The Enchanted Land Read online

  Morgan slowly recalled her abandonment of the moments before. She was embarrassed, and turned her head away from Seth. She had acted like an animal.

  “What’s this? Morgan, what’s wrong?” He looked into her tear-filled eyes. “Tears, from my little wildcat?”

  She began to cry more. “I’m not a wildcat. I’m a woman,” she sobbed.

  He laughed. “So that’s it. It’s that damned mother of yours. Sometimes I wish I could have met her. But I’d probably regret what I would say to her.” He kissed Morgan’s damp cheeks. “Your mother had some wrong ideas about what makes a lady. I love you, and you love me. What we do between us isn’t wrong.” His eyes twinkled. “Didn’t you enjoy this morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then that’s all that matters.” He stood up, took her hand, and pulled her up to him. “Come on.”

  “Where?”

  “We’re taking a bath. I’ve smelled buffalo more pleasant than the two of us.”

  She looked at his hair and noticed it was wet with sweat, as was her own. Seth was right. She had enjoyed their lovemaking … more than enjoyed it. She needed it. And she wasn’t going to let anyone interfere.

  “Race you,” she called as she ran to the pool.

  Chapter Nine

  THEY spent four days in the canyon of the ancient ruins. Seth introduced Morgan to the joys of lovemaking, and after her initial fears were over, she learned to return his love with an abandonment that surprised them both.

  “Morgan, sweet, it’s time to go.” Seth’s voice was a whisper in the early-morning stillness.

  “Go where?” She snuggled closer to him, still groggy with sleep.

  “Today we have to start for home. We’ve been here long enough. I want to take my little bride back to my ranch.”

  It was a minute before Morgan reacted, and then she sat up, throwing the blanket from her body. The sight of her golden skin with the full curves of her breasts and hips always made Seth’s body react. He reached out one large hand to caress her and pull her back to him, but with lightning quickness, she was already standing out of his reach.

  “Hey,” he called softly, “why don’t you come back to me for a little while?”

  She ran to him, pulling his head to her chest. “I want to go. I want to see your ranch, and I want to meet Lupita, and I want to be your wife.”

  “My wife? That’s just what I want you to be right now.” His hand reached inside her cotton shirt.

  She laughed and pulled away from him. “Oh, no, Seth Colter, I know you. We’ll make love, and then we’ll sleep, and then we’ll make love, and before long the day will be gone. You’ll never take me home until I’m old and ugly and you don’t want me anymore.”

  Her reasoning made sense to him. “You’re probably right. So why don’t we just stay here for a few more years?” He made a grab for her. “I promise to take you home when I’m tired of you.” At the look in her eye he said, “All right. I’m getting up.” As he put his clothes on, Morgan heard him muttering something about being henpecked so soon.

  The journey east and north to Seth’s ranch took over three weeks. They stopped often to rest the horse, which was overburdened with the weight of two people. There had been places where they could have purchased a horse, but Morgan had protested. This was her honeymoon, and she liked the feeling of being so near Seth.

  Seth had said that they would reach his home within the next two days. She twisted in the saddle and unbuttoned Seth’s shirt to kiss the bronzed skin of his chest.

  “Can’t keep your hands off me, can you, wench?”

  Morgan giggled and then sighed, her chest against his cool skin. “Seth, do you think I’ll fit in? Do you think the people on your ranch will like me?”

  He kissed the top of her head, warm from the sun. “As long as I like you, then that’s all that matters. Besides there aren’t many others. You know Jake, and Lupita will adore you. For years, she’s been trying to marry me off to every female relative of hers from fourteen to fifty. Paul runs the place while I’m gone.”

  “You’ve never mentioned Paul.”

  “He’s been with me about two years. Between Jake, Paul and me, we keep the place going. In the spring we hire a few men, but then they leave again in the fall. I hope you’re not disappointed, sweet, but you are not married to a wealthy man.”

  “Seth,” she leaned against him, enjoying the feel of his muscles against her back, “What will happen to your father’s plantation? Wasn’t he angry when you came out here to live, rather than run the plantation? You’re his only son.”

  “He was at first, but then I think he envied me my freedom. He married and then I was born, when he was still very young. He had to support his family, and couldn’t go off to new territory to start a life that offered no security. The plantation will go to my sisters and their husbands.”

  “It seems strange for a rich man’s son to give up everything and start all over again, poor.”

  “But my ranch in New Mexico is mine, not handed to me. My son will be able to choose where he wants to live, too.”

  “Son!” Morgan murmured, and felt her belly. She would be glad to get home, to a home in this enchanted land for her, Seth, and their children.

  It was late afternoon of the following day, when they saw the house. Even from a distance, it looked enormous to Morgan. “Well, when a house is built of adobe, I guess you can afford a big one.”

  It was low and sprawling, with fences and low walls surrounding areas off the rooms. In back were four other buildings, houses for Lupita, Jake, and Paul, and a sort of barn for horses and Lupita’s dairy cow. There were several cottonwoods around the houses, and here and there chickens scratched in the dirt.

  Other than the chickens, Morgan saw no signs of life. When they were about a hundred yards from the house, Seth dismounted, emitted three low whistles, and suddenly he was surrounded by dogs. They were glad to see their master, and leaped to greet him.

  Smiling up at Morgan, still on the horse, Seth told her, “They’re the worst watchdogs in the world, but I couldn’t possibly get rid of them.”

  “Señor Colter! You are home!” A short, plump woman ran to Seth and threw her arms around his waist. Seth picked her up, swung her around, and kissed her heartily on the cheek.

  “You’re so skinny!” she laughed, wiping away tears. “They have no frijoles in that place, no tortillas?” She stopped when she saw Morgan.

  “This is my wife, Lupita,” Seth announced proudly, as he lifted Morgan from the horse and held her in his arms like a child.

  “Put me down,” she whispered to him, embarrassed.

  Lupita laughed happily. “Jake has been telling me about you. I am so happy to meet you. I have been telling this buffalo a long time it is no good to live alone.”

  “Well, Lupita, she’s only second best.” Seth could feel Morgan’s eyes on him. “I wanted Lupita, but she wouldn’t have me.”

  Seth ignored Morgan’s struggles and pulled her closer. “I seem to remember an ancient Roman custom, where the husband carries his bride into the house.”

  Lupita glowed as she saw the obvious love between the two. She had not expected this, not after what Jake had told her about the constant bickering during the journey. She loved Seth as the son she never had, and she knew this tiny bit of a woman that he so easily held was going to be her daughter. Maybe soon there’d be lots of babies for her to take care of. She laughed aloud.

  “See, Lupita approves of my carrying you.” Morgan relaxed against her husband as he started walking toward the house.

  “Seth!” Morgan turned her head to see Jake running toward them. “What the hell took you so long? Frank’s been over twice to see if you were back yet.” He grinned his toothless smile and took Seth’s outstretched hand in both of his.

  “Well, I see you got the little girl back.”

  Seth pulled her close and said, “I would have been back sooner, but this little wildcat kept me holed up