Page 26 of A Texas Sky


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  mother moved back here. I'm 26 years old, and for most of

  those years my parents lived in Kinkade. My grandmother

  is still in Texas. She loved it so much she didn't want to

  move back, even though her only son did.

  "On top of that, St. Louis is a sprawling city. If you had

  looked at my face when we pulled into your neighborhood

  and then up to your house, you would have seen that I was

  stunned to see how dose you lived to my parents."

  "Why didn't you say anything then?" Darvi asked. It

  was not an accusation, just an honest appeal for understanding.

  "I was all ready to meet your parents, Darvi, but they

  weren't there. Brandon was. I could see that you didn't

  A Texas Sky 235

  want him hugging you, but for all I knew he'd had a life-changing

  experience of his own, and the two of you would

  be engaged again by the time we next saw each other. I

  wasn't even convinced that he might not be with you at the

  party today."

  For a moment they stared at each other, and then Darvi

  looked at her lap. She fiddled with the folds in her skirt

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  before speaking.

  "He didn't understand. He offered to take me to church

  every day if I wanted, but he just couldn't see how our not

  sharing title same beliefs could make that much difference.

  It took two days to convince him, and now I think he hates

  me." Darvi paused, her voice growing thick. "It also didn't

  help to have my parents just as confused. My mother is

  barely speaking to me."

  "What did they have to say about the abduction?"

  Darvi shook her head a little. "In order to protect

  Renee's privacy, I didn't go into much detail. I'm not sure

  that's fair to them since I don't think they understood the

  full gist of what happened, but I didn't know what else to

  do." Darvi paused before adding, "Not that I'm sure it

  would matter. All my mother seems concerned about right

  now is my breakup with Brandon."

  Dakota's face clouded with compassion, and Darvi tried

  not to cry. Instead, she shifted her attention to Dakota.

  "How did your parents take the news of your conversion?"

  she asked Dakota.

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  "We haven't discussed it. I wrote them as soon as I was

  able to sit up, and Mother mentioned it in her letter back to

  me, but when I got home, I didn't bring it up. I was gone

  less than 24 hours later and just arrived back yesterday."

  "And you've been in Aurora?"

  "Part of the time, yes. Jared Silk has been charged for

  money laundering, fraud, and embezzlement, but so far

  Seth and Eliot are still at the ranch. Something tells me they

  are behind Silk's arrest"

  "But they're not in jail?"

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  Dakota shook his head no, even as he read the worry in

  her eyes.

  "When does your aunt suggest you come back?"

  "Suggest?" Darvi exclaimed. "She says I'm to be there

  by the twenty-eighth."

  "A week from today."

  "Yes."

  "There's no point in my going all the way there and

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  back. I'll just stay and go with you."

  "You don't have to do that."

  They stared at each other.

  "I have a lot of things going on inside of me right now,

  Darvi/' Dakota confessed. "But it's only fair to warn you

  that I'm not a St Louis type of person. I love Texas."

  "I love Texas too, but if s only fair to warn you that I've

  never been so confused about anyone as I am about you."

  Dakota laughed a little.

  "If s good to hear that someone else is in the same boat."

  Darvi smiled, and again they found themselves regarding

  each other.

  "Aunt Renee's telegraph was at the house when I

  arrived," Darvi said quietly. "I read it and remembered

  your telling me you were going to be in Aurora with me. I

  didn't see how mat was possible, since you'd just left."

  "If I had it to do over again," Dakota said, "I'd have

  asked to see you a moment before I left, so you would have

  known of my plans to return to Aurora."

  "Would you have told me about your parents too?"

  440

  "That one's a little harder, Darv," he said comically. "I

  can never remember when Mother has that fall garden

  thing of hers, and for all I knew, she and my father were on

  a trip somewhere. They don't exactly check in with me."

  Darvi had to laugh, and not just at Dakota's expression.

  She was beginning to see that he was from a different

  world. He teased her about trouble following her around,

  and she knew she was somewhat sheltered, but never once

  had he treated her like a child the way her parents and

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  Brandon were wont to do. She was just a year younger man

  Dakota, but he'd been out of the nest and on his own for

  ages. She, on the other hand, was still treated like a little

  princess, one who had suddenly discovered her wings and

  was not living up to the life her parents had planned for her

  in the palace.

  "I should get you home," Dakota said. "It's getting

  dark."

  441

  Darvi sighed. "I feel terrible that I'm in no hurry to go

  home."

  "I feel bad about that too, but I'd feel worse if your reputation

  suffered because of my keeping you in the park too

  long." Dakota had a sudden thought. "Would you like to

  stop by your house and ask your parents if you could

  spend the evening with my family?"

