"I knew you were a Ranger," Darvi defended, trying not
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
384
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
385
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
386
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?"
387
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."
388
"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?"
389
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."
390
"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."
Feel
ing 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
391
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
212 lori wick
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.
392
"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.
393
"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
395
here."
214 lori wick
"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
$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 M
iss Darvi Wingate
is here?"
"Yes, she is here."
215
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."
400
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