Trailing Home: Liam's Bride (The McKenzie Series #3)

by Lynn Coppersmith

  “You were about to explain why you haven’t told me you’re carrying my child,” he reminded her.

  Selena blinked several times to bring her thoughts into some semblance of order and then gave a sheepish shrug, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, it’s just that I didn’t want you to worry. After what happened last time . . .” her voice trailed off once more, and she looked down at her hands lying on Liam’s chest.

  Liam curled one hand behind her nape, pulling her head down onto his chest as he dropped a kiss on the top of her hair. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and releasing it on a sigh.

  “Sweetheart, I can’t tell you I won’t worry, because I always will, where you’re concerned. However, after all that we’ve been through together, I’ve come to realize that we can’t control everything. We just have to have faith that things will work out the way they should. That being said . . .” he lifted her chin until she met his eyes. His face was stern, but there was a definite twinkle in his eyes, and the corners of his lips twitched. “I will expect you to take better care of yourself from now on. Now that we are home, I want you to eat healthy meals and get a lot more rest.”

  Selena grinned up at him. “In that case, maybe you’d better take me to bed.”

  “Demanding wife,” Liam teased. “You just can’t get enough of me can you?”

  Selena traced his lips with her finger. “You told Natasha you were ‘plum tuckered out’. Are you sure you have the energy? I wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself.”

  Liam still had a hand on her bottom, and he pulled her hips firmly against him. She could feel his arousal even through the layers of her skirt. “Does that answer your question, madam? I’m willing to sacrifice myself for your pleasure. After all, since you’re pregnant, it’s my job to satisfy your cravings. I’m willing to stay in bed with you for as long as it takes.”

  Selena giggled with delight. “Whatever you think is best, Liam. Although, I must warn you, I don’t think you’ll ever completely satisfy my craving for your touch.”

  “Now there’s a tempting thought. Let’s round up the rest of our gang and go home.”

  Liam gave her one more kiss, brief but full of promise before holding her away with a sigh. He indulged himself with one more brief fondling of her breasts before he did up her buttons, and Selena noticed his hands were not as steady as before.

  “Come on. The sooner we get home, the better.”

  Selena giggled at his husky tone and took his arm as they walked back to the barn.

  “I’ll just wait outside while you find the others,” Selena murmured. “I don’t want to go back in there. It’s too stuffy. Will you say my goodbyes to Marcia and Gerald?”

  “Of course. I won’t be long.” Liam squeezed her hand and went back into the barn.

  Selena watched him until he disappeared from sight and then leaned against the outside wall of the barn and released a dreamy sigh. She had only been waiting a few moments when she heard muffled moans and grunts coming from one of the wagons parked nearby. No sooner had she identified which wagon the noises were coming from, than the rocking motion stopped, and she saw a young man emerge from beneath the canvass covering the bed of the wagon. She didn’t recognize him, and she could only surmise he must be a neighbor from an outlying area. Selena shrank back into the shadows as she watched him button his breeches and tuck in his shirt. He didn’t cast a second look back at the wagon as he swaggered back into the barn wearing a self-satisfied smirk on his face, obviously pleased with the conquest he had made.

  Wondering who his partner had been, Selena looked back toward the wagon. She clutched a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp when she saw Natasha climb out of the wagon. Natasha cast furtive glances around as she pulled her pantalets up and tied them before dropping her skirts back into place. She quickly buttoned her chemise and bodice and ran a smoothing hand over her disheveled hair before she walked nonchalantly back into the barn as if nothing had happened. Like her lover, she didn’t notice Selena in the shadows.

  Selena shook her head in shocked disbelief. Poor Marcia and Gerald would be heartbroken if they ever found out how their daughter was behaving. She felt deeply saddened for her friends. Selena was still trying to come to grips with this new development when Liam appeared along with the rest of the McKenzies. Liam noticed her troubled expression right away.

  “What’s the matter, Selena?”

  “It’s nothing,” she said with a tight smile. “I’m just tired. Let’s go home.”

