by Lara Jones
Isabel hadn’t realized what an impact the man still played in her life until the threat of him was gone. She stayed in touch with Mora, talked to her every other day, but they hadn’t seen each other in over a year, and she missed her.
Mora hadn’t been able to come visit because of family obligations that she wouldn’t discuss with Isabel. Isabel was worried about her. She didn’t sound like the Mora she knew. She didn’t sound depressed, but she didn’t sound happy either. Mora had told her she stayed busy with her job as a social worker. She was still trying to catch up on her work from the time she’d had to take because of the accident.
She talked to the guys about her and Tommy going to visit, but they had refused that right away. It wasn’t safe for them to go alone. When she pointed out she’d been by herself for close to three months, it had backfired and just made them remember how close she’d come and dug their heels in even more. When they had time, they both told her, they would all go. But she was promised it would be in the next week or so. Mora sounded excited about the visit and said she needed something to look forward to.
* * * *
“Are you expecting someone, Clay?” Royce yelled from the front door.
Clay came out of the kitchen, followed closely by Isabel. “No, I’ve never seen that car before.”
Both men jerked around when Isabel squealed and raced between them and out the door before they could catch her.
“Isabel, wait, sweetheart. Slow down. You might fall,” Royce said as they moved swiftly down the front steps. Even with Allister behind bars, both men were still on high alert for anybody coming around they didn’t know. They watched as the car door opened, and a beautiful young woman stepped out and was instantly engulfed in a hug. Both women clung to each other, cried, and moved and jumped around so much the men worried they’d trip themselves.
Clay and Royce waited off to the side for the women to wind down and to notice them.
Both women laughed and tried to get their breath back when Mora turned around. Shocked, she whispered close to Isabel’s ear, “Holy shit. Are these yours?”
Isabel laughed and kept an arm around her friend. “Yes. This one is Royce, and this one is Clay. Guys, I’d like you to meet Mora.”
Clay smiled. “We figured this was the amazing Mora. It’s very nice to finally meet you,” he said and held out a hand.
Mora’s eyebrows went up. “Amazing, huh? Wow, I don’t think I deserve that title, but I’ll take it.”
Royce stepped forward and held out his hand. “We have wanted to meet you for a long time.”
Mora laughed. “Likewise. I hope it’s not a problem for me to stop by out of the blue. I just came into town and since it was still early, thought I’d stop and try to see Isabel.”
“Mora, you are welcome anytime. Anything that puts that smile on Isabel’s face, we’ll take. Where is your suitcase so I can bring it in?” Clay started for her car.
Mora put out a hand. “No, wait. I have a room at the motel a town over.”
Isabel gasped. “Mora, you have to stay here. Why would you get a room?”
Mora rolled her eyes. “Isabel, I’m not going to crash into a family without any notice and expect them to change their schedule for me or take me in. I’m perfectly fine at the motel. I’m planning on staying for a few days at least, so we’ll get to see each other.”
“No…” Isabel shook her head and turned to Royce and Clay. “Make her stay. I want her here, and I want her to stay as long as she can.”
Royce chuckled. “She’s right, Mora. There is no way we’re going to let you stay at a motel when we have plenty of room here.”
“I wouldn’t feel right…”
Isabel smirked. “I don’t care. You’re staying.” She needed her close. She was even more worried seeing Mora in person. She seemed almost like her cheerfulness was forced, but when you saw her eyes, you saw the despair in their depths. Mora was also thinner than Isabel had ever seen her and her skin an unhealthy pale color.
Mora snorted when Isabel crossed her arms. “Still a brat I see?”
Both men chuckled. “You have no idea.”
Isabel gasped and drove her elbow into Clay’s side.
Isabel’s eyes narrowed on Mora. “You’re really calling me the brat? You are so much worse than me. You were always getting us into trouble.”
Mora rolled her eyes. “Right, is that the way you’re going to play it?”
