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

by Lynn Coppersmith

  Selena prayed fervently as the horse continued to run, and finally glancing back, she realized they had left Jeb far behind. She couldn’t see anything but dense forest around her. After several more minutes, she spoke soothingly to the horse, getting it to gradually slow its frantic pace. The last thing she needed was to have the horse fall on the ice, crushing her beneath it. When she had the horse walking calmly once more, she clung to the reins, keeping her eye on the ground and following the tracks they had made in the snow.

  Her wrists were still tied and secured around her waist with the rope, low enough that she couldn’t reach the knot. Keeping her wrists still, Selena wriggled her body until she got the rope to slide upward from her waist. She managed to get her hands high enough to reach the knot with her teeth, and she worked at loosening it. She was shivering with shock and cold, and her hands felt numb. She had just begun to feel the knot loosening when she heard the sound of someone approaching fast through the trees. She glanced up, fearful that Jeb had somehow caught up to her. Her relief was instant when she spied her husband racing through the trees, Gerald not far behind him.

  “Liam!” she cried. “Thank God!”

  He quickly closed the gap between them and jumped down from his horse.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes anxiously scanning her face.

  Liam had been terrified when he heard gunshots, but he was relieved to see Selena was alive and apparently not wounded. However, his eyes took on a murderous glow as he assessed her open bodice and coat that did little to protect her modesty. He noted her swollen lip, a dark bruise on her jaw and a trickle of dried blood on her neck.

  “That bastard!” he snarled. “I’ll kill him.”

  Liam retrieved a knife from his saddle and quickly cut through the ropes on her wrists and ankles and lifted her down from the horse. He clutched her against his chest, stroking her hair as she sobbed against him.

  “It’s alright, sweetheart. You’re safe now.” His eyes scanned the woods behind her, looking for any sign that she was being followed. He looked at Gerald from over his shoulder. “Keep an eye out. He might still be after her.” He saw Gerald nod, and Liam turned back to Selena. “Was it your stepfather?” he asked quietly.

  Selena nodded, clutching at his coat front. She finally calmed and managed to catch her breath, although she couldn’t stop trembling. She rubbed her raw wrists, shaking her hands against the prickling sensation as her circulation returned.

  “Thank God you found me,” she murmured as she looked up at Liam. “I knew you would come.”

  “It looks like you had matters pretty well in hand already,” Liam said as he searched her face, concern evident in his eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” His eyes dropped to her open bodice and he swallowed hard. “Did he . . .” Liam couldn’t bring himself to finish the question, but visions of his wife being raped clawed at his mind.

  Selena shook her head, burying her face against his neck. “No, he didn’t have time to follow through on his threats. He knew you would be coming after us, so he was too concerned with getting far away. He was planning to rape me tonight though.”

  Selena shivered against him. She reached to button her clothes, but her hands were trembling so much, she could only fumble.

  “Here, let me,” Liam said.

  He quickly fastened her garments, doing his best to ignore the bruises he saw on her creamy skin. When he had her fully clothed once more, he hugged her tightly against his chest, dropping a soothing kiss on the crown of her head.

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  Selena did so, feeling Liam’s muscles go from tense to rigid as she described how Jeb had molested her. She left out the details of the threats he had made, seeing no reason to further inflame Liam’s anger. As it was, she sensed that he was burning with rage. When she finished her tale, explaining how she had managed to escape, Liam nodded, a grim expression on his face. He kept an arm around her shoulders while he grabbed the reins of Jeb’s horse. He gave Selena a quick kiss on the forehead before lifting her onto the horse. He turned to face Gerald.

  “Take her back to camp.”

  “Where are you going?” both Selena and Gerald asked in unison.

  Liam swung into the saddle of his own horse. “I’m going after the bastard.”

  “What are you planning to do?” Selena asked. As much as she would like for him to kill Jeb, she didn’t want Liam to be hung for murder. “You can’t just kill him, Liam.”

