A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (24 page)

were helping their mother bake a cake, and to get out of the

house and away from Seth's watchful eyes, Darvi had volunteered

to get the eggs. It hadn't made any difference.

Seth tagged along right behind her, even though she had

let him have a good piece of her mind that morning over

her captivity.

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"I don't heed help getting eggs, Seth," Darvi said as she

turned her back and walked away from him.

"You never know," he replied, bringing up the rear with

this assurance. "Some of those hens can be pretty feisty."

Darvi didn't answer, but Seth didn't care--4ie much preferred

her to be like this. When she got all quiet and sad, he had to make himself continue with his plan. When she was fiery and told him what for, he knew he'd never let her go.

He was still shaking his head a^out how he'd found her.

Never in his life had he imagined such a woman existed.

Never had he known such a mix of fire and uncertainty. He

knew he would love her for the rest of his life.

"And why don't you just tell me," Darvi suddenly spun

and demanded, "just what is it you do for this Jared Silk?"

Seth shrugged. "Whatever he needs."

"Like what?"

"Oh, a little of this and a little of that."

Her arms crossed again. "I hope you know that was

ridiculously vague."

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"Was it?"

Darvi's eyes narrowed. "It's rude to answer a question

with a question."

Seth stopped just short of saying, "Is it?"

"Go ahead and ask me about my work/' Seth encouraged

her. "I'll try to answer."

This took Darvi by surprise. She didn't want to get close

to this man. Her chin rising, she laid it on the line.

"No matter how you answer me, if s not going to stop

my wanting to leave."

"I understand that. Go ahead and ask."

"Is he a banker?"

"Yes."

"Why would a banker want you to take a woman from

the train unless he's hiding something? What gives either

one of you the right to do such a thing?"

Knowing she wouldn't like the answer, Seth hesitated.

Jared's view--as well as his own--was that a man did

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what he had to do. Seth knew he didn't look the part of a

criminal, and rarely did he use the word to describe himself,

but deep in his heart Seth Redding knew what he was.

He also knew that wherever Darvi Wingate was from, she

did not socialize with people who considered themselves

above the law. Not having Jared here to defend himself,

Seth let him take the heat.

"Jared feels that sometimes we do what we have to do.

If s not too much more complicated than that"

"Not complicated?" Darvi said in disbelief, her mouth

open. "You step in and turn people's worlds upside down,

and I'm supposed to see that as simple?"

Seth had nothing to say. He hadn't expected her to

respond like that and knew anything he might tell her just

now was only going to push her further away. He was glad

when she turned again for the barn. He hadn't liked the

little shake of her head, the one that said she was offended by his actions, but at least he didn't have to explain himself anymore.

Quite suddenly he found himself wishing he had let her

gather eggs on her own.

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*3'"'3'"'3r

It didn't take long to see that the redheaded woman was

well known and liked in Aurora. Dakota kept his distance

behind both the woman, who now walked alone, and the

man who followed her from the hotel, but he still thought

he caught a name now and again.

Ann Bell. Dakota was certain he had heard right. He had

stopped in front of the bank--looking for all the world as

though he was window shopping--and was quite sure this

was what people were calling her. Neither she nor the man

stopped near the bank, but Dakota had caught up a little

too swiftly He took his time fixing his boot, hoping no one

was onto him, and in less than a minute was on the move

again.

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His work paid off. The woman went into the newspaper

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office, and the man took up a position to watch everything

that went on behind the large front window of the

building. Dakota could see that even a rear exit would be

detected. Dakota decided to go for his horse. The woman

was distinct enough that he'd be able to describe her to the

sheriff and get some answers, but the man was another

story. If the man sat all afternoon and watched the news

office, Dakota would regret retrieving Eli, but if he made a

big move, Dakota wanted his horse.

Knowing that the man could be long gone before he

returned, Dakota nevertheless fetched Eli, tied him in the

alley, and went back to stalking the stalker. As Dakota

watched him, he felt a grudging admiration. The man was

cool, very cool. When a lady passed, be she 15 or 50, he

raised his hat and gave a polite bow. He didn't appear to

be observing anyone, but he keenly noted any activity

involving the door of the news office.

Dakota was beginning to think that the life of a detective

was a curse. His restless limbs were begging to move

when the man consulted his pocket watch and walked

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down the street. Dakota left Eli where he was and moved

just enough to watch the man enter the Aurora Bank.

