City Girl (36 page)

“It might still come,” Pastor encouraged her. “Did you say they were still coming back this way?”

Cash nodded, and they all listened as Katy gave the schedule Virginia had shared with her.

“Maybe one of your brothers will have a chance to ask how they're doing, or even your grandmother.” Russell added this hopeful note just before Noelle said she had cake for dessert.

“How are you?” Holly asked of Reagan as they finished with dessert a short time later. The two were sitting side by side, and there had been a lull in the conversation. The other people went back to talking, but the two women had a moment alone.

“I'm doing fine. How are you?”

“Doing great. Do I miss my guess, or are you and Cash getting rather close?”

Reagan smiled. “Cash has talked to Pastor, and I think he even spoke to Russell, but they must have taken him seriously when he said we were keeping it quiet right now.”

Holly had all she could do not to squeal with excitement. Instead she asked with a false calm, “And what did Cash speak to Pastor and Russ about?”

“Just that we're starting to talk about a relationship.”

The word was enough to jolt Holly back to earth.

“Reagan, are you all right with this? I mean, really?”

Reagan's face was wreathed with softness as she thought about this question.

“He's so patient, Holly. I didn't know anyone like him existed.”

Holly Bennett knew she was going to burst into tears at any moment, and she had to get out of the room.

“I'm going to check on the children,” she announced, raising her voice some to be heard by Russell.

He nodded and thanked her.

Reagan only let her get to her feet before saying she was going to join her. She followed Holly onto the front porch where the older woman stood with her hand over her mouth.

“Holly?”

“I'm sorry, Reagan.” She was just barely holding tears. “I've just wanted this for you for so long. I've wanted you to know how loved you are, and if Cash can do that, I just—” She couldn't go on, but Reagan didn't really need her to.

“Thank you, Holly,” she said when she hugged her.

“Hi, Reagan,” Jonah called as he ran by, and that gave Holly the push she needed to dry her tears. She looked down at Reagan for a moment and then smiled and hugged her again.

“I just want you to know,” Holly ended up saying, “that whatever you do, I'll love you like a sister forever.”

Reagan had never had anyone say such a thing to her. For a moment she was speechless.

“Thank you, Holly. It's a wonderful thing to know.”

Wanting to rejoin the group, Holly made a swift check on the children, but as soon as she was finished, she and Reagan went back inside.

“What are you up to?” Cash asked Reagan after he'd taken her to the general store for supplies.

“Nothing,” she said innocently, but Cash saw what she was trying to hide.

A thumb went up to push the brim of his hat back as he asked, “Wrinkle cream, Reagan?”

She frowned at him. “I'm not exactly a teen any longer, Cash.”

The cowboy had all he could do not to shout with laughter.

“Let me see this stuff,” he said as he took it from the hand she held behind her back.

Reagan looked innocently around as he read, but there was no escaping when he leaned close to her face.

“Now, show me these wrinkles you're trying to get rid of.”

“You don't see any?” She looked up at him in that trusting way he was coming to know.

“No.”

“What about those little lines next to my eyes?”

“Where?”

Reagan squinted, and this time Cash had to laugh.

“Shh…” she got after him, fighting laughter of her own.

“You don't need this,” he said, plunking it decisively on the shelf.

“This dry heat is hard on the skin.”

“I agree with you, but some regular lotion will do.” Cash grabbed a jar from the shelf and handed it to her. It was a brand that he'd seen Katy use in the kitchen.

“This stuff?”

“I think Katy uses it.”

Reagan read the description on the bottle before looking up to ask Cash if Katy needed any. The question was never voiced. Cash's eyes were on something further down the shelf, and as Reagan followed his gaze, she smiled. Never before had she noticed the full line of feminine apparel that covered half of those shelves. Clearly Cash had never noticed either. Reagan just stood and watched him.

“Reagan?” he asked before making eye contact with her.

“Yes?”

Cash turned to see that she'd been staring at him. His smile was full blown in an instant, and Reagan wanted to laugh.

“Do all women wear those pretty things?” he asked when they were finally back in the wagon and headed to the ranch.

“Well, maybe not as lacy and pretty as some of those, but something like them.”

Cash nodded, still looking thoughtfully out over the horses' heads.

“Honestly, Cash, you do have a mother. Certainly you have seen some of those things before.”

“Honestly, Reagan,” he copied her, “a man doesn't give much thought to what his mother wears. The woman he's in love with is a different matter.”

“I guess that makes sense, but don't you ever go down that aisle?”

“For what?”

