The Halsey Brothers Series

by Paty Jager

  “Is your leg bothering you?” She drew him ten more steps to the right and placed his hand on the solid arm of a bench. Clay sat, tugging her down beside him.

  He held both her hands. “What did that man do to you?”

  “I-I—”

  “I felt the fear in you and you flinched. Did he try something with me standing there?” God, I hate being blind. Frustration pounded in his head. How was he to protect her if he couldn’t see what others did?

  “No. He waved a hand and realized you were blind and then…”

  “What?” What had he done that caused her to flinch? He’d felt her agitated body as soon as she’d seen the man. He’d find the truth about the man and make him pay for upsetting Rachel.

  She squeaked, and he realized his hold on her hands crushed her fingers. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed them. “I’m sorry. I hate the fact I can’t shield you from danger because I can’t see it.”

  “He wasn’t harmful. He just—he had this wicked smile.” She inhaled deeply. “You should know. I was betrothed to William before I went back east to school.”

  The knowledge the other man had courted and held her in his arms swirled jealousy hot and vile in his guts. “I see. He’s bitter you went to school and changed your mind.” He couldn’t keep his jealousy from tainting his words.

  “No. He called it off before.”

  The sorrow in her voice made him wonder if she still loved the man. The thought ripped his guts liked a rock shattering under a stamp.

  “And you still love him and he throws that in your face.” Clay’s chest ached like someone had driven a stake into him. The kiss under the trees earlier—he would have sworn she’d been involved as much as he.

  “No! I never loved him.” She sighed. “I realize that now.” He barely heard the last muttered sentence. The words filled him with hope.

  “Then why does he bother you?”

  She pulled her hands from his and started to slide away. He reached up, placing his hand on the scarred side of her face. It was smooth, but had a funny feel. She pulled back.

  “Where’s your scar?”

  Rachel sucked in air and started coughing. He pulled her into his arms, crooning and rubbing her back.

  She caught her breath and stiffened, trying to pull out of his arms.

  “H-how did you know about my scar?”

  “I felt it the night you slept in my arms.” He settled her in the crook of his arm and leaned back against the bench, drawing her back as well. “How did you get the scar?”

  “When I was ten there was an accident. A-a run-a-way wagon. I shoved Celeste out of the way, but it struck me.”

  Her tale tugged at his heart. Her bravery had left a scar. One, he now realized, that was deeper than the welt he’d run his fingers over.

  “Why would Stanley break your betrothal? If he loved you, he wouldn’t have noticed the scar.”

  “When I’m out in public I use stage makeup and lard to hide it. He didn’t know I had a scar. I was going to wait until we were married—”

  “That’s wrong. A couple getting married need to know everything about each other, the good and the bad.”

  He knew that wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but he wanted to make it clear there would be no secrets between them. He mentally shook himself. When had the thought of marrying this woman or any woman jumped into his head?

  She sniffed and her shoulders shook. Had he made her cry? Clay touched her cheek. His finger came away wet.

  “Shh…” He pulled her head against his chest and kissed her hair. “I wasn’t judging you. If you had really loved Stanley, you would have told him the truth and not hid the scar.”

  Clay kissed the top of her head and inhaled her citrus scent. “What did he say when he broke it off?”

  She mumbled against his coat, and he had to strain to hear. “He said because I hid a hideous scar from him it made me a liar, and he refused to marry a liar.”

  “He didn’t love you anyway. You can’t marry if you don’t love the person. It makes both people miserable.” He raised her face. “Besides, if you were betrothed to him, I’d have to beat him up.” He lowered his lips and found hers willing and sweet.

  She drew back. Her finger slid down his nose. “Is that how this happened? Fighting over a girl?”

  Clay laughed. “Yeah, when I was six.”

  “So, you have a string of besotted girls you’ve left mooning over you?”

  The laughter in her voice warmed and expanded his chest.

  “There you two are.” Celeste’s grating voice broke into their cocoon.