Dakota wondered how long he could take the inactivity.

He knew very well that the man could leave out the back

somewhere and he would never be the wiser. Heavily

exhaling with relief, Dakota noticed the man had reappeared

and was headed into the very livery where Dakota

had boarded his horse. Dakota moved again, this time to

mount up and be ready. Again, his patience paid off.

Coming from the livery on a fine animal--a city horse,

as Rangers thought of them--the man rode south down the

main street of town. He was not a short man, and his horse

was of a size that made it easy to track. Dakota was careful

to look disinterested as the man hit the edge of town and

kept right on moving. He never picked up the pace but

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rode easily, his attitude that of a man without a care in the

world.

Down the road some five miles, Dakota watched the

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rider calmly turn down a well-worn side road. Dakota kept

his eyes forward and allowed Eli to plod along, but only

until a group of trees hid him from view, whereupon he

doubled back through the woods, working to gauge just

where the man might be headed.

Long before he was close enough to see anything,

Dakota heard cattle. Only a few hours of dayligm were left,

so he moved swiftly along, dodging branches and low

limbs in an attempt to see where the man might have gone.

It took some doing. While still trying to stay out of sight, he

made occasional visits to the edge of the tree line and

checked the view. At last he saw something just at the edge

of a barn. A few more feet and maybe...

Dakota stood and stared. In a remarkably picturesque

setting sat a large, low farmhouse and a huge barn. The

buildings were in fine condition, and as he watched, it

looked as though a child was running in the yard, a little

girl with flowing blonde hair.

Tying Eli up the hillside a bit, Dakota dug his field

glasses from his saddlebags and climbed a tree. With

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enough light to still see things clearly, he methodically

went over every building and scrap of ground. No one was

visible until a man emerged from what appeared to be a

bunkhouse to throw out a pail of water. An outhouse stood

beyond that structure, as did one for the main house.

Dakota was in the process of planning how to get into

the barn when he saw her. The hair was the first thing to

catch his eye, and then the field glasses did the rest. Never

taking his eyes from her, Dakota watched Darvi stand at

the corner of the porch, her gaze locked on the road that led

to the ranch. A moment or two passed before she looped an

arm around the porch support and leaned there.

Dakota was still watching when the little blonde girl

appeared, held something out for Darvi to see, and then

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took her hand to lead her back inside. Dakota scanned

the windows of the house but saw no sign of life. Shaking

just a little, the big man climbed from the tree and moved

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to Eli. Once next to the horse, his arm went across the

saddle and he buried his face. A sob broke in his chest as

he prayed.

You knew she was here; You knew. Please help me. Please let

me rescue this woman before she comes to any more harm, I want

to ride down there and take her and defy anyone to stop me, but

something isn't right here. I've got to go slow and use my head.

Dakota took some moments to compose himself before

climbing back up into the tree. He watched until darkness

filled the sky but caught no further sight of anyone he

could be certain was Darvi. The decision to camp in the

woods was no decision at all. Scouting the area for safety

and privacy, Dakota settled down early. He didn't dare

light a fire and was glad he'd eaten a large lunch, but in

fact, his stomach was not really on his mind.

Not interested in lying down right away, he sat for a

long time in the dark and thought about what might have

gone on at the ranch. It seemed a good sign that at least one

child appeared to live in the house. That didn't mean the

adults in the situation could be trusted, but the child

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appeared happy and carefree as she played. And at least

from a distance, Darvi looked all right. Dakota was

thankful for that much, but he knew even without getting

closer that she didn't want to be there. And for that reason

alone he was intent on getting her out just as soon as he

could manage it

It was well and truly late by the time Dakota sought his

rest, but it was a peaceful sleep. He hadn't been able to read

his Bible, but he prayed off and on for hours. He also fell

asleep with a plan. He would put it into action in the

morning.

"S'srS-

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Darvi groaned a little as she bent over to pick up the

spoon she'd just dropped. Nate had finished his breakfast

but not cleared his place. Darvi stooped, and sticky as the

utensil was, she managed only to lose it again.

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"You sound stiff," Cassy commented.

"lam."

"Is it your mattress?"

"It might be/' Darvi guessed, not having thought of it.

"Nate slept on that one for a time and said it was a bit

lumpy."