Page 30 of A Texas Sky


  Darvi knew she would have to be satisfied with this.

  She wasn't really content with it, but right now nothing

  could change her helplessness in the situation.

  "I guess we'd better head back to my aunf s," Darvi was

  saying as the door suddenly opened.

  "Oh! You are here," Renee spoke with relief as she

  entered. "I wasn't certain what could be taking so long, and

  I had myself convinced that Seth Redding had found you."

  "He might find her," Dakota put in calmly, "but he

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  won't take her."

  Renee looked up at the Ranger's face and suddenly

  knew why Darvi was so trusting of him. Darvi's aunt liked

  Dakota---she liked him a lot--but there was no missing the

  steel in his eyes right now. Renee almost shook her head.

  She would not choose to tangle with this man if she was on

  the wrong side of the law. She thought anyone who did

  was a fool.

  "Well, lef s go home," she said quietly, simply wanting

  to see Darvi safe behind closed doors.

  "That's fine," Dakota confirmed, "but if you don't mind,

  I'll answer the front door for the rest of the day."

  All Renee could do was nod, but in her heart she was

  more determined than ever to see Darvi marry this man.

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  Sunday turned out to be a very quiet day, which made

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  the noise and crowded courtroom all the harder to take the

  next morning. It seemed that every person in town had

  turned out for this event, and Darvi knew that, as his witnesses,

  if the lawyer had not saved seats for them in the

  front row, they would have been outside with dozens of

  others who were denied entrance.

  The courtroom was set up with a center section of seating

  flanked by two angled sections. Renee, Dakota, and Darvi

  had seats in the far right side. Once situated, Darvi settled

  her skirts around her, Dakota on her right and her aunt on

  her left, before glancing around. She had barely shifted her

  eyes when she spotted Seth in the far left section. The way

  the seats angled, they had nearly perfect views of each other.

  He was looking straight at her, his eyes reflecting caring

  and interest. Darvi didn't look at him for long but shifted

  her own gaze back to the front. Dakota, on the other hand/

  kept watching.

  The moment Darvi turned away, Seth leaned and spoke

  to a man--assumably his lawyer--who shook his head no.

  He then wrote a note and gave it to his lawyer. He read it,

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  handed it right back, and once again shook his head no. At

  that point Dakota turned away, but not before seeing that

  Seth's eyes came right back to Darvi, who was still watching

  for the judge to enter. That the man was desperate to see the

  woman across from him was only too dear.

  Dakota gave one more glance Seth's way, and that was

  when he spotted Cassy and the children in the front row of

  the middle section. All three looked pale and sober, and

  Dakota was glad for Darvi's tender heart. His own felt a

  little broken as well. He had chosen to deceive Cassy in

  order to rescue Darvi. Given a choice, he would do it all

  over again, but it wasn't something he enjoyed.

  The judge finally arrived. He was a large man with stern

  eyes, and the audience was very quiet as he took his place

  and cast those penetrating eyes over the room. No time

  was wasted, however, and in less than five minutes, things

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  were underway. Mr. Danby, whose strict business manner

  seemed to have melted into something a bit mote dramatic,

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  called many witnesses forward to testify, but the defense

  offered no cross examination until Annabelle Hewett was

  called to the stand.

  Darvi watched her aunt move to the witness stand in

  graceful confidence. The defense was out to prove that the

  reporter's testimony, which was quite damaging, was

  nothing more than the rantings of an overemotional

  female. Their tactic fell very flat. Renee kept her cool,

  calmly answering all questions and putting holes in several

  theories. From her vantage point, Darvi thought Jared Silk

  looked angry enough to kill.

  The day moved on slowly, and Darvi, to her surprise,

  wasn't actually called to the stand until the next morning.

  She thought she caught the softening of the judge's eyes at

  one point, but in her nervousness she couldn't be certain.

  She took the stand and tried not to feel the awful pounding

  of her heart

  "State your full name, please."

  This came from Mr. Danby, and Darvi did as she was

  told.

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  "Darvi Leigh Wingate."

  "Address, Miss Wingate?"

  "49 Brighton Road, St Louis, Missouri."

  "Thank you, Miss Wingate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but

  were you not taken against your will from a train in the

  Aurora train station on the sixth day of September?"

  "Yes, sir, I was."

  "And am I right in thinking mat two men took you from

  the train?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "And am I also right in believing that those two men are

  in the courtroom today?"

  Darvi's heart froze and then pounded on, making her

  feel breathless. She was certain she had told him this. Had

  he not heard her, or had he misunderstood?

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  Mr. Danby, who thought she would answer immediately,

  seemed to freeze as well. He looked at Darvi's

  stunned face and tried again.

