Page 20 of City Girl


  in the area."

  Reagan was asking herself if that might happen between

  her and Sally when she spotted something that made her

  gasp.

  "What is that?" she asked in horror, moving a little

  closer to Cash and trying to get behind him.

  "Go on now." Cash raised his voice and waved his hand.

  The armadillo that had wandered into the yard stopped

  his clumsy progress and stared over at them, so Cash

  waved him on again. Reagan's eyes nearly swallowed her

  338

  face as she looked at the strange armor-plated creature as

  he waddled back the way he'd come.

  "What is it?" she gasped out loud.

  "An armadillo. Have you not seen one yet?"

  "You mean, they live around here?"

  "Sure."

  Her hands to her waist, she turned fully to face Cash

  Rawlings, her eyes filled with astonishment. In a brogue as

  thick as though she'd just arrived from Ireland, Reagan

  demanded, "What kind of employer are you not to let a girl

  know about such creatures? My heart could have been

  scared into stopping on the spot."

  Cash could only smile, wishing she would do it again.

  "Were you born in Ireland?"

  "We were discussing armordillos!"

  City Girl 185

  "Armadillos," he corrected softly, his eyes alight with

  339

  amusement.

  "That is entirely beside the point! I want to know that

  one of thosfe creatures is not going to visit me in my room

  some night."

  "No, they don't like the house. Ifs too active."

  "They?" The brogue was back. "How many might there

  be?"

  To which Cash could only laugh. "I've got to get back to

  work, Reagan," he responded, turning with a wave. "I'll

  talk to you later."

  Reagan was not at all sure she wanted to end this conversation,

  but she was given little choice. She also knew her

  employer was right. Katy hadn't been checked on since the

  doctor left, and some of the laundry was still in the basket

  The day was moving on, and if she wasn't careful, it would

  move without her.

  "I'VE GOT TO GO to town tomorrow/' Reagan told Katy

  later that day. "We're low on supplies. Do you go to Mrs.

  Unger's?"

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  "Always. And for everything except the molasses candy

  that Cash likes."

  "Is that whaf s in the bowl in the living room?"

  'That's it"

  "I've got paper here." Reagan sat down and began to

  read what she had on her list.

  "We're low on brown sugar? Have you checked the tall

  cupboard by the door?"

  "No. I'll do that/' Reagan said, head bent, making notes.

  "Are you sure you're saved, Reagan?" Katy suddenly

  asked quietly.

  The younger woman looked up at her. Their eyes held

  for a moment, and then Reagan nodded affirmatively.

  "Are you having doubts, Katy?"

  "A few. I just don't feel saved. I want to get out of this

  bed. I want to do so many things, and I can't! Would I be

  feeling this restless if I was really saved?"

  Reagan had no idea what to tell her. "Why don't you ask

  Cash? You know he'll help you."

  Katy sighed with relief.

  341

  "Maybe I will. I know from church that Satan is a powerful

  enemy. He lies all the time. Maybe he's lying to me, and

  City Girl 187

  I'm lying to myself, and God knows that I'm just fine with

  Him."

  "Except..." Reagan began but halted.

  "Except what?"

  "Isn't worry a sin?"

  Katy's eyes got big.

  "I think it is."

  "Talk to Cash, Katy. Don't lie there without answers."

  The older woman nodded, and Reagan smiled at her. As

  Reagan bent back over her list, Katy found herself thanking

  God f of the younger woman and almost instantly realized

  she'd never done such a thing before.

  "Okay," Reagan said. "How about beans? We're very

  low. Is there another bag I'm not seeing?"

  The conversation went back to the matter at hand,

  namely, Reagan's trip to town. They covered the entire list

  342

  before Katy told her that Lavinia would expect the order to

  be charged and that if Cash needed his candy from

  Reynold's, the money jar was in the big cupboard.

  Reagan finally left the sickroom, a dozen thoughts filling

  her head, the first one being that she would have to tell

  Katy how much she was needed. She ran the house with

  ease, seeing to every need. Did anyone ever tell her how

  vital she was to the ranch? It seemed like something Cash

  would do often, but whether or not he did, Reagan decided

  that at some time she needed to add her own voice of admiration.

  "I appreciate this, Brenda," Reagan told the other

  woman the next morning.

  "If s my pleasure, Reagan. Do you need anything special

  done?"

  "No. She's had her bath, which made her a little cold, so

  now she's under an extra blanket and reading a book."

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  188 lori wick

  "All right. Ill check on her and see if she wants anything

  from her house."

  "Good. I've been over a few times, but I'm always in a

  rush."

  This established, Reagan took her list and small coin

  purse with money from the jar and walked outside to the

  barn. The day felt as if it was going to be hot Little by little,

  as the weeks passed, it had been warming up, and Reagan

  knew that very soon she would have to look into some

  lighter-weight clothing. Today however, she had supplies

  to purchase. She wasn't comfortable spending someone

  else's money, but if this was what it took to get Katy back

  on her feet, she would do it.