  Two days later, Selena was busy preparing blackberry jam. She had sterilized the jars and had just placed a large pot of the berries and sugar on the stove. She was waiting for them to boil when she heard a knock on the door. Selena wiped her hands on her apron and went to open the portal. Her shock couldn’t have been any greater when she saw Natasha standing on the porch, a slight frown on her face.

  “Natasha, what are you doing here?” Selena asked.

  Natasha raised a haughty brow. She was carrying a deep wicker basket, and she indicated it with a wave of her hand.

  “Mama made some apple cake, and I thought I would bring you some. May I come in?”

  After only a slight hesitation, Selena stepped aside. “Certainly. I wasn’t expecting you for a visit. I’m right in the middle of making jam.”

  Natasha breezed into the cabin and waited for Selena to close the door before turning to face her. She smirked at Selena, raking her eyes down over her simple gown and berry stained apron.

  “Quite the little housewife, aren’t you? I’m surprised Liam hasn’t already grown bored with you.”

  Selena tamped down her irritation. “Natasha, I’m not in the mood for your petty rudeness. I am quite busy. Now what is it that you want?”

  “What I want is for you to drop dead, and I’m here to make sure that happens.”

  Natasha pulled a revolver out of her basket and pointed it squarely at Selena. She set the basket down on the table and leaned one hip against its surface.

  “I’m sick of having you around.”

  Selena gasped before taking a deep breath to try and steady her nerves. She noticed with some chagrin that Natasha’s hands were steady, and she held the pistol in a comfortable grip. Selena knew from previous experience that Natasha was cold-blooded and calculating, and her instincts told her without a doubt that this woman was capable of killing her. Selena fought against an initial wave of fear as she tried to think of a way out of her predicament.

  “Natasha, don’t be foolish. You can’t just shoot me. Surely you must know that someone will have seen you coming here. You will be hanged for murder.”

  “I don’t think so. I took great pains to slip away from home. Mama thinks I’m resting in my room, and I was careful to slip through the woods so no one would see me. No one will even suspect me when they find your body.”

  Seeing the sheer malice in the other woman’s eyes, Selena shivered. “Natasha, Liam is due to come in for lunch any minute now. You won’t get away with it.”

  Natasha laughed and shook her head. “Oh Selena, you know he won’t be coming in for at least another hour or more, or you wouldn’t be making jam.”

  “But he’ll hear the gunshot and come running. He’s sure to see you,” Selena protested.

  Natasha heaved a condescending sigh. “I’m not planning to shoot you here, you dolt. I’ll take you into the woods, and by the time anyone is able to find you, I’ll be long gone. Now come on.” She waved the gun toward the back door, clearly expecting Selena to lead the way out.

  Selena gave her a look of pure amazement. “Surely you don’t think I’m going to go with you, knowing what you intend to do.”

  Natasha cocked her head to one side and gave her a considering glare. “Well, the way I see it, you can come with me quietly now, or we can just wait here for Liam to return. I really don’t want to have to kill him too, but I will, if it’s the only way I can get rid of you.”

  “You’d re
ally do that?” Selena asked incredulously. “What could you possibly hope to gain by harming Liam?”

  “Like I said . . . anything to get rid of you. You’ve been nothing but a nuisance since the first day I met you.” She raked Selena with a look of pure loathing. “I can’t stand to even look at you. Now, I’m losing patience. Let’s go.” She jerked the pistol toward the back door once again.

  Selena hesitated. She knew Liam was in the barn, and he would come running if she screamed or if he heard a shot. She desperately wanted his help, but she couldn’t risk him getting hurt. His life was much more precious to her than her own. Hauling in a shaky breath, Selena reluctantly walked toward the back door with Natasha trailing a few feet behind her.

  “Open the door and look out,” Natasha ordered curtly. “Make sure no one is around to see us. You wouldn’t want any of your dear relatives to get hurt.”

  Selena stepped out onto the back porch and looked around. The day was quite cold, and there was no one outside. “I don’t see anyone,” she stated quietly.

