Beyond The Mist—(Lake Lanier Mysteries Book 2)

BEYOND THE MIST, A TIME TRAVEL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, IS A TRIBUTE TO THE VICTIMS AND FIRST RESPONDERS OF THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 TERRORIST ATTACK ON US SOIL.

Over 3,000 victims died in the twin tower infernos, including first responder firefighters, police, and EMTs. Over 6,000 were injured and countless lives shattered.

Since the disaster, more than 3000 additional deaths were attributed to toxin exposure from Ground Zero, people who worked, lived, or studied in Lower Manhattan at the time of the attack on the World Trade Center .

Dan Rather spoke of the tragedy with hope and passion. “After 9/11, the spirit of America bonded in courage, fellowship, honor and integrity––a reflection of compassion, generosity, and the best of who we are.”

We were going to be different, and the world was going to be different. But are we different? Can the world change to save humanity?

 

IF YOU COULD SHIFT THROUGH TIME AND CHANGE AN UNCONSCIONABLE EVENT—WOULD YOU?

USA Today Bestselling Author, Casi McLean, presents a romantic suspense inspired by freak accidents, strange phenomena, and eerie lore attached to Atlanta’s man-made Lake Sidney Lanier and spins a spine-chilling time-travel, romantic suspense series in Lake Lanier Mysteries. What if the lake excavation triggered a seismic shift that opened a portal connecting past to future?

Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.

The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.

WHAT LIES BENEATH THE COVER OF BEYOND THE MIST? HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK.

Beyond the Mist — Time Travel Romantic Suspense

 

 

Prologue

Lake Lanier, GA June 2012

A ghost town submerged beneath Atlanta’s famous man-made Lake Lanier reportedly lured victims to a watery grave. When Lacey Montgomery’s car spun out of control and hurtled into the depths of the icy, black water, she awakened in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she never heard of––thirty-four years before she was born.

Bobby Reynolds was smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opened her eyes. Learning the truth about her origins did nothing to stop the passion from taking root in his heart and left him torn between finding a way to help Lacey return to her time or convincing her to stay in his.

When the twenty-first century lawyer tangled with the 1949 hunk, their fire and ice swirled into a stream of sweltering desire. But the desperation to return home dissolved as Lacey fell in love with a town destined to be erased from the face of the Earth, and the man who vowed to protect it.

Bobby’s sudden strange disappearance drove her to unravel the key to the mysterious portal. She theorized the dynamite used to excavate Lake Lanier in the 1950s triggered a seismic shift that created a wormhole-like passageway connecting past to future. But the gateway required massive energy to transport her to 1949—energy equal to that of a torrential storm.

Once opened, the portal’s mysterious powers generated far more than an accidental doorway to another time. Nick Cramer, Lacey’s trusted friend, believed the anomaly behaved more like an entity, drawing together two star-crossed souls across time and space, as if guiding their destiny. Perhaps the doorway also provided a way for someone to shift to the past and right a horrendous wrong.

Endless possibilities existed. The mysteries hidden beneath the lake had only just begun…

 

Chapter One

Lake Lanier, GA  June 2012

A soft mist hovered over the moonlit lake, luring him forward with the seductive beckoning enticement of a mermaid’s song. Nick Cramer took a long breath and waded into the murky cove. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Dank air, laden with the scent of soggy earth and pine, crawled across his bare arms. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, shooting a prickle down his spine that slithered into an icy pool swirling in the pit of his stomach.

As the forest surrounding the cove darkened, the rhythmic clatter of a distant train moaned in harmony with a symphony of cricket chirps and croaking frogs. The soft breeze intensified, forewarning the imminent storm, but Nick sensed no urgency to rush home. Instead, he stared at the whirlpooling water, mesmerized by the increasing current.

Deep in thought, he contemplated his decision. He waded deeper into the water and clenched his fingers into a tight fist, determined to fight through the emotions consuming him. Fear sliced through his belly like frozen shards until he finally heaved, forcing rancid bile to choke into his throat.

