A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (3 page)

It won't take a month, but it should put you closer to home

where you can go and lie low until the end of September."

Dakota was not the least bit interested in lying low, but

he figured once he'd done the personal favor, he could talk

Brace around.

"Whaf s the favor?" he asked, knowing it didn't matter;

he would do whatever Brace needed.

"Can you escort my niece to Stillwater?"

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"Darvi?" Dakota guessed, knowing she used to visit

every summer. He'd even met her one year.

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"Yes. A friend of hers moved, and she wants to see her."

"Certainly. When does she want to leave?"

"Probably next week, but 111 ask her."

Dakota nodded.

"And until then," Brace said unyieldingly, "you can just

enjoy the sights of Austin. If I see you working, I'll shoot

you myself."

Dakota knew he had no choice, but he didn't like it

Fighting the urge to say more, he stood.

I'm headed to get a bath."

"All right. Why don't you come to dinner some night?

You name the day."

Dakota nodded. 'Ill get back to you."

Brace watched him leave, looking for signs of injury. He

wouldn't have admitted it for the world, but it looked to

him as though Dakota was right: He was ready to come

back to work.

%r%r$ff

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Darvi's attempt to find an escort to Stillwater was

proving fruitless. For a time she had traversed the streets

of Austin, hoping to find an advertisement or anything that

might indicate a guide service, but she knew such possibilities

were remote.

From her place in Austin's reading room, Darvi looked

out the window and told herself this was not going to

work. But I don't know what else to do, she then answered

herself. I can't exactly walk the streets looking for a man to

hire--Uncle Marty would have a fit. But I'm feeling just about

that desperate.

Just about ready to give up and open a book that had

caught her eye when she came in, she spotted him. Darvi

was willing to bet her grandmother's inheritance that he

was a Ranger. She'd certainly spent enough time around

A Texas Sty 19

her uncle to spot the type. Not even remembering to

replace the book to the shelf, Darvi came to her feet as

gracefully as speed would allow and made a beeline for the

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door.

Dakota knew he was being followed, but he wasn't

overly concerned. After all, the streets were fairly crowded

and the bathhouse was on a main street. Still, there was no

doubt that he heard footsteps that matched his own. And

unless he missed his guess, it was the light tread of a

woman. He let it go a few seconds longer before stopping

and slowly turning around. Sure enough, about ten yards

behind him, a woman stopped as well.

"Did you need something?" he asked politely, removing

his hat

"No," she answered softly, but everything in her voice

and manner said the opposite.

"Are you all right?"

This time she only nodded and looked away, dearly

embarrassed.

Dakota studied her for a moment, replaced his hat, and

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turned back on his way. He nearly shook his head when

she continued behind him.

Thinking she was simply going his way, and not

wanting to make her feel awkward, he left it alone. Not

until he was ready to walk up the steps of the bathhouse

did he let himself look again. What he saw stopped him.

The woman--quite pretty he could see from this distance --was even closer and staring right at him.

"Are you certain you're all right?"

"You are a Texas Ranger, aren't you?" the woman suddenly

blurted.

"Yes, ma'am. Is there something I can do?"

Dakota watched her composure slip a little more before

she visibly gathered her courage and went on.

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*

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"Do your duties happen to take you into the hills Very

often?"

"The hills, ma'am?" Dakota asked, completely at sea.

"Yes. I have a need to go to Stillwater, and I'm looking

'for someone to escort me."

Dakota had all he could do not to react, asking himself

if this could actually be Darvi. Gone was the child he'd met

years ago, and Dakota was left wondering how long it had

been.

"You see," she tried again, this time catching herself and

now standing like a woman in command, "if s rather

important that I go to Stillwater. I'm terribly sorry to accost

you on the street in this way, but I thought if you were to

be traveling in those parts, I could accompany you and

give my family ease about my travel."

Dakota was on the verge of telling her exactly who he

was and that he had already been asked to see her there

when gunshots were fired down the street.

"Will you excuse me a moment?" he said to the woman

without hesitation as he turned and ran that way.

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Gun pulled and ready, Dakota hurried toward the

sound, which took him between two buildings and onto a

side street. He heard shouting as he moved and sure

enough, as soon as he spotted the commotion, which

appeared to be a woman with a shotgun, he also spotted

two officers. Even though the woman still had the gun, the

men seemed to have the situation under control. Glad not

to be pressed into duty just then, Dakota holstered his

weapon and walked back toward the bathhouse.

