Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (32 page)

***

Celia watched him pick at the food on
his plate and found her appetite waning as well. They’d chatted
briefly about small things, but something was bothering him. “Would
you like to take a walk with me? The night’s beautiful and we could
walk down to the stream in the moonlight. Walk with me,
Seth.”

He glanced up from his plate and
nodded. “All right, a walk would do us both some good.” Shoving
back his chair, he dropped several bills on the table and reached
over to help her up.

She had a moment’s consternation as she
remembered the confrontation she’d had with Brannon in the
mercantile that day. The way Joseph had acted worried her.
Normally, the boy was out going and happy. But he feared the man it
appeared and she would have to find out why. Glancing at Seth as
they exited the inn, she decided to wait until she’d spoken to
Joseph before broaching the subject with Seth. It just made sense
to have some facts to deal with rather than mere
speculation.

“
How’s it going with Casey?”
Seth adjusted her shawl against the cooling night air before
heading toward the creek that meandered near the edge of
town.

“
Good. I may even be winning
her over with my witty charm.” She couldn’t help the wry smile she
sent him or the wink. “Casey’s a hard cookie to crack, but we’re
making progress.” Glancing out at the dappled moonlight scattered
among the treetops, she continued. “She’s been through a lot. The
only way she knows how to deal with all of the pain and frustration
is to come off as hard and callous.” She glanced at the tight line
of his jaw and understood his concern. With a companionable move,
she slipped her arm through his and suggested, “Give her time.
She’ll come around.” Celia smiled warmly as she tightened her hold.
“After all, she’s a Loflin.” Finishing with a dry grin, she scanned
the reflection of the moon as it danced on the water.

“
Yes she is,” Seth agreed
dimly. “I wish I could take back the last twelve years.” A sigh
escaped as he stared straight ahead.

“
It does little good to look
back. We have to find comfort in the now.” Celia let the words come
without thought or provocation. A wise priest once told me that all
things happen for a reason. Perhaps the last twelve years occurred
for a reason.” She glanced sideways at his profile shadowed by his
Stetson. His jaw worked with tension so she dropped the
subject.

The night was warm and the crickets
chirped a soft tune. A new type of contentment settled over her as
she let the night sounds sooth her. The rich green of the grass was
inviting and she allowed him to place his jacket on the grass for
her to sit on. He settled next to her and together they watched as
a mother duck gathered her chicks for bed.

“
Celia, you know I care
about you, don’t you?”

The concern in his eyes was unsettling.
“Of course I do. You’ve done everything you could to make sure I’m
safe.” She offered him a genuine smile. “My father chose well when
he asked you to look out for me. Of course, I can take care of
myself,” she lifted her chin as a reminder. “But, you’ve been
invaluable in helping.” Trying for a matter-of-fact tone, she made
a show of smoothing her skirt over her legs and
shrugged.

He continued to remain
silent.

“
Seth, what’s wrong? You’re
so far away.” Despite her manners, she found her concern overrode
her respect for his privacy and the nagging guilt with his
determination to be her protector.

“
I have something to tell
you. Something we need to talk about, you and I…”

“
What’s going on, Seth?
You’re frightening me.” And he was, she thought quickly. Nerves
kicked up in her stomach, like butterflies in mad flight. “Has
something happened concerning Casey? Will Cole press charges after
all?”

“
No, Casey’s fine. But Ty
delivered a message from Cole a little while ago.” Seth looked
directly at her. “He’d had a visit from Brannon.”

“
The Ranger? They’ve found
out something about who killed my father?” She clasped her hands
together. Her eyes brightened as she turned fully toward him at
that point. Perhaps that’s what Brannon had wanted to speak with
her about. She’d been too hasty in her idea that he was
dangerous.

“
No.” Seth’s voice grew
irritated. “Just let me finish, okay?”

Celia nodded. Unsettled by his
moodiness, she waited.

