Mine Tomorrow by Jackie Braun Read Free Book Online Page B

when he asked, “Should I be jealous?”
    “I don’t think so,” she told him on a laugh, but she was curious. And, just as suddenly, she was nervous.
    “Mrs. Prescott!” the man enthused as they walked through the shop’s door amid a clanging of bells. “It’s so good to see you again.”
    While he obviously knew her, Devin was at a loss for his name. She offered a polite smile and decided to go with half of an introduction, hoping that he would fill in the rest.
    “Hello. This is my…my husband, Gregory Prescott.” The way she’d stumbled over her relationship to Gregory had both men frowning. Those nerves she’d felt kicked into high gear and she rushed ahead. “He’s just arrived home from the war.”
    “Ah, Mr. Prescott! Welcome home! Welcome home!” The older man enthusiastically pumped Gregory’s hand in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to see you are home safe and sound. I’m Sal, Sal Weinstein.”
    “Mr. Weinstein.” He nodded. “Thank you and the same.”
    “You were stationed in the Pacific Theater, if I recall correctly.” At Gregory’s questioning expression, Sal said, “Mrs. Prescott mentioned it to me. She was very worried about you.”
    Gregory nodded. “I was aboard the USS Bunker Hill.”
    Sal gasped. “Then I’d say she had good reason to be concerned. You lost a lot of your crew in the May 11th kamikaze attack.”
    Kamikaze attack? Her ears pricked at the mention and dread began to pool in her stomach. Gregory had referenced an attack when they were in Times Square. Her dread intensified when he told Sal now, “Three hundred and seventy-two died that day and another two-hundred and sixty-four were wounded, all thanks to a couple of Japanese pilots with a death wish.”
    Dear Mrs. Prescott, we regret to inform you…
    The writing on the yellow paper faded from her mind before she could read all of it. The unease she felt remained.
    “That’s a lot of casualties,” Sal was saying. “I’m just glad you weren’t one of them. It’s a relief that this horrible war is finally over and our troops are returning stateside.”
    “A relief,” Gregory agreed. “I was eager to get back to my bride.”
    “Perfectly understandable.” Sal turned his attention to her then. “I was wondering if you’d forgotten about me.”
    “I…I…” Devin sputtered.
    The older man grinned, causing wrinkles to crease his cheeks from the corners of his eyes down to his jowls. “I flatter myself. It’s your watch I think you forgot about.”
    “My watch?”
    “Yes. You came in—oh, it’s been a few months at least—to have it repaired. The face was broken. You asked me to replace the glass. I’m sorry to say that not long after you left it with me, it stopped working all together. It was the darnedest thing, too. I’ve taken it apart twice, but I can’t figure out the cause. Everything seems to be in order.”
    “That is odd.”
    He went behind the counter and pulled out a velvet-lined box. “It’s such an exquisite piece,” he murmured.
    Indeed. In real life, Devin owned a no-frills, elastic-banded faux-gold watch. It was mass-produced and had cost her all of twenty bucks at the corner drug store. This piece was sterling silver and much more ornate, with small diamonds embedded at the twelve, three, six and nine. Its quality was evident, as was the fact that it was older than the mid-twentieth century. Devin was no expert, but she would have guessed early twentieth, perhaps even late nineteenth.
    A slight movement caught her eye.
    “You said it’s not working?”
    “That’s right. It stopped a couple of days after you dropped it off.”
    “Well, it appears to be working now.” She picked up the watch and held it to her ear. It was ticking all right. The sound was in synch with her heartbeat.
    “You don’t say.” Sal pulled the glasses that were perched on his head down for a closer look. “I haven’t checked on it for…oh, I guess it’s been a month now, but the last