Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (24 page)

She remembered her compulsion to brush
the thick mass of his mane out of his eyes. Feeling the heat rise
in her cheeks, Celia lowered her eyes. When she raised them again,
she looked into the face of desire. Damn him, but he’d come up
behind her. Now standing within an inch of her back, he watched her
in the looking glass. Celia found her thoughts straying to a time
when his nearness meant she was about to experience his tender
touch. Heat, male sweat, and the smell of leather radiated from
him, certainly very appealing.

Her throat went dry. Celia brought her
fingers up to sooth the sensation. “Rose must have lit a fire to
ward off the evening dampness.” A nervous laugh escaped before she
could contain it. Celia felt her nipples hardened in a traitorous
reaction to his proximity.

The space between them fairly sparked
with the tension.

Perhaps if she changed the subject,
Celia mused, “I…I can’t possibly afford all of this without an
income. I have very little savings left after the trip home from
Charleston. I’ll need to wire Charleston and…”

Seth’s eyes never left hers in the
reflective glass. Laying those big, strong hands on her shoulders
with a gentle ease, Seth leaned in close quieting her
argument.

“
Darlin’…”

His breath was light like a warm summer
breeze on her neck. Celia’s head reeled with the sensation.
Self-conscious and wary of his next move, Celia started to step
away.

“
Wait, Little One. Easy…” He
whispered smooth as rising cream.

She could feel the tease of his breath.
With the slow, steady touch of his hands, her muscles betrayed her
by going lax.

“
Don’t worry about the
payment. Let me do this for you.” He waited a beat as he looked
back up at their combined reflection in the mirror.

As her head began to shake, she opened
her mouth to protest. “I can pay my way.”

“
I have every confidence you
can and will.” The air stilled before his eyes twinkled with mirth
at her reflection. “Consider this a
repayment
.”

Her brow creased.

“
It’s the least I can do to
make up for the damage my men caused to your clothes.” He watched
the recognition come into her face. “I was privy to exactly what
you had to wear, after they got through, remember?”

Of course, Seth would consider her
plight quite thoroughly. After all, she was left with little more
than her skin to cover her modesty with when he’d found her. Celia
blinked. She should refuse on principle, but he was being so
considerate. Had she ever heard him use the word ‘please’? She felt
less than steady. The ground seemed to move under her
feet.

Without warning, Seth turned her to
face him. Catching her chin in his fingers, he looked into her
eyes. “Celia,” he repeated. “Let me do this for you.”

After she regained her bearings, she
couldn’t bring herself to break the contact of his hand nor deny
the sincerity in his words. “Thank you Seth.” Her eyes skidded away
as she struggled with her pride. “It’s very kind of
you.”

“
No, I want to.” He caught
her chin before raising it so her eyes met his own. His words were
softer than lamb’s wool and tinged with kindness. Time seemed to
stop until he moved back a step. Settling his Stetson on his head,
Seth morphed into the rugged cowboy once more and moved to the
door. “I’ll get Rose to wrap everything up and we’ll go on over to
the hotel to get settled.”

Celia blinked. Her heart stilled in her
throat. Things were moving much too fast for her to keep up
with.

“
Why don’t you change into
that one for dinner tonight? It’ll look real pretty on you.” With
that, Seth turned and left her to dress for dinner.

Celia turned back to the mirror and
stood for a moment gazing at her reflection. The bow her mouth made
at his statement regarding the hotel relaxed into a soft smile. Her
fingers still trembled, though he’d left a good minute before.
Gripping them together, she swore low under her breath. Despite her
qualms over the turn of events, she found herself touched by Seth’s
gesture. The man could be kind. Celia smiled at the woman looking
back at her in the mirror. He certainly could keep her
guessing.

Maggie bustled in after Seth left with
a knowing grin on her face. Saddling up to Celia, she glowed with
what Celia could only describe as a ‘heaping dose’ of satisfaction.
“Seth liked what we picked out, didn’t he?”

