by Lori Wick
morning, but it was no use.
She wasn't in the best of moods to be heading to work,
but she was liking her job more and more, having found
the best method to do things and settling into her routine
with Sally very nicely. And of course the dining room
always made for a change. One could never anticipate
exactly what would happen.
City Girl 91
For all Reagan's sarcasm and sometimes-sharp tongue,
she knew she was genuinely liked by the men who ate
breakfast at the hotel each morning. Some were rather persistent
about her joining them for a cup of coffee. She
always said no but never grew angry or irate as long as
they kept their hands to themselves. Indeed, she took it all
in so calmly that they found her all the more intriguing.
163
Reagan had learned early on never to tell a man that she
had no plans to ever be married. Men could be counted on
to respond in one of two ways. Some said they were fine
with that plan since they were only looking for a little fun
and not a ball and chain--something Reagan found highly
insulting. She thought the term "ball and chain" fit a man
much better. Others attempted to talk Reagan into agreeing
with them on the spot that every woman needed a husband.
The term "ball and chain" was the last thing on their
minds. Reagan had learned that both conversations were
futile.
Nevertheless, some days she was flattered. A few men
were so charming and persistent that Reagan had to stop
herself from smiling for fear of encouraging them. One
such man was Tyrone Arnold. He went by the name of Ty, and there was no getting around his good looks and fine manners. He looked at Reagan as though she were the last woman on earth, and never once had he intimated that he
was just out for a few laughs. At the same time, he never
once proposed or asked to take her out for the evening. He
always made Reagan feel as though she'd made his day
simply by waiting on his table.
164
Today was about to be different
Reagan worked on pies until it was time to go out front
As always, the door opening from the back brought the
delicious smell of food along with Reagan's presence, and
the men loved it
"We thought you'd never come," one young cowboy
complained. He would take Reagan out every night if she
would only agree.
92 lori wick
"I can see you've suffered greatly/' she said dryly, filling
his cup without giving him any encouragement
"When do I get a ride on that bicycle?" he asked, but
Reagan didn't answer. She was getting coffee, talking to a
little girl who was out for breakfast with her father, and
taking an order from Ty, who had just sat down.
"Whatever Sally has hot and ready," he said congenially.
"Hungry this morning?" Reagan knew she could ask
this man and not get a lewd comment.
"Starving."
165
"I'll get her right at it*
"Hey, Reagan/" someone else called in full voice as she
moved back to the kitchen. "You still haven't answered the
question I asked you yesterday."
Reagan glanced over her shoulder to answer but kept
moving.
"I can't remember what you asked, but whatever it is,
the answer's no."
Reagan exited on a wave of laughter.
"They sure like you/" Sally said as she entered the
kitchen.
"That's because they don't know me."
With no time for chitchat, the women sped headlong
into the morning. Reagan waited tables, finished the
baking, and was scrubbing pots when the back door to the
kitchen opened. Ty was standing there.
"Hello, Ty," Reagan greeted him. "Are you looking for
Sally? She's in her office."
"Actually, I came to see you."
Reagan's guard went up, but she tried to brush it off.
166
"Did I leave a strip of bacon off your plate?"
"No," he said with a smile. "You never make mistakes
with my breakfast."
There was a warm tone in his voice that Reagan didn't
like, but she only looked at him.
City Girl 93
iy was swift to see that she wasn't smiling at him in
return and knew it was time to get to the point. He did so,
keeping his voice even and businesslike.
"I didn't want to ask you in front of the others, Reagan, because I wanted you to take me seriously, but I was wondering
if you'd have dinner with me some evening this
week?" Reagan was already shaking her head when he
added, "I want to talk to you about a job."
Reagan was suddenly all ears.
"Ajob?"
"Yes."
"What kind of job?"
"I want to tell you about it over dinner."
167
Reagan shook her head. "You've got the wrong girl, Ty.
Any job that has to be discussed over dinner..." She let the
sentence hang.
"If s not like that, I assure you, Reagan. I have tremendous
respect for you and a job that would be perfect for
you if you're interested. If s not a job I'm offering to anyone
else, so you let me know if and when you want to hear
about it"
To Reagan's amazement, he turned for the door and
exited. He was only a dozen feet down the alley when
Reagan, whose curiosity had gotten the best of her, made it
outside and stopped him with one question.
"Can I meet you somewhere for dinner?"
Ty turned.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want to be picked up at my house. I'll come to
dinner and hear about the job if I can meet you."
