Page 183 of Beneath the Mountain Sky
Instead, deep lines mar the corners of his eyes, dark circles beneath them.
I don’t think he’s slept well in a year.
He certainly hasn’t been himself in that time…
My heart aches for him and for what he’s suffering because I understand it better than anyone.
Nightmares still plague me.
Waking me with violent screams, cold sweats, and a racing heart.
Though they’ve grown less frequent as time has passed, they’re still there—those memories that create the dark places. But I’m not as afraid of them anymore. I’m more in control of the darkness and shedding light in a way that makes it less scary.
Yet for Liam, it seems to have only gotten worse. And despite all our best efforts, his refusal to see Dr. Bird like I do, to get any sort of help to deal with the mental trauma he suffered, has become a source of argument and frustration on the McBride homestead.
But I’m not getting into it with him again today.
Not when I know Killian is exhausted from his hours spent in the sun doing the demonstration, and Niall would sleep so much better in his own crib at home.
Killian motions to Liam, catching his attention and pointing toward the mountain to let him know we’re headed home.
Liam inclines his head but waves us off.
There isn’t any sign of Connor.
I scan the crowd again. “Where did Connor go?”
Killian runs his hand through his sweat-dampened hair again, keeping it out of his face as the summer breeze tries to whip it in all directions. “Who knows? He’s been crabbier than usual lately. Maybe he went to work off some steam. God knows he hates being surrounded by this many people almost as much as I do.”
He tries to sound annoyed, but I know him too well.
Killian loves McBride Mountain and the people in it because he cares about things like this.
I step into him, not caring that he’s still slick with sweat.
He glances down, his eyes heating.
Resting my hand over his bare chest, I trail a finger across McBride Mountain. “Yet…you still do it.” I push up on my tiptoes and lean in to kiss him the best I can with Niall between us. “You take care of this town and these people, even if most of them are afraid of you.”
He snorts and kisses me deeply, his tongue twisting along mine until my body heats not just from the early summer sun. Then he pulls back, issuing a low growl. “I can’t wait to get you home. I have something for you.”
“You do?”
He nods. “Let’s go.”
I’m not about to argue with that look in his eye, the promise that underlies it.
He pulls my hand into his and tugs me along Main Street, weaving between the tourists. People stop to clap him on the back and tell him how great the carving looks. Something that even a year ago, they might not have done for fear of how he would react.
Because what happened on the mountain between us, finding our son, has changed him, allowed him to open up more and accept the possibility that he can stop being a grump and still command the respect due to him as the patriarch of McBride Mountain.
We move past the old newspaper building, but instead of the usual empty glass, tan paper covers the windows.
“Oh.” I pull Killian to a stop. “It looks like something might be going into the newspaper building.”
He raises a brow. “Maybe?”
“I’ll have to ask Raven. If anyone knows, it would be her.”