  Darvi perked up but then thought better of it "Won't

  your parents be rather tired?"

  "Yes, but we always play cards when we're home on

  Saturday nights, even when everyone is weary. You could

  be our fourth."

  "I would like that," Darvi said. Dakota stood and

  offered his arm, his heart swelling over the chance to spend

  more time with her. He still didn't know if that meant love,

  but he was enjoying every moment of it

  And his parents enjoyed it too. Darvi's parents were

  willing to let her go, and Dakota's parents were delighted

  to see her. They brought her in and made her feel very welcome,

  even going so far as to tell her how sorry they were

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  for all she'd been through. Dakota's heart squeezed with

  thankfulness for their kindness and hospitality. It was a

  fabulous evening, and Dakota had all he could do not to

  take Darvi's hand when he eventually walked her home.

  To Dakota's surprise, his parents were still up when he

  got back. They called him into the living room when they

  heard the door.

  "I thought you'd be asleep by now, Mother."

  "I should be, but the game perked me up a bit"

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  Dakota sat down, kicked his shoes off/ and put his feet

  on the ottoman.

  "She's a sweet girl/' Charles opened. His shoes were off,

  his feet up as well. "A lot of fun."

  "Yes/ she is," Dakota agreed, his eyes a little distant

  His
mother then proceeded to astound him.

  "Have you fallen for her because of her beliefs, Dak?"

  Dakota had all he could do to answer in a normal voice.

  443

  'That has played a part. Mother, I'm sure of it, but thafs

  not the only reason." He stopped and looked at her. "Have

  you heard something?"

  "Only that she broke it off with Brandon, not the other

  way around, and that the reason had something to do with

  religion."

  Dakota nodded but didn't know what to say. Was this

  the opportunity he had been looking for?

  "Your grandmother wrote to us, Dak," Charles put in.

  "She made no secret of her excitement over what she calls your salvation. This is the third, no fourth, time we've heard this. First Cash, then my mother, then Slater, and now you.

  I don't know what you think you all have that the rest of us

  don't."

  Dakota was no longer left wondering. There was no getting

  around the fact that his parents were ready to talk. But

  was he prepared to tell them? With a quick reminder that

  he was only responsible for what he knew, he tried to start

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  "No one's ever wanted you to feel left out, Father. I hope

  you understand that And I know in the past you've said

  you've been to church all your life." Dakota paused. He

  was already starting to ramble. He took a breath and began

  again. "There's so much I don't know or understand, but

  this much is clear to me: I was lost in my sin. It took awhile,

  but I finally saw that I do sin/ and that my sin separated me

  from God."

  Dakota looked into their faces, encouraged that they

  were listening so closely.

  A Texas Sky 239

  "You've seen my scars, and I know Cash wrote you. I

  nearly died. When that happened, I knew I wasn't ready to

  die. If I had been forced to face God in person at that

  moment, I would have had no excuse. Cash and Slate had

  both told me that my sin separates me from God, and that

  the only way to cover the separation is through His Son,

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  Jesus. I accepted Jesus as my own Savior, and I no longer

  fear death or judgment." Dakota's eyes met those of his

  father's. "Ifs not about going to church all your life or

  being a good person. Ifs more personal than that"

  When they said nothing, he went on.

  "And to answer your question, Mother^the same thing

  happened to Darvi. Brandon wanted no part of it, so she

  broke t off. Darvi and I didn't fall for each other because of

  that, but knowing that we believe the same lets us explore

  this relationship. If she didn't share my belief, I wouldn't

  have a choice but to ignore my feelings, no matter how

  much it might hurt"

  "But you do think you're in love with her?"

  -"I

  don't honestly know, but I'm willing to find out"

  Again, they silently regarded him.

  Dakota suddenly hated this. He had never known such

  peace as he had now, but not having his parents being in

  one accord with him was very painful. They had raised

  him to be independent and think for himself, so he knew

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  they would never be harsh with him over this or any decision,

  but he wasn't sure they had the slightest inkling of

  what had happened to him.

  "Well, Dak," his mother finally said, although her tone

  was sober. "We're glad to see you home and safe. Any little

  difference in our beliefs is nothing in light of your being

  safe. Thafs all we care about"

  Dakota held his tongue. The "little difference" his mother

  spoke of was nothing short of a life-and-death matter, but

  Dakota knew there was no sense arguing. Reminding himself

  to stay respectful, Dakota kept praying and asking God to work in their hearts and open doors of opportunity.

  Q/foietee

  "what if he's right?" charles asked Virginia after they

  had retired.

  Dakota's mother turned from the bottle of lotion she

  had been reaching for and stared at her husband.

  "About what?"

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  "About facing God. Can I honestly say I'm ready?"

