Page 35 of One Forbidden Moment

When she returned, Moe stood in front of the bookshelf, staring at a ceramic owl her mom had bought at a yard sale years ago.His brow furrowed like he was trying to figure out what purpose it served.

"It's just a decoration," she said softly.

He startled slightly, then nodded."Your world has...a lot of things."

"It was your world at one time, too, right?"She stepped closer and held out the warm cloth."Sit."

He hesitated, jaw tightening like he wanted to refuse.But then he lowered himself onto the edge of the couch, shoulders slumped with exhaustion he couldn't hide.

She knelt in front of him.

Up close, the damage was worse.A cut above his eyebrow.A scrape along his cheekbone.Dried blood at the corner of his mouth.Dirt smudged across his whiskered jaw.His knuckles were raw on one hand.

Inhaling swiftly, she couldn't help but acknowledge that all his injuries were from protecting her.Besides a few bumps and probably bruises that would show up later, she didn't have a scratch on her.There was no way she rode through the veil and went through hell without any injuries, except that Moe sheltered her from the storm.

She lifted the cloth and gently pressed it to his cheek.

He flinched."You don't have to—"

"I want to," she whispered.

He stilled.

She wiped the blood from his skin, careful not to make the scratches bleed more.The cloth came away red.He watched her the whole time, eyes stormy and unreadable, but something in them softened with every pass of the cloth.

"You got hurt because of me," she said quietly."You didn't have to do that."

"I got hurt because of the veil.Not you."His voice was rough.

She swallowed hard."You still protected me."

His gaze dropped to her hands."I told you I would."

She bit her lower lip, not knowing why that made her feel all warm and terrified at once.

When she finished cleaning his face, she handed him the towel.He wiped his hands, then stood with a grunt, stretching his back.

She winced."You're hurt everywhere."

"I'll live."He moved toward the kitchen."We need to figure out where we are."

"Vancouver."When he glanced at her, she added, "Washington."

He grunted.Curious, she followed him into the kitchen and froze.

A banana sat on the counter.The same banana she'd left there the day she was taken.Still yellow.Still firm.A spot of green clinging to the stem.That's why she hadn't taken it to work with her.It wasn't ripe enough for her.

After all this time, it should've been black.Rotten.

Her stomach dropped.That made no sense.She was gone for several months.

Before she could speak, the house phone rang.Both of them jumped.

Heart hammering, she pressed her hand to her chest and stepped over to the cordless phone sitting on the charger.She grabbed the receiver and answered without even looking to see who the caller was."Hello?"

"Jillian?It's Connie from the nursing home."

Her blood ran cold."Is it my mom?"