The next few days were the best Emma had ever had. She learned so much about Liam. She learned about his childhood and family relationships and certain things that had made Liam the man he was today.

She loved his quiet, gentle nature. His peaceful strength.

She was lying awake in his arms, watching him sleep soundly beside her. The sun came through the window, shining on his sharply angled jaw, accenting the stubble growing there.

Her husband was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life.... And he was so patient. Not once had Liam pushed her to do anything more than simply lay curled up together while the slept at night.

She suspected one reason behind that might be the fact that his shoulder was still paining him.... But she knew that wasn't all of it. Liam was giving her time—waiting until she was ready.

Emma wasn't sure if she was ready to take the next step.... She knew she was expected to. As a wife, it was her duty to tend to her husband's needs.... but would it hurt? Emma had only ever seen the rough and cruel side of what happened between a man and wife. Her mother had made it sound as if it were a miserable, painful experience for a woman while the man seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Why? Why would a man enjoy something that pained his wife? Surely Liam wouldn't be that way.... Maybe lovemaking wasn't always painful for a woman. Maybe it all depended on her partner.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Liam's sleepy voice questioned.

Emma smiled. His eyes were still closed and she hadn't realized he was awake. "How do ya know I'm thinking?"

"Because you're awake and you're always thinking when you're awake."

"Is there something wrong with a thinking woman?" Emma teased. That was something else Liam had begun to bring out of her. A playful, teasing, joking side that she hadn't realized she possessed.

Liam chuckled, his arm tightening around her. "Nothing at all."

"Are we going into town today?"

Liam's eyes opened and he raised a brow. "Are you eager to get away from me?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "No, I want you to come with me."

Liam laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "I don't think I want to go anywhere. I'm enjoying being here with you too much."

Emma blushed and averted her gaze as she chewed at her lip. "And I've enjoyed being with ya too. But..... I need to get orders and supplies. And I'd like to visit Anita. I haven't been in town since we brought ya back from the docs and I think it'd be good for folks to see that ya are up and around and alive and well...."

Liam silenced her ramble by pressing his lips to hers in a feather light graze. Emma instantly fell silent as her breath was stolen and she forgot how to speak.

"Aw, hell lady," Liam growled as he pulled away. Then, before Emma could speak, he was on her again. This kiss was firmer, more intense and it consumed her.

Instantly her body responded with an ache and a longing for something she knew that only Liam could give her.

Liam hand smoothed the hair from her face and he pulled her body flush to his. All doubts and worries seemed to vanish from Emma's mind. This was Liam and he would never hurt her for his own selfish pleasure...

And, judging by the aching pleasure that his kiss and closeness were building within her, lovemaking with Liam would be something amazing.

Liam's fingertips trailed down her cheek and danced along her neck. Emma trembled as he left flames across her shoulder. He pulled away and looked into her eyes, clearly asking permission to move his touch lower.

Emma swallowed hard and nodded. Liam's eyes darkened and his lips were once again stealing her ability to think. Those calloused fingers moved lower, brushing her hardened nipple through the thin fabric of her nightdress and causing her to gasp against his mouth.

His grin was devilish and full of mischief as he pulled away once again. "Do you want me to stop?"

Emma shook her head and surprised herself by pressing herself tighter to him.

As Liam moved in to kiss her once again, the cabin door opened. "Oh hell! Damn. I'm sorry....."

Emma and Liam flew apart and Emma pulled the blanket tight around her as Liam stood from the bed and clenched his fists. "Hell Patrick, don't you know how to knock?"

"I.. well yeah, of course.. but I didn't know you'd be busy."

Emma's face was burning as she fought the urge to completely bury herself beneath the blanket. Liam grumbled. "Why did you come in? Is something wrong?"

Emma wanted to remind Liam that his father lived on the property and had the right to come and go from the house but she didn't believe now would be the time to have that conversation.... And she wasn't in any hurry to speak and draw any further attention to herself just now.

"Nothing's wrong." Patrick wrung his hands and kept his gaze on the wall behind them as he shifted his feet. "Company is riding in so I wanted to let you know before they got here."

"More company?" Liam shook his head. "I miss the days when I folks avoided me."

"Did you recognize who was coming, Patrick?" Emma asked.

"Anita. I'm gonna slip out the back and be real busy in the woods for a while."

Emma smiled. "Don't ya think it's time the two of ya faced each other and made peace?"

Patrick's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "No, ma'am, I do not."

"Well go on then." Liam motioned for the back door. "Eventually, maybe I'll get some alone time with my wife."

