Page 6 of I’ll Be There (Montana Fire #4)

The tiny bureau mirror only caught the bodice, so Raina opened the door. “Stay there.” She went out into the family room and moved aside one of the couches. She pulled off a thick cushion and tossed it onto the floor. “Come, stand on this.”

Liza swished out into the family room and stepped onto the cushion for elevation.

Raina disappeared into the bathroom. She returned in a moment carrying the full-length mirror formerly attached to the back of the door.

“Now, take a look.”

Mona and Grace had fanned out the train, made of layers of flowing organza.

Under the glow of the early afternoon sun glinting off the mirror and onto the beads, her dress turned to a kaleidoscope of color.

The bodice hugged her body, accentuating her curves, and the skirt of the dress fell away in elegant waves.

Gorgeous. Except, of course, for the scar, still an ugly, deep pink, furrowing up her arm. “I need the jacket.” The bouquet would cover up the deep grooves in her mangled hand.

Mona said nothing as she helped Liza shrug into the organza jacket, the wispy fabric folding just above her wrists, the beaded edge a match for the decorations on her bodice.

In this light, with strands of her dark hair falling to her shoulders, the dress only highlighted her ivory skin, her deep brown eyes.

She was going to be a bride. In three days, marry Conner Young.

The reception could take place under the lights of the local football field for all she cared.

“Oh, Liza, you’re so beautiful.”

The voice stilled her, and she pressed her hands to her stomach as she turned.

Conner stood in the doorway, gazing at her as if for the first time, so much emotion in his eyes.

The intensity of it reached inside her, tugged.

In that moment it was just Conner, blue eyes, blond hair, wearing a disheveled T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, a two-day grizzle on his face, advancing toward her as if in awe.

Her man, arriving on the scene to quiet her world.

He had that power—to trumpet into a room, sweep all the air from her lungs, and hold her willingly captive with the magic of his smile. Those eyes reaching through her, finding her wounds to heal them.

“You’re here,” she whispered.

“Finally.” He didn’t slow, just came right to her and swung her into his arms, one easy motion, so right and perfect, she simply sank into him.

He kissed her without preamble, without stopping to ask, to look in her eyes, just a diving in as if hungry, needy—her man, gone to battle and back home again.

Conner.

He smelled of rain, his own musk, and tasted of coffee, sweet. She shuddered at the tiny delicious bite to his touch.

Yes, finally, finally here, in her arms. Yes. Now everything would be perfect.

He came up for air. “I’m sorry I’m late.” He set her down, but caught a strand of her hair in between his fingers. “We had a bit of...trouble.”

“ You’re in trouble, dude!” Grace stepped up. “You’re not supposed to see the bride in her wedding dress before the big day.”

His face hollowed. “Oh, uh.”

Then he cupped his hand over his eyes. “I’m not looking.”

Oh, she loved him. Liza rose on her tiptoes and covered his mouth with another kiss, sweet, containing promise. “Don’t go anywhere.”

She hustled back to the bedroom.

Grace helped her out of the gown, hanging it up on the satin hanger. “So, now what do you think?”

“It’s still a latte,” Liza said, pulling on her shirt, her jeans. “But...” She touched the dress, the soft material sliding through her fingers. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Atta girl,” Mona said.

She came out of the bedroom and found Conner looking at the pile of RSVPs. He raised an eyebrow as Reuben, Pete, and Jed, his groomsmen, each caught her in a hug.

Pete had helped save her life this summer after the grizzly attack.

“So, you’re really going to marry this guy?” Pete said, voice laced with faux incredulity. “I’m available and ready to make a run for it with you.”

“Sorry, Pete. I’m not sure I could keep up with you.”

Pete glanced at Conner, now looking at the programs she’d designed.

Um, yeah, she heard the question reverberating in her head. Can I keep up with Conner?

Her throat thickened, and she walked over to him, slid her hand into his. “Are you hungry?”

“Famished.” Conner pressed a kiss to her hair. “And, I need to talk to you. Can we walk down to World’s Best and get a donut?”

She glanced at Grace, who nodded, as if saying I got this.

“Mmmhmm.”

Something about the way the guys looked at Conner as they walked out raised the tiny hairs on her neck.

Weird.

They hit the sidewalk, and he reached for her hand. Gripped it tighter than she expected, as if needing to hold on.

“You okay?”

He nodded, but didn’t look at her as they walked down to the main road, crossed it, and headed along the harbor to downtown.

She’d moved to Deep Haven a decade and a half ago to help Mona start up her bookstore and coffee shop by setting up her pottery shop in the tiny yellow house they’d rented together.

Mostly because she didn’t have anywhere else to go, frankly, but Deep Haven had welcomed her, influenced her pottery, given her friends. Family.

She loved the cry of the gulls over the harbor, the sight of bridal-white sailboats moored against the deep blue of Lake Superior.

The Tavern grill had fired up for the season, hickory and barbecue seasoning the breeze.

Tourists lounged on the rocky shore, their children firing stones into the surf, some of them skipping through frothy waves.

“We were...in a car crash.”

