Page 117 of The Enchanted Land

What about his own love for Morgan? There were still times when just the sight of her made the blood in his temples throb. But that was beginning to be less painful. In fact, the last time he’d been in Albuquerque, he had been interested in some of the young women he’d seen there. Could he learn to love elsewhere? Could he get over his love for Morgan? Gordon thought he could.

Right now, he needed to do something to help his little cousin. Seth had done a terrible thing to her, not believing in her. But it was not really unforgivable.

What they needed now was to be together more, to be around one another constantly. Then their bodies would overrule their stubborn minds.

He could be the instrument for their getting together again. Tomorrow, he would begin.

As he fell asleep, he sighed and wished he had been reared in the simpler society of his mother’s people. If Seth wanted Morgan, he’d just present her father with more horses than anyone else did. There wouldn’t be any discussion about dishonesty, or forgiving—just simple bartering. Tomorrow he would move Seth into the house. There was a connecting door between her bedroom and the one next to it. He imagined it would be easy to fix the lock.

Seth was also just falling asleep. He had spent an hour cursing himself for his clumsiness. Everything he’d said to her had come out wrong. From now on, he thought, I won’t let her bait me. I won’t try to explain my reasons for coming back. I’ll talk only about the present.

He’d tell her that he loved her, that he wanted her, over and over again. But there would be no more explanations. His resolutions made, Seth slept.

Chapter Twenty-One

BREAKFASThad begun before Morgan entered the room.

“I’d like to take Adam with me today, if you don’t mind,” said Gordon. “Adam has taken such a liking to Dave. It’s strange how alike they are. When Adam first saw Dave, he went right to him. You’d expect a boy to react that way only to his own father. And the way Dave protects the boy! I sometimes think he’d lay down his life for Adam.”

“All right! I’ve heard enough about the great Dave Blake. Could we please talk about something else for a change?”

“Why, of course.” Morgan didn’t see Gordon’s suppressed smile. “Remember your father’s lawyer, the one you wrote to, in Albuquerque?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Mr. Bradley and I have been corresponding lately, and I checked with him about a divorce.”

Morgan’s head came up abruptly. “Divorce?”

“Yes. You remember we discussed it. Mr. Bradley says you’ll need to find your husband before the action can be carried out.”

Morgan jumped up from the table. “But he left me alone! He didn’t even know about Adam. I should think that would be sufficient reason for a divorce!”

“Ah, yes… Adam is another problem. Before he was born, a divorce would have been a lot simpler. Now, of course, there is the possibility that the courts would award Adam to his father.”

Her mind went blank. She sat down again. “What do you mean?” Her voice was harsh.

“Well, I briefly told Mr. Bradley about your troubles in San Francisco. I assured him that you were totally innocent, but he said that no matter what the truth of the matter was, your stay at Madame Nicole’s would look very bad on paper. And later, you lived with an unmarried man—Theron. It all looks bad.”

“But none of that was my fault!”

“That wouldn’t really matter. Seth’s lawyer could use those facts to tarnish your character.”

Morgan sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap. She couldn’t even imagine losing Adam.

“There is a way.”

“How?”

“If we found Seth and persuaded him to waive all rights to his son.”

Morgan felt helpless, defeated. “He’d never do that,” she whispered.

“How do you know? We’d have to find him and ask him.”

She stood up. “Please excuse me, Gordon, I’m not very hungry this morning.” How do I know? I know because Seth loves his son very much and he would never give him up. Never.

Gordon smiled. He really shouldn’t have lied that way. Not lied, really … but bent the truth. Mr. Bradley had said all those things, but had added that there were ways of getting around the situation. Gordon had simply neglected to mention them to Morgan. It was for her own good, though. Someone had to stop her from ruining her life.

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