"Thaf s fine," iy agreed, coming toward her a ways and
gaining tremendous ground by agreeing to this term.
"How about this Saturday night?"
168
"How about Tuesday next week?"
iy grinned, knowing he was doing the right thing.
"Tuesday, it is. Where do you want to meet?"
"Right here in front of the hotel."
94 lori wick
Ty tipped his hat. "Tuesday, seven o'clock. I'll be here."
Reagan watched him walk away without a single
romantic thought in her head, but she didn't think his
handsome face would be hard to look at if she actually
went to work for him.
5"3r %r
"Okay, Reagan," Russell said the next evening as he did
odd jobs in the little rental house. "Try that."
Reagan opened the cupboard door and found it working
fine.
"It's perfect, Russell. Thank you."
"With all your independence/' he teased her, "I'm surprised
169
you didn't fix it yourself."
Reagan grinned.
"I left my tools in New York."
Russell smiled in return.
"Okay. What was next?"
"This window. The lock is a little loose. I've been
thinking about buying a gun, but I haven't done it yet."
On his way toward the window, Russell stopped and
turned to look at her.
"Are you saying that if you had a gun,
you wouldn't
need window locks?"
Reagan looked thoughtful.
"No, but I wouldn't be as concerned about them."
"Have you ever handled a gun?"
Reagan met the eyes that were trained on her and
answered slowly.
"No, but I didn't think it could be too hard."
Russell's finger came up. "You do not make one move
toward a gun without talking to me first. Do you hear me,
Reagan?"
170
"Yes, Fattier."
City Girl 95
"You can Yes, father me all you please, but you do as I
say."
Reagan's head tipped as she looked at him.
"What do you fear would happen?"
Russell looked shocked enough to cause Reagan to
laugh.
"This is not funny, Reagan," he responded, trying to be
stern. "You could shoot yourself or someone else."
"I think that would be the point."
Russell leveled her with a look.
"I'm not fixing another thing in this house until you
agree to consult with me about any and all weapons."
Hands to his hips, the hammer held easily under one
huge thumb, Russell waited.
"All right," Reagan said with a tolerant shake of her
head. "I'll be sure to tell you, but you don't need to be such
a tyrant about it. I don't know how Holly stands it."
171
"Holly isn't wandering around with a naive view of
guns," he muttered as he went to work on the window.
"Sometimes you scare me."
"I can take care of myself."
"Thaf s what scares me."
Any stinging retort Reagan might have had was interrupted
by Jonah's arrival. He'd been helping his father by
finding a needed tool.
"Have you got it?"
"I think so. Is this it?"
"Thaf s the one," Russell congratulated the little guy as
he took the tool from his open palm.
"How are you, Reagan?"
"Miss Sullivan," his father corrected, his back to them as
he worked on the latch.
Reagan only winked at Jonah and brought out a jar of
candy she had bougjit at the general store.
"Would you like a peppermint drop?"
"Yes, please."
"How was school today?"
172
96 lori wick
"It was fun/' he answered around the ball of candy
swelling his cheek. "I like school/ but sometimes I miss
Alisa."
"She probably misses you too."
Jonah gave her his shy smile/ and, as always/ Reagan's
heart melted a little.
"Jonah," Russell called to him then/ "climb up here and
hold this for me, will you?"
The little boy was swift to help/ his eyes catching
Reagan's one more time and with one glance telling her
how proud he was to be asked to help his dad.
The Bennett "men" finished up at Reagan's a short time
later, and as nice as it was to have everything repaired/
Reagan hated to see Jonah go. Quite suddenly she wanted
to be with that little boy whenever she could.
-5" 3r
173
"You're coming on Saturday/ aren't you, Reagan?" Jonah
asked as Reagan walked him ^ome from school/ forgetting
again to call her Miss Sullivan.*
"What's on Saturday?"
"The party at Cash's ranch!" Jonah looked up at her with
huge eyes, as if her not knowing was some type of crime.
Elly had ridden ahead on the bike, and Jonah and Reagan
walked slowly along behind her.
"I don't think I'm invited, Jonah," she said, feeling a
need to be honest
"Everyone is! Pastor Ellis said so."
"Is it a church party?"
Jonah nodded with great enthusiasm. "We have lots of
fun. We get to swim in the pond/ play games, and even ride
horses all by ourselves! And then we eat dinner under the
big shade trees by the house."
"That does sound fun. Are you sure everyone is
174
invited?"
City Girl 97
She was treated to another nod. Huge eyes punctuated
his words. "Pastor said. He was about to tell everyone they
could stand, and then he reminded us."