***

The hotel was a couple of blocks away.
With the wagon loaded, Ty delivered it to the livery for
safekeeping. Seth, Celia, and Maggie headed down the boardwalk
toward the lovely hotel with its intricate gingerbread trim. The
large wooden sign proclaimed the lovely building ‘The Tyler
Inn.’

Celia could feel the stares of the
town’s people even as she kept her eyes trained straight ahead. In
the blue chintz gown, Celia felt like royalty as she walked beside
Seth with her hand curled around his offered arm. Despite the
reaction of those they met, Celia felt very much like a princess on
the way to a ball. Safe and secure in Seth’s protective company,
Celia relished in the brief feeling of contentment. His
acknowledgement of each person they passed was a great attempt at
normalcy. Celia silently thanked him for the effort. Protection
came in many forms, she mused.

Pointing out the changes that had
occurred since Celia had left, Maggie kept up a lively narrative
while they walked.

Ty and Joseph were waiting near the
entrance to the hotel.

Ty held the door for them to enter. His
eyes twinkled with good humor “After you, ladies...” His mouth
turned up in a captivating smile.

Celia, reminded of how much he
resembled Seth all those years ago, smiled for him.

They stepped into the cool interior of
the hotel and when greeted by a cheerful clerk behind the lavishly
appointed wooden counter, made arrangements for the night. Across
the carpeted lobby, the sounds of voices along with the clink of
china floated. While Seth checked them in, Maggie, Celia, and Ty
crossed the lobby toward the dining room. Joseph lagged behind with
Seth watching the occupants of the lobby carefully.

The hostess hesitated only a moment
before selecting a table near the back of the dining room for them.
Celia ignored the lull in the conversation as they followed the
hostess to the back of the room.

Seth caught up with them in time to
help Celia with her chair before settling his hat and himself next
to her.

Looking about, Celia saw they had
attracted attention. Heads turned, while mouths whispered without
much hesitation. But, by a small miracle, this time their meal
progressed without incident.

Ty did his best to entertain them all
with his lighthearted wit and banter. Raising a fork full of cake
with a challenge for Celia to taste it, Ty teased her with an
exaggerated claim. “Now Celia, you have to try it. It’s the very
best chocolate cake in the world. They ship the double chocolate
syrup from back east. If you like, the waitress will bring a small
sniffer of brandy to wash it down with. Here…take a
bite.”

Laughing softly until she couldn’t
anymore, Celia shook her head. Holding up a hand to ward off his
efforts, she whispered, “Ty, I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.
The food was wonderful. Now I fear I will fall fast asleep before
we reach our rooms.”

“
Well, don’t you worry none,
Miss Celia. I’d be happy to carry you up if you feel too weary to
climb the stairs.” His dark eyes danced with amusement until they
met his brother’s cool glare.

The mood shifted as Maggie gave her
rendition of the heritage of Tyler’s most prominent people while
they enjoyed the deserts and everyone was ready for the
check.

Celia noticed that Joseph had been very
quiet throughout the meal. “Would you like to take the rest of Ty’s
cake up to your room with you, Joseph?”

Those liquid brown eyes stared up at
her for a brief instant before returning to his lap. “No, ma’am.
I’m not hungry.” The boy’s face looked strained.

“
Well, perhaps we’ve
indulged enough for one night. Come along then, let’s get you up
the stairs.” Celia rose before extending her hand for Joseph who
rose solemnly. He looked a pit peaked. He’d most probably filled up
on candy down at the Chinaman’s shop before coming back.

“
I’ve got an idea.” Maggie
moved quickly taking Joseph’s other hand. “Why don’t we all take a
nice stroll before turning in?’ The housekeeper’s eyes gleamed with
a mischievous spark. “After such a meal, a body needs to walk off
the excess. It’s such a lovely night, don’t you think?” Looking
from Seth to Celia, she gave Ty a wink before scurrying Joseph
along to the stairs.. “Ty, help me get everyone a jacket. I believe
the air is a tad too cool without it,” she called cheerily over her
shoulder. Maggie mounted the stairs with Ty following. It wasn’t
long before he reappeared at the top of the stairs.