Isabel grinned. “Hell yeah.”
“Language,” Royce growled.
Mora snorted out a laugh. “Do you really think you’re going to get her to stop cussing?”
Clay stepped forward and slid his hand over Isabel’s bottom. “We’re working on it. Right, baby?”
Isabel slapped at Clay’s hand. “Leave my ass alone.”
Both men’s eyebrows went up before they crossed their arms over their chests.
Mora’s eye widened, and she took a slow step to Isabel and whispered. “Hell, woman. Why are you poking at them so hard?”
Isabel crossed her own arms over her chest and tilted her chin up. “Oh, I think they’re fine.”
Mora shivered at the utter dominance that rolled naturally off these two. “You’re crazy, girl.” Although she was intimidated, she also had to admit she’d been looking for a man just like them. One who was strong enough to deal with her, because she had to admit, at least to herself, and now that she was free from the restrictions her family put on her, she could go back to being the brat she was before her marriage.
Royce cupped the back of Isabel’s head and smiled at Mora. “It’s all right, Mora. Our woman here is just asking for a little extra attention. Right, sweetheart?”
Isabel just rolled her eyes and bit back a smile when both men growled a warning. “Come on, girl. Let’s go inside while the guys get your suitcases, unless you dropped them off at the motel already.”
Mora looped her arm through Isabel’s and let herself be pulled toward the house. “No, they’re in the car.” She turned her head back and shivered at the high levels of love and dominant male aggression on the men’s faces as they watched Isabel’s back as she walked away from them. Mora felt slightly concerned for her friend but, she had to admit, slightly envious also. To have men like that? Damn.
Mora suddenly felt the vast amount of emptiness in her life. Even if she did find a man like them, was she ready to move on from losing her child or take a chance at love again? And she didn’t want to acknowledge she had no idea how to feel about her late husband yet.
Would she ever admit that she had been a little relieved to hear he was gone? Mora shook her head. He hadn’t been abusive toward her, but he had been exactly like her family. Everything she’d run from years ago. Cold and selfish, their thoughts on appearances and not on happiness.
Now she had to deal with her mental issues. So many things about her had changed, and she couldn’t say for the better. She used to be fun loving, vivacious, and giving. Who was Mora now? Would she ever be able to just take a few steps forward, toward her being healed, instead of back? Her mind and body had shut down so badly after the accident to deal with the huge amount of pain she had to deal with. The numbness and helping Isabel had gotten her through the first couple months.
After that, she’d let herself grieve, letting her mind have some peace, but her body hadn’t felt anything. She’d met so many men during the last year, and none of them made her feel anything. Maybe something inside of her was broken? She might need to come to terms with the fact she might be living her life alone. She had a lot of friends and her brother, she didn’t count her parents, and she would do other things to make herself happy.
She needed to decide about her job as a social worker. It wasn’t making her feel like she was actually doing something worthwhile anymore, and it was affecting her state of mind so badly it almost scared her. It was like her personality had taken a one-hundred-and-ninety-degree turn. She didn’t know herself anymore, and that was what
this trip was all about. She planned to see Isabel and Tommy and then drive the country, sees parts that she’d never seen before.
She’d been to so many different countries and cities around the world like Paris, England, Jamaica, Italy, but she’d never been to Yellow Stone Park or the Grand Canyon in the US. It was the perfect opportunity to see these places, be by herself, and make some decisions.
“So how long can you stay?”
Mora chuckled and lengthened her step to keep up with Isabel as she dragged her into the house. She wasn’t ready to make a decision yet, so she changed the subject. “Where’s my tugboat?”
Isabel laughed. “Tommy is at a friend’s house but will be dropped off before supper tonight.”
“I miss that little dude.” She turned and pulled Isabel into her arms and held her tightly. “I missed both of you so much.”
Isabel sniffed, and she tightened her own arms. “We missed you too. You were the only thing that kept me sane all those months, Mora.”
