In the distance, she could hear Liam with the horses. He whistled, clucked his tongue, and called out to them as he worked. She couldn’t see him, so she didn’t know what he was doing exactly, but it was a sort of twisted comfort that he was there. Although she was getting more and more embarrassed by her slow progress.
It was just wood that she carried, and even this she couldn’t do quickly enough. She was worried about his lunch as well. She wanted to please him with a delicious hearty meal after his day spent doing hard manual labor. But she wasn’t sure what ingredients were available in the pantry for her to do this.
Isabel could feel herself dehydrating slowly, and then she remembered that she hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink since the previous night’s dinner. Also, she had barely slept. Her body felt like a bundle of rags that she was only dragging around the place.
Her arms felt sore, too sore to even lift up any of the wood anymore. She walked back to the pile of wood for the third time, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Her stomach felt empty and sore, as did her back. Isabel looked up towards the sun, trying to steady herself, but the bright light suddenly blinded her.
When she looked away, she could only see darkness everywhere and then the ground beneath her started to swing and shake. She heard herself gasp and then a weak scream escaped her lips and then the world became completely blank.
The next thing she knew, she was forcing her eyes open. She could feel a cold cotton cloth on her forehead and she was lying down. On Liam’s bed. She was in Liam’s bedroom. The curtains were pulled so the room was fairly dim and she could feel the gush of a breeze from somewhere beside her.
Isabel tried to sit up and two large hands appeared on her shoulders. She looked up. It was Liam pushing her back down on the bed. “Stay still for some time longer,” he said. She thought there was a change in his voice somehow. She also noticed he held a fan. Did people actually use those anymore? But now she knew where the cool breeze was coming from. He had been fanning her.
“What happened?” she tried to ask and realized that barely any sound came out from her lips.
“Here, drink this,” he said and held a glass of milky-looking liquid to her parched lips. “It’s glucose in water. Just drink it, Isabel,” he said a little more authoritatively.
She sipped from the glass, still in complete shock. Liam’s touch had been gentle, he had concern in his eyes. He looked like he was guilty.
“You fainted. I heard you shriek and then found you by the pile of chopped wood,” he said after she had drunk half the glass of glucose water. He placed it back on the table beside her and started fanning her again. Isabel felt her curls fly around her face, and the sweat on her forehead was evaporating fast. She suddenly felt a lot better, more like herself.
“When did you last eat? When did you last drink some water?” he asked her, almost like he was scolding his daughter.
Isabel hung her head down, she was ashamed of herself. “I forgot this morning,” she replied, her voice still cracked.
Liam shook his head and looked away from her. “I knew it from the moment I saw you. You’re not cut out for here, not for this ranch, not for this place,” he said, more to himself than to her.
“I’ve just been tired. I just got here. I need some time to get used to all this.” Isabel heard the pleading in her voice. She was feeling desperate again. She didn’t want him to turn her away, send her back. She wanted to please him, to convince him that she was worthy. She wanted him to make love to her.
She watched his piercing blue eyes turn to her again. His jaw was taut and strong, his hands still clutched the fan as he swung it. “You need some rest, Isabel. You need to sleep,” he said.
She bit down on her lip. “I just need some time to settle down, Liam,” she pleaded with him again and tried to sit up.
“Get some sleep. I’ll go fetch Sophie from school and make some lunch for all of us.” He stood up from his chair beside her and placed the fan on the table next to her.
“Liam,” she called out to him as he walked towards the door. She didn’t want him to leave, but why should he stay?
He stopped and looked at her. “Why are you so desperate to be here, Isabel? What are you running away from?” he asked.
Isabel gulped, swallowing her words. They stared at each other and then he walked out when she didn’t reply to his question.
She couldn’t bring herself to tell him. What would she even say? It was so petty, so silly. He would think she was a child. She would only give him more reason to turn her away, to think she was unsuitable for this ranch. To be a step mother to Sophie or be his wife.
But now that he had left the room, it gave Isabel some time to think about what Liam had done. How he fanned her as she slept. How he was caring for her.
Chapter Eleven
Isabel must have been sleeping again because she didn’t realize when Sophie had come to sit beside her. “Daddy made you some soup, Isabel.” She heard Sophie’s soft voice as she opened her eyes. It was she who was sitting beside her and fanning her now. Liam was nowhere in sight.
“Are you feeling any better?” she asked when Isabel pulled herself up to sit. There were pillows arranged behind her for support.
“Yes, I am. Much better. Thank you,” Isabel said, smiling at Sophie’s worried face.
“Daddy said that you fainted. Will you be alright?” Sophie asked and Isabel nodded her head.
“I just got a little dehydrated, sweetie. I’m alright now.” Isabel reached for the bowl of soup while Sophie continued to fan her. “I don’t need the fan now. Tell me about school,” Isabel said, dipping her spoon into the bowl of soup.
Sophie still looked dismayed, like she didn’t trust Isabel’s insistence that she was fine. “But daddy told me to keep fanning you and also to make sure that you eat your soup and go back to sleep.” Sophie sounded worried, more worried than Liam did.
