Liam (11 page)

“I see,” said Nathaniel, cryptically.

“It’s enough. Many marriages have been built on less,” retorted Liam.

“True enough,” said Nathaniel, sitting at the table with his hands steepled in front of him. His lips were pursed and Liam waited for him to say more, but he merely went back to the paper he was writing. Probably his sermon for tomorrow, Liam thought.

“I’m ready,” Eleanor emerged from the living quarters in back of the tent.

“You look splendid,” said Liam honestly.

She seemed to get lovelier each time he saw her. Today she wore a pink blouse with her black suit and black boots. He loved it when she wore pink. The color was perfect on her. Her cheeks glowed, she was losing her tan and her skin looked more like that of a porcelain doll. He’d considered buying one of those dolls for Hannah before coming to his senses, realizing that she was too young for a doll like that. Now she would have a real porcelain doll for a mother. The thought made him smile.

“Thank you. Have you already gone to Sutter’s?”

“No, I thought we could do that together. I’m sure Lily will want to see you.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Lily always sees me. What are you up to?”

Liam let out a sigh. “Oh, all right, I wanted you to see the supplies it takes to feed and clothe a family of seven. Plus I want to get some baby things for Becky and Jake and thought you could help me.”

“That’s not bad, why are you nervous about asking me? We’re getting married in six weeks. It’s time I met Zach and got an idea what your family is like at home. That shouldn’t make you nervous. It makes me nervous, but it shouldn’t you. Are you starting to get cold feet? Are you wanting to wait longer or change your mind altogether?” She rambled, one fear leading to another.

He took her hands in his. “Calm down. I’m not getting cold feet. Not in the least. I’m very happy with my decision. Are you?”

“Yes, I think we will do well together, as you always say.”

Somehow that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to love him. Wanted her to say she was marrying him because she loved him, but how could he expect from her what he was unwilling to give?

“Well, shall we go? The order ready for us to pick up.”

Eleanor handed Liam her coat and he held it for her so she could put it on.

“See you this evening, Nathaniel,” he said to his soon to be father-in-law.

“You children have a nice day.”

The late morning was crisp even though the sun had been up for some hours now. Liam helped Eleanor up onto the buckboard’s bench seat and then climbed aboard himself for the short ride to Sutter’s Mercantile.

They entered the general store, glad of the heat pouring out of the pot-bellied stove in the back of the store.

“Hello, Liam, Ellie,” Lily Sutter greeted them as they entered. “I’ve got your order almost done and ready to load. Zach is in the back getting the last of it.”

“You didn’t tell me Zach would
be here
,” hissed Eleanor.

“I didn’t want you any more nervous than you already were.”

Zach rounded the corner of the shelves behind the counter, coming from the back room. “There you are. I’ve got the supplies gathered and ready for you. We can load it together.” He stopped and grinned. “Who is that you’ve got hiding behind you? Is this Eleanor?”

She stepped out from Liam’s shadow and came forward.

He wiped his hand on the apron he wore tied at his waist and held it out to her.

“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Anderson,” said Eleanor.

“Ellie, I’m just Zach.” He took her hand and shook it gently. “We’re going to be related soon. You can’t be calling me Mr. Anderson.”

Eleanor smiled. “Thank you. Zach it is.”

“So, I understand that Liam is taking you up to the old homestead.”

“Homestead?” she looked at Liam.

“That’s what we’re calling it” answered Liam, “since it’s the first of two cabins that will be on the property. Jake and Becky are going to build in town. He’s already bought the land. But Zach will have a place there by the mine and we’re going to be making our cabin bigger and turn it into a real house for you.”

“Oh, Liam,” she lay her hand on his arm and gazed up at him. “You don’t have to do that. Do you forget that I’m used to living in a tent? Just having a real floor is going to be such a luxury.”

He patted her hand.

“Of course, I do. I want you to have the best and now that I can afford it, it will be done.”

She turned back to Zach. “And are you also going to build your house big enough for a family?”

“I am,” he said, pride in his voice, “because I am going to convince someone to marry me. She just doesn’t realize it yet.” He looked over at Lily and cocked an eyebrow.

Lily put her hands on her hips. “I’ve already told you what I think about that.”

“And I’m going to convince you otherwise,” Zach retorted.

Eleanor sidled next to Liam and whispered, “Perhaps we should leave. There seems to be some tension between them.”

“Don’t leave on my account,” said Zach. “I’m going to the back room. More orders to fill.”

He left without looking back.

“Well, that was interesting,” said Eleanor.

“He won’t take no for an answer. He’s the most stubborn man I’ve ever met,” huffed Lily.

Eleanor looked up at Liam before turning to Lily. “Must run in the family.”

Liam chuckled. “It does at that.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as well. “At least he admits it.”

“We better get going and take Hannah off Jake and Becky’s hands.”

“You make it sound like she’s a terror of some kind. She’s only five,” said Eleanor.

“Almost six. Just ask her,” said Liam.

Now it was Eleanor’s turn to laugh. He was right; at school Hannah always said she was almost six. Eleanor already loved the children and after spending the past several weeks together, she was rapidly falling in love with their father. If she could only convince him to love her in return, her life would be complete. Home, family and love. She’d have it all.

“You’re right though. We should go relieve them of their charge. I’d like for all of us to go on a little picnic today. The weather is lovely,” said Eleanor.

