Montana Homecoming (7 page)

Brooke did her best not to imagine Liam laughing in the sunshine tossing a Frisbee. She tried not to remember how kindly he treated his dog. Her throat tightened and she felt at a loss. “It’s just one very temporary job.”

“But it could turn into another. You know how word of mouth works.” Colbie grabbed her by the arm and forcefully steered them both toward the living room. “You do one good job, people talk, and next thing you know you have more work than you can handle. Maybe you will become the premier dog trainer in Bozeman.”

“That’s quite an imagination you have.” Her sisters. Who wouldn’t love ’em? She slipped onto the edge of the couch. “Premier dog trainer? I can’t see it.”

“Maybe it’s time to start dreaming again, Brooke.” Lil worked her spoon in her ice cream. “You ought to think about what you want to do next with your life.”

“Maybe.” Agreeing was easier than admitting she didn’t know how to get her dreams back. She’d been out of jail nineteen months, and half of that time she’d spent struggling to find the basics—shelter, food, work, purpose.

“You always wanted to be a vet assistant.” Brandi paused over a spoon piled high with mint chocolate chip. Her forehead crinkled adorably. “I could check around. Maybe MSU has a program or something. We could be college buddies, you, me and Bree.”

“But aren’t you two almost finished?” The ice cream really did smell good and fudgy. Her mouth watered traitorously. She stared at the bowl, debating. As much as she wanted to she couldn’t deny the calories away. Colbie had dished up enough for three people, but did that stop her from digging into it?

No way.

“We’re going to look into it anyway. End of argument.” Bree licked at her spoonful of ice cream.

“Excellent. It’s a great plan.” Colbie settled into the middle couch cushion with a bounce. “We want you to stay, Brooke, and it’s a great deal for you. We know you love animals, so it’s the perfect profession for you. You could meet lots of dashing college students. When you graduate there’s always handsome pet owners and hunky veterinarians. I say it’s a win-win.”

“And a guy is so not what I need.” She rolled her eyes, shook her head and thought of Liam. Why did she think of Liam? Probably because of the words
handsome
and
hunky
. A natural combination that defined the man.

Get him out of your head, Brooke.
She popped a spoonful of chocolate into her mouth, richly delicious and cold enough to freeze the roof of her mouth. Ouch.

“Speaking of hunky and handsome.” Bree leaned forward, turning the intensity of her lavender-blue eyes on Colbie. “Did you notice the D.A.?”

“The district attorney?” Colbie asked offhand, as if she hadn’t a clue who Bree was talking about. “I guess. Was he the tall one?”

“Yes, he was the tall one.” Bree rolled her eyes, not believing Colbie for a second.

“Tall and handsome. Those shoulders.” Brandi picked up where her twin left off. “We caught you looking at him.”

“Sure, I had to, since he was sitting between me and the witness box.” Colbie shrugged indifferently and a silken lock of dark hair tumbled over her slender shoulder. Wistfulness glinted in her expressive eyes for a brief moment.

Interesting. Brooke wondered if she was the only one who noticed it before Colbie plunged her spoon into her bowl, mashing up her scoops of fudge ice cream.

“That district attorney would make a better door than a window,” she said as if she didn’t care about him at all. “I couldn’t see a thing with him blocking the way. Bree, any chance your fiancé has a friend you can fix Brandi up with? One with nice shoulders. Apparently that’s important to her.”

“Integrity is important to me,” Brandi spoke up, swinging her spoon in the air for emphasis. “Steadfastness, loyalty, honesty, the list goes on and on. Notice I’m not dating anyone? That’s why. No one can live up to my standards.”

“I found a Prince Charming.” Love polished Bree, making her more lovely than ever. “There’s no reason you can’t find one, too.”

“I don’t know. There aren’t many fairy tales out there ready to come true.” Brandi set her chin, not ready to believe. “I’m glad you found one, but I’m grateful to be right here with all of you, my sisters. And Lil.”