Long before Dakota reached his destination, he could

see that the street was empty. He debated getting back to

Brace right then so that he could get word to his niece, but

a sjfark of mischief lit inside him. He would certainly have

to let Brace know that he would be coming for dinner. The

sooner the better.

^

W

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dakota thought he might be more comfortable at the

boardinghouse, but if he wasn't going to be working for

another month, he would have to be a little careful with

his money for a time. That determined, he rolled out his

bedding and prepared to sleep under the stars for the fifth

night in a row. He could have made it to Austin in less

time, but he'd taken it slow. As he now shifted around for

a position that would not aggravate his wounds, he knew

why.

I may not be as ready for this as I thought, he told the Lord.

I was pretty upset that Brace didn't want me back right now, but

I think You must have had a hand in that.

For a moment Dakota lay very still and wondered at

tfiis miracle that had happened in his heart. He knew God

could have closed the book on him so easily; his wounds

still ached in reminder, but here he was, alive and able to

do things differently.

How many people get a second chance? J don't know why You

think me worth it, but I'm grateful, God--more grateful than I

can say.

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Hot days on the trail were catching up to him. Dakota fell

asleep still praying for his parents' salvation and then for

Desmond and Geneva, asking God to help him remember

all the things they had shared with him.

21

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^*3^^I

have a surprise for you," Brace told Darvi on Saturday

as they sat down to lunch.

"What is it?" Darvi asked, trying to show interest when

all she could do was think about her friend. She could

write, she realized, but it wouldn't be the same.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise."

Darvi didn't like surprises, and she suspected her uncle

knew this.

"Just give me a hint."

"All right. Let's just say that someone is coming for

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dinner tonight."

Suddenly things made sense. Milly, the woman who

kept house for her uncle a few days a week and started his

meals, had put a large roast in to bake that morning. With

Darvi in the house, she had been leaving a little earlier in

the day, giving the young woman leave to change anything

she wanted on the menu. But today she had told Darvi

exactly how she wanted the meat finished and what she'd

wanted to go with it

"Someone as in a family? Or someone as in one

person?"

"I think I've told you enough."

"A man or a woman?"

Brace went on eating.

"What if I have plans for the night?" Darvi now tried.

"What would you say to that?"

"I'd say I'm surprised. I thought you were here to visit

me."

Her sharp tongue getting her into trouble in the usual

way, Darvi didn't reply.

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"I think that might be why I'm confused about your

being in such a hurry to rush off to see Merry. You only just

got here."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Marty," Darvi whispered in true

repentance, her heart seeing how insensitive she had been.

A Texas Sky 23

"Oh, Darv," he laughed, "I'm just teasing you. You

know I would wish for you to go. I'd take you myself if it

were possible."

Darvi smiled at the warmth in his tone, but her head

was having a little talk with her heart

You're going to have to drop it, Darvi. He's right about this.

You came to see him. Now accept that and enjoy your visit here.

Not one to feel sorry for herself, Darvi forced herself to accept the situation. She would write to Merry in the morning and be done with this plan.

SgrS^

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"You look like a pincushion," the doctor said mildly as

he examined Dakota's torso. "Oh, yes, I see what you

mean. This one is rather red and nasty."

Dakota took a breath as the man probed around his side

but didn't cry out as he was tempted. He'd woken that

morning feeling warm and uncomfortable and knew it was

more than the weather. He'd tried to ignore it for most of

the day, but the pain had grown worse. With just two hours

before he had to be at Brace's for dinner, he stopped in to

see the doctor.

"I've got some powder I want you to put on this, and

sleep on your other side for a while."

Dakota nodded, not bothering to mention that he'd

been shot in the upper arm on the other side. It wasn't any

wonder that sleeping without a mattress was fitful these

nights.

"If you don't see vast improvement by Monday, get

back in here."

"All right. What do I owe you?"

The doctor named a price so low that Dakota looked at

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him.

"My nephew's a Ranger," the man said with a sigh.

"You're a breed apart--there's no denying that."

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Dakota smiled a little and thanked the man. Once outside,