Mallory looked at me, and I could see the utter confusion in her eyes.
“I think…I’m sorry… I need a minute.”
I stood and pulled her chair out. “Do you want to be alone, or do you want me to come with you?”
She blinked at me a few times. “I…I don’t know.”
MaryAnne suggested, “Liam, why don’t you take Mallory out back for some fresh air.”
“Right,” I said, wrapping my arm around her waist and guiding her through the kitchen and outside. Piper, of course, followed us, never leaving Mallory’s side.
The moment we were outside, Mallory turned and threw herself into my arms, and started to cry.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mallory
My head spun as I tried to absorb everything Randy told me. Chicago? Arcola, Illinois? How in the world had I ended up in Montana?
“Shh, it’s okay, love, I’ve got you,” Liam whispered as he held me tightly against him while I cried my eyes out once again.
When the tears finally stopped flowing, I drew in a breath and took a step back. Liam still held onto me as he bent his head to look into my eyes. “That was a lot to take in. Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure. I feel like I’m outside my body watching all this occur. I don’t know if I’m more relieved or sad to find out who I am. From the sounds of it, I didn’t have anyone in my life. Maybeno onewas looking for me, Liam! Did someone kidnap me from Chicago? Did I leave Chicago and come to Montana on my own? If so, why?”
“Let’s sit down,” Liam said, guiding me to the chairs on the porch. “Take a deep breath and just let it out. Give yourself a few minutes to process.”
Nodding, I drew in one deep breath after another until I felt my heart slowing, along with my breathing.
“Do you want to go to Arcola?”
My head jerked up. “What?”
“We can go there today if you want. Figure out more about who you were—I mean, are—and where you came from.”
I wrapped my arms around my body and stared at him. “You can’t drop everything in your life to whisk me across the country on a wild goose chase.”
“I’mnotdropping everything. I pay people to run this ranch. If I can’t trust them to do it without me for a few days, then I have bigger problems than I thought.”
I smiled wearily. “Why are you even doing this for me?”
He searched my face, and then lifted his hand to my cheek. I felt myself lean into its warmth, and my body relaxed even more at his touch.
“I want to help you, Mallory, because I care about you. I want to help you figure this out, and if it means getting one step closer to finding the person who did this, then I’ll go toHelland back for you.”
I wanted to believe with all my heart that Liam was doing this just forme, but I knew part of him was doing it for Emily. There had to be at least a small hope that she could be alive. And a small part ofmewas jealous…and I knew that was insane. Still…
“You really think there is no chance Emily is alive?” I couldn’t help asking.
His eyes softened, and he slowly shook his head. “I know in my heart Emily isn’t alive. The only thing I can do for her now is find the person who took her from the people who loved her the most. We can’t even be sure it’s the same person who took you.”
Nodding, I looked down at my clasped hands. “I think it is. That necklace…”
He took my hands in his. “I do too. Mallory, I’m not going to lie to you. When Randy said he had a hit, a part of me panicked…because I didn’twantyou to find out who you are. That is so damn selfish of me, and it sounds even worse saying it out loud versus just thinking it. And I know we haven’t known each otherlong, but I…I feel something for you. When I’m not here with you, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, and it’s not simply because I’m worried for your safety. I enjoy being with you.”
Butterflies swarmed in my stomach as I looked into his beautiful eyes. “I thought at first my attraction to you was because you saved me. You literally saved my life. But these last few days, my feelings for you have grown stronger, and I’ve been so worried because if I had someone looking for me, waiting for me…well…that would have sucked. Because I’vereallybeen wanting you to kiss me.”
Liam laced his fingers in mine with one hand and brought my other hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on the back. It sent a bolt of electricity through my entire body, and I shivered in delight.
