Mountain Men of Liberty (Complete Box Set)

by K. C. Crowne

“What do you mean?”

  “She’s just so… happy.”

  “Isn’t she always happy?”

  “Well, yes and no. She’s just usually more stressed and irritated and rarely took time for herself. It was all work and no play for the longest time. She threw herself into work after the breakup.”

  Leah hadn’t talked about her ex too much, but I knew from Grant that he’d cheated on her. I knew from experience that when you’re hurt by someone you love - or you lose them - it can be hard to move past that and get close to people.

  I was still struggling with this myself, but Leah made it easier.

  Leah and Piper walked into the fitness room cooing over Matilda. When Piper stepped into the room, she looked around. “So what am I looking at again?”

  “Your new daycare!” Leah exclaimed. “I mean, the future home of Little Cubs, once we finish getting it ready.”

  Piper’s jaw nearly hit the floor, and her eyes were as wide as saucers. She turned to Leah. “No way. Really? Are you serious? I couldn’t possibly— Oh my God, thank you!”

  Tears welled in both their eyes, and they embraced - careful not to squeeze Matilda between them. I hurried over and offered to take the baby off their hands so they could hug fully. Once Matilda was in my arms, the two women were literally jumping up and down and walking around the room, talking in excited voices about what they wanted to do.

  “And over here, you can have a small kitchen with a sink, a refrigerator, everything you need,” Lean said, pointing to the wall with the kitchen hookups. “You have two rooms, just like at Little Cubs, and we can make you a little lobby area.”

  “I don’t know how I can afford all this—”

  “You don’t have to,” I spoke up.

  “What do you mean?” Piper looked at me, then back at Leah.

  “Surprise again! We’re going to hold a charity auction, with all proceeds going to the repairs and getting it set up the way you like. You’ll be able to turn this space into whatever you want to make it, and Grant has already agreed to do the work for free.”

  “Me too,” I added. I hadn’t agreed yet, but no one had asked. I was more than willing to put in the work to help Little Cubs get up and running again.

  Piper looked at all of us with her wide, brown eyes, and she burst into tears. Leah hugged her and held her tightly, and I realized that as much as I’d fought to not be part of this community, I was glad to be part of it now.

  People in Liberty did care about each other. They helped one another. It was a beautiful thing, and I wanted to contribute to that. No developers were going to come in and destroy the lives and dreams of the hard-working people who’ve lived here their entire lives. I wasn’t going to allow it.

  Leah and I shared a look, and I knew she would fight this battle with me. Well, she’d already started the battle herself, so technically I’d be joining her.

  “You guys, I don’t know what to say. It’s too much,” Piper said, her voice cracking.

  “You deserve it, sweetie, and the town needs you,” Leah said. “We all need you.”

  As if to chime in, Matilda let out a small gurgling sound. “Even Matilda needs you,” I added. “The children of this town deserve someone they can trust to watch over them.”

  Piper laughed and wiped at her eyes. Leah walked over to my side and joined me, linking arms with.

  Matilda’s happy gurgling turned to fussing, and I got a whiff of a fresh diaper. I didn’t even have to check and see. I excused myself, running out to my truck for her diaper bag. As I closed the truck door, I caught sight of a familiar face across the parking lot. When he caught me staring, he snuck behind a nearby car. My heart raced.

  I hurried back inside and pulled Grant aside, not wanting to worry Leah or Piper. “Wade is outside lurking in the parking lot.”

  “I’ll call Teddy,” he said, reaching for his phone. “Keep the girls in here.”

  I nodded. Leah walked to me with a weird look on her face. “What’s going on? You two are over here whispering and looking worried.”

  “I saw Wade outside,” I murmured. “No big deal, though, we’re going to call Teddy. I’m sure he can handle it.”

  Leah groaned. “What a dick. I filed for a restraining order. I thought that would be good enough, but apparently not.”

  “Well, good thing you got the restraining order. It’ll give Teddy a reason to haul his ass away.”

