by Cora Seton
When he reached the circular turnout in front of the Coopers’ brick house, however, Tory was the only one in sight. She looked like she was headed for her vehicle, still dressed in the same outfit she’d worn since the wedding, but when she spotted him, she stopped and raised a hand to block the glare.
“Liam? What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you. Got a minute?”
She looked back at the house, shrugged and nodded. “Sure. But not here.”
“Hop in.”
He got the feeling she wanted to get out of there before someone else stopped her, so the minute she had taken her seat, he turned the truck around toward the highway again.
“Where to?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t care, either. Just… get me out of here.”
Liam thought a moment, made a turn and kept going. “How about I just drive?”
“Sounds good.” Tory lapsed into silence, and for the time being, Liam kept his eyes on the road except for an occasional glance her way. He couldn’t decide whether she was angry, or sad, or just pushed beyond what she could bear. He could sympathize with all those feelings.
He gave her time to settle down until she sighed and he figured she was ready to talk. “What happened back there?”
“My mom’s a lawyer,” she said baldly. “And a liar,” she added. “One hell of a liar.”
There was a world of hurt in those sentences. Liam guessed he knew why that was. “She achieved your dream.”
“Without telling me. Without even so much as mentioning it. Who does that?”
He didn’t point out she’d kept her own schooling a secret.
“I know,” Tory burst out, as if he’d spoken his thoughts aloud. “It’s as much as I deserve, isn’t it, feeling so smug that I got my bachelor’s degree on my own. She did me one better.”
“Only because she had more time.” Liam turned onto a long winding road that traced the back side of Chance Creek county. “Maybe you have more in common with her than you think.”
Tory made a sound like a wild animal caught in a trap. “I’m nothing like her. I would never cheat—” She bit off the end of her sentence and looked at her hands.
“I know about her and my dad,” he said softly.
“I’m sorry. She tried to pretend she didn’t know what I was talking about. That’s almost worse.”
“I suppose my dad is as much to blame as your mom is.” Stella was the one who’d told him about William and Enid back when they were teenagers, and he’d harbored a lot of anger for a long time, but he and Lance had talked about the incident a few weeks ago—in the middle of the history society’s Revolutionary War reenactment, actually—and now Liam found it hard to care.
All of them had suffered too long because of the behavior of their parents—Turners and Coopers both.
“You’re right, you’re not like your mom at all,” Liam went on softly. “If someone needed you—now—you’d show up for them, wouldn’t you?” He could tell she was thinking of running—as far and as fast as she could. He wanted her to stay.
“Are you thinking of someone specifically?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
“Me,” he said succinctly. “I’m going to get the Flying W certified organic if it kills me, but the paperwork—you wouldn’t believe how much there is. It might just do me in. I wondered… if you’d help me go through it. Make sure I’m not missing something. It’s just preliminary stuff, but it’s important.”
He could see her struggling to pull out of the argument she was still having with her mother in her mind and consider his proposition.
“I could try. But, Liam, I don’t know how long I’ll—”
“I know. You’re not sure you’re staying. But you won’t leave before Thursday, right? I mean, you’re supposed to start school in the fall. Your mom won’t be here forever. Don’t let her ruin this for you.”
After a long moment, she nodded. “You’re right. I’ve come this far, and I’m not going to let her screw it all up. I’ll just keep my distance until she’s safely back in New Mexico.”
“Good. Can we start tomorrow? You can come to the Flying W. We’ll work in my office. No one will bother us.” He’d lock the barn door if he had to.
“Okay.”
When he reached out and took her hand, she didn’t pull away.
Things weren’t all bad, Liam decided.
If only they could buy their own ranch and leave both their families behind, Tory thought, and then bit back a laugh at herself. Since when did she want to be a ranch wife?
She was going back to city living just as soon as she graduated. She’d have to take the bar exam in the state where she meant to practice.
Which definitely wasn’t going to be Montana.
The idea of helping Liam with his paperwork intrigued her, though. Unlike most people she knew, fine print fascinated Tory. She knew the power of words, the way they could bind in good ways and bad. She liked the idea of being the bridge between people and documents, sorting out the truth when relationships broke down.
She thought she’d concentrate in business law. There’d always be work for her in that area, and the possibilities for growth seemed endless.
“Is the Hunts’ lodge okay?” she asked, remembering Liam would know.
“Mark and his crew put out the fire before it even came close. Good thing they were able to respond so quickly,” Liam said. “I told him about Rod. He said he’d investigate. Can’t tell you how happy I was they saved the place. I hate the thought of an arsonist loose in this kind of drought.”
Tory shivered. “Me, too.”
“Sorry I had to let slip about you being there. Mark kept asking me about our campfire. Hinting maybe I set the blaze.”
“He didn’t!”
“It’s his job.”
“I’ll back you up.” Tory hated the idea of Liam being a suspect. She knew all too well what it felt like to be judged guilty of crimes she didn’t commit—simply because of who her father was.
