Seth (Prairie Grooms, Book Three) (15 page)

“What do you mean by that?”
he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

Colin looked at the garlands of flowers the Turner children had wrapped around
the oak’s massive trunk. “Eloise hasn’t been herself lately, and I’m wondering if it’s because of you.”

“Me? Are you saying she doesn’t want to marry me?”

“On the contrary, she came to get married, and by Jove, that’s what she’ll do. But she’s more perceptive than you give her credit. She knows you’re not what you’ve made yourself out to be.”

Seth stared at him, and fought the urge to ball his hands into fists. Sure Colin was aware he and Ryder had a past, but not even the Cooke
s knew the extent of it. “I see.” He paced back and forth a few times. “Where is she?”

“Down the creek, behind the blankets,” Colin said as he turned and pointed.

Seth tipped his hat to him, and set off.

“What are you doing?” Colin called after him.

“Settling something once and for all,” he called back over his shoulder. He then turned, and marched toward the blanketed enclosure with purpose.

Belle popped out from behind one of the blankets as he reached it. “Oh!” she said when she bumped into him. “Seth Jones, you can’t be here!”

“I need to speak to Eloise.”

“What? Now? But you’re about to be married! Besides, it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

“I’ll speak to her just the same.”

“But you can’t …”

“Move out of the way, Mrs. Cooke,” he said as evenly as possible.

Belle looked him over, took in the serious expression on his face,
and then blew out her breath. “Wait here,” she said. She disappeared behind the blanket, then a moment later, poked her head out. “Come in.”

Seth gave her a nod
, and went behind the make-shift wall. He heard a woman gasp behind him, (probably Fanny Fig) but ignored it. What he saw in front of him was more important. “Eloise …” he breathed.

She was beautiful. Her hair blonde hair glistened in the sun as Sadie placed a flowered wreath on her head, and began to pin it in place.
Her dress accentuated her small waist, and shined bright against the green grass at her feet. Seth was so transfixed he forgot how to breathe.

“Mr. Jones,” Sadie began in a scathing tone. “This had better be good.”

“I … I need a word with Eloise.”

Elois
e’s eyes widened, as her jaw tighten. “I’ll speak with him.”

“
Alone, Sadie, if you don’t mind,” added Seth.

“What? I can’t leave you two back here by yourselves with the whole town here!”

“You can, and you will,” said Seth. “Land sakes, we’re about to be married, what’s the difference?”

Sadie let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, all right. But no sparking!”

“You have my word,” he said.

Sadie grabbed Belle by the hand, and ushered her out of the enclosure. Eloise swallowed hard. “What do you want to speak to me about?”

Seth took off his hat, and held it with one hand. “Eloise, Colin tells me you’re a mighty perceptive lady.”

Eloise looked away, and stared at the frayed edges of one of the blankets. “I suppose so.”

“Perceptive enough to question whether or not you should marry me.”

Her head snapped up at the remark. “Oh no, it’s not that … I … I do want to marry you.”

“We’ve been through this once already. Either you do or you don’t.”

“I … do?”

He closed his eyes and swallowed. “We can call it off.”

“No!” she blurted,
and then licked her lips. “It’s just … oh, Seth … it’s just that it’s like you’re hiding something from me.”

He opened his eyes, and searched her
s. “Ryder and I … have done things most women—especially refined ladies such as you and your sisters—might find--disturbing.”

Her eyes rounded to saucers. “Disturbing? I dare say, but to what length of
disturbing
are you referring to?”

“We hunted down men, and turned them over to the law, for money.”

Eloise teetered on her feet, and he grabbed her, to keep her from falling. “What?”

“We stopped a couple of years ago, when we settled here …”

“You’re … a bounty hunter?” she squeaked.

“
Was
a bounty hunter,” he corrected.

“Isn’t that … well … rather dangerous work?”

“Yes, it most certainly is.”

She paled. Seth dropped his hat to the ground and
wrapped both arms around her in case he she fainted. “What … sort of men … did you hunt down?”

“The worst of the worst.”

“Oh, good heavens … did you … ever have to kill anyone?”

He swallowed hard. “Yes.”

Her knees gave out, and he supported her now. “Eloise, I’ve tried to put that part of my past behind me.”

She gazed up at him, her eyes glazed. “And here I was worried
about whether or not you could handle a gun …”

He chuckled. “I’m quite good, if you must know.”

“Obviously you are, with the sort of work you and your brother were doing. Does my sister know?”

“I doubt Ryder has told her yet.”

“Just as well he hasn’t. I’m afraid Constance will find it far too romantic.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

She stared at him, and straightened in his arms. “Killing men for a living and hauling them off to some sheriff is not my idea of romance.”

“I didn’t kill men for a living. Sure, a lot of men we hunted were wanted dead or alive, but I didn’t just shoot them. They usually shot at me first.”

“I say, but I do believe I’m going to faint.”

“Oh no, you don’t! We need to settle this.” He steered her over to a fallen log by the water’s edge, and sat her down beside him. “If you’ve sensed a… well, a rough edge to me, then now you know where it comes from. But that’s not who I am anymore, and it
’s not who I want to be. But it’s there in case I need it.”

She was still wrapped in his arms, and stared up at him. “Do you still need it?”

“After what happened to your sisters and my brother? Yes. Do you still want to marry me?”

Her eyes roamed the enclosure. “I … I feel like I’ve just been given a new groom.”