  Reagan worked all of this out in her mind before she got

  to the barn. Never very comfortable around horses, she

  forced herself not to think about what must be done. If she

  344

  could have figured a way to get supplies back to the ranch

  on her bicycle, she would have done it

  The barn was scarier than she thought it would be, and

  not until she was inside did she remember that the horses

  were kept in the paddock outside. The thought of having to

  catch one gave her no comfort, but as she walked down the

  length of the barn, a horse's head came out over the door

  of its stall. At first Reagan was startled but realized suddenly

  that she'd been rescued.

  "Hey, fella," she began coaxingly, not missing the gray

  muzzle and sunken eyes. "You look about my speed."

  The horse stretched his neck out in a friendly fashion,

  but Reagan was still uneasy. She glanced around and

  spotted a buggy, one that looked light and manageable. She

  went into that stall and, taking the shaves, manhandled the

  buggy out into the lane between the two long rows of stalls.

  "Okay," she panted, still speaking to the horse, which

  looked half asleep, "we'll just get you out of there, and you

  can take me to town."
>
  Reagan flipped the latch, and as soon as the horse heard

  345

  it, his ears perked up and he moved to come out A moment

  City Girl 189

  later, the door swung fully open and the horse came

  straight at Reagan, his nose smelling her clothing for sugar

  or a handful of oats.

  "Oh, no!" Reagan cried as she backed up. "Stay back

  now; stay back."

  But the old horse just nuzzled the front of her dress and

  then stood still. When Reagan saw that she was not going

  to be trampled, she relaxed a little and began to give orders.

  "All right now. You just back yourself up to the buggy."

  The horse's ears twitched, but already his eyes had half-closed

  again.

  "Come on, now. I've got things to do. Just get hitched to

  this buggy, and we'll go."

  Reagan reached out and pushed a little on the horse's

  side, but the animal didn't appear to notice.

  Reagan cast about for some other plan, and that was

  when she spotted him. Watching her intently, Cash Rawlngs

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  stood about 20 feet away, shoulder propped against a

  column.

  "Oh, Cash," Reagan began, "I didn't see you."

  "Reagan, what are you doing?"

  'I'm trying to get this horse hitched to the buggy. I have

  to go to town."

  Cash could only laugh.

  "And what were you doing just standing there, Cash

  Rawlings?" Reagan wanted to know. "I could have been

  trampled."

  "Not by Misty. I thinkshe's older than I am."

  "Oh, ifs a girl?" She looked with new interest at the

  animal's face. "How can you tell?"

  Cash's laughter echoed off the barn's interior, even as

  Reagan turned red and refused to look at him.

  Pushing away from the column, the rancher finally took

  pity on her and came forward.

  "Didn't Katy tell you I always assign one of the men to

  take her to town?"

  190 lori wick

  347

  "No. We never got to that" Reagan glanced at him.

  "How did you know I was out here?"

  "I saw Brenda in the kitchen, and Katy told me where

  you were headed. I was actually getting ready to saddle my

  horse and head after you, sure you'd taken off on your

  bike,"

  "I would have if I could have figured out a way to do

  it!" she told him indignantly, a slight brogue entering in.

  "I'll take you," Cash told her, moving to put Misty back

  inside with soothing words and a handful of oats.

  "But you're busy, Cash, and the whole point of my being

  here is to help."

  "I need some things in town too, Reagan. If I didn't have

  time, I would send someone else."

  Reagan looked suspicious but let it go. He was a big boy.

  If he didn't want to go to town, he didn't have to.

  "By the way/' Cash began again, "were you really

  hoping Misty would just back her way into the harness?"

  Reagan's chin went into the air. "As old as she is, I

  348

  thought she must know how."

  "But Misty's never been a cart horse. She's a cattle

  pony."

  "Oh, there are different types?"

  Her eyes were so big with interest that Cash couldn't

  find it in his heart to laugh again, but he wanted to. The

  things he'd taken for granted nearly all his life were so

  wondrous to her. In fact, it wasn't all that unusual to spot

  armadillos in the barn, but he didn't think he would mention

  it.

  "So, are you ready to go?"

  "Yes, I have my list and some money for your candy."

  "Are we out of candy? I haven't been eating it much."

  "Katy didn't want to run out."

  "She spoils me."

  I'm glad someone does was the first thought that sprang to

  Reagan's mind.

  City Girl 191

  349

  Because she had no idea where it had come from, it disturbed

  her all the way to town.

  --%r

  "Okay, Reagan," Lavinia said, having checked over the

  list again and been even more picky than Katy. "I think

  that's the lot. Anything more?"

  "I don't think so."