  “Good,” Natasha hissed. She prodded Selena in the back with the pistol. “Now move.”

  As Selena led the way across the small clearing and into the woods, her heart was pounding in her chest. She really didn’t see any way to escape as long as Natasha kept the gun pointed at her. Her only hope was to keep Natasha talking and delay as much as possible. Hopefully, she could distract Natasha and somehow get away. It was a slim chance but the best she could think of at that moment.

  Liam was in the barn loft when he heard a wagon approaching. He opened the loft door and looked out just as Marcia pulled up. “Hello Marcia. What brings you out?”

  Marcia gave him a tense smile as she set the brake and climbed down from her wagon. “Hello Liam. I’m looking for Natasha.”

  “Natasha? Why would she be here?” Liam asked frowning.

  “I’m not sure. She slipped out, and I saw her heading this way.” Marcia gave a nervous shrug, and her smile turned apologetic. “I know she’s always been a bit of a bother to you and Selena, and I was worried that she had come here making a nuisance of herself.”

  “Well I haven’t seen her, but I’ve been busy here in the barn. She may have come and I wouldn’t have known it.” Liam felt uneasy as he glanced at their cabin. “Why don’t you go check with Selena? I’ll be right there.”

  “Thanks Liam.” Marcia turned and walked toward the cabin.

  Liam quickly climbed down the ladder and brushed most of the dust off his clothes before following in her wake. When he reached the cabin, Marcia was still standing on the porch.

  “Why didn’t you go in?”

  “Selena didn’t answer the door. I knocked several times,” Marcia said.

  Liam reached around her to open the door and held it open for Marcia. “Selena, Marcia’s here to see you. Selena?”

  His voice echoed in the cabin. As he glanced around, his uneasiness blossomed into full-blown worry. The cabin was colder than usual, and Selena was nowhere in sight. However, a large pot of blackberry jam was bubbling and spurting on top of the stove. A fire was burning merrily in the fireplace, and everything appeared normal except for the fact that Selena was gone.

  “Selena, where are you?” Liam called, heading for their bedroom. He stopped in his tracks when he heard Marcia gasp.

  “Liam, look!” He turned and saw Marcia holding up a straw basket. “This is Natasha’s. She must have been here.”

  Without pause, Liam headed for the bedroom and saw the back door standing open. In two quick strides, he reached it and looked outside, but neither Selena nor Natasha was anywhere around.

  “Selena, Natasha, where are you?” Only silence greeted him. Liam closed the door and walked back to the living room. His brow was furrowed with worry. “Maybe they went to visit Naomi or Sarah. Come on, let’s go see.”

  “Wait a minute, Liam.” Marcia paused only long enough to remove the jam from the stove and set it aside. “It’s not like Selena to leave something cooking like this.”

  “No, it’s not,” Liam said grimly. He wondered what Natasha might have said to upset Selena enough to make her forget her jam, but he didn’t say that to Marcia. “Come on, they’re probably next door.”

  Liam held the front door open once more and followed Marcia out. They walked quickly to Aidan and Naomi’s cabin and knocked on the door. Naomi appeared at the door and smiled at them. “Oh, hello Marcia, Liam,” she said nodding to them. “Please come in.”

  Liam made no move to enter but glanced past Naomi into the cabin. “Is Selena here?”

  “No. Isn’t she at your house?” Naomi asked, looking puzzled.

  “She was, but I think Natasha came to visit her. We thought maybe they were here with you.” Liam turned to leave. “I’m going to check with Sarah.”

  He made his way to Brian and Sarah’s cabin, this time at a trot. Sarah answered his impatient knock. “Is Selena here?” Liam asked before she had a chance to speak.

  “No. What’s the matter?” Sarah asked, instantly concerned by Liam’s behavior. She looked past Liam to see Naomi and Marcia rushing up in his wake. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know,” Liam growled.

