Page 23 of A Texas Sky


  to laugh.

  "Then mere were the men in Stillwater who just had to

  talk with you and wouldn't let you pass?"

  "I think," Darvi responded, growing as outlandish,

  "that they were wanting to ask directions to the sheriff's

  office, and we didn't give them a chance."

  "The snake?"

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  Darvi shook her head, her expression one of pity over

  his shortsightedness.

  "The snake simply misunderstood the time schedule

  and that it was my turn at the creek. If s all very easily

  explained."

  Dakota gave a huge sigh of mock exasperation and

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  looked back to his brother.

  "You see, Cash. Things happen to Darvi, so I'm not at all

  surprised she was mistaken for another woman. She just

  can't seem to help herself."

  "And if that wasn't bad enough," Darvi added, almost

  taking Dakota's side against herself, "even after those

  people realized their mistake, they decided to keep me."

  "That's the part!" Cash came forward in his seat and

  exclaimed. "I can't get over that--I can't imagine what they

  must have been thinking."

  "It was more Seth than anyone else. If it had not been

  for him, the others would have let me go."

  "Are you angry about that?" Cash asked.

  Darvi had to think on it

  "Not exactly angry, but amazed--like you are. Seth's

  and Eliofs jobs are not aboveboard, and the fact that they

  believe they can do things outside the law leaves them

  open to any whim. They have their own standard, which

  they feel gives them the right to take someone."

  "Did this Seth really think you would eventually wish

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  to stay?" Dakota now asked.

  "Tliaf s exactly what he thought," she replied, shaking

  her head, and suddenly wanting to laugh a little more.

  "Did I tell you that I tried to sneak out in the wagon?"

  Both men smiled but said no.

  Darvi nodded. "I did, but Seth caught me, and Cassy

  went to town without me."

  "Tell us about Cassy, Darvi," Cash urged her. "Did she

  not have trouble with what the men were doing?"

  A Texas Sky 209

  "Actually, she did. In fact, my telling her about my faith

  somehow prompted her into marrying Eliot They just set

  a date after being together for five years."

  Both men gawked at her.

  "You had a chance to witness to this woman?" Cash

  asked to be sure.

  "Yes. We were talking, and she was saying how sorry

  she was that I'd come to be there under those circumstances,

  but that Seth was a fine man. I told her I didn't

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  want him, and thinking that I meant he wasn't good

  enough for me, she became angry. I had no choice but to lay

  it on the line. She took it very well. It actually got her to

  thinking. The next time she went to town she bought a

  dress to be married in and showed it me. Then later I heard

  they'd set a date."

  "When is it?"

  "Let me see. The days were so full and anxious at the

  same time that they tended to blend together, but I think

  if s this Saturday."

  Dakota looked thoughtful, and Cash was the first to

  catch on.

  "She's going to have to go back, isn't she?"

  "Eventually, yes, but I think it can wait until after she

  goes home."

  "Why do I have to go back?" Darvi asked with a sinking

  heart.

  ' "Because anything that happened to you is hearsay

  without your testimony." Dakota looked at her. "You do

  want these people to answer for this, don't you?"

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  Nate's and Lindy's faces sprang into her mind, but she

  still nodded her head yes.

  "I can't say that I'm thrilled to return, however."

  Dakota caught her eyes and told her plainly, "I'm not

  going to let anything happen to you."

  "You'll be there?"

  His brows rose as though he'd been insulted, and for a

  moment they only looked at each other.

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  "But first," Cash cut in, "you'll get in touch with your

  family and tell them you're spending the rest of the week

  here resting up before starting for home." Cash paused and

  smiled at her. "At least thaf s what I hope you'll do."

  Darvi smiled back. "I would like to rest a little before

  traveling again. Are you sure I won't be imposing?"

  "Very sure."

  "Does the train run from Kinkade?"

  "Twice daily. You'll connect at Dallas and then be on

  your way."

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  "I'll telegraph tomorrow."

  'Til take you in," Dakota offered.

  At that point the evening came to a very quiet close.

  Darvi found herself watching Dakota yawn and needing to

  do the same. Cash rescued both of them and said he was

  turning in.

  Darvi lay down in bed just a short time later, hardly able

  to remember that she'd taken a nap. She thought she might

  lay there for long minutes, still in wonder over how God

  had used Dakota to rescue her, but the strange sounds and

  surroundings took little time to fade.

  %r

  "So when did you tell them you'd be home?" Dakota

  asked when Darvi was finished in the telegraph office. He

  saw her inside but took a seat to give her privacy.

  "I'm going to take Cash's offer and stay until Friday or

  Saturday."

  "Why not Sunday or Monday?"

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  Darvi looked up at him. "I don't want to wear out my

  welcome."

  Again she received that look; Dakota's brows went up

  as though he was insulted for his brother.