  "Here--" The proprietress grabbed a tin of lady's

  powder--it was scented with flowers--and pressed it into

  Reagan's hands. "Take this to Katy; no charge. Tell her to

  come back soon."

  "I'll do that, Mrs, Unger. Thank you."

  "Sally misses you," Lavinia said, acting as though she

  had all day even though there were other patrons in the

  store.

  "I miss her too. If Cash doesn't get back before I'm done,

  I may go down to1 see her."

  "I can always tell him where you went"

  "I'll do that, then. Thank you again."

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  Lavinia waved Reagan away, but in truth she was just

  barely holding her tongue. Had she seen something in

  Cash Rawlings' eyes when he'd dropped Reagan off?

  "He's tall and she's not, and I always think that makes

  for a cute couple."

  "I don't need a couple," Mrs. Guthrie said in Lavinia's

  ear. The woman's hearing was not what it used to be, and

  she also had a habit of starting conversations in her head.

  "Don't try to sell me more than I need, Lavinia Unger."

  Lavinia only shook her head, moved to assist her customer,

  and held her peace yet again.

  3r -5r

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  "You look tired," Sally told Reagan, hugging her again.

  "How much time do you have?"

  "Not much, but I wanted to see how you were doing."

  "I'm tired too, but then we both knew I would be. How

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  is Katy, by the way?"

  "She's coming along. If s hard to be in that bed all day,

  but she's coping."

  "I thought she'd be verbally tearing the house down."

  "She started out that way, but there's been a change in

  her."

  "Good. Do they give you any time off?"

  Reagan smiled. "I have as many days off as you gave

  me."

  Sally had a good laugh over this, and both women saw

  Cash come in the front.

  "I just wanted to tell you I'd be at the livery," he told her

  as he started to turn away.

  Reagan stopped him.

  "Cash. I don't want to leave Brenda alone too long."

  Cash waved in understanding and went on his way.

  Reagan would have enjoyed going to see Holly, but she

  still had to get the candy her boss liked.

  "I'd better go."

  "Are you and Cash starting to get along?" Sally asked

  352

  suddenly.

  Reagan frowned at her. "We've always gotten along."

  Sally only nodded, her face impassive. She thought the

  relationship was changing, but maybe she was wrong.

  Then again, she figured she might be right and Reagan

  didn't see it.

  "Take care," Sally said, not bothering to answer the

  question that was still in Reagan's face.

  "All right. You do the same."

  Reagan went on her way but wondered what might

  have come over Sally. She dismissed it before she reached

  Reynold's, h
owever, where she made her purchase and

  City Girl 193

  was the first one back to the wagon. Cash was just behind

  her, and in good time they were on their way.

  "Was I hard to get along with before?" Reagan asked

  Cash out of the blue; they hadn't even cleared downtown.

  "Before?"

  "Before I came to Christ."

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  "Not really hard to get along with, Reagan, but a little

  closed off to certain topics."

  "So you didn't find me rude?"

  "No."

  Reagan sat staring straight ahead, and after a moment

  Cash glanced at her profile.

  "Did I say something that made you think that?" he

  asked after a time.

  "No, but Sally said something about our getting along,

  and I thought we always had."

  "Ann."

  Now it was Reagan's turn to look at Cash.

  "What did 'ahh' mean?"

  At first Cash didn't answer, but Reagan continued to

  look at him.

  "I'm afraid, Reagan, that people are going to talk.

  They're going to see us together and make wrong assumptions.'*

  Reagan took no time to catch on. She thought Sally

  would have known better, but clearly she'd misjudged her. And because Reagan wasn't a woman who went in for coyness

  354

  and flirtations, she came right out with her feelings on

  the matter.

  "You don't make wrong assumptions about us, do you,

  Cash?"

  "No, ma'am, I don't," he told her, his voice as it always

  was.

  Reagan sighed with relief, not caring if she was heard or

  not. The last thing she needed was her boss mooning over

  her. If he started that--Katy or not--Reagan would be on

  her way.

  194 lori wick

  Reagan's mind was still on the matter--that is, men in

  general and their relationship to women--when she and

  Cash pulled down the long driveway, and for that reason

  she knew without having to be told why their wagon was

  met by three cowhands.

  "Hello, boys," Cash greeted them as he pulled up.

  All three men had removed their hats, but the tallest of

  the three stepped forward to speak

  355

  "When we realized that you hadn't assigned anyone to

  go to town with Miss Sullivan, we thought you might want help with the unloading."

  "Well, boys, that's right kind of you. Miss Sullivan can

  tell you where things go."

  The pointed look Reagan gave Cash was rewarded only

  with a smile.

  "Ill just go in and check on Katy and tell Brenda she can

  go-"

  "Thank you," Reagan told him, her eyes saying otherwise.

  As soon as Cash left, two of the hands came forward to