  Piper joined us, and we were no longer all smiles and laughter. I hated that Wade could ruin such a perfect moment for everyone. I still needed to change Matilda’s diaper, so I slipped away again, letting Grant handle things. When I came back, Grant was telling the women that Teddy was on the way. Everyone was relieved, but there was still a darkness looming over everyone. This guy was clearly not right in the head, and he couldn’t take a hint.

  When Teddy arrived, he came inside while two of his deputies searched the grounds. He didn’t look happy.

  “You sure you saw him?”

  “Yeah, positive,” I said. “He was out by the cars in the parking lot. Ducked behind one when he caught me looking at him.”

  As Teddy questioned me, Leah took Matilda, singing her a sweet little song. She seemed happier holding the baby; it seemed to distract her. Piper too. The two of them were smiling again, and I felt like all was right in the world.

  Teddy sighed and rubbed his temples. “We’d been watching him, but he managed to check out of the hotel and evaded us somehow. I thought he’d skipped town. That would have been the smarter thing to do in a town the size of Liberty.”

  His police radio buzzed, and a male’s voice spoke on the other end. “No sign of anyone,” the man said. “We’ve searched the entire property.”

  Damn. He must have slipped away after he was caught. I’d had Matilda at the time, so I couldn’t have done much. Had I been alone, we might both be behind bars right now, so maybe it was a good thing I’d had the baby with me.

  “We’ll keep some of our guys around here, just in case he comes back,” Teddy said. “In the meantime, Leah, I’d not go anywhere alone.”

  “Trust me, I’ve already been on house arrest for days now.”

  Teddy didn’t seem to appreciate the joke, especially at a time like this. The poor guy looked exhausted, like he wasn’t sleeping much. But he nodded and said, “Good. Stay with someone at all times, preferably one of these big guys.”

  She looked over at me with her big, brown eyes.

  “She’ll be staying with me,” I said. “At least until Wade is in jail or gets the hint he’s no longer welcome around here.”

  Leah smiled, and I knew she had no problem with this arrangement. With everything going on, with the fires and everything else, I preferred to keep her close by. If Wade thought he could hurt her, or either of my girls, he had another think coming.

  Mess with my truck, fine. I can get over that. But mess with someone I care about, and you will regret it.

  Ooo000ooo

  “Ooh, look at her lift her little head up,” Leah cooed. “She’s so strong and already growing up on us.”

  Matilda wasn’t even a month old, but it felt like she was growing up quickly. Every day, there was something new - a new sound, a smile, movement she hadn’t done before.

  We were at my house, in the living room, giving Matilda some tummy time. She couldn’t lift her head much, but she was trying - and when she did, she seemed to be looking right at us.

  “Such a good girl, Tilly,” Leah continued to speak softly. “You’re getting so big.”

  “Tilly?” I laughed.

  “Yeah, short for Matilda. Or would you prefer Maddy? Or no nicknames at all, I mean, she’s your kid—”

  “No, Tilly is fine, I’d just never thought about it before.”

  There was a lot I hadn’t thought about before, but a nickname was the last thing on my mind. Her name was Matilda, so I called her that. But Tilly had a nice ring to it too.

  “Thank you for all the hel
p today,” Leah said, dangling a rattle in front of Matilda’s face. Leah helped her place her little fingers around the base, holding it with her and helping her shake it.

  “Oh, it’s nothing, I want to help Piper too. Besides, it’s mostly you and Grant who are helping her. I’m just doing a little work.”

  I smiled as Matilda seemed to be amazed at the toy in her hand. Her eyes were wide and she just stared at it like it was the greatest thing she’d ever seen. She was so little and young, perhaps it was, but there was so much more she would experience in her life. This was only the beginning.

  “A little work? You did so much today, Kellen,” she said.

  Matilda had seemingly grown bored with the rattle, and her little neck muscles weren’t strong enough to keep holding it up yet. She relaxed on her belly, her arms and legs wiggling a bit.

  “It’s nothing, really,” I said. “Besides, this is my home now.”