I have to do this––he edged forward––only a few more steps and––a crack of thunder shattered the silence as lightning exploded over the entire cove. Gaze darting back and forth, Nick jerked around, stunned by the sudden water surge snaking around him, yanking him into a whirling vortex. A violent blue streak dragged him deeper, deeper beneath the lake into its shadowy depths. Heart pounding, he battled against the force, twisting and pulling toward the surface with all of his strength, but, despite his muscular build, he spun like a feather in the wind into oblivion. When the azure mist dissolved, Nick Cramer had vanished.

♾️

“You should probably get some rest, Lace.” Piper shifted her weight and leaned against the hospital wall.

“That’s my cue to leave.” Sandy chuckled and brushed a strand of hair from her sister-in-law’s cheek before leaning in to kiss her forehead. “We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning to take you home.” She turned to leave the room and shot a perceptive gaze toward Piper. “I suspect you and Lacey have a lot to talk about.”

“How does she do that?” After the older woman left, Piper sprang off the wall and closed the door.

“You mean, make you feel like she can read your thoughts before you think them?” Lacey laughed. “That’s just Sandy. I’m more concerned with you, though. The color drained from your face when Drew went to look for Nick earlier.” She crossed her legs and patted the sheets, indicating her bestie should sit. “What’s up with that?”

Piper slid onto the bed, one leg bent and the other draped over the side. She nervously fiddled with the hem of her jeans. “Lace”––she hesitated and bit her lower lip before continuing––“From the moment he heard Bobby dragged you from the lake, Nick kept vigil over you day and night. Don’t you think it’s odd he went AWOL shortly after you regained consciousness?”

“Maybe, but he neglected his own life for a week. I’m sure he has a laundry list of things to do now that he knows I’m okay.” Lacey gave Piper a suspicious glare. “Why so much concern over someone you barely know?”

“Actually…” As she recalled the night she met Nick Cramer, Piper pursed her lips. “We kind of connected at the party last week.” Images of the romantic evening drifted through her mind and her pulse raced. The mere thought of Nick now shot warm ripples into erogenous zones she’d all but forgotten. Piper didn’t believe in love at first sight, especially when the notion involved her. But the instant Nick’s body brushed against hers, a heat surged between them like nothing she’d ever experienced. And the attraction wasn’t simply lust, or schoolgirl butterflies that fluttered between her thighs when she was younger. Raging youthful hormones couldn’t trigger the mysterious allure she sensed. Although, thanks to Nick’s dashing stature in that sexy Italian tux, his sensuous features, and the perfect amount of tousle to his hair, he caught an eye from every warm-blooded female in the room that night. But Piper’s attraction wasn’t superficial. She felt drawn to Nick by some strange force, as if a connection existed before they met.

“Oh, my gosh.” Lacey reached over and clenched Piper’s ankle. “Did you and Nick hook up?”

“Seriously? No, we didn’t hook up.” Piper shifted, tugging her foot free. “We just…”—she paused a beat—“experienced a moment of enchantment.”

“You mean you and Nick are a thing?” Lacey fluffed her pillows and leaned against the headboard. “Okay, I want every detail.”

Piper recounted the first moment her gaze met her best friend’s legal assistant––the night of her elegant gala, the fateful night of Lacey’s terrible accident. A storm hit Reynolds Cove with winds over fifty miles per hour, taking out transmitters and power lines. The clubhouse lost electricity, sending stunned guests aimlessly scurrying around in the dark.

The situation quickly turned chaotic, but Nick took the reins, leaping up several steps of the spiral staircase to shine his phone flashlight into the foyer. After calming the crowd, he directed them into the candlelit dining room, then asked Piper to round up stragglers stranded in the bathrooms or parlor while he searched for an emergency power switch.

A blink later, the heavy foyer doors blew open, spraying a barrage of rain and swirling leaves into the vestibule. Piper and Nick reacted simultaneously, pushing the huge wooden barriers against the squall until they could latch the lock. Drenched but relieved, they fell against each other.

