River Song (26 page)

An enormous anger tore through her like a runaway train, towing a burden far
more weighty
than Sean's stinging words or the fact that he'd said them. There was a truth in them that couldn't be ignored, an unjust fact of life separating Indian and white man with a cruel and biased sword. But just as suddenly as the anger came over Sunny, it left when it occurred to her that she didn't really care about facts and words. The only thing she intended to care about now was Cole. And as long as he wanted her, he would have her. No matter what Sean or anyone else called it. She swallowed her anger.

Sunny tilted her chin and lowered her lids. "Say what you will about me, but know this and know it well. I love Cole Fremont. I will not allow you or anyone else to harm him. If you do not believe me, raise your pistol to him and see that you will be killing your sister first."

Stunned by the admission, Sean regarded her words carefully. Did she speak the truth, or did this miserable cur have some kind of hold over her, something to make her so afraid that she would lie? His voice barely above a whisper, he pressed. "Sunny? Be very sure of what you say to me, of what has happened between you and this man. You are safe now, you need not pretend."

"I love him. I swear it on my mother's grave." She leveled her gaze and made a final statement, one last plea. "Put the gun away, or shoot me with it now."

The last time he'd seen that look, it radiated from the face of his mother as she stared down a sheriff intent on arresting him or his brother Mike for horse theft. Unquestionable proof, the missing animal, stood in the yard of the small Callahan farm, yet Moonstar was adamant in the defense of her sons. When they were eventually cleared, the sheriff's sheepish apology was met with the identical stubborn lift of the chin his sister now displayed. And with the same love and blind faith he saw in her eyes.

With a grunt of frustration, Sean pushed the pistol into the waistband of his pants. "All right, little one, but if he so much as does anything to hurt you, he’s mine."

Sunny jumped into his arms, smothering his words with grateful kisses and a string of Irish phrases. "
Faith,
and I knew you would understand if only you took the time to hear what my heart had to say."

Cole discreetly inched his lean body to stretch its full length as he watched the siblings' reconciliation. Convinced he should take this opportunity and run to the river's edge for his weapons, he quietly started in that direction. If Sunny's brother really was called "Crazy Callahan," it wouldn't hurt to be armed when, or if, they were formally introduced. He'd only taken a few steps towards his objective when Sunny whirled around, her brother's hand clasped in hers.

"Cole?" she called out, her voice wavering with tension. "Umm, my brother would like to talk with you."

The top half of his body seemed to understand he really had no other choice, but the rest of
him,
his feet in particular, leaned towards gathering the weapons on the bank. Cole stumbled and nearly fell as he approached the
Callahans
.

"Cole Fremont," he supplied as he wiped a suddenly damp palm on his jeans,
then
greeted the grim-faced man with an outstretched hand. Looking for a way to thaw Sean's frozen features, he added, "Sunny's told me a lot about you and her family."

Although he'd accepted her story, conceded she at least
believed
she loved the rancher, Sean met Cole's handshake with something less than enthusiasm. His answer to the friendly smile beneath the golden mustache was a short nod and low grumble in his throat. "And she has told me nothing of you,
ahata
."

Sunny's gasp confirmed Cole's assumption that he had just been called something other than "friend." Keeping one eye on Sean, he addressed her. "I get the feeling your brother isn't too happy to meet me. Maybe we ought to head back to the ranch and give him some time to cool off."

Knowing Sean would never allow such a plan, Sunny made light of her brother's attitude, and completely ignored the fact that he'd called Cole a dog. "Sean is known as one who keeps his feelings inside. He is very pleased to know you."

Before he could disagree or add to the already tense situation, Sunny knotted her brows and faced Sean. "What in the name of all that's holy brings you here in the first place? Why are you not up river with Pop, where you belong?"

His acceptance of the blond rancher far from complete, Sean kept his eyes trained on the man as he answered. "I had a vision, little one. Pop and I didn't get any farther than Ehrenberg after that."

"A
vision
?
A true vision?"

Sean turned his full attention on Sunny after Cole raised the expected brow. "We'll talk of my vision later—
privately,"
he said with conviction. Having no intentions of discussing the spiritual gift bestowed on him by his mother's people in the presence of a white stranger, Sean concluded his explanation. "After reading your note at the farm, Pop and I decided it would be best if I went after you while he did what he could in town. I followed the trail you left behind until I caught up with Paddy's hoofprints outside of Phoenix." He leveled a thoughtful gaze on Cole. "The rest was easy."

Taken aback by the inference, not the words, Cole took a forward step. "It should have been easy to track us because I made no effort to hide our destination. I had no reason to do so." Then the rest of Sean's story sunk in. "And what do you mean, you followed a trail? What kind of tracks did we leave besides hoofprints?"

"My sister is clever," Sean replied with a jerk of his head, "smart enough to tear strips of material from her dress and tie them to shrubs and trees along the way without your knowledge."

"Oh?" Cole's eyebrow rose again, but this time it was joined by its twin as he placed his hands on his hips and turned to her. "Is that so, my sweet trusting love?"