“I don't know. Where do they keep the men's underthings?”

“In a different spot, and you can trust me when I tell you that they don't have the same effect. By the way,” he asked, “do certain things come in certain colors?”

“No. That was all a mixture. There were blue bloomers, but also blue shifts and camisoles. All those things come in a variety of colors.”

“What's a camisole? I've never heard of that.”

Reagan cleared her throat, wondering how they had come to talk of this.

“You wear it under your blouse.”

“Do you have a blue one?” Cash asked before he thought.

“Am I allowed to tell you that?”

Cash turned to look at her, his eyes straying a bit before he caught himself.

“Maybe you shouldn't,” he said, fixing his gaze over the horses again.

In truth Reagan had a pink one, but she wisely kept this to herself.

“Don't decide to marry me too soon, Reagan,” Cash said suddenly.

“Why is that?”

“Courting you is an education.”

As she'd wanted to in the store, Reagan allowed herself a nice loud laugh.

“Have I ever missed you,” Sally said on the first morning Reagan went back to work at the hotel. Katy was back on her feet and going strong; Reagan had even stayed on for an extra week just to enjoy working with Katy in her element. It had been hard to leave the ranch, but everyone knew it was for the best.

Reagan smiled.

“Did your cousin ever show up?”

“No, and I've got bunions the size of eggs to prove it.”

“Well, I'm here now.”

“True, but I suspect it won't be for long.”

“What do you mean?”

Sally looked innocent. “Rumor around town has it that you and Cash Rawlings are getting mighty friendly.”

“Is that right?” Reagan asked, already tying on an apron and setting to work.

“Yes, that's right.”

Reagan didn't respond.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Is it true?”

Reagan smiled. “I happen to think he's very special.”

“And does he share that same opinion of you?”

Reagan looked at her. “He has said something along that line.”

Sally grinned. “He's been a sought-after catch in this town for a long time, Reagan. A few hearts are going to break when word gets out on this.”

“According to you, word is already out.”

“I mean official word, the church bells ringing and all that.”

Reagan only laughed and went to work in earnest. She was slightly out of practice after eight weeks off the job, but things were coming back fast. And indeed the morning flew. Long before she was ready, it was time to head to the dining room.

Reagan had to laugh. The men acted as if she'd been gone for ages, and their pleas for dinner or an evening out with her were more ardent than ever. Reagan was wondering how many more days of this she could take when she looked up to see Cash Rawlings come in the door.

He took a seat at an empty table, his eyes trained on Reagan, and when she was done with the order she was working on, she went to him.

“Well, now,” she said softly, eyes on his face. “What brings you out this morning?”

“A man's got to eat,” he said, his own eyes smiling right back.

“But you've got someone to cook for you,” Reagan said, even being so bold as to sit down for a moment.

Cash leaned close, aware that every eye in the room was on them.

“I thought maybe these gentlemen needed a little notice that you're not up for grabs any longer.”

“I never was.”

“But they didn't know that.”

Reagan smiled. “True. I think they believed if they just asked long enough, I would eventually succumb.”

“That's what I'm hoping,” he said as he reached up and brushed a finger down her cheek.

Reagan bit her lip to keep from laughing and stood, not bothering to take his order before exiting to the kitchen and returning with just the breakfast she knew he liked.

About ten days later, Reagan and Cash walked along the pond, their hands linked. It was dreadfully hot, but dusk was beginning to fall, and they were happy just to be together. It was a Sunday, and Reagan had come after work for a late lunch that Katy had prepared and to spend the day at the ranch.

“I miss you,” she said suddenly.

“The feeling is more than shared, Reagan.”

“Mine's different.”

“How's that?”

“It just is.”

Cash's hand brought her gently to a halt. He looked down into her face, and in just a matter of seconds understood that she was there to stay. He studied her eyes, and with complete openness found her eyes staring right back.

“If I wanted to talk about the future, Reagan, would you run away?”

“Nope,” she said, giving the word her best Texas drawl.

“How about children? Would you be afraid to discuss having a family?”

“Nope.”

Cash's smile was tender beyond belief.

“And marriage, Reagan,” he whispered. “How scary is marriage these days?”

“Not at all.”

Moving ever so carefully, his hands coming up to cup her face, Cash leaned forward until their lips touched for the first time.

“Oh, my,” Reagan breathed when he broke the contact.

“I was afraid of that,” Cash said, his forehead laid against hers.

“What's that?”

“Of liking this no small amount.”

Reagan laughed and went on tiptoe to kiss him again.

“I hope you know what this means,” he warned her.