City Girl (27 page)

“Not much, but I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I'm tired too, but then we both knew I would be. How is Katy, by the way?”

“She's coming along. It's hard to be in that bed all day, but she's coping.”

“I thought she'd be verbally tearing the house down.”

“She started out that way, but there's been a change in her.”

“Good. Do they give you any time off?”

Reagan smiled. “I have as many days off as you gave me.”

Sally had a good laugh over this, and both women saw Cash come in the front.

“I just wanted to tell you I'd be at the livery,” he told her as he started to turn away.

Reagan stopped him.

“Cash. I don't want to leave Brenda alone too long.”

Cash waved in understanding and went on his way.

Reagan would have enjoyed going to see Holly, but she still had to get the candy her boss liked.

“I'd better go.”

“Are you and Cash starting to get along?” Sally asked suddenly.

Reagan frowned at her. “We've always gotten along.”

Sally only nodded, her face impassive. She thought the relationship was changing, but maybe she was wrong. Then again, she figured she might be right and Reagan didn't see it.

“Take care,” Sally said, not bothering to answer the question that was still in Reagan's face.

“All right. You do the same.”

Reagan went on her way but wondered what might have come over Sally. She dismissed it before she reached Reynold's, however, where she made her purchase and was the first one back to the wagon. Cash was just behind her, and in good time they were on their way.

“Was I hard to get along with before?” Reagan asked Cash out of the blue; they hadn't even cleared downtown.

“Before?”

“Before I came to Christ.”

“Not really hard to get along with, Reagan, but a little closed off to certain topics.”

“So you didn't find me rude?”

“No.”

Reagan sat staring straight ahead, and after a moment Cash glanced at her profile.

“Did I say something that made you think that?” he asked after a time.

“No, but Sally said something about our getting along, and I thought we always had.”

“Ahh.”

Now it was Reagan's turn to look at Cash.

“What did ‘ahh' mean?”

At first Cash didn't answer, but Reagan continued to look at him.

“I'm afraid, Reagan, that people are going to talk. They're going to see us together and make wrong assumptions.”

Reagan took no time to catch on. She thought Sally would have known better, but clearly she'd misjudged her. And because Reagan wasn't a woman who went in for coyness and flirtations, she came right out with her feelings on the matter.

“You don't make wrong assumptions about us, do you, Cash?”

“No, ma'am, I don't,” he told her, his voice as it always was.

Reagan sighed with relief, not caring if she was heard or not. The last thing she needed was her boss mooning over her. If he started that—Katy or not—Reagan would be on her way.

Reagan's mind was still on the matter—that is, men in general and their relationship to women—when she and Cash pulled down the long driveway, and for that reason she knew without having to be told why their wagon was met by three cowhands.

“Hello, boys,” Cash greeted them as he pulled up.

All three men had removed their hats, but the tallest of the three stepped forward to speak.

“When we realized that you hadn't assigned anyone to go to town with Miss Sullivan, we thought you might want help with the unloading.”

“Well, boys, that's right kind of you. Miss Sullivan can tell you where things go.”

The pointed look Reagan gave Cash was rewarded only with a smile.

“I'll just go in and check on Katy and tell Brenda she can go.”

“Thank you,” Reagan told him, her eyes saying otherwise.

As soon as Cash left, two of the hands came forward to help her down, but Reagan told them she could manage. When she caught sight of one trying to get a glimpse of her ankles, she became all businesslike. In a matter of minutes the job was done, and the men were thanked and sent on their way.

“Did you give them cookies?” Katy asked when Reagan told her of the episode.

“They weren't looking for cookies,” Reagan stated in no uncertain terms, and Katy chuckled.

“You can laugh all you want, Katy, but I could have done without them.”

Cash, who had just entered the room, exchanged a look with Katy, both sets of eyes holding laughter.

“So how was Lavinia?”

“She misses you and sent you some powder.”

“Now wasn't that nice! What scent?”

“Wildflower, I think.”

“Mmmm…” Katy showed her appreciation after Reagan had handed her the tin and she had opened it enough to get a whiff. “Who else did you see in town?”

“Before Reagan fills you in,” Cash inserted, “I saw Pastor at the livery, and he wanted to know if the three of us are planning to have a Bible study together. I told him we hadn't gotten that far.”

“I want to,” Reagan said without hesitation. While reading her Bible that morning, she'd had several questions.

“I do too,” Katy added.

“All right. We'll start this week. How's Thursday night—in here after dinner?”

“What will we study?” Katy wished to know.

“I'm not sure just yet. Do you have an interest?”

Katy looked thoughtful. “I missed some of the work Pastor Ellis did on God's promises. Can we go over that?”

“Sure. Is that going to work for you, Reagan?”

“Anything,” she told him. “I feel completely lost in the Bible.”

“Okay. Thursday night it is.”

Cash went on his way, and Reagan turned to Katy.

“Did you talk to him about your doubts?”

“No, because I remembered what he would say.”

“What would he say?”

“That all feelings have to follow the truth of Scripture. If I don't feel saved, but I know in my heart that I took care of things between God the Father and me, then I'm saved forever.”

“You know so much, Katy,” Reagan said in amazement. “How do you know so much?”

Katy did not look pleased. “I sat in that church just trying to be good enough to get God's notice without admitting that His way was the only way He would accept.
I did my level best not to listen, but a few things got in!”

Reagan bit her lip in an effort not to laugh, but it didn't work. A giggle slipped out and then another.

