Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (28 page)

Laying a hand to her belly, she closed
her eyes and let her mind wander back to the encounter with Seth
earlier that same evening. She stood to lose more than she’d
bargained on. She realized now that she only thought she knew about
lose. About how it could eat at you until you were no more than a
shell of the person you’d been. Loneliness…Casey must have suffered
so much loneliness over the years. Celia could empathize with the
young woman. At least, Celia knew she’d had a father who loved her,
even if she’d been without Seth’s love for all those years. Sadly,
she would never get to find out if he could love her, because she
was sure, once Seth found out the truth about what she was hiding,
he wouldn’t simply let her go back to Charleston. He would send her
back.

***

The cheroot burned red in the cool
night air. Seth stood on the balcony outside Casey’s room. He would
have to stop the brooding soon. People needed him. His sister
needed him. Celia needed him. He thought of the life he’d
inherited.

His future, planned at a very young age
by his father, Seth mused. If the truth be told, he’d yearned for
the freedom of the nomadic Comanche when he’d shared that summer
with Lone Eagle and his tribe. He’d yearned for Celia, with her
large green eyes and ebony black hair. To his mind, she held every
exotic, intoxicating fantasy he’d ever dreamed of.

But he’d not shirked his
responsibilities. Not even when he’d come back from the army and
found out about his sister. Guilt stabbed at him like a dull bladed
knife even now. The truth about his sister always set his insides
on fire, even after all these years. Damn his father! He never even
knew why his father had ignored Casey. The son-of-a-bitch never
would explain it. Seth had always assumed it was because his mother
had died having the baby. Earl must have blamed Casey for Laura’s
death. Seth sighed deeply and blew a blue stream of smoke into the
night air. The man he called father didn’t even have the balls to
explain why he disowned her.

The Silver Spur materialized in Seth’s
mind. The saucy, young blonde had sauntered up to the table with
two glasses and a bottle of whiskey ready to serve shots spiced
with female conversation. Seth would never forget the cold, hard
look in the girl’s eyes. He remembered thinking that someone so
young shouldn’t look so old. When she set the glasses down, filled
them, and then proceeded to tell them who she was, he’d felt the
first churning of betrayal in his gut.

Earl spat at her and rose sending his
chair tumbling backward. If Seth hadn’t stepped between them,
father and daughter would have fought on the spot. Railing that she
was a tramp after his money, Earl had made sure his point was clear
to everyone within earshot.

Seth had to admit his Father’s tirade
would have convinced most. Still, there was a glint of something in
Earl’s eyes, when Casey had made her declaration. He’d seen it –
that jolt of anger and then knowledge skimming along like a
moccasin in the creek before it strikes.

In Casey’s eyes, he’d seen pure hatred,
venomous and ripe. Seth had sat in on enough poker games to know
that this saloon girl wasn’t conning them. Her hatred was
genuine.

Fate dealt them all a hard blow, when
Earl up and died not long after that encounter. That left Seth to
confront Maggie and the others. With Maggie, Jake and Shorty, he
sat and numbly listened to the telling of the tale. Earl hadn’t
even had the decency to anti-up on his death bed. Hatred burned
deep inside him towards his father. Of course, the fact that
Casey’s existence had been kept a secret, was in the girl’s best
interest, Seth knew without a doubt. If Earl had known she lived,
he’d most likely have killed her. His ignorance left Casey growing
up on her own. Her surviving was a small miracle in itself. His gut
wrenched again.

He looked into the room and found the
still, slight form of his sister lying beneath the covers of the
great four-poster bed. In sleep, she resembled an angel with her
slender nose and full mouth. Her lashes swept down across her
smooth cheekbones and her coloring was that of his mother’s.
Laura’s daughter may not have been brought up a Loflin, but, by
God, he’d see to it that she became one. On that, he wouldn’t back
down.

Casey stirred. Seth stepped closer to
make sure she didn’t wake alone. Her lashes fluttered and parted
into slits. Reaching up, she tentatively touched the split in her
lip before wincing.

