Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,19

her, ignore her fussing.”

“I do not fuss,” Seylah protested, but August ignored her as directed, and put her hand on his arm as he started forward.

“I’ll bring her home after work,” he told Rose as he maneuvered them in the direction of Mrs. Lily’s Cafe.

“Have fun on your outing! I couldn’t have planned this better than if you had called on her. What lucky timing.” Rose waved a hand at them, merrily, and turned off on her heel before she bounded away in the direction of home. Seylah was left disgruntled and dragged along by August.

“This is not an outing,” Seylah muttered giving her arm a shake, but August kept it right where it was and gave her a sidelong look.

“And, why not?” He wanted to know.

“Well it isn’t. You did not call on me, for one, and secondly, we are best friends, and lastly, we are only together on account of my pas.”

The last of her reasons was related to the early morning goings on that nearly resulted in a gun fight, but Seylah wasn’t so sure August understood her meaning when he winced and said, “I would be right here with you, Pas or not, Seylah Wickes-Barnes, and it’s about time you got that into your way of thinking.”

“What are you talking about?”

He didn’t answer, but kept walking, the quick pace forcing her to hurry her steps and take hold of her skirt in order to keep up. They were attracting looks from the other citizens on the street, but August didn’t seem to mind or care. Seylah ducked her head at the attention when she saw Elliot Myers stepping out of the bank and catching sight of them. The man looked as confused as Seylah felt, and she offered him a half-hearted wave on their way past, of which he nodded in recognition, but she saw how his eyes lighted on where August was still holding on to her. August’s hand resting over hers where it was in the crook of his arm.

“August, let go,” she whispered, but he shook his head.

“No.”

“People are staring.”

He slowed, then. The change was slight, but he did so when he was nearly even with Elliot and gave the other man a nod of greeting, his fingers tightening on her hand.

“Afternoon,” August offered Elliot as they continued past.

“Afternoon.” Elliot touched the rim of his hat, but said nothing more, and Seylah shot him a worried look over her shoulder. He was still watching from where he stood, and Seylah wasn’t quite sure what to make of the look he was shooting her and August. It wasn’t angry, or confused, but interested. Why on earth was he looking at them like that?

“Are you out of your mind?” She asked when they came to a stop in front of Mrs. Lily’s.

August opened the door and ushered her inside the bustling establishment. He held up a hand in greeting to Mrs. Lily, who beamed at them and gestured them over to a table in the corner.

“Seat yourselves and I’ll be right over, you two!”

“Come on, then,” August’s hand was on her again and the pair of them were in motion once more before Seylah could get another word out. She frowned at him when he pulled out her chair for her and inclined his head.

“Are you going to answer me?” She asked, crossing her arms now that her hands were free.

“Are you going to sit?” He asked, arching an eyebrow in challenge, and gesturing to the chair once more.

Seylah’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she contemplated not budging an inch, but then August gave her a pleading look and said: “Please, will you sit?”

His voice was soft, blue eyes softer, and she swallowed hard against the warmth in her belly the scene elicited from her. August was a fine looking man, always had been, and Seylah suspected always would be. He was muscular in a way that only time in the saddle and hours of intense farm labor could create. Broad shoulders, thick arms and thighs Seylah desperately tried not to notice that never quite fit in the suits he wore.

Seylah knew the man much preferred the far more casual clothing suited to a frontier law man, than a gentleman. Seylah had thought she preferred the casual look, but then she’d had her little run in with Elliot.

As if on cue, the man walked past the window of Mrs. Lily’s and she felt her heart leap into her throat. As