  Chapter 15

  Rachel straightened, putting distance between her and Clay at the sound of her sister’s accusing voice. “Why are you looking for us?”

  “Father asked me to round you up to join us at the family tree. But if you prefer to be alone…” Celeste’s eyebrow rose, and her gaze flitted from Clay’s arm around Rachel’s shoulders to their clasped hands. Was that a ring of jealousy in her voice?

  “I didn’t realize the speeches were over.” Rachel pulled her hand from Clay’s and straightened her skirt. Was her makeup smudged? She’d behaved brazenly, but they’d sat on a bench far from the gathering.

  Clay twined his fingers with hers, stood, and drew her up beside him. “Let’s join your family. I’d like to learn more about you.”

  She heaved an exaggerated sigh even though she wanted this man who knew her worst to know more about her. He smiled and squeezed her hand.

  Rachel motioned for Celeste to lead the way. Holding hands, she and Clay ambled along behind her sister. Celeste called out to people they knew, drawing their attention to the threesome. It didn’t matter, William would have made sure by now everyone within their circle knew her escort was blind.

  Her father’s gaze took in her fingers entwined with Clay’s. His lips formed a rigid line. Her mother’s brow wrinkled. Please let them see beyond Clay’s blindness. Celeste folded her legs under her on the blanket next to their mother.

  Rachel sat beside her father and gently tugged Clay down on her other side. Once they were all comfortably seated, her mother poured lemonade into glasses.

  “Mr. Halsey, have you been blind from birth?”

  “Mother!” Rachel glared at her mother and shot a sympathetic glance toward Clay.

  “I have a right to know all I can about a man who is being”—her mother’s gaze lowered to their clasped hands—“forward with my daughter.”

  Clay didn’t flinch at the statement and held her hand when she tried to pull it away. A polite smile tipped his lips. She felt his nerves as his grip tightened.

  Clay straightened his shoulders. “Mrs. Tarkiel, no, my blindness happened from an accident eight months ago. I’m getting used to maneuvering around in the dark.” He squeezed her hand and moved his head as though scanning the group of people seated on the blanket.

  “Judge Tarkiel, I’d be pleased if you would allow me to court Rachel.”

  Happiness swelled her chest causing a wonderful ache. She knew he liked her, but they hadn’t talked of anything beyond their day to day existence at the school. She trembled. Did she want to be courted? Something that led to marriage? Her body heated at the thought. She knew the mechanics of conjugating a marriage. She’d planned to never marry, to be happy with a fulfilling career as a doctor. She stared into Clay’s handsome face. Could she be fulfilled if she didn’t see where their feelings for one another might take them?

  His thumb caressed her joined hand. Sparks raced up her arm, and her breath caught. Yes, she wanted to see what her life might be like with Clay in it. But they had much to talk about.

  “A rational man would not consider a courtship between his daughter and someone like you.”

  Her father’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. His tone and disrespect tightened her chest. Her heart ached at such harsh words from a man she loved and respected.

  “Father, how could you say something so�
��so cruel?” She placed her free hand on Clay’s arm, showing her solidarity to him.

  Her father swept his hand toward them. The waft of air he conjured puffed against her face, and Clay reached in front of her as though blocking a blow.

  Her father’s eyebrow rose, but he continued. “I know nothing of this man and wonder how he plans to support you when it is obvious he can’t hold a proper job.”

  “The school is teaching me to read Braille.” Clay leaned forward, his tone controlled. “I can still write. I’ll always have funds from our stamp mill.”

  “Gold dwindles. Look at all the rushes that left behind ghost towns.”

  Her father smiled at her mother and sister as though he’d made an eloquent speech. Rachel couldn’t believe her father was so rude and uncompromising. She had a career that would sustain them as well. She started to say as much.

  “When the gold dwindles we’ll procure other metals from the rock, and when that goes, we’ll have already invested in other opportunities. There’s talk of a railroad from Baker City to Sumpter to help haul logs out of the mountains. Hank is already looking toward investing in that. We aren’t backwoods riffraff, Judge Tarkiel. My brothers and I are well learned and have proven it takes a lot to take us down.”

