Selena reached the docks the following afternoon to find them in a state of near pandemonium. It took her a while to locate the Arabia among the various craft that were anchored nearby. She was somewhat surprised that it wasn't a larger boat. The Arabia was twenty nine feet wide by one hundred and seventy feet long. She was built of wood and painted white, with two full decks and a pilot house perched on top. The lower deck accommodated the cargo, and there was a large paddle wheel at the rear that was powered by the wood burning engine. Black smoke from the engine was channeled through the two large smokestacks at the front of the craft. The upper deck was surrounded by a wooden rail, and the interior of that deck consisted of a kitchen, dining room and a number of small cabins for the few passengers that would travel onboard.
A throng of people and animals were crowded around the steamship, waiting for their turn to load themselves or their cargo on board. Priority was given to loading the precious goods that would be sold for profit in the various frontier towns such as Independence, Westport, St. Joseph, Omaha and Council Bluff.
In turn, the economies of the various towns depended on reselling the goods to the local residents and the multitude of emigrants who passed through their borders on their way to Oregon, Utah and California. During the few months of spring, when travelers were beginning their trek across the west, those towns, known as jumping off sites for the Oregon Trail, would make enough money to sustain them through the remainder of the year.
Selena had arrived early, and was glad she did, for she began to despair of ever finding Liam McKenzie among the crowd. She made her way through the noisy mob, jostling and stumbling as she was buffeted about by humans and beasts alike. She was barely five feet in height, and it was impossible for her to see very well over the broad shoulders and backs that seemed to pen her in on all sides. Out of desperation, she climbed onto a stack of wooden crates, finally managing to win a clearer view of the scene around her. She scanned the sea of faces, looking for the tawny head that was so fresh in her memory from the night before, but she couldn't see Liam McKenzie anywhere.
Unfortunately, her position provided more than just a vantage point for Selena. A group of rowdy youths nearby took notice of the dark haired beauty, and one of them elbowed his companions.
"Look at her!" His tone was full of awe, for he had never viewed a woman so fair of face or form. "She looks like she could use a little male assistance, and I'm just the man to offer it."
"Ha! You haven't got what the lady needs. She looks like she could use a real man." This bolder youth thrust his thumbs into his belt loops and puffed out his chest, making his friends laugh. "Stand aside boys."
"Now wait just a minute, I saw her first!"
"Yeah, well I'm going to get to her first!"
His buddies were not to be outdone, and as a group, they began to elbow their way through the crowd to get a closer look at the girl.
Liam McKenzie had been bent over near his trunks, examining a crack in the wood that needed sealing when he heard their exchanged comments. Curious as to what had drawn their attention, he stood and watched them making their way through the horde. When he spied Selena standing on some crates looking around, he gave an exasperated growl.
"Damn!"
For a man who was normally quite articulate, his vocabulary was quickly being reduced to that single word, and he knew the cause could be attributed to one Selena Darcy! Liam expelled a low growl of frustration and set out in pursuit of the disorderly youths.
Selena had been scanning the people around her for several minutes, but she hadn't spotted Liam McKenzie among them. She was about to climb down and move farther along when she felt a hand grip her calf and massage its length with bold familiarity. She gasped and looked down into the leering face of a dark-haired man.
"Hello there, little lady," he grinned. The man assessed her rudely with his eyes, making Selena inwardly cringe as he ogled her bosom. "Are you all alone here, 'cause I'd be glad to provide you with some company."
Selena raised a haughty brow and jerked her leg away from his offending hand. "No thank you," she replied coldly. "I am looking for someone, but I don't need any help from you."
Her rebuff caused several nearby men to chuckle, and Selena felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck. The last thing she wanted was to draw the attention of a bunch of men. The dark-haired man frowned sharply, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of his friends.
"Hey now, darling. There isn't any need to be rude." He reached up without warning and grasped Selena's hand, giving it a sharp yank. She squealed as she toppled and landed in the lout's outstretched arms. "That's better," he laughed, crushing her against his chest while his hand boldly cupped Selena's bottom. "Say, you're even softer than I thought you'd be." His friends roared with laughter.
"Take your hands off me!" Selena cried. The overwhelming smell of whiskey nearly made her gag, and she struggled against the stranger's arms as a familiar sense of panic began to rise within her. "Let me go!"