"So this has been planned for a while?"
"We always go. Every year. Mama says if s tramition or
something like that."
"Tradition?"
"Yeah. Tradition."
The house was in sight now/ as were Elly and the bike.
The little girl was jumping off/ however, and running to
hug her mother, who stood on the front porch.
"I think Miss Sullivan spoils you," Holly said as she
wrapped her arms around her oldest child.
"She's so nice, Mama. Jonah and me like her so much."
"Jonah and I. And your father and I like her too."
"Mama," Holly heard Jonah calling as he ran, "Reagan
175
can come to the party, can't she? I asked her and told her
about the pond."
"Reagan," Holly asked as soon as she was within
earshot, "did you not hear the announcements these past
weeks?" $
"I guess not. The whole church is invited?"
"Yes. It's a wonderful time. We go every year. It starts at
about two o'clock, and we often stay until dark."
"This Saturday?"
Holly nodded, trying to gauge by Reagan's face whether
she would attend. Holly would have been doing well to
figure it out as Reagan was not certain herself. She had a
meal with the Bennetts almost every week and saw the
children daily, but other than a brief exchange about how
the Bible reading was going, neither Holly nor Russell
could gain an idea of what Reagan thought of the church
family.
They shared little more conversation just then. Reagan
gave Jonah a quick ride on the bike and then went home.
Once in her house, Reagan sat at her little table trying to
176
figure out the yearning inside of her. She desperately
98 LoRiWicK
wanted to attend the party and be with these people as she
had the first morning when she hadn't needed to rush off
for work. At the same time the idea terrified her, and she
had no idea why.
Before walking back to the hotel, she sat for just a few
minutes more, all the while telling herself she just wouldn't
go. No one was forcing her, and she didn't have to!
"But I'm sure not going to show up without a cake or
something," she muttered as she hit the back door of the
kitchen, knowing she would have to borrow a pan from
Sally or go empty-handed. She was also sure that if anyone
could have read her befuddled thoughts just then, they'd
have committed her to an asylum.
it hadn't been easy, but she had done it. Still vacillating
right up to the end, Reagan ended up having to ride her
bike to the Rawlings Cattle Company--not a long journey,
177
but made a good deal more challenging by the need to
carry a frosted layer cake in one hand.
Reagan rode under the arch of the gateway at the head
of the driveway, not letting herself do more than glance
at
the sign, and in no time at all the house and many wagons
came into view. To Reagan's surprise, Cash Rawlings himself
came down the driveway to meet her.
"Well, hello," he said, managing to take the cake and
catch and steady the bike all in one smooth movement
"Welcome to the ranch," he continued, as if people always
arrived in just that manner.
"Thank you," she said as she jumped down, still
breathing hard. "I'm a little late."
"Not at all. The games are just getting started. Thank
you for bringing the cake, by the way."
"Oh, you're welcome. I wasn't sure what to bring."
"The cake is fine," he said, not willing to tell her that this
was not a potluck.
"Something sure smells good."
"That's the beef we've got turning over the fire. It does
178
smell good, doesn't it?"
"Spoken like a man who eats beef every day."
99
100 lori wick
Cash laughed. "It kind of goes with the job."
"Where should I put my bike?" Reagan suddenly
wanted to have her hands free.
"Why don't you put it there by the Bennetts' wagon?
Then you can hop a ride home."
Cash waited for Reagan to come back from propping it
against the wheel. He kept the cake and escorted her up the
drive.
"How did you know which wagon belonged to the Bennetts?"
she asked.
Cash smiled. "I don't know."
"How about the others?"
Having never given a moment's thought to this, Cash
179
was nevertheless able to stop, look down the line, and
name the owners of every wagon or buggy.
"Is it that you're a rancher or that I'm a city girl?"
"I don't know." Cash was again at a loss. "Can you pick
a woman out by just the color of her dress?"
"Of course. What does that prove?"
"Maybe nothing, but maybe if s about interests and not
just about living out of the city. I can't say that I would
know a woman if I caught sight only of her dress."
Reagan looked up at her tall, redheaded host. She saw a
kindness and a humility in him that she hadn't encountered
very often. She was still thinking on it when the
hous , with many empty tables in front of it, came fully
into view.
"Where is all the food?"
"Still in the kitchen."
"How did you make it fit?"
"Well, most of if s still in pots or in the oven. And don't
forget, the beef is on the spit out back."
Reagan was not long in putting two and two together.
180
"This wasn't a potiuck, was it?"