Liam

by Cynthia Woolf

  “None for me, thanks” said Liam, shaking his head at the glass in question. “That’s what got me here to begin with.”

  “I thought you wanted to get married sooner rather than later.” Jake leaned on the sideboard

  “I did…do, but I wanted Eleanor to want it too. She doesn’t. She feels trapped.”

  “Ah, I understand, but you’re not going to do anything that might stop the wedding.”

  “No. I want it and want it now. Eleanor and Nathaniel are not safe where they are and I want them to move into the cabin with me. He refuses, but if she’s married to me, she can’t refuse and I can at least keep her safe.”

  Jake finished his whiskey and put the glass down. “We better send word to Zach and get him here. He’ll want to be present for your wedding.”

  Liam nodded. “He will but no one else. I want to keep this a small family affair. Have him stop at the cabin and bring me my suit and a clean shirt.”

  “Understood. Let’s go get that wound cleaned up and get you gussied up for your wedding.” Jake stood, started toward the door, then stopped and turned to Liam. “You know that I’m happy for you, right? I wish only the best for your marriage to Eleanor.”

  Liam clapped his brother on the back. “Of course, I do. Given my attitude for the last couple of years, I don’t blame you for your skepticism either.”

  “We’ll go through how this happened with Becky later. Now we have to get everyone ready for a wedding. Good thing the kids didn’t play outside yesterday. They’re still relatively clean.”

  “We should probably keep clothes for them here at your house. Not that I mean to get married again…ever, but so they’ll have clean clothes to put on after spending the night here and doing whatever it is that Becky does with them in your garden.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. Sometimes all three of them look like they’ve been wrestling in the mud when they come in. Another reason Becky likes having the tub and a separate room for the bath.

  ~*~

  It was early evening by the time Nathaniel finished with his other duties in the community and was ready to perform the wedding. The ceremony was simple. Zach walked Eleanor down the aisle; she wore her pink dress, the one that Liam had said months ago that she should wear. He liked it on her. Jake was best man and Becky was matron of honor. The children were the congregation and her father performed the ceremony.

  Before she knew it, the rite was over, she was Mrs. Liam Anderson and her father was saying “You may kiss the bride.”

  Liam took her face between his palms and gave her the sweetest kiss he’d ever given her. There was nothing carnal in the kiss and yet it promised so much more to come.

  He leaned down and whispered, “Are you ready?”

  She smiled up at him. “I am.”

  It was done. There was nothing she could do about it now. She’d wanted him to love her before they got married…if they did. Up until a couple of hours ago, she hadn’t been sure they would get married, still convinced she could talk them, her father and Liam, out of it.

  She’d been wrong. They were both determined and if this incident hadn’t happened, the result would have been the same. She would still have been Mrs. Liam Anderson.

  All of the Anderson’s clapped. David and Hannah ran up to them, David hugging his father around the waist and Hannah pulling on Eleanor’s skirt to be lifted.

  “You’re getting so big Hannah. I can barely lift you,” said Eleanor. Actually the child was small for her age, but Eleanor wasn’t about to tell her that. She was fierce enough for a five year old as it was.

  “Are you my mama now, Ellie?” Hannah asked her.

  “Yes, Sweet, I am.”

  “Can I call you mama now?”

  “Yes, you can call me mama now.”

  “Even at school?”

  Eleanor didn’t know what the children should call her at school. She looked over at Liam for guidance.

  “You still call her Ellie at school, sweetheart,” deemed Liam.

  “Why? I want everyone to know she’s my mama.”

  Eleanor’s heart burst open with joy at her new daughter’s words. She looked again at Liam, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Please,” she mouthed.

  Liam gave her a half smile and nodded. “Very well, sweetheart, you and you, too, David, may call her mama whenever you want, even at school.”

  Hannah wrapped her arms tight around Eleanor’s neck. “I’m glad you’re my mama now.”

  “So am I, sweetie. So am I.”

  “Shall we go home?” Liam asked Eleanor.

  Jake cleared his throat. “Becky and I want the kids to stay overnight with us again.”

  “And, I’m staying at the mine,” added Zach.

  Eleanor blushed. She knew they were giving her and Liam a wedding night.

  “Soon enough for you two to start your family life tomorrow,” said Zach.

  Liam squeezed her hand. “Let’s go get your belongings and head home.”

  “They’re in the back, except for the bureau, I just have the one bag.”

  Liam cocked an eyebrow and said, “We’ll have to get you some more clothes. I like you in pink.”

  She knew he did. She’d left her hair down, which he’d never seen before. It flowed in thick waves to the middle of her back. She had two combs that were her grandmothers, her mother’s mother, and were made of gold and pearls. She used them to pull up the sides of her hair. Her grandmother had given them to her when she was fifteen saying, “Your mother never deserved these.” Eleanor had been afraid to wear them, until now.