The randy youth was about to refuse when a steely voice intruded from behind him. "You heard the lady, let her go." The words were spoken softly, but their tone brooked no refusal.
Selena was relieved to find herself abruptly released, and she sidestepped her assailant to scramble behind Liam's broad back. Her relief was instant.
Recovering from his momentary surprise, the dark-haired man squared off to face Liam, and his friends rallied around him, boosting his confidence even more than the whiskey he had imbibed. "Mind your own business, mister. I was just talking with the lady."
"She is my business, she's my sister," Liam stated. "Now you boys go on about your business and leave us in peace."
It was obvious that the youth didn't appreciate being called a boy, especially in front of Selena, and he frowned as he drew himself up to his full height. He was almost as tall as Liam and a good deal heavier.
"I was just trying to get to know her better." He winked suggestively to his friends before continuing. "I think she likes me."
Liam was not amused. He gave the boy one last stern look before turning away and grasping Selena's elbow. "Come on," he growled near her ear.
They had only gone a few steps when Liam was tackled from behind. He landed on the ground with the dark-haired youth on top of his back, and Selena clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. Liam rolled over and slammed a fist into the younger man's jaw. The scuffle was over in a matter of moments. The dark-haired youth was no match for Liam, and with a few well aimed punches, Liam had reduced him to an unconscious heap. The boy's friends stood slack-jawed. They had never seen their leader bested in a fistfight.
Liam pinned each one of them with a glare before asking quietly, "Anyone else want to try?" The boys were quick to give a negative shake of their heads but remained mute. "Good." Liam bent to retrieve his hat before taking Selena's suitcase from her hand. Once again, he grasped her elbow and turned her toward his trunks. "Come on."
As they were walking away, Selena leaned toward him anxiously asked, "Are you alright Mr. McKenzie?"
Liam gave her an irritated frown, but he bent to whisper in her ear. "If you are expecting other people to believe that you're my sister, you'd better start calling me Liam."
Selena swallowed hard. His husky voice and warm breath on her neck had caused a shiver to run up her spine, and it wasn't from dread. "Alright...Liam. Are you alright? Did that man hurt you?"
Liam looked even more annoyed, and he fixed her with a condescending glare. "I am the youngest of three brothers, Selena. I learned to defend myself in a fight at a very young age."
Selena bristled under his scorn, and she raised her chin to a lofty angle. "Well I was just concerned. How was I supposed to know you are such an experienced brawler?"
Liam stopped and glared down at her. "I'm not in the habit of getting into fights. I wouldn't have gotten into that one if not for you. I'm already beginning to wonder why I allowed you to come along."
"Are you blaming me for what happened?" Selena asked incredulously. "It certainly wasn't my fault that those men accosted me. I was minding my own business."
Liam's brows drew together over his nose in a disapproving frown as he scanned her face. "It looked to me like you were putting yourself on display, standing up on those crates like you were. It was only natural that you would draw men's attention, dressed like that." As he spoke, his eyes took in her appearance, and he realized that the dress she was wearing today was a vast improvement over the previous evening's apparel.
While this dress was modest, it fitted her frame to perfection. It was sewn from light blue cotton, and the high collar and long sleeves were trimmed at the edges with a delicate white lace. The dress was fitted superbly over Selena's bosom, waist and hips, and Liam was gratified to know that he hadn't been mistaken. She had a very shapely figure. It wasn't the cut of the gown that made it so alluring, it was what it contained. Selena's curves were ample but sleek, and her waist was tiny enough that Liam's hands fairly itched to span its circumference.
Irritated with himself for letting her comely form distract him from his topic, Liam frowned even harder. "From now on, don't flaunt yourself, and maybe I won't be forced to do battle with every man from here to Oregon to defend you." Liam turned and led her toward where his trunks were sitting on the dock.
"Flaunt myself? How dare you!" Selena had to trot to keep up with Liam's long strides. "I was merely trying to find you in this mob. I couldn't see you from where I was standing."
They reached his trunks, and Liam set her suitcase on top of the largest one. "Fine. Now that you have found me, please try your best to be inconspicuous from now on, alright?"
"Fine," Selena ground out.
