Page 72 of Shattered Melodies

Liam’s breath caught, his eyes widening slightly. And for a moment, just a split second, I saw it. That old heat, that familiar spark that had once set my whole world on fire.

But then he blinked, and it was gone. Hidden behind a mask of cool composure, a wall that I couldn’t quite breach.

“Yeah, well,” he said, shrugging. “I guess we all need someone to watch our backs sometimes.”

I felt my heart sink, felt the weight of all the things left unsaid settling heavy on my chest. Because he was right. We all needed someone, needed that connection and that care.

But we had lost that, Liam and me. Had let it slip away in the face of fear and pride and the endless, aching wounds of the past. And now, standing here in the middle of my ranch, I didn’t know if we could ever get it back. Didn’t know if we could ever find our way to each other again, across the miles and the years and the endless, echoing silence.

But looking at him now, seeing the way the light caught in his eyes and the way his hands gentle on Peanut’s fur, I knew I had to try. Knew that I couldn’t let him walk away again, not without a fight.

“Listen, Liam,” I said, my voice low and intense. “I know things didn’t end well between us. I know there’s a lot of hurt and anger and unfinished business that we need to deal with.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand, cutting him off.

“But I also know that I never stopped caring about you,” I continued, my heart pounding in my chest. “Never stopped wondering what might have been, if things had been different.”

Liam’s expression shifted, the vulnerability in his eyes replaced by a flicker of irritation. He took a step back, cradling Peanut closer to his chest like a shield.

“You can go now,” he said, his tone clipped and cool. “Leave me and Peanut alone.”

I could feel the tension radiating off of Liam in waves. The confusion, the anger, the hurt that he was trying so hard to hide behind a mask of indifference.

I got it. I did. This whole situation was a mindfuck, a blast from the past that neither of us had seen coming. If he wanted to be prickly and standoffish, then so be it. I could handle it. I’d handled worse.

The key was patience. Patience and persistence, two things I’d learned the hard way over the years. I just had to keep chipping away at those walls, keep showing up and being there, even when he was doing his damnedest to keep me at arm’s length.

“I can’t leave,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets and rocking back on my heels. “Hank told me to come fetch you so I could show you the ropes around the ranch.”

Liam sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine,” he grumbled. “But only teaching and nothing else.”

I grinned, throwing up my hands in a gesture of innocence. “Hey, I’m just here to be your tour guide, city boy. No funny business, scout’s honor.”

He rolled his eyes, but I could see the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Like you were ever a boy scout.”

“Ouch,” I said, clutching my chest in mock offense. “You wound me, Liam. I’ll have you know I was a very dedicated scout. Earned all my badges and everything.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’m sure you were a regular Eagle Scout.”

I laughed, the sound echoing off the rafters of the barn. “Alright, alright. You got me. I was more of a troublemaker than a do-gooder back in the day.”

Liam snorted, shaking his head. “Why does that not surprise me?”

I just shrugged, a mischievous glint in my eye. “What can I say? I’ve always had a bit of a rebellious streak.”

“I remember and more like a mile-wide stubborn streak,” Liam muttered, but there was no heat behind the words.

“Tomato, to-mah-to,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “Now come on, let’s get this show on the road. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and daylight’s wasting.”

I turned on my heel and strode out of the barn, not waiting to see if Liam was following. I knew he would be, even if it was just out of a sense of obligation to Hank.

And sure enough, a few seconds later I heard the scuff of his boots on the dirt, the soft jingle of Peanut’s collar as he hurried to catch up.

“So, where to first, oh wise and fearless leader?” he asked, falling into step beside me.

I shot him a sidelong glance, a smirk tugging at my lips. “Oh, I thought we’d start with something easy. You know, ease you into the whole ranch life thing.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, looking vaguely alarmed. “Why do I get the feeling that your definition of ‘easy’ is very different from mine?”

---