  “Thank you. It’s my favorite color.”

  “Let’s grab your bag. Zach will bring the bureau later, won’t you, Zach?”

  “Sure thing,” answered his brother.

  Everyone, including her father, seemed to be ready to get rid of them now that they were married and Liam was the most anxious of all to be rid of everyone else.

  “See you all tomorrow,” said Liam as he grabbed her hand and strode out of the tent.

  She heard laughter coming from inside the tent as they were leaving and wondered what everyone thought was so funny.

  ~*~

  Liam didn’t waste any time getting home for two very different reasons. First, he didn’t want to give the men who attacked them a chance to bushwhack them on the way home in the dark and second, he wanted to introduce his new bride to the pleasures of the marriage bed.

  They arrived at the cabin without incident. Liam helped Eleanor down from the wagon and up the path to the cabin. At the door, he stopped, opened it and then scooped her up in his arms.

  Eleanor squealed. “Liam! What are you doing?”

  He chuckled. “Brings back memories of when we first met.”

  She relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It does at that, but why did you pick me up?”

  “To carry you across the threshold of your new home, of course.”

  She laughed. “I’d forgotten about that tradition.”

  He turned sideways to go through the door, so he’d make sure not to bang her head against the doorjamb. When he reached the kitchen, he put her down.

  The house was still a disaster.

  “Why don’t you make us some tea while I get your bag. You’ll find wood and kindling in the box next to the stove. We can take care of this mess tomorrow.”

  “Certainly.”

  Pegs on the wall behind the door held their coats and hats. She removed her long, wool coat and put it on one of the pegs. Then she walked to the kitchen and began to make the tea. A pump at the sink allowed her to fill the tea kettle with water without going outside. First though she had to start the fire. She removed one of the burner plates, stacked kindling and dry pine needles in the hole underneath, and started it with a long match. When that was burning well, she added a couple of chunks of wood. They were dry and caught right away. She put back the burner plate and set the kettle on top of that.

  Liam returned with
her valise and took it back to the bedroom. He returned several minutes later.

  “I’ve made the bed, put the bureau back together and left a drawer clear for you and some space in the wardrobe as well. When we build our house you can have real cedar closets, but the wardrobe will have to do for now.”

  “The wardrobe is fine. More than I’ve ever had.”

  Liam walked over to her and took her into his arms.

  She stiffened.

  He pretended not to notice and rubbed her back, gently, like she imagined a lover would.

  “It’s not fine. You deserve to have the finer things in life. You’ve done without for so long, all your life as a matter of fact. I’m going to give you everything I possibly can.”

  “Including your love?”

  She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but he acted as though he’d been expecting it.

  “You know how I feel about that, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have a wonderful life together. You just have to give it a chance.”

  He leaned down and nuzzled her neck.

  Her knees went weak and she couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “You always do that to me,” she complained.

  “What?” he said with laughter in his voice.

  “Make me forget what I’m thinking and make me discombobulated.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. Then he leaned down and took her lips with his.

  There was no more laughter. All her senses were concentrated on him, on where their lips met, on the delightful sensations that always accompanied his kisses. Would she now find out what those sensations were? She was excited and wary at the same time.

  Liam broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “I promised myself I would go slow. I don’t want to scare you.”

  “I’m not scared. Not when I’m with you.”

  He stepped back, grabbed her hand and a lamp and started walking back toward the bedroom.

  “What about the tea?”

  “To hell with the tea.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Liam practically ran with her to their bedroom. He flipped aside the curtain and entered, throwing her valise off the bed into the corner.

  “I hope there was nothing breakable in that. If there was I’ll buy you a dozen more.”

  She laughed and pulled to a stop. “Liam. Slow down.”

  He turned to look at her. He was so handsome. His suit fit snug, like he’d acquired more muscle since he wore it last. His hair was a little long and his beard a little ragged, but she didn’t mind any of it. She hadn’t wanted to get married today, but now that it was done, she was glad. Glad that her father hadn’t let her walk away from the engagement. Glad he’d accepted for her. But mostly glad he waited until she and Liam found each other before he made her marry.

  If he’d been a normal father she’d have been married long ago. But he’d needed her and she’d never shown any interest in men in general much less any man in particular, until Liam.

  He let go of her, and ran his hand through his hair. “You’re right. There’s no rush. We have all night.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her as he backed her toward the bed.

  She raised her head and rather than stop kissing her, he simply moved from her lips to her neck.

  She giggled.

  “What?” he stopped and looked down at her, his gray eyes glowing in the lamp light.

  “It tickles.”

  He grinned and rubbed his beard against her neck. “You mean this?”

  “Yes,” she said laughing and trying to pull out of his arms.

  The beard became lips, tender, teasing, working their way up to her lips again. Suddenly she could barely breathe much less laugh. He surrounded her, filled her, was her whole world at that moment.

