City Girl (21 page)

Cash stood, bent over the bedridden woman, and kissed her brow.

“Good night, Kate.”

“Good night, Cash.”

Cash opened the closet door again and then made his way from the room and up the stairway, thinking that his own bed was never going to feel so good. And he was right. Much as he was thankful for an opportunity to pray with Katy, knowing she was thinking about God, he could not stay awake to give it much contemplation.

“Did I see Reagan at the church party?” Brenda asked of her husband the morning after he arrived home. He had surprised her by coming in very late on Thursday night when she hadn't expected him until Friday.

“I don't know,” Brad said. “Did you?”

“I thought I did. Did you happen to notice her?”

Brad smiled, his eyes flirting with hers.

“You're the only woman I notice.”

Brenda shook her head. “When I start believing that, Bradley Johns, it'll be a cold day in August.”

Brad only laughed.

“Why did you want to know?”

“Because I'll go over and give Reagan a break with Katy if she wants to attend church.”

“It's only been a few days, Bren,” he said out of genuine concern for his wife's current condition. “I mean, it's a nice thought, but you're tired yourself these days.”

“Nevertheless...” she said pointedly, hands going to her waist. Brad raised his own hands in surrender.

“You do whatever you think is best. I'll be talking to Cash about what he wants done on the ranch, but if you want to help out on Sunday, I'll watch the girls.”

Smiling with pleasure, Brenda slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Brad found himself rather glad he'd agreed.

“How does Doc say she's doing?” Brad asked of Cash later that same morning.

“He says she'll be all right if she keeps still.”

Brad's brows rose.

“I know,” Cash said, having read the foreman's mind. “We're doing all we can.”

“What can I do?”

“Take care of the ranch.”

Brad nodded, not surprised, and more than willing and capable. The foreman was about to ask some detailed questions when Reagan came through the kitchen door, set the tray down very hard on the table, and turned to both men, eyes blazing.

“There is
nothing
wrong with this food.”

“Did Katy say there was?”

Reagan's voice grew tight with sarcasm.

“This isn't the way she bakes her bread. She likes a firmer loaf.”

With a hand to his employer's arm, Brad went on his way. Cash waved him off and then went to the tray.

“Is this the same bread that I had for breakfast?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I thought it tasted fine, very good even.”

“But my patient doesn't.”

Cash nodded, looking down into her flushed face. She was awfully easy on the eyes, especially when the color was high in her cheeks.

“I'll tell you what, Reagan,” he said quickly to get his mind back on the business at hand. “When she gets hungry enough, she'll eat. Just give her a little time.”

Reagan sighed. “The last thing you need me to do is get upset at her.” She glanced up at him. “If I'm not careful, you'll have two unreasonable females on your hands.”

Cash's smile seemed to say
I'm not too worried about it.

“You don't upset easily, do you, Cash?” Reagan couldn't help but ask.

“Not as a rule.”

“How have the two of you worked together all these years?”

Cash smiled again but didn't answer.

“Well, I'll try again.” Reagan picked up the tray and went back to work. Cash told her he'd be in the office and left her on her own.

Reagan heard him go and thought that if she wasn't careful she could become very depressed. She was a people person. She liked to take care of things, and under all her bravado was pleased when folks were happy. Katy's dislike of the bread she made every day was a little hard to take.

But she still has to eat, and you've got to feed her.

This little pep talk over, Reagan started on another meal.

“Cash,” Brenda called when she spotted him outside. Both of her girls were healthy again and back in school. Brenda had appreciated her husband's concern for her, but she was feeling fine and very much wanted to help Katy, who had helped them out so many times in the past.

“How are you, Brenda?” Cash asked as the two covered the distance and met between the two houses.

“I'm doing well. How's Katy this morning?”

“I think she's already tired of that bed. She wasn't too happy with what was on her breakfast tray, so Reagan was going to try again.”

“I'm glad I caught you then, because I wanted to tell you that if you and Reagan want to go to church on Sunday morning, I'll stay with Katy.”

“That would be great, Brenda. Thank you,” Cash said with genuine relief. He had been thinking on that very problem as he wondered whether he should offer a wagon to Reagan so she could attend or simply go without her. This solution allowed him to go no matter what she wanted. “I'll let her know of the offer, and one of us will get back to you.”

“All right. Or if Reagan just needs some time off, please come and tell me, Cash. Brad is rather fussy about me right now, but I'm sure I could give Reagan a half day's break with no problem, especially if the girls are home from school. They can always cheer Katy up.”

