Riding West by Emma Wildes Page B

ask me until right before he had his wild idea—no, Ma‘s wild idea—to just carry me off.”
    Rose looked startled. “Ma told him to do that?”
    A rueful smile curved Celia‘s lips. “So he claims and we all know Parker is as honest as the day is long.”
    “That‘s true enough. And apparently it was good advice.” Rose gave her a sidelong glance.
    Since she was just too contented to argue or even be embarrassed, Celia merely asked, “Speaking of such things, how is Robert?”
    Robert Campbell was her sister‘s beau and though he was just a ranch hand, he seemed to be steadier than most of the cowboys in their father‘s employ, and there was little question they were smitten with each other. Rose sighed. “He wants to ask Father if we can get married but we‘re both afraid he‘ll say no. I know Josh, John and Jared like him well enough.”
    The morning was clear and a little cool, and the air smelled like early autumn with a delicious tinge of Indian summer. “Marry him,” Celia advised, still bemused from the night before, the slight soreness between her legs the evidence it hadn‘t been some sort of erotic, sensual, blissful dream. “Make Pa agree. I promise you it is worth it.”
    “Is it?” Rose, dressed in demure dove gray, looked at her curiously. “The way Ma described it…well, it didn‘t sound so appealing.” She added somewhat shyly, “But I do like it when he kisses me.”
    “Just wait until he actually takes you to bed.” She and Rose had always been very close, and though she wouldn‘t talk about something so personal with anyone else, it seemed natural to discuss it with her sister. Celia felt an inner, secret shiver of memory. “It is indescribable. I had no idea it would be so wonderful.”
    Rose looked dubious, but intrigued. “It sounds…messy.”
    She couldn‘t help it, recalling the stickiness of her thighs that morning, and the absolute chaos of the bed, she laughed out loud. “It is, I‘m afraid. But you won‘t mind a bit.”
    “ You don‘t, that‘s obvious.”
    “How is it obvious?”
    “You are glowing, Celia.”
    Was she? Well, she didn‘t doubt that. “I‘m happy.”
    “I take it you are. Parker looks a little on the happy side himself, even if he did seem a mite tired.” Rose‘s smile faded. “But let me tell you who isn‘t happy.”
    It wasn‘t hard to guess. Celia frowned and said quietly, “John.”
    Her sister nodded. “I have no idea what‘s wrong, and it isn‘t just this rustling problem, Celia. He‘s restless and rides out often, sometimes gone the whole night. I don‘t know exactly how to describe it—”
    “You don‘t have to, I‘ve sensed it too. But you know John, he isn‘t likely to talk about it.”
    It was true, their middle brother was the most private of all of them. Celia added slowly, “I think maybe that‘s why he‘s so focused on catching whoever is stealing our stock. He wants to forget something else.”
    Her blond hair shining in the sun, Rose nodded. “That makes sense, I guess.”
    “A woman?”
    “He isn‘t courting anyone that I know of.” Her sister shrugged.
    That in itself was curious when she thought about it, Celia realized. He was good-looking, steadier than most of the wild young men she knew, and yet he didn‘t pursue every available female in sight like other cowboys. Jared and Josh were a little legendary for their interest in the opposite sex and John used to be the same way, but over the past couple of years, he had changed.
    “I‘m worried about him,” Celia confessed uneasily. “He‘s edgy and has been for some time.”
    “That‘s my feeling too,” Rose agreed somberly.
    The corrals were nearly deserted, but as they strolled up to look at the new colts born the night before, two men came into view. One was mounted, his horse poised on a small rise in the distance where there was a clear view of both ranch itself and a good deal of the valley. He appeared to be just sitting there,