Nick draped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her close with a grateful hug.

Piper smiled. “I know my adrenaline rush enhanced my senses, but feeling Nick’s arm around me, holding me so close I could hear his heartbeat…mm.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “Every ounce of my inhibition dissolved. My heart melted. Erotic spots I didn’t even know I possessed burned and tingled like the aftermath of an electric jolt.”

“Whew.” Lacey fanned her face with a hand. “You missed your calling, Pi. You should have been a romance writer. That description had me literally feeling your hot desire.”

Rolling her eyes, Piper continued, “After a long, sensual minute, I realized I was lusting after a perfect stranger, and I––”

 “And there it is, the Piper purge.” Lacey huffed. “You criticized me about pushing away every good guy I met—and rightly so—but what about you?” She raised an eyebrow. “I understand why you’re so independent. Losing loved ones hurts like hell. But you have to let someone into your life—besides me. You can’t bail on a potential relationship before it has a chance to grow.”

“No, Lace. I didn’t bail. Not this time.” Piper’s thoughts reeled in a muddle of delight and perplexity. “I honestly don’t understand why my auto-alert didn’t trigger. His aura or demeanor, something about him, lured me closer like a magnetic pull.” She twisted her lips to the side. “I know that sounds totally crazed, but I didn’t want to let him go. And I sensed he felt the same strange chemistry.” A warm tingle slid between her thighs as she remembered how, even in eerie darkness, his silhouette made her heart race. It beat so hard she thought he might hear the thump-thump-thump despite the raging storm hammering against the clubhouse door.

“After an obscenely long embrace, Nick backed away and apologized for his spontaneous hug. He had been kinda nervous, in a cute, sweet, endearing way, then digressed into an awkward ramble.”

 “Uh…yeah. Sorry about that…just a gut reaction.” He raked his fingers through his dripping, sun-blond hair. “Nick Cramer, and you’re Piper Taylor, right? Lacey talks about you non-stop. All good, though. She’s an incredible friend…” He went on and on, while attempting to wipe excess moisture from his palms onto his soaked tux jacket.

Piper choked back a giggle when he had extended his hand.

She eyed Lacey’s piercing glare, anticipating another snarky reaction, until her friend’s dead silence and slightly dropped jaw coaxed her to continue. “A minute later, he took my hand and guided me toward the dim candlelight flickering in the ballroom. When the shimmer hit his sparkling, cognac eyes, I swear he took my breath away. His face, still damp from the storm, glistened, and I stared, hypnotized like a lovestruck teenager.”

Lacey grinned. “Piper Taylor, you’re totally crushing on Nick.” She sat up and threw her arms around her best friend. “You finally found him.”

Piper scowled. “I finally found him? Was Nick missing?”

Lacey drew back and laughed. “No, he wasn’t missing. I meant you finally found your inamorato. You know, the guy who curls your toes with his first kiss.” Lacey pulled her knees close and wrapped her arms around them. “Oh, my gosh, it’s about time. So, did he? Kiss you, I mean?”

The hospital door creaked open. “Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I have to get some vitals and change Miss Montgomery’s bandages.” The nurse moved the mobile tray away from the bedside and fiddled with Lacey’s IV, then popped a thermometer into her mouth and turned toward Piper. “Do you mind stepping into the hall for a second?”

 “No. Don’t leave, Pi,” Lacey mumbled, trying to hold the digital wand between her teeth. She glared at the nurse. “And it’s Mrs. Reynolds.”

The attendant reached for the medical tablet hanging on the foot of Lacey’s bed. “Your history says Miss Montgomery. Did we somehow confuse your data input?” She frowned.

Piper shrugged. “Lacey recently got married.” She slid a quick gaze toward her friend. “New nurse. Let her get your vitals, Lace. I need to get a cold drink, anyway. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She scooted out of the room and closed the door behind her, with Nick still swirling through her mind. Something had clicked between them that night, something she couldn’t explain. She’d never felt completely captivated by anyone in her life. After a shrug, she shook her head and pushed the down arrow button, then stepped from the sterile hospital hallway into the elevator.

