Page 65 of Chasing Liberty

“Wyler…” his name fell off her parted lips.

As if he understood the desperation in her tone, he pulled the lace edge of her bra lower. The cooler air of the night brushed across her erect nipple. His mouth covered the bud, sucking until she couldn’t control the whimpers.

He dipped his hand inside her jeans, running his fingers across her damp slit, finding her clit through her panties. She clamped her mouth on his shoulder to keep from crying out.

“Let’s go home,” he said next to her ear.

“And where is home?”

“Wherever you are, my love.”

Chapter Nineteen

Two months later.

“There must be a mistake,” Liberty said to Marty Moon. She reached in through the slats of the trailer to nuzzle Storm’s nose.

“No mistake, Liberty. Wyler dropped off the check this morning and I told him I’d return Storm.” He opened the trailer then paused “Are you not wanting the horse back?”

“Yes, I want him back.” She couldn’t believe what her husband had done for her.

“I’ll unload him and place him in the pasture for you.”

“Thanks, Marty” Her cell rang and she answered it. “Wyler, I just got your gift. How did you manage this?” It was the greatest gift she’d ever received, outside of the news she’d got that morning. She was pregnant again and planned to tell Wyler over a romantic dinner when he arrived back from the auction. “You didn’t take a loan out, did you?”

“I didn’t take out a loan. I sold my father’s property.”

“You said you didn’t want anything, not even the money, from the land that he left you.” She squeezed the phone tighter.

“I didn’t until now. I figure it was time because I’d never live there. As far as I see it, the money was spent on something good.”

“I love you. Thank you.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she hurried to blink them away as she returned Marty’s waveas he climbed into his truck to drive away. “When will you be home? I have a surprise for you too.”

“I’m finishing up. I should be headed back in an hour.”

They hung up and Liberty visited Storm a bit before she left Sagebrush Rose to go back to the cabin. She and Wyler were living there and were very happy. After the hands were moved back into the bunkhouse, Liberty decided she didn’t want to return to the Manor. She felt a peace in the cabin, that Wyler had named ‘Liberty Bliss’.

Maybe eventually they’d build a home at Willow Wild or Crescent Rose, but right now she loved where they were. Life had certainly come full circle. Love made everything more colorful.

She didn’t know it was possible to be so happy.

At the cabin, she showered, pulled on shorts and blouse and went to the kitchen to start dinner. As she was chopping vegetables, she munched on a carrot and turned up the radio to one of her favorite songs.

Something caught her attention. The back door was left ajar.

She stepped over to shut it then looked out onto the back yard that led down to the water. Nothing seemed amiss.

“Dinner smells delicious. Too bad you won’t be here to eat it.”

Liberty dropped the rest of the carrot onto the floor.

She spun around, terrified. Standing in the threshold between the kitchen and hallway was Lacey.

“What are you doing here?” Fear trailed its icy fingers down Liberty’s spine.

“You didn’t really think this was over, did you?” Lacey appeared frail. Her cheeks were thin, her clothes hung off her, and she was shaking. And in her hand, she had a gun aimed at Liberty.

“You got the money. We made a deal.”

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