A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (11 page)

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"Are you going to be all right?" Dakota asked Darvi

once they had left the house. She hadn't cried when they

had said goodbye, but her face was so set that Dakota knew

she was in agony. The fact that she didn't answer him also

told him she was just hanging on.

Not in a hurry this time, they rode easily. Dakota was

very rested, and Darvi had not wanted to leave. Neither

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did she want to talk, at least not for some miles. Indeed, it

was midmoming--they were long out of Stillwater-- before she broke the silence.

"Weren't those little girls cute?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, yes," Dakota replied with a smile. "I fell in love the

first moment I saw them."

"They liked you too."

"I hope so."

"Merry told me," Darvi assured him. "She said Vivian

and Filar are usually more comfortable with women. I

guess their father owns their hearts, but with you they

made an exception."

Dakota smiled. "They weren't very vocal, but they sure

liked to look at me."

Darvi smiled as well and turned to stare at him.

"What?" Dakota wished to know.

"I'm just trying to see you through their eyes."

Dakota good-naturedly shook his head. "Well, tell me

when you figure it out"

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With that the two were content to ride in silence for a

time. Darvi looked completely at ease, like a child who's

well taken care of, and that must have been because she

was well looked after. Dakota was constantly on the alert.

He was mentally thinking about the roads that would take

them to Aurora and also where they could lunch, as well as

finding a suitable place to set up camp before dark.

Dakota had stocked up on provisions, so he wasn't worried,

but when the sun was right over their heads, he

decided to mention to her that they were not going to make

any sort of town that night

Upon this announcement, Darvi pulled her mount to a

stop.

"We're not going back through Blake where we stayed

before?"

"Not if we're headed to Aurora so you can catch the

train. Blake would be out of the way."

Her hat shaded her face quite nicely, but she still put her

hand up to the brim and looked around them.

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"Where will we spend the night?"

"There's an oak grove about five hours from here. If s

off the road, but there's a large stand of trees, and the

stream there is deep and fast flowing. I think we'll be in

good shape if we can make that"

"Then we'll be in Aurora tomorrow night?"

"Probably not, but if you want to ride hard, we can try."

Darvi thanked him for the information and heeled her

horse back into motion; indeed, she even picked up the

pace some. At the same time, her mind gave her heart a

short lecture.

You had to see Merry. You couldn't live another day until you

saw Merry. Would you have been quite so eager, Darvi, if you had

known you were going to be sleeping on the ground? Darvi rode

on without even trying to answer.

m

Ok

"IS THIS THE PLACE?"

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Busy scouting the area, Dakota didn't answer, but Darvi

knew it had to be. He had taken them off the main road

about 30 minutes back, and the trees were just as he had

described. Darvi could also hear the rippling sound of

water over rocks.

"Okay, Darvi/' Dakota spoke as he came back toward

her on foot, "Come on this way around the trees. We'll set

up camp for the night and have some dinner."

Darvi did as she was directed, knowing that hotel room

or not, it was going to be good to get out of the saddle.

Once again she was reminded of how her determination to

see Merry had clouded all else. They had certainly ridden

harder to Stillwater, but she didn't remember feeling sore.

Now as she dismounted, she barely stifled a groan.

"You weren't sore on the way to Scotts," Dakota commented

from behind her.

Darvi turned to see him watching her.

"How did you know I was sore?"

A slow smile stretched across the Ranger's face.

"I just watched you get off that horse."

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Darvi tried to look stern but ended up laughing a little.

At least she could do that What she couldn't do was rub

the parts of her anatomy that ached with stiffness and

fatigue.

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"Why don't you walk down by the water? I'll take care

of your horse."

Darvi looked as grateful as she felt before thanking

Dakota and unfastening her satchel from Finley's saddle.

"I think 111 freshen up a bit."

"All right Keep your eyes open and stay within earshot"

Thinking he sounded just like Uncle Marty, she went on

her way, moving gingerly as sensation returned to her

limbs. Pain or no pain, it wasn't long before she noticed

what a lovely setting it was. The day was still plenty warm,

but just the sound and sight of the water seemed to cool

her, and finding a large rock right at the edge was like an

answer to prayer. Darvi sat on it, slipped off her boots and

stockings, and placed her feet in the water. The action

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seemed to cool all of her. Had it been dark, she'd have

gotten all the way in, but for the moment this did the trick.

Her satchel came next She reached for the bag and

brought out a large handkerchief, one she'd borrowed from

her father. After soaking it, she bathed her face and neck.

In very short order she felt like herself again.

"Are you all right?" she heard Dakota call.

"Yes, thank you, I am. Do you need some help?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

"I have my feet in the water already."

Darvi heard the laughter in Dakota's voice when he

called back, "Sounds great I'll probably join you in a

minute."

