Heaven Scent (23 page)

Rafe laughed as Beau’s eyes
twinkled.

“That’s because I was smart enough to
avoid the scrapes rather than look for them.”

“More likely because I was always
jumping in front of you to save your hide,” Rafe
retorted.

Tarin could see the genuine affection
and admiration between the two men. She surmised that they had most
likely saved each other a time or two. There was no greater loyalty
than that born of tragedy.

“Are we ready?” Henry asked, his eyes
wide below raised brows, his face alight with a hope Tarin had
never seen before.

“Yes, father,” she replied, as she
leaned up and kissed his cheek.

All eyes were on her father as he made
the grand announcement. A collective gasp echoed throughout the
room as all eyes shot to them. She spotted Randall Kent not far
away, half hidden behind a curtain. His squinting eyes bored into
her, his jaw stiff. He shook his head slowly. Tarin clutched Rafe’s
arm.

As expected, she and Rafe were
immediately engulfed in well wishes and congratulations. A line
formed beside them as they received their friends and
acquaintances. Soon, each remark blurred into the next until Tarin
found herself drifting off. Her ears picked up a conversation a few
people deep in line. Two of the Brahmin’s elite ladies spoke behind
their hands.

“Well, of course he is marrying her for
her money. Sutherland Shipping has suffered greatly since Colin’s
sudden death.”

Stiffening, Tarin honed in more
closely.

The second woman said, “What I can’t
understand is why she agreed to it? You know it was not arranged by
Henry because the foolhardy man agreed to allow her free choice of
a husband. But Rafe Sutherland? Granted, he used to be such a
dapper, handsome young man but now…”

Gritting her teeth, Tarin squeezed her
eyes shut. Well, she knew two people that would not receive wedding
invitations. But what concerned her more than their horrid gossip
was any truth that may lie within it.

Had Rafe asked to marry her for her
money?

How could a man show her
-
share
with her -
the intimacy and lovemaking they had experienced in the garden if
he did not care for her? Granted, they had not professed their love
for each other, but in her heart of hearts she knew love
existed.

Tarin pasted on a smile for the next
guest. Was she only fooling herself?

When she looked at Rafe, felt his
strength and support beside her, doubt became nonexistent. Yet,
when reality and past experience shoved their way into her
thinking, she wondered if her love for him had blinded her to his
true agenda.

Stop it, Tarin. He told you
he wanted no one but you. Must he prove himself?

Shaking her head as if to clear it,
Tarin lifted her chin and pasted on a smile. Neither Dr. Kent nor
these two biddies were going to ruin her engagement. The man she
loved had asked her to marry him. Why borrow trouble?

Chapter 13

While Dr. Kent’s ominous words worried
Tarin, Rafe made any doubts she had about his sincerity
disappear.

When she and her father arrived at the
Sutherland home for dinner the following evening, Rafe made a point
of pulling her aside prior to entering the parlor. Holding her
close, he asked about her day, kissing each of her fingertips as
she tried to speak. His dark eyes black with desire, he told her he
had missed her and was glad she had come.

Tarin did well to breathe.

As wedding plans were discussed, Rafe
always sought her opinion and approval. When the question of
whether Patrick or Beau would stand up for Rafe, Beau graciously
bowed out and agreed to escort Isabel.

Much to Tarin’s relief, Rosa seemed at
ease with the wedding conversation and had even agreed to accompany
her, Kit and Isabel to the dress fitting. If the smile on Patrick’s
face was any indication, he was pleased with her acquiescence as
well.

Once all of the details were decided
and the date set for one month to the day, the families made plans
to meet at the Commons the following day for the Independence Day
festivities.

Rather than allowing her father to
escort her home, Rafe rode with them to spend a few extra minutes
with her. Upon arrival at the house, Rafe was the proper gentleman
in front of her father and saw her to the door. He kissed her hand
and told her he would be fortunate to sleep the night with thoughts
of her in his head.

She now understood why all of the women
had loved him. His charm was positively lethal.

And he was using it in full force the
following day when she and Kit found him at Mrs. Miller’s taffy
booth, sampling her popular candy.

“Beware of this one, Mrs. Miller,”
Tarin said, as they came to stand beside Rafe and Beau. “Or, you
will find yourself without inventory.”

The men laughed around mouthfuls of
candy as Mrs. Miller smiled at Tarin.

“Dear heart, I have known this one
since he was a boy.” She pointed at Rafe. “Nothing has changed with
adulthood. Although I doubt he now has time to sweep the store to
make up for the candy he’s eaten.”

Smiling, Rafe kissed Tarin’s hand
before placing it on his arm. “My father used to make me sweep her
shop at least once a week to make up for the candy I ate. And that
was after he beat me for being there instead of with the
tutor.”

Tarin sighed, feigning despair. “I hope
this is not a prelude to our days of raising children.”

“I’m afraid Lady
Worthington may find her husband
and
children sweeping that store,”
Beau chimed in, winking at Kit.

“Do not let her proper façade fool
you.“ Kit tipped her head towards Beau and said out of the side of
her mouth, “Tarin is quite the fan of Mrs. Miller’s taffy
herself.”

Tarin squinted at Kit. Leave it to her
best friend to reveal one of her secret passions.

“So, it will be a family affair,” Beau
pronounced, as he conspired with Kit. “Not unlike a family picnic
or say, an evening of games.”

“Exactly!“ Kit’s infectious laughter
tinkled on the air.

Tarin could not help but laugh at their
antics.

Rafe shook his head. “Sweetheart, I
think we need to question our choice in friends.”

Tarin nodded. “I’m sure we can find
more agreeable people in this crowd.”

Releasing her hand, Rafe reached into
his pocket and handed Mrs. Miller enough money to cover all of the
candy she had to sell that day. Grinning, he grabbed one more
fistful of taffy and placed it in Tarin‘s hand.

