Page 27 of The Enchanted Land

“What about the other part—haveyou ever been in love?”

He took a minute to answer. “I guess not. At least I’ve never met a woman I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I usually grow tired of a woman after a very short time.” He raised her hand to kiss her palm, his eyes still closed. He felt Morgan jump slightly at the touch of his lips.

“What about your girl in New Mexico?” He looked at her, then closed his eyes again. His cheeks showed long dimples from trying to suppress his laughter.

“Jake told you a lot, didn’t he? Marilyn’s very pretty and very … uh … obliging, but no, I’m not in love with her.”

Morgan leaned her head against the tree and smiled, feeling very happy.

“Seth, you said my mother was wrong—that she should have taught me about men and women.” She paused. Seth remained silent, but listened closely. “I don’t understand about men. And I don’t understand you at all. You are sometimes so kind, and then sometimes you look like you hate me. Then again, there are times, like now, when I feel I’ve known you all my life.”

Seth’s eyes were serious. “Yes, little one, sometimes I don’t understand myself. Sometimes I hate you, and sometimes I want to pick you up and toss you in the air. Right now, I just want to be still.” He closed his eyes again.

Morgan relaxed against the tree again and then she whispered, “Do you ever want to toss Marilyn into the air?”

Seth roared. “It would take a bigger man than me to toss Marilyn Wilson in the air. I can see you’re not going to let me rest. Let’s go and see what Jake has for supper.”

He turned over and studied her for a minute. “God, I hate the way you hide your hair.” He reached behind her, unfastened the knot of hair, and pulled it forward over her shoulders. “That’s better.”

He stood up, took Morgan’s hand, and pulled her up beside him. She gazed up at him with complete trust.

“Oh, Morgan,” he groaned, “how am I going to keep my hands off you for a whole year?”

Morgan smiled. “That’s easy—if you can’t catch me, you can’t touch me!” she called over her shoulder as she ran down the trail.

Seth paused to grab his shirt, stuffing it into his belt, and took off after her.

Just before they reached the wagons, Seth sent one long arm shooting out to encircle Morgan’s waist. She struggled, kicking and hitting against him while laughing uncontrollably. “Can’t catch you? You’re no bigger than a mosquito,” he teased.

He lifted her above his head and turned her around in the air several times. Morgan screamed, “No, no,” repeatedly, choking with laughter.

Seth then threw her over his shoulder, slapping her firmly on the behind when she struggled. He walked into the camp carrying her this way.

Jake and Frank looked up from the fire.

“I thought maybe we was being attacked by Indians.” Jake frowned. Seth just grinned.

Embarrassed now, Morgan whispered into Seth’s back, “Seth, put me down.”

As Seth crossed in front of them, going toward the wagon, Morgan heard Jake tell Frank, “At least that boy knows how women ought to be handled.”

No one saw Joaquín standing in the shadows, a scowl on his face.

Seth put Morgan down on the far side of the wagon, away from the campfire. Her back was against the wagon, and one of his arms was on each side of her, closing her in.

“Seth, that was awful. What will Jake and Frank think of me?” She tried to scold, but she was too close to laughter to sound sincere.

He moved his face closer to hers. “Keep looking at me like that, and I may do more than throw you over my shoulder.”

She hadn’t realized how she had been looking at his bare chest, the soft, curling hair on the bronze skin. She blushed and looked away. As she did so, he bent and kissed her on the ear. His lips, so moist, so sweet, caused her to turn toward him again.

“Morgan, sweet one,” he whispered. His arms closed around her shoulders, and she put her arms around his waist. He held her, without speaking, for some minutes.

Morgan could feel his skin against the side of her face, could feel his hand gently stroking her head and tangling into her hair. Her mind was blank, she felt only security and contentment while being so close to this man.

He was the first to pull away. “You’re a witch, you know that?” His voice was husky. “Go out there and get me something to eat, like a good little wife.”

“Aren’t you coming?” She didn’t want to leave him.

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