by Lori Wick
A man and woman looked back at her. The woman had
Cash Rawlings' eyes, and Reagan didn't have a hard time
figuring out who they were. Neither one smiled, but
Reagan thought that to have had a son as caring as Cash,
they must be very kind.
"Reagan," Cash said as he came through the door, "I'm
glad I caught you..." He started again but stopped talking
without warning.
Reagan watched him walk around the room, not
touching anything but smiling with pleasure at the job
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she'd done. He turned to face her when he was finally
behind his desk.
"The office looks great. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said with a smile, glad she could
please someone.
"Those are my parents, by the way."
City Girl 157
Reagan's eyes went back to the frame.
"I figured as much. You have your mother's eyes."
"So I've been told/' Cash said as he moved to join her by
the picture.
"What are their names?"
"Charles Sr. and Virginia Rawlings."
"Who's Junior?"
"lam."
Reagan frowned up at him.
"'Cash' was all the better my brothers could manage,
and the name just stuck."
"How many siblings do you have?"
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"Two brothers, both younger. In fact, if you look at my
father, you'll just about see an older version of Dakota."
"Dakota? Thaf s an unusual name."
"It is, but it fits him."
Reagan looked back at the portrait, and Cash studied
her. Again he found himself feeling rather drawn to her.
"Reagan's not all that common either."
"No," she said with a smile, "but I think it fits me too."
"It does," Cash had to agree. "What's your middle
name, by the way?"
"Reagan."
Cash laughed. "Okay, whaf s your first name?"
"Eileen."
"Eileen Reagan Sullivan?"
"That's it. A fine Irish girl must have a fine Irish name,"
she told him, brogue in place.
Cash was delighted and wished she'd do it again.
"Who were you quoting? Your father?"
"That's the one. Mother got away with Reagan as a
middle name only because it was her maiden name."
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"How did you get away with not going by Eileen?"
"I didn't--not around my father at least."
"Why didn't you like Eileen? If s a beautiful name."
"It is, but I wanted the connection to my mother."
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Cash saw the sadness in her face and was certain he
knew why.
"Did she die, Reagan?"
"No, she left my father and me not long after my ninth
birthday." Reagan looked up at him, her look almost
daring him to pity her. "My father finished drinking himself
to death three years later."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not," she stated flatly. "After that, there was no one
to stop me from being Reagan."
Cash thought it was the kind of comment she would exit
on, but she stayed right where she was, her face still set.
"Before I forget," Cash said, changing the subject as tactfully
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as he could manage and walking back to the desk to
pick up an envelope, "I have your pay ready. You can
expect it every Friday."
"Pay?" Reagan asked as she moved to the desk and took
the packet from his outstretched hand. She looked inside,
not believing him until she saw the bills. She set the envelope
back down.
"You're not paying me."
"Says who?"
"Says me."
Cash laughed. "Lef s get something straight right now,
Reagan Sullivan. I didn't hire you in the same way I did my
other employees, but you've got yourself a job."
She began to shake her head, and Cash's brows rose.
"Don't even think about saying no to this, Reagan." He
handed the money packet to her again. "You won't win."
Now Reagan's brows elevated.
"We'll just see about that, Mr. Rawlings."
Cash smiled at her tone.
"I'm not trying to play power games with you, Miss Sullivan.
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It's just that I'm a businessman with a ranch to run,
and you are one of my employees. If s no more complicated
than that You're doing your job, and I'm paying you for
it."
City Girl 159
"But you wouldn't even need me if I hadn't--" Reagan
began, but Cash wasn't listening. She could see that by his
face.
"Take the money, Reagan," Cash stated for the last time,
not really caring if he sounded high-handed. "I won't hear
of anything else."
Cash went to his desk chair then, and Reagan knew the
conversation was over. She did leave with the money as
she exited the office, but even as she cleaned up so she
could check on Katy, she was thinking of ways to get
around her new boss's having to pay her.
"I completely forgot to tell you something yesterday,
Reagan." Cash started Saturday morning with these
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words.
"What's that?"
"Brenda says she'll stay with Katy while we go to
church."
There was no mistaking the relief on her face.
"Did she really?"
"Yes. I usually leave around 9-20 if that will work for you."
"That would be fine," she said, but then hesitated.
"Should I ask Katy?"
Cash shook his head no. "Has she spoken to you yet?"
"No. She had a good meal last night and again this
morning--better than she has eaten--but other than
thanking me, she hasn't said two words."
Cash's unconscious sigh told of the pain he was feeling.
Katy hadn't spoken to him either.
"Just leave her be," he finally said. "You can't read her
mind, so unless she asks for something, let her alone."
"I'll work on the house some more and check on her
often."
"Good."
291
And they both discovered that it was good. Cash ate his
breakfast, and Reagan went to work on Katy's regular
chores. That it was Saturday and she should have gone to
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City Girl 161
town for supplies was lost on her. She dusted, swept, and
started the meat for dinner, all the while checking on Katy
at regular intervals.
Cash went about his day as well. As usual on a Saturday
night, the boys would be done a little early so they could
head into town with their pay, and his own schedule was
one he liked to keep monitored so that he was fresh for
Sunday morning.
He worked in his office for a time and then went to
check the livestock in the barn. It didn't take long, and as
he made his way back to the house, the Bennetts' wagon
came up the drive. He stopped, a big smile on his face, as
it drew abreast of him.
292
"Well, hello," he greeted Holly and all three of the kids,
even as he lifted Elly so he could swing her down from the
wagon bed. Jonah scrambled b
ehind his sister.
"Hello, Cash. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I
have two little people who need to see Reagan."
"I don't mind at all, and she's going to be very pleased.
Here, let me get Alisa."
