Echoes of Eucalyptus

Published by: eXtasy Books

Author : Gabriella Bradley

ISBN : 978-1-4874-4357-3

Page :147

Word Count :41000

Publication Date :2025-09-11

Series : #

Heat Level :

Available Formats :

Category : , Historical Romance , Historical , What's New

BrandsExtasy Books
Product Code: 978-1-4874-4357-3

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A talented horologist from the year 2186 in Chicago is thrust back in time to 1956 Newcastle, Australia.

Heidi Morrison finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the past, lost, disoriented, and completely out of place in her sleek futuristic bodysuit. Desperate to blend in, she makes a reckless mistake—stealing clothes—and lands in police custody.

Detective Dan McKenna, a Texan transplant with a protective streak, doesn’t know what to make of the strange woman in front of him. Her story sounds impossible—until she reveals the breathtaking holographic technology hidden within her skin.

As Heidi struggles to adapt to a time that isn’t her own, she and Dan are drawn together by an undeniable spark that neither expected. But every moment they share is haunted by the truth…she doesn’t belong in his world. Torn between the love that’s blossoming in the present and the future waiting to reclaim her, Heidi must make an impossible choice…

Heidi carefully twisted the crown, adjusting the hands to match the current time of twelve forty-five. Inside the cover were two small circles. They were an engraving of the world map with a couple of lines of very miniature words beneath it. Without her eye loupe, she couldn’t tell what it said.

“Perfect,” she whispered, captivated by the delicate, lacy, old-fashioned hands. As she completed the final turn, an unexpected surge of energy coursed through her fingertips, causing her to gasp in surprise.

“Is everything all right?” the vendor inquired.

“Y-yes,” Heidi stammered, trying to shake off the bizarre sensation. “It just…felt strange for a moment.”

“Strange how?” he questioned, obviously intrigued by her reaction.

“Like…” Heidi hesitated, unsure of how to describe it. “As if the watch was alive somehow.”

“Interesting,” the vendor mused, casting a sideways glance at it. “Perhaps it is more than just a simple antique watch. Maybe it is trying to tell you to buy it, just like the old woman said it would choose its owner.”

“Tempting, but I told you, it’s a bit beyond my budget right now.” She picked up the hot dog that she’d put on the table and reached out to hand the watch back to the vendor. Before he could take it from her fingers, and she realized what was happening, the world around her shifted and blurred. Colors swirled together as if she were looking into a kaleidoscope, and the sounds of the bustling market faded into a distant echo. Panic surged through her as her surroundings seemed to unravel before her very eyes. For a moment, she felt dizzy as the world began spinning faster and faster.

“Wh-what’s going on?” she cried out, her fingers curling tightly around the watch and squashing her hot dog in the other hand. As quickly as it began, the merry-go-round stopped. The kaleidoscope of color faded, and she no longer stood in the flea market.

Shocked, she looked around and found herself standing in the middle of a street surrounded by unfamiliar buildings. The familiar Chicago cityscape had vanished, replaced by a much older city…or town.

“Where…where am I? What happened? How did I get here?” she murmured, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. Her gaze took in the pedestrians passing by, giving her curious glances, some even stopping to stare at her. They were all dressed in clothing that looked like it belonged in a costume shop or a museum.

As the true import of her situation began to sink in, she felt a mix of fear tinged with excitement course through her veins. She had always been fascinated by the concept of time travel, but never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined that it was possible.

“Is this…real?” she whispered, struggling to wrap her mind around the impossible. “Did it send me back in time?”

Heidi looked down at the ancient watch, its hands ticking steadily forward. Despite her fear and confusion, she knew in her heart that there was only one answer. The watch had taken her to the past, which meant that it should bring her back to her own timeline. The squashed hot dog had fallen on the street. She wiped her mustard and ketchup-covered hand on her thigh, then turned the crown of the watch, moving the hands several times, but nothing happened.

I am stuck…

Stranded in the past somewhere…

But where is this?

When is this?