Sunny's breath whistled out as she took a couple of backward steps. Shrugging innocently, she said, "I may have accidentally dropped a few scraps of calico along the way, but not after we arrived in Phoenix."

"I see." He nodded, his mustache twitching more with humor than anger. "And why did you stop then? Why not lead your family, and lord knows who else, all the way to the ranch?"

Again she shrugged, thinking now was the time to tell him how much she had come to trust him, but instead she laughed. "I ran out of calico."

"You little devil," he said, his voice thick and gruff. Cole dragged her into his arms, temporarily forgetting her brother stood behind them, and playfully threatened her. "I ought to take you over my knee and whip the tar out of you, truss you up like the little, the little—"

"Leprechaun," Sean supplied, reminding them of his presence.

"Yeah," Cole agreed, vaguely uncomfortable with Sean so near. He released Sunny and turned to her brother. "She's a sneaky little leprechaun all right, whatever the hell that is."

But Sean ignored Cole's attempt at levity and gave him a short nod instead of the expected chuckle. "I thank you, Fremont, for escorting my sister safely through her ordeal." Dismissing the rancher, he beckoned to Sunny. "Now it's time we returned to Yuma where we belong."

She'd known all along that day would come, but never had it occurred to her it would be so soon, so abrupt, or that the reality would hurt so much. "But Sean," she said, frantically searching for a reason to stay, "I am not ready to leave, not yet."

"She's only had a couple of days rest," Cole cut in, determined to keep her with him. "Taking her back out on the trail now could be very dangerous." He noted the dark circles under Sean's eyes, his weary expression, and added, "You look as if you haven't had a decent night's rest or a good meal for a couple of weeks yourself. Why don't you come on back to the ranch with us and rest up. We can talk about your departure later."

Shaking his head, Sean muttered, "Our father is already sick with worry over his hotheaded daughter. I'm sure she doesn't want him to suffer any more than he already has." He fixed a pointed gaze on Sunny,
then
looked back at Cole. "Again, I thank you for saving her life."

"She's
not
leaving." Cole advanced a couple of steps, examining the younger man. Sean stood two inches taller than his own six feet and looked to be carrying twenty or thirty more pounds—all of it muscle. He studied the determined square-shaped jaw and the tenacity in his unusual hazel eyes, and knew this Callahan would be a wily and menacing fighter.
This fella could squash me like a bug,
he thought, also suspecting Sean wouldn't let up until he'd accomplished just that.

But Cole wasn't ready to let Sunny go, wasn't sure he could
ever
let her go. He hitched up his jeans and chose his best weapon. "Let's talk about this, friend," Cole began. Sean started to object, but Cole eased his hand onto the half-breed's thick shoulder and urged him to walk towards the river with him.

Sunny's first impulse was to follow the men and join their conversation, but she thought better of it and instead took a parallel course to the picnic blanket to collect her drawers and blouse. Concealing herself behind a cottonwood tree, she dressed while the man she loved tried to convince her brother to let her stay.

"I understand how much Sunny must mean to you," Cole went on as they reached the river's edge. "She has become very important to me as well. Because of that, I simply can't let you waltz in and take her away so easily. I need some time to think, and I
believes
she does, too."

"But our father," Sean cut in, "also cares deeply for Sunny."

"I've thought of that too," Cole assured. "Every spring my family holds a huge barbecue at the ranch and invites all our neighbors and the townsfolk. That party is scheduled for this Saturday, and because of it we have to make a run into town for supplies tomorrow."

"And so?" the younger man shrugged.

"So, I thought you might be interested in riding along with the hands and sending a wire to your father. I'm sure if he knows you're both safe and staying at the Triple F, he won't mind if your return is delayed a few weeks."
Or, in Sunny's case, months or maybe even years.

As he considered Cole's proposal, Sean dropped into a squat and scooped up a handful of pebbles scattered along the shoreline. After regaining his footing, he skipped the stones, one at a time, across the surface of the reddish water. The rancher's offer was inviting, he had to admit. He was bone-weary from his long search, wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a real bed on which to rest.

There was also the problem of Sunny herself. She would not leave this valley without a fight, would give him a battle he was mentally unable to meet at this time. Cole's plan made good sense. What would be the harm if they should stay on for a week? Their father would be happy simply knowing they were alive. His mind made up, Sean turned to the rancher with an extended hand.

"I thank you for your kind offer. I look forward to visiting your home and accepting your hospitality." As the men shook hands, Sean narrowed one eye and said, "I hope you understand this, however. Sunny and I will be leaving the Triple F one week after your barbecue."

Cole had to force his hand to keep
pumping,
hoped Sean hadn't noticed the hesitation in his grip. Preventing Sunny and her brother from departing so soon was a problem he would have to deal with later.

For now, he had to figure a way to convince his father to welcome another half-breed into his home.

 
CHAPTER
TEN

Nellie sewed the final length of frothy silver grey lace to the bodice of Sunny's ball gown, then bit off the thread at the knot. "There," she said with a satisfied grin. "That ought to cover enough of you for decency."