Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (6 page)

Soon the camisole went sailing through
the air and before long, the pantalets followed.

Seth stood up and shrugged out of his
coat. “Here, put this on.”

Celia automatically stiffened in
defense. She’d done her best to cover herself with the scratchy
wool blanket and Seth could tell when she decided there had to be a
another way.

Her brow knit in decision. “Maybe the
coat would offer more warmth,” she said aloud after a considerable
contemplation. Seth held it out to her by the lapels.

Celia bit her lip, extended her arm,
and snatched the coat from Seth’s grasp. Immediately grateful for
the warmth of the large sleeve opening, Celia sighed as she slipped
her arm into the big canvas coat, unconsciously rubbing the sleeve
of the coat up and down in nervous appreciation. Though he’d seen
her knee-deep in the creek water with her undergarments plastered
provocatively to her body, she continued to clutch the two ends of
the blanket tightly together under the coat. Seth watched and
decided the tactic afforded her some small measure of modesty and
control. Since she’d had both taken from her, he saw no reason to
argue.

“
Thank you,” she
said.

“
My pleasure,” Mildly
surprised, he shot her a grin before touching his fingertips to the
edge of his Stetson. “You always were able to surprise me,
darlin’.”

“
What is that supposed to
mean?” She stared up at him ready to fight, he stared down at her
in challenge, before turning toward to his horse and saddlebags.
“Here,” he said as he handed her a pair of pants and socks and
effectively cutting off her question. “They may be a bit big, but
under the circumstances, they’re better than nothing.” Fighting
with a frightened, disoriented woman wasn’t going to help either of
them. He’d come to the conclusion as she wrapped the coat tight
around her.

With one hand on the coat and another
on the blanket, Celia hesitantly sat before shooting a look out at
the water and the dead men floating among her clothing. “You have
to see to Broken Horse? There are bear and wolves in the woods
aren’t there?”

Seth noted her tone, though weighted
with concern was almost hysterical. He couldn’t help the tug at his
heart as he hunkered down to help her pull on the pants. “I’ll go
as soon as I’m sure you’re warm. A person can die from exposure to
the cold.” With a gentleness he rarely displayed for anyone, Seth
eased Celia to her feet, securing the pants in place with a leather
thong from his bag. “Better?”

Celia nodded and then searched his
eyes. “Are you going to look for Broken Horse?” she implored. The
words spoken so plainly sounded brittle and devastated. He was
about to answer when she closed her eyes and moaned. “Are you all
right? Celia, look at me.” Seth found his fingers reached out and
gently brushed the swelling under her eye and along her
chin.

Celia winced.

“
It’s okay. I won’t hurt
you. Yes, I’m going to check on Broken Horse. Tell me where he
might be, can you?” She broke the eye contact with him. His hand
stilled and simply held her cheek.

She relaxed a fraction. “That way,” she
whispered. In only the briefest of moments, Celia reached out and
gently braced her fingers on his forearm. “I am fine…really.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Celia took a good look at the younger
of her two attackers floating in the water. “We were ambushed. They
were bank robbers.” Celia grimaced.

Seth watched her face and the pain,
which crossed it. Sometimes talking helped, so he let her
continue.

“
They just appeared out of
nowhere on the other side of the creek. We could hear them hooting
and carrying on about all the money they’d stolen as they watered
their horses. They hadn’t seen us yet.” Celia looked back at Seth’s
face and her mouth started to tremble. “Broken Horse…” She gripped
Seth’s forearm tighter, her eyes never leaving his. “Broken
Horse…he tried to protect me!” She turned from his hold and
stumbled. “I’ve got to go to him.”

Seth reached out and caught her about
the waist. “Easy…”

Coming back from the hysteria, Celia
gently, she laid her hands over his. “I have to go to him, Dark
Wolf. I have to see to him.”

Her touch warmed him in a way he
remembered so well. His Comanche name sounded so right on her
tongue. “Easy…I’ll see to Broken Horse,” he said gently.

