Here, Now, and Forever

Published by: eXtasy Books

Author : J.S. Frankel

ISBN : 978-1-4874-4307-8

Page :220

Word Count :68000

Publication Date :2025-04-10

Series : #

Heat Level :

Available Formats :

Category : Fantasy Romance , Historical Romance , Young Adult , What's New

BrandsExtasy Books
Product Code: 978-1-4874-4307-8

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A flight into danger. A portal to another world. Adventures, danger, a new beginning, and a romance that spans forever.

Carl Goodman, a Merchant Marine sailor during World War Two, is shipwrecked off the coast of China and a temporary visitor at an American airfield, finally scores a ride to India to ship out on another vessel. Accompanying him is Ruby Matthews, a black nurse with her own set of problems.

Bad weather forces their plane to crash on an escarpment high in the Himalayas. As the only survivors with minimal supplies, they take refuge inside a cave where they discover a portal that leads them into an almost Eden-like garden.

After starting at odds, Carl and Ruby come to an understanding, and romance builds over time. However, their peace is interrupted by the arrival of an alien called Norlok, who has an agenda of his own. Defeating him is only part of the problem.

When rescue finally arrives, they find that eighty-five years have passed, yet they’ve retained their youth—until they return to the US, where they begin to rapidly age. Getting back to their garden is of prime importance, but will they be in time?

“What in the hell is going on,” Weatherly bellowed as he trained his gun on the man with the knife. He then glanced at me. “Goodman, you start this?”

Oh, right, it’s my fault. I held back a swear word or six and said nothing.

However, Mr. Switchblade spoke up in a pseudo-friendly manner. “Just a disagreement, sir,” he said while folding the blade back into the knife and tucking the weapon into his pocket. “Goodman, here, wanted to get something to eat, but Mac said the galley was closed.”

Weatherly nodded and holstered his pistol. “Uh-huh. And why is one of my pilots on the ground and moaning like an old woman?” He stared at the downed man. “Get up, you piece of dirt.”

“Yes, sir,” Wilson said, groaning as he got to his feet and stood at attention, blood streaming down his face.

Weatherly addressed him. “All right, Wilson, we’re open and above board here. What happened? Did Goodman start it, or was Mac involved? Tell me…and do it fast.”

Wilson glanced at me and then spoke after wiping his face and leaving a red smear all over it. He could’ve sealed my and the nurse’s fate by ratting us out, but he simply said, “Just a disagreement with Goodman, here, sir. No problem, sir.”

“And what was the disagreement about?”

Wilson looked helplessly at the other men.

The man clearly couldn’t think past his next sentence, so I helped him out. “Baseball, sir. I’m a huge Yankees fan, and Wilson, he likes the Dodgers. We both think they’re going to meet in the World Series. Well, we, uh, stated our views, and—”

“Enough,” Weatherly said to me while massaging his forehead. He then turned to the nurse. “I see that another man has a sliced-up face, and you’re holding a napkin container with blood dripping from it. Did you have a disagreement with him on baseball, too?”

“Yes, sir,” she said in all sincerity. “I’m a Cards fan. He likes Boston.”

Mr. Sliced Face nodded, holding his hand to his ruined cheek. His blood leaked between his fingers and dripped on the floor. “That’s what happened, sir.”

Weatherly uttered a soft sigh. “Fine, we’re all baseball fans here. Goodman, Matthews, outside. You have a flight to catch. I’ll get something ready for you to eat on the plane.”

Wordlessly, the nurse and I walked outside and into the wind.

When we were out of earshot of the others, she whispered, “Thanks for sticking up for me. People usually don’t do that.”

“Yeah.” That was all I could think to say. I kept my hand to my nose, trying to staunch the bleeding. It didn’t help.

“I can fix you up on the plane.” She gently pried my hand away to look at my honker. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. “Use this.”

I held it to my nose. “Thanks.”

“It doesn’t look too bad.”

“You didn’t get socked in the beak.”

She uttered a brief laugh. “No, I didn’t.”

We continued walking in silence for a bit, and then she said, “I didn’t know you were Jewish.”

“Someone has to be.”