  "Of course you're ready, Charles. You're a good person.

  What more can God want?"

  He stared at his wife. Had she not heard what Dakota

  had said? Had he misunderstood?

  "Charles?" Virginia ventured, her voice so tentative that

  the senior Rawlings wondered what his face looked like.

  "I'm going to go ask Dakota something. I'll be right

  back."

  Virginia was stunned. What had he been thinking? Her

  brow furrowed with deliberation. She didn't like the children

  coming home and upsetting things. If Dakota left

  chaos in his wake, it would put such a damper on his visit.

  Confrontation was the last thing she wanted.

  Down the hallway Charles' thoughts were far different.

  His heart almost in dread over some of the things his son

  had said, he knocked on Dakota's door, working to

  remember what Cash and Slater had shared as well.

  Dakota answered before anything came to mind.

  "Are you going to church tomorrow?" Charles asked

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  without preamble.

  ATy + m

  Dakota nodded. "I was going to go early-M morning and get a note to Darvi to see if I couldttft church with her." . ft

  "What about your mother's and my church?*' a , *

  "In truth, Dad, I don't know anything about it, tut because you don't agree with my beliefs, I'm assuming there won't be anything there for me."

  "And what do you hope Darvi's church will have?"

  "Some type of message and challenge from God's Ward

  Something I can learn from and put into practice in my life."

  "And thaf s all part of not being afraid to die?"

  "My peace about death does not come from a sermon I

  might hear, but from knowing that I have a relationship

  with Christ, However, salvation is only the beginning.

  There's a whole life to be lived, and I won't know how to

  live it without study in the Word."

  The older Rawlings studied his boy's face, their eyes

  meeting and holding.

  "I'll go with you! Your mother too!"

  Dakota blinked. "All right," he said slowly. "But I'm

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  not sure what Darvi will say. I mean, I haven't checked

  with her."

  "What if," Charles began, his pride rubbing him a bit,

  "it turns out she goes to our church, and the preacher

  explains it just like you did?"

  "Then I'll wonder how you could have been missing it

  all these years," Dakota replied before he thought.

  Charles wasn't happy with this disrespectful statement,

  and his eyes communicated that with ease.

  "I'm sorry, sir. I shouldn't have said that"

  "No, you shouldn't have, but if s what you believe,

  isn't it?"

  Dakota dropped his eyes before admitting, "Yes, sir."

  Charles didn't like the shame he felt over the way he'd

  gained the upper hand. It was true that he had taught his

  boys to respect him, but he had come knocking on Dakota's

  door, not the other way around.
br />   "If s all right," he said quietly. "Sleep well, Dakota."

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  450

  242 lori wick

  "Tliank you. Goodnight."

  Charles made his way back down the hall, unaware of

  the way Dakota stood and watched him retreat into the

  darkness. He gained his own room, where "Virginia still had

  a light on, and floored her with his announcement.

  "We're going to church with Darvi and Dakota in the

  morning."

  "What church?"

  "I don't know yet, but we're going."

  Her mouth opened a little. "You don't mean that."

  "I do mean it."

  "Charles, what will our neighbors who go to our church

  say?"

  "I don't care."

  Virginia knew very well how true that statement was.

  Charles Rawlings Sr. never did anything because someone

  thought he should. She watched him settle into bed, not at

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  all comfortable with his plan. The lantern was still on, so

  Charles caught her gaze on him when he turned on his

  side. Virginia dropped her eyes and reached for the lamp,

  but his hand stopped her.

  "Ginny," he said quietly, "he's got me to thinking."

  "About what?"

  "I'm not a kid anymore."

  "You're not old, either."

  "Neither was Ben down at the bank, and he dropped

  without warning."

  "So thaf s what this is all about," she said in a mothering

  tone. "You've just realized you're not going to live forever."

  "Exactly."

  "Virginia had not expected him to agree. She had even

  used a tone with him that usually angered him.

  "All right, Charles." She gave in more out of confusion

  than anything else. "I'll go with you."

  Charles had not thought anything else. Virginia went

  nearly everywhere with him. But her answer gave him

  pause. Would he go if she refused? It took some time before

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  Charles fell asleep, but even then he wasn't suretawVtifci go without her. - '^tf*#

  'r~^

  t*

  "I'm sorry to call at your back door at such an eaity

  hour," Dakota said to the woman at the Wingates' kitchen

  door. "I didn't want to disturb anyone, but could you

  please get this note to Miss Wingate as soon as possible?"

  "I will, sir. Is there anything else?"

  "No, thank you."

  That was how the morning had started. Dakota had

  awakened early and gone swiftly to Darvi's, hoping she

  would get the note as he directed, and she did. Just an hour

  later a return note arrived from her, telling Dakota what