“I understand. I’ll also understand if you …” he closed his eyes and swallowed. “Don’t want to go through with this.”

She shook her head. “No, I… please, just give me a moment.”

“Take all the time ya need, darlin’,” he whispered. But what he really felt like doing was screaming, “NO!” at the top of his lungs, for in that very moment, Seth Jones realized he was in love with her.

* * *

She was about to marry a killer.

Okay, so maybe Seth wasn't an actual killer, but he did say men had met their deaths by his hand.
Oh blast!
She thought. Perhaps that was too dramatic.
Met their untimely demise?
There, that sounded better.

Eloise stared at him like a frightened deer. What was she going
to say now? He continued to look into her eyes, waiting for an answer. Oddly, his news frightened yet thrilled her at the same time, but why? Shouldn't she be appalled at the disclosure? Frightened? Lying on the ground in a dead faint? But no, she was none of those things. Instead, a part of her relaxed at the news, and she felt more confident in her decision to marry him.

Oh, for heaven's sake!
Had she really thought him that inept at handling himself out on the prairie? Had she been so afraid her future husband was more likely to shoot his own foot than some outlaw, that it made her think him less than a man? “Is there anything else you need to tell me?” she stammered.

“
No, I think that about does it, except that the whole town is waiting for us. What's your answer?”

“
Answer?” she asked, still dazed.

“
Will you marry me?” he asked, his voice low, husky.

“That's the worst you've done?” she asked as her eyes wandered to his lips.

“You can always ask Ryder,” he said. “He'll tell you anything about me you want to know.”

“
And so, what about Ryder? He's done the same thing, hasn't he?”

Seth nodded, and held her tighter. “Would it have made any difference to your sister if she found out before they got married?”

Eloise let out a nervous laugh. “As much as it pains me to say this, no. Constance is an adventurer. Like I told you before, she would find it terribly romantic.”

He tucke
d a finger under her chin, lifted her face to his, and placed his lips within a hair's breadth of her own. “Do you find it romantic? Do you have the same adventurous heart as your sister?”

“
I dare say, Mr. Jones, but I am not my sister. However, I do admire a man who is forthright, and not afraid to set aside his own wants in order to accommodate another.”

“I'm glad you
see it that way,” he said. “But does that also mean you still want to marry me?”

She reached up and put her hand against his cheek. “Yes,” she said. “I'll marry you. But not because of what you just told me, though I'm glad you did. But because I promised I would. I came out here for you, Mr. Jones, and I will see this through.”

His eyes filled
with something she could not identify, just before his lips brushed against hers in a tender kiss. “I'll be a good husband, Eloise. Don't ever doubt that I can't protect you.”

Her stomach pinched. H
ad he just hit upon her problem?

She turned her head away and let out a breath, realizing he was right. She
had
doubted his abilities to protect her. Especially after listening to Constance tell stories of Ryder’s heroics, (which thrilled her to the bone to listen to) and then moments later watch Seth pour tea for the afternoon's patrons of the hotel. All men. “Oh good heavens,” she breathed. “I do believe I'm much more like Constance than I thought.

Seth laughed. “Are you now? Am I going to have to give you my buckskin's?”

“
Good Lord, you mean you own a pair?”

“
Of course.”

“
My goodness…”

“
Personally, I think they'd look great on you,” he drawled.

“Buckskin's! On
me
?”

He pulled her close, and brushed his lips against hers. “You'd be adorable.” He loosened his hold, scooted away an inch or two, and took her hands in his. “Eloise…”

“Yes, I know, an answer.”
She gave his hands a squeeze and smiled at him. “Are you ready to get married, Mr. Jones?”

“You know that
I am, Miss Sayer.” He stood, and pulled her up from the log. With her hand still in his, he emerged from the blanketed enclosure.

“Well
, it's about time” Wilfred chastised.

“
Yeah, are we gonna have a wedding, or what?” called Sheriff Hughes over Wilfred's shoulder.

“
Let's get this shindig started!” said Mr. Mulligan.

“Just how long have
you three been out here?” Seth demanded.

“Ahhh, since
about the time you told her ya used to kill people for a livin’,” said Wilfred.

“
What?!” boomed Seth.

Sheriff Hughes stepped forward. “Now son, the type of work you've done is no different than what I do. I've had to take down my fair share of men over the years. The only difference between me, you, and Ryder is that I wear a star on my chest. What you boys used to do helps lawmen like me. Sometimes there ain't enough of us to go around to do all the work that needs to get done, and bring in what scoundrels need to be brought in.” He looked at Eloise. “There ain't no shame in it, and you shouldn't look at it that way.”

“
Sheriff, I'll admit what Seth told me was a shock. But I don't think any less of him, because you're right.”

The sheriff tugged
on his vest, and straightened his hat. “Well then, that settles it.” He turned to Wilfred and Mr. Mulligan. “Let's have ourselves a wedding!”

The townsfolk within earshot let out a cheer, and one of them even pulled out his gun, pointed it at the sky, and popped off a shot accompanied by a loud “whoopee!”

Eloise screamed at the sudden sound, and Seth took her in his arms. “There now, darlin', nothing to be afraid of, I'm right here beside you.” He turned to the man who fired the gun. “Holster that thing, will ya? You're scaring my bride.”

The man gave Eloise a sheepish look, and holstered his gun. “Sorry ma'am,” he said.

“
It's quite all right,” she told him. “A little unexpected is all.” She began to fan herself with nervous hands.