots went half way up his muscular calf.

Why do all the ass**les have to be so good looking? Boy, was he an ass**le. Not to Simon, however. No, Simon had talked with Fin several times in the morning hours about the machines of the twenty-first century. Even now, with both of them huddled over the book on plumbing, they acted as though they had known each other longer than a few hours. Having fixed her toilets more than once, Liz knew she could help him with the bathroom project. It was much more entertaining however, to watch the jerk struggle.