Darvi smiled in contentment, all misgivings about

camping slowly dying away. She decided as she sat there

that she wanted a fresh pair of stockings. Her hands were

back in her bag when she heard the rattle. She stopped

moving, even though she could feel the outline of her gun

beneath some of her garments. Her eyes shifting frantically,

she finally spotted it A small rattlesnake was coiled on the

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ground about a foot away from the rock. As Darvi watched,

it uncoiled a bit and started to move away from her, but

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Darvi still brought out her gun. She realized her mistake

too late. Sensing her movement, the snake recoiled to face

her, the rattles sounding off again.

"I don't think I can do this," she whispered even as she

held the gun at arm's length, her finger ready to pull the

trigger. Her mind raced through the things she'd heard

about snakes, such as their ability to jump the length of

their bodies. She wanted to gauge the distance but was

afraid to take her eyes from the reptile.

"Darvi, you all right?" Dakota chose that moment to

check on her.

The snake still watched her, his tail now silent.

"Darvi?"

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"Dakota," she managed in a small voice. Then louder.

"Dakota."

"Darvi, are you--" Dakota was saying as he came into

view, his brow lowering as he watched her hold something

black out in front of her with both hands. He moved closer

and saw that it was a stocking draped over a gun. Why it

took him so long to see what had her frozen in place, he

didn't know, but moving in swiftly, his gun coming clean

from his holster as he walked, he fired one shot before the

snake jolted with the impact and lay still.

Her eyes still huge, Darvi kept her gun trained on the

dead serpent even as she watched Dakota approach.

Dakota was compassionate when he saw the fear in her

face, but he still smiled and plucked at the black stocking.

"Does the gun work without this?"

Darvi slowly lowered the weapon. "I was afraid to

shoot. I thought I would miss such a small target."

"That still would have scared him away."

"But then I would have wondered all night where he

was." Her eyes flickered toward the snake. "Now I'll

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know."

Dakota then saw that she trembled a little.

"You were very brave."

"I don't feel brave. I feel like calling for my mother."

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Dakota bent and put his arm around her shoulders and

gave her a squeeze.

"Thanks, Dakota."

"You're welcome. Ill stomp about some and make sure

he has no family." As Dakota started his search, he kept

speaking. 'Tell me something, Darvi, does trouble just naturally

follow you around?"

"What does that mean?" she asked, working discretely

to put her stockings on.

"Oh, first you follow a complete stranger down the

streets of Austin, who just happens to be me, and then you

have two men following you in Stillwater, and now you

attract a snake. It just causes a man to wonder."

Stockings and shoes in place, Darvi turned to set him

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straight. "I'll have you know, Dakota Rawlings, I can take

care of myself very nicely."

Dakota didn't even glance her way. "If s beginning to

make sense why Brace didn't want you coming on your

own."

"You're all the same," she muttered, checking around

the rock before climbing down. She gathered her tilings,

gun still in hand, and moved back in the direction from

which she had come. What she saw stopped her. Darvi

didn't know how Dakota had accomplished it so swiftly,

but he had set up a very orderly camp. A glance to the right

showed that he had tethered the horses near food and

water and already had a fire coaxed along, with two

bedrolls opposite each other. Darvi knew she was in good

hands, but she hadn't expected this. Dakota had told them

he could cook. Darvi didn't know why she hadn't figured

pn the rest.

He lives his life on the trail Vfhat did you expect?

"I think we're reptile-free for the moment," Dakota proclaimed

as he joined her. "I hope you like your coffee

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strong. I don't know any other way to make it."

"I do like it strong, but believe me when I tell you that

I'll eat and drink whatever you give me."

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"Hungry, are you?"

"Well/ not starved, but as usual, I've acted without

thinking. It never occurred to me that we wouldn't be in a

town tonight. If I was on my own, I'd be going hungry."

As though she'd just proved his point, Dakota smiled.

Catching it, Darvi's chin came up.

"I would have done fine on my own," she told him

firmly. "I would have come up with something to eat."

Fearing he would only get himself in trouble, Dakota

didn't comment. Not fully understanding the female brain,

however, he still found more than he bargained for.

"Do you doubt it?" Darvi demanded, not willing to let

the matter drop.

Dakota looked at her.

"Actually, I don't. Plucky as you are, you would probably

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do fine, but don't ask me to condone your being out

here on your own, Darvi. I won't do that."

Darvi wisely shut her mouth. She hadn't expected as

much as she got, and she determined to let it drop before

she pushed Dakota into saying something she didn't want

to hear. She believed she could do fine, and that was all that

really mattered to her.

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The meal was very good. Merry had sent some baked

goods with Dakota, and that man had a good supply of

trail food. He turned dried meat into beef and gravy over

rice, a biscuit on the side. They ate cookies with their last

cups of coffee.

Darvi volunteered to wash dishes, and she was at the

stream doing this when Dakota realized they had company.

Two men approached on one horse, a small, hard-ridden

beast. Their eyes watched him but were more

interested in the horses nearby.

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"Hello," the man on the front called.

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Dakota didn't like his smile but still said, "Good

evening."

"Nice horses," the second man spoke as they dismounted.

Dakota saw no reason to comment. He hoped they

would move on without a confrontation, and almost at the

same moment, he heard the clank of pots and knew that

Darvi was returning.