Glancing back at her friend’s room, her thoughts shifted to Lacey and the events that led to the awful accident. Finding her boyfriend manhandling another woman in the upstairs parlor would have sent anyone into a tailspin. But Lacey handled the humiliation with grace––except for the vase of fresh-cut daffodils she dumped over both of them. No one blamed her for running out the door afterward. In fact, the guests gave her a standing ovation.

Thankfully, Rob followed her. Moments later, the storm blew to hurricane force. The dark, curvy road quickly grew treacherous, and Lace didn’t know the area. Rob said when her car hydroplaned, she hurtled off the ridge. Bruised and battered, her unconscious body plunged into Lake Lanier. If he hadn’t seen the accident, he might have known Lacey was trapped beneath the deadfall in Reynolds Cove. Piper’s best friend, the only person she ever let into her frozen world, would have drowned.

When Drew called Piper from the hospital, she abruptly ended the party. Without speaking, Nick grabbed her hand, led her to his car, then raced toward Gainesville Medical Center. For a week, Rob, his sister, Sandy, and Drew took turns sitting vigil over Lacey, praying she’d awaken from her coma. The few times Nick and Piper took a brief reprieve, they only left her bedside long enough to eat, doze, or shower before they returned––with one exception.

The elevator door opened, and Piper mindlessly strolled toward the cafeteria, relishing in that one rainy afternoon. Lacey had been in a coma for three long days.

Rob rented several hotel rooms only a few steps from the Medical Center and tried to convince everyone to take a break, shower, and rest. When Nick and Piper resisted, Rob convinced the head nurse to ban family and friends from Lacey’s room for three hours, ostensibly to perform some tests. Rob promised he’d sit in the waiting room next to the nurse’s station and call them if Lacey so much as stirred.

The storm blustered full throttle. By the time Piper and Nick ran from the hospital to the Gainesville Inn, they were totally drenched. Piper’s flip-flops slipped on the wet cement as she scurried toward the rooms, but Nick caught her, scooped her into his arms, and carried her the rest of the way while visions of the night they met flooded her mind, briefly pushing her thoughts of Lacey to a distant shore.

He fumbled to fit his key into the lock, kicked the door open, then let it slam shut. His warm lips brushed over Piper’s, teasing her until she couldn’t hold back the lust writhing inside. She pushed into him, her need escalating. When he released her legs, he held her body snugly against his, devouring her as he nibbled at her cheeks, her neck, her soul. He framed her against the wall, pinning her arms above her head, and she relinquished complete surrender. Burning hunger faded her fear and anxiety, melting her consciousness into a stream of molten desire, an eruption of fiery lust.

Nick nudged her thick, wet locks from her face, kissing droplets rolling down her cheeks. His warm breath on her ear sent tingles rippling into her toes. Waterlogged, her light pink t-shirt clung to her body, revealing all to his gaze. He slid the fabric over her head and dropped the top to the floor, then lifted her effortlessly.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him closer, quenching her thirst. Entwined, they fell onto the bed. Sweat, mingled with rain-moist skin, fused her yearning into sweltering desire, and she yielded to her unbridled passion.

Yes, his first kiss had definitely curled her toes, and she ached for more. Nick filled a place inside of her she never knew was empty. She craved his touch, his scent, his heart. From the moment she locked her gaze on his, she sensed his soul. She had no idea how or why, but she knew she belonged with Nick Cramer.

Piper bought a bottle of water and a protein bar from the vending machines, stopped by the restroom to splash cold water on her face after reliving her first Cramer kiss, then returned to Lacey’s room. She tapped on the open door. “Are you decent?”

“Yay, you’re back.” Lacey grinned. “Now, spill. I want to hear everything about you and Nick.”

