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“Elena, talk to me, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Liam moved to stand behind her, putting his arms around her and yet she didn’t lean into him. Though she didn’t pull away, she stiffened.
“Don’t lie to me, little girl. Something is eating at you inside.”
“No… I just love it here. It’s beautiful and peaceful and so quiet. Besides, what is going to happen to the animals when we go? And Mr. Snowy and his little girl. No one will be here to take care of them. They’ll feel abandoned.”
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Are you scared that I’m going to abandon you? Elena, we’re going to get married—”
“You don’t have to marry me, Liam.”
He was stunned at her words, turning her around to face him though she stared at her feet instead of meeting his eyes. Cupping her chin, he forced her to look at him. “Don’t have to? What the hell, Elena? I can’t wait to marry you. I love being your daddy, but I also want to be your husband. I want you to become Mrs. Liam McCormick. God, haven’t you realized by now that I love you?”
“But what if Rebecca is right? What if I can’t submit… can’t be free to be your little girl when we aren’t alone? When there are other people who will judge me for ruining your life? I-I want you to be happy, Liam. God, you deserve to be happy. And I-I am not running, but… we don’t have to marry. I want you to be free to… to leave when you discover you do want more.”
Liam wanted to strangle Rebecca for what she’d said. Despite Elena returning, stating she’d managed to move beyond that day, it was obvious that she hadn’t. He could talk until he was blue in the face but would Elena ever truly believe that she was—exactly—the only woman he would ever want? Somehow he had to obliterate that memory from her mind, and the only way he knew how to do that was to replace it with another.
“Elena Michelle, you march your little heinie upstairs right now and go wait for me in your room.”
“But—”
“No! I am your daddy and you will do what I say, exactly what I say, or young lady, you’re going to be a very sorry little girl. Go!”
He stepped back and extended his arm, pointing toward the stairs. Her eyes were huge and he almost cringed when she flicked her gaze toward the door, but he remained resolute. “Now, Elena!”
His bark startled her into action and she ran to the stairs and disappeared. He could hear her footsteps on the planks of the hall. As he prepared to follow her, his gaze fell onto a stack of board games and videos piled at one end of the hearth and he stood with one foot on the stairs. Glancing up at the railing above him, he shook his head. Why hadn’t he noticed that after that first time when she’d brought down Candy Land and the Little Mermaid video, they’d never found their way upstairs again? Why hadn’t he noticed that when he’d suggest she pick a game or movie to play, she’d always asked him to pick one he’d enjoy? Over the last two weeks, every game and DVD case had wound up downstairs.
Climbing the stairs, he stood at the top, looking into the office. Why hadn’t he noticed that those few days he’d spent working on his laptop, she’d not curled up in the window seat to read or draw or simply to look out the window? She’d said she preferred to curl up downstairs in front of the fire. He’d understood as she adored looking into the flames. What he hadn’t considered was that she’d been avoiding this room ever since she’d returned. He had no doubt that she loved the rest of the cabin, loved the renovations, loved her room, but she did not love everything. Well, it was time to change that.
He walked into her room to find her once again standing and looking out a window. Liam didn’t want to really consider if she was truly just enjoying the view or if she was perhaps regretting coming back to a place that still held a memory that she couldn’t seem to let go. A memory that was keeping her from fully moving on. As he opened her closet, he realized that he also had a demon who needed to be exorcised. Its name was not Rebecca. Its name was Fear. Fear that he wouldn’t be able to rid her of her own doubts and fear that despite her words, he’d wake up one day and find she’d run.
Making his choices, he went to the dresser, selected a couple of items and then laid them all on her bed. Moving to the door, he called to her. “Elena, you are to change and wait for my call. Do not make me wait long.” Not waiting for her response, he turned and left. If she disobeyed, he didn’t know what he’d do as this was the only thing he could think of to finally set her free of the past.
There was not much for him to prepare so he mimicked his girl by standing at the window in the office part of the loft and looking out. They had made good memories here; the snowman and his little one still stood, twig hands together. He watched as birds pecked at the snow, eating the birdseed Elena scattered every day. They’d gone on daily hikes, and her pleasure in discovering that the animals did indeed partake of her popcorn and cranberry strands made him happy. Hell, everything Elena did brought him more joy than he’d ever dared to imagine.
His gaze drifted upward to look at the sky and he prayed: Please, let this work. This woman is my life, my heart, my very soul. Let me free her to no longer be afraid of what anyone ever said to have her doubt herself. Let Elena learn that she needn’t worry about anyone who’d rather trod on her heart than to appreciate the incredible person she is.
Turning away, he was ready.
“Elena, come here,” he called loudly to assure she heard him. Then he sat and waited, praying she would appear and thanking God when she did.
Just like that day, she stood, twisting her fingers in the pleats of the skirt he’d set out. She’d pulled her hair into pigtails, the auburn curls shaking a bit as she trembled slightly. Her feet, in her saddle shoes, shifted in place. However, what had his heart swelling wasn’t the fact that she looked absolutely perfect, but that her eyes were locked on his, the expression one of trust, one of hope. And with her first words, he knew it was up to him to make sure that expression would forever be imprinted upon her heart.
“You wanted to see me, Daddy?”
“Yes, Elena, come in and take a seat.”
She walked across the floor and sat in the chair he’d pulled from its place by the window and placed in front of his desk.
“Do you know why you are here?”
“I-I… because I had to go to the principal’s office?”
Liam shook his head. While the basic elements of that day remained the same, her outfit, the setting, he had no intention of this being a scenario created from fantasy. This was real… very real.
“No, this has nothing to do with anyone other than you and me.” He lifted a sheet of paper off his desk. “Do you know what this is?”
