City Girl (3 page)

“How are you, Libby?” Virginia asked as soon as she returned from meeting with the dressmaker. Virginia's dress was done, but she had caught some of the excitement that surrounded this wedding and had gone in person to make sure it was being delivered that very day as promised.

Having removed her hat and gloves, she now came over to hug the younger woman and kiss her cheek. “I'm sorry I wasn't here when you came down.”

“That's fine. I'm feeling much better, thank you. I had a good breakfast, and I just came back from a walk.”

“Did Slater go with you?”

“No, a message came for Dak, so he went to Darvi's to deliver it.”

Virginia took a seat but didn't bother to get comfortable.

“At moments like this, I wonder if any of us are going to survive this.”

Liberty smiled with compassion. “When we went to dinner the other night, Darvi told us her mother wanted her to have a wedding she would never forget.”

Virginia's eyes rolled. “She's sure to have that, and if it will keep peace in the family, then it's worth it.”

Liberty didn't comment but was well aware of the story. Liberty also knew that at times Dakota found
his
mother rather stubborn on issues she felt were important. Virginia Rawlings was not as worried about St. Louis' opinion as Darvi's mother seemed to be, but when it came to spiritual truths, she was almost stiff with fear and pride. Mr. Rawlings had been more open, and the discussions with his sons had given them great hope, but Virginia still seemed to be digging her heels in on the subject. So much so, in fact, that Dakota had told Cash and Slater,
If it wasn't for Mother's hesitance, I think Father would have come to Christ by now. He won't have anyone to blame if he waits too long, but I do think Mother is holding him back.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Liberty asked, even as she prayed for Slater's parents.

“I can't think of anything just now. Be sure you get your dress to Winnie so she can press it for you.”

“She came for it yesterday.”

“Oh, that's right. I saw it in the back hallway. It's beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

Virginia sighed. “I've got so many lists in my head, I can't keep track.”

One of the staff came to the door just then with a question for the lady of the house. Virginia stood as she answered, moving toward the doorway, but then remembered her daughter-in-law.

“Oh, Libby, how rude of me to leave like this, but the truth is, I'm going to be so busy today. Are you going to
feel terribly neglected, dear?”

“Not at all, Mrs. Rawlings. Slater and his grandmother have plans this afternoon to show me where she used to live. Darvi and I will see you at dinner tonight,” Liberty reminded her. “Your sons are going out on their own.”

“I'd forgotten about that,” she said with a laugh. “Look out, St. Louis!”

“Do you remember the time you tried to hide from Father in a stall full of hay?” Dakota asked Slater that evening.

The three Rawlings brothers were in a small St. Louis dining establishment. Their table was quiet, as was the rest of the place, and the smells coming from the kitchen told them their father's recommendation had been a good one.

“How could I forget?” said the youngest brother, shaking his head at the memory. “I still have the scars from that pitchfork I never saw coming.”

“I came into the house and thought you were dead,” Cash added. “All because Dak stood in the hallway and howled all the way through the doctor's examination of you.”

Dakota shook his head and smiled. “I hated the pain of one of Father's spankings, and I thought a pitchfork in the seat must have been a hundred times worse.”

“At least I didn't get both,” Slater added.

“He wouldn't have done that,” Cash added with confidence. “I heard him and Mother in the kitchen later. He was too shaken up about the blood all over your pants.”

Cash suddenly looked at Slater. “What had you done?”

“Ridden Father's horse after I'd been told not to. I thought Father had gone to town, but when I came past the pond, I saw him headed into the barn. He came out a second later shouting my name, and I knew I'd been caught. He wasn't even looking for me in that stall, he said later, but he decided to fork some hay into one of the stalls before he turned the ranch upside down to find me.”

“Father's probably hoping you have a son that gives you twice the trouble.”

“Me?” Slater looked to Dakota in amazement. “I was easy compared to you, especially after you'd decided to join the Rangers. Why, you arrested the dog every day over something. You practiced holding your toy gun on Mother and Katy so much, the two of them still don't flinch at the sight of a weapon.”

Both Slater and Cash had a good laugh at Dakota's expense, and he couldn't help smiling as well. The threesome fell quiet for a moment, and after several seconds, Cash realized his brothers were exchanging a glance. Cash was about to ask what was going on when Dakota gave some instructions to Slater.

“All right, Slate, you go first.”

Slater nodded and looked to his oldest brother.

“You have to get married, Cash.”

“Is that right?” Cash asked calmly. He didn't know whether he should be laughing or his mouth should be hanging open at this unannounced change in topics.

“Yes. Marriage is wonderful, and now that Dak is taking the plunge, it's your turn.”

“To any lady in particular?” Cash asked congenially.

Slater turned back to Dakota.

“Go ahead, Dak, you've been in his church. Who could he marry?”

With this, Cash started to laugh.

“Be serious now, Cash,” Slater scolded him. “You have to let Dak think.”

“You two are crazy. Do you know that?”

“Never mind now,” Slater directed, starting to smile too. “Let Dakota think.”

