left.
Morgan turned to see Seth’s broad back retreating into the woods. She forgot Joaquín.
“Seth!” She was surprised when he did not respond. She gathered up her long skirts and ran after him. Again he did not turn when she called. She caught up to him, grabbed his arm and planted herself in front of him.
For a second Seth nearly grabbed her to him. Then he jerked his arm from her grasp and angrily started down the path.
Morgan did not see Joaquín looking on with an amused smile.
“Seth! What’s wrong with you?”
He turned toward her with a look of hate. His voice was low as if he were controlling a great rage. “What’s wrong with me! I rode for two nights to be here withyou and what do I see?” He jerked his head toward the stream. He paused and took a deep breath. His outward anger seemed to recede, but his eyes still blazed.
“I am sorry. It is my fault. I should have expected nothing. You offered nothing more than any other woman.” He extended a hand and cupped her breast, hidden under so much fabric. He was momentarily surprised at its fullness.
She inhaled quickly and jerked back from his touch.
“Isn’t that what you want, my dear, if not from me then from your handsome friend back there? It’s such a shame that I found you out—you are such an accomplished actress. You almost had me believing in your innocence.”
He turned and left her then. Morgan was totally bewildered. An actress? She remembered how she had run to him, eager for him. And then she remembered Joaquín’s kiss. Was that what had made him so angry? She must go to Seth, reassure him that Joaquín meant nothing to her.
Seth was unsaddling his horse.
“Seth…” her voice was gentle, “let me talk to you.”
“We have nothing to say to one another.”
“No, Seth. I realize why you are angry. You saw Joaquín and me, didn’t you?” Her voice had a pleading note. “It meant nothing, Seth. Not like when you kiss me.”
He turned to her, his lips snarling, his eyes cold. “As I have said before, I have no chains on you. You may kiss whomever you wish. As for comparing my kisses to Joaquín’s, that is the trick of a whore.” His laugh was ugly. “Stay away from me. I want no more part in any of your games.”
Chapter Six
“J AKE , what’s a whore?”
Jake nearly dropped the skillet of bacon. “What…?” he stammered.
“I’ve heard the word before, and I wondered what it meant.” It had been two days since Seth had called her that. Having lived alone with her mother and then in the very sheltered company of her Aunt Lacey and Uncle Horace, she had never before been exposed to such talk.
“Well … it’s a woman who gives her … uh … favors to a lot of men,” was Jake’s embarrassed reply. “Why’d you want to ask me that?”
Morgan couldn’t tell him about Seth’s remark. “I just heard it somewhere and wondered.” She sat by the fire mending a tear in Seth’s shirt. She had seen very little of him in the last two days. He and Frank had spent a lot of time fishing for catfish, and Morgan had begun to gather buffalo chips for the fire. There were no more trees now, only the plains. Morgan found the countryside ugly and hoped New Mexico wasn’t as flat or as barren as the prairie was.
The next day they crossed Turkey Creek. Morgan watched as Seth removed his shirt and struggled with the horses to get them up the steep, muddy bank. She was fascinated by the magnificence of his enormous body. She remembered his arms around her, the way hehad so easily lifted her and spun her around. She trembled, remembering.
That afternoon the rain started. It came down so hard that Jake could hardly see to drive the horses. Morgan sat on the wagon seat, drenched.
“Get inside the wagon, you little fool!” Seth’s shout could hardly be heard. Water dripped down his hat and across his poncho.
“No!”
He lunged at her, and she quickly went through the opening into the dry wagon. She could see
Morgan turned to see Seth’s broad back retreating into the woods. She forgot Joaquín.
“Seth!” She was surprised when he did not respond. She gathered up her long skirts and ran after him. Again he did not turn when she called. She caught up to him, grabbed his arm and planted herself in front of him.
For a second Seth nearly grabbed her to him. Then he jerked his arm from her grasp and angrily started down the path.
Morgan did not see Joaquín looking on with an amused smile.
“Seth! What’s wrong with you?”
He turned toward her with a look of hate. His voice was low as if he were controlling a great rage. “What’s wrong with me! I rode for two nights to be here withyou and what do I see?” He jerked his head toward the stream. He paused and took a deep breath. His outward anger seemed to recede, but his eyes still blazed.
“I am sorry. It is my fault. I should have expected nothing. You offered nothing more than any other woman.” He extended a hand and cupped her breast, hidden under so much fabric. He was momentarily surprised at its fullness.
She inhaled quickly and jerked back from his touch.
“Isn’t that what you want, my dear, if not from me then from your handsome friend back there? It’s such a shame that I found you out—you are such an accomplished actress. You almost had me believing in your innocence.”
He turned and left her then. Morgan was totally bewildered. An actress? She remembered how she had run to him, eager for him. And then she remembered Joaquín’s kiss. Was that what had made him so angry? She must go to Seth, reassure him that Joaquín meant nothing to her.
Seth was unsaddling his horse.
“Seth…” her voice was gentle, “let me talk to you.”
“We have nothing to say to one another.”
“No, Seth. I realize why you are angry. You saw Joaquín and me, didn’t you?” Her voice had a pleading note. “It meant nothing, Seth. Not like when you kiss me.”
He turned to her, his lips snarling, his eyes cold. “As I have said before, I have no chains on you. You may kiss whomever you wish. As for comparing my kisses to Joaquín’s, that is the trick of a whore.” His laugh was ugly. “Stay away from me. I want no more part in any of your games.”
Chapter Six
“J AKE , what’s a whore?”
Jake nearly dropped the skillet of bacon. “What…?” he stammered.
“I’ve heard the word before, and I wondered what it meant.” It had been two days since Seth had called her that. Having lived alone with her mother and then in the very sheltered company of her Aunt Lacey and Uncle Horace, she had never before been exposed to such talk.
“Well … it’s a woman who gives her … uh … favors to a lot of men,” was Jake’s embarrassed reply. “Why’d you want to ask me that?”
Morgan couldn’t tell him about Seth’s remark. “I just heard it somewhere and wondered.” She sat by the fire mending a tear in Seth’s shirt. She had seen very little of him in the last two days. He and Frank had spent a lot of time fishing for catfish, and Morgan had begun to gather buffalo chips for the fire. There were no more trees now, only the plains. Morgan found the countryside ugly and hoped New Mexico wasn’t as flat or as barren as the prairie was.
The next day they crossed Turkey Creek. Morgan watched as Seth removed his shirt and struggled with the horses to get them up the steep, muddy bank. She was fascinated by the magnificence of his enormous body. She remembered his arms around her, the way hehad so easily lifted her and spun her around. She trembled, remembering.
That afternoon the rain started. It came down so hard that Jake could hardly see to drive the horses. Morgan sat on the wagon seat, drenched.
“Get inside the wagon, you little fool!” Seth’s shout could hardly be heard. Water dripped down his hat and across his poncho.
“No!”
He lunged at her, and she quickly went through the opening into the dry wagon. She could see
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