  Leah scooted closer to me, both of us still facing the baby. Placing her hand on my thigh, she leaned in close and kissed me. “I’m glad Liberty feels like your home now.”

  “Very much so.” I stroked her cheek. “I feel like I’m ready to lay down roots for the first time in my life.”

  “Good,” she said. “I’m far too attached to the two of you for you to up and leave me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I kissed the tip of her nose.

  Leah giggled, and we turned back to Matilda, who was happy as a clam on her belly. Leah laid down on the floor, mirroring her, and leaned close to her. Matilda rested her forehead against Leah’s, and it was one of the cutest damn things I’d ever seen in my life.

  Matilda needed someone like Leah.

  Hell, I needed someone like Leah.

  “I want you to be part of our lives,” I blurted after a few moments.

  Leah glanced at me but didn’t say anything. She just gave me a questioning look, so I continued.

  “I mean, I want you to be a fixed part of our lives. You’re good with Tilly, you bring out the best in me, Leah.” I paused for a second. “I just… I don’t know what I’m saying exactly, but I’d love it if you would be open to staying here more often. With the two of us.”

  She sat up. “Stay with you more often, as in…”

  “Like moving in,” I said, staring into her deep brown eyes. “I’d feel safer with you here. Wade may eventually move on, but he’ll always be in the back of my mind. I’d rather you be here, with us.”

  Leah’s eyes widened, and I swear there were tears in them.

  “I-I’d like that, but are you sure?” she asked.

  “Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”

  Leah rested her head against my chest, nestling into my neck. Yes, it was fast, we were moving very fast. But sometimes, when you know - you just know.

  And I had no doubt in my heart that I wanted to see where things would go with Leah, and I wanted to keep her safe, always.

  Chapter 20

  Leah

  “Wait, not even a month ago, you thought he was an arrogant asshole, and now you’re moving in with him?” Felicity cocked an eyebrow and stared dubiously at me.

  “I always knew she had a thing for him,” Piper added with a giggle.

  We’d gotten together as planned. Elle and Josie were quiet on the subject; neither of them knew much about Kellen and me. Elle was grinning, however, while Josie stared down at her plate, seemingly uninterested in the conversation.

  She’d been weird since we got to the bar that night. She hadn’t said much, and she seemed to be the odd one out, even though we’d tried to include her as much as possible. She gave us one-word answers, and that was it.

  We’d needed a girl’s night after everything that happened, and while it was just us girls - Grant was nearby, shooting some pool, keeping an eye out - it was pretty damn close.

  “Hey Josie,” I said, clearing my throat and changing the subject since it appeared to bother her, “you doing okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She offered a weak smile.

  The rest of us shared a look. It was clear she wasn’t fine, but we couldn’t force her to talk. Elle, however, was better at nudging than the rest of us, using some of her interviewing skills to sidle up to Josie.

  “So, what have you been up to over the years? It’s been so long.” She wasn’t going to let her give just a short little answer.

  “Umm, well working, mostly. Running your own business is hard, as all of you probably know.”

  “I saw the Peru photos on your Instagram,” I commented. “That had to be fun.”

  Josie nodded, and for a second, her eyes lit up. “Yeah, it was a lot of fun, actually. The ruins and the history are so awe-inspiring. I couldn’t believe I had that opportunity.”

  Piper asked, “Wait, you have an Instagram? Why didn’t I know this? I have to follow you and indulge in your adventures since I’m not having many of my own.”

  Josie chuckled. “Sure, I can text you the link. Just remind me later.” Her spirits were brighter.

  Josie loved traveling, so I continued that subject. “Where’s the coolest place you’ve ever done yoga?” I asked, leaning closer, hoping she saw that we were interested in her life.

  “Peru, by far,” she said. “But my second favorite? Probably at the top of Montmarte overlooking Paris. It wasn’t a class or anything, just me and—” She stopped. Whoever she was with in Paris was someone she clearly didn’t want to talk about.

