River Song (29 page)

Eileen glanced around the grounds searching for Cole, wondering if he even knew her name, what he'd think of her wild red hair hanging loose for all to see. She felt naked, ashamed, certain Cole would grimace when he saw how cheap and wanton she looked. She'd only met him once, and that had been a brief "how'd you do" at Goldwater's in town. Maybe he wouldn't even remember her. And even if he did, handsome and roguish as he was, the thought of sparking his interest, of actually encouraging his advances, was too farfetched to be real.

"Welcome to the Triple F ranch," a well-groomed man in a fine suit of grey wool greeted.
"Nathan Fremont at your service."
Always cognizant of his political future, Nathan flashed a toothy grin as he approached the side of the wagon, his hand extended in a warm greeting. "And which of our good neighbors might ya'll be?"

"Daniel Hobbs." He pumped his host's manicured hand,
then
gestured to his right. "This
be
my wife Martha and daughter Eileen.
Got five of my six boys in the back."

"Six sons?
You're a fortunate man, sir, to leave such a legacy. I'm down to the one boy, but a man couldn't ask for a finer son and heir than I got in Cole."

"So I've heard tell." Daniel worked to keep the greed out of his voice as he climbed off the buckboard and helped Martha and Eileen down. "Where might that boy of
yourn
be?"

"He's in the barn greeting our other guests with lemonade and iced cantaloupe. Why don't you folks join him and refresh yourselves. I'll have one of the hands see to your horse and rig."

"Thank
ye
kindly." Daniel gestured to his family, and they dutifully followed him into the huge barn. Cleared and carpeted with fresh straw just for this occasion, the newly painted walls were lined with tables filled with food and drink, and the loft played host to a series of ribbons, bows, and several brightly burning lanterns. The smell was fresh, clean, and inviting, a scent of springtime and new beginnings. When his nose caught the enticing aroma of fresh-baked goods as well, Daniel headed for one of the food-laden tables with his wife and children trailing after him like a column of ducks.

"It's Dan Hobbs, isn't it?" Cole asked as the newcomer reached for a slice of toast topped with a crisp quail breast, and stuck it in his mouth.

"
Umph
," Daniel mumbled with a nod. He turned, his eyes widening as he recognized the very man he sought, and wiped his hand on his trousers before he offered it to Cole. "Good to see you again." Spinning around, he grabbed Eileen's arm and dragged her along side of him. "You recall
meetin
' my gal, Eileen? She's
growed
up some since you last saw her, I '
spect
."

"Miss Hobbs." Cole tipped his hat,
then
looked past her to Martha.
"Nice to see you again, too, Mrs. Hobbs.
Please have some food and drink and refresh yourselves from your long trip."

"Thank
ye
kindly." Martha beckoned to her boys,
then
joined them, trying her best to slow their impassioned assault on the cakes and pies. Her husband moved towards a group of neighborhood men, leaving Eileen alone with Cole.

Untutored in the ways of seduction, Eileen braided her fingers together, squeezing them until they turned white as she frantically searched for something clever to say. Chancing a quick glance into Cole's eyes, she tried to speak in a light, carefree voice, but it came out sounding more like a creaky hinge. "Mighty nice place you've got here.
Must be something to live in a big house like that."

"Thank you. It's a very comfortable home."

He said the words politely enough, but they were hollow, distracted. Eileen chanced another look into Cole's handsome features and saw the reason why. He was looking past her, gazing intently at someone or something as it came into the barn. She followed his line of vision to a beautiful doe-skinned woman as she made her way towards them. Although Eileen was sure she'd never met or seen the woman before, something about her was familiar. Who was she?

Trying not to mimic the red-haired creature at Cole's side, and stare the way she was being stared at, Sunny glided up to him. "Nellie asked me to tell you your mother will join everyone later this afternoon. She has decided to rest a little longer so she can enjoy the dancing tonight."

"Thanks for the message." Still unaccustomed to her new appearance, Cole's gaze lingered on Sunflower a long moment before he remembered his other guest.
"Oh, Eileen.
I'd like you to meet a very special friend of mine. This is Sunny Callahan from Yuma."

"Callahan?"

The meek redhead suddenly became animated, nearly pushing Cole out of the way as she approached Sunny. "Are you by any chance Sean's sister? Have you seen him? Did he make it here all right?"

Her curiosity outweighing her suspicions, Sunny regarded the girl carefully before she answered. "Sean Callahan is my brother. Do you know him?"

"Oh, yes," Eileen cried, her ice-blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "He saved my life this past Tuesday. Is he here?"

"Saved your life?”

The thought was vocalized by both Sunny and Cole. Glancing at each other, they burst out laughing,
then
Sunny caught her breath. "Excuse us, but you are quite a surprise. Sean has not mentioned saving anyone's life. And yes, he is here."

"Oh," she laughed, clapping her hands together. "May I see him?" But as soon as the words were out, Eileen realized her mistake. She'd spoken too quickly, with too much excitement. She was supposed to be attracting Cole's interest, not hinting at her feelings for another. Her expression rigid with panic, Eileen glanced around, looking for her father. He was engaged in conversation several feet away, apparently oblivious to his daughter's blunder. He hadn't seen or heard.