  “Go back to camp, Selena. I need to know you are safe, and I’ll take care of Jeb,” Liam said firmly. Seeing that Selena wasn’t going to budge, he softened his stance a bit. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill him in cold blood, but neither am I going to let him run free so he can come back to haunt us later on. He has a lot to answer for, including your mother’s death.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Selena said. “I know Jeb. He’s a sneaky coward, and it would be just like him to set some kind of a trap for you.” The obstinate set of her jaw was a familiar sight, and Liam could see there was no point in trying to dissuade her.

  Liam glanced at Gerald for support, but the other man shook his head. “She’s right, Liam. You shouldn’t go after him on your own. If you’re determined to do this, I’m going with you too.”

  Liam heaved a sigh. “Alright, we’ll all go, but stay behind me and do as I say. Do you promise to do that?” He waited until Selena nodded her agreement, then he turned his horse around to follow the trail.

  They rode in a single file, being as quiet as possible. It took them a few minutes to reach the place where Selena had managed to escape. Selena and Gerald kept careful watch as Liam dismounted and looked at the ground. He found a trail of blood that led off into the woods.

  “He’s gone that way,” Liam whispered. “He can’t be far away though, so we’ll need to be quiet.”

  He motioned for them to dismount, and they led the horses, keeping a careful eye on the surrounding woods as Liam followed the spatters of blood. They came to the edge of the woods where the mountain sloped down into a deep ravine. They paused there as they all scanned the surrounding trees and open area for signs of Jeb.

  “There!” Selena whispered, tugging Liam’s sleeve and pointing to the opposite side of the ravine.

  They could see Jeb clawing his way up the steep rocky incline, stumbling frequently on the icy surface as he went. Liam pushed Selena behind some trees, motioning to Gerald to take cover as well. When they were all in place, Liam drew his pistol.

  “Jeb Hawkins!” he yelled. “Stop where you are.”

  Instead of stopping, Jeb scrambled behind a large boulder. “I ain’t gonna let you take me,” he yelled back. “They’d just hang me anyway. You’ll have to kill me first.”

  “That’s just what I intend to do if you don’t come out with your hands up,” Liam called back. After a long pause, he continued. “You can’t stay there indefinitely.”

  “Neither can you,” Jeb taunted.

  Liam looked at Gerald and whispered, “He’s right, you know. We have to start back soon if we’re going to make it back to camp before dark. We can’t spend the night out in the open. We’d likely freeze to death.” Liam scanned the ravine and the woods that circled its edges. “If I circle around through the woods, can you stay here and keep him covered?”

  Gerald nodded. “Yeah. If he moves from behind that rock, I’ll have him in my sights. I’ll shoot him in the leg if I have to, but I won’t let him get away.”

  “Good,” Liam said, facing Selena. “You stay put behind this tree.” Seeing her nod, he kissed her briefly and then started to turn away.

  Selena clutched at his sleeve. “Be careful,” she whispered.

  “I will,” he said, giving her a grim smile. Then he was gone, moving like a shadow through the trees until he quickly disappeared from sight.

  Selena and Gerald kept watch, tensely waiting as the minutes ticked by. Although she peered intently into t
he trees, she couldn’t see even a glimpse of Liam, and she wondered where he was. Her nerves were thoroughly frayed by the time she heard Liam’s voice coming from somewhere in the trees on the other side of the ravine. She still couldn’t see him

  “Jeb, you might as well give up. We’ve got you surrounded,” Liam called. He threw a small rock at the boulder behind which Jeb was crouching. “I could shoot you right now if I wanted to.”

  “Don’t shoot,” Jeb whined, standing up and holding his arms in the air. Jeb’s face was a mess of dried blood, and his nose was swollen and bruised. “I give up.”

  “Take your gun out and toss it on the ground,” Liam ordered. When Jeb had complied, Liam continued. “Now lean over and put your hands on that rock.”

  Liam waited until Jeb had done as ordered before emerging from the trees. Selena’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched Liam pick his way carefully down the steep hill. When Liam was only a few yards away, Jeb snatched a second pistol that he had hidden in his waistband and whirled to fire at Liam. Selena’s scream was drowned out by the sound of two gunshots. Jeb’s gun fell from his hand, and blood dripped from his fingers while he let out a yowl of pain. Liam had shot Jeb in the hand, and Jeb’s shot had gone off harmlessly into the trees.