  The arms that had been holding her so tight, released her and his hands went to work on the buttons on her bodice, undoing them one at a time as quickly as he could when his fingers didn’t fumble. He finally slid the dress off her shoulders, letting it pool around her feet. Then he went to work on the laces of her corset. He had it joining the dress in no time at all. Standing in front of him dressed only in her chemise and bloomers, she crossed her arms to cover herself.

  “Don’t,” whispered Liam, his voice hoarse with emotion. “Don’t hide yourself from me. You are beautiful. I had no idea that such bounty lay beneath all those clothes.”

  He gently pulled her arms down to her sides.

  “That’s better. Let me look at you.”

  She stood there, her arms stiff at her sides, her eyes closed, and let him watch her.”

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

  She shook her head.

  “This.”

  He gently took her back into his arms and crushed her to him. Her eyes popped open when she felt his erection against her stomach and she stared up at him, wide eyed. She’d wrought that change in him. She and she alone.

  “Liam?” she asked quietly.

  He was rubbing her back, slowly up and down, over and around her bottom and back up to her shoulders again.

  “Yes, my sweet.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “Well, I’d like nothing more than to make love to you until morning.”

  Her gaze flew to his.

  He sighed. “But you are not ready for that, so I’m going to let you get used to me first.” He sat on the bed and shucked his boots first, followed by the rest of his clothes.

  He patted the bed next to him.

  She sat and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

  He reached over and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you want to do now?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “Good because I do.”

  He rose from the bed and pulled her up. Then he bent and turned the covers down.

  “Climb in,” he said to her, holding the blankets up for her.

  She did and scooted all the way to the other side of the bed, clutching the blankets to her chin.

  He lay down beside her, his big body making the bed seem very small and causing her to roll into him. He lifted his arm and said, “Come here, let me hold you. We won’t do anything else for now. Just lie together and touch and cuddle and talk.”

  She stayed where she was. “You’re not going to…to…”

  “No. We are not going to have relations. We are going to learn about each other instead.”

  She relaxed a bit, his warm body heating her inside and out. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t want to make love to her. Isn’t that what all men wanted from a woman? Physical relations?

  “Don’t you find me attractive?”

  “I think you’re beautiful,” he said as though it was something she probably heard all the time.

  “But you’re not going to…”

  “Nope.”

  She sagged against him. Relief washed over her. She hadn’t realized until now just how anxious she’d been about tonight.

  “Thank you. I was…was scared.”

  “I know and that’s normal. You’re a virgin, and we don’t really know each other all that well.”

  “But I’m old and, virgin or not, I know what happens between men and women. The girls at The Gem like to talk and they like to tease me.”

  He squeezed her a little closer to him. “Eleanor, you may think you are worldly, but you are still woefully naïve. What we will do together is nothing like what those girls have to endure.”

  “Most of them are used to it but none of them seem to like it.”

  “Exactly. It is just rutting to both the men and the girls. There is nothing tender, no caring. Feelings make a difference.”

  “But you don’t have feelings for me.” She was fishing, hoping he’d tell her he loved her. She felt him stiffen momentarily and then relax again.

  “You’re wrong. I do have feelings for you. I care for you very much
. Just because I don’t…can’t love you, doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

  She wanted to say something but wasn’t about to admit that she already loved him, that maybe she had since he’d first carried her to Doc Cochran’s office. That would give him the upper hand, give him too much power over her.

  “I care for you, too, and I love the children very much.”

  “They adore you.”

  Suddenly, she sat up. “Your wound. I need to check it. How is it? Does it pain you?”

  “Even if it did, the only remedy is whiskey and I won’t do that again. Never mind my wound. Lay back down and rest. You must be tired.”

  “I am a little but I’m serious about your wound. I need to see it. I bet Becky has some white willow bark tea for the pain.”

  “Well,” he conceded, “she did leave us well stocked.”

  “The tea kettle is still on the stove; let’s hope it still has water in it. Put your pants on and come to the kitchen.” She got up, rummaged in her valise until she came up with a robe and tied it closed on her way to the kitchen.

  The kettle was half boiled away but still had enough water for two cups of tea and to clean Liam’s wound. There was a small pantry off the kitchen. Liam wasn’t kidding when he said it was well stocked. The shelves revealed a wealth of items she needed. There was the willow bark tea and a small bottle of laudanum and a folded pile of clean rags she could use as bandages.

  Liam walked into the kitchen just as she was coming out of the pantry. He wore only his pants. His broad chest was sprinkled with curly, brown hair that she had the insane desire to run her fingers through.

  She shook her head to clear it and poured some of the hot water into the basin she found under the counter next to the sink. She added a bit of cold water from the pump until it was cool enough she could put her hands in it and rinse the cloth. Then she took two cups and put white willow bark in one and chamomile tea in the other.

  “Sit down, please,” she said while she brought the supplies to the table.