“
You’re going to get that
infected if you aren’t careful.”

Casey turned toward the
voice.

“
Are you in pain?” The smoke
from Seth’s cheroot swirled and wreathed his Stetson in the dimly
lit room.

Despite the pain, Casey’s mouth thinned
into a tight line. “No, I’m not in pain,” she shot back.

“
You’re lying, but that’s
all right. You can’t be too bad off, ‘cause you still got claws.” A
wry smile creased his mouth as he drew in on the cheroot. The
mutinous set to her mouth said she still had some fight in her.
That in its self was a good sign.

“
What time is it?” The
creases at the corners of Casey’s eyes winked as she tried
unsuccessfully to rise up on an elbow. She let a whimper slip,
before, slumping back onto the sheets.

“
Be still. You’ll reinjure
yourself.” Seth reached out and settled the cover back over a weak
and shaky Casey. “It’s early…maybe five in the morning.” Taking a
seat beside the bed, Seth laid a hand over hers. “You’ve been
unconscious for most of the night. Does your head hurt?”

“
I told you no!” Casey
must’ve regretted the grit in her words immediately as Seth watched
the pain surface in her eyes. She pulled her hand free.

There was nothing wrong with her
temper. “I’ll get some broth for you. Don’t try to get up. If you
need to use the chamber pot, I’ll get Celia for you.”

“
I can pee on my own,” Casey
glared at her brother before bewilderment took over. “Celia…who’s
that?” Her voice still held the rough edges of delirium.

“
She’s a young woman I used
to know before I went off to West Point. She’s returned recently
from Charleston where she was a nurse. She’s gonna’ take care of
you, so I don’t want you giving her any lip. Do you hear me?” Seth
cocked one eyebrow and pointed his index finger at Casey before his
mouth curved into a slight smile.

“
Yes sir! Can’t have the
saloon whore disobeying now, can we?” Her eyes sparked with fire.
“What cha gonna do, whip me if I’m bad?”

The surly smirk under those squinted
blue daggers she called eyes made Seth want to grin. He suppressed
it as he saw the slit on her lip open again with the
effort.

Wincing, Casey touched a finger to her
injury. “Why’d you have to go and interfere with my business,
anyway?”

Seth released a small sigh. He knew if
she’d been able, she’d have gathered her things and sauntered out
on him. “Because, ‘your business’ was about to get you killed,
that’s why.” He eyed his sister coolly. “Did you steal from that
Ranger?”

Casey shot him a look of pure
hatred.

Seth could see defense spear up like
archers ready to fire. “Don’t get your back up. I figured he was
too damn drunk to know anything, anyway. I’m going over to the
sheriff’s office later to explain your side of it. So if there’s
anything you want to tell me – now’s the time.”

Casey rolled her eyes to the ceiling
and fisted her fingers. “I didn’t steal anything!” She growled
through clinched teeth.

He cut her a cool knowing glance before
he rose and headed for the door. “All right, I believe you. You can
thank me for that small favor later. Right now, I don’t want to
hear another word out of your mouth except thank you and please.”
Seth gripped the doorknob and turned. “Got that?”

Casey only stared harder at the
ceiling.

Chapter 9

A New Truth

“
Are you going to see the
Sheriff after breakfast?” Celia glanced up from her plate and
waited for Seth to answer. They’d been dancing around the tension
in the room since he’d arrived.

“
I’d planned on it.
Why?”

“
I want to go with you.”
Celia knew what his reaction would be, but she told herself she was
ready for him. It’s been more than a week and there’s been no word
on my father’s murder. I intend to find out why.”

“
Celia…” His soothing tone
belied his intent. “You’re not in Charleston now.”

Seth’s voice had taken the tone of a
trail boss again. Celia decided she’d let him talk.

“
Things out here work at a
much slower pace than they do back east. If you’ll be patient, I’m
sure Sheriff Cole will have information soon. He’s wired the nearby
forts and there should be a reply as soon as the answers are
available.” Seth picked up his napkin and swiped his mouth with it
before dropping it neatly in his empty plate.

