Page 40 of One Impossible Moment
Vaughn stepped forward, eyes narrowing slightly."Didn't think she'd return."
Finn shifted his weight, subtly blocking their view of her."She did."
So much for them forgetting her.His body hardened.
Mace's gaze flicked to the shimmer fading on the road."The veil opened for her."
Finn braced.He understood what they were thinking.They'd linked Kallie's arrival to the opening of the black seam they couldn't penetrate.He gritted his teeth.They might not have their emotions, but they'd put together that Kallie could walk between two dimensions.
They'd want to use her to get themselves out of Everstill.If that failed, they'd realize Kallie was a woman.That was one thing missing here, and it wouldn't take long for them all to want to experience something readily available in the real world.
All hell would break loose.He needed to get Kallie out of here.
The men exchanged glances.He spotted Moe walking slowly to the group.He was the only one wearing a frown.All those questions Moe used to ask were now bothering his friend.
Kallie pressed closer to him, her breath brushing the back of his shoulder.He felt her tremble, her uncertainty, her exhaustion from traveling through the glitch.And beneath it all, she trusted him.She leaned into him, letting him shield her.
He straightened, meeting each man's gaze in turn."She's with me."
The claim came with a warning.He wasn't going to let any of them hurt her.
The men kept watching him.He wasn't backing down.The other times Kallie came to him, she was young.She was a woman now, and the men hadn't seen anyone of the opposite sex in a long fucking time.
He knew how he was feeling.He could only imagine what it was like for the others.There were no weapons here.He would need to protect her.
Boone turned first, going back toward the courthouse.The others followed him.
Moe stayed behind, visually confused.Last time, Moe was the one who kept asking him questions about Kallie's arrival and the glitch.It took him longer to forget.He exhaled.Another part of Moe's brain was waking up.He wasn't going to be as easy to control as the others.
"Leave her alone, Moe," he said.
Moe's shoulders broadened, and then he turned around and walked toward the store.It wasn't over with Moe.He'd be back with questions on how Kallie was able to return.Moe would want to find out how they could all walk through the rift.
He turned to Kallie, finally letting himself look at her fully.Her cheeks were flushed from the wind, her eyes bright with emotion, her lips parted as she tried to catch her breath.She looked up at him with a mixture of relief and disbelief.
"Come on," he whispered roughly."Let's get you inside."
She slipped her hand into his.He held on, afraid he'd hurt her.She was the softest, most fragile thing he'd touched since arriving in Everstill.