  Liam launched himself at Jeb, and the two men fell to the ground, punching and wrestling on the icy slope. Selena watched in horror, deathly afraid that Liam would go toppling over the edge. Jeb was no match for Liam, and he took a severe beating as Liam’s fists pummeled him with punishing precision.

  “I give up! Please don’t hurt me,” Jeb whined, mewling like a pathetic kitten.

  Some semblance of sanity gradually returned to Liam’s features, and he stood up and yanked Jeb to his feet, shaking him roughly by the collar of his jacket.

  “Stand up, you miserable coward. We’re going to turn you in so you can get the hanging you deserve.”

  Jeb snatched his knife out and tried to stab Liam, but he leapt back out of reach. Jeb began to back up, his eyes darting frantically around to look for an escape route. He wasn’t watching his footing, and he slipped. His arms flailed as he tried to catch his balance, but it was useless. A split second seemed to stretch into eternity as they watched Jeb fall backward with a terrified scream. His body went rolling and bouncing down the craggy canyon to land in a lifeless heap at the bottom. Selena’s breath returned in a rush. She and Gerald ran as quickly as the uneven ground would allow to join Liam at the edge of the cliff. They all three peered down through the jagged rocks. Jeb’s body was several hundred feet below them, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

  “Good riddance,” Liam muttered. He put an arm around Selena and could feel her trembling against him. “He saved us a lot of trouble having to haul his sorry carcass to the nearest sheriff.” Liam hugged Selena close against his chest, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. “I’m sorry you had to see that, sweetheart. At least you won’t ever have to worry about him again.”

  “I don’t give a damn about him,” Selena said with feeling. “He deserved even worse than he got. I was only afraid that you would be hurt.”

  Liam hugged her even tighter against him and exchanged a look with Gerald over her head. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to bury him. We don’t even have a shovel with us.”

  Gerald gave a disgusted snort and spat down the canyon. “I say we should leave Jeb’s body to rot where it fell. He doesn’t deserve a decent burial.”

  After a moment of silence, they all agreed by unspoken consent. “Come on then,” Liam said, turning Selena around to head back up the hill. “Let’s get back to camp. It’s going to get dark soon, and the others will be worried.”

  They made it back to camp before nightfall, much to everyone’s relief. Liam, Selena and Gerald were immensely grateful to learn that Matthew, Hank, Adam and Peter had found all the oxen, healthy and unharmed, and they had brought them all back to camp.

  “But what happened to you?” Marcia asked, looking at Selena with deep concern etched on her face.

  “I’m fine. I’ll let Gerald fill you in on the details,” Selena said with a tired smile. “Right now, I just want to bathe and change.” She kept an arm around Liam’s waist and they made their way to their tent.

  “You go inside,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Let me take care of you for tonight, alright?”

  Selena nodded and disappeared into the tent, a dazed expression on her face. Liam built a fire and hung a pot of water to heat over the flames. By the time he had gotten clean clothes, a basin, soap, washcloths and towels out of the wagon, the water was ready, and he carried all the items into the tent.

  Selena was sitting on their pallet, a glazed look in her eyes. She had removed her shoes, and her legs were tucked beneath her, but her eyes softened when she looked up at him. Liam set everything down nearby, uncertain how he should proceed. He cleared his throat nervously.

  “Maybe I should leave and give you some privacy.”

  Selena grasped his hand and tugged, urging him to sit beside her on the pallet. “No, I want to be with you,” Selena whispered. She reached up to unbutton her dress, but her hands were trembling from the shock of the day’s events.

  “Can I help you?” Liam asked quietly.

  He was afraid of doing anything that might remind her of what her stepfather had done to her. Selena merely nodded. She sat still as Liam unbuttoned her dress and slid the sleeves down over her arms. Selena shivered.

  “Are you sure you want me to stay?” Liam asked, uncertainty showing on his face.

  “I’m shivering from cold,” Selena said with a smile, “not because you’re undressing me.”

  “I’ll hurry then,” Liam said, clearly relieved by her answer.

