A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy)

A Texas Sky

(The Yellow Rose Trilogy #2)

Lori Wick

5

June 1882

Wellsville, Texas

"How is he?" marty bracewell asked anxiously as he

entered the bedroom, not remembering to remove his hat

or offer any of the standard greetings.

"Doing a little better," Desmond Curtis said. "Slate and

Cash were just here, and although Dakota's as weak as a

girl, he's in a good frame of mind." Desmond, knowing

how Brace would feel if he knew the whole truth, did not

elaborate, but he knew that Dakota was doing as well as he

was because of how significant his brothers' visit had been.

"Hey, Dak," Brace said softly, watching the Ranger's

eyes come open a little. As a point in fact, all three men

were Texas Rangers, but only one of them had nearly bled

to death from numerous gunshot wounds, and he was still

very injured.

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"Hi, Brace," Dakota tried to say, but his mouth was too

dry. Desmond helped him with a drink, but they had to go

slowly--they would probably have to go slowly for a long

time.

"Sorry I took so long. I was up north and just got back."

"It's all right," Dakota managed.

"What happened out there?" Brace asked, not really

expecting an answer. Dakota tried anyway.

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"I thought I had the jump on them, but there were more

men than I figured. I went down fast. Had no choice."

Brace felt his throat close. This man was one of his best.

To see him shot-up and helpless was hard. He cleared his

throat, telling himself this was no time for tears.

"You'll be back soon, ornery as ever."

"No doubt/' the man in the bed agreed, a small smile

coming to his lips. 'Til see you in a few weeks."

Brace was suddenly angry. That this would happen to

one of his best infuriated him!

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"If you so much as show your face near my office inside

of six months, I'll shoot you myself," Brace warned. "And

I mean it!"

Dakota could only nod. Right now six months sounded

too soon. Sleep was coming in again, but that was all right.

For the first time in his life, Dakota James Rawlings had

Someone he could talk to.

Dakota heard gunshots a few days later, as real as the

ones that had taken him down. His eyes flew open and he

gasped, remembering with painful clarity where he was.

"Easy..." Desmond's voice came softly to his ears, and

Dakota turned to find him sitting next to the bed.

Dakota tried to tell Desmond he was thirsty but

couldn't manage it Thankfully the older Ranger knew the

signs. He lifted a cup for the injured man. Dakota thanked

him with a slight raise of his hand, amazed at how spent he

was.

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"Better?"

"Yeah. Is it hot in here, or is it me?"

"Both I would guess. It is June."

Dakota nodded a little, and Desmond thought he would

fall right back to sleep. Drained as he seemed, Dakota's

eyes stayed on a faraway spot on the wall, and he began to

speak.

A Texas Sky 7

"Do you know what I thought of when everything

started to go black?"

"No. What?"

"Something Slate said to me," Dakota said as he licked

his lips. "Of all the things to remember, I recall something

he said when I was angry." Dakota's mind went back to a

cloudy day in Shotgun. As the result of a senseless

shooting, a woman had just been buried. At the funeral

Dakota thought they should have talked about the woman

and not about God.

"What did you want Pastor Caron to say. Dak?" his brother

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asked him. "What would you have deemed appropriate?"

"A little more about the woman herself, for starters. He

turned it into a sermon/"

"She was a changed person because of her faith/'

Dakota's eyes narrowed, telling Slater he was not happy with

that answer, but his brother went on anyway.

"If I'm a different person because of my beliefs, Dakota, and if

I were to die, I would want other people to know they could have

the same hope. Maybe you should be listening instead of criticizing/'

"My life is fine!" Dakota did not hesitate to clarify.

"If that's true, then why does this have you so upset? If everything

is fine, you should be able to shrug this off and go on with

your life."

Dakota's eyes now met Desmond's.

"In so many words, Slater said it shouldn't bother me if

I didn't believe as he did--but it didn't work that way. It

bothered me so much, I left angry."

"So the turning point came when Slate and Cash were

here?"

Much as it hurt, Dakota's chest lifted with his sigh. "My

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very last thought before I lost consciousness was that I had

waited too long. When I woke up and they were sitting here,

I knew I'd been given a second chance." Another sigh

escaped the injured man. "As you well know, I've been a fool

many times, but not this time. I grabbed that second chance."

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Desmond had a comment on his mind, but he could see

that it was going to have to wait.

"Do you think he can eat something?" Geneva Curtis

asked from the doorway.

"No," her husband answered with a shake of his head.

