A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (25 page)

Darvi decided not to comment. She didn't think it

would do any good to complain about the mattress, but

more than that, she had just noticed that Seth was in the

room. She was not giving him the cool treatment or anything

too dramatic, but if he was in the room, which was

too often for her comfort, Darvi was careful with what she

said and did.

"I'll check it for you, Darvi," Cassy now offered, thinking that her silence meant she was a bit unhappy about it

"Thank you. Do you want me to do anything special

with this water?" Darvi asked from her place by the sink.

"Why don't you just dump it? I'll send Nate for fresh."

Seth had learned not to take things from Darvi--he

knew she did not want him to coddle her--but that didn't

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stop him from following her outdoors. He stayed well back

when she poured the water on the flowers at the side of the

house but was right close when she turned.

"You can always try my mattress," he said gently, his

gaze tender and inviting. "It's not lumpy at all."

Darvi barely hesitated before drawing her foot back and

kicking him in the shin. Her foot hurt with the impact, but

having him double over with pain was well worth it. Darvi

didn't speak until his red face came up again.

"Where I come from," she gritted, "a gentleman does

not make such suggestions to a lady! If you ever say such

a thing to me again, I'll not only repeat the kick, Til slap

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your face until your ears ring." This said, she turned on her

heel and stomped into the house.

"Good girl," Dakota Rawlings found himself saying

aloud from the tree he had staked as his own. As he

watched, the man--not the one from town--straightened

up and put a hand to the back of his neck, his face

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thoughtful. When he did move, limping slightly, he didn't

go into the house but toward the barn.

Dakota planned to hit town while it was still early and

then realized it was Sunday. He would still try the telegraph

office and the sheriff but thought later might be best

Witnessing Darvi in action gave him great hope that, at

least in some ways, she was not completely at the mercy of

others.

Gathering his gear and making his way back to town,

all out of sight of the ranch house, Dakota washed up and

then went looking for the sheriff. He was pleasantly surprised

to find him alone in his office.

"Well, Mr. Rawlings, how is your search coming?"

"I found the person I was looking for. May I ask you a

few questions?"

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You tell me who it is."

"It's just a friend," Dakota stated, still not willing to give

Darvi's name. "I put her on the train in your station,

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thinking she was headed for St. Louis, and then I realized

someone had other ideas. I've spotted her now, and I'm

making plans to get her."

The lawman came to his feet. "You mean to tell me that

a woman was taken against her will from the train?"

"Yes, I do."

"But how do you know? How can you be sure she isn't

visiting friends?"

"She would have told me. Her plan was to head home

and see her family. If she had even known anyone in

Aurora, I would have been aware of it"

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All idle curiosity about this woman melted away. "Ask

your questions," the sheriff directed. He knew people

thought he was soft when it came to crime in this town, but

that wasn't true. He even suspected that some of his own

men were dirty, but he had never turned a blind eye to it

He just couldn't move without proof.

"There's a ranch about five miles south of town. Who

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owns it?"

"Cassy Robinson."

"A woman?"

"Yes. She has two children, and her boyfriend lives with

her, as does his brother, not to mention about six ranch

hands who keep the place going. She has a good-sized

spread." The man stopped and speared him with his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because thaf s where she is. I don't want to shoot

anyone to rescue my friend, but if I have to, I will. How

many children did you say?"

"Two. The girl never comes into town, but I see the boy

now and again."

The sheriff had much more he could add, starting with

Seth and Eliof s connection with Jared Silk, but he kept this

to himself. He had no way of proving if they were involved

in an abduction, a pretty serious charge, and decided to

refrain from comment, at least for the moment.

"I think I'll head out there tomorrow and see if Miss

Robinson needs any more hands."

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"Ifs Mrs. Have you done any ranch work? I have an

undercover man I could send."

Dakota thanked him but explained that he would do

fine. He asked the names of the men who lived there but

kept the conversation short. He wasn't willing to discuss

this overly much, and if he kept looking for answers, the

man might expect him to return the favor.

"I will tell you one more thing," Dakota said as he moved

toward the door. "I want whoever is behind this to answer

for it, but not until I have my friend at a safe distance. If I get

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a chance, I'll take her and run, but you can bet I'll be back

in town at some point."

For a moment the sheriff was put off but then realized

this was the very thing he wanted in his own men: determination

to see justice done and a concern for the innocent.

