Love Her Softly

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Liam tensed, somehow knowing the reaction Emma would have seconds before she had it

As the woman's eyes darted toward the back door, she made a run for it. Liam sprang into action, coming between Emma and the door just before she reached it.

Her momentum had her colliding with his chest. Liam wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling and, damn, if it didn't feel as if a lightning bolt struck him.

Holy hell.

He wondered if Emma felt it too but when he pulled away and looked down at her face, all he saw was fear. Plain, raw terror.

"Emma, is he looking for you?"

A barely perceptible nod tilted her head.

"And you're afraid of him?"

Yet another nod as she trembled reminding Liam of a leaf in a windstorm.

Liam felt his fists clench. Any man who would reduce a woman to this kind of fear deserved to be hanged.

Silas' fist hit the door sharply three times. "Liam McIntyre? Are ya here?"

"Be right there," Liam called back.

Emma's blue eyes filled with tears. "Please..." she gasped. "Please, help me...."

Liam nodded. He led her to a wardrobe in the corner beside the bed and pulled open the door. "Get in here, stay in here and don't make a sound."

Gratitude lit her eyes and Liam would have been lying if he said it didn't tug at his heartstrings.

She hid herself within the wardrobe and Liam closed the door. He quickly tossed her coat, gloves, hat and shoes onto the tattered armchair and covered them with the quilt.

Liam slid his gun belt around his hips and fastened it snugly before opening the door.

Silas Hawke stood on the porch with clenched fists and anger in his hard, dark eyes.

"What are you doing here, Silas?"

Liam had met the man several times over the years and had disliked him a bit more with each encounter.... He didn't expect this time to be any different.

Silas shoved a hand through his stringy black hair and his thin upper lip curled. "I'm lookin' fer somebody." He glanced over Liam's shoulders. "Ain't ya gonna invite me in? It's awful cold out here."

Liam raised one shoulder and moved out of the way. "I was just finishing breakfast. Help yourself."

Silas shoved his way past and the rickety kitchen chair groaned in protest as the mountain of a man sat down. Heaping piles of food onto a plate, Silas began to shovel forkful after forkful into his mouth.

Liam added several logs to the fire and stood with his arms crossed as he watched Silas make a hog out of himself. "So, who is it you're looking for?"

Silas swiped his stained sleeve across his mustached mouth. "My poor daughter."

"I didn't know you had a daughter."

Silas nodded. "She stays put at the cabin which is her damn place. Plus, that keeps all the young bucks up on the mountains from trying to spoil her. Carolyn, my wife, was trainin' her and I've been huntin' husbands fer her now that she's grown. I'm tryin' to see how much I can get fer her."