Strands of Love

Chapter Ten

Sam groaned and grabbed her aching head. What the heck had happened? One minute she’d been arguing with Jace and the next…

The tapestry. The tapestry had come back. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but bright blue sky. No mountains or trees or clouds. Bolting upright, she stared at an unending sea of brown, brittle hay. Heat surrounded her, rising like waves from the parched ground. There was no other place on earth like this. She was home.

But had she come alone?

Sam swallowed hard, ignoring the ache in the vicinity of her chest. It was only because she was glad to be home. The fact she might never see Jace or Darian again had nothing to do with it.

Dry hay crackled off to her left. “Darian? Jace?” She hurried toward the sound and almost stumbled over Darian as he pushed himself off the ground.

“Where are we?” he asked as he drew his sword and turned in a slow circle.

“Texas.”

Darian slowly lowered his weapon and sheathed it. “Then your wish has been granted.” He looked around. “Where is Jace?”

Sam could hear the fear in his voice and felt her own rising. Had something happened to Jace?

“I’m here.” The deep voice came from behind her. She spun around and watched as Jace rose from the field like some mythical god. He swiped at the dust on his pants and squinted into the sun.

Sam was unsure what to do next. Where was the tapestry? Shouldn’t it be taking the men back home to Javara? “So what happens now?”

Jace shook his head. “Unless the tapestry returns we are trapped here.”

Trapped. Not exactly words she wanted to hear. Sam thought about their mother and all the people at Hunter Keep who were dependent on them. What would happen if the brothers never returned home?

“I’m so sorry.” She wanted to reach out to Jace, but he looked so aloof, so hard and unapproachable standing there with his hands on his waist, peering across her fields. “Weren’t you supposed to come with me?” She was a little fuzzy on how the whole tapestry thing worked.

“No.” It was Darian who answered her. “The tapestry has always brought the women to Javara, never the other way around. Not until now.”

Crap, this couldn’t be good. “But it will come back for you in three days, right?”

Jace shrugged. “Maybe a day and a half or a little longer since you weren’t in Javara for quite a day and a half.” He paused and, if possible, his expression grew even grimmer. “Maybe never.”

As bad as she felt for them, she couldn’t help but point out how their situations were similar to the one she’d found herself in. “Now you know how I felt.”

Jace shook his head. “No, you always knew the tapestry would return in three days and bring you home. This is unprecedented. We may never see home again. It is not the same thing.” He turned his back and stared across the dry vista and she knew he was imagining the lush mountain forest around his home.

Well there was nothing to be done about it. She wished they could go back to Javara but only time would tell. In the meantime, she had to get to the house. Sam turned, orienting herself easily enough. She’d walked and ridden her family’s land since she was old enough to walk and knew the way home.

“We should go back to the house.” She reached toward her back pocket only to discover she was wearing the leather pants, tunic and boots they’d given her. There was no sign of her cell phone or jeans. Oh well, she had plenty more jeans and could probably swing a replacement for her phone.

Sam started walking, very aware of the two large, bare-chested men behind her. They said little and she felt their concern deepen with each step they took. It was all too easy for her to imagine Edwina staring out a window, watching for her sons who might never come home.

Crap. She spun on her heel and faced them both. “I’m sorry this happened to you and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you get home.” She started to turn back around, but Darian stopped her. His hands were firm, yet gentle on her shoulders. Both men were very aware of their strength and were always careful to temper it whenever they touched her.

“Thank you, Sam.” Darian grinned, but it was a faint imitation of his usual one. “I will use my time here trying to convince you to return to Javara with us.”

Sam ached for all three of them. If she’d been able to get her hands on the sorceress who created the magic tapestry in the first place, she would have given the woman a piece of her mind. Playing with people’s lives like this was downright cruel. All of them were hurting and there was no way for anyone to win.

She placed a hand on his chest and felt his heart beating heavily against her palm. He was one determined warrior, but she couldn’t give him false hope. “This is my home.”