  Rachel smiled at Clay’s grit and the way he countered her father’s objections.

  “I’d hoped you’d be reasonable about me courting your daughter. But whether you accept or not, I still plan to see Rachel. I’m heading back to Sumpter in a month. I’d like Rachel to come with me, meet my family, and see if she could live there.”

  Her mother gasped and started shaking her head. Celeste’s eyes lit with disbelief, and her father’s face reddened.

  “You’ll not take my daughter anywhere!” Her father roared. Rachel’s neck and face heated as the people near them gawked at the group.

  “Father, control your voice.” Rachel stared at Clay. When had he planned to tell her this? He squeezed her hand. “If I decide to go it will be my decision. Since this is the first I’ve heard of it, I’d like the courtesy of having a chance to discuss it with Clay.”

  “I’d planned to discuss it with you today.” Clay shrugged and sent her an impish grin that fluttered her stomach. “Sorry I blurted it out in front of your family.”

  “I-I’m speechless. I think it’s something we’ll need to discuss in private.” Rachel gave his hand a squeeze. So many thoughts raced in her head she felt dizzy just sitting.

  “You’re not considering traveling alone with this man?” Her mother’s voice rose an octave. “You’d scandalize our name. And you’d never find a decent husband.”

  Rachel stared at her mother. “If I traveled with Clay to his home, it would be no one’s business but mine. And if I traveled with him, it would be because I had feelings for him.”

  Her father opened and closed his fists as though he wished to grab Clay by the neck.

  She couldn’t believe the anger and fright—yes, the fright she saw in her parents’ eyes. Why were they frightened of Clay?

  Rachel caught movement beyond Celeste. She smiled and nodded. The man walking to them would stop the conversation and hopefully give her and Clay time to talk.

  “Look out, Celeste, here comes Representative Wright.” She’d expected her sister to turn a bright smile on the man, but instead her gaze went to their father, her eyes asking for help.

  “Don’t worry,” he mumbled and stood. “But this conversation isn’t finished,” he said, pointedly glancing from Rachel to Clay and back. He walked to the representative Rachel thought had caught her sister’s heart and stopped him several yards away.

  “Why is father keeping him from you?” Rachel wanted nothing more than to wander off with Clay to discuss his proposal. But her sister had become agitated which was so unlike her usual in-control manner.

  Their mother patted Celeste’s arm. “Rumor has it Representative Wright plans to ask your sister to marry him today.”

  Rachel caught her sister’s hand. “That’s what you wanted isn’t it? To marry a politician, and he’s been courting you for two years.”

  Celeste’s gaze traveled from Clay to Rachel and to their still entwined hands. “You two have known each other what, two months? And you show more affection to one another than Wayne has shown to me in two years.” Her gaze drifted to the crowd. “I feel more for someone else I barely know than I do for Wayne.”

  “So you’re avoiding the man rather than tell him you don’t want to marry him?”

  Clay’s accusing words crumpled Celeste’s already faltering façade. Her face scrunched as tears glistened in her eyes. She jumped up and hurried away.

  Rachel pushed to her feet.

  Clay held onto her hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt her, but a man needs to know where he stands.”

  She squeezed his hand and slipped her fingers free. “I know.” She understood his double meaning and hurried after her sister. She was new at being in love, but maybe she could help Celeste.

  ****

  Clay cleared his throat. He was pretty sure only Mrs. Tarkiel remained sitting under the tree. He already knew the woman wasn’t happy her daughter had feelings for him—a blind man. Would she or her husband give him a chance to prove he cared about Rachel?

  “I know you’d prefer your daughter marry a politician,” Clay said, “but she prefers not being the center of attention.”

  “Mr. Halsey, just because her appearance is inadequate doesn’t mean she should settle for anyone less as a husband.”

  Clay ground his teeth and counted to ten. “I’m sorry you feel my sight is what makes me a man and that Rachel’s looks make her a woman. I can tell you, from my observations, Rachel is more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever encountered.”