“Perhaps another day. Becky has been cooking and is expecting us for lunch. Now that we have the money and don’t have to eat beans at every meal, she’s been experimenting on us. It turns out she’s quite the little cook. She was never given the opportunity to really do much in the way of preparing real meals.”

“It’s true,” said Lily. “She got that new stove and has been cooking up a storm. She sends food with Zach every Saturday and we have a little picnic with Gemma and Hannah in the back room, so we can keep an eye on the store. Unfortunately, Saturday is my busiest day. Or perhaps it’s fortunate, since Zach uses any free time to try and convince me to marry him and on Saturday’s there is very little free time.”

As if to confirm her words, the bell above the door rang, signaling the entrance of another customer into the store.

“Be right with you,” Lily called to the woman who’d come in. She turned back to Liam and Eleanor. “You all have a nice day.”

“You, too,” said Eleanor, “and Lily…”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be so hard on Zach. If he’s anything like his brother, he’s not like you know who.”

Lily stopped and gave a short nod. “We’ll see.”

Outside the mercantile, Liam helped Eleanor up onto the buckboard. Then he went around the back of the wagon, climbed up and released the brake. They were at an incline and when the brake came off the wagon rolled back a little bit. The horses took that as the sign to start walking. Well, that and the slap of the reins on their rumps.

There was a little jerk and Eleanor grabbed Liam’s arm for stability, afraid she’d topple over into the bed of the wagon.

“I’m sorry,” she said and quickly let go, but not before she felt the steel of his muscle beneath the suit coat he wore.

“Don’t be. The start up on the hill like this is always a little abrupt. Better now?”

“Yes, thank you.” She clasped her hands in her lap.

He flicked the reins again and the horses walked a little faster. It was difficult to move very fast in Deadwood. There were people, wagons and animals all vying for the same roadways.

“Once we get out of Deadwood proper, we’ll be able to move more quickly. Until then we just walk along with the traffic.”

“It’s not a problem. Papa is not expecting me back early. He knows I’m with you and I’m safe.”

“I should hope so. That you are safe, I mean.”

“Well, of course, I am. What could happen to me when I’m with you?”

“Nothing.”

She nodded, afraid to speak her thoughts—that she didn’t want to be completely safe from him. She’d like it very much if he’d kiss her again. It had been weeks since he’d kissed her. She was beginning to think she’d imagined it.

“Liam.”

“Hmm.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands were sweaty.

“Of course, you can. Anything.”

“Why haven’t you kissed me again? Don’t you like kissing me? Actually I guess that’s two questions, but well. Why haven’t you? You always kiss my hand or my cheek, but you’ve never kissed
me
since that night.”

She hardly dared to look over at him and check his response to her question. When he didn’t answer her, she glanced over at him. He was staring at her with those lovely silver-gray eyes of his. She saw his jaw flex and wondered if she shouldn’t have said anything.

“Did you like it when I kissed you?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, unable to make two coherent sentences from her scattered thoughts.

He lay the reins in his lap and let the horses walk where they would. Then he turned to her, took her face gently between his palms and lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was so sweet and light, she thought he was going to pull away from her. Instead he wrapped her in his arms and held her close. She closed her arms around his neck and kissed him back, fiercely, putting her whole being into the kiss.

When he finally pulled away, she was out of breath and thoroughly aroused. She wanted more. Putting her fingers to her lips she felt them, swollen with passion. “Oh, my!”

He chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“That was…amazing.” She couldn’t think of any other adjectives to describe it.

He picked up the reins and flicked them to get the horses moving again. “We shall have to explore this in more detail at a later date. Unfortunately, this is not the appropriate time or place.”

“Yes, of course. Er, I mean no, this is not the right time.” She stumbled over her words wondering why he wasn’t as affected as she seemed to be. Was it not so wonderful for him? Was he so worldly that he wasn’t moved by the connection that she felt? Was it really so one-sided?

“Don’t mistake me, Eleanor. I mean to do a lot more than just kiss you, but not now, not here.”

“You do?” Her breath a mere whisper, she looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

“Oh, yes, I do.”

She fiddled with the string on her reticule and licked her lips.

“And if you keep running your tongue over your immensely kissable lips, I won’t be responsible for my behavior.”

She smiled, couldn’t help it. Never in her life had she considered her lips to be kissable much less immensely kissable.

Liam glanced her way and chuckled. “What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

Eleanor felt the warmth in her cheeks. “I just never, well, never considered myself to be…kissable.”

Liam put the reins into his left hand and put his right hand on her knee. “Well, you are.” He squeezed her knee just a little. “But only by me. Remember that. I don’t share.”

Taken aback by the tone in his voice, she asked, “Who else would I kiss? I don’t want to kiss anyone but you.”

He took one finger and ran it gently over her cheek. “That is as it should be.”

CHAPTER 9

When they arrived at the cabin, both children came running.

“We thought you’d never get here,” said David, as he ran alongside the wagon.

Liam pulled to a stop, set the brake and climbed down. He came around to Eleanor’s side and helped her down while David held the horses.

“Son, will you take the horses to the barn and unharness them, please?”

“Sure will.” David climbed up on the bench, released the brake and flicked the reins. The team headed to the barn with the boy driving them.

Eleanor was always amazed by how grown up he was. Both of Liam’s children were wonderful. Out of all her pupils, they were her favorites and not just because she was marrying their father. Though she wasn’t supposed to have favorites, she did. Some of her students were a handful. Misbehaving and loud, refusing to mind her or do their homework. And their parents were not much better. It was true that the acorn didn’t fall far from the tree.