Liam slipped out of the cabin the next morning while Emma continued sleeping peacefully. He'd laid there awake for a long time simply staring at her.

She was beautiful.

The bruises her father had placed upon her were gone. She had a small scar above her lip but it only reminded Liam of how lucky he was to still have her.

He couldn't wait to truly get to know the woman who was his wife. He couldn't wait to watch her grow and change as she came out of her shell and broke loose from the bonds her father had placed on her.

Right now, Liam needed to speak with his own father.

He found Patrick in the barn, just rising from his own makeshift bed. "Good morning, son."

"Good morning, Patrick," Liam replied as he scratched at Misty's neck.

Patrick grunted and his joints popped and cracked as he stretched. "How are you feeling?"

Liam rolled his shoulder with a wince. "Sore. But I'll live."

"Who shot you, Liam? Did you see anybody?"

Liam shook his head. "Didn't see him but I know who it was."

Patrick cursed. "Silas?"

Liam simply shrugged and filled a tin cup with oats. "It doesn't matter. I can't prove it was him."

"It does too matter!" Patrick countered, angrily kicking at a stall door. "You damn near died, son!"

"I know that," Liam replied calmly as he poured the oats into Misty's feed trough.

"So that's it? He's just going to get away with it?"

Liam sighed, wiping his hands on his pants. "I don't see anything else I can do."

Patrick mumbled under his breath a while as Liam worked one handed feeding the rest of the animals.

"So there wasn't any trouble here while I was gone?" he finally asked his father.

"No." Patrick grabbed the water bucket. "I'll water them, Liam. You shouldn't be overusing that arm."

Liam reluctantly accepted the help. Patrick headed out of the barn. "There hasn't been any word of or from Silas, or any other mountain man, while you've been gone. We sure as hell didn't expect him to come after you. I figured he was still nursing those broke ribs."

Liam followed after his father. "We'll just have to hope he's done now. And keep an eye and ear out just in case he isn't."

Patrick nodded. "We'll take care of things. Get back in there to your wife. You'll have company riding out shortly."

"Company?" Liam groaned.

"Anita and Lauren. Probably Kyle and Chase as well."

Looked like there wasn't going to be any quiet, privacy or peace in the near future.

Liam walked back inside and found Emma fastening a belt around her waist. She was fully dressed and he felt a twinge of disappointment. He'd been hoping to see her in that thin, white sleeping gown again.

"Good morning," Liam greeted.

Emma smiled and Liam felt his heart stutter. "Good morning, Liam. Ya look much better this morning."

"I'm feeling better. Did you sleep well last night?"

Emma's cheeks reddened as she nodded. "Yes. Did you?"

Liam stepped forward, took her arm gently and pulled her close to him before pressing a tender kiss to her head. "Best night of sleep I've ever had."

Emma smiled and slowly pulled away. "I need to cook some breakfast."

"I feel restless," Liam grumbled. "I want to get work done."

"You need to take it easy. Your shoulder needs to heal."

Liam snorted. "So I keep hearing."

Emma simply shrugged and headed into the kitchen where she had bacon and eggs waiting to fry. Liam picked at the new blanket on the sofa.

"Did you make this?" he asked.

"Yes," Emma replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm just learning... I'm afraid I'm no good at anything more complicated than a blanket or pillow."

Liam grinned. "That's good. I can't make a pillow or a blanket but I can make you clothes if you want them. Just so long as you don't mind wearing furs and skins."

Emma smile brightly and went back to preparing their meal. "I was... I was afraid ya might be angry about me making them," she admitted hesitantly.

"Why would I be angry over some pillows and blankets? I reckon we need both of them to be comfortable at night."

Emma's hands were shaking as she cracked the eggs into a bowl. "I... I didn't have the money to buy the material," she whispered, her voice wavering. "So, I had to purchase them on yer credit. I'm sorry, Liam... I had to buy several things on credit while ya were away.... I hope ya aren't angry..."

Liam sighed. He walked to Emma and spun her around before putting his finger under her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. "I'm not him, Emma, remember? And you're not her. Don't be a scared little mouse with me. I'm your husband. I reckon protector, provider and a whole lot of other things go along with that—good things. Buy what you need. Buy what you want. I want you to be happy."

Emma's blue eyes widened a moment and then she smiled as her body sagged with obvious relief. It was obvious she really had been terrified. His heart hurt to know just how hard her life had been. No one alive deserved that kind of life.

Liam moved away from her to allow her to continue cooking since his stomach was growling loudly. "I should have showed you this before I left but, well, I wasn't thinking clearly." Liam went to the floor beside the fireplace and lifted a loose board. He pulled out a sack of money and Emma's eyes widened.

"Are you rich, Liam?" she gasped.

He couldn't help but laugh. "No, I'm not rich. But I have enough. Where's my saddlebags?"

Emma poured her eggs and cream into a heated skillet and motioned toward the corner. "There, with the rest of your things."

Liam went about adding the money from the job he'd worked into the sack and tucked it all back in its hiding spot. He was damn lucky Silas hadn't raided his belongings and taken that money from him.

Liam wondered a moment as he watched Emma in the kitchen, if he should tell her he suspected her father in his shooting. He quickly decided against it. Emma was scared and frightened enough. She didn't need any added worry.

Unless she asked him directly if Silas shot him, he wasn't going to utter his suspicions.

"You know I don't mind you using credit to get what you needed, Emma, but what about your pies?" Liam asked. "I thought you were selling them?"

Emma shook her head as she scooped the finished eggs onto a large plate. "I haven't been filling any orders."

