Silent Tears [Liberty, Wyoming 3]

by Lara Jones

  “I hope so. The thought of being a father gets to me every time.”

  Mora walked away before she heard anything else.

  “What’s wrong, Mora?” Isabel asked when she saw her distracted and desolate face.

  “What…nothing. Here’s your milk.” Mora’s insides were trembling so bad she was surprised it didn’t show. What had she been thinking to get into a relationship with two men? She didn’t think they were serious yet. Nothing had been said about the future or their feelings, so if she left now, she would be the only one to hurt. It should be her. She deserved all the hurt the world threw at her.

  Liam sat down next to her. “Are you tired, honey?’

  Mora leaned her head against him and nodded. “I bet Isabel’s tired, too. We should get out of their hair.”

  “What? No, Mora. I’m fine.”

  “You need your sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Mora said and hugged her. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Dylan, Liam, and Mora walked out and got in the truck silently. The ride home was much the same.

  “That’s great about the baby, isn’t it?” Liam asked as he reached for her hand.

  “She’s happy,” she said as she looked out the front window of the truck.

  Her tone sounded like she was thrilled, yet they knew her too well now to know she was hiding her distress.

  “My brothers are ecstatic.”

  Mora hesitated. “Have you all wanted children for a while?”

  “Ever since we were kids, we talked about having a family,” Liam said. “How about you?”

  “I had thought I wanted a ton of kids. I wanted to be a great mom. Bake cookies for their school PTA, help them with homework, practice soccer…”

  “And?” Dylan asked when she paused.

  “I know better now.”

  “You know what, sugar?”

  “That a family isn’t in the cards for me.”

  Dylan parked the truck and turned it off, looking at Liam over her head. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I had a chance, and I failed.”

  “But you didn’t fail…”

  “Can we please go inside? I’m not feeling very well,” she pleaded.

  Both men looked at how pale Mora was and decided to let it go.

  “Here, honey, I’ll help you out this side,” Liam said and held out his hand.

  “Thank you.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist as they made their way into the house.

  Mora pulled away as they stepped through the door. “I think I’m going to bed, guys.”

  “Dammit. I wish she’d tell us what was wrong,” Dylan said as they watched her walk off.

  “Let’s go to bed with her and hold her. Maybe knowing she’s not alone will help.” Liam was clearly worried.

  Chapter 21

  The next few days she grew progressively worse. She still made love to them, yet there was something missing. No amount of talking would get her to open up. Isabel had tried several times.

  Mora was coming back from there. They hoped Isabel was able to get through to her.

  Both men were in the kitchen making supper when Mora walked through the door.

  They both turned.

  “Hey, sugar. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m just tired. I think I’ll go to bed now.”

  A hard arm curled around her. “Not so fast,” Liam said. “Please tell us what’s wrong. You’re scaring us, baby.”

  Mora jerked away from him and started walking toward the door. “I already told you how many times.” She sighed and looked at both men. “I’m sorry this is bothering you. Just give me time just to be quiet and rest.” She didn’t wait for a reply, turned, and walked off.

  “What the fuck was that? She’s been troubled, but what I saw was pure depression. Not wanting to eat. Always wanting to sleep,” Dylan whispered.

  “I’m not sure.” Liam grabbed Dylan’s arm as he tried to leave. “Give her some time. We don’t want to push her anymore right now.”

  “I don’t like the way she’s talking or acting.”

  Liam tossed his spoon down. “Do you think I like it?”

  Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose. “No. I’m sorry. It’s just lately I’ve been getting a vibe from her like she’s pulling away from us.”

  Liam leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “I feel it, too.”

  “What the hell are we supposed to do?”

  Liam shrugged. “Maybe she’s dealing with her grief? If we can get her help, it might make a difference.”

  Dylan shook his head. “I hope so because the thought of losing her makes me crazy.”

  “I know. Me too.”

  * * * *

  Mora woke in the middle of the night, too restless to sleep.

  Dylan pulled her against his chest. “Can’t sleep, sugar?”

  Mora turned and looked up at him. “Make love to me, Dylan. I need you both to make love to me.”

  Liam moved over and cupped her face. “Honey, you’re so tired.”

  Mora laid her hand over his before kissing his palm. “I know, but I won’t be able to sleep until I feel you both inside of me.”

  She moaned when she felt a hand skim over her breasts, making her nipples instantly hard and needy. They laid her flat between them and within seconds had her senses flying and her need rising.

  * * * *

  Mora left early the next morning before both men left for work.

  It was getting worse every day.

  “Last night bothered me,” Liam said as he watched her drive away.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking because I’m probably feeling the same thing.”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like she was saying good-bye.” Liam hit the wall by the front door. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “I’m not sure. We need to keep an eye on her at all times.”

  “Agreed.”

  * * * *

  The next day Liam was holding a pan full of scrambled eggs over the stove when Mora came back in the kitchen. “Hey, you took a long shower.” He pulled her to his side and bent to take her mouth.