Determined to see Sean again, in spite of Daniel Hobbs or what it might do to her chances with Cole, she bit her lip and spoke in hushed tones. "I'm afraid in the excitement the other day, I didn't, well,
I
never really thanked Sean proper. Where might I find him?"

Sensing the undercurrents but not their cause, Sunny smiled at the nervous girl. "He's at the far table serving lemonade. Come, I will take you to him."

"Oh, no."
Eileen stepped back, ducking as if to hide. "Ah, that's all right." Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to see him without her pa's knowledge. "I was just going outside for a breath of air. If you'd be kind enough to tell him, I'd like to talk to Sean out by that yonder stand of cottonwood trees."

Sunny's muscles tensed and her eyes dulled as Eileen spoke. The girl obviously didn't want to be seen with a half-breed, was much too good even to thank him for saving her miserable life in front of the other fine white folks. Lifting her chin, Sunny replied as respectfully as good manners dictated, but her tone was flat and dull, her expression cold and aloof.

"Of course.
I will be happy to tell him." Then she lifted her skirts and flounced off to the other end of the barn. By the time she reached her brother, her quick temper had chilled to contempt.

"Sean?" Gesturing for him to follow, she turned and stomped out through the double doors. When Sean rounded the corner after her, he was carrying two cups of iced lemonade.

"You look like you could use a little cooling off," he observed, handing her the drink. "What's wrong, little one?"

Sunny choked down a swallow of the tart liquid, then shivered and puckered her lips before she explained. "A woman with hair the color of fire has come to me with a wild tale. She says you saved her life. Is this so?"

"Eileen? Is she here?"

"Then her story is true?"

"Yes, I guess I did save her life. Where is she?"

Sunny uttered a short, bitter laugh. "Hiding in the cottonwood trees so none of the fine folks gathered here can see that she would speak to one such as you."

"Eileen's not like that. She's one of the kindest, most gentle people I've ever met. You've judged her too quickly."

His sudden anger, the force behind his words, took Sunny by surprise. She backed further away from the door, urging him to join her. "What is this?" she whispered, incredulous. "Do you actually think of this woman, look on her
as
or think of
courting
her?"

Sean's sigh was long, more of a groan. He pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "No, little one, your brother's no fool." He thought of adding, "
like
you are," but knew that wasn't completely true. While neither he nor his sister could ever hope to be entirely accepted in white society, Sunny at least had a slim chance. Men like his father had paved the way for her. He, on the other hand, could never hope to make Eileen anything but a casual acquaintance. It would be a deadly folly to try.

"I'm sorry if my temper spoke before my brain had a chance to think, but I wanted you to know that Eileen is no cruel woman who thinks I am less than she. She has a tender heart and a pure soul."

"She has more than a kind heart," Sunny said with a knowing smile. This brother she knew well enough to be her twin was hiding something, denying himself to her. Willing to accept his wrath if she were wrong, Sunny ventured, "I think she may have your heart as well."

"That is impossible. This is something I know to be unthinkable for either of us, even if you don't."

"Oh, my brother?
Is this so?" Sunny fingered the soft leather of Sean's vest, plucked at the sleeves of his checkered shirt, and pulled the short hairs at the back of his head, cut just for the occasion. "If not for your skin, I believe you have disguised yourself almost well enough to hide your Quechan blood. Perhaps you think you have
the
right to steal the heart of a white woman. Was it your plan to forget who you are?"

"No, Sunny.
Was it yours?" Caught by the injustice, the prejudices they both must endure, Sean waved his hand from the top of her head to her toes. "I see nothing of the Sunflower I knew from Yuma here. Who do you pretend to be?"

"I pretend to be no one but myself," she snapped. "And we are speaking of you and this flaming-haired woman, not of me and my need to borrow some clothing from the generous Fremont family."

"I too have borrowed," he countered, referring to his ranch hand look. "But I know who I am and where I belong. Do you still retain that knowledge, little sister?"

Sunny stamped her foot, but held her tongue. She had no answer, for him or for herself, and wasn't even certain she wanted to look for one. Lowering her lashes, she stared at the red earth. Her brother had turned the conversation around, changed its course to point at her. Was she deluding herself to think of a future with Cole? More and more, she'd considered what life would be like as a permanent part of the Fremont family, and wished in her heart it would come true. Was Sean right? Did she belong in Yuma with her own kind, whatever that may be?

Suddenly jerking her gaze up to meet his, Sunny thought of the party escalating inside, the fun she was missing out on. She would not allow any more talk or thoughts of this kind. Not on this day. And not until she'd really taken the time to think things through.

"This discussion has strayed, my bone-headed brother. I have more important things to do than debate which of us lives in a world of dreams." She picked up her skirts and turned her back to him. "Do what you will with the message I have brought to you. I must return to the barn. Cole is waiting for me."

With that, she flounced off towards the door, and immediately caught the heel of her shoe in a gopher hole and turned her ankle. Muttering curses under her breath, she lamented the birth of the idiot who'd designed the tiny shoes her toes were squeezed into and limped inside the cool barn. As she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, she heard the mellow cords of a violin as the fiddler called the guests to the floor for the first polka of the day.