Page 33 of Montana Silence

“Okay,” I said, taking her hand. “Let’s grab the bags and the car. We can either do room service at the hotel or some kind of delivery. If you want to go out, I’m game.”

She shook her head once, as I expected, and squeezed my hand. The whole flight, she’d leaned her head on my shoulder, and I fought both the physical reaction of my body and a smile so wide it made my face hurt.

Here, outside of the ranch and Montana, I was on high alert. My mind reverted to my military days. I was in full protective mode and doing my best not to show it. Jude and Daniel agreed I needed to be on the lookout.

Given the package Mara had received, and Malcolm Novic’s spotless record, there was a good chance that someone was working for him on either the outside or the inside. Or both. If they were watching, I wanted to know. Allowing Mara to be in danger was not an option.

Our bags came off the carousel, and I grabbed a cart for them before heading to the car rental. It would be weird not driving a truck for the first time in years. It was also strange to be in a place that was so dry and so hot.

Montana could be hell in the summer, but it had nothing on this place.

Our hotel wasn’t far from the courthouse where the hearing would take place. But far enough it allowed for some breathing room. The rooms I’d reserved were adjoining. I wasn’t about to assume Mara wanted to share a room with me, but I didn’t want us far apart. Just in case.

“Home sweet home.” I pushed open the door to her room. “Let me go open mine, and we can open the center door.”

She didn’t protest, setting her bag next to the bed.

Right now? No response was a good response.

I tossed my suitcase on my bed and opened the door between our rooms and knocked on the one that led to hers. She opened it, and when I saw her face, it hit me in the gut.

Mara looked so sad and so unsure. She wanted to be here, and at the same time, she wanted to be absolutely anywhere else.

I opened my arms, and she stepped into them, burying her face in my chest. The satisfaction of knowing she felt safe enough with me was impossible to ignore. I would never take it for granted.

“How are you doing?” I asked quietly. “If you don’t want to talk, tap twice, and I’ll give you options.”

Her fingers tapped twice gently on my back.

“All right. If one is the worst you’ve ever felt in your life, and ten is the best, where are you now?”

She pulled away and flashed me four fingers. Then five. Then four again. So not the best, not the worst.

It was later in the evening, because there were rarely good flight options to anywhere from Montana. “What would you like to do? I can grab us food, and we can see if there’s a movie or something on TV. We can get food, and I can leave you alone to sleep. Anything you want.”

Stepping up on her toes, she pressed her lips to my ear so I could hear her breathy whispers. “Food. Shower. Movie.”

“We can do that. Do you have a preference for food?”

A headshake.

“Okay.” I kissed her forehead. “Do what you need to do. I’ll take care of it.”

Before retreating, I glanced at the inside of her door. The bolts were locked. Good.

The doors between the rooms stayed open, but only a sliver so she could have some privacy. True to form, plenty of takeout brochures and a list of delivery places were in one of the drawers. I started to look through them while I called Daniel.

“You guys are there?”

“Yeah, we’re in the hotel. Sorry, wanted to get Mara settled first.”

Daniel’s tone was careful. “How’s she holding up?”

“As good as can be expected. Anything we should know?”

“No, you’re in the clear. Nothing’s changed. But be careful anyway.”

“Always.” I spread out the list of restaurants. “Let me know if anything changes.”

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