“There was that one woman,” the black-haired brother said thoughtfully. “She was sort of tall with blonde hair, I think. Is she available?”

Cash shook his head in amazement.

“Maybe Libby and I need to go home by way of Kinkade, so we can find someone for you,” Slater said so matter-of-factly that Cash began to laugh again.

“Let me ask you one thing, Cash.” Dakota's serious face was almost comical. “Have you been looking?”

“Not specifically, no.”

“She's not suddenly going to drop into your lap,” the middle brother chided.

“She did for both of you,” Cash stated mildly.

This silenced the younger Rawlingses. They looked at Cash and then at each other in surprise. The waiter came to their table before anyone else could comment further, and all three men realized they hadn't even glanced at the menus. The waiter stood by while they looked over the choices. It didn't take long, and after they'd given their orders and the man had gone on his way, Cash spoke in a voice tinged with laughter.

“Shall we start this evening over again, gentlemen, or does someone want to tell me what that was all about?”

“We honestly want you to get married, Cash,” Slater admitted, his smile lopsided. “It's nothing more than that.”

Cash gave a moment's thought to this and then asked, “Is there something in my life that makes you think I'm not trying?”

Both men shook their heads no.

“Then I don't know what else I can do. I certainly talk to the Lord about it, but in truth, there is no one at my home church, and I don't want a mail-order bride. You both found love, and I have to be honest and tell you I'm looking for the same thing.”

Forgetting where he was for a moment, Dakota sat back in his chair, the front legs lifting from the floor. His dark gaze was intent on his brother.

“Darvi did drop into my lap, didn't she? I hadn't really thought about it like that.”

“Yes,” Cash agreed, “and Slater dropped into Libby's. It doesn't always happen that way, but since there aren't any single women my age at church right now...” Cash shrugged as he let the sentence hang.

“Well, I still think you should,” Dakota said, his brow drawn down in a stubborn way.

“If you find someone for me, I'll listen to you.”

“Darvi's cousin is a believer, and she's pretty too,” Slater said.

“Who's that?” Dakota was all ears.

“I can't recall her name. She's the one we met the other night.”

“If you're talking about Wendy, Mother told me she's 17.” Cash put his oar in, wondering if he should stop them or just listen.

Thankfully, their food came in record time, and from there the conversation turned to business, Dakota's new job and the town it was in, where he and Darvi would live, Slater and Liberty's life in Shotgun, and finally the ranch.

Either by design or by oversight, the topic of a bride for Cash was put on the back burner, and Cash was rather thankful that it was. His brothers wanted answers. He had none. In his mind there was nothing to talk about.

Two

“T
HANK YOU FOR DINNER
,” Charles said, following Virginia to the kitchen and kissing her cheek after she set a large bowl down on the counter.

“You're welcome,” she replied, smiling as she looked up at him. “Do you think the girls liked it?”

“Very much,” he returned, his voice warming perceptibly. “I would say our boys have done very well.”

“And a grandchild, Charles!” She grabbed his arm. “I'm so excited. I don't suppose we could talk Slater into moving back to St. Louis.”

Charles laughed. “He loves Texas, Ginny, not to mention that you told me you were in as much a mood to travel as I was. We already put off our trip to Europe for the wedding. I was hoping we could leave after Dakota and Darvi are off on their wedding trip.”

Virginia looked at him in horror. “I can't leave now.”

“Why not?”

“The baby!”

“The baby's not due until June.”

Virginia opened her mouth but quickly closed it again. She had just seen a side of herself that she did not like. For years women in her association had been making fools of themselves over grandchildren; something she had vowed never to do. She and Charles had only recently learned that Liberty was going to have a baby, and here she was trying to fit her life around this grandchild instead of the man she'd been married to for more than 30 years.

“You're right,” she said quietly. “The baby's not due until summer, and I did want to see Europe in early spring.”

Charles put his arms around her and held her close. He didn't say all that was in his heart, but he was very proud of her. Unbeknownst to either of them, they were thinking of the same sets of friends who were grandparents. On Charles' part, he was picturing men whose wives would not stray from their grandchildren. The men were forced to sit and listen to tales of travel from other husbands whose wives accompanied them or who simply chose to travel without them.

Suddenly weary, Virginia thought she could rest in her husband's arms all night. But her daughters-in-law were waiting for coffee and dessert in the next room. After a warm kiss for the man she loved, she moved to get the good china teacups.

“How are you feeling?” Darvi asked Liberty.

“Most of the time, I'm fine. Mornings are still rough.”

“Was the trip a bit long for you?”

“At times, but I worked to hide it.”

Darvi smiled. “Why was that?”

“Slater wasn't really sure that he wanted me to do this, so I was trying not to worry him.”

“Tell me something, Liberty,” Darvi suddenly sat forward and asked. “Were you surprised when you first met the brothers, how little they look alike?”

Liberty had a good laugh over this.

“It lasts until you get to know them and watch them interact. They become so similar then that you forget about their looks.”