  "I told them to look for me sometime next week," she

  admitted.

  A Texas Sky 211

  Dakota smiled complacently and offered to show her

  around town, pointing out the bank and the new hotel.

  Kinkade had a fairly good-sized school, and Dakota told

  her all about it

  "I love Texas," Darvi mentioned at one point.

  "Why is that?"

  "The diversity. Some areas are huge and flat; others are

  hilly and dense." She looked up at him. "Uncle Marty even

  took me to Houston one summer and down to the Gulf of

  Mexico. It was so exciting."

  "I've never been," Dakota admitted.

  "Oh, you've got to go, Dakota. If s beautiful."

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  "I think 111 do that sometime," he said with quiet conviction.

  Watching him, Darvi noticed for the first time how handsome

  he was. His eyes were very dark and oftentimes

  serious, but when he was smiling or amused, they were

  beautiful She took in the square line of his jaw to the thick

  black hair atop his head. His features were strong, something

  she found very appealing. Suddenly feeling shy with

  him, Darvi dropped her eyes, hoping he had not caught her

  gawking.

  "I just spotted someone I need to speak with, Darvi.

  Come on over with me, and I'll introduce you."

  Feeling rescued, Darvi looked up to see they were in

  front
of the general store.

  "Would you mind very much, Dakota, if I stopped in

  here first? I'll come find you afterward."

  She watched him hesitate but didn't know why.

  "All right. I'll come back for you, okay?"

  "Okay."

  Dakota waited until she went inside before crossing the

  street Darvi didn't look back but headed inside with good

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  intentions. Unfortunately, they didn't last very long. She

  wasn't in the mood to shop, just in the mood to think about

  this new awareness of Dakota. She wandered the aisles of

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  the store for a time but couldn't keep it up. With a smile to

  the proprietor, she exited.

  There was no sign of Dakota. Darvi was getting ready

  to sit on one of the empty benches out front when she

  spotted a small dog as he went limping into the alley. She

  changed her mind and trailed after the stray.

  "Hey, there," she said softly when she found the dog

  had gone just halfway down the alley and stopped against

  the mercantile wall. The dog's tail thumped at the sight of

  her, but he still held his right foreleg dose to his body.

  Darvi approached without fear and stroked his small

  head. He didn't look to be more than a pup. Nevertheless,

  she knew she would need help. Darvi made a swift trip

  back out to the boardwalk and immediately spied a pair of

  teenage boys. She stopped them with a word.

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  "Excuse me."

  The boys stopped and came to immediate attention; this

  lady was pretty, and she had spoken to them first

  "There's a dog in the alley that seems to be hurt. Could

  you tell me where I could take him?"

  "We'll help you," the taller of the two boys said.

  Darvi didn't know why they did this but still showed

  them the dog. It was no trouble for the first one down the

  alley to lift him, and Darvi was glad to see that he was

  gentle.

  They took the dog to Dr. Wilcox, whose sign Darvi

  remembered seeing earlier. His speciality was people, the

  boys told her, but he had compassion for dogs. That was

  enough for Darvi.

  She was a little surprised that the boys did not drop off

  the dog and leave, but she didn't mind the company as

  long as the little dog was helped. Darvi was still sorting

  through some of her thoughts when the doctor joined them

  in the waiting room.

  "What can I do for you?" Dr. Wilcox asked.

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  "I found this dog in the alley," Darvi explained. "His leg

  seems to be hurt."

  ATexasSky 213

  The wise doctor took in the scene at a glance before

  kneeling down to examine his canine patient

  "I think this is Rickmans' dog. Why don't you boys run

  down the street and let them know he's here?"

  The youths agreed readily enough, but neither one

  moved. Darvi had been too busy watching the dog to

  notice.

  "So whaf s your name?" one of the boys now asked.

  The strawberry blonde answered without looking up.

  "Darvi Wingate."

  "Darvi. Thaf s a nice name. You new in town?"

  Darvi finally caught on. She looked up to find keen

  interest in both sets of young eyes. Hers had been for the

  dog; theirs were for her.

  "I think I should tell you, gentlemen, that I'm old

  enough to be your, well, your older sister."

  394

  They both smiled at her.

  "Where do you live?" was the next question, telling

  Darvi they were not put off.

  Darvi's chin came up, but she turned away from them,

  opening her purse as she moved.

  "I'd like to leave payment with you if I could," she said

  to the doctor and held out a coin.

  "Thank you," he said graciously, "but I'm sure Mr.

  Rickman will be happy to take care of it."

  Putting her money away, she asked, "Will the little dog

  be all right?"

  "He'll be fine. We'll have him wrapped up and back to

  his owner in no time."

  "Thank you," she said to the doctor and then to her

  helpers.