  Mora smiled and pulled away from him and walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the juice. “I was a little sore, so I stayed in a little longer.”

  She had begged them to make love to her again last night, yet that time there had been a certain desperation to it.

  Liam watched her as she set the table and started making toast. She was very quiet and wouldn’t look at him. “Are you feeling okay now, honey?”

  “Yes.”

  That’s it? Where were the snarky comments? “Is there something on your mind?”

  Mora shoved some eggs into her mouth and shook her head.

  “Did I hurt you? If either of us has hurt you, please tell us.”

  Mora took a quick drink. “No, Liam. You and Dylan haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just a little tired.”

  She was looking more tired every day. “Do you want to go visit Isabel after we eat?”

  Mora nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to see her today.”

  “Good, I’ll dro—”

  “No, that’s okay. I need my car. I want to go to the store today.”

  “I can come pick you up, and we can go together?”

  Mora smiled. “No, that’s okay.” She continued to eat small bites of her breakfast, and he continued to watch her worriedly.

  Liam was reaching for his phone the same time he watched her drive away. “Something more is up with her. She wanted to take her own car and said she was going to Isabel’s, yet she turned the wrong way. I want to go find her, just to make sure.”

  “I’ll head out with you, but in my car, and look around. If either of us finds her, call the other.”

  “Okay.”

  Dylan rounded up his guys before he left.

  “I want you guys to keep a watch out for this car and license plate,” Dy
lan said and raised the paper that had the information on it. One of the guys started handing flyers out.

  “Isn’t this Mora’s car, boss?” he asked as he looked at the flyer.

  “Yes.”

  “What’s she up to this time?” another deputy asked.

  Dylan shook his head. “God only knows.” He smiled when they all laughed. He was pleased they all took a liking to Mora. It made him feel better knowing other people who cared about her were always on the lookout for her.

  “Why I’m asking you to keep watch is Liam and I are worried about her, so we’d like to have other eyes on her. If you see her, just call Liam or me. His number’s on there, too, and his men are doing the same thing.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  “Will do, Sheriff.”

  He thanked each one as they filed out of the room.

  Chapter 22

  Dylan pulled up alongside Liam’s truck. “Do you know anything new?”

  “No. My guys haven’t seen her at all.”

  Dylan hit his steering wheel. “Goddammit. Where the hell is she?”

  Liam’s phone beeped a text. He read it and looked at Dylan. “One of my guys just saw her car at our house.”

  “Just now?”

  Liam nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Both men pulled into the driveway and walked fast in and looked through the house for her. They searched until they found her on the oversized chair, looking out the window.

  They looked at each other.

  Dylan crouched down in front of and laid a hand on her ankle. “Hey, sugar. What’s up?”

  Liam sat on the arm of the chair. “Look at us.”

  Mora turned, and although she didn’t have tears in her eyes at the moment, they could tell she’d had a long bout of crying.

  “What’s going on?” Liam asked.

  “I got a call today from Derek.”

  “Your brother?”

  Mora nodded. “Allister’s pleading out.”

  The men looked at each other. “That’s a good thing. Right?”

  Mora nodded and picked at a thread on the top of the chair. “I also got a call from my boss a few days ago.”

  Dylan squeezed her ankle. “Tell us?”

  “I need to go back to Dallas.”

  Both men paled.

  Dylan swallowed down the bile wanting to come up. This was what he was afraid of at the beginning. He stood suddenly. “When are you headed out?”

  Mora flinched at his tone and swallowed at the cold look in his eyes. “I can go now if you want.”

  “Both of you shut the hell up. Mora, explain. Why do you need to go back?”

  “I knew coming here to your house was a chance, I don’t know, to start over, but I can’t keep playing house when I have obligations elsewhere.”

  Dylan’s hand landed on his hips. “What the fuck does that mean, Mora? Playing house? Has this been a game to you?”

  Mora straightened and held a hand out to him. “No, Dylan, no. But I don’t think I belong here.”

  “Why, honey?”

  Mora pushed herself up and walked a few steps away from them before she turned. “I’m not what you need. The longer I was here, the deeper in I got with you, the scarier it got. I should have told you this at the beginning. I won’t have any other children.”

  “Honey, if you can’t hav—”

  “I didn’t say can’t. I said won’t.”

  The room stayed silent for several seconds. “You want children, and I’d be selfish to keep you from finding a woman who can give that to you.” She moved toward the door when they didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry. I should have been forthright with you from the beginning. I hope someday you’ll forgive me.”

  The men watched her pick up the suitcase they hadn’t noticed and turned to leave. Dylan sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands.

  “Dylan, I don’t understand something. I remember her saying to Isabel she already quit her job, so why is she lying about it?”

  “Right now, I don’t fucking care, Liam.”

  “Goddammit, Dylan, get your head out of your ass. The best thing that’s ever happened to us just walked out that door, and you’re not going to do anything?”

  Dylan threw the bedside lamp across the room and watched as it broke into shards of glass. “Goddammit, Liam, what the fuck do you want me to do?”

