CHAPTER 1

THIS is killing me,” Noah said in a grim voice.

Liam sighed and rubbed a weary hand through his hair as he stared back at his friend. “It’s killing me too,” he admitted. “She’s not sleeping, and when she does, she has nightmares. I don’t know what to do. I feel so fucking helpless!”

Noah sipped at the steaming mug of coffee and stared out the glass patio doors leading onto the small deck of the cabin he, Liam and Lauren now shared. When they’d returned to Clyde six weeks ago, they’d known they had to address the issue of housing. There was no way they could continue to stay in Lauren’s tiny efficiency apartment above the clinic in town.

Adam had called in a favor from an old friend who had a cabin just out of town. It was halfway between Clyde and where the older Colters lived up the mountain. The man hadn’t lived in it for some time and only used it as a vacation home once or twice a year. He’d been happy for them to move into it. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do until they could figure out what they wanted as far as a permanent place to live.

There was no question that they’d remain here. Surrounded by Lauren’s family. People who loved her and were a constant source of comfort and solace. But they had a lot to work out. Mainly what the hell he and Liam were going to do in order to support the woman they both loved.

They had money saved. They could definitely make that money last for a long period of time, but it wasn’t infinite. And the last thing Noah wanted was for Lauren to ever want for anything. He’d give her the fucking moon if that’s what she wanted.

“We just have to give her time,” Noah said quietly. “She went through hell. I can still see the fucking shame in her eyes at times, and it pisses me off that we let that son of a bitch get to her. That she spent enough time with him that he abused her. Again.”

Liam nodded, but his eyes were stormy at the reminder of what Joel Knight had done to Lauren.

They hadn’t made love to Lauren since returning home six weeks ago. They hadn’t even made an attempt. With her sleep wracked by nightmares, and the shadows in her eyes present during the waking hours, they hadn’t wanted to push. They’d wait forever if that’s what it took. They weren’t going anywhere. Lauren was it for them.

“He died too quickly,” Liam said savagely.

Noah nodded in agreement.

Both men looked up and went quiet when Lauren walked into the living room. She was wearing a pair of faded flannel pajama bottoms and one of Noah’s T-shirts. He softened as he took in the fatigue in her eyes. He liked seeing his shirt on her. Like he was wrapped around her every minute.

“Morning,” she said in a low voice.

She even managed a smile, but Noah knew she had to be exhausted. She’d woken him and Liam up just after midnight with soft whimpering. She had been greatly distressed, and when they’d finally managed to wake her, she’d been shaky and distraught.

In a voice that still made Noah’s gut tighten, she’d lashed out, asking why? Why was she still plagued by Joel Knight? Why couldn’t she just forget and move on? He was dead. Could never hurt her again. She resented the hold he had on her even from the grave.

Liam rose and strode toward where Lauren stood. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. Then he leaned down to brush a kiss across her mouth.

“Good morning, baby. How are you today?”

At least he hadn’t asked her a really dumbass question like, How did you sleep?

“Better,” she whispered.

She must have seen the doubt in Noah’s face, because she smiled and then pulled away from Liam to cross over to where Noah sat. He reached for her, pulling her down into his lap, his arms wrapped securely around her.

“I really am,” she said.

He kissed her temple and squeezed. “Glad to hear it.”

“Aren’t Dillon and Seth coming this morning?” she asked.

Noah nodded. The two men had called the night before and asked to come out this morning.

“Is anything wrong?” she asked, her expression troubled.

Noah squeezed her again. “Not at all. They said they had something they wanted to discuss with me and Liam. Didn’t expound. But I’m sure it’s nothing.”

She didn’t look convinced. “It just seems odd that they’d both come all the way out here with Lily being so close to her delivery. With her on bed rest until she goes into labor, her husbands haven’t so much as left her side.”

Noah hadn’t considered that, and now that Lauren brought it up, he too wondered what the two men wanted. Lily had been placed on bed rest three weeks earlier when she’d begun having contractions. Her husbands had wanted to move her to Denver immediately so she’d be close to a large hospital, but she’d been adamant that she wanted to be here. Surrounded by her family. Her husbands hadn’t liked it, but they couldn’t refuse her anything. And Noah was sure they wanted their family with them when the first Colter grandchild was born as well.

A knock sounded at the door, and Lauren yanked her head up and then looked down at her pajamas and grimaced.

“I’m going to go jump in the shower while you talk to Seth and Dillon.”

Noah kissed her again as Liam headed for the door. “Don’t worry, okay? I’m sure nothing is wrong or they would have come out and said so rather than make a deal out of coming out to talk to us.”

She nodded and smiled, her eyes brightening. She leaned down after she rose from his lap, and kissed him long and sweet.

“I love you,” she whispered against his mouth.

“Love you too, sweetheart.”

She hurried toward the bedroom and closed the door just as Liam returned to the living room, Seth and Dillon right behind him.

Noah rose to shake the two men’s hands before motioning for them to sit on the couch in the small living room.