"Has everyone in town lost their sense of taste?" Liam demanded. Emma's pies were damn near the best thing Liam had ever tasted.

"No... I haven't been taking any orders.. I didn't want to do it without yer permission. My father forbid my mother from working. He said it made him look bad to have his wife making money. I didn't want to do anything to embarrass ya."

Liam sighed and bit his tongue. He was angry. But he had to remind himself that Emma had been raised a certain way and those things weren't going to simply disappear because he wanted them to. He had to have patience with his wife.

"Emma, love, you don't need my permission to bake and sell pies. I'm your husband not your keeper. Hell woman, I'm the one that told you people would pay for them in the first place."

Emma bit her lip. "So you wouldn't mind if I made money?"

Liam chose not to respond and instead just fixed her with a pointed gaze. Emma smiled and rushed forward, throwing her arms around Liam's waist and hugging him tightly.

"Thank ya..."

Liam wrapped his good arm around her. "You don't have to thank me, Emma. But you can hug me anytime you want."

Emma was floating—filled with so much happiness, she couldn't keep her feet on the ground.

Liam was amazing.

She had known he was but somehow it was better than she 'd dreamed and imagined. He was kind, caring, strong and different. So very, very different from what she'd known a husband to be.

He didn't want her to be nothing more than a slave to his needs. He wanted her to do things she enjoyed, make herself happy and even earn money of her own since it made her feel proud and productive.

She was happy that, as they sat and ate their breakfast together, the tension, the anger and the harshness of that day over a month ago was truly behind them.

Just as they were finishing their meal, Emma heard a cart approach the cabin and come to a stop. "That'll be our company," Liam grumbled, sounding less than happy at the idea of visitors.

"Company?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, Patrick said Anita and the girls were coming out. I'm glad Sally and Lauren have still been keeping you company out here."

Emma's heart twisted a bit. "Sally, moved away actually. She married Clarence and they left town and went east the same time ya left for that job."

"Oh..." Liam's voice was flat but his expression spoke volumes. His brown eyes filled with sadness as he gazed at her. "I'm sorry you lost your friend and I wasn't there to help you...."

Emma shrugged as she stood and began cleaning off the table. "It wasn't so bad. She promised to write and I've had Anita, Lauren, Patrick, Kyle and Chase. They've all kept me company. I haven't been lonely."

"Oh."

Now the man looked jealous! Did he want her to be lonely?

There was no time to ask him before Anita came bustling in. "Liam!" she exclaimed. "It sure is good to see you back in the land of the living!"

Liam stood just in time to have his aunt throw her arms around him and squeeze him tightly. Emma nearly spoke up when she saw the pain Liam was in but he met her gaze over Anita's shoulder and her husband smiled while giving the smallest shake of his head.

"I'm alright, Aunt Anita."

"Of course you are!" Lauren agreed, walking into the cabin. "You're Liam McIntyre! It'd take at least ten bullets to kill you!"

Emma felt her stomach flip. "Let's not find out."

"Is there enough breakfast for us? My stomach's done eat my back bone up!" Lauren stated, glancing longingly at the table.

Emma bit her lip. "There's a bit left. It was supposed to be for Patrick but you can have it. I'll make him more..."

"Don't bother," Anita waved her hand. "He's hiding in a hole somewhere and won't be coming out until we're gone if he knows what's good for him...."

"Anita..." Liam's voice was tired.

Anita shrugged as she breezed her way to the table and sat down beside Lauren who was already filling a plate. "I know he's your father, and I know he's been good to Emma, but he's a cad, a scoundrel, a rogue and I hate him—I don't believe that will ever change."

"I'd still like to scalp him for what he did," Lauren agreed.

Emma saw Liam edging toward the door. She knew the man was uncomfortable with so many people in his home and the conversation was far from anything that would make him comfortable.

Anita glanced at Liam as well. "You look pale, nephew. Are you in pain?"

Liam shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "I've had worse."

"Worse than a bullet wound?" Emma asked skeptically as she moved in closer to him. She wasn't sure how Liam would feel if she showed him affection in front of company—she quickly found out how he felt about such things when his arm snaked around her shoulders and he pulled her close to his side.

"Yeah.. there was that time Kyle dropped a hornet's nest on my head when we were boys."

"Or that time you got kicked in the nether regions for looking up June Fallery's skirts in church," Anita chimed in.

Emma felt her ears burned as she flushed bright red and stared up Liam in shock. "Up her skirts? In church?"

Liam simply shrugged. "I was only ten. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"You know I've heard it said that if a man gets hit hard enough in his nether regions, it doesn't work anymore," Lauren noted, before shoving a forkful of eggs into her mouth while grinning mischievously.

Anita choked on the sip of water she'd been taking while Emma gasped audibly and covered her stifled laughter with her hand. Liam cleared his throat. "I didn't get hit that hard," he replied. "And I believe I'm going to go outside a while. Let you women visit." Emma chewed her lip as Liam pulled away from her. He smiled before swooping down and kissing her lips gently.

"Love you, Emma."

Emma stammered several times—she couldn't believe he'd just declared his love for her in front of company! She hadn't thought Liam would be the type for such things.

Her heart swelled and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you too."

With that Liam all but ran for the door to escape the cabin. Lauren was grinning like the cat who got the cream. "Are you sure he didn't get kicked that hard?"

"Lauren!" Anita exclaimed, tossing down her fork. "That's enough of that talk."

Lauren simply shrugged. "It seems like an important thing to know."

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