His arms circled her and Seth couldn’t
stop the need to pull her into his embrace. The contact almost
undid him. Yes, Seth had to admit, it was good to hold her, if only
for a moment. Celia leaned in and Seth gathered her close. “You’re
safe.”

Rather than give in to the burning need
she called up in him, Seth released her and swept off a spot on the
log near the fire. “Sit down before you fall.” He motioned toward
the log. After removing her water soaked boots and briskly rubbing
her feet, Seth eased back, resting an elbow on his knee and simply
stared at her. “I’m sorry for what my men did.”

Celia looked up from putting
on the socks and nodded automatically. She even gave him a
tremulous smile. Then her mouth sagged slightly as the realization
of what he’d just said dawned on her. The surge of righteous
temper, which erupted, should have warned him. “Your men? Those
were
your
men?”
Her eyes narrowed on him like a judge and juries’. “Have you taken
to robbing banks now?” She asked him incredulously. “Are
you
a criminal as
well?”

Seth’s mouth thinned but he took the
accusation with abloom. His low, throaty chuckle escaped unbidden
as he shook his head in disbelief.

Celia opened her mouth to reproach him
but shut it again. “Surely, you’re not going to make light of my
question.”

He glanced up at the sky as if seeking
assistance. When his eyes returned to hers, they were defiant and
hard as stone.

“
To relieve your worry over
my current occupation, the answer is no. I haven’t taken to robbing
banks. I hired those two trail-mites about a month ago.”

Celia continued to scrutinize him. Her
baleful expression was full of suspicion.

Seth rose to stand. He couldn’t help
becoming the cowboy defending his position. “We take on extra hands
for the spring calving season. A strong back and a willingness to
work are about all that’s required of a man when he signs on.”
Removing his Stetson, he knocked it against his leather-clad thigh
in a display of frustration. “Look, I said I’m sorry.”

Celia glared at him before wiping the
air to encompass the scene before them. Pointing to the location,
she’d last seen her cousin, Celia shot back, “They did this to us.
Broken Horse is dead…and…and…” Her eyes dropped to the ground in
front of her. Tears filled them. With a set to her chin, she
regained some of her composure before looking directly at him. “My
family will come looking for Broken Horse and me.”

“
I know, Celia.” He uttered
the words with subdued sincerity.

Celia blinked. “Deep down, I
want to believe you didn’t sanction those men or their actions.”
She gave him a quick glance from lowered lashes. “You did kill
them,” she said contemplatively. “You saved my life.”
Celia dug her hands into the deep pockets of the
pants, studying the ground intently. “But maybe, you wanted the
money for yourself.” She glanced at him then trying to decipher
what she saw in his face. Shaking her head, she took a step toward
him. “No, I think you’re telling the truth. That’s good enough for
now.”

Seth released the breath he didn’t
realize he was holding. Despite his feelings, what she saw in him
was important.

“
They’ll want revenge for
Broken Horse’s death. My people may come looking for trouble.” The
words were hard for her to admit. “For that I am sorry,” she said.
The rush of tears, which welled in her lashes, had her looking up
and off into the trees. Instead, the tilt of her head brought the
tears rolling down both of her cheeks in long slow
trails.

“
Try not to do that, Celia.
Awe, hell…” Seth bit down on the rest of his request.

Celia swiped at her cheeks before
shaking her head vehemently. “I won’t cry.” Her voice wobbled over
the declaration as she sniffed. With another quick swipe, Celia
dried her face.

Seth produced his handkerchief before
looking out over the creek while she gathered herself. “You put up
one hell of a fight.” Nodding reassuringly, Seth glanced back at
her. “I’m glad I got here before…” Trailing off he released a slow
uneasy breath. “Look, I can’t….”

“
Before they raped me?”
Effectively cutting him off, she peered up at him with a bit more
clarity. Harsh and real, the words had come out unbidden. The
undiluted truth must have been like a slap of cold water in the
face, but one she needed, he mused.