Mora leaned back and wiped the tears from her own face as she laughed. “Now that’s scary. When have we ever depended on me to be the reasonable, stable one?”
“I said sane, not idiotic.”
“Ouch. Not nice.”
Isabel’s laugh quickly turned into sobs that racked her body.
“Hey.” Mora wrapped her arms around her. “Everything is okay now. The bastard is behind bars where he’ll rot for the rest of his life.”
They stood for several moments just holding each other, letting the men skate around them into the house.
Isabel sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Come into the kitchen and help me finish supper.” Isabel stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just forgot we have company tonight.”
“Why is that bad? If it’s too much for me to be here, I promise to come back tomorrow.”
“No, it’s only Royce and Clay’s brother and a friend of the family. I would have wanted you to meet them anyway.”
Mora shrugged. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Isabel turned and started toward the kitchen again with her bottom lip between her teeth. Dylan and Liam were both intense men, Dylan more so, but they were great men. It was the fact they were looking for their own woman that bothered her a little. Meeting them could be a good thing because it might keep Mora around or, worse, run her off. She didn’t have any control over the situation and decided to relax and enjoy her friend’s visit.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Hey, Dylan, Liam. We’re back here,” Clay yelled when he heard a truck pull up in the front of the house.
Royce grimaced and chuckled when Tommy jumped on Mora’s lap, causing her to fall back into the grass. He shook his head when Mora rolled and started tickling Tommy, making him screeched.
“Do either of you need a beer?” Royce asked as he headed into the kitchen from the back door.
Liam nodded.
“I’ll take one.”
Both men froze when their eyes caught the woman that was rolling around on the grass with the boy.
Royce handed both a beer.
“Who’s that?” Liam asked, tilting his head toward the group under the large shade tree.
“That’s Mora. Isabel’s friend from Dallas.”
“What’s she doing here?”
Royce’s eye’s shot to Dylan’s. What was with his irritated tone of voice? “She came to visit. Is that a problem?”
Dylan took a long drink from the can while he tried to figure out what was happening to him. He hadn’t meant for the question to sound so abrupt. He shook his head. “No, I just wondered.”
Liam and Royce watched and chuckled when Clay tried to catch Tommy as he dodged around him, making Tommy laugh uncontrollably.
Both women sat on the grass, egging Tommy on and laughing. When they caught sight of the other men, Isabel stood and grasped Mora’s hand to pull her up.
She interrupted the game of tag between Clay and her son. “Come on, you guys. Supper’s made, so let’s eat.”
Liam and Dylan stood transfixed as the woman drew closer, her arm looped through Isabel’s. They moved out of Clay’s way as he passed with a giggling Tommy over his shoulder.
Royce stopped the girls. “Hey, Mora, I’d like you to meet my brother Dylan and our friend Liam.”
Mora froze, and her smile slipped. Her eyes went back and forth between the two men. Holy shit. Both were handsome and extremely large, and just by the look in their eyes and the way they held themselves, they had more alpha traits than she’d ever around before. Dylan looked a lot like his brothers with short dark hair and beautiful green eyes a shade darker than Clay’s. Liam also had dark hair but had lighter tones mixed in. His eyes were a piercing brown, almost black. They were both heavy with muscle, long thick legs, and strong hands.
Her breath stalled in her throat as waves of need raced through her. They took away her ability to speak or move for long moments.
Dylan was immobilized with a dark heat he’d never experienced before that prodded him to throw her over his shoulders and hide her somewhere.
Liam couldn’t have gotten the smile off his face if he tried. She was perfect. Smaller than they usually looked for, smaller even than Isabel, but she had curves he needed to sink his fingers into and skin that made his mouth water.
“Hi, Mora. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Mora’s eyes raced over Liam’s face as she let him grasp her hand. Her heart pulsated in her chest when she tried to pull away, only to have him tighten his grip. She gave up trying to get her hand back. “It’s nice to meet you too, Liam.”