  Without another word, he turned and ran back toward his own cabin. He burst through the front door and quickly scanned the room, looking for any sign that might tell him where Selena had gone. He remembered finding the back door open, and he ran to the back porch. He knelt on his haunches as he quickly scanned the ground. It had rained just the day before, and sure enough, he found two sets of ladies footprints in the soft soil, leading into the woods. As he straightened and made to follow the trail, Marcia, Sarah and Naomi caught up with him.

  “What is it, Liam?” Marcia asked breathlessly.

  “They’ve gone into the woods. I’m going to follow them,” Liam said over his shoulder as he started walking.

  “I’m going with you,” Marcia said, quiet determination ringing in her voice.

  “Marcia, it’s probably best if you stay here,” Liam said quietly. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew Natasha was up to no good. “I’ll find them and bring them back home. You should wait here.”

  As if she sensed his thoughts, Marcia touched his arm and met his gaze squarely. “She’s my daughter, Liam. I don’t know what she’s up to, but I need to be there when you find them.”

  Liam hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Alright, but we have to hurry.”

  “We’ll get Brian and Aidan,” Sarah called after him.

  Liam merely nodded to show he had heard before rushing to follow the trail. Marcia had to run to keep up with his long strides, but she didn’t complain. They were possessed by an urgency to find Selena and Natasha, although they weren’t sure what had happened to the two women. Somehow, they knew that whatever was happening, they wouldn’t be happy with what they found.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Selena walked as slowly as she dared, going ever deeper into the woods. She repeatedly pretended to trip over roots and logs to delay their progress even more. When her steps lagged too much, Natasha prodded her roughly in the back with the pistol.

  “Hurry up, you clumsy fool. Walk faster.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Selena asked quietly. “What have I ever done to you to make you hate me so much?”

  Natasha gave a snort. “Before you came along, I could have my pick of any man I wanted. But I never wanted a man for very long until I met Liam. I wanted him from the first day I met him, but he was already married to you. I’ve had to stand aside and watch him chasing after you for all these months. I’m tired of it. I’ll get rid of you, and it won’t be very long before I have Liam in my bed.”

  Selena risked a quick glance over her shoulder at Natasha. “Why Liam? Why not that man I saw you with the other night? You know, the one in the back of that wagon?”

  Her words caught Natasha momentarily off guard, and she stopped abruptly. “You were spying on me?
” she asked.

  “I didn’t have to, Natasha. The two of you were making so much noise that anyone could have heard you. It just happened to be me.” Selena raked her with a cold glare. “I must say, you weren’t very discreet.”

  Selena thought she heard a faint rustling noise from the direction they had just come, and her heart leapt with hope. Was it possible Liam had seen them entering the woods and was coming for her?

  Natasha apparently hadn’t heard anything as she narrowed her eyes. “I’ve been discreet enough. I’ve had lovers for years, and Mama and Daddy have never suspected a thing. They think I’m still a sweet, innocent virgin.” She laughed at the thought.

  It was Selena’s turn to be shocked, and she abruptly stopped and pivoted to face Natasha. They were standing in a small clearing, surrounded by towering trees, and Selena cast surreptitious glances into the woods, trying to identify the source of the sounds she had heard as she voiced a question.

  “Have you no shame? Don’t you know your parents would be heartbroken if they knew how you were behaving?”

  Natasha smirked at her. “Who cares? It’s their fault I started sleeping with men in the first place.”

  “What do you mean? How can you possibly think that?” Selena asked, shaking her head in wonder.

  Natasha raised her head to a haughty angle. “When I was fourteen, Daddy had a business associate, Mr. Cooper. He had a daughter the same age as me. She wanted to be friends with me, but I didn’t like her. However, Daddy and Mama were only too happy to send me over to their home for extended visits. They were relieved to get rid of me. I knew even back then that they didn’t want me around.” An expression of pain flitted briefly over Natasha’s features before it was replaced by angry defiance. “Mr. Cooper certainly wanted me though. He made it a point to visit my room every night. The first few nights, I resisted and he raped me. He would slip into my room while I was asleep, stuff a rag into my mouth to stifle my screams and then he would hold me down by force and take what he wanted. I was too ashamed to tell anyone, and I thought no one would believe me anyway.”