  “Let’s put this together. She started getting unhappy a few days before Isabel’s baby news. From then it got progressively worse, very quickly. Do you agree?”

  “Yes, so what?”

  “It doesn’t take a genius to know that was her breaking point. I think that’s when she started really grieving for Davey and doesn’t know how to handle it, so she’s running. She’ll hide somewhere to lick her wounds. In the meantime, she’s on her own.”

  Dylan stood abruptly. “So, you think this is all about the accident?”

  “I’m sure of it. It would explain the reason she lied about her job. We need to call Royce or Clay and ask them if they’ve seen her or heard anything that we might need.”

  The call confirmed to them that she was running. Royce said he’d been ready to call them. He had told them Isabel was crying because Mora had come to say good-bye. It was unexpected for everyone. The way she talked was beyond grief. It was like there was no emotion in her eyes, and no matter what Isabel said, nothing got through to her.

  Royce would be out looking for her right now if he didn’t have to deal with Isabel.

  “Thanks, Royce, we’ll call when we get any other information.”

  “Good. Go find her.”

  Dylan clicked off and listened as Liam talked on the phone with his people, putting out an APB on her car. He called his dispatch and did the same. If she was in a hundred-mile radius, she would be found.

  It was close to three frightening hours before a call came into Liam’s phone.

  “Alec says she’s at Make-out Bluff. He’s going to keep watch until we get there.”

  “What the fuck? We looked there three times.”

  “Royce, it doesn’t matter right now. We need to get there.”

  “I know that, Liam. Can’t you see I’m driving like a maniac to get there?”

  “Shit.” Liam held tight to the hand bar at the top of the window when Dylan took a turn too fast, almost causing them to roll.

  Chapter 23

  Liam waved Alec off when they pulled into the little parking area alongside her car.

  “I don’t like this, Liam.”

  “I don’t either. Let’s go find her.”

  The men scanned the area rapidly. They checked the place Dylan had found her before, along the edges of the bluff, before walking deeper into the little forest of dense trees.

  Liam hit Dylan in the arm and then pointed at something. “There she is.”

  The breath left Dylan’s lungs in a whoosh. Too many bad scenarios had pounded through his head until he caught sight of her, sitting far away from danger with her back against a tree that overlooked the cliffs. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and her arms were wrapped around them.

  The closer they got all they heard was the wind through the trees. She was so still. It looked like she’d fallen asleep sitting up.

  Both men carefully made their way to either side of her before sitting down with her.

  She was so deep inside her head she hadn’t realized she wasn’t alone anymore until one of them spoke.

  “Mora,” Liam started.

  A high-pitched scream came from her lungs as she tried to lunge away from them only to be caught and caged into one of their laps.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Mora wiped the tears from her face as she tried to push away from Liam’s arms. “What are you doing here?” Her voice caught on a sob. “We already said good-bye.” She pushed at Dylan’s legs with her foot. “I can’t do it again.”

  She struggled. “Dammit. Let me go, Liam. I wan
t you both to go. If you cared about me at all, you’d leave me in peace.”

  “Oh, we care, sugar. Never doubt that.”

  Mora growled and tried to kick at Dylan again only to have him tighten his grip on both legs. “Motherfuckers, go away.” She screamed until the screams turned into gasping sobs that took her breath and left her lying weak against them.

  “Go,” she sobbed. “Please.”

  Liam nuzzled her cheek. “Stop trying to get us to go. We’re never going to leave you.”

  The men started to worry when Mora cried until she gagged. “Mora, you need to stop right now.” Dylan used a harsh voice. “You’re making yourself sick.”

  Mora turned her head into Liam’s chest as tears continued to rain down her cheek.

  “If you don’t stop right now, we’re calling the paramedics to come sedate you. Is that what you want?”

  Liam scowled at Dylan. “You could be a little more understanding.”

  Dylan glared back. “Oh, I understand all right.”

  “No, you’re acting like an insensitive ass.”

  “Fuck you, Liam. Are we supposed to sit here and watch her become dehydrated or vomit or both?”

  “Dehydrated? Seriously? You’re really worried about that?”

  “Hey, all the water that’s coming out of her, she’s going to need liquid.”

  “Jesus man, you can’t even call them tears? You’re such a dumbass.”

  It took a full minute before they realized Mora had quit crying and was right then watching them in disbelief.

  “See,” Dylan said, pointing at her. “She stopped.”

  Liam finally registered the lack of sound coming from her and jostled her until he could see her face better. “Oh, honey. You’re going to be okay.” He looked back up at Dylan. “Do you have a Kleenex or something?”

  “You think I carry around a handkerchief or Kleenex in my fucking pocket? How long have you known me, for God’s sakes?”

  Mora had come to the conclusion that they weren’t going to leave and, most importantly and to her disbelief, that she was in love with two seriously demented men. She used the bottom of her shirt under her jacket to wipe her face off as they continued to argue.