She stopped, and the motion turned him back to her. “What?”

For the first time, she noticed the lines around his eyes, fatigue in his voice. “We hit the storm head-on, and a car next to us spun out and flipped. A kid was killed, a passenger.”

“Oh, Conner.” She took his other hand now. “I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”

He shook his head, then leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. She felt his breath on her face, ragged, thick as if struggling.

“What’s the matter?” She led him over to a nearby bench.

He sank down. Let go of her hands and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees, covering his face. “I just keep thinking of Justin. And how he should be here.”

His brother. Yes, of course. She put her arms around him as if she could hold him together.

The last time she’d seen him this unraveled, he’d been trying to keep her alive, her blood soaking his shirt, his hands. Him, begging her to live.

“I miss him.”

“I know. And I’m so sorry.”

He drew in a breath. “You know, the last time I saw him face-to-face, we had a fight? He didn’t want me to go into Special Forces.

I told him that when he quit the NSA, I’d start listening.

He went undercover shortly after that and.

..” He ran a hand through his hair. “I wish I could take that back.”

For a long moment, they sat listening to the hush of the waves upon the rocky shoreline, dogs barking as they chased the gulls, children laughing. The sun warmed their skin.

He finally leaned back, reached out, and pulled her to himself, his body warm, solid. He kissed her temple. “I love you.”

“I love you. And now that you’re here, it’s going to be okay.”

He stayed silent. Maybe too long.

“Right?”

He took her face in his hands. “Absolutely. Everything is going to be perfect. I promise.”

She made a face.

“Uh oh. Now I’m worried. What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing, just...we have to find a new venue for the reception. And, my dress looks like I spilled coffee on it.”

“I thought you looked gorgeous.”

“And there’s that—you weren’t supposed to see me. It’s like an omen.”

“I don’t believe in those, and neither do you.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “I was sort of worried you wouldn’t show up.”

He raised an eyebrow. “For our wedding ?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I just know how much you’re giving up for me, and...I don’t know, Conner. You love firefighting and...”

He was frowning now. “Yes, I do...”

“And, well, I...we haven’t really talked about what’s happening after the wedding, and—”

“Oh, I know exactly what’s happening after the wedding,” he said, and something dark and rich came into his eyes. He touched her chin. “Every tiny detail.” He leaned in then and brushed his lips against hers.

His touch stirred a flame through her, alighting every nerve, and she found her hands against his chest, too aware of this man’s amazing, work-toned body, the way he held her, one arm around her as if afraid she might escape, the other touching her face, fingertips searching the bones in a soft caress.

“Three days,” he said, his voice husky in her ear, and his breath on her skin made her tremble.

She pushed away from him. “Okay, listen. That’s not what I was talking about.”

He grinned up at her, his eyes gleaming. “Oh, sad.”

“I’m serious, Conner. We don’t know...I mean, there’s so much we haven’t discussed. Like—where are we going to live?”

He stilled. “Um, Montana?”

“Oh.” Her voice emerged just a little defeated, and he responded with a painful, confused wince.

Oh ?

“I just...I thought...” She so didn’t want to hurt him. “I love Deep Haven. I...I don’t want to leave here.”

“I know, babe.”

She closed her eyes against the sudden burn. “We’re so not ready for this.”

He stared at her, stricken. “What are you talking about?” He took her hands. “Babe, we’re ready. I love you, you love me—”

“And now you sound like a Hallmark movie. It’s not that easy.

” She got up, turned her back to him. “I knew what I signed up for when...well, when I fell in love with you.” She ran her hands up her arms, felt his catch her fingers as he edged up behind her.

“But after everything, I...I worry about you out there jumping fire. It’s like a poison, infecting every thought.

Consuming me.” She wove her fingers through his.

“I don’t know how to reconcile my fears with my love for you. ”

His husky musk rose, surrounded her, his chest solid against her back. Wow, she loved him. And perhaps that’s what scared her the most. Until she met Conner, she’d been contentedly single.

Now she nearly didn’t recognize herself with her need for him.

He wrapped his arms around her, drew her back against himself. She wound her hands around his forearms, rubbing her thumbs against the sinews, so much corrugated muscle, and watched as the waves broke against the shore, spraying the air in a haze of mist.

He kissed the top of her head. “Me either. I can’t get the.

..the attack out of my head. It’s like—” He blew out a breath, so much of it containing her exact emotions.

“I can’t think about how close I came to losing you.

” On the tail of his words, his body tremored, as if fighting to hold in the memory, keep it from leaking out, from destroying all their healing.

She tightened her hold on him, said nothing. Because to break open the seal, to talk about it—well, it simply opened the wounds, gave them power.

Reminded her that she’d never really be whole again.

He smiled, reassuring her. “But I’m fine now. Or I will be in a few days.”

“What if...what if I stayed here this summer while you jump fire, and then—”

“Shh. No, babe. I got this. Trust me.” Then he turned her. Pressed his lips to hers, something powerful, nearly ferocious in his touch, as if to silence her.

And she kissed him back just the same.

Because with everything inside her, she longed to believe him.