“I’m thankful, too, dear.” Emotion glinted in the older woman’s eyes as she grabbed the remote. The screen came to life, sound filled the room as they all leaned back into the cushions to watch the drama unfold.

It was good to be part of a family again.

Chapter Seven

B
y the time he raced into the morning courtroom, Brooke had already arrived. She was seated near the front with her family behind the D.A.’s table, which was empty. Folks milled about, conversations buzzed and Roger left his side to get their seats. They’d departed the staff meeting early, leaving his grandfather happily in charge, but the satisfaction from working alongside Pop remained. Liam was glad he’d let the Lord guide his steps back home to Bozeman.

What he wasn’t glad for was the way his gaze arrowed to Brooke against his will. He really needed an eye exam or something. Maybe a brain scan to solve the mystery of why he couldn’t look away from her. Something really had to be wrong with him. And his feet because they took him straight to her.

She looked amazing this morning in slim-cut slacks, a summery-blue top and matching cardigan. Her hair fell in a long sleek curtain framing her heart-shaped face. When her violet-blue gaze met his, the impact rocked him back a few steps.

Wary. That’s what he read in her eyes.

Good, because he was wary, too.

“Good morning, McKaslins.” His voice sounded strained and gruff, so he cleared it.

“Liam!” Lil twisted in her wheelchair, adorable as always with her dark cap of hair and apple cheeks. “How good to see you. How is your grandfather?”

“The same. Tough. Stubborn. A rascal.”

“And you’re a chip off the old block.” When she smiled, Lil was a handsome woman. He always kept her in prayer, trapped in that wheelchair. The strain of the trial looked to be getting to her. Smudges bruised the skin beneath her eyes and she looked pale. Pale, but resolute. Nothing could dim her determined smile as she leaned closer. “I hear Brooke found a solution for your dog.”

“A good one. Last time I saw Oscar, he was leaping around in the doggy gym chasing a big red ball. He’s making all kinds of new friends.” His gaze slinked back to Brooke. He wasn’t powerful enough to stop it. But was Brooke watching him? No. She was focused squarely on Lil. Probably a good thing and he relaxed a bit. “So far no one from the day care has called to say Oscar’s in trouble, so I’m staying cautiously optimistic.”

“I hope he has a lot of fun,” Colbie broke in. “You should bring him over next time you’re in the neighborhood. I’d love to meet him.”

“I’ll be swinging by tonight.” Why he felt obligated to offer that information, he couldn’t say. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I owe Gram a ham.”

“Yes, Madge told me all about it.” Lil chuckled. “Said she was going to dog sit for you and intended to keep a close eye on him. He’s not allowed in the kitchen ever again.”

“That settles it,” Bree spoke up. “We’re having supper at Lil’s again tonight. I want to meet Oscar. I love dogs.”

“Me, too.” Brandi leaned over the bench. “We are way too busy these days for a pet, so we’ll have to borrow him.”

“If you need a dog sitter—” Bree offered.

“—you know who to call,” Brandi finished.

“You two do not know what you’re getting into,” he warned them, aware of every breathe Brooke took, aware of how deliberately she kept her head turned toward her sisters and not him.

Good. That’s just the way he wanted it. He had to ignore the tightness gathering in his chest. She simply had that effect on him—he would get used to it.

“How are you doing, Brianna?” He asked as a family friend, not a reporter. “Are you holding up okay?”

“I’m good. The tough part starts today.” Bree swallowed hard. She tightened her grip on her fiancé’s hand. Max Decker, a detective with the city, was a good guy. One of the best. They exchanged greetings.

It was easy to read the worry on the man’s face and his concern for his Brianna. Infinite devotion shone in those dark eyes. Sometimes love worked out. It was good to see.

“I’ve got Max, and I’ve got family around me.” Strength showed beneath as Bree lifted her chin. “This will be good in the end. I get to face it and when the trial is over, I’m praying for justice and closure. After all, I wasn’t the one hurt the most that awful night.”

