The next week passed in a blur. After Emma had spent a night crying over Liam, she had decided that she needed to focus on herself. Her mother had told her to build a life—a happy life—and that's what she was going to do.

Liam had admitted, without so many words, that Emma had indeed only been a charity case. That uppity Mrs. Ryan had been correct about that at least.

Emma knew that a part of her heart would always be Liam's. He'd been the first to show her true kindness and caring. She would forever be thankful to him for all he had done. But she had to move on to the life she'd promised her mother she would find.

"Emma, how's the dress coming?" Anita asked, settling herself down on the floral sofa beside her.

Emma held up the monstrosity of a dress to reveal a lopsided neckline and a sleeve growing out of the waist. Anita sighed. "Well that settles it. You're hopeless."

Emma laughed lightly, hiding her embarrassment. "I truly am." What kind of woman couldn't sew?

"It's time for your lessons, sweetheart. They're waiting in the kitchen," Anita told her. "I'll see if there's any hope for this dress," she added, taking the blue chambray horror.

Emma quickly left the room, eager to meet with the tutor. In the week she'd been here, Emma had been taking reading and writing lessons with Lauren.

Their teacher, a middle aged woman with the softest voice Emma had ever heard, reminded Emma of her mother. At first it had hurt to even look at Ms. Evan's, but her kind and gentle spirit had soon overcome Emma's pain and Emma had quickly begun learning.

She could now recite the entire alphabet and was even learning to write most her letters. She even knew each different sound they made. She was quite proud of herself. At seventeen, she was far too old to only now be learning those things, but reading and writing were considered unimportant in the mountains. No one there ever received an education.

"Good morning, Emma!" Ms. Evan's greeted brightly.

"Good morning," Emma replied with a smile. Smiling was something she was doing more and more often.

With every day that passed without seeing or hearing from her father, Emma was healing.

"Do you see this book she wants us to read?" Lauren demanded, holding up a book that had to contain over two-hundred pages. "She's off her rocker!"

Ms. Evans' response was to simply smile. "You'll thank me one day, Lauren."

Lauren mumbled under her breath and slouched in the chair. Ms. Evan's motioned for Emma to sit. "Let's get started."

"Liam, are you okay?"

Liam growled in response to the hesitantly asked question. He glared at his two best friends. They'd known one another since they'd been little more than babes.

"I'm fine, Kyle. Chase, would you please tell Kyle that I'm fine."

Chase grinned a crooked grin. "He's fine, Kyle."

Kyle glared at the man but Chase erased that glare with a quick peck to Kyle's lips. Liam knew the truth about his friends—had always known it. It was a truth that they had to keep hidden from nearly everyone else they knew in order to be accepted.

Chase and Kyle were in love. They were together and had been for as long as any of them could remember.

"He's not okay, Chase," Kyle countered. "Hell, he's always been a quiet recluse but he's worse lately He won't even speak to us!"

Chase tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Liam? Kyle says you're not okay."

Liam tossed down hey in the feed trough. "There you go, Misty," he said, scratching the mare's neck gently.

"Misty?" Kyle asked.

Chase stuck out his tongue with a grimace. "That's a terrible name."

Liam chuckled. "Yeah, I know."

"Did she name her?" Kyle inquired.

When Liam remained silent, Chase snickered. "You remember her, don't you? The woman who's got you so tied up in knots? The one you ordered us to guard like treasure?"

Liam shoved past his friends and stepped out of the barn, breathing in the cold air coming off the mountain. "I never said treasure," he grumbled.

"yeah, you did," Chase insisted. "The day you rode into town with her. You told us to keep a look out for Silas and guard her like treasure."

Liam raised a brow. "Then why are you here instead of there?"

Chase shrugged. "We're bad guards."

"Yeah," Kyle agreed. "That's why we don't have any treasure."

Liam chuckled despite his annoyance.

"She seems to be doing well, in case you were wondering," Kyle stated.

"There's going to be a dance at the barn on the edge of town next weekend," Chase added.

"Why do I care if there's a dance?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "It's a sad day indeed when we know more about women than you do."

Liam shook his head. "I'm not going."

"You should," Kyle insisted. "I think she'd be good for you."

"The girl," Chase spoke up. "Not the dance.... Dancing would be good too though. With the girl, of course. It might help you a bit."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Liam insisted.

Chase sighed, his expression turning sad. "You're lonely, Liam, and it's all because you're scared."

"I'm not scared of anything, Chase."

"Maybe not physically but emotionally you're a damned chicken," Kyle accused.

Liam snorted but couldn't come up with any clever response. His friends had always been better with words than he was... he was definitely at a disadvantage.

"Love isn't your mother and father," Kyle said, sliding his arm around Chase's shoulders. "Look at us? Love can be good."

Liam felt old wounds—wounds he'd kept covered and ignored for a long time ripping open. He glared at his friends and was happy when they both nodded and agreed, without words, to back down.

They knew he liked his privacy and they were crossing a line.

"We didn't mean to piss you off," Kyle apologized.

"Yeah, we just worry about you," Chase added.

Liam sighed and rubbed at his neck. "Don't. I'm fine. Now, if you're done playing matchmaker, Honey and I are going to ride up and hunt for that black horse."

"We'll come along," Kyle offered.

Chase nodded. "Six eyes are better than two."

Liam smiled. His best friends drove him crazy at times but they were two of the best people he knew. He could always count on them when he needed them.

Liam, Chase and Kyle parted ways at the path that led to his cabin that night. It was dark and cold as Liam settled Honey into the barn.

The search had been fruitless and Liam was frustrated.

He stepped up the porch steps and entered the dark, empty cabin.

There were no lights burning. No fire roaring. No supper waiting for him. There were no blue eyes to get lost in and no quiet conversation to pass the time.

Hell.

Liam had always been content alone. Then Emma had come along, spent one night at the cabin and now.....

Now, without her there, it felt less like a home.

Liam hung his gun belt by the door, built a fire to warm up the air and settled down with a handful of smoked venison and hardtack biscuit.

Liam had always enjoyed the solitude. Now, it just seemed lonely.