“Your daddy is very kind, but I don’t need it. I’m feeling much better now.” Isabel smiled. The soup tasted surprisingly good. It was chicken broth, just like the kind her own father used to make for her if she ever got sick as a child.
“Sophie?” The little girl looked dejected and sad suddenly. “What’s wrong honey? Did something happen in school?”
Sophie shook her head, trying to avoid Isabel’s inquiring looks.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m doing much better. As good as new,” Isabel said and reached for Sophie’s chin.
“I think daddy is really mad at me now,” she said, still not willing to look Isabel directly in the eye.
“Mad at you? Why should he be mad at you? What did you do? My illness had nothing to do with you.” Isabel smiled at Sophie, stroking her head now with her hand.
“It does,” Sophie said in a low, meek voice. She didn’t look at Isabel, whose hand now stopped stroking her head.
“What are you talking about?” Isabel placed the bowl of soup back on the table. She still wasn’t taking Sophie seriously. How could any of this possibly be a little child’s fault? She was imagining her own guilt in all this.
“I’m not supposed to tell you,” Sophie said, hanging her head. She was playing furiously with her fingers and Isabel sat up straighter in bed.
“Tell me what? You’re not making any sense, Sophie.” Isabel’s brows were crossed and her heart was beating fast again. There was some kind of secret between father and daughter, and it made Isabel incredibly afraid suddenly. What was it that she didn’t know about the Mayers? Sophie was taking her time, and Isabel knew that the only way she would be able to find out the truth was by coaxing her. Liam would never tell.
“Daddy made me promise that I wouldn’t tell you.” Sophie suddenly looked up at Isabel. Big fat tears threatened to spill from the bottoms of her eyelids.
“I want you to know that there is nothing you can’t tell me, honey. What is it? I will not be mad at you or your father.” Isabel reached for Sophie’s hands and pressed t
hem together. She was talking in whispers just as Sophie was. They were both afraid of Liam overhearing their conversation.
“Daddy… I… he…” Sophie began, fumbling with her words. Isabel squeezed her small hands again, straightening up in the bed. She was afraid of what she was going to hear. What had Liam done? What kind of a person was Liam truly like? What big secret had he sworn his daughter to protect against his new bride?
“Go on, sweetie,” Isabel urged her.
“Daddy didn’t place the ad,” Sophie blurted out and whipped her face away from Isabel.
Isabel’s fear quickly turned to confusion. She couldn’t understand what Sophie meant by it. “He didn’t place the ad? You mean the ad for the mail-order bride?” Isabel asked and Sophie slowly turned to look at her again. Then she nodded. “What does that mean? Who placed the ad then?” Isabel asked, more confused now than ever.
“I did,” Sophie said and burst out crying. Isabel reached for her and pulled her close to her chest. She had promised the little girl that she wouldn’t be mad, no matter how bad the secret was. But she still couldn’t wrap her brain around the revelation.
“You placed the ad? On behalf of your father? He asked you to?” Isabel asked, trying to keep the confusion and anger out of her voice.
“No. He didn’t know,” Sophie said, looking up at Isabel’s face. She had tears streaming down her cheeks now. “I saw the ads in the paper and I wrote one for daddy, just like the others. Then I posted it to the newspaper. I thought it would be fun. I wanted a mother, a friend. And you’re perfect.” Sophie’s words were jumbled and then she flung herself against Isabel’s body again.
Isabel held the little girl tightly in her arms. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. None of it made sense, but it very well explained why Liam behaved with her the way he did.
He didn’t want a mail-order bride. He wasn’t expecting one to suddenly turn up at his doorstep. His daughter had placed the ad, replied to Isabel’s queries… had done it all secretly until Isabel appeared at their ranch. It was all Sophie all along.
“Isabel… Are you mad at me?” Sophie cried and Isabel clutched her to her chest, trying to keep the anger and embarrassment out of her voice.
“Not at all sweetie. It’s still not your fault,” she said, biting down on her lip.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, after a long and restless night in which Isabel couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Sophie, Isabel found Liam brushing the mane of his horses. Isabel hadn’t seen him since he had sat fanning her by her bed. He must have been busy at the ranch all evening and then slept on the couch. Why, Isabel didn’t know, but somehow his absence had made her even more furious.
She could see him as she walked towards him, her feet kicking up dust as she went. Her skirt was hitched high up and she could feel her whole body shake as she strode towards him.
His back was turned to her, and he was whistling a tune. His plaid shirt sleeves were rolled up and his boots were muddy now. Even from the back, he looked handsome. His shoulders were strong and straight. His back was broad and tapered toward his slim waist. He appeared to be smiling up at the horse as he brushed its mane.
“When were you going to tell me?” Isabel nearly shrieked at him. Liam just turned his head, although his hand had stopped in position. His eyes were dancing against the orange light of the setting sun. He had that same grin on his face.
“I knew Sophie wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret for very long,” he said and then fully turned to look at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me the moment I got here?” Isabel repeated. She could feel the rage erupting from her ears. She was plenty embarrassed, but she was even angrier.