“Well, while you fell into the lake through a time portal for three years and then returned an instant later…Nick and I took a breath.” Piper chuckled. “That’s a lot for a split second, don’t you think?”

“You do have a point.” Lacey smiled.

The explanation of her trip through time was hard to fathom––at least, it was, until Lace bared her belly, displaying pregnancy scars Piper knew didn’t exist a few days earlier. She trusted Lacey with her life, but a time slip? Piper had lived her life structured by logic and framed by facts. The mere concept of a time crack lurking beneath the murky water of Lake Lanier reeked of science fiction fantasy, not reality.

The story would make a great movie, though. She could almost see the trailer and hear the luring voice: Imagine a hidden cove in the north Georgia mountains where the spirit of a ghost town lingers, a town swallowed by Lake Sidney Lanier over a half century ago. What if the excavation crafted more than a lake? What if seismic waves shifted faults, creating a crack in time connecting past to future? And what if destiny spiraled a young couple into the throes of the chasm? Piper giggled under her breath. The entire concept simply defied reason, and yet, it happened. Lacey’s murmurs brought her back to the conversation.

“Seriously, Pi. I love the idea of you and Nick together. Do you really think he feels the same way? What have you done since the party?”

“We stayed here, consoling each other and praying you’d wake up. Lace, if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know how I could have held together this week.” She reached over and touched Lacey’s wrist. “That’s why I’m worried about him. I know you and Nick have been friends for a while, but he told me things I don’t think even you know. Nick holds in a lot of past secrets—”

Drew, Lacey’s son––now sixty years old, which was another inexplicable enigma––burst through the door. He glanced around the room. “Where is Sandy?”

“She left for home about forty-five minutes ago.” Lacey sat upright in bed. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“Did you find Nick?” Piper’s tone reflected her concern. “Has something happened?”

“I’m not sure.” His face went pale. “Nick’s nowhere to be found.”

“What do you mean?” Lacey stared at him with a penetrating glare. “He probably just went home to shower and change into some clean clothes.”

Drew scowled.

“You look really worried. What’s going on?”  Piper frowned.

“Something’s wrong, terribly wrong. I need to find Sandy right away.” He turned on his heel and darted out the door.

“I’ve got to go, Lace. I have to help Drew.” Piper popped off the bed and gave her best friend a quick hug. “You understand, right? Nick could be in trouble.”

“Of course. Go. Help Drew. I’m fine.”

“Be back later, I promise.” She turned, then rushed out the door.

♾️

Catching up to Drew’s swift pace, Piper yanked on his arm. “Wait, what did you mean something’s wrong? Is Nick in danger?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Then what’s with the sprint? Take a breath and talk to me.” She tugged at his sleeve to slow his gait. “You know more than you’re saying, don’t you?”

“Not exactly. It doesn’t matter, anyway.” Staring at a random spot on the wall, Drew muttered to himself, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Are you kidding me? After what my best friend and her husband just experienced, I’d believe almost anything.” She couldn’t discount or doubt anything Lacey told her. The unfathomable time slip, though completely anomalous, was validated. Her grip on Drew’s arm tightened, halting his next step. “Please, Drew. Nick is really important to me. If he’s in some kind of danger, I want to help.”

“I don’t know anything, Piper. It’s more like a feeling. I sense a”––he pulled the skin on his forehead together with his thumb and forefinger––“a divergence, or a shift. It’s hard to explain.”

“Okay, so now you’re a psychic?” Her eyes narrowed.

 “Like I said, you wouldn’t believe me.” He pulled his arm away from her grasp and hustled toward the elevator. “Look, I have to go. I need to figure out what happened. And trust me, you don’t want to be tangled up in whatever this is.”

“Oh, no you don’t, Drew Reynolds. You’re not dismissing me that easily. If this involves Nick, I’m coming with you. End of story.” She pressed the button and the elevator door opened. Piper stepped inside. “You comin’, or not?”

“Whatever.” He entered and stood beside her, his phone now held to his ear.