Unfortunately, before he could comment one way or the

other, Dakota had gone on his way

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ftrfytfr

"He's dead?" Cassy asked in disbelief. "You can't mean

that"

"He is, Mrs. Robinson. We all slept in 'cause he didn't

wake us, so when Timmy woke first and didn't find any

coffee to dear our heads, he checked. I checked too. Q is

gone."

Cassy was in shock. Q had been cooking for this ranch

since her husband had been a little boy. A more loyal, hardworking

cook she couldn't imagine. She knew he had been

tired and worn out lately but thought that her offering to

take the big meal on Sunday and evening meals during the

week would be enough.

"Mama," Nate said from beside her, and she turned to

find both children with very large eyes.

"Wake Eliot," she said softly. The children were swift to

obey.

The next few hours were spent confirming the news,

comforting the children, going for the preacher and setting

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up a time for the funeral the next day, and going about the

day's activities and chores in quiet shock. The men were

very subdued, many still feeling the effects from Saturday-night

drinking, but the family was also quiet. The children

tried to attach to Eliot and Seth, as all Cassy wanted to do

was lie on her bed.

Darvi felt at a complete loss and wandered around as

lost and confused as everyone else. She could offer no

words of comfort She hadn't known the man; in fact, she'd

174 lori wick

only seen him a half-dozen times. The children were very

upset, and she wondered if it was over their mother's distress

or if they had known and cared for the old man as well.

"Are you all right?"

Darvi turned to see Eliot. She nodded.

"How are Cassy and the children?"

"All resting on the bed. Lindy is almost asleep, and Nate

is drifting."

"Did the children know him well?"

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Eliot smiled. "If they knew he was cooking hotcakes

and their mother was only serving oatmeal, they would eat

as little as they could get away with and make a visit to the

bunkhouse. That, and he always had something sweet for

them."

Darvi only nodded, again at a loss for words.

"Well, I guess he's in a better place."

Darvi had all she could do to keep her mouth shut. Why

did people always say that? Why did people who gave

God absolutely no place in their life on earth assume that

someone dead was now at peace and rest? Darvi wanted to

comment or at least ask what he meant, but she didn't

think this was the time to attack the man's views.

She was doubly glad she'd kept her mouth shut when

she looked up to see that Cassy had come from the bedroom.

Eliot went to her. They spoke quietly for a moment

and then Eliot went to the bedroom and shut the door.

Cassy approached.

"You don't believe that, do you, Darvi?"

"Believe what?" Darvi asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

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"I heard what Eliot said. I saw your face. You don't

believe that Q is in a better place."

Darvi's head cocked a bit in genuine confusion.

"Tell me something, Cassy, why do my beliefs mean so

much to you?"

The blonde woman shrugged. "I don't know," she

admitted, "but they do. I'm so cut off out here. The days

just tend to run together. Not until Eliot reminded me that

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the preacher wouldn't be available until after church did I

even remember it was Sunday. I mean, I knew it was Sunday

because of the extra cooking, but not because it was the

Lord's day. We didn't actually attend church, but I was still

raised differently. Your being here has reminded me of that"

Darvi nodded but didn't reply. Cassy was not put off so

easily.

"You didn't answer me."

The women's eyes met.

"Do you think," Cassy repeated the question, "that Q is

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in a better place?"

Darvi put a hand on the other woman's arm.

"There are a lot of things I don't understand in God's

Word, Cassy, but this one I know. God says the way to Him

is through His Son, Jesus Christ. When we humble ourselves

and accept His free gift of salvation, then we are

assured of a better place when we die. If, urn, if this man--"

"Q."

"Q?"

"Yes. Thaf s all we ever called him.

Darvi's nod was decisive. "If Q accepted God's g ft to

him, then yes, I think he's in a better place."

Cassy saw what she had done. Rather than start a

debate about what she believed, Darvi had very neatly put

the responsibility on Q.

And where else should it be? Cassy asked herself, knowing

that the same reasoning applied to her own heart.

Cassy suddenly looked to Darvi and found anxious

eyes studying her.

"You've given me something to think about, Darvi."

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"I don't want to overburden you when you're hurting,

Cassy. I honestly don't."

"It's all right"

Darvi wasn't sure that Cassy's words matched her eyes,