  “How would you know? You can’t even see her.”

  “Because I don’t judge a person by the outside, I judge her by the inside.”

  Mrs. Tarkiel huffed.

  “Your daughter has more compassion and love inside her than anyone I’ve ever met. You should come to the school some day and see how the children and staff love her and the wonderful care she takes of them.”

  Footsteps approached. “Good, I wanted a word with you without Rachel around,” Judge Tarkiel said, his voice the volume of an intimate conversation. Clay felt the man settle on the blanket.

  “I’m afraid I said something that upset Celeste, and Rachel went to console her.” Clay wasn’t proud he upset the woman, but he also felt it was his place to speak up for a man who was being strung along.

  “I see.” The two words rang with reprimand. “Not only do you think you can drag my oldest daughter off to the wilderness, but you also feel it is your place to offend my youngest daughter?”

  “I was merely stating a fact. Men don’t like to be strung along.”

  Clay hoped the emotions he felt for Rachel were reciprocated. The hostility emanating from her parents would be hard to ignore.

  “Neither do women. I want you to stop encouraging Rachel. She had her heart broken five years ago, and I’m sure her nurturing qualities are the only reason she is showing interest in you.”

  The man’s tone imparted he actually believed his daughter took pity on a blind man. The kiss they shared was not a kiss of pity. He’d know if it was, wouldn’t he?

  “Judge Tarkiel, I don’t feel pity for your daughter, and I’m pretty sure what she feels for me isn’t pity.”

  “Mr. Halsey, you aren’t listening—stay away from my daughter, and if you take her to Sumpter, I’ll find a legal course of action to take against you.”

  ****

  Rachel found Celeste sitting on the bench she and Clay had occupied. She sat down and put a hand on her sister’s arm.

  “Tell me about the man you like.”

  Celeste blew her nose into a frilly handkerchief and stared at her through tear-dotted, light brown lashes.

  “He has black hair, and his features are so masculine it makes my stomach flu
tter. He comes from a farm but has such wonderful ideas for the state.”

  “So, he’s a politician. I figured you wouldn’t want to leave the circle of friends you have.” Rachel smiled at her sister’s nod.

  “Yes, he’s held a seat as a representative for one term and will surely be re-elected again this fall.”

  “Does he know how you feel? Have you two talked?”

  “He—when I try to talk to him he frowns and turns away.” Celeste grabbed her hand. “But when I look at him—I feel more”—she fanned her hand in front of her face—“than I felt the one time Wayne kissed my cheek.”

  Rachel smiled. She knew the heat of desire. It scorched her every time she looked at Clay or he touched her. She nodded. “Then you need to find a way to talk to him. Who is he? Maybe I can help.”

  “Jeremiah Folsum.” The reverence with which she said the name was reminiscent of Rachel’s feelings for Clay.

  “Isn’t he the man father talked so highly of last fall?”

  “Yes.”

  Rachel had an idea. If her father knew of Celeste’s interest in the man, she was sure he’d help arrange a meeting.

  “You have to tell Wayne you aren’t interested in him. Today.”

  Celeste cringed.

  “It isn’t fair to keep stringing him along. He’s a nice man.”

  She nodded. “But what do I say?”

  Rachel took her sister’s hand. “That your feelings aren’t strong enough to make a happy marriage.”

  She thought of the man sitting under the tree with her parents. Her feelings for him would keep their marriage strong no matter what came between them.

  “Come on, let’s return to the family and have some dinner before the music starts up.”

  They rose, and Celeste threw her arms around Rachel. “I’m happy you’ve found a man who loves you.” She pulled back. “I never liked William, he ordered you around too much and you let him.” They linked arms and sauntered back to the tree. “I like that you stand up to Clay.”

  Rachel thought about her sister’s words. She’d allowed William to bully her for fear he’d leave if she didn’t. Yet, she’d recognized the bond between her and Clay wouldn’t break even if they argued. Her gaze landed on the man who had captured her heart. Would he also allow her to continue practicing medicine?