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.”
“I thought you’d had your time to yourself. Or your time with Tory. You’re with her again, aren’t you?”
“What do you care?” Too late Liam realized he’d let his voice rise. He heard Tory rousing behind him.
“I don’t. I’m glad, actually. As long as you’re not having time alone with a bottle.”
Liam fought down his anger. Noah’s accusation hit a little too close to the mark. “If you need help with chores, just say so.”
“I need you back at the ranch, but not for chores. It’s Mom.”
Liam sighed. “Thought you said you could handle her.”
“Well, now she’s saying you secretly want to sell, too.”
Liam bolted up, now fully awake. “What the hell?”
“She says you wouldn’t run off like this if you loved the Flying W so much. I told her it was a one-time thing, and then you did it again.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know, and I told her so, but she says of course I’d say that. That it’s only me who wants to stay, and I tell everyone else what to think because I’m the oldest.”
Liam let out a bark of laughter. “Like I’d let you tell me what to think.” He cleared his throat. “No offense.”
“None taken. Now get back here and say that to Mom.”
When he hung up, Liam found Tory awake and getting dressed. “Trouble on the home front?” she asked.
“Mom again,” Liam said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about her. Why can’t she let us live in Chance Creek in peace?”
“Maybe you can’t live here in peace. I’m not saying she’s right to try and force you to sell your ranch,” Tory was quick to add. “I keep thinking about Leslie and the hospital, though. When it closes, some people won’t have a choice about whether to stay.”
“We’ll find a way,” Liam said fiercely. But he was thinking of Jed, who also needed regular medical care. As much of a pain as his great-uncle could be, Liam and his siblings would never abandon him. If he had to relocate to Billings or Bozeman, someone would have to move there to look after him, and the ranch was lacking hands as it was.
“If you want to prove your mother wrong, I guess you’re going to have to save the hospital,” Tory said, yawning and stretching. “Which means saving the dialysis unit first.”
Liam frowned, thinking of Jed and his obsession over the Founder’s Prize. “You’re right,” he said slowly. Tory blinked at him in surprise. “I’m going to save the dialysis unit,” he explained. “And my mother is going to help.”
Tory’s phone buzzed as she digested what he’d said, and distracted, she took the call, even though it was from her mother.
“Time for you to come home.”
“Why?” Tory asked. She hadn’t spoken to Enid since their fight and braced for another lecture.
“I’m serving brunch.”
Since when was Enid domestic? Unbidden, a memory came to her. Family meals when she and her siblings were young had been boisterous—and happy—affairs.
That was long ago, though.
“Bring Liam. Hurry up so we’re not all waiting for you.”
“Liam?”
Liam looked up at her, and Tory shook her head. How did Enid know about Liam?
“He needs to hear what I have to say, too.” Enid hung up.
“What was that?” Liam asked.
“Mom wants us to get home for brunch.”
“Me, too?”
Tory nodded. “We don’t have to go.”
He considered her for a moment. “We should,” he said. “Maybe this will be a chance to sell your family on getting Thorn Hill certified, too.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Sounded like Mom has her own topic of conversation planned.” Tory hated to even speculate what that might be.
“All the more reason we should be there.” Liam rose and started packing up their camping gear. “Our mothers are two of a kind, and you can’t let people like that get too far ahead of you. Whatever she’s got to say, let’s hear it and face it head on—together.”
Chapter Seven
Liam took a seat next to Tory at the Coopers’ breakfast table. Noah sat on his other side. Olivia, Maya and Lance took their seats, all of them looking like they’d like to be anywhere else. Liam was surprised when Steel dropped into a chair across the table. He hardly ever saw the man around and hadn’t expected him to show up for brunch.
Thorn Hill was different from the Flying W in ways it took Liam a moment to grasp. Fewer photos on the walls, older fixtures and appliances, although the Flying W’s were hardly up-to-date, either, and an overall sense