  As she moved to the door, she heard the physician say,

  "Stay here, boys." With that she moved outside and almost

  into Dakota's chest.

  "Oh, Dakota, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I found a dog

  in the alley and he was hurt. We just brought him down

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  here."

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  "Is the dog all right?"

  "He's going to be fine. The doctor is taking care of him."

  "Are you all right?" he asked, thinking she looked a little

  flushed.

  Darvi nodded quietly, and Dakota was willing to let the

  matter drop, but he'd caught the word we and noticed the

  two young men who stood at the doctor's office window

  watching them.

  "Ready to head back to the ranch?"

  "Yes, please."

  Dakota saw her to the wagon, but before he could assist

  her, she stopped and looked up at him.

  "There were two young men who helped me. I think

  they were more interested in me than the dog."

  Dakota nodded, his eyes telling her he cared.

  "I think you might be right/' she said in a soft little

  voice. 'Trouble seems to follow me around."

  396

  "If s not your fault, Darvi. If I know you, you didn't do

  anything improper. Their interest is not your doing."

  "Why were they interested?" she asked in genuine confusion.

  "I'm clearly no longer a teen, and they don't even

  know me."

  "You're very pretty and very sweet, and thaf s a combination

  most men can't resist."

  Darvi smiled a little at the compliment and allowed herself

  to be helped into the wagon even as her heart asked, What about you, Dakota Rowlings? Can you resist?

  $etm(ei

  the next few days brought an easy routine with them.

  Cash and Dakota worked for a good portion of the day

  while Darvi worked around the house with Katy, read,

  prayed, baked, took naps, or sat thinking about the

  changes in her life.

  Come late afternoon and evening, the men would

  return, clean up, join Darvi and Katy for a wonderful meal,

  397

  and then spend the evening visiting or playing games.

  Darvi couldn't remember when she'd had such a restful,

  peace-filled time. Both she and Dakota accompanied Cash

  to a Bible study he attended on Tuesday nights, and the

  three spent the next two days talking about the passage

  they'd studied in Genesis.

  In fact, they were still doing this on Thursday night

  when someone knocked at the door. Cash rose to answer it.

  On his doorstep he found a remarkable sight a refined

  woman, not young but elegantly dressed, whose eyes

  betrayed worry. She also bore a startling resemblance to

  Darvi.

  "Good evening," Cash began, telling himself not to

  gawk.

  "Good evening. I'm so sorry to call on you without

  notice, but could you please tell me if Miss Darvi Wingate

  is here?"

  "Yes, sh
e is here."

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  398

  216 lori wick

  The woman's eyes closed momentarily in relief.

  "May I see her?"

  "Certainly. May I tell her who's calling?"

  The woman hesitated, the fingers of one hand coming

  up to her mouth in uncertainty.

  "Please excuse my horrid breach of manners, but I

  would really like to introduce myself."

  Cash smiled and stood aside.

  "She's right in here."

  "Thank you."

  Cash followed the woman back to the living room and

  watched as Darvi looked up at her.

  "Aunt Renee?" the younger woman exclaimed, coming

  to her feet.

  "Hello, Darvi/' the older woman said, her voice thick

  with emotion.

  The nearly identical strawberry blondes met in the

  399

  middle of the room in a huge embrace.

  "How did you know I was here?" Darvi asked in astonishment.

  "And what are you doing here? Mother had a fit

  when she couldn't find an address for you, so she could tell

  you about the wedding."

  Darvi's aunt held her at arm's length.

  "You're getting married?"

  "Not anymore."

  Renee's brows rose.

  "It's a long story."

  The two women stared at each other.

  "My mother used to tell me that I looked like my

  father's sister," Darvi said, "but it's been so many years

  since she's mentioned it, and I just lost track."

  The older woman smiled. "It's all right, Darvi. As long

  as you're safe from Seth Redding."

  "You know about that?"

  "Darvi," her aunt returned, becoming very serious, "I'm

  Annabelle Hewett."

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  ATexasSty 217

  Darvi's hand came to her mouth. "Oh, no. You're not

  serious."

  "I'm very serious."

  "So that's why..." Darvi began, but she had already

  started to laugh. Renee joined her.

  The men stood and stared as both women collapsed

  with laughter onto the davenport. They didn't know if they

  should stay or go; both were too fascinated to move. Darvi

  finally noticed them standing side by side across the room.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," she began and stood. Renee followed

  suit. "Dakota, Cash, this is my aunt, Renee Corn-stock,

  or should I say Annabelle Hewett?"

  "As long as you don't call me Aunt Renee in Aurora, I

  don't care."

  Renee was now poised and gracious as she faced them.

  "I'm so sorry to have come in this rude way, gentlemen.

  Please forgive me."

  In the next few seconds, official introductions were

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  made all around, and then the four sat down to talk.