"Not now, Darvi," he said under his breath, but there

was no way she heard. Indeed, completely unaware of the

danger, she entered the campsite talking.

"I don't know if I got this one pot clean. It was very

stubborn. I hope you aren't too--"

Dakota didn't even look at her, which meant he saw

every bit of interest on the visitors' faces. He decided to

confront the situation head on.

"The horses aren't for sale."

The men both snickered before the first one said, "We

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ain't got no money anyhow."

"Well, that only leaves you one option, gentlemen,"

Dakota went on amiably, "and it's only fair to warn you

that I'll shoot you before I let you take our horses."

They seemed to weigh this up for a time, looking at each

other and then back to Dakota, who partially blocked their

view of Darvi

"She your wife?" number two asked.

"The lady is not your business," he said flatly, his hand

not moving to his gun, but his whole body shifting in a no-nonsense

way. "And since we're camped here for the night,

I think it might be best if you head on your way."

Hesitating only for a moment, the men climbed back

onto the weary animal and continued down the road. Both

Darvi and Dakota watched them for some time. Darvi's

imagination had them doubling back, so she kept her eyes

on them for as long as she could. When she finally glanced

up at Dakota, it was to find him watching her.

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"I suppose you're going to say that was all my fault?"

she asked calmly.

"No, I wasn't going to say that, but it would help if you

didn't look so good."

Knowing she was not at her best, Darvi nearly laughed.

"What do you suggest?"

Seeing the amusement in her eyes, Dakota barely kept

from smiling. "Well, you could blacken a few teeth and

maybe dye your hair a mud brown."

"I'll think on it," Darvi assured him before adding, "if s

your size and color, by the way."

Dakota blinked.

"Whaf s my size and color?"

"The reason the twins stare at you, and also the reason

those men in Still water and the men today left without an

argument. Depending on who they are, people either find

you a great comfort or completely intimidating." This said,

she turned to put the pots down and then to sit down on her

bedroll, reaching for her satchel as soon as she was settled.

For a moment it was on Dakota's mind to ask which

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way Darvi found him, but he thought he knew the answer.

She'd half-hidden behind him while he talked with the

men. Somehow he didn't think she was intimidated by him in the least.

5"3r^"

Dakota did not get into his bedroll when darkness fell

and Darvi climbed into hers. There was still a small flicker

of fire left, and he wanted to go back to Calder's letter, which

was filled with Scriptures. He started to read the letter again,

thankful that Calder had written out some of the verses.

Dear Dakota,

I want to start by thanking you for asking me about this subject.

It's easy to do things by habit and not conviction. It was very

good for me to be reminded why prayer is so important.

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Colossians 4:12 says: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant

of Christ, salutes you, always laboring fervently for you in

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prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of

God." Epaphras is devoted to prayer.

Colossians 1:9 says: "For this cause we also, since the day we

heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might

befitted with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual

understanding." This is Paul speaking here. Note the way he

says he didn't cease; he was another person devoted to prayer.

James 5 says that Elijah was such a warrior in prayer that God

held the rain back for more than three years.

And then to my favorite, Jesus Himself--God's own Son-- was willing to give up sleep to meet His Father to pray. Mark 1:35: "In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went

out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." I don't

know about you, Dakota, but I don't think Christ would give this

kind of example to us if His Father wasn't listening.

As Dakota finished reading the letter, he saw that

Calder had included many other verses for him to look up,

as well as telling him that he would pray for understanding

in the matter. He closed with God's blessing and an invitation

to visit anytime.

Dakota sat for a while longer and thought about his

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own faith. It had been so dear to him that he was lost and

that God had found him, but somewhere in the mix he'd

gotten the impression that his first-time faith was all he

would need.

I've got to trust You all day, every day. I see that now. Not

just to save me, but that You're listening and that You care. That

was never clear to me before now, but this is what Desmond was

talking about when he said to match my feelings against Your

Word. If they don't hold up, then I can't hold on to them.

Thank You for saving me. Lord God. I'm still amazed at this

second chance, and even this second chance to understand how

You work.

His heart still prayerful, Dakota went back to his Bible

to look up the other verses from Calder, asking God to help

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him understand the truths. The flickering light made it a

challenge at times, but Dakota read until he could see no

more. With the last dying flames behind.him, he checked

on the horses, which he had moved closer to camp, and

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finally settled in for the night Darvi had stopped moving

around, and Dakota assumed she had fallen asleep. He

knew she would be sore in the morning and that riding

Finley all day was not going to help, but he saw no help for

it. Dakota found himself praying for her, and somewhere

along the line he dropped off to sleep. It didn't last long,

though, as Darvi suddenly gasped and woke.

"Dakota?"

"Right here," came his deep voice comfortingly through

the darkness.

"Did they come and take the horses?" She sounded panicked.

"No. I checked on them right before I settled in."

He heard her sigh.

"I thought my dream was real," she admitted. "I'm

sorry I woke you."

"If sail right"

It was silent for a moment