Darian shook his head. “This is where you live. Home is where the people who love and care for you reside. Where are those people, Sam?”

His simple question cut her to her very core. All her family was dead and she was alone.

“Enough.” Jace’s harsh voice silenced them both. “Sam has made her choice.”

Darian spun around to face his brother. “Actually, you made the choice for her when you called the tapestry into existence. Sam never had the full time to make her decision. There is still time. Until the tapestry returns this is not over.”

Sam’s head pounded, she was hot and thirsty, and wanted to get home. She wasn’t up to getting between the two brothers if they started fighting. Home was only twenty minutes away and the sooner she got there, the better. She started walking again and assumed they’d follow her. For a few moments she heard nothing. Then she heard muttering and the crunch of boots hitting the dry grass.

First thing she had to do after she got a shower and changed was to go over to Tim’s place. He and Mary would be worried about her because she hadn’t shown up for dinner last night.

Her life had changed so much since yesterday morning. Not quite a day and a half, but her life would never be the same. She glanced over her shoulder. Darian was studying the surrounding area. She could have told him there was nothing to worry about, not here. The worst they could run into was a snake and they were most likely seeking out shade this time of day. Jace, on the other hand, was staring straight at her.

Angry pale-blue eyes met her darker-blue ones, but Jace said nothing. Sam swallowed hard and looked away. She might not have known them long, but both brothers meant a great deal to her and the thought of not seeing them again deeply hurt her. But the thought of them being trapped here, of them never seeing their mother or home again hurt her worse.

No, as much as she’d love for them to stay with her, she’d do everything in her power to make sure they got home.

Sam stopped and shaded her eyes when she saw movement in the distance. Just beyond the house there seemed to be a bunch of vehicles, including the sheriff’s truck. “Oh shit.”

Jace and Darian flanked her immediately, both with swords drawn.

“Put those down now.” She shoved Jace’s hand, but she might as well have been pushing against a concrete wall. It didn’t move and the sword remained in front of him, and after seeing him practice, Sam knew that Jace sure knew how to use the lethal weapon.

Sam tried again. “Those men have guns, weapons that can kill you from a distance.” She grabbed Jace’s arm and shook it, or at least tried to. “If they see you holding a four-foot sword they might shoot first and ask questions later. They don’t know you and will most likely assume you’re threatening me.”

She turned to Darian, hoping to reason with him and was relieved to see he’d already lowered his sword. “What do you want us to do?”

Sam released a sigh of relief. “We need to hide your weapons.” Both men looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, but she pushed onward. “No, listen to me. We can come back for them later, but you need to hide them for now. Just until I can get rid of the sheriff.”

Jace slowly lowered his blade. “Who is this sheriff?”

“The law. Because I was missing, Tim probably called him.” She motioned to the vehicles in the distance. “They’re probably getting ready to search for me, thinking something happened.”

Sam grabbed a rock and tried to dig a swallow hole, but the ground was hard and dry. She tossed the rock aside. “Just put them here, we can pile some hay over them. Lose the armbands too.”

She heard a shout in the distance. “Hurry.”

Darian and Jace shared a look and slowly unbuckled their swords and placed them carefully on the ground. They quickly tossed their arm- and wristbands beside them. Sam hurriedly threw some dried grasses over everything all the while praying no one would get nosy enough to find them.

She straightened and wiped her hands against her leather pants. Damn, Tim was bound to notice she wasn’t wearing her usual jeans and T-shirt. Well, it couldn’t be helped. She’d figure out how much to tell him once she got rid of the sheriff and the others.

“We’ll say you’re old buddies of John’s. That you stopped by on your way through Texas to visit.” She knew she was babbling, but they were running out of time to get their stories straight. “We spent last night swapping stories about my brother and lost track of time. Okay?”

Jace narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “This is your world. We will trust you.” He glanced toward the men striding across the field. “But we will protect you if the need arises.”

