Page 25 of One Merciful Moment

Boone's gaze softened. "Because you're part of this place now. And Everstill doesn't warn you with noise or movement. It warns you with a feeling. If something feels wrong, trust it."

"Will it hurt me?"

He kissed her forehead. "I don't know."

He wasn't telling her everything. Often, she sensed his warnings were as much for him as for her. He repeated them as if he hadn't had the rules when he was numb and unaware of Everstill's dangers.

"Just listen and pay attention." He straightened to his full height. "Stay close to me."

"Okay." She looked over her shoulder toward the woods.

She couldn't wait to get out of here. Boone could stay with her at the house and learn about her world. She could show him her garden, treat him to a burger in town, and love him all day and all night.

Chapter 15

Boone

––––––––

The first night Copper opened the restaurant, every citizen in Everstill stopped by for dinner. The place buzzed.

Boone looked around at the others, surprised at how they could change. Before the food stopped showing up in the store, they congregated at the restaurant and ate in silence, barely looking at each other.

Ashley's knee brushed his outer thigh under the table. He put his hand on her leg and squeezed. She was proud of her role in growing enough vegetables for Copper to go back to cooking and serving the others.

The others were excited, too. He could feel the energy coming off them.

They ate in groups, talking and discussing their days. Moe and Jillian were talking over their soup. Finn and Kallie waited for their orders.

It was strange, but good.

Kallie leaned over from the nearest table. "You've done so much for the town. Thank you."

Ashley shook her head. "We all worked together."

"But you taught us so much." Kallie reached across the span. "Thank you."

Ashley squeezed her hand. "You're welcome."

He liked how the women made her feel included. She was more relaxed and no longer talked about leaving the first chance she got.

"This is ridiculous." Vaughn stabbed at his plate with his fork. "No meat. No protein. We might be alive, but we're dying more each day."

Boone turned his attention to the other table.

"You're not starving." Mace snorted. "You'll live."

"No, listen," Vaughn insisted, leaning in. "We should go hunting. Grab the kitchen knives, head out to the woods, take down one of those deer."

Mace choked on his water. "With a kitchen knife? Are you fucking stupid?" You're going to walk up to a deer and politely stab it?"

"It's better than eating leaves." Vaughn pushed his plate away.

Mace pointed his fork at Vaughn. "Copper's not letting you touch the knives. And even if you got a weapon, you'd get trampled before you got close to one of those deer."

Ashley leaned against Boone. She'd overheard the conversation. Whether it was because she enjoyed nature or she had a soft spot for animals, the talk of killing the deer upset her.

"You're not touching those deer." Boone lowered his voice. "You hear me? Not one."