"He just slipped back out"

Geneva came and stood close, her hand on Desmond's

shoulder.

"He will make it, won't he, Des?"

"I think so," that man replied with his eyes on Dakota's

face. "As Dak just put it, he's been given a second chance.

I've been wrong before, but something tells me he'll get out

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of this bed and want to know everything God has ever

said--and in the first hour, if I can tell him."

Geneva chuckled softly and exited the room ahead of

her husband. Her only thought was Look out, Texas, Dakota

Rowlings is nearly on the loose.

'M#

July 1882

if you so much as show your face near my office inside of six

months, I'll shoot you myself.

Sitting alone by the window, Dakota Rawlings remembered

the words of his supervisor from just a month earlier

and sat back, a thoughtful frown between his brows. He

didn't know if he could stand five more months of inactivity.

When Brace had first uttered these words, it had

been an emotional time. Dakota had been certain he hadn't

meant a literal six months, but his first letter--telling Brace

when he thought he could come back--was hotly returned

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in a no-nonsense way. ^

Dakota's hosts, Desmond and Geneva Curtis, were out

at the moment, so the house in Wellsville was quiet. Their

home sat right in the middle of town, but the street was not

a busy one, and for a moment, Dakota thought he was very

much alone. He'd just eaten a large lunch and still had half

a cup of coffee to drink, but he was not particularly eager

to continue sitting at the window.

As a new believer in Jesus Christ, he'd spent almost two

hours studying the Bible that morning and had understood

some hew truths. Desmond had been a great help in this

area, and Dakota was still amazed at how pertinent the

Bible was to his life right now. Not many months back, he

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would have said that old Book was outdated and unrealistic

He was learning every day just how wrong he'd been.

Knowing he did not want the rest of the coffee, Dakota

went to the sink, rinsed out his mug, and wandered onto

the front porch. It was blistering hot, much as it was every

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day at this time. That was Texas in July--something they

all had to live with.

He wrote a quick note and took himself out for a walk.

It was too hot to be out for long, but he had to stretch his

legs. He hadn't planned to feel this good. Only five weeks

ago he'd been shot so badly they thought he Would die, but

God had had other ideas.

"I shot you first," a child's voice yelled from nearby.

Dakota turned to see two little boys scoot up the alley,

firing sticks at each other. Though he hoped they would

never actually experience that pain, he nevertheless found

himself smiling at their antics. He continued slowly up the

street and turned right onto the main street of town.

Interesting as the storefronts were, Dakota was beginning

to sweat. He thought he might have overdone and

should turn back, but his sister-in-law had celebrated a

birthday a few weeks ago, and he hadn't sent her anything.

Not that he'd been in any shape to do that

"What are you doing out here?" Desmond suddenly

spoke as he came up behind Dakota.

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Dakota turned with innocent eyes. "Just strolling."

Feeling like a father, Desmond pointed back up the

street. "Get home!"

Worried as she was to see Dakota's pale face, Geneva

laughed from her place beside her husband.

"You sounded as if you were scolding the dog."

Dakota laughed as well, but he did want to shop for Liberty,

who was married to his younger brother, Slater. He

said as much to the Curtises.

"As if Libby will be expecting anything with the way

you were hurt," Geneva said with a mild shake of her head.

ATkxasSty 11

"Even a firecracker would do the trick, Gen. She was

born on the Fourth."

"And shell enjoy a late gift," Desmond said, his hand

to the younger man's arm as he turned and directed him

back up the boardwalk.

Dakota wanted to argue, but he was suddenly feeling

very warm and weak By the time he reached the house, he

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was sweating profusely, and two of the bullet wounds were

starting to burn. Geneva brought him a cool drink of water

and waited for him to lie down on the sofa.

"It looks as though you need to give it more time, Dak.

I'm sorry."

Dakota sighed. "I guess I could write to Libby."

"She would probably enjoy that, but even as little as I

know her, I can't think she would expect anything from

you at this point."

Dakota nodded and thanked his hostess, who returned

to the kitchen, and then let his mind drift backward to

when Geneva had met Liberty Drake, now Liberty Rawlngs.

The wedding had been on Saturday, April 22. The whole

family had gathered, including his parents, who had come

all the way from St Louis. Special friends like Desmond

and Geneva Curtis and Marty Bracewell had also been

invited. Closing his eyes, Dakota could still see how pretty

Liberty looked in her dress, her eyes shining with love for

Slater as her stepfather, Duffy Peterson, walked her down