Sam threw her hands into the air and stalked off. She didn’t want to be anywhere near the hidden swords when she met with Sheriff Pritchard. Tim broke away from the group and hurried toward her.

“Sam.” Tim called her name and she wanted to run to him and feel his strong arms around her. He and Mary were all the family she had left. But she forced herself to walk, trying to appear as normal as possible.

“Hey, Tim. What’s all the commotion?”

Tim grabbed her by the arm and thrust her behind him, leveling the rifle he carried at Jace and Darian. “Where the hell have you been and who the hell are these guys?”

Not a good sign when Tim started swearing. Sam swiped a lock of hair off her forehead. “This is Jace and Darian Hunter. They served with John.” Sam carefully pushed the barrel of Tim’s rifle down until it was facing the ground.

Before Tim could respond, the sheriff and the rest of the group joined them. Her two nearest neighbors were there, along with two deputies and, unfortunately, George Rawlins.

“Told you she wasn’t hurt, Tim.” Sheriff Pritchard holstered his gun as he eyed Jace and Darian’s bare chests. Sam didn’t like the smirk on the sheriff’s face and knew what he was thinking. “In fact, looks to me like she was enjoying herself.” The sheriff chuckled at his own joke, but stopped when both Darian and Jace glared at him.

Sam hurried to stand between the Hunter brothers, praying they wouldn’t do something stupid and land themselves in jail. “This is Sheriff Pritchard.” She turned to the sheriff. “I was just telling Tim that this is Jace and Darian Hunter and they served with John. They were passing through Texas and stopped to pay their respects. We were up late last night talking and I wanted to show them the farm before they left.”

“You weren’t answering your phone,” Tim accused.

“I dropped it out in the field and it smashed on a rock. I need to replace it.” She clamped her mouth shut before she started babbling and said too much. She never talked this much, was usually closed-mouthed about her business. The sheriff was nodding, but Tim was staring at her as though she’d grown two heads.

George stepped forward and reached for her, but she took a step back and brought up solid against Jace’s chest. Jace’s large hands dropped on her shoulders. She wasn’t sure if it was to comfort her or simply to keep her there. Beside them, Darian shifted slightly, bringing him into a better defensive position. Both men were ready to fight if necessary. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

George stopped in his tracks and his eyes narrowed. “Who did you say these men were again?”

Sam had had enough. “That’s none of your damn business, George. I’m a grown woman and can invite whoever I want to stay at my farm.” George’s face grew red, but she ignored him and turned back to the sheriff and her neighbors. “I’m really sorry you were worried and I appreciate you coming out here, but I’m fine.”

Both Seth Cutler and Burt Adams tugged on the brim of their hats. “Glad you’re okay, Sam,” Seth said before turning to the sheriff. “I gotta get back to work. Day’s a wastin’.”

“Thanks for your help.” The sheriff individually thanked the men before they all headed back to their vehicles. Then he turned back to Sam. “You sure you’re okay?” The sheriff eyed the Hunter brothers, giving them the once-over yet again.

Sam forced a smile. “I’m fine. Thank you again for your concern.” She wished they would all just leave so she could figure out what to do next.

The sheriff started to leave, but stopped when he realized George and Tim were still standing there. “You coming, George?”

George gave her his most winning smile, the one that had tricked her months ago when she was grieving. She saw it for the crocodile smile it was now. It did nothing for her. Come to think of it, neither did George. After being with Darian and Jace, she couldn’t even remember what she’d seen in George all those months ago. He was manipulative, greedy and grasping, nothing at all like the very blunt, honest Hunter brothers. She had to have been truly desperate to turn to him in her time of sorrow.

“I’ll call you, Sam.”

She gave George her best fake smile. “I broke my phone, remember? Might be a while before I get a new one.”

Tim’s rather large hand came down heavily on George’s shoulder. “Thanks for the help, George. Appreciate it.”

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.