“Mark said he’d call the Hunts. Tell them it is time to come home and look out for their property. I wonder if they will.”
“They’ll probably sell,” Tory said before she remembered what Megan had said earlier. “Although I hear it’s hard to sell property in Silver Falls.”
“That town is in trouble,” Liam affirmed. “Have you heard about all the houses gone empty in the hills? People just giving up, packing their things and running out on their mortgages?”
“Yes.”
“I worry. If the hospital closes, will more things close in Chance Creek? Will people walk away like that?”
She didn’t know. She thought about what her mother had said about Leslie. How she’d always wanted to be independent, and now she was handling dialysis alone.
Would something like that happen to her someday, or would she be able to create a community for herself when she settled in a city and began to practice law? Somehow she had never quite managed that in Seattle.
“I think our property values will hold steady, but costs might rise, and that’s just as bad. Tell me more about the organic certification process,” Tory said, needing to distract both of them. When he squeezed her hand, she squeezed his back. They’d make good business partners, she decided, even if they couldn’t be anything else.
“Should I take you somewhere to grab a bite?”
“Can’t you keep me away from home longer than that?”
A grin spread over Liam’s face. “As a matter of fact, I can,” he said. “I’ve still got all my camping gear in the back. We can make a quick stop at the grocery store.”
“I’m not sure I want to go back to Runaway Lake,” she told him. “I need clothes, too. I can’t keep wearing this same dress.”
“I like that dress, but I don’t want to go back to Runaway Lake, either. How about we try Hatten Pond instead? With a trip to a store first.”
“Hatten Pond is an hour away, isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds perfect. But let’s stop at Willows on the way.”
Chapter Six
“When did you decide to get the Flying W certified organic?” Tory asked when they exited Willows. She was dressed in jean shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops and looked far more comfortable than when they’d gone in. She held a bag with several other changes of clothing in one hand, the dress she’d worn to the wedding in her other one. Tory put her bags in the back of the truck, and she and Liam climbed in.
“I had the idea after Dad died and I took over with my siblings,” Liam said as he drove to the grocery store, where they needed to stop next. “About the time the rest of your family came back to town, actually.” He remembered how mad he’d been at the Coopers for having the nerve to show their faces in Chance Creek again. How could he have known it would lead to this?
“How come it took you three years to do anything about it?” Tory asked.
Liam shook his head. “Wasn’t sure I could do it. I guess for a while I was afraid to try. I did a lot of reading. Hung out on forums asking questions. Finally decided not to put it off any longer.”
“I think it’s great.”
“I didn’t even tell my own family until recently,” he admitted. “Could have picked a better time, though. This drought isn’t making things easy.”
Tory nodded. “Seems everyone’s having trouble. Why didn’t you tell Noah and the others from the beginning? Seems like they mostly let you do what you want with the place.”
Liam was quiet as he pulled up in front of the grocery store, wishing he didn’t have to answer that. There were some things he wasn’t even comfortable admitting to himself.
“You remember I played football in high school?” he asked when they were inside the store.
“That rings a bell. You were on the team with Lance, right?”
He nodded. “It was my life back then. I loved the challenge. Loved that I could leave everything I had on the field and the other guys would do the same and let the best man win. If I lost, it was okay, because each game was a chance to try again.”
Tory tossed a pack of hot dogs into the cart Liam was pushing. “I think I get that. I was never into sports, but I did debate club in college like all the other aspiring law students. No matter how complicated the rest of your life gets, there’s one place where you always have the chance for a win. I guess it’s why people get hooked on video games.”
“Did you ever go to tournaments?”
“Not any big ones. I couldn’t take that much time off work.”
Liam chuckled. “That’s probably why you still remember it fondly. I didn’t mind losing a game when I could try again the next time. When I got my team to the playoffs, everything changed. Suddenly if I screwed up once, none of my other wins counted anymore. It started to wear on me. I made some bad choices.”
“You guys won in the end, though. I remember how excited Lance was,” she said.
“Lance won. I didn’t. I got kicked off the team,” he added when she frowned in confusion. “I was drinking… a lot.”
A change came over her. “We were drinking the other day. I didn’t help you fall of the wagon, did I? You should have told me you were sober.”
He was already shaking his head. “I was able to stop drinking too much the minute I was off the team. I’ve never had the urge to overdo it again—until recently.” He couldn’t believe he was admitting this.
Tory’s eyes lit up in understanding, and she reached out to touch his arm. “Because of the certification process? One mistake, and you’ll lose years of hard work. I still don’t get why you would keep it a secret. Isn’t that all the more reason to get support from your family as you move forward?”
Liam watched her reach into the cart, pick up the twelve-pack he’d dropped into it moments before, march down the aisle and put it back. “What if they didn’t support me? What if they told me I’d fail?”
“Then they’re not worth your time.”