Just realizing what she'd said, Katy began to laugh as well. Before many moments passed, the two of them were having a loud session of laughter and giggles.

Across the way, Cash sat in his office and listened. He was in the midst of trying to catch up on his correspondence, but for a time he couldn't lift the pen. This miracle that had happened in his own household was just too big to take in.

One week and six days after Katy was hurt, Dakota and Slater Rawlings rode up the drive to the ranch. They hadn't planned on arriving together but had met up on the road and come in at the same time. It had been a good time to catch up as Dakota had taken a new job, but both men were preoccupied with the news about Katy. She was not a young woman anymore, as they knew all too well.

Dakota and Slater quickened their pace when the ranch house came into view, but a scene in front of the house— Cash and a young woman arguing—caused them to finish the ride very slowly. When they got close enough, they saw that a contraption stood between the warring couple—one they'd both seen in St. Louis but never in Texas.

“Why have you brought me out here?” Reagan asked loudly enough for the visiting Rawlingses to hear. “And why do you have my bike out?”

“I want you to go for a ride.”

“To town?”

“No. Just for pleasure.”

“Why?”

“You need a break.”

Reagan's hands came up.

“I have work to do, Cash.”

“It can wait. Get on the bike.”

“What if Katy needs me?”

“I'll keep an eye on her. Get on the bike.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“No, it's not. What's ridiculous is that you haven't had a moment to yourself since Katy fell, and I know you love to ride. Now get on the bike.”

“Stop saying that.”

“As soon as you get on the bike, I will.”

With eyes that told him she thought him demented, Reagan took the bicycle handles and, with the ease of breathing, hopped on and began to ride. Planning to keep it short, she started around the house, fully intending to stay in the barnyard.

“Make it a long one,” Cash called after her, “or I'll send you out again.”

Not until that was settled and Reagan was riding out of sight did Cash look up to see his brothers. They were both smiling hugely, and Cash shook his head, not looking forward to explaining the situation to the two men with the Cheshire cat smiles.

“Well, now,” Dakota began. “Who was that?”

“You can get that gleam out of your eye, Dak. It's not what you think.”

“What do we think?” Slater asked, smile still in place as he dismounted, went forward, and hugged his oldest brother.

Dakota was next, and the middle brother's mouth was opening to say more when he spotted Reagan again on the bike. His gaze drew the others, and for a moment all three watched as she made a wide circle by the barn and headed once again toward the back of the house, looking for all the world as though she was having the time of her life. Dakota finally spoke when she disappeared.

“Is that the woman from town? The one in the letter?”

“Yes. Her name is Reagan Sullivan.”

“A woman who owns her own bicycle, Cash,” Dakota said, eyes hopeful. “Just the kind of girl you need. Any chance she's a believer?”

Cash had all he could do not to shake his head. Since their marriages, his brothers had one thing on their minds: to see him married as well.

“Well?” Slater put in now. “Is she?”

“As of about nine days ago, yes.”

“She's not taken, is she?”

“You two take the cake, you know that? I strongly suspect you're here for Katy, but all you want to know is whether or not I've found someone to marry.”

The younger brothers' faces became very sober, and Cash saw in an instant that he should not have teased them.

“Come on in,” he said. “Katy will be surprised speechless.”

“How is she, Cash?” Slater said seriously. “I mean, really?”

Cash smiled, absolutely delighted to be able to say, “I'll let her tell you herself.”

Sixteen

“T
HAT WAS JUST WHAT
I
NEEDED
!” Reagan announced as she spotted Cash in Katy's room, rushing in before seeing that they had guests. “At first I thought you needed your head checked, but then I just—” Reagan came to an abrupt and awkward halt. Two men were in the room, both cowboys, and Reagan had interrupted.

“I'm sorry,” she said as she began backing toward the door. “I'm sorry,” she said even more softly before anyone could speak.

“Come in, Reagan.” Katy's voice stopped her; she had never heard her so excited. “These are my other two boys!”

Reagan looked to Cash.

“My brothers,” he supplied. “Dakota and Slater, I'd like to introduce you to Reagan Sullivan.”

“Hello,” Reagan greeted them, still embarrassed. The men were perfect gentlemen, however, and came forward to shake her hand, neither one seeming the least bit put out.

“It's a pleasure,” Dakota said, his smile genuine.

“Cash and Katy have been telling us about all you do. We can't thank you enough.”

This had come from Slater, and Reagan blinked in surprise. She had known that Cash was a gentleman, but three in the same family was almost too hard to believe. And they were all so different in appearance!

“You're not from Texas, are you?” Dakota now asked, his voice a deep drawl.

Reagan smiled. “How could you tell?”

“No one else here rides a bicycle.”

Reagan couldn't help but laugh at that; she knew it was probably true. But as much as the men genuinely seemed to enjoy her company, Reagan wanted to leave them on their own. If the light in Katy's eyes was any indication, she was near to bursting with pleasure over having them there.

“I've got some things to do in the kitchen,” she said, backing toward the door. “I'll see you at dinner.”

“Thank you, Reagan,” Cash said, even as he hoped she wasn't leaving for another reason. He had caught a glimpse of vulnerability in her face, something he was not accustomed to seeing in Reagan. It left him uncertain about how to respond.

Reagan was feeling very much the way Cash had guessed. She knew that she was still needed, but interfering with this family reunion was the last thing she wanted. Katy needed to see “her boys” on her own. And too, she just hadn't spent much time with families. She thought that Russell and Holly's family was unusually close, but now she was seeing it again in Cash and his brothers.