She glanced a few rows over where Juanita’s family was settling in. They had lost a daughter during the robbery. He ached for them. “I’m keeping you all in prayer. You need something, anything, let me know, okay?”

“Thanks, Liam.” Bree’s quiet smile telegraphed caring and something else. She cast her gaze across the others to Brooke. Brooke, trying hard to avoid him, bit her bottom lip adorably.

His chest cinched tighter. He ignored that, too. “I’d better get settled. The D.A. just walked in.”

“Thanks for coming down, Liam,” Colbie spoke up with a grateful smile. “Your support means a lot.”

“Hey, you’ve been a friend and a good neighbor to Gram for a long time. Don’t forget. I mean it. If I can do something, you call. Got it?” He backed up the aisle, glancing over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t ram into anyone.

“Don’t worry, we have your number.” Lil winked.

“Good. Use it.” He seemed to mean it. Caring deepened the summer-dawn blue of his eyes and for a second his gaze held with Brooke’s. The shock rolled through her like thunder, rattling her bones before he whipped around, leaving her pulse thumping in her ears.

“He’s a gem,” Lil trilled as she watched him stride down the aisle. “I just love him. He’s so good to his grandmother, always visiting. He gave up a lot to help out when his paternal grandfather got that diagnosis.”

“What diagnosis?” The question popped out. She didn’t mean to ask. She wasn’t interested; she wasn’t fishing for information about Liam and his life.

“Cancer. They found it early and Ed’s doing well. Liam gave up a big-time job to run the paper while his grandfather was in treatment. Now he’s staying on so Ed only has to work part-time. Doesn’t that say a lot about the boy?” Lil’s hand patted Brooke’s. “I—”

“Excuse me.” A deep voice belonging to the tall, striking district attorney broke in. Austin Quinn could have been a TV star with his rugged good looks, polished presentation, perfect dark suit and striped tie. But did Brooke’s heart skip a beat?

No. Not even a stumble. Regardless of how hard she tried, she couldn’t ignore Liam. He’d stopped to chat with Juanita’s family. She had a perfect view of him out of the corner of her eye. Not that she was intentionally looking; he was naturally in her field of vision. Caring warmed his handsome features, softened his powerful masculine stance and roped her in. He clearly was just a friend checking in and not doing his reporter thing.

He’d been true to his word. She’d read Lil’s morning paper front to back. There hadn’t been a single article by Liam Knightly. Roger’s recap of the trial had been a facts-based and thoughtful account of the opening day, proving the kind of newspaper Liam and his grandfather ran. Liam had been true to his word.

Not that she was going to let that soften her.

“I’ll fight hard, I promise you.” The district attorney’s molasses-rich voice caught her attention. It took all her strength to turn toward him and away from Liam.

Something kept trying to pull her back, something she did her best to resist as her brothers, arriving from their farm an hour out of town, hurried down the aisle just in time for court to begin.

* * *

Brooke shifted on the hard bench as the morning session progressed, fighting her own memories. Trying to stay in the present moment and not to remember sitting next to her defense attorney with the jury’s eyes on her. Doing her best not to remember the time when her life hung in the balance.

The observers in the courtroom seemed to take a collective breath as the young college-age woman tapped her way to the witness box, her high heels striking the tile like hammer blows in the silence.

“How are you doing?” Colbie leaned in to whisper. “This isn’t reminding you of your court date?”

“A little, but I’ll be okay.” Her chin went up, buoyed by her determination. The past couldn’t get to her. It couldn’t defeat her. She refused to be pulled back into those memories of defeat and hopelessness.

“
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
It was my morning devotional verse. You’re not alone.” Colbie paused while the woman on the stand raised her right hand. “I can see how hard this is for you. You’re completely pale.”

“You should be thinking about Bree. I can’t imagine how hard this has to be for her.” Her whisper wobbled, nearly betraying her. “Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“I can’t help it.”

The district attorney pushed out of his chair, approaching the witness in a slow, measured stride. His buttery baritone broke the tense silence. Overhead the buzz of fluorescent lights, the echoed rustles from the audience and the solemn moment threatened to dig deep and hook those memories she fought to suppress.