“While not nearly as sweet as my
betrothed, it does come in second.” He gave the wide-eyed Mrs.
Miller a brisk nod before leading Tarin away.

Offering his arm to Kit, Beau fell in
step beside Rafe.

“That was most kind of you.” Tarin
squeezed Rafe’s arm.

Staring down at her, Rafe covered her
hand with his. The warmth of his touch made her sigh.

“You bring out the best in
me.”

“Really?” She smiled up at him, wishing
he would kiss her again right there, in the middle of the park. “I
recall quite a few… disagreements between us.”

His dimpled grin was devilish. “All the
more to make up for in private.”

Heat bloomed in her face as she cocked
an eyebrow. “Mr. Sutherland, you do have a devious mind.” She
lowered her voice as she stared up into his handsome face.
“Although I do like the way you think.”

Eyes glittering with male interest,
Rafe leaned closer, drawing her gaze to his mouth. “Do not tempt
me, woman.”

Feeling impish, she replied, “Oh, but I
find that is all I want to do these days.”

He growled low in his throat. “You are
going to be the death of me, Lady Worthington.” He kissed the top
of her hand again.

Hugging his arm, she
snuggled against his side as they strolled the Commons in the
mid-afternoon sun. The park was filled with families enjoying the
July 4
^th
celebration. Children ran about carrying small American flags.
Ladies strolled in and out of the booths selling anything from
crafts to accessories, jams, jellies and other canned goods. Men
congregated near the target practice, holding mugs of beer and
smoking cigars. The scent of freshly baked pies wafted through the
air, making her mouth water, while laughter and conversation
mingled with the patriotic tunes of a local band. Tarin
hummed
The Star Spangled Banner
as she strolled with Rafe.

“It is getting hard to move in this
crowd,” Rafe commented, as he allowed Tarin to precede him through
a particularly tight pack.

Beau did the same with Kit. “I see your
mother just up ahead, Rafe.”

Getting poked and bumped as Rafe helped
her through the crowd, Tarin suddenly found herself in a small
clearing - facing the barrel of a gun.

She caught her breath. Her legs
wouldn’t move. All she could see was the black, endless tunnel
pointed at her face. All she could hear was the uncontrollable
pounding of her heart.

All she could think about was getting
Rafe away from the gunman.

Suddenly, she found herself on the
ground with her hands propped behind her. She watched in horror as
Rafe walked headlong into the line of fire.

“Rafe, no!” The words ripped from her
throat, leaving a trail of raw fear in their wake.

The gun went off. Something splintered
behind her. Tarin screamed Rafe’s name again.

He was hurt. She knew it. He was at
point-blank range. There was no way he could have survived the shot
unscathed. She scrambled to her knees.

“You
sonuvabitch
.” Rafe snatched the
smoking gun from the man’s hand. The man’s eyes widened in horror.
Pulling back, Rafe slammed his fist into the man's nose before
backhanding him across the face with the butt of the
gun.

Blood splattered Rafe's clothes. The
man dropped to the ground. Rafe jammed his boot at the man’s throat
and held the gun in his face. The man gargled, struggling for
breath.

“Give me the gun, Rafe.” Beau clutched
Rafe’s shoulder.

Rafe’s eyes were dark,
fierce,
wild
when
he looked at Beau. Though outwardly calm, he radiated anger and
violence. As though it would take only a spark to set him
ablaze.

“Is she well?
Is Tarin well
?”

She watched as Beau nodded and held out
his hand. “Go to her, Rafe. I’ll watch him.”

When he turned around, Tarin caught her
breath. Never had she seen a more frightening sight. Rafe’s dark
brown eyes were feral, wide beneath his deep frown. The scar on his
cheek stood out bright red, the lines around his mouth tight and
etched like stone. His shoulders appeared twice their normal size,
the fists at his sides clutched in white-knuckled grips.

Yet, it was the blood splattered across
his chest that brought it all home for her.

He could have been
killed.
Should
have been killed.

He had walked straight into danger
without a thought for his own safety. Did he really value his life
so little? Did he really care so little for her that he would risk
their future that way?

“Tarin, are you well?” He knelt before
her, his palms clutching her cheeks. Worry etched a crease between
his brows, filled the black of his glittering eyes.

All she could do was stare at the
blood. Just inches from her face, the sight made all of her fears
surface. She would lose him, just like her mother. It was just a
matter of time.

“No
.” She shoved against his chest. She didn’t realize she was
crying until she tasted tears on her lips. Rising to her feet, she
backed away from him. “Get away from me.”

Pulling his head back, Rafe frowned as
he clutched her arms. “Tarin? What is it? Have you been hurt?” His
eyes searched her from head to toe.

Pounding her fists against his chest,
she cried, “You could have been killed! Have you so little regard
for your life?”

“Tarin, I‘m fine.” His voice appeared
calm, soothing.

She shoved away from his grasp. “By the
grace of God!” Pointing in the direction of the gunman, she cried,
“He shot at you point blank and you never flinched.”

“I had no choice. I had to protect
you.”

“It is not protection at the risk of
your own life!”

“Tarin…” he tried to pull her against
his chest.

She wouldn’t go near him -
or the blood. “How can I care for someone who cares so little for
his own life, when I live to
save
lives?” She backed away, shaking her head, and ran
into Kit.

“Tarin, you’re upset,” Rafe said,
trying to take her hand.

She snatched it away. “No, I’ve come to
my senses.” Turning around, she realized they had the attention of
the entire park. Silence dominated the scene, with sympathetic,
solemn faces surrounding her. Isabel, Patrick, Rosa and her father
stood behind Kit, who had tears trickling down her
cheeks.