“
I realize that. I simply
want to make sure Sheriff Cole is doing everything he can. It’s not
too much to ask for an update is it?” Celia brow rose with the
question. “Then there’s the matter of Casey and the accusation
against her.” Celia was feeling brittle with temper and a gnawing
irritation. He’d not mentioned a word of what had happened to them
the night before – before his sister’s interruption. Why should he,
she asked herself, needling temper riding roughshod over her
emotions. He made advances and she’d let him touch her. There were
no pretenses as to what was between them in that alley – none at
all.

“
I can handle my sister’s
problems,” Seth snapped. “I don’t need you getting involved in
this.”

From where she sat, Celia saw Seth’s
control wavering as well. It appeared he couldn’t hide the
frustration of having to argue with her. Still, his words brought
her out of her musings with a new determination. Fisting her hands
on her hips, she glared at him. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear.
I’m going with you, whether you like it or not.” Throwing her own
napkin down much like Seth had done moments earlier; she rose from
the makeshift table in the sitting room of Casey’s
suite.

The girl slept soundlessly with the
dose of laudanum Celia had given her.

There was a knock at the door and both
of them called out in heated union, “Who is it?”

“
It’s Ty…is it okay to come
in?” Seth’s brother cautiously poked his head around the corner of
the door and looked at the two of them. He managed a sheepish grin.
“Maggie sent me to see if you were ready to go to the sheriff’s
office yet.”

Seth cursed low under his breath and
shoved his chair away from the table. “Apparently…!” Scowling at
the ceiling, he lifted his hands in a show of surrender.

Ignoring his brutish behavior, Celia
smiled for Ty as he stepped into the room. “Would you be a dear and
watch Casey for a bit while I accompany Seth to speak with Sheriff
Cole?” Without waiting, Celia gathered her shawl and receptacle
before heading for the door.

“
Sure thing, Miss Celia,” Ty
tried to sound chipper. “How’s she doing this morning?”

Celia glanced back as she gathered her
bonnet. “She’s resting. Not to worry though. Rest is the best thing
for her right now.” With a wave goodbye, Celia allowed Seth to
usher her out the door. “I won’t be long.”

The sheriff’s office was at the other
end of town and since it was such a lovely morning, Celia suggested
they walk.

“
Do you ever think about the
past Celia?” Seth squinted into the sun that was just appearing
over the buildings.

Celia tensed.
That was out of the blue.
“Yes…I often think of my Father and home. I think of how it
used to be.”

“
That’s not what I meant.”
Seth gripped her arm and stopped her in her tracks.

She knew he was waiting for her to
comprehend his meaning. Celia closed her eyes for a moment as she
tried to regroup. “I wish for those times. But I know they can
never return.” She forced herself to look into his face. It
startled her to see frustration banked with temper in those blue
depths. “We were both different people then, she stated definitely.
We can’t go back.” Her words sounded so final to her ears, they
left a pang of longing in her chest.

With his hand possessively on her
elbow, Seth steered Celia across the street. “We can’t. That’s
true, but we can begin again.” He focused straight
ahead.

Celia couldn’t speak. Her throat
tightened. With a dry laugh, she tried for nonchalant. “Don’t be
silly, Seth.” The sidelong glance she shot him held irritation.
“You’re joking with me, right? Look, if you want to be my
protector, that’s fine. I appreciate that, but you know as well as
I do, there can’t be more.”

He helped her up on to the boarded
sidewalk and dusted her skirt with the brim of his hat before
speaking again.

The cool, hard gaze he gave her made
Celia regret the taunt.

“
I meant every damn word of
it.” Seth searched the empty street. “I’m sorry about last night.
You deserved better. I want to make it up to you.”

They’d stopped in the middle of the
vacant sidewalk. The chilly morning breeze danced around them and
played with the hair that escaped Seth’s hat.