The baby smiled at him as soon as she was in his arms,
and Cash kissed her soft, pudgy cheek.
"How is Katy doing?" Holly asked after Cash had given
her a hand down.
"She's having a pretty hard time with it all, I would say.
How are things in town?"
"There she is!" Elly suddenly cried before Holly could
answer, and both adults turned to see Reagan come out the
front door. From across the yard they could hear Reagan
laugh as Elly and Jonah ran to hug her. The three sat down
on the front porch steps together, heads close as they
snuggled and talked.
Cash looked back at his guest just as Alisa reached for
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her mother.
"And you, Cash Rawlings," Holly said as she settled
Alisa on her hip, her voice low to give them privacy. "How
are you doing?"
/
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Cash smiled, knowing she could read him well after all
these years.
"I think I'm still surprised that it happened at all. I keep
expecting to see Kate in the kitchen and bustling through
the house, but if s Reagan."
"How is Reagan doing? Is it dreadfully uncomfortable?"
"Actually, it's not. She's very competent, and she works
quietly and effectively. Compared to Katy's bossing me
around, the place is silent."
"So you're not sorry she came?"
"I was at first. I didn't think I could manage it, but she
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did so well with Katy that I didn't feel I had a choice." Cash
laughed a little. "Katy's not even speaking to us right now,
but Reagan just keeps on."
Holly's face told him she sympathized.
"We're praying for you, Cash."
"I can tell. I'm getting very little sleep, and it's probably
the only way I'm holding up. But tell me, why did you visit
when we'll see you tomorrow?"
"We weren't sure if Reagan would come."
"She's planning on it," Cash was glad to tell her.
"Brenda Johns is going to fill in for her. You should have
seen Reagan's face when I gave her the option."
"Relieved?"
"Definitely. I'm not certain if she's coming because she
wants to be in church or get away from Katy, but either
way, she's coming."
"I'm glad."
Up on the porch, Reagan was glad too. She had missed
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the children so much, and she thought if she had to go
another hour with Katy's silent treatment she just might
scream. She had just about decided to take a spin on her
bike when she looked out the window and saw the children.
"How is school?" she asked them.
"If s good. We still like it."
"But we miss you, Reagan," Jonah told her. "And not
just for rides on trie bicycle."
City Girl 163
Reagan laughed and hugged him a little closer. She
thought about taking them in to see Katy, but if that
woman was still pouting, the children would be hurt by
her actions and wouldn't understand the reason.
"You know what?" Reagan said as she stood, taking the
kids' hands in hers. "I need to see that baby."
Holly and Reagan hugged when the groups joined, and
as everyone had come to expect, Alisa had a smile for whoever
296
was holding her.
'I've missed you, Alisa," Reagan told her softly, and not
for the first time Holly was struck by the fact that this
woman did not want a husband and family. It didn't make
sense to her.
The baby only smiled at Reagan and reached for her
face.
"Is Katy up to company?" Holly asked.
Cash's and Reagan's eyes met. Reagan shrugged, and
Cash nodded in decision.
"Why don't I just go in and check with her?"
Cash didn't wait for anyone to acknowledge his idea but
headed to see his housekeeper, a few things on his mind.
Without preamble he stepped into her room and began.
"Holly Bennett and the children are here to see you. Do you
want visitors?"
Katy's eyes swung to Cash and then away. The cowboy
stood where he was for a full minute, but the prone woman
did not look back at him.
"I'm not going to put up with this much longer, Kate."
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"What are you going to do about it?" she shot right back,
her eyes turning to him and showing her frustration.
Cash shook his head. "Is that what this is about, Katy?
Not speaking to the people who are bending over backward
to help you is your way of having a say?" He shook
his head again in very real regret. "You ought to be
ashamed."
Not giving her any time to reply, he turned for the door.
"Cash!" she called to him.
164 lori wick
That man stopped and looked back, his brows raised in
question.
"Please tell them to come in."
"I'll get them right now/' he said, all rebuke gone.
Standing in her little room down the back hall where
she'd dashed to get a small music box to show the children,
Reagan stood very still, having heard a good bit of the
exchange. Fresh waves of something foreign and frightening
came over her, and she was again filled with wonder
298
over this man's care of his injured housekeeper.
"Hello, Katy," Reagan heard Holly saying. She realized
she'd been missing for some minutes. She made her way
around through the kitchen, going slowly to give herself
time to settle down.
$--
"And
then what did you do?" Katy was saying just as
Reagan entered the room.
"We ran a race around the schoolhouse, and Elly almost
won!" Jonah filled her in.
"How did you do?"
"I was first after all the big kids."
A fond light entered Katy's eyes, and unbeknownst to
her, both Cash and Reagan knew comfort at the sight of it.
"Reagan," Katy suddenly said, "there's a tin of salty
peanuts in that cupboard over the large counter. Go and get
some of those for the children, will you?"
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"Coining right up."
What followed was a wonderful half hour. Katy spoke
with some of her usual brusqueness, but all the remarks
were kind with very few orders given, and more than one
sentence was directed to Cash or Reagan. By the time Holly
and the children headed back to town, things seemed to
have righted themselves. *
City Girl 165
"I've got a roast in the oven, Katy," Reagan popped in to
say after having seen the guests off and claiming four more
hugs. "I'll check on it and then be back."
"That little Jonah is a corker and a half."
"Yes, he is. He can't wait to have legs long enough to
ride--" Reagan cut off, but it was too late. Katy knew just
> what she was going to say.
"Now thaf s enough of that, Reagan Sullivan. We'll have
no bad feelings on this. Whaf s done is done!"
Reagan only nodded and slipped from the room, but she
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was distracted as she checked the meat and