… oh, I don't know what I'm trying to say.”
“ Are you saying he's not as skilled as Ryder?”
“ Yes, that's it!”
“ How do you know?” Constance asked.
Eloise began to shift from one foot to the other. “Well, any fool can take one look at him and tell.”
“Never judge a book by its cover,” s aid Constance. “Seems to me you're not giving Seth a chance to prove himself.”
“ He doesn't have to prove himself to me, I know what he’s made of,” argued Eloise.
“ Oh really?” asked Constance. “Well, if you ask me, if he's aiming to go after those outlaws, then he must know what he's doing. Otherwise, he wouldn't go.”
Now it was Eloise’s turn to stand, hands on hips, and stare at her sister. She had a point, however, “But it’s dangerous!”
“ Of course it’s dangerous. They’re going after outlaws!”
“ Yes, and that being the case, why are you so willing to let your husband ride off into danger?”
“ It's not that I'm willing; Ryder will do what Ryder … is going to do, and there's not a lot I can do to stop him!”
Eloise folded her arms across her chest. “Men!”
“ Yes, men!” agreed Constance.
Eloise was about to comment further when she saw Harrison approach, with Seth and Ryder right behind him. “Well?” she asked as they reached them. “Tell me you talked some sense into these two.”
“ Yes, tell us,” urged Constance. “They can't expect to go riding off after those outlaws by themselves.”
“ Oh yes, we certainly can expect, Sugar,” said Ryder.
Constance's mouth fell open as her eyes went wide. “You are not going after those outlaws!”
Ryder looked at Seth and Harrison. “As you can see, my wife likes to speak her mind.”
Seth fixed his gaze on Eloise. “Are you going to speak your mind, too?”
She took a deep breath and glared at him. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“ Well before you start,” he said. “It might interest you to know that we’re not going anywhere.”
“ You're … you’re not?” she stammered.
“ Nope,” said Seth. “You and me are gonna go to a picnic and get married.”
Eloise sighed in relief, turned to Harrison, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“Hey, what about me?” Seth said, annoyed.
Eloise looked at her intended. “ That was for talking you out of going.”
“ What about us?” asked Constance as she looked at Ryder. “Are we going home now?”
“No , Sugar, we ain’t. We’ll stay at the hotel until after Seth and your sister get married. Then we'll go back to our place.”
“ So,” said Harrison. “We’re all in agreement that you two are to stay put? Let the lawmen handle the law?”
Ryder and Seth looked at one another and shrugged. “Fine by us,” said Seth.
“Yeah, I guess there’re more important things than chasin’ after a bunch of silly old outlaws,” added Ryder.
Relieved, Eloise and Constance closed their eyes at the same time. “Thank you,” Constance told her husband. “I don't know what I'd do if… anything happened to you.”
“ That goes for me, too,” said Eloise. She took one of Seth's hands and gave it a squeeze. “After all, how fitting would it be for me to lose you before we marry?”
Seth took her in his arms. “Wouldn't be fitting at all,” he said and then, without warning, kissed her.
Constance let out a small gasp. Ryder, on the other hand, laughed and pulled her against him. “I think my brother has the right idea, don’t you, Sugar?” Before she could comment, his lips found hers, and she melted into his arms.
Seth broke his kiss with Eloise, and stared at his brother. “I guess we better stop before we make a spectacle of ourselves in public.” Eloise also glanced at the kissing couple, and giggled. “Is that what we look like?”
“Probably worse.”
Harrison leaned against the wagon and shook his head. “I hate to be the one to break up your … er … sparking party, but I have to get back to the
“ Are you saying he's not as skilled as Ryder?”
“ Yes, that's it!”
“ How do you know?” Constance asked.
Eloise began to shift from one foot to the other. “Well, any fool can take one look at him and tell.”
“Never judge a book by its cover,” s aid Constance. “Seems to me you're not giving Seth a chance to prove himself.”
“ He doesn't have to prove himself to me, I know what he’s made of,” argued Eloise.
“ Oh really?” asked Constance. “Well, if you ask me, if he's aiming to go after those outlaws, then he must know what he's doing. Otherwise, he wouldn't go.”
Now it was Eloise’s turn to stand, hands on hips, and stare at her sister. She had a point, however, “But it’s dangerous!”
“ Of course it’s dangerous. They’re going after outlaws!”
“ Yes, and that being the case, why are you so willing to let your husband ride off into danger?”
“ It's not that I'm willing; Ryder will do what Ryder … is going to do, and there's not a lot I can do to stop him!”
Eloise folded her arms across her chest. “Men!”
“ Yes, men!” agreed Constance.
Eloise was about to comment further when she saw Harrison approach, with Seth and Ryder right behind him. “Well?” she asked as they reached them. “Tell me you talked some sense into these two.”
“ Yes, tell us,” urged Constance. “They can't expect to go riding off after those outlaws by themselves.”
“ Oh yes, we certainly can expect, Sugar,” said Ryder.
Constance's mouth fell open as her eyes went wide. “You are not going after those outlaws!”
Ryder looked at Seth and Harrison. “As you can see, my wife likes to speak her mind.”
Seth fixed his gaze on Eloise. “Are you going to speak your mind, too?”
She took a deep breath and glared at him. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“ Well before you start,” he said. “It might interest you to know that we’re not going anywhere.”
“ You're … you’re not?” she stammered.
“ Nope,” said Seth. “You and me are gonna go to a picnic and get married.”
Eloise sighed in relief, turned to Harrison, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“Hey, what about me?” Seth said, annoyed.
Eloise looked at her intended. “ That was for talking you out of going.”
“ What about us?” asked Constance as she looked at Ryder. “Are we going home now?”
“No , Sugar, we ain’t. We’ll stay at the hotel until after Seth and your sister get married. Then we'll go back to our place.”
“ So,” said Harrison. “We’re all in agreement that you two are to stay put? Let the lawmen handle the law?”
Ryder and Seth looked at one another and shrugged. “Fine by us,” said Seth.
“Yeah, I guess there’re more important things than chasin’ after a bunch of silly old outlaws,” added Ryder.
Relieved, Eloise and Constance closed their eyes at the same time. “Thank you,” Constance told her husband. “I don't know what I'd do if… anything happened to you.”
“ That goes for me, too,” said Eloise. She took one of Seth's hands and gave it a squeeze. “After all, how fitting would it be for me to lose you before we marry?”
Seth took her in his arms. “Wouldn't be fitting at all,” he said and then, without warning, kissed her.
Constance let out a small gasp. Ryder, on the other hand, laughed and pulled her against him. “I think my brother has the right idea, don’t you, Sugar?” Before she could comment, his lips found hers, and she melted into his arms.
Seth broke his kiss with Eloise, and stared at his brother. “I guess we better stop before we make a spectacle of ourselves in public.” Eloise also glanced at the kissing couple, and giggled. “Is that what we look like?”
“Probably worse.”
Harrison leaned against the wagon and shook his head. “I hate to be the one to break up your … er … sparking party, but I have to get back to the
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