you if you’d like to come to a fiesta tomorrow evening.”
“A fiesta?”
“Down at Maladora. It’s a saint’s day celebration. Music and dancing and food. I think you might like it. It’s only about an hour away and we can take the car.”
“That would be fun,” Jack said. “I’m sure Mary and Teddy and Trilby would enjoy it.”
Trilby had no interest in fiestas or Thorn Vance’s company. But her father was so enthusiastic that she would have felt very mean indeed to have refused. “I like music,” she said.
“So does Samantha,” he replied. “She’ll be with me, of course. It’s her birthday.”
He smiled at Trilby, and she felt something incredible happening to her. She didn’t know whether or not to trust the awkward, disturbing emotions he kindled. She had to remember her beloved Richard, who was coming in only a few days to see her.
Thorn Vance was untamed, untamable. He wasn’t safe to flirt with or make love with. He was hardly the sort of man she’d ever want to end up marrying, even if he was exciting to be with. That being the case, she simply had to keep her wits about her.
“Thank you,” Jack replied, with a smile. “We’d be delighted.”
“Fine. I’ll come by for you around four tomorrow afternoon. Good night.” He smiled down at Trilby. “I’ll look forward to it.”
She watched him ride off with a frown on her face. She wondered why he’d decided to take her family to the fiesta. Perhaps he was simply trying to make amends, she told herself, and went back to daydreaming about Richard.
C OL . D AVID M ORRIS hung up his telephone at Fort Huachuca and a frown appeared on his handsome face. More trouble on the border, and once again he was going to dispatch another troop down the border to keep watch on the situation. Skirmishes had mounted daily since the outbreak of insurrection in Mexico. He might as well go with Captain Bell this time, he thought with resignation, and talk to the rancher who’d had cattle run off. It wasn’t going to do any good. He had no authority to cross the border; God knew, it would probably lead to war if any of his men so much as stepped over the line. Even if he did have authority, Mexico was a big country. God alone knew who’d taken the cattle. He could hardly round up citizens of another sovereign nation and search them for woolly longhorns.
The thought amused him. He smiled, his high-cheek-boned face less severe than usual. He got up from his desk, running a hand through his thick blond hair. It had been light brown before he’d been sent out here to command his troops, but the Arizona sun had bleached it blond. He glanced at himself in the blemished looking glass on his wall and pursed his lips. For a man of thirty-six, he wasn’t too bad-looking, he thought with faint sarcasm. Selina seemed to think he was a figure from Greek mythology. Especially without his clothes.
His wife, Lisa, never looked at him. She’d grown broody and morose since the death of their baby earlier in the year. She had never enjoyed him in bed, even when they first married. That was mutual. He found her passable, but she’d never stirred him. He knew she’d loved him at first. But he’d married her only because of her father, who had been a very influential general.Once she found out, it had killed all her feelings for him. Then he’d started straying to other women’s beds.
She hadn’t said anything about his amours lately. She’d been oddly secretive. She was so reclusive that he hardly knew she was in his quarters at all. He really must speak to her, he thought as he called in his adjutant. But it would have to wait. As usual, military business took precedence.
He was saluted by members of his black 9th cavalry on the way to his car. The 9th and 10th were the famous “Buffalo soldiers,” whose proud history gave him no cause for regret at being commandant here.
All the long drive to Douglas, he thought about seeing Selina again. She was
“A fiesta?”
“Down at Maladora. It’s a saint’s day celebration. Music and dancing and food. I think you might like it. It’s only about an hour away and we can take the car.”
“That would be fun,” Jack said. “I’m sure Mary and Teddy and Trilby would enjoy it.”
Trilby had no interest in fiestas or Thorn Vance’s company. But her father was so enthusiastic that she would have felt very mean indeed to have refused. “I like music,” she said.
“So does Samantha,” he replied. “She’ll be with me, of course. It’s her birthday.”
He smiled at Trilby, and she felt something incredible happening to her. She didn’t know whether or not to trust the awkward, disturbing emotions he kindled. She had to remember her beloved Richard, who was coming in only a few days to see her.
Thorn Vance was untamed, untamable. He wasn’t safe to flirt with or make love with. He was hardly the sort of man she’d ever want to end up marrying, even if he was exciting to be with. That being the case, she simply had to keep her wits about her.
“Thank you,” Jack replied, with a smile. “We’d be delighted.”
“Fine. I’ll come by for you around four tomorrow afternoon. Good night.” He smiled down at Trilby. “I’ll look forward to it.”
She watched him ride off with a frown on her face. She wondered why he’d decided to take her family to the fiesta. Perhaps he was simply trying to make amends, she told herself, and went back to daydreaming about Richard.
C OL . D AVID M ORRIS hung up his telephone at Fort Huachuca and a frown appeared on his handsome face. More trouble on the border, and once again he was going to dispatch another troop down the border to keep watch on the situation. Skirmishes had mounted daily since the outbreak of insurrection in Mexico. He might as well go with Captain Bell this time, he thought with resignation, and talk to the rancher who’d had cattle run off. It wasn’t going to do any good. He had no authority to cross the border; God knew, it would probably lead to war if any of his men so much as stepped over the line. Even if he did have authority, Mexico was a big country. God alone knew who’d taken the cattle. He could hardly round up citizens of another sovereign nation and search them for woolly longhorns.
The thought amused him. He smiled, his high-cheek-boned face less severe than usual. He got up from his desk, running a hand through his thick blond hair. It had been light brown before he’d been sent out here to command his troops, but the Arizona sun had bleached it blond. He glanced at himself in the blemished looking glass on his wall and pursed his lips. For a man of thirty-six, he wasn’t too bad-looking, he thought with faint sarcasm. Selina seemed to think he was a figure from Greek mythology. Especially without his clothes.
His wife, Lisa, never looked at him. She’d grown broody and morose since the death of their baby earlier in the year. She had never enjoyed him in bed, even when they first married. That was mutual. He found her passable, but she’d never stirred him. He knew she’d loved him at first. But he’d married her only because of her father, who had been a very influential general.Once she found out, it had killed all her feelings for him. Then he’d started straying to other women’s beds.
She hadn’t said anything about his amours lately. She’d been oddly secretive. She was so reclusive that he hardly knew she was in his quarters at all. He really must speak to her, he thought as he called in his adjutant. But it would have to wait. As usual, military business took precedence.
He was saluted by members of his black 9th cavalry on the way to his car. The 9th and 10th were the famous “Buffalo soldiers,” whose proud history gave him no cause for regret at being commandant here.
All the long drive to Douglas, he thought about seeing Selina again. She was
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