Liam reluctantly released her and took a step back to watch the fireworks. He knew the overwhelming feeling of need, excitement, and rightness when he saw Mora. He’d bet Dylan was feeling just as strong a reaction to her.
Mora cleared her throat and held out her hand to Dylan. A flush crept over her face when he just continued to stare at her as if he’d never seen a woman before. Embarrassed, she started lowering her arm.
Dylan’s hand shot out and grasped hers.
“It’s nice to meet you, Dylan,” Mora said and tried unsuccessfully to pull her hand away.
“It’s good to meet you.” Dylan dragged in a breath and dropped her hand abruptly and took a step back.
Isabel looked worriedly at Royce.
Royce bit back a chuckle. “Let’s go in and eat. Isabel, whatever you made smells wonderful.” He grabbed onto Isabel’s hand and pulled her behind him into the house, leaving the three alone.
Liam’s hand shot out and caught the screen door before it closed. “Here you go, Mora.”
Mora looked apprehensively between the two. “Thank you, Liam.” A shiver raced down her spine when she passed both men, taking in their masculine fragrance and heat.
Liam followed closely behind her, asking questions about Dallas.
Dylan stayed outside for a minute and tried to get his emotions under control before going back inside. He didn’t understand and wasn’t going to question why he was instantly hugely attracted to this woman. What he didn’t understand were the insecurities he was feeling.
His eyes followed her delicate spine from her head to her round luscious ass. She had enough curves to make his mouth water. Her hair was a wheat blonde and shoulder length, and her eyes were a clear powder blue and showed sharp intelligence. Her lips were full, and he knew he could spend hours tasting and nipping them.
Dylan knew what she had been through the last year and how she’d been, although reckless at times, determined and tough. Her small size would have made him pause, but she possessed such a strong, fierce spirit, he knew she could handle them.
The thought of caring for her and her leaving made him hold back, and a spear of anger at the thought raced through him. He didn’t know if he would be able to get over losing her before they even had her. He knew if she left, it would finally make his decision to leave a must.
S
upper was a quiet affair. Isabel looked worriedly between Dylan, Liam, and Mora while Mora tried to avoid looking at the men at all. Liam tried to pull Mora out of her shell by asking a ton of questions.
Royce and Clay looked at each other knowingly and tried to hide their smiles. Dylan fought the need to stare at her. His body tensed whenever she said something or heated when she moved a certain way. By the end of the meal, he was about ready to jump out of his skin.
Dylan’s attention peaked when the conversation finally registered they were talking about the trial.
“I’ll have to go to court eventually to give my testimony.”
“Oh, God, Mora. You’re not going by yourself?” Isabel gasped when Mora nodded. “You can’t go by yourself.”
Mora snorted. “The hell I can’t…”
“Language.”
Mora’s eyes widened. “Wow, all four at the same time. Do you practice that?”
Isabel cringed at Mora’s sarcasm. Usually, when her friend got tired, she got pissy and let loose, sounding more like a sailor than a woman.
Dylan leaned forward over the table until he was feet from Mora with only the table between them. “Actually, we do. We practice on our women every day when they can’t seem to talk like ladies.”
Mora laughed and leaned in closer, resting her chin on her hand with her elbow on the table. “Ladies?” She scoffed. “I know several ladies back home that you might like then. They would never say the words I use on a regular basis. But then, they’re all about as cold as fish too. Sound good to you, Sheriff?”
Dylan’s eyebrow raised. “Maybe I would like to meet them. They would certainly be better than tiny women with potty mouths.”
Mora hid the hurt with a chuckle, shrugged, and turned away. “I’ll give you their numbers. Some, I imagine, are married, but I would guess a few are still single. Although I’ve heard the married ones still like to test the waters, if you know what I mean. But then, why not, their husbands are doing it, right?”
Dylan fisted his hands on the table and narrowed his eyes. “Where exactly are these women?”