  He quickly unbuttoned her chemise, peeling it down to her waist. He lifted Selena onto his lap, slipping her garments off over her hips as he did so. His jaw hardened as he took in the bruises on her breasts where Jeb had mauled her. Misunderstanding his fierce expression, Selena hid her face against his neck.

  “Please don’t look at me like that?” she whispered. “I can’t bear it.”

  Liam hugged her close against him, lifting the blanket up to wrap around her forming a warm cocoon as he held her.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not thinking anything bad about you. I’m furious about what that animal did to you.” His voice dropped lower as he continued. “And I’m angry with myself that I didn’t protect you from him. I should have never let him get his hands on you again.”

  Selena pulled slightly away so she could look up at his face. She wore a puzzled frown. “There was no way you could have known what was going to happen. I was just so relieved to see you. I knew you would come for me.”

  Liam hugged her tightly, his chuckle rumbling in her ear. “Well, you didn’t need my help. By the time we caught up to you, you had already broken his nose and escaped.”

  Selena smiled too. “Yes I did, didn’t I?” She stroked Liam’s chest, enjoying the reassuring feeling of his arms surrounding her. “I just couldn’t bear him touching me anymore, and I would rather have died than to let him carry out his threats.” Selena couldn’t suppress a shiver as she remembered.

  Pulling away from Liam’s chest once more, Selena reached for the washcloth and soap. “I want to bathe. I feel so dirty.”

  Understanding her need, Liam helped her to wash until every inch of her skin had been thoroughly scrubbed. He rubbed her dry with a towel and then pulled her once more onto his lap, tucking the blanket around them both. Several long moments passed while Liam stroked her hair and held her as the gloom of late afternoon gave way to the darkness of night.

  “Are you hungry?” Liam asked her softly, not wanting to disturb the peace that surrounded them.

  “No, I don’t feel like eating. What about you?”

  “No, me neither.” Liam continued to stroke her hair.

  Selena reached up and drew his head down to her, offering her lips to him. Liam kissed
her tenderly, careful not to make any sexual overtures. Selena could sense his hesitation, and she pulled back with a sigh.

  “I don’t think I ever told you why I asked you to bring me with you on this trip,” Selena said softly, giving him a rueful smile. When Liam raised his brows in unspoken curiosity, she continued. “After the first time Jeb attacked me, I couldn’t bear for any man to touch me. The merest brush of a man’s hand made me cringe, and I started thinking that all men were evil like him, something to be feared and avoided.” She snuggled against his chest. “Then you came along. That first night I met you, you grabbed me and pulled me down onto your lap and propositioned me.”

  Liam squirmed with discomfort, embarrassed by the memory of his actions that night. “Selena, I’m sorry about that. If I had known . . .”

  “Shh,” Selena said, reaching to put her finger over his lips. Her smile was full of love as she gazed at him, leaning back against his arm so she could see his eyes. “Don’t be sorry, Liam. You changed my life in that moment. Even though I didn’t know you, I reacted to your touch. I knew instinctively that you were different. Instead of cringing with dread, I felt alive. I felt like a woman. I felt desire rather than fear.” She caressed his cheek and gave him a shy smile. “I think I started falling in love with you that very night.”

  Liam stared at her with wonder. “I thank my lucky stars every day that you were brave enough to ask to come along with me. I didn’t know that night that you were destined to be the love of my life.” He gave her a teasing grin. “I just knew I wanted to get inside your pantalets.”

  Selena gave a humph, raising a haughty brow as she turned to straddle his hips and loop her arms around his neck. “Well, you certainly managed to do that,” she murmured with a suggestive rock of her hips against his. She saw the lingering uncertainty in his face, and she framed his cheeks with her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes.

  “That’s why I’m telling you this, Liam. I want you to understand that when you touch me, when you make love to me without reservation, you erase all the terrible memories from my stepfather. He can’t hurt me anymore when I know that you want me and you love me.” Her eyes locked with his, willing him to understand. “I don’t want you to handle me with caution, always remembering the past. I want you to make love to me with abandon, to make my body sing with pleasure. Only then can I forget all the hurt.”