Liam’s mood had dipped after their conversation in the grocery store, but he seemed to cheer up on the drive to Hatten Pond. Though she was eager for deeper insight into what made Liam tick, Tory turned the conversation to lighter things. By the time they reached the campsite, they were smiling and joking again.
“I like this,” Liam said later that evening when they’d pitched a tent, gone for a swim, started a fire and eaten a picnic dinner. “Driving off with you. Camping with you. Being outside—under the stars. I could get used to it.”
“Don’t get too used to it,” Tory said sleepily. “Three years from now I’ll be back in Seattle, and it’ll be all gray skies, rain and concrete.”
It took a minute to realize Liam had gone quiet. Tory, who was resting on her back, her arms crossed under her head, turned to find him staring into the darkness.
“You’re going back to Seattle?” he asked finally.
“Of course. Can’t be a lawyer in Chance Creek.” He had to have realized that.
“I know a couple of lawyers in Chance Creek.”
“Exactly. Town this size needs exactly two lawyers, and they already exist. Besides, I plan to study business law. I want to work for an international company. That’s where the real action is.”
Liam made a noise she couldn’t decipher.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
“That means you’re like my mom, aren’t you? Always need more. More excitement. More money.”
“I didn’t say anything about money—”
“Isn’t that what this is all about? I’ve been listening to you. You hated not belonging in Chance Creek when you were young. Didn’t like how people looked down on your family. You’ve got something to prove—you want to be a big shot. A rich big shot.”
Wide awake now, Tory sat up. Was he lashing out because he really thought she was that kind of person or because he was hurt she still meant to leave town? “I’m not trying to be a—”
“Then stay right here—with me. Damn it, Tory, I don’t want to lose you,” he said, confirming her suspicion. It didn’t excuse the way he’d talked to her, but when Liam sat up, too, leaned forward and kissed her, his touch electrified her, despite his words. Tory found herself clinging to him, off-balance in this awkward position. When he gently moved forward and bowled her over, tipping her back onto the dirt, she didn’t fight him, and when he lowered himself down on top of her, gathering her close beneath him and kissing her thoroughly, she wrapped her arms around him, wanting him to stay just like this.
Liam wanted her here. Didn’t want to listen to her talk about moving away. He must like her a lot.
She liked him, too.
She couldn’t say who moved first—whose fingers found the buttons of her blouse and undid them. Whose feet kicked off their boots. Soon she found herself tangled up with Liam, half-undressed, bra off, jeans down, fighting to get even closer.
“I want you,” Liam whispered against her flushed skin, and Tory’s pulse leaped.
“I want you, too.” She couldn’t lie about that. When he tugged her shirt up and over her head, she helped peel it off, and when his hands found her breasts, she sighed with relief.
She pulled his T-shirt up and out of the waistband of his jeans, and together they struggled until it was off. It was a matter of moments to shuck off their jeans, arrange their clothes beneath Tory and resume their kisses.
Every touch and caress teased the desire inside her until she was blazing with it. Tory hadn’t realized how much she’d been holding back. She craved Liam—and now he was close she couldn’t stop until she got everything.
“I want you in me,” she said.
Liam stilled. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Protection.”
“I’m good. Now, Liam.”
She opened to him. Wrapped her legs around his waist. Lifted her hips and nudged against him, far too hungry for him to pretend otherwise.
When Liam pushed inside her, slowly at first but then faster as the sensation overtook him, Tory let out a breath. God, this was what she’d been waiting for—what she’d known would happen between them since the first time they danced.
Joining with Liam was like coming home, and for a moment they stayed like that, together—
And then Liam stroked back out and in again.
Tory had never felt so good. It was as if every nerve in her body had multiplied. His touches revved her up. The friction between them had her panting. She wanted so much more. Wanted it to last forever and come to its conclusion all at the same time.
She arched back and let Liam explore her nipples with his tongue. She couldn’t hold back. Couldn’t make this last as long as she wanted it to.
“Liam—”
He didn’t slow down. Tory clung to him, riding his thrusts, begging him in soft sobs.
“Liam—”
When she couldn’t restrain herself any longer, she tilted her head back and cried out with the force of her orgasm. Liam joined her quickly, his masculine sounds twining with her cries until both of them lay back, spent and exhausted.
“Tory—”
Tory kissed his neck, under his chin and found his mouth with hers. She had to let him know she wasn’t nearly done.
He seemed to get the message.
Their next round of lovemaking was far slower and took so long the stars had altered their course in the sky above their heads when they found a sleeping bag and spread it out afterward.
“I don’t want you to leave,” Liam said again.
“It’s just—I don’t know if I can stay.”
Liam groaned when his ringtone woke him from his sleep. Hatten Pond was nice enough, but its reliable cell service was a black mark against it.
“What?” he growled when he’d rolled away from Tory’s warm body and found his phone in the pocket of his discarded jeans.
“Where are you now?” Noah demanded.
“You said you’d understand if I needed some time to myself.”