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  "Would you like to me repeat the question?"

  "Yes, please."

  "Can you point out the two men who took you from the

  train?"

  Darvi's heart sank. "No, I cannot"

  Mr. Danby blinked.

  "Maybe you need a little more time," he said, his face

  going slightly red, his eyes showing some strain. "Look

  around the courtroom again. Take all the time you need."

  Darvi had all she could do not to look at Dakota and

  nowhere else, but she made herself take stock of the entire

  room. She had not been with those men for very long, but

  she was very sure they were not in the room. She looked

  back to Mr. Danby.

  "Did you see mem?"

  Darvi began to shake her head no and then verbally

  answered.

  "You're sure?" Mr. Danby tried'again, but Jared Silk's

  lawyer had had enough and came to his feet

  "The woman has more than answered the question,

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  your honor. What more could the man need?"

  The judge waved him back down.

  "Do you have another line of questioning, Mr. Danby?"

  the judge asked, his tone almost bored.

  That man came just short of tugging on his collar.

  "No, your honor," he admitted at last

  "Your witness, Mr. Robbins," the judge said to Jared's

  attorney.

  "Thank you, your honor."

  Darvi watched him come forward, a kind smile on his

  face, but it didn't fool her. She knew that all men had a


  right to a fair trial, but this man was out for blood.

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  "Now then Miss Wingate, there seems to be a bit of a

  misunderstanding here. You don't even know Jared Silk,

  do you?"

  "No, sir, I don't."

  "Have you even been into his bank or laid eyes on him

  before today?"

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  "No, sir."

  "So anything you might have heard about Jared Silk is

  what you've read in the newspaper or been told by

  someone else. Isn't that right?"

  "Yes."

  The man's smile was just short of benevolent as he said,

  "That will be all."

  "You're dismissed, Miss Wingate," the judge told her.

  Darvi looked down just then and into Dakota's eyes.

  While he held her gaze, he raised his chin.

  "Your honor," Darvi said a bit loudly, causing the judge

  to turn in surprise.

  "Yes, Miss Wingate?"

  "I would beg your indulgence, sir. I do have something to

  say, if I could just say it without having to answer questions."

  "This witness has been dismissed!" Mr. Robbins nearly

  shouted, his calm face deserting him in a flash. Even Jared

  came to his feet

  "Sit down, both of you," the judge said in a frigid voice.

  "I want to hear what the lady has to say."

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  Darvi's eyes were huge in her pale face as she turned to

  face the judge, who was leaning toward her in full attention.

  Darvi made herself swallow and start

  'If s true, your honor, that I've never met Jared Silk, and

  that the men who took me from the train are not here today,

  but the two men who held me captive against my will are

  here today and have told me they work for Jared Silk."

  Darvi glanced their way and kept on. "Their names are

  Seth Redding and Eliot McDermott I never saw the two

  men from the train again, but Mr. Redding and Mr. McDermott

  kept me in an apartment and made it very clear that I

  couldn't leave until I agreed to meet with Jared Silk."

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  "Why would they do that if you don't know the man?"

  "They thought I was Annabelle Hewett, and even when

  they learned I was not, Mr. Redding decided to keep me. I

  was held at the apartment for two days and then taken

  against my will to Cassy Robinson's ranch. I had no idea

  where I was and no way to leave there."

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  "But you did get away?"

  "Yes, a friend found me and got himself hired onto the

  ranch as a cook. We left one night after dark."

  The eyes that the judge turned on the defense lawyer

  and Jared were colder than ever.

  "Thank you, Miss Wingate. If there's nothing else, you

  may step down."

  Darvi did so on shaking legs. She made her way back to

  her seat to the sound of the courtroom buzzing around her.

  Mr. Robbins was on his ,feet again, protesting the judge's

  interference and unorthodox behavior at the top of his voice.

  From their seats with the rest of the audience, the accused

  brothers and their lawyer had their heads close together, the

  lawyer doing all the talking. All three seemed to be completely

  unaware of the courtroom's state of pandemonium.

  The judge finally pounded his gavel to gain order and

  make an announcement

  'This court will adjourn until nine o'clock tomorrow

  morning, whereupon I will hear final testimony and make

  my decision. I will be available today until five o'clock for

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  questions or further information."

  With that he stood and exited the room. People talked

  even louder, babies cried, and in the midst of it, Dakota had

  Darvi's arm in a steel grip. Getting her outside as swiftly as

  he could manage, he moved her along through town, cutting

  off on a side street in hopes that it would be a shortcut

  to Renee's house.

  In better time than he'd figured, the house came into view.