A little help, Lord, please.
She leaned on Him in prayer, feeling uncomfortable. Maybe she shouldn’t be leaning on anyone. She’d made the decisions that had changed her life, not God.

“It was just a few minutes before seven.” The hostess who’d been on shift the night of the robbery stopped to draw in a shaky breath. She looked small and vulnerable on the stand.

Brooke knew how that felt.

“I was just about to seat a seven o’clock reservation when the front doors burst open so hard, they crashed into the doorstops. Everyone jumped. People waiting began screaming,” the hostess said.

Brianna had been in that restaurant. Brooke covered her face with her hands, remembering her half sister ashen and motionless in ICU, the sister she’d barely known at the time.

“I’ll never forget the way the light gleamed off the rifle barrel,” the hostess continued. Her voice cracked. “I saw the gun before I saw anything else. My mind screeched to a stop. One moment everything was fine, peaceful and my biggest worry was figuring out how to accommodate a large last-minute group and the next thing I hear is gunfire.”

That’s how it happens,
Brooke thought. One moment everything was normal, but the next? Wham. Everything changed. Brianna had been loading her tray in the kitchen and the next moment she’d been critically shot.

That’s what had happened in her life, too. One moment she’d been sitting in her car, hand on the steering wheel, engine idling at the border into Canada and the next moment a search dog barked. The border patrol ordered her out of her car and she’d watched in horror as they searched her trunk to find several bricks of heroin in a brown grocery bag tucked next to the spare tire. She could still feel the jerk rocketing up her arm as rough hands spun her around. Cold metal handcuffs clamped around her wrists.

You’re not going to remember, right, Brooke?
She tried to will down the memory. It was stubborn. Colbie’s hand covered hers and squeezed in reassurance. Tears burned behind her eyes as she squeezed back, grateful for the comfort and the strength. The past faded away, leaving her solidly in the present surrounded by family members she loved.

Life was definitely getting better. She would focus on that. She took a steadying breath, relaxed against the back of the seat and ignored the tingle on the nape of her neck. No way was she going to turn around because she knew it was Liam. The tug of her heart, the pull against her soul and the awareness of him did not relent.

But she was stronger. She straightened her spine, stared straight ahead and forced herself to forget he was in the room.

* * *

After a grim day of testimony, Oscar’s exuberant cheer felt uplifting. With the windows rolled down they drove across town while the Lab ran back and forth from window to window, sniffing and panting. Every now and then he’d poke his nose over the back of the seat to swipe his tongue across Liam’s ear or try to poke into the grocery bag on the front passenger seat.

“Sorry, buddy. Not going to happen.” As he turned right into the neighborhood, he reached over to nudge the sack out of the lab’s reach. “If Gram doesn’t get this ham, she might revoke dog sitting privileges. Is that what you want?”

With a quirk of his doggy brows, Oscar panted happily. Perhaps the only word he’d understood was
ham
.

“You resist the ham, got it? I know it’s tough, but try. Hanging with Gram is a lot better than the kennel at home. I fixed it up real nice, but something tells me you’re not much of a loner.” He chuckled as Oscar panted in agreement. What a great idea it had been to get a dog. The best idea he’d ever had.

“There you are.” Gram straightened from her flowerbeds, clapping dirt from her snazzy pink gardening gloves. She peered at him from beneath her straw hat’s brim. “I heard from your mother not long ago. She said to call her. It was news to her you’d gotten a dog.”

“I’ve been busy.” He grabbed the ham before he climbed out of the truck. He was learning. He opened Oscar’s door. “I’ll call her over the weekend. Look what I have for you.”

“It’s about time. Don’t think I’m up to forgiving that dog of yours.” A hint of a grin curved her disapproving mouth, ruining the pretense. “How about it, dog? Are you gonna help yourself to my ham again?”

Oscar hit the ground on all fours, barking happily. His nose worked as he sniffed the air, harboring ham hopes as his tail zinged back and forth.