Emma watched Patrick make a quick escape before she got out of the bed. Liam was dressed in only the trousers he'd worn to bed and the sight of his lean, hard body did nothing to ease the fire inside hers.

"We could tell her we don't feel well and don't want visitors today...." She offered.

Liam stared hard at her a moment before chuckling. "She won't fall for it," he assured her. "If I tell Anita we don't feel well, she'll insist on staying and tending to us until we're feeling better."

Emma chewed her lip as her gaze dropped with disappointment. Liam stepped to her and pulled her against his chest. "Don't worry, Emma. Starting tonight, we aren't going to be using that bed just for sleeping."

Emma trembled in his arms, laying her hand gently on the crisp white bandage around his shoulder, the color contrasting sharply with his tanned skin. "Promise?"

"Oh hell, woman...." Liam swallowed hard and a low growl rumbled from his chest. "Yeah, I promise."

A knock on the door signified Anita's arrival. Liam sighed and grabbed his shirt off the back of the sofa. "I'll go out and visit while you get dressed.... And then she's yours while I find some quiet."

Emma nodded. "Sounds fair enough," she agreed, knowing that Liam was a solitary person who didn't enjoy visitors and had had far too many lately.

"Just a minute," Liam called. He kissed her brow gently, slid into his shirt, yanked on his boots and went to the door. He slipped outside and closed it behind him, with Anita's voice already filling the morning quiet.

Emma dressed quickly. She knew that Liam was at his limits when it came to entertaining. Every day since he'd awaken, someone had been out to visit. If it wasn't Anita, it was Kyle and Chase, or the preacher from town named Ben. And Patrick lived there as well, meaning there was never that quiet privacy that Liam needed.

Sometimes Emma wondered if he would resent her being there.... She hoped not. She hoped that her company would be something he wished for.

Emma fixed her hair and rushed out to the porch to relieve her husband. "Good morning, Anita."

Anita smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Good morning, Emma. I'm sorry if I interrupted something."

Emma felt as if her ears would burst into flames. "No... no, ya didn't interrupt anything."

"Well good." Anita clapped her hands. "We're going to go to town today, Emma. Have a lady's day."

Emma glanced at Liam. "Liam and I were going to go...."

Liam shook his head quickly. "No, that's okay. You and Anita go, have fun and enjoy yourselves." He held up his hand. "Wait here a minute."

Emma watched Liam disappear inside and he returned a moment later with money. "Have fun. Treat yourself. You deserve it. Get whatever you want and all the supplies you'll need for your orders. Okay?"

Emma chewed her lip as she glanced down at the money. "A...are ya sure?"

Liam's gaze went to the sky. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Emma nodded as she took the money from his hand and placed it in her skirt pocket. "Are ya sure you'll be okay while I'm gone?"

"I'm sure, Emma. I've been taking care of myself a long time," he assured her gently.

Anita took her arm and smiled warmly. "Come on now, Emma. Absence will make your hearts grow fonder."

Despite her hesitation to lave Liam home alone, Emma ended up having a wonderful time in town with Anita. They visited the boarding house, spent time with Lauren, did a bit of shopping and ate lunch at the café.

Emma felt as if she were a new person. She was no longer so afraid of the crowds or everyone she passed. She was able to smile and greet those she walked past. She was a married woman with a newfound confidence.

"I have several orders. I need to stop in at the mercantile before we go back to the cabin so I can get supplies," Emma stated, noticing that the sun was getting a bit lower in the sky. She couldn't believe she'd been in town so long.

Anita nodded. "Alright then. And then we better get you home before your husband decides to come looking."

Anita pulled the cart to a stop in front of the mercantile and the pair made their way inside. Emma gave the list of supplies she needed to the store keep before making her way to the fabrics on display at the back of the store.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Emma frowned and spun around when a voice spoke behind her. Her eyes widened when she recognized Bethany standing there with a sneer on her red lips. Emma had nearly forgotten the woman existed. She hadn't seen her since the night of the dance so long ago.

"Hello Bethany," she greeted, quickly turning back to her fabric. Emma did not want confrontation—the thought of an argument frightened her terribly.

Bethany huffed. "Don't turn your back on me," she snapped.

Emma turned slowly to face her once more. She glanced toward the counter to see that Anita was deep in conversation with a lady there and hadn't seemed to noticed that Bethany had cornered her.

"I'm only doing some shopping," Emma insisted, hoping to somehow avoid a fight.