  Both still moving silently, Dakota took Darvi up the front

  steps, through the front door, and into the house, not even

  waiting a full heartbeat before he pulled her into his arms.

  tfamfotfwfr

  "You were wonderful up there/' Dakota said softly, his

  arms still holding Darvi close.

  Darvi let her head rest against the solid wall of his chest,

  thinking about how much she needed this man.

  "I almost broke down," she said at last. "Could you

  tell?"

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  "No."

  "It was when I caught sight of Nate and Lindy. I was so

  angry at Cassy for putting them in this position that I

  almost cried."

  "You hid it very well, and you said everything that

  needed to be said. The judge was furious with Robbins."

  Dakota's chest vibrated a little with silent laughter. "You

  could see he believed every word you said, and Jared Silk

  looked as if he were going to explode."

  Darvi put a few inches between them so she could look

  up into his face.

  "I'm so glad you were there."

  "I told you I would be," he said, thinking he wouldn't

  have missed it for the world. Seth Redding was still a free

  man, and for a moment, Dakota's thoughts clouded with

  all Darvi had been through and how much he wanted to

  protect her. He looked into her face and studied her eyes

  with tenderness before bending and kissing her very

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  gently. Still holding her gaze with his own, he kissed her

  again.

  "I was right," he whispered.

  "About what?" Darvi breathed.

  Steps outside drew them apart, and just after that,

  Renee came inside.

  "How are you?" Renee asked Darvi as she came to hug

  her.

  "I'm all right."

  "You did so well. I was so proud of you."

  "What do you think that judge will say tomorrow?"

  "I think he'll end up throwing the key away where

  they're concerned. At least I hope he will." Renee hung her

  hat on the mirrored hat stand hear the door. "I've even

  heard that some of Aurora's crooked police will eventually

  be dragged into this." Smoothing her still-perfect coiffure,

  she finished, "Come to the kitchen. I'll make us some

  lunch."

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  Renee sailed ahead, clearly pleased with the way the

  morning had gone. Dakota brought up the rear, and as he

  held the door for Darvi, he bent and whispered close to her

  ear.

  "Your mourn is very kissable."

  By the time Darvi arrived next to the kitchen table, her

  face was the color of ripe watermelon. Renee turned to say

  something, took in that pink glow, and changed her mind.

  She went back to her lunch preparations with a huge smile

  on her face.

  5"3r^r

  "Are you going to try to see her?" Eliot asked Seth as he

  studied that man's back.

  Seth stood at one of the windows in the apartment

  living room, his eyes on the street.

  "I want to," he said at last.

 
"But you won't," Eliot guessed.

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  519

  Seth turned. "No,1 won't I know this is our last day of

  freedom, but I can't take the chance that that Ranger will

  shoot first and ask questions later."

  "He didn't do that when he was at the ranch."

  "No, but jail time or not, I can't take that chance."

  Seth turned back to the window. Eliot watched him in

  frustration. He hated this. It was never supposed to be this

  way. Jared was not supposed to mess up and get caught,

  bringing them down at the same time. And Darvi. She was

  supposed to love his brother and make him smile again.

  A moment later Eliot told Seth goodbye and went on his

  way. They had just met with the judge. He had told them

  both to stay in town that night, but Eliot couldn't. If this

  was his last night of freedom, he wanted to be with the

  woman he loved.

  %r$r

  "I've made a decision," Darvi told Dakota that night.

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  Renee had some business to attend to at the news office, so

  Darvi and Dakota were doing the dishes.

  "About the trial?"

  "No. Believe it or not, I've been thinking about my

  mother, and your mother is the reason."

  "How's that?"

  Darvi paused with her hands in the soapy water.

  "You have such a wonderful relationship with your

  mother--she could even ask you about what you believe.

  I've so put off my mother by not marrying Brandon that

  she can barely stand the sight of me. I'm all ready to give

  her verses and share my faith with her, but she's barely

  speaking to me."

  Dakota listened to the wonder in her voice and kept

  silent.

  "I've been putting the cart in front of the horse. My next

  letter isn't going to say anything about Christ. I'm just

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  going to try to get her to speak with me. What do you

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  think?"

  "I think you're right /our mother is only going to see

  God as the problem unless you repair the relationship."

  "I think so too. Our relationship has always been based

  on our pleasing each other. The moment one of us didn't

  do what the other wanted, we were in a fight. Thaf s got to

  be fixed before anything else happens!"

  With that Darvi went back to washing. Dakota watched

  her, not able to stop smiling.

  You're like that to Your children, Lord--always giving us

  new insight and expanding our worlds with more knowledge, not

  just about You, but about how to live this life. I still marvel at

  how I survived without You, how I made a single decision on my