The stick he held in his hand was
tossed out into the water. Scowling after it, he turned his full
attention on her. “Somehow Brannon knows you’re Red Bear’s cousin.
He wants – no insists – you scout for them.” Without a pause, he
rushed on to explain. “He’s ruthless and devious. I don’t trust him
as far as I can throw him.” His brow creased in concern. “Word is
he seizes female Indians – kidnaps them, if you will. His pretense
is that he’s transporting them to the reservations in Oklahoma
which falls under his duties as a ranger. Rumor is he’s actually
kidnapping them for…for his own use and then sells them to the
Mexicans.”

Celia’s insides began to congeal. The
fact that Brannon wanted her to help him find Red Bear was bad
enough, but Seth was implying that these supposed lawmen used the
women they took for sex and then sold them when they were through.
It was like a tale out of a dime novel – all melodramatic and
fanciful for certain. But this was more and a chilling sensation
replaced the sense of mild self-reproach she’d enjoyed only minutes
before. Irritation and realization at how close she’d come to being
one of his concubines replaced her sense of worldly balance. The
fact was she’d narrowly escaped the man and now was in real
jeopardy of being taken and it was all lawful in Texas.

“
Well, I’ll just leave.”
Celia’s head came up and she shook her dark hair from side-to-side.
“I’ll have to tell Red Bear. The People and he are in danger.” She
looked into his eyes now, hoping hers were steady as a rock. “I’ll
have to go back east now.”

Seth scrubbed at his face. “This was
what I was afraid of. You don’t understand this man’s power. He’s
the law here in Texas and his authority is Federal as well. He
would simply have you detained and returned. You can’t go
gallivanting off looking for Red Bear either. You’ll lead Brannon
right to him. Besides, you don’t know where to start.”

She couldn’t hold his gaze. Looking
down, she realized, she’d never finished telling him about the
night she met Red Bear and what he’d said about the Comanche’s
rendezvous near Antelope Hill.

“
Celia, look at me.” Now his
tone was commanding.

She flinched as she met his
gaze.

“
I have a plan.” Taking a
deep breath, he plowed on. “As the wife of a Texas rancher, you
would be safe. You could do nothing that your husband didn’t agree
to. That includes scouting for the Rangers.” He reached out and
took her arm gently. “I’ve arranged for us to be
married.”

The blood drained from her
face. Her spine stiffened. He
’
d gone mad!

“
We’ll be married tomorrow
in Charles Harrison’s office. I’ve already spoken to him. He’s a
close friend of mine. He’s agreed to perform the ceremony and file
the papers in the courthouse.” He took a breath and watched
her.

Celia closed her eyes. It hurt too much
to look at him. She wanted to rage at the heavens, scream at the
four winds. The Great Spirit had played a cruel joke with this turn
of events. “Your need to keep me safe has overrode your reason,
Seth. I can’t marry you.”

“
You’ll be the wife of a
Texas rancher. Not even Brannon can come in and demand that you go
with him,” he repeated.

Celia clutched at the grass near her
dress for an anchor. Marriage! Her world was spinning out of
control faster than she’d ever dreamed possible. She couldn’t
believe what she was hearing. He was asking her to be his wife.
Where had this crazy idea come from? Oh, yes, the threat of Texas
Rangers. It was necessary. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same
time. He was still trying to keep her safe. A soft sigh escaped
her. Her mouth was as dry as desert sand. Celia watched as the
muscle in his jaw worked in quick sharp twinges.

“
I know how crazy this
sounds, but it’s the only way. We haven’t much time. The Rangers
are the long arm of the law around these parts and Brannon can
pretty much do as he pleases.” Seth’s next look gave her already
knotted stomach a new level of constriction. His features were grim
and as serious as she’d ever seen them. “Being half Comanche means
that you have no rights in this matter. You are at their
mercy.”

At their mercy! Celia’s mind screamed
the words out. Where had the sensible, reliable Seth gone? She bit
her lip as she contemplated the possibility of marriage to him,
marriage, a married woman, his woman, Seth’s wife. With her mind
reeling, Celia closed her eyes tight. He wanted to marry
her.