  I made a mental note of that and continued, wanting to keep up the momentum. “That sounds so lovely. Ugh. I’d kill to see Paris one day.”

  “You really should. Maybe you and Kellen can go there together,” Josie said, offering me a warmer smile. “It really is romantic and best shared with someone you love.”

  She stared off in the distance for a few seconds, then shook herself out of it. We continued asking her questions about her travels, and the more she talked, the lighter she seemed to be. It was nice to see our old friend back to life.

  Then out of nowhere, her face fell. Josie stumbled as she stood up from the table, grabbing her purse from the floor. “I have to go.”

  “Wait, what?”

  I caught her staring behind me, and so did the others. We all turned at the same time to see what had caused Josie so much anxiety so quickly. My heart dropped as I saw Wade’s familiar face.

  Grant saw him at around the same time and was already walking over to him. The world seemed to move in slow motion. Josie was headed for the door, with Elle following her, trying to figure out what was going on. I freaked out that Wade might be dangerous and worried about my brother’s safety.

  Grant was angry, though. His fists were balled up at his side and he was glaring at Wade as he pushed past people to get to him. I was worried there’d be a confrontation, that things could get ugly. My brother was larger than Wade, and probably tougher, but he was still my brother and I didn’t want anything to happen to him.

  I told Piper, “Call the cops. Now.”

  I hurried to Grant, hoping to get to him before he got to Wade. Teddy would be there quickly; hopefully someone was nearby. Grant got to Wade before I could stop him, though, and he threw the first punch. Wade had seen him coming and ducked out of the way just in time. Then he saw me.

  “Leah, I—” Wade started to speak, but the second punch Grant threw clocked him right in the face.

  “Stay the fuck away from my sister.” Grant rubbed his knuckles as if they were sore, but he was ready to go another round if he had to.

  Wade gave him no other choice. He pulled his arm back, ready to attack, but someone nearby grabbed his arms and held him back. Grant went toward Wade again, and someone else grabbed him. The bouncer at the door and bartenders stepped in.

  “Break it up, you two,” the owner of the bar, Clive, said dryly. “Or take it somewhere else. You know better than this, Grant.”

  The men holding Wade took him outside before I could stop them. I tried t
o tell them the cops were on the way, that Wade was breaking a restraining order, but they tossed him outside anyway. I heard sirens not too far away, but Wade took off running.

  Grant was also outside and took off after him. I couldn’t let the two of them duke it out in the woods, so I called to my brother. It must have been the panic in my voice, because Grant stopped and turned toward me.

  Tears ran down my face, and my brother rushed over to me. “What’s wrong? Did he hurt you?”

  “No, I’m just scared. I’m tired of this,” I said.

  Elle was nearby with Josie, and they were staring at me. Hell, everyone was staring at me now. Josie walked up to me, a confused look on her face. She whispered, “You know Wade too?”

  I was taken aback. “Yes, of course. You know him?”

  “He’s my ex-boyfriend,” she said softly, staring at the ground.

  Everything began to click into place now. Josie had been closer to Wade than I ever was, and from the look in her eyes, she was as scared - no, more scared - than I was. I wasn’t really scared of him hurting me. I was more concerned for the people I loved.

  Without any further questions, I pulled Josie into my arms, hugging her tightly.

  “I’m so sorry, Josie,” I said. “I wish I had known.”

  Ooo000ooo

  “That fucker just doesn’t give up, does he?” Kellen grouched.

  I would be late getting back to him, so I’d called to let him know. I was staying there for good now and wanted to make sure he knew where I was. He knew Grant was coming with me. He’d have come to, but someone needed to watch the baby.

  He showed up at the bar as quickly as he could, Matilda in her carrier. It was such a relief to see the two of them that I covered them both in kisses and let Kellen hold me tightly.

  I was shaking even though the danger had passed. Wade was still missing, he’d gotten away again, but Teddy was there and the entire town was now looking for this bastard. He wouldn’t be hiding for long, and with two breaches of his restraining order in addition to his vandalism charges, I was hoping he might see some real time when they caught him.