Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) by Lisa Mondello Page B

“He’s a lot younger than me, Beau and Cody. It’s almost as if Brock grew up on his own. I don’t care how old or how famous he gets. He’s always going to be my kid brother.”
    “And you’ll always look out for him?”
    With a shrug, he said, “I don’t need to anymore. Josie’s got that all covered.”
    Her stomach squeezed with envy. “Yeah, I guess she does. They make a nice couple. Looks like you’ll have another family wedding to look forward to when his tour is over.”
    Jackson glanced at her without saying anything. He reached his hand across the seat and covered hers with his. That only added to the heaviness of her heart. She pulled her hand away from his comfort.
    “It won’t always be like this,” he said quietly.
    “What’s that?”
    “That feeling that you’re all alone.”
    “But I am all alone.”
    “I’m here.”
    Tears burned her eyes so she turned her face toward the window. For weeks she’d been battling reality. Jackson investigation had threatened the one person she still had left. Cole. And yet, he was telling her he was here.
    “Today you are. You’ll be leaving Liberty soon.”
    He sighed slowly. “I heard what Josie said to you. You could give me a reason to stay, Libby.”
    Libby closed her eyes, wanting to believe that there was hope for something more than the hand DNA had dealt her.
    “Your family is important to you.”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “You want to have a family of your own someday.”
    “Of course. A whole big brood of Gentrys. Doesn’t every man want that?”
    She swallowed. “I guess.”
    “You guess? Don’t you want a family?”
    “Of course.”
    What shocked Libby, was that for the first time in her life, she actually had a face to go with that elusive person she’d dreamed about one day having a child with. And that thought terrified her to the core.
    It was well after midnight when they arrived back at the ranch. Rather than have Jackson drive back to the motel, she’d offered him the bed in the spare room that used to be John’s bedroom.
    Knowing that he was sleeping just a few feet away from her bedroom made her restless. As she tossed in bed, a war she couldn’t avoid continued to rage inside her. She was falling in love with Jackson.
    She recalled a saying her mother had said once when she was working in the yard. It was only days before she’d finally succumbed to cancer. The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel.
    All Libby could think was that the closer she got to falling in love with Jackson, the more terrified she felt. Alive, yes. But terrified just the same. Unable to just stay in bed any longer, she tossed the blanket off her body, grabbed her bathrobe and went downstairs.
    * * *
    The breeze coming up the stairway from the open front door was alarming. Jackson had heard Libby’s bedroom door open and then heard her feet on the floor. But what was she doing outside at this time of the night?
    He stepped outside, careful to shut the screen to keep out the bugs, and then glanced around the porch in the dark.
    “Libby?”
    She moved only slightly. Her white cotton bathrobe moved enough so he could make it out in the dark. Her body was leaned against the porch rail as she looked up at the stars. His eyes were drawn to where she was looking. Without the moon, the stars were brilliant and mesmerizing.
    “It’s beautiful,” she finally said.
    “Yes, it is.”
    “Sometimes when there’s a new moon like this, I come out here for hours. I love the sounds of the night. It’s like these stars are watching over all creatures, keeping them safe.”
    Jackson walked over and stood beside her, feeling the heat of her body stronger than the heat of the Texas night. When he bent his head to look at her, he saw her cheeks were wet.
    His heart ached for her. She’d gone through so many losses and his investigation had only made matters worse. It took every bit of strength he had not reach out and pull her into his arms. He