“
Of course, the marriage
would be a business agreement, simply contrived to protect you. The
marriage would be in name only and when the danger is passed, you’d
be free to get an annulment. I’ve seen to the wording of the
document, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Celia’s eyes flew open and her spin
stiffen again. The fanciful dream she harbored of the whole affair
popped like someone had let the air out of a bag. Visions and
pearly white illusions, which had flitted through her thoughts only
moments ago, dissolved and disappeared like the wisps of a fairy
tale.

“
Do you understand what I’m
telling you?” His voice had an edge to it.

She cast cool eyes Seth’s way. This man
thought he knew everything. Well she had a thing or two to teach
him about Celia, daughter of Lone Eagle. “Yes, I think I do. The
marriage will be in name only.”

“
Right.” His Adam’s apple
bobbed profusely. “Look, I understand your concern. Remember, the
marriage will be purely business meant to keep you
safe.”

Seth’s eyes grew larger than usual. No
doubt, he was scared shiftless. “To keep me safe…?” She realized
too late, she sounded much like a parrot as she repeated the words.
She made him wait several minutes while he fidgeted and stewed.
Finally, Celia nodded solemnly. Her face was a perfect example of
seriousness. “I appreciate everything you’re trying to do for me.”
Her voice rang flat to her own ears, but she kept her eyes on his.
“Would you mind if I asked for a few minutes alone?”

Shaking his head, he got up. “No, I
don’t mind.”

The only outward sign of distress on
his part, as he backed out of sight in the growing darkness, were
his fingers running around the brim of his Stetson. He looked like
he was about to bolt, she mused. Could she blame him? Ever since
her arrival, she’d brought nothing but trouble to his door. Now he
was marrying her, but not for love, rather for some convoluted plan
to keep her safe once again. She must be dreaming, but if she was,
it was fast becoming a nightmare. She had to admit she’d wanted to
believe there was more to his proposal than just protection, a
business agreement. Celia set her mouth hard over the proposition
of marriage to Seth. She thought back to the two of them in the
alley. Even if their encounter had only been lustful, she knew
there were marriages based on far less and they’d survived. What
did she have to lose, she mused. The man was offering security and
protection. She could do much worse.

A twig snapped, heralding his
return.

She looked up from her seat and smiled
weakly. “I will marry you, Seth.”

Chapter 10

False Truths

What kind of wife would she be? She
stood in front of the looking glass and asked herself that question
while Maggie fused over the dress and her veil. Most brides were
happily nervous on their wedding day. Most brides certainly weren’t
Celia. She’d lay awake most of the night thinking. In her mind, she
knew she was making a mistake. Still, if there was even a glimmer
of a chance that Seth would care for her, she would take it. Rather
pathetic, wasn’t she?

Performed in record time, the ceremony
seemed surreal. Ty and Maggie stood up for the couple. Joseph and
Cutter stayed close and preceded them back to the hotel with his
own rendition of the traditional Comanche celebration march. It was
all over before she could consider what had happened. Standing by
his side, she’d recited the vows that made them man and wife.
Everything was a blur of words and signatures, every moment - so
surreal. She’d wished for her wedding day, even foolishly dreamed
of it for so long. Unfortunately, her vision of the day had been
very different. There would’ve been flowers – she’d always dreamed
of roses. Friends would’ve congratulated the couple. The
festivities definitely included cake. Seth would’ve swept her up in
the first dance while everyone cheered.

Instead, there’d been a kiss from
Maggie and hugs from her new brother-in-law, Ty. She thought of her
father. Was he watching this ruse unfold? What did he make of the
arrangement? Her thoughts were broken up as her new husband put an
arm around her waist while the small wedding party made their way
back to the hotel. He wanted to pretend for others, she mused. ‘A
business arrangement’ he’d called it. She was agreeing to a
theatrical performance to insure that she would be safe.