Bethany yanked the fabric from her hands and curled her nose. "You shouldn't be. That fabric is hideous."

Emma chose not to respond. She'd learned from experience in her life that most often, responding to such goading only made things worse.

"I'm surprised to see you around," Bethany continued, as she tossed the fabric back onto the display table. "The last I'd heard about you, you'd gone back to where you belonged up on that mountain with your poor ol' pa."

Emma frowned. "Where have ya been?" she asked, wondering how Bethany could have missed all that had happened since that night.

Bethany fussed with her bright red hair. "I was on holiday back east. That's something that well-bred folks with money tend to do to escape the stresses of mingling with lesser folks."

Emma rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath as she realized she had no reason to be threatened by Bethany. Liam was her husband. He was out of Bethany's reach—and Bethany didn't even know it.

"I was only with my pa a matter of hours before Liam came and got me."

Bethany's face reddened; nearly matching the color of her hair. "Emma Hawke, you belong on that mountain."

Emma stood her ground, despite the shaking of her legs. "Actually, it's Emma McIntyre now."

The shriek that escaped Bethany's mouth was terrifying and certainly not ladylike or poised in the least. Emma flinched and cowered against the fabric table.

Anita immediately hustled over. "What's going on here? Please, place a cork in your mouth, Bethany. No one wants to hear that racket."

"How could you marry him?" Bethany demanded, her fists clenching. "How could an ignorant mountain girl like you come down here and take the one decent man this town has to offer? Liam is mine!"

"Oh poppycock!" Anita exclaimed with a wave of her hand. "My nephew has never had any more interest in you than a dog has in a cabbage head."

Bethany crossed her arms over her chest and stared hard at Emma. "When did this marriage take place?"

Emma chewed at her lip and dropped her gaze. "The night of the dance."

"I heard that Liam left shortly after the dance to deliver a herd of cattle."

"He did."

Bethany laughed, the harsh, pointed sound ringing in Emma's ears. "You poor ignorant girl. Liam only married you out of pity! He saw you hurting at your father's hands would be my guess and he married you because he felt bad for you. Then he left right after. Bored of you already?"

Emma shifted her feet as a rock settled into her gut and her throat seemed to clog. She felt her lip trembling. The last thing Emma wanted to do was cry in front of Bethany.

Bethany stepped closer. "Liam is a man. A real man. An ignorant piece of mountain trash can't satisfy a man like Liam. Soon he'll come looking for a woman more suited to his needs and I'll be waiting."

"Spoken like a true whore," Anita spat.

The color drained from Bethany's face as her jaw dropped. "What did you just call me?" she hissed.

Anita shrugged. "I called you exactly what you are. You prance around town as if you're something special but everyone knows that the only people you're special to are the men with low standards—the good men see your kind and steer clear. And there's not a single man in this town that's going to marry you, Bethany."

"And why's that?" Bethany whispered, her voice tight.

Anita smiled. "Because they aren't going to buy a cow when they can sample all the milk for free." Anita took Emma's arm gently. "Let's go now, sweetheart. Liam will be expecting us."

Emma nodded, feeling very grateful for Anita and the protection the other woman provided. The two began to walk away but Emma felt Bethany's hand close on her wrist and she stopped to look at her.

"Don't listen to that fat old bird," Bethany sneered, glaring at Anita before turning her gaze back to Emma. "Liam enjoyed my milk very much and he'll be back for much much more before it's over."

With that, Bethany stormed away.

As Anita led Emma outside and they boarded the wagon, Anita kept speaking reassuringly and insisting that Emma not pay Bethany any attention.

Emma simply nodded but as she curled up into herself on the cart seat and watched the passing scenery, she couldn't help but feel doubtful and sick.

The fact remained that Liam had married her when he had simply to save her life—if not for her father nearly killing her, the two of them would not have been married when they were.

And Emma honestly had no idea how to please a man—she was terrified that she would let him down and he would go running to a woman like Bethany, who clearly knew what men liked.

And had Liam and Bethany been together before? Images flashed through her imagination and caused Emma's gut to burn. Tears threatened to pour from her eyes but sheer will power held them at bay.

At least until they pulled up to the cabin and Liam stood up from the porch chair with a smile on his face. "Did you two have a good time?"

Emma let out a choked sob, unable to fight back her emotions any further. Without a word, she leapt from the cart and dashed past Liam, to hide herself inside the cabin.

No matter how badly Emma wanted to believe her happiness and life with Liam were real and lasting—she knew it was pointless. She couldn't compete with a woman like Bethany.