Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,18

until she sagged against the table at her back. She could breathe again, at least for the moment. She knew the situation with the homesteaders was not over, not by a long shot, but for now, she would put it out of her mind. Her mother and sisters would be so relieved...her mother!

She bolted for the door. She had to tell her mother that all was well and her fathers would be home for dinner. If Seylah had been this worried, she loathed to think of how difficult the past hours had been for her mother. The door banged shut behind her, and Seylah was off like a shot, with home and her mother as her only thought.

She was nearly to the edge of town when she heard her sister, Rose, call to her.

“Seylah!” She turned and looked behind her to see her sister hurrying towards her.

“Have you heard anything?” Rose asked, breathless from her near sprint.

“Everything is okay. They’ve arrived in Butte and will be home by dinner.”

“Oh, thank God.” The sisters embraced, and Seylah patted Rose’s trembling shoulders.

“I was on my way to tell Mama.”

Rose pulled back and linked their arms together. “She’ll be a wreck until she knows. Let’s be on our way, then.”

Seylah leaned against her and nodded, content to let the other woman take the lead. It had been a stressful and exhausting day thus far, and she wanted nothing more than to rest, maybe eat a bit of something now that the knot in her stomach was finally loosening enough for her to do anything, but think of terrible outcomes. Her stomach rumbled, and Rose looked at her with a disapproving frown.

“Have you eaten?”

Seylah shook her head. “No. I couldn’t manage it. Not with everything.”

“You have to take care of yourself, Seylah,” Rose chastised, giving her arm a light yank. “You’re eating as soon as we get home and tell Mama.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Seylah sighed in relief. They had only taken a few steps together when August rounded a corner and stopped on the boardwalk in front of them. The man had a determined set to his shoulders, and he waved a hand at them before he started forward.

“He looks determined,” Rose observed giving her sister a nudge, who nodded in silence. It was true. August looked like a man on a mission, with his sure steps and the focused look he was sending them. There was no mistaking that he meant to speak to them.

“Are you all right?” He asked, and Seylah raised an eyebrow, noticing he was out of breath.

“Yes, but are you all right?” She asked, giving him a curious look. “Did something happen?”

“Were you running?” Rose added in, and he sucked in a deep breath.

“Yes,” he said and gave them a shaky smile, “but everything is all right. I saw the telegram that your pa’s are coming home. Took off to tell your ma. Was hoping I’d run into you on the way.”

“Seylah already saw it. We were on our way home now,” Rose told him and a look of relief crossed August’s features. He closed his eyes briefly and he nodded, a smile on his face.

“Good to hear. I know it’s been rough since the morning.”

Seylah nodded and reached out, touching his hand, lightly. “Thank you for thinking of Mama.”

He opened his blue eyes and gave her a crooked smile. “‘Course. Didn’t know where you’d gone, but I didn’t want to let the message sit in case you missed it.” He stopped and stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over the length of her. “Are you well? Have you eaten?”

“No, she hasn’t,” Rose grumbled and elbowed her sister in the side. “You know how she gets when she’s stressed.”

Seylah rolled her eyes at her sister. “I’m standing right here, Rose.”

“I do know how she gets. Takes to forgettin’ about herself,” August answered, as if Seylah hadn’t spoken, and this time, she aimed a sharp look his way.

“I do not forget about myself.”

“Can you please take her to lunch?” Rose asked.

August gave a quick nod and reached for Seylah’s arm. “I can.”

“Oh, perfect! I’ll head on the way to tell Mama, and you get Seylah fed and keep an eye on her for the rest of the day, won’t you?”

Again, August nodded, and again, Seylah glared. “I am an adult perfectly capable of minding myself.”

“Then maybe you should take to doing it then, hmm?” Rose asked with feigned sweetness. She looked at August and made a shooing motion. “Go on, take