Page 22 of The Enchanted Land

Morgan was quiet awhile.

“You don’t think Seth’s ever been in love?”

“Well, I used to work for his daddy, and I’ve been around Seth since he was about nine years old, and as far as I know, he ain’t never been in love. Too bad, too. You miss a lot in life when you don’t fall madly in love at least once a year.”

Morgan was quiet after that, just sitting, listening to Jake and watching Seth move to the rhythm of his horse.

The first days were easy. At night they stopped at local inns where a hot meal and warm, clean beds awaited them. Seth always made sure Morgan had her own room, while he and Jake had another.

Seth and Morgan stayed away from one another as much as possible, speaking only when necessary.

A few days before they reached Kansas City, Jake began to tell Morgan about someone named Frank. Jake seemed to have a lot of respect for Frank and was glad Frank would be traveling with them.

“Will anyone else be going with us?”

It was a minute before she could understand Jake’s answer.

“Joaquín. What a nice name.”

Jake muttered something unintelligible.

Kansas City was much more rustic than Louisville, and Morgan liked it. The people all seemed to be dressed for necessity rather than for fashion.

“Seth!” A man as big as Seth came up behind him as Seth was tying his horse in front of the hotel. They shook hands vigorously, obviously glad to see one another. “And Jake, you little old toad, you’re still as ugly as ever.” His eyes stopped at Morgan.

Seth followed his eyes. “This is my wife, Morgan.” Seth’s voice held no warmth.

Frank reacted immediately to Seth’s voice. He knew something was wrong. Frank held out a tentative hand and helped Morgan from the wagon. “I am pleased to meet you, Mrs. Colter.”

Morgan smiled, lighting up her face. “Jake has told me a lot about you—everything except your last name.”

He smiled back at Morgan. “It’s Greyson, but everyone calls me Frank.”

“If you call me Morgan, it’s a deal.”

Smiling, they started into the hotel. As they were signing in, Seth said to Morgan, “My shy little wife sometimes loses her shyness. Do you think she saves it just for her husband?”

Morgan was startled by the hostility in his voice, but before she could say anything, he had turned to talk to the hotel manager.

Jake had overheard Seth and whispered to Morgan, “He’s jealous,” and then followed Frank up the stairs.

Seth turned back to Morgan, taking her arm and leading her away from the desk. “They have no adjoining rooms. In fact, they have only one room left in the hotel. I could bunk with Frank and Jake.”

Morgan’s eyes went to Seth’s. Somehow, she did not want everyone knowing the truth about her relationship with Seth. She would rather people thought theirs was a normal marriage.

Seth was talking. “Jake already knows. But if you’d rather Frank didn’t, just say so and I’ll arrange something.”

Morgan lowered her eyes. “I’d rather he didn’t know.” Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she saw relief on Seth’s face.

Seth escorted her to a small but clean room with one rather narrow bed which took up most of the space.

Morgan sat on the bed, as there was nowhere else to sit. She watched Seth. He ignored her and began to undress.

“Seth, what are you doing?”

“I am planning to wash some of this trail dust off me before dinner.” He turned toward her. “You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to, you know.”

She moved to the other side of the bed and looked out at the busy street, but she had difficulty concentrating.

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