“
Hey Seth, you and Celia go
on. Maggie’s developed a headache. I’m gonna go over to Doc’
Wheeler’s to get her a powder. Joseph is gonna stay with us.” He
tossed a shawl down for Celia.

“
Is she okay?” Celia’s
concern for her friend overshadowed any twinge she felt about the
rather abrupt change in plans.

“
She’ll be fine,” Ty assured
her. You both go ahead. Enjoy the air.

Celia glanced at Seth and shrugged.
“Well, I guess it’s just the two of us.”

Seth grunted. “Looks like it.” He gave
another squint-eyed glance back up the stairs before laying a hand
at the small of her back and heading for the door.

They stepped out into the night with
the dim lights from the windows of the hotel shining on the
boardwalk. The cool air of the evening was a refreshing change from
the stuffy, smoke filled climate of the dining hall. Celia took a
deep breath.

The moon cast shadows between the
buildings and houses. She wrapped her arms around herself in
defense, but of what, she couldn’t say. It felt as if something
lurked in those shadows.

“
Are you all right? You’re
shivering.” Seth adjusted Celia’s shawl over her bare shoulders
once more. “Do you want to go back?”

“
It’s nothing. I just get a
feeling now and again.” Celia tried to smile for him. “Nothing to
worry about...” She patted his forearm. “Besides, I have you to
look out for me, don’t I?”

Seth lit a cheroot and flicked the
sulfur match aside before he glanced back at her. Tilting his head
back, Seth blew out a stream of faintly sweet smelling smoke.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about.” He smiled slyly. “I’m right
here.” With a single finger, Seth traced the side of her cheek,
lingering at the dent in her chin. “Tell me about these feelings
you get.”

The sensation his finger ignited along
her skin had nothing to do with fear. Just a gesture, she reminded
herself giving him a good-natured glance. “I don’t know how to
explain it. I sometimes feel as though…I sense something, that’s
all.” She brushed the concern in her voice away with a smile while
she concentrated on not blushing.

“
You’ve changed,
Celia.”

Seth’s face seemed relaxed, even more
youthful in the meager light. Her smile faded as she waited,
silently, for him to explain.

He shook his head gently from side to
side. “You’re different. But it’s more than that.” He jaw
tightened. “You’ve cast some sort of spell over me.” His words were
sincere, even a bit bewildered. “Are you a medicine woman? Some
sort of shaman?”

Celia glanced out into the meager light
mingled with the shadows formed by that light. She listened to the
tinkling of the piano in a nearby saloon. Bawdy laughter bubbled up
from a singsong melody being shared somewhere in the darkness. When
she spoke, her tone had grown serious. “No, I’m no medicine woman
or shaman. I was born Comanche and my roots are deep.” She turned
to face him more squarely. “But my skill is all white man’s
medicine. I haven’t changed that much, have I, Seth?”

“
I don’t know. Sometimes, I
see a glimmer of the girl I used to know, that doe-eyed enchantress
with the gleaming hair and laughing eyes.” He grinned slightly as
he flicked ashes from the cheroot and then stood watching the
glowing arch they made in the darkness before dying out in the
dirt. “I use to think I’d be the one to teach you all you knew.” He
paused taking another contemplative drag on the cheroot. “It seems
now, you could teach me,” He let the words hang between
them.

A short trill of laughter rose over the
tinkling of a piano in the nearby saloon.

Celia looked at his profile then with a
bemused expression on her face. “Teach you?” Irritation flashed
briefly in her eyes. “What pray tell could I possibly teach
you?”

Seth flicked the cheroot aside. “You’ve
changed so much, Celia. You’re educated now, gifted, opinionated
and yes, even stubborn.” Looking back out into the shadows, Seth
grew silent.

Why was he telling her
this?
Then exactly what he’d said hit a
cord. Celia felt the twinge of temper bloom inside her chest.
“Opinionated? Stubborn?” she said with only slightly disguised
surprise. “If I could go back…”