Class of '59 (American Journey Book 4) (27 page)

"You could always return to 1959," Piper said. "You've done it before. No one noticed you were gone the last time. Why couldn't you do it again?"

Mark looked at her thoughtfully.

"I'll tell you why. Geoffrey Bell is why. If we returned to 2017 and stayed more than a day or two, he would control access to the tunnel – not you or Mary Beth or someone we know. He may not want to help us. He may not have the
means
to help us."

Piper tilted her head.

"I don't understand."

"Look at it this way," Mark said. "What do any of us know about the tunnel or the crystals that make it work? We've accessed the portal several times, but can we do so indefinitely? Do the rocks expire like batteries? Does the tunnel? The man who knows for sure died decades ago. It's even possible that the portal and the crystals don't work now. It's possible that you and Mary Beth are stuck
here
. Have you considered that?"

Piper lowered her head.

"No."

"I don't want to give up, Piper. I want to keep Mary Beth. I want to keep
you
. I want to keep both of you in my life, but I don't know how," Mark said. He sighed. "We have to part."

Piper nodded.

Mark surveyed the faces in the room a second time and saw that the gloom had not lifted. He berated himself for letting things go this far. He should have known this would happen. He could see the writing on the wall the weekend the four went to Las Vegas.

"So when
do
we part?" Ben asked. He looked at Mark with eyes that reflected anger, fatigue, and judgment. "Do we do it now?"

"I think we should. We should do it tonight," Mark said. He looked at Piper and then Mary Beth. "We should send you back before any mobsters with guns can harm you."

"What about Mom?" Ben asked.

"She'll be in bed by nine. She won't suspect a thing if we're quiet. She'll just think the two of us came home when we
said
we'd come home," Mark said. "What do you say?"

Ben sighed.

"I say let's get on with it."

"Piper?" Mark asked.

"I agree," Piper said. "We might as well do it tonight."

Mark turned to his right and gazed at Mary Beth. He wanted her thoughts most of all and had been surprised that she had not offered them during the course of the discussion.

"Mary Beth?"

The future medical student took a breath, looked at Piper and Ben with admiring eyes, and then turned to the man at the head of the table. She stared at Mark for what seemed like an eternity before finally saying her piece.

"I agree with almost everything you've said tonight, Mark. We can't stay, you can't leave, and none of us can fix a situation that is broken."

"I thought you felt that way," Mark said.

Mary Beth held up her hand.

"Let me finish."

Mark nodded.

"OK."

"Piper and I came here to have an adventure. We stayed because we fell in love," Mary Beth said. "I don't want to leave in a rush because some bad men chased us through the streets."

"What are you saying?" Mark asked.

Mary Beth reached to her left and took his hand.

"I'm saying I want to do this right. I want to withdraw Piper from school, provide people who know us with a story, and give you that book. I want to take a few days to say goodbye to your mother and two young men who have changed my life."

Mark nodded.

"Maybe that's best. Mom is leaving Friday morning to see my aunt. She'll be back Saturday afternoon. You and Piper can come over tomorrow night and say goodbye then. Then we can do our own things on Friday and send you through the tunnel before Mom returns on Saturday."

"I like that idea," Mary Beth said.

"Piper?" Mark asked.

Piper stared blankly into space, as if pondering Mark's proposal, the risks of staying, and other possible courses, and then finally rejoined the others. She took Ben's hand, offered a sweet smile, and slowly turned back to Mark.

"I'm good with that," Piper said. "Let's do it."

CHAPTER 44: DONNA

Los Angeles, California – Thursday, April 30, 1959

Donna Ryan looked at the television and then at the couch and tried to decide which was more depressing. She had expected to see forced smiles and genuine frowns on the tube. She usually found sadness in spades on
Playhouse 90
, a drama series that aired every Thursday night. She had
not
expected to find four sorry faces on her sofa.

Of course, she had not expected Mary Beth and Piper McIntire to tell her they would soon leave Southern California for good. She had not expected that at all.

