Page 45 of Montana Silence

“I don’t bring a lot of people here,” he said quietly. “Daniel’s been here once, but the rest of the guys never have. Nor anybody else. I just—” He glanced away from me. “I hope you like it.”

I touched his arm—would have hugged him if he hadn’t had suitcases in both hands. We went through the front door, which was equipped with a code lock. There was also a small black screen, and Liam put down his suitcase just long enough to press his thumb to it.

Liam made me feel safe, regardless, but given what had happened this morning, I was grateful for the extra security.

He gestured for me to go first.

The house was…

It was beautiful.

Dark and shining hardwoods rolled out in front of me, complementing walls of warmer neutrals. I saw a living room that was cozy, with a couch you could sink into and an equally cozy chair that looked big enough for both of us together.

Shelves full of books graced the walls, and there was art too. I wandered into the kitchen and found it open and friendly, with enough equipment on the counters to tell me Liam cooked regularly.

The house waswarm. Lived-in. A stack of mail sat on the counter, and a cup was by the sink. Pictures sat on the shelves with the books, and a soft blanket was slung over the back of the couch.

This was a home.

Not of the Liam everyone knew at the ranch, the quirky jokester who made everyone laugh.

This was the home of Liam the man. The person who saw me for who I was and wasn’t daunted by everything that held me in its fist. The man who had taken a beating for me and held my hair back while I threw up.

Behind me, the front door shut softly, and I realized he’d hung back and waited for me to come in and see it. He was nervous. I’d never seen him act like this. This was important to him.

Liam leaned against the front door, and I walked all the way back until my body was pressed against his. My voice had mostly disappeared, but I would find it for this. When we were alone, it was always easier.

“Were you afraid to show me your home?”

He blew out a breath. “Yes.”

“Why?” I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head on his chest. “It’s beautiful. Warm. Comfortable.”

Liam’s arms came around me so quick and tight, I lost my breath. “Thank you.”

“I want to know why,” I said. “Did you think I wouldn’t like it?”

“It’s not that…” He tugged me into the living room and sat in the overstuffed chair, pulling me down to sit across his lap. “Home is a difficult concept for me to begin with. I’m very protective of it.”

The last of the Montana light shone through the windows, and in the orange glow, he was so handsome I wanted to take a picture. Savor this moment, because it felt likemorethan words we were speaking. “Does it have something to do with you running away?”

“Yes and no,” he admitted. “I told you my family came and found me. What I didn’t mention was that it was my foster family.”

I said nothing, waiting for him to continue. He’d briefly mentioned being a foster child when he’d held me at the wedding.

“My parents left me when I was a baby. I never knew them, and I still don’t know why, or if anything happened to them. So I grew up in the system. Nowhere permanent.

“It was one of the reasons I joined NROTC and the Navy. The idea of a team who would always have your back? I never had that, and it was everything I ever wanted.”

“That does sound nice.”

“While I was in the NROTC, right before I went to BUD/S, I met someone. Her name was Jenny.”

I looked inside myself for some sign of jealousy and found nothing. This was clearly his past, and nothing to do with us.

“We fell in love hard and fast, and a few months later, we were married.”

“I didn’t know you were married.” Shock colored my tone even though I tried to keep it steady.

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