“
I wasn’t gonna say that.”
He sighed. “You shouldn’t dwell on it.”

The truth seemed to calm her. She
looked him right in the eyes. “I won’t.” Squaring her chin, Celia
shook her head slowly. “I suppose you expect me to dissolve into a
weeping mass of lace and fuss after such an attack. But I’ve never
used the response to defend myself. I won’t dwell on anything.” She
sniffed again and looked away.

Seth continued to watch her without
saying a word.

“
I can feel you staring at
me. Please stop it. It’s so very irritating.” Celia folded her arms
across her chest making the shoulders of the coat stand up at
attention on either side of her lovely neck. “Is it quite necessary
for you to study me so closely?”

Seth said nothing, only continued to
stare.

“
After all, I haven’t melted
into a hysterical pool of fluff and fuss, so why must you continue
to watch me so closely? I’ll be okay. I’ve seen dead people
before.” She’d made the statement with far more bravado than she
represented, he mused.

Stepping to his horse, Seth unhooked
his canteen from the saddle and came back to her. “Here, drink
this. It’s water. I don’t have any whiskey on me or I’d make you
drink some.”

She looked up bemused by his statement.
“You’d make me drink whiskey?” Her nose wrinkled at the
thought.

He inclined his head toward the canteen
in his outstretched hand. “You’re shaking and your face is still
pale. The whisky would warm you faster than any fire. Drink.” He
watched her jaw tighten at the command. “I’ll get you some when we
get back to camp,” he assured her. “In the meantime would you
please drink.”

Celia took a swig. “Back to camp?”
Celia’s repetition of his words reminded him of a
parrot.

Seth bent down again and rubbed her
calves through the pants. “Yeah, I have a camp not a mile from
here. It’s late and it’ll be dark soon. We’ll spend the night there
and head out in the morning to find Lone Eagle. Are you feelin’
better?”

Celia shivered again. “Yes. Thank
you.”

Seth cupped her hands inside of his
while a grin teased his mouth. “Don’t thank me yet. Look, we’ll get
you some warmer clothes and food soon. Just hang on,
okay?”

She nodded.

“
You know I’m right. You’re
still living and with your medical training, you know how quickly a
person can lose consciousness from exposure to cold water, and
besides which, shock is setting in.”

She huddled deeper into the folds of
the big coat.

“
Is Lone Eagle’s illness
something you can deal with?” Seth’s question was low, almost a
murmur as he busied himself adding wood to the fire.

Unable to meet his gaze, she lowered
her head. “Yes…I hope so.”

Despite his effort to the contrary,
Seth tensed. Silent as a cougar, Seth rose to stand in front of
her. She’d composed herself. His question obviously had unsettled
her. So be it!

Rising to her feet, she began to
explain, “Broken Horse wrote me and asked me to come. Lone Eagle is
ill and Broken Horse hoped with my training, I could help. I have
to see what I can do for him.”

“
So you’re what – a doctor?”
Seth stared at her with dubious curiosity.

Celia offered politely, “No, I’m a
surgical assistant – a nurse back east.”

“
In Charleston?”

“
Yes.”

Seth continued to stare into her eyes
and let the air around them still.

He took a step toward her and then
another. He could feel the warmth of her as he rapidly closed the
space between them. He forced the breath from her completely with
his next move.

“
Celia,” he whispered,
taking her chin in his hand. Gently tracing a thumb over her lips,
he searched her face as if seeing her for the first time. The urge
to pull back went to war against the need to stay. His calloused
hand rubbed slowly over her bottom lip. Their breaths mingled. Was
it his heart or hers beating in his ears? “You’re so
beautiful.”

She leaned in until their lips were
almost touching. Then he felt it, like the snap of a whip, the
change in her contact.

He cursed low under his breath.
Dropping her hands, Celia backed away as if he’d suddenly grown
horns. Unsettled to find his breathing so rapid, Seth tried for
calm. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have done that.” Stepping back, he tried
to reassure her. “It won’t happen again.”