Page 54 of Montana Silence

“Would you hate me if I said I would prefer you weren’t alone?”

I froze, fear suddenly running down my spine. “Do you think they’ll come here? Is the ranch not safe?”

“The ranchissafe,” Liam said. “It is. And I don’t know if there’s danger. That’s what makes me nervous.”

Smiling, I grabbed some shampoo and washed my hair. Someone worrying about me like that shouldn’t make me smile, but it did. “You’re sure Daniel is fine with it?”

“Yes.” His tone held no room for argument.

I blew out a breath. Until he mentioned it, I hadn’t noticed. Not being alone eased my nerves. “I can hang out at Deja Brew,” I said. “Or I can come with you. I can even stay here. Unless you don’t want me here alone.”

Liam chuckled. “I have nothing to hide, and I don’t care. It might be a while, though. You sure you want to be here by yourself?”

No. I didn’t actually want that. “Take me to Lena’s, please.”

“Will do.”

Showering with him, drying off with him, and getting dressed with him felt domestic in a way I didn’t dare to love. It was so easy to love things that could get taken away in a heartbeat.

I stopped.

That was a thought I needed to address. I shouldn’t sabotage something before it started.

Liam helped me into the truck, and his hands felt different on me now. Brand-new awareness of every touch, because he’d beeninsideme now. I’d come for him, and he’d seen all of me.

I wanted to pull him back into the house and not let him go. Now, my mind was open to the possibilities, and I wanted to explore them. But we both needed to know if Jude had found anything, and I needed a mental break. Daniel was gracious in letting me off the hook for work. This once, I would take advantage.

“I’m sorry people know about us before you were ready,” Liam said.

I slid across the seat of his truck and leaned against him. His arm came around my waist, holding me in place. We were driving slowly through town, or I already knew he would ask me to buckle up again. But Deja Brew was only a few blocks away now.

“They were always going to know.”

“Still doesn’t mean you were ready for it.”

Smiling, I turned my face into his shoulder. “Once Lena and Evie see me getting out of your truck, it’s all over.”

“Selfishly, I’m glad. Because I don’t know if I could leave without kissing you.”

“Good.”

He squeezed my hip. “I was thinking about something. Kind of along the same lines, but I wanted to ask you first.”

I put my hand over his and tapped twice.

“All this time, I’ve been nervous about letting people see my home. I’m not sure whether it was self-preservation or worry about not living up to who they think I am. But your reaction made me realize I’ve been hiding.”

Another two taps. “I love your house.”

“I thought I’d ask the guys if we could have family dinner at my house. It could be a lot. Especially if people know about us. Which is why I’m asking you first.”

We pulled over in front of Deja Brew, and he turned off the truck. It was nerve-racking to know we would be watched at a get-together like that. But we would be watched anyway, no matter if we were at the ranch or Liam’s house. “You don’t need my permission,” I said quietly.

“No, but I want it. Because I want you to stay, Mara. I’m not ready to let you go yet.”

I hid my smile in the sleeve of his shirt, because I hoped he’d say exactly that. Thinking about going back to my house alone like I had all these years? It no longer held any appeal. My little cabin was my sanctuary, and I loved it. But it was also lonely. “Yes, please. To both.”

Liam opened the truck door and jumped to the ground before turning and lifting me out then kissing me.

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