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."

Liam felt anger burn in his gut. Things were different up in the mountains. People lived by their own rules and they had their own customs and beliefs.

Liam knew Silas to be a loud, cruel, abrasive, heavy-handed drunkard—just like many others up there. He was a rough husband—and apparently father too if those bruises on Emma were any indication.

Beating women, selling children and starving your family when you yourself didn't appear to have ever missed a meal? Those things riled Liam's temper in a hurry.

"You said she ran away? What would make a girl run off in this kind of weather?"

Silas glared. "It's personal family business. Nothin' to concern ya."

"Well I've not see anyone, Silas."

Silas stood slowly. "I followed a trail down. I took it to be hers. It led to yer barn."

Liam shrugged. "I've been out there and didn't see a soul."

"Mind if I check fer myself?"

"My word isn't good enough for you?" Liam inquired.

Silas let out a sigh. "I just wanna be sure. I'm awful worried. Ya see, her mama took ill last night and passed on. Emma was so upset, she just took off... can ya believe that? The ungrateful brat, running off and abandoning her pa in his time of need?"

Liam fought the urge to snort. Silas must have killed poor Carolyn and Emma had fled for her life.

"No." He shook his head. "I sure can't."

Silas' infamous temper reared its head. He strode forward with his fists clenched. "Are ya callin' me a liar?!" he bellowed.

Liam's gaze went upward and he stood his ground. He didn't scare easy and it would take more than an overgrown coward to get it done. "Calm down, Silas. This is my home, not yours. I demand a bit more respect from my guests—especially after I've been kind enough to feed them."

Silas was fuming. Liam could practically see the smoke billowing from his ears. "Now your damn daughter isn't here. If you think you need to check the barn, go ahead. But I think you need to go back to searching the mountain. Chances are she never made it down in that weather and she's probably already froze to death."

Silas snarled. "It would serve her right. Abandonin' her pa when he needs her...."

Liam raised a brow. "Children these days."

Silas headed toward the door. "I'm gonna take a look in that barn."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Liam shrugged. "Do what you got to do."

Silas slammed the door behind him as he left the cabin, shaking the walls. Liam went to the window and watched the big man step into the barn. He was there a long while before finally stepping back out and heading back toward the mountain trail.

Liam let the curtain fall, locked the door and crossed the room to the wardrobe. He pulled open the door and stared down at Emma.

She was sitting at the bottom of the wardrobe with her knees pulled into her chest and tears on her face. Something inside Liam softened at the sight. Just because he was a loner didn't mean he was cold-hearted.

He had a soft spot for helping those in need. It was something his aunt had instilled in him from a young age.

Liam held out a calloused hand. "You can come out now, Emma."

She stared hard at his hand a moment before reaching out and taking it. "He's gone?" she whispered, as Liam helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, I reckon so," Liam replied, releasing his hold on her hand and attempting to steady himself. Something about this woman's touch made him feel off center.

"Emma Hawke? That's your name? You're Silas Hawke's daughter?"

"Yes," she admitted.

Liam realized he'd opened up an entire can of trouble by saving this woman, bringing her in and lying to her pa. While Silas didn't scare him, if Silas chose, he could come back with an entire posse of mountain men if he discovered Liam was lying.

There was no law for hundreds of miles. Men tended to take the law into their own hands and settle issues their own ways.

"Please..." she pleaded. "Please, Liam, help me get to a town. I was on my way to one when ya found me."

"No, you were on your way to the grave when I found you."

Emma nibbled at her full bottom lip and Liam found his eyes drawn to the movement. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I thank ya, Liam. I really do. And I thank ya fer helpin' me with my pa just now.. I won't ask ya fer nothin' else if ya could just point me in the direction of town..."

"No."

Her face fell. "But I can't stay here."

"I know you can't," Liam assured her quickly. Liam wasn't in the market for permanent company—not even the pretty kind.

Liam saw the confusion on her face. He also thought he saw hurt. Dear Lord, did the woman want to stay?

"I'll find town on my own then," she announced.

"Not today you won't," Liam argued. "The sky looks bad. It's going to start snowing again soon. The wind is howling and it's freezing cold. Even on horseback, in weather like this, it'd take you a good two hours or longer to reach town. And you'd freeze to death on foot."

Liam sighed as he realized what had to be done. "You'll stay here until the weather breaks."

Fear lit her blue eyes. "With you?"

"Damn lady," Liam muttered. "If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it already."

He moved away from her and headed for the door. "We can talk more later. For now, I've got stalls to clean and animals to tend. Make yourself comfortable, Emma."

Without giving her time to respond, Liam left the cabin. He had questions he wanted to ask, but, being a private person himself, he wasn't comfortable getting too personal.

Plus, he wasn't look to have too much chit chat between them. He didn't want her forming some kind of attachment. He'd get her to town, make sure she was in safe hands and that would be that.

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