The sisters had made their startling announcement at dinner. They had said they needed to rush back to Germany to be with a mother battling meningitis. The two planned to catch a flight to Frankfurt Saturday morning.

Donna suspected there was nothing she could do to lighten the mood in the living room, but she decided to try anyway. She did not want to spend her final moments with two charming young women staring at a flickering box. She spoke first to Mary Beth.

"Have you heard from your father today?"

Mary Beth turned away from the TV.

"No, Mrs. Ryan, I haven't. He said he would call us again in the morning. He expected to know more about my mother's condition by then."

"Please let me know if there's a change."

"I will. I'll give you an update as soon as I can."

"I appreciate that," Donna said.

"When do you expect to leave tomorrow?" Mary Beth asked.

"I'll leave by seven. I want to make the most of the trip since it will be so short. I typically spend the whole weekend with Phyllis."

"Does your sister have a family?"

Donna pondered the question before answering. Didn't most women have families? Maybe they didn't in places like Wiesbaden and Huntsville. Maybe the world was changing.

"She does. Phyllis and her husband have three girls. The oldest is twenty."

Mary Beth looked at Donna with wistful eyes.

"Are you close to your sister?"

"I am now," Donna said. "We weren't that close growing up, because of our four-year age difference, but we've made up for lost ground in the last few years. It's funny how much more you appreciate your siblings as you get older."

Mary Beth smiled at Piper and then at her hostess.

"I can imagine."

Donna let Mary Beth return to
Playhouse 90
and then turned to Piper. She had not spoken to her at dinner and still had many questions about how she was handling this difficult transition. She spoke when the station broke for a commercial.

"Do you plan to go to school tomorrow, Piper?"

Piper turned her head and nodded.

"I want to say goodbye to my friends and teachers."

"I imagine that will be hard," Donna said.

"It will be harder with some people than with others," Piper said. She glanced at Ben. "Either way, I'll survive. I've done this before, Mrs. Ryan. It's part of being an Army brat."

Donna nodded. She could relate. She had moved several times as the daughter of a Navy officer before finally finding a home in San Diego.

"Will you be able to graduate in Germany?" Donna asked.

"I think so," Piper said. "I may have to take a class or two over the summer, but I'll get there. I'm not too worried about it."

"That's nice to hear."

Donna studied Piper for another moment and then moved on to two boys she knew well – or at least
thought
she knew well. As she gazed at Mark and Ben from her upholstered perch ten feet away, she began to wonder whether she knew them at all.

Mark wore the face of a defeated man. He stared blankly into space like someone grappling with a thousand challenges or maybe one intractable problem. He had said little at dinner and relatively little in the past week. For the first time in recent memory, he had kept his thoughts to himself and not confided in a mother who was his mentor and confidante.

Ben wore the face of a miserable man. He stared blankly at the television like someone who could not care less about
Playhouse 90
or
Leave It to Beaver
or
Behind Closed Doors
or any other show that usually grabbed his attention on a Thursday night. He showed signs of life only when Piper clasped his hand and coaxed a smile. He had frowned nearly nonstop since dinner.

My boys are in love.

Donna pondered the sorry situation for a moment and then did the only thing she probably could do to improve matters. She got up from her chair and announced that she was calling it a night. If she did nothing else, she would give the lovebirds a chance to deal with their misery privately and perhaps find a moment of peace in the time that remained to them.

Donna moved toward the sofa as the four young adults rose to their feet. She turned first to the woman with the pretty eyes and the heart of gold.

"Thank you again for the plate," Donna said.

Mary Beth smiled.

"It's the least I could do. I hope you enjoy it."

"I will. I know I will."

Donna stepped forward and gave Mary Beth a warm hug. She was going to miss this girl, she thought. She was going to miss what she had done for her son. She patted Mary Beth on the shoulders, stepped back, and offered the lovely brunette a motherly smile.

"Please keep in touch," Donna said.