“Thank you, Brenda. How are the girls, by the way?”

“Doing well. Robin's cold was nothing serious. I think she might have been a little worked up about her father's trip.”

Cash smiled in compassion, albeit a bit distractedly, and Brenda said goodbye, sensing his need to get back to work.

“Thanks again, Brenda.”

“You're welcome.”

Cash moved to go on his way but ended up just walking back to the house. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much on his mind. He'd been headed somewhere when Brenda stopped him, and right now he couldn't recall what his destination had been. It didn't help to walk in the front door and hear Katy yelling. Cash figured that Reagan was tied up somewhere, so he rushed to her aid.

To his surprise and dismay, Reagan was standing at the foot of the bed, taking Katy's ill humor with a placid face.

“What in the world, Katy?” Cash began.

“She won't do it!” Katy nearly shouted. She was puce in color, her eyes bulging with rage. She looked as if her heart could fail at any moment. “I'm telling her she has to start in the office, and she won't go!”

“Please calm down,” Cash began, trying not to think about how many weeks they had to go.

“But she won't listen. Did you hire her to take care of things or not?”

Cash knew right then that all those years of ignoring Katy's moods had been a mistake. He had let Katy have run of the house—much as his mother had—and now it was coming around to haunt him. He had never wanted to be too hard on her when she bossed him and everyone else. Indeed, it was something of a joke around the ranch, even with the woman herself, but now he could see that he'd not done any of them favors by letting it continue.

If he hadn't been afraid she might try to get out of that bed and hurt herself worse in the process, Cash might have called Reagan from the room and left Katy to stew in her own juices. Right now he didn't want to take the chance.

“Please explain to me exactly what you want Reagan to do.”

“Your office!”

Cash paused and nearly shook his head. Katy had been on the verge of hysterics over his office not getting cleaned? Knowing that he had to get more sleep this night, Cash worked to question her calmly.

“What about my office?”

“It's got to be cleaned! She has to go over every shelf and
book.”

Cash turned to Reagan, whose eyes gave nothing away but whose face was pale.

“And is there a reason you don't want to do that?”

“You said that Katy's needs came first, and she still hasn't eaten a thing today.” Reagan gestured rather helplessly with her hands. “That and the fact you've been trying to work in there.”

With sudden clarity of thought, Cash turned stern eyes to Katy and knew that he was long overdue in explaining some things to his housekeeper.

“What gives you the right to put us all through this?”

Katy blinked in surprise. Cash's voice was utterly normal, but his words were astounding.

“Reagan comes out with her bicycle to give you a good time, you get hurt, and now you somehow think you have the right to make all of us fit into your agenda. I couldn't be more sorry that you got hurt, Katy. I wish it had been me. But it hasn't even been 48 hours, and you're doing everything in your power to make us all miserable.”

Katy was still silent with shock.

“If you don't want anything to eat, that's fine, but Reagan isn't here to listen to you rant and rave. From now on, whatever you tell her to do, she'll do, even if you lie there and starve, but not once will you raise your voice to her or be disrespectful in any way. Do I make myself clear?”

The housekeeper was too shocked to answer, and Cash's mouth tightened in anger.

“I said, do I make myself clear?”

Katy could only nod.

Cash turned to Reagan now, not caring that it was right in front of Katy.

“You're here, Reagan, because you feel guilty. You're here because you think this is all your fault, and I understand and appreciate that, but no one should have to put up with what Katy is handing out. I'll understand if you want to move back to town. I'll even take you. Just say the word, and I'll find someone else.”

“No, it's all right,” Reagan responded, swiftly shaking her head. It had been a terrible scene to witness, and she just wanted to get away and be alone with her thoughts, but she made herself stay and listen. After all, this was her fault. “I'll be all right. As soon as you're done in your office, I'll start in there.”

“Fine. I'm headed to the barn, so you go right ahead.”

Cash left without another word.

Reagan was left alone with the bedridden woman.

“I'll just be across the way in the office, Katy. Call if you need me.”

Still feeling very awkward about the entire scene, Reagan had not actually looked Katy in the eye as she said this, so she didn't notice whether the other woman nodded or acknowledged her in the least. Either way she was glad to escape. She was so tense she thought she might burst.

Dusting cloths and broom in hand, Reagan entered Cash's office a few minutes later and, at a first glance, could not find a speck of dust. Nevertheless, she got to work, thinking that when she was done, the room would never have been so clean.