with the fact that you weren't here to file any charges."
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
506
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,
508
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
This came from Mr. Danby, and Darvi did as she was
told.
509
"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?
A Texas Sky 273
Mr. Danby, who thought she would answer immediately,
seemed to freeze as well. He looked at Darvi's
stunned face and tried again.
510
"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,
511
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.
274 * lori wick
"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?"
512
"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."
513
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."
A Texas Sky 275
"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."
514
"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
515
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?"
516
"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
276
517
A Texas Sky 277
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."
518
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.
278 lori wick
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.
520
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
ATexasSky 279
going to try to get her to speak with me. What do you
521
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