Sam wanted to giggle, but managed to stifle it. George had been dismissed and he knew it. He didn’t like it either, but there was nothing else for him to do but leave. He walked slowly to his truck, glancing over his shoulder several times.
The four of them stood there, watching and waiting until the last vehicle pulled away. Then Tim turned to her. “You want to tell me what the hell is really going on?”
Sam should have known better than to try to lie to Tim. He was too much like her father and always knew when she was telling an untruth. She raked her fingers through her hair, suddenly fatigued. “It’s a long story.”
“I got time,” Tim informed her.
Jace spun around and walked back into the fields, aiming straight for the spot where they’d left their weapons and belongings. He tossed Darian his arm- and wristbands before putting on his own. Jace picked up his sword and strapped it around his waist before grabbing Darian’s. He strode back and handed Darian his weapon. Tim’s eyes widened and his rifle came up again. He aimed right at Jace’s chest.
“You might want to move your hands away from those fancy swords, boys.”
Only Tim would call two warriors like Jace and Darian boys. She expected them to bristle beneath the command, but they moved their hands away from their weapons. And it wasn’t because they were afraid of Tim. She could see it in their eyes and so could Tim. No, what she saw there wasn’t anger or fear, but respect. Tim lowered the barrel of his rifle slightly, but she knew he could aim and fire in the blink of an eye.
“Either of you boys want to tell me what’s going on since it seems like Sam isn’t going to?”
Jace and Darian shared a look before Jace spoke. “You are the one who is like a father to Sam?”
Tim gave a curt nod. “I am.”
“Listen, why don’t we go up to the house and talk about this?” Sam would just as soon they didn’t try to explain what had happened. But none of the men were paying her any attention. “Or not,” she muttered.
“I am Jace of Hunter Keep from the land of Javara.”
Tim’s eyes narrowed. “Go on.”
Sam held her breath while Jace explained about the tapestry and Javara. Tim growled when Jace got to the part about the brothers both sharing her bed. He gave her a hard glare and she shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear as innocent as possible. When Jace was done, Tim turned to her. “This true, girl?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t want to talk about it out here in the blazing sun. She was sweaty, thirsty and the house was so close. Sam decided if they wanted her opinion they’d have to follow her. She took a step toward it, not waiting to see who was coming with her.
Tim swore and hurried to her side. “Sam, we need to talk about this. Maybe you need to see someone. A doctor or something.”
Sam stopped in her tracks and glared at Tim. “I’m not crazy.”
“Of course not,” he placated.
Throwing her hands in the air, she released a sound of frustration and stomped to the house, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. The back door was unlocked and she sighed when she stepped inside. She heard the men come in behind her, but ignored them and went straight to the sink for some water. She filled the glass twice before facing them.
“I’m getting out of these dirty clothes and into the shower.” She wanted to wear her own jeans and T-shirt, to feel more like herself again. “If you’re still here when I’m done, I’ll talk.” Sam left them in the kitchen and went up the stairs to her bathroom.
Guilt ate at her with each step she took, but she ignored it. She’d had to manage in their world with their family and friends, now they could do the same in hers.
She grabbed some clean clothes, went into the bathroom and stripped out of the leather garments. The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked outwardly the same as she had yesterday morning, but inwardly she’d changed more than she’d ever thought possible.
Sam placed her two hands on the chipped vanity and stared. “You are in such big trouble.” As much as she wanted to deny it, she cared about both brothers. Deeply. She wasn’t quite ready to say she loved them. She couldn’t. It would hurt too much when they went home.
But what if they stayed? A little voice in the back of her head whispered the words, but she ignored them. They wouldn’t stay. They had responsibilities back in Javara, not to mention family.
But what if the tapestry never returned?
Sam felt guilty for even thinking such a thing. The last thing she wanted was for them to be trapped here. This wasn’t their world. They belonged at Hunter Keep. Indeed, they were Hunter Keep. What would happen to all those people if they couldn’t go home?
No, Sam was determined to help them find their way back. And if her heart broke when they left, it was a small price to pay for getting them home.
Chapter Eleven
Jace studied the older man standing by the table. He held a long piece of metal in his hand. A gun Sam had called it. He would have liked a closer look at the weapon, but knew better than to ask. Tim was a warrior. It was in the way he held himself, in his eyes. He would not relinquish his weapon to a stranger.
“Now that we’re alone, I want the truth,” Tim demanded.
Jace had already told him the truth. Problem was, the older man didn’t want to hear it. Obviously magic was not well-known or accepted in Sam’s world. “I have told you the truth. We are from Javara and want to claim Sam as our own. Never doubt that we will protect her with our lives.”
Tim rubbed his hand over his bushy beard. “You don’t look like you’re lying and that’s the damnedest thing. I need to call Mary.” Tim took a small black object out of his pocket. It looked like the one Sam had that she’d always been checking. A phone she’d called it.
Tim pressed buttons and then spoke. “Hey, Mary. I found her. She’s safe.”
Jace glanced at Darian, but his brother was totally enthralled by the small box Tim was holding. It was obvious he was talking to someone. How was that possible? How could those of this world profess not to believe in the tapestry when they possessed great magic of their own?
“No, I’m not sure what’s going on. She has company.” Tim paused. “No, I’ll explain later. I will. Okay. Bye.” Tim pressed a button and put the device back in his pocket. He realized both men were staring at him. “What?” Tim asked.
Darian motioned to Tim’s pocket. “You spoke to someone through that box?”
“Yeah.” Tim seemed confused by the question.
“Yet you do not believe in the tapestry when you possess great magic?” Darian’s words echoed Jace’s thoughts.
“You’re not kidding, are you?” Tim slowly lowered himself into a chair. “Okay, explain to me again about this tapestry and the world you’re from. And why the hell it came here and took Sam.”
Sam stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. She should feel guilty. She hadn’t offered the brothers anything to drink and wasn’t sure they knew how to work the taps, although Darian probably did considering he’d played with them quite a bit on his first trip here.
“Damn it.” She dragged the towel over her skin, wiping away the water before she dragged on her clean clothes.
When she was wearing underwear, jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, she felt much more like herself. Her hair was wet, but she towel dried it and braided it. She really shouldn’t have left the men alone with Tim. No telling what Tim might do if he got mad. She knew in her heart neither Hunter brother would hurt Tim, but still.
She slung the damp towel over the shower rod and hurried out of the bathroom. She could hear voices as she went down the stairs. They were still talking. That had to be a good sign. Right?