Chapter Fourteen
Isabel followed Liam back towards the house. She straightened her skirt and tried to smooth her curls as she walked behind him. “What is that supposed to mean?” she called out to him, which finally made him stop a few feet away from the back porch.
“You know what I mean,” he said, turning to look at her. It was Liam’s turn to look at her with rage. His blue eyes were narrowed and sharp and he was looking at her like it had all been one big mistake.
“No, I don’t. What did that mean? The complete Western experience?” she asked him and crossed her arms over her breasts again.
Liam breathed in deeply. “Isn’t that why you were here in the first place? A big city girl like you. You’ve lived in New York all your life. Why would you just give up everything and come here?” he asked, not making a move towards her.
Isabel couldn’t understand it. Just a few moments ago, he was inside her and they were laughing together. What had changed so suddenly? “Why do you think I gave up everything and moved here?” she asked him, her voice quivering. He was aiming too close to the truth and it made her nervous.
“Because you had some sort of romantic notion of what life would be like here. You’ve probably watched it in movies. You thought you could marry a cowboy and live here. You’re escaping something,” Liam said, glaring at her. Despite the words he was spitting out at her, he was surprisingly calm. Unlike Isabel, Liam appeared to be unaffected by his temper.
“Why does it matter? I answered an ad. An ad that wasn’t even a real ad. This was what was wanted of me. To be a mail-order bride,” Isabel replied, gritting her teeth.
Liam clenched his jaw. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” he said after several seconds of silence. “Which is why I was only hoping that you’ve enjoyed your full experience.” He turned from her again.
Isabel bit down on her lip and shut her eyes. She could hear him walking away from her again. “Alright. Yes, you’re right. I wanted the experience,” she said, opening her eyes. He stopped in his tracks again.
“You’re right about all of it. I watched Westerns with my dad and I had a romantic notion of the West. But you’re wrong about a few other things,” Isabel explained as Liam turned to look at her.
“I’m not a big city girl. I moved to New York a year ago. Before that, I lived in a small town in Wisconsin,” Isabel stated. Liam remained quiet. He was looking at her like he wanted her to go on, to spill the truth. Isabel cleared her throat from the nervousness.
“And thank you, Liam. I did enjoy my complete Western experience. How thoughtful of you to be so hospitable,” she added and dropped her arms. She started walking past him, towards the house.
He grabbed her hand. Isabel gasped when she felt him pull her towards him. “Don’t be bitter with me,” he said, glaring down at her face. He looked furious. He hadn’t been defied by anyone before. He wasn’t used to someone talking back to him – no one except Sophie.
Isabel glared back at him and then surprised him with a smile. “I’m not bitter, Liam. You asked me a question and I answered it. I did have a good time. All my romantic notions of the West have been fulfilled,” she said, twisting her hand out of his grip.
Liam’s face softened. “Are you going to tell me what you’re trying to escape?” he asked and Isabel continued to smile. She had figured out the best possible way to deal with this man. He was riling her up; he was expecting her to get angry, to throw a girly fit. She wasn’t going to.
“I don’t have to tell you anything. You want me to leave soon, which I will. We can all forget about this like a bad dream. Move on,” Isabel said, placing her hands on her hips.
“Was it really such a bad dream?” he asked, and Isabel smiled again. It was working.
“It was for you, wasn’t it? Some strange woman appeared at your front porch out of nowhere. Your daughter conspired against you. Now you have to deal with the mess.” Isabel said it with a sing-song voice like she was telling a joke. She made certain not to raise her voice or display in any way to Liam that she was upset.
Liam stared at her like he was surprised. “I didn’t say any of that. I was just taken by surprise,” he said.
Isabel stared at the face of the man she wouldn’t be able to forget. She felt safe around him, even when they were arguing. “It’ll all be over soon, don’t worry.”
Liam blinked at her. “I didn’t ask for that either,” he said and Isabel suddenly reached for him and gave his right shoulder a squeeze. He looked at her hand like it was a ghost’s.
“You don’t have to ask. I can see that I’m a burden to you. I’ll be gone by tomorrow afternoon.” Isabel smiled at him like she was an old friend, then turned on her heel and hitched up her skirt. “Now come on in, Sophie must be starving. Do you have some flour somewhere? I’d like to make her a pie before I leave.”
She didn’t need to look at Liam to know that he was struggling with himself. She barely knew the man, but she somehow knew enough about him. She had figured him out. It was like she knew him all her life. She had just been waiting to meet him.