Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,68
that she was facing him. “You are going to see them again. Trust me.”
“But what if I don’t?” She asked, covering her face with her hands. “What if that was it?” Her shoulders shook with unshed tears. August gathered her close to him and smoothed her hair back from her forehead.
“Seylah, it’s going to be all right. Do not put this stress on yourself. It isn’t good for you.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “I’m scared, August.”
“I know, honey. I know.” He wiped away her tears and gave her a sad smile. “This will sort itself out. I promise. They will come home and you will have that conversation with them. The one that you didn’t have yesterday, and I will support you in it.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“You’re right. You’re better suited to being out with me in town. The desk isn’t for you. We will find a replacement for you when they understand that.”
“You-you’re going to side with me?” She asked, still not believing his words.
He nodded at her and rubbed his thumb along her cheek. “I should have done it then, but I just…” he dropped his eyes and frowned, “it’s hard to go against your Pas. You know that.”
“I do.”
“And I don’t know how to do it, but it’s something I have to learn if I’m going to be good to you. Good for you. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t know how to do that?”
Her mouth dropped open at his declaration. “August what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that you’re the woman for me, Seylah. We both know it. I’ve loved you since I clapped eyes on you. I intend to make you my wife and there’s no tiptoeing around it. I can’t do it. I tried with my list, but I was never any good at lists or writing things down. Neither of us were,” he said gesturing at the desk she sat at that was, as always, in a slight state of disarray.
“I want you to marry me. And I will spend every day putting in the time to make sure that happens.”
“I want to marry you,” Seylah blurted out. It felt good to admit it, even after the short time they had agreed to enter a courtship, an affair that she knew normally took months, not weeks, or in their case, days to arrive at a conclusion. But August and Seylah had something most courtships didn’t have.
They had years of friendship, of being best friends, to know that the other was undoubtedly the soul for them. They had spent years fighting it, and Seylah was tired of fighting. When August looked shocked she laughed nervously.
“You’re right, we really are no good at tiptoeing around things.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “No point in it. Life’s too short for pretending.” Seylah’s eyes drifted closed at the gentle brush of his thumb across her cheek. The warmth of him was comforting and she relaxed into August. He was right, she would get to speak with her fathers, there would be another day to remedy it all, but first securing word of her fathers’ arrival in Butte City would be a start. They were meant to meet the rest of the lawmen on the case there before continuing on to track the McCarron Gang. She opened her eyes and sat back in her seat.
“I’m going to check the telegram messages. See if they’ve sent word from Butte City.” The men should have gotten in the previous night and surely there must be word from them, but when Seylah went to check the messages, there was nothing of her fathers’ whereabouts. She frowned and looked back at August.
“There’s nothing here,” she said, gesturing to the woefully silent machine. August joined her and frowned.
“Odd. Let’s send word to them. Maybe they’ve jumped right in.”
Seylah nodded, fingers already working out a message. Once it was sent she gave August a tight smile. “It’ll be alright, honey.” He hugged her to him and ducked her head leaning into his side.
“I’m sure they’re just busy and that you’re right. Daddy gets forgetful when--”
The clicking of the telegram as it sprang to life cut Seylah off and the couple rushed over to the telegraph. Seylah could scarcely contain herself as the message came through and she yanked the paper to her with eager fingers only to have her momentary excitement morph into confusion, and then fear.
“They never arrived,” she whispered, holding the paper out to August who