"I will," Mary Beth said. "I'll send you a postcard the minute we arrive in Wiesbaden. If I can swing it, I'll attach a box of German chocolates."

Donna laughed.

"You do that."

Donna moved on to Piper. She gave her a hug that was a little more formal but no less meaningful. A moment later, she stepped back and gazed at her with admiring eyes.

"Let me know if you decide to come back," Donna said. "If you return to Los Angeles to attend college or look for a job, just pick up the phone. I will happily provide you with a room or references or anything else you might need."

Piper smiled.

"I appreciate that, Mrs. Ryan. If I come back, I'll give you a call."

Donna nodded and then turned to her sons. Both looked relieved. Neither looked cheerful. Each gazed at her with eyes that reflected affection and gratitude.

Donna spoke first to Mark.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?"

Mark sighed.

"I'm still working that out. I may or may not go to school. I may or may not do anything. It depends on how I feel in the morning."

Donna looked at Ben.

"What about you?"

"I
am
going to school," Ben said. "I don't have a choice. I have two tests."

"Don't you have a match too?" Donna asked.

Ben shook his head.

"It was canceled. My day is free after three."

"Then enjoy it. Enjoy the day," Donna said. She looked at Ben and Mark. "That goes for both of you. Do something special with your lady friends. I mean it. I'll take care of the laundry and the dishes when I get back."

"Thanks," Mark said.

Donna nodded but did not respond. She instead kissed her sons good night, smiled at the girls, and then stepped toward an exit that led to a hallway, the stairs, and her bedroom. She turned around when she reached the open doorway and looked at Mark.

"There is a bottle of champagne on the top shelf of the pantry. Your father bought it last year when he went to New York. He bought it for our twenty-fifth anniversary."

Donna took a breath.

"Feel free to enjoy it if you're in the mood for something nice. It will make me happy knowing it didn't go to waste."

"I'll think about it," Mark said.

"You do that," Donna said. "In the meantime, take care of these girls."

"We will."

The matriarch looked at Mary Beth and Piper.

"Thank you again, ladies. Thank you for adding sunshine to our lives and making a difficult time a little more bearable. I will think of you often," Donna said. "Good night."

CHAPTER 45: MARY BETH

Santa Monica, California – Friday, May 1, 1959

The ocean churned with a restlessness that almost seemed ordained. Waves rolled in, water rolled out, and sand shifted as two unlikely lovers walked along a quiet beach.

Mary Beth could not help but notice the differences between now and the first time she had dipped her toes in the Pacific Ocean. Five weeks earlier, at Laguna Beach, she had found the water calm, cold, and uninviting. Tonight, in the shadow of the Santa Monica Pier, she found it active, warm, and appealing. It was as comforting as the man who had held her hand on both occasions and made her forget she was the product of another time.

"I wonder where the crowds have gone," Mary Beth said. "I haven't seen more than twenty people since we left the hotel."

Mark smiled.

"I see you missed the bars on the drive in."

"It's seven thirty," Mary Beth said.

Mark laughed.

"I know. It's seven thirty in Santa Monica."

Mary Beth shook her head but did not respond. She saw no point in starting a war of wits on a night she wanted to devote to reflection, remembrance, and romance. So she kept to herself, inspected her glorious surroundings, and soaked up the sights. She found the historic hotels and beachside buildings almost as inspiring as the rapidly setting sun.

"This is so beautiful," Mary Beth said. "Thanks for bringing me."

"You're welcome," Mark said.

"Do you come here often?"

Mark shook his head.

"I come here only four or five times a year and almost always to go fishing. Ben and I like to fish off the pier. One can catch a lot with a little patience and decent bait."

"Do you like fishing?" Mary Beth asked.

"I like spending time with my brother."

"I thought so. That's nice."

Mark tightened his hold on Mary Beth's hand as they approached what looked like a gathering of Hells Angels members. More than thirty men in leather jackets or biker vests drank beer and swapped stories around a campfire the size of a tropical hut.