“You need to rest some, Isabel. You’ll work yourself up again,” Liam said with the same humor in his voice.
She couldn’t believe that he was finding it funny. It wasn’t a joke to her. “I don’t need to rest anymore. I need some answers from you.” Isabel let her skirt drop from her hands, and then she noticed the way Liam’s eyes traveled to her breasts and then back up to look at her face.
“What do you want me to tell you, Isabel?” he asked softly. Just her name from his lips was enough to give her goosebumps. Liam had been right, there was a sudden December chill in the air that she hadn’t been expecting and she shivered a little.
“Why didn’t you just tell me when I arrived? That would have been the most adult thing to do.” Isabel crossed her arms over her breasts while he continued to look at her. Liam was leaning against his horse now while he stared, the smile still on his face.
“You looked tired. Determined. I didn’t want to turn you away at the door when you had just arrived,” he said in a low voice. He wasn’t trying to convince her; he was just stating the facts.
“Why keep me under an illusion? Why make me think that you were testing my wifely skills when you knew all along that you were going to send me home in a few days?” She was screaming now. She was angry with him and herself, as well as the rest of the world. She barely knew this man but already she felt betrayed by him.
The side of Liam’s lip lifted and he smiled, then he shook his head and dropped the brush from his hand.
“I was trying to be polite, Isabel. I’m disappointed that you don’t see it that way,” he said and brushed his hands together.
Isabel could feel her nostrils flaring, her eyes straining to look at him. He was so handsome, so delicious to look at – the man of her dreams… and now she was struggling to remain angry with him.
“It would have been more polite to explain the misunderstanding to me right away,” she said.
“And send you packing, back on your way? Without giving you a place to stay for the night?” Liam asked, walking towards her now. His thumbs were hooked on the pockets of his jeans. Isabel lifted her chin and whipped her face away from him.
“You weren’t just offering me boarding and a hot meal like a guest. You had me believe that I was to be your bride. That we were going to marry in a few days once you had determined that I would be good for Sophie…and…and the ranch,” she said, fumbling with her words. She didn’t want to look at him anymore. She was slowly losing her determination the more she looked at him. Liam was walking towards her, and now he swung his legs over the wooden planks of the stable.
“And for that, I am sorry. That I made you believe something else. And to answer your question, I was going to tell you soon,” Liam said.
Isabel turned to look at him and then took a few steps back.
“That first night…you…we were together…under the pretext that you were testing me,” Isabel said, now trying her best to look at him directly. She was still taking steps away from him, while he walked towards her.
Liam slowly shook his head.
“That was wrong of me. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t help myself,” he said, that smile still on his face. Isabel took in a deep breath and then turned away from him.
“So you wanted me just for the night,” she said, throwing the words out into the night chill. Liam seemed to be thinking about his reply. When he didn’t say anything, Isabel started to walk away from him. She didn’t want to wait and be further humiliated by him.
“I did want you for the night. You’re right,” Liam called out to her, and Isabel stopped in her tracks. Her heart was beating fast; she was yearning to hear what he would say next. “Is it so wrong to submit to your deepest desires?” he asked.
She bit down on her lip. She still hadn’t turned to look at him. She hadn’t answered him either.
“You wanted a husband, that’s why you came here. When I saw you, I wanted you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Isabel had remained standing, but she hadn’t realized that Liam had walked up close behind her. When she felt his touch, his hands on her waist, it took her by surprise. She had been waiting, yearning, so long for his touch that she gasped.
His large han
ds enveloped her waist and then crept up her torso and to her breasts. She felt him squeeze them and she shut her eyes. Her back rested against his chest as he kneaded both her breasts violently. Isabel’s mouth opened with pleasure as she strained her neck against him. He pinched her nipples through the thin fabric of her crop top.
“We can’t…not now,” she murmured, but Liam didn’t stop. While his one hand continued to squeeze her breasts, his other found its way down the elastic of her skirt. He reached for her growing wetness and Isabel moaned. He found it and he stroked her through her lace panties. She wriggled in the grip of his arms. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his breath against the back of her head.
“I’ll stop now if you want me to,” he said hoarsely, but Isabel didn’t reply. Of course she didn’t want him to stop. Even though she had heard the truth from him – that he never ordered a bride and he hadn’t expected her to show up. She couldn’t deny the fact that her body wanted his.
Liam’s stroking her made her wetter, and she could feel her juices flowing out of her, gushing into his fingers. But he continued, making her body squirm and her eyes flutter.
But Isabel wanted more this time. She wasn’t going to allow him to do what he did that first night. Without warning, she whipped around to face him, so that his hand was pulled away from her. Her skirt rolled down with the movement. His hands were on her butt now.
She looked up at him, straight into his eyes, defiantly. Liam didn’t say a word, and looked back at her, challenging her to do something. So Isabel did. She grabbed his cock in her hands and felt how big it had gotten, how it was throbbing in her hands.
She locked eyes with him as she massaged him through his jeans. She watched as he shut his eyes and lifted his head towards the darkening sky. She could see that he couldn’t control himself anymore. This time he wouldn’t be able to resist it.
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