When the doors closed, Piper continued, “Drew, you’re stuck here with me for a minute, so please tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Shhh, hang on.” Drew touched his finger to his lips. “Damn, voicemail again.” He held his free hand up and spoke into the phone. “Hey, man. Where are you? Lacey has been asking for you.” He paused a beat. “Nick, I hope you’re not doing anything crazy, buddy. Please, gimme a call.”

Piper waited until he moved the phone from his ear, then snagged the device from his hand and held it behind her back. “Okay. If you want this, you’re going to give me some answers. Why do you think a mysterious change occurred?”

Drew scowled and reached around her back, easily retrieving his possession. “I told you, I don’t know anything. Not yet anyway.”

He glared, and his aging features softened to that of a much younger man. “Fine. I’ll try to explain, but the first sign of skepticism I see in your eyes, I’m clamming up.” He paused a beat and took in a long breath. “As long as I can remember, I’ve sensed things, like occurrences.”

“You mean you seriously have premonitions?” Piper dropped her jaw for a long stare before continuing. “That’s totally sick. I’d love to be able to predict the future.”

“No, you don’t understand. I can’t foresee anything. Only what’s happening at a specific time or place, with limitations.”

The elevator opened, and they walked toward the hospital parking lot.

“It’s similar to precognitions, but more immediate and intense.”

“Shut the front door.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Drew, are you saying you’re telepathic?”

 “I guess.” He opened the passenger side door of his Aston Martin, then rushed around to the driver’s side and slid inside. “At first, the connections occurred in my dreams, but as I grew older, my abilities evolved. Sandy, my dad’s sister”––he glanced at Piper and started the engine––”and her husband, Al, became my surrogate parents when Lacey passed through the time portal in search of Rob. This has to be confusing. Do you understand that Rob and Lacey are my biological parents?”

“Um-hum.” Piper nodded, completely fascinated by Drew’s narrative. “But the idea still blows my mind. It’s a paradox, like the old children’s song, “I’m My Own Grandpa,” right?”

He chuckled. “Yes, a paradox, indeed. My parents shifted through time when I was a baby. My dad, Rob, reappeared in 2011, and my mother, Lacey, materialized last week.” He glanced at Piper again. “So, now my folks are thirty years younger than me, as opposed to thirty years older. Simple, right?”

“Sheesh. Poor Lace. She fell asleep with an infant son and awakened with––”

“Careful, now. I might get offended.” Drew wrinkled his brow. “But yes, that part must be tough on Mom. The choice to find my dad or stay with me had to suck. But Sandy and Al were terrific parents, and over time, I understood. My mother made the only choice she could have made. She intended to return to our time with my dad, but once she arrived here…well, you know the rest of the story.”

Piper drew in a deep breath, then blew it out. “Wow.” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through. But what does that have to do with your psychic abilities?”

Throughout the drive, Drew recounted incidents from his childhood, corroborating his extrasensory perception, as well as relaying Sandy’s dedicated interest in time travel and supernatural phenomena.

“Sandy spent her entire life studying everything she could get her hands on to validate her theories and what she already knew as fact. She believes my birth connected some sort of gap in time. You see, with a dad born in 1921 and a mom in 1983, my conception was incongruous with the space-time continuum. As a result, I have a unique gift.”

The Aston handled the curvy roads with ease. Drew gripped the steering wheel handily, leaning into each bend in the road while Piper hung on his every word. He finally pulled into a driveway and stopped the car.

She glanced around, suddenly aware his story had enthralled her so deeply she had no idea where she was. “I thought we were going to look for Nick. Where are we?”

Drew shifted his gaze to meet Piper’s and arched an eyebrow. “Quite possibly the gateway to Hell, my dear. Are you still game?”

IF YOU LOVE THE CONCEPT OF BEYOND THE MIST—TimeTravel Romantic Suspense, DISCOVER WHERE THE PORTAL BEGAN IN BENEATH THE LAKE.