Page 61 of Montana Silence

Liam turned in my arms. Worry clung to every feature. “I’m nervous too,” I whispered.

“I know I shouldn’t be.” He sighed. “Can’t seem to shake it.”

“They’ll be here soon, and you’ll see. They’re going to love this place as much as I do.”

I felt the breath catch in his chest at the wordlove. He’d come just as close to saying it—or similar—half a dozen times in the last two days.

“I hope so.”

Car doors slammed outside. “You’re about to find out.”

Noah and Kate were the first, Lena and Jude pulling up right behind them. Noah looked at the outside of the house. “Man, this house is great. I had no idea you lived over here. Has this always been your house in Garnet Bend?”

“Not for the first couple of months I was here. But since then.”

The two men shook hands in the way men did when they were already friends but were entering a new domain. They were on Liam’s turf. It wasn’t the only handshake we would see tonight.

Kate held a covered dish and smiled. “Hey.”

I waved hello and took the dish from her hands. Round as it was, I suspected a pie. The women of the ranch had banded together once they’d found out we were doing dinner here. Drinks and dessert were coming with them. We would be overrun with treats.

Lena immediately pulled me into a hug. “If this was your idea, it was a good one.”

“It wasn’t, actually,” I said.

“Well, it’s still a good idea.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jude and Liam shake hands as well. And suddenly there were so many people, I couldn’t keep track of who I’d said hi to. Lucas, Evie, and baby Avery were here, along with Daniel and a very pregnant Emma. And Cori and Grant, freshly back from Ireland.

She glowed, and Grant did too, in his own way. They were back, but they barely took their eyes off each other. Grace and Harlan were last, but they were just as much in awe of the place as everyone else.

Liam’s entire house was a mess of laughter and conversation. The guys teased him a little about how well decorated the place was, but there was no malice in it. Liam’s shoulders were easy, and he relaxed into his element.

“Girl.” Evie pulled Cori away from Grant. “We need to hear about Ireland. Because Idesperatelywant to go.”

“It’s incredible. Everything is beautiful, and I want to go back.” She flushed. “We didn’t sight-see as much as we’d planned.”

Evie laughed, drawing the rest of the women to us. Avery fussed a little, and I reached for her instinctually. With all the intensity and everything happening, I hadn’t seen the baby in a couple of weeks. Every time I saw her, she was so much bigger.

Her pale blond hair was fluffy and soft. I brushed it off her forehead, and she reached up and caught my own hair. “Hi, baby,” I whispered.

She smiled up at me.

“You’re okay, Mara?” Evie asked.

I nodded without taking my eyes off Avery. I was more than okay. Calm and easy.

“Mara,” Liam said, appearing at my side, laughing. “Of all the things we needed, we forgot ice. I’ll go to the store to grab some.”

He stopped, seeing me with Avery in my arms. His gaze flicked from me to the baby and back before he smiled. A strange contradiction of a smile. Joy, but at the same time, his eyes filled with heat, as if seeing me with Avery reminded him of all day yesterday.

And last night.

And hopefully later tonight.

“You look good with a baby in your arms,” he said quietly.

I smiled, my voice not choosing to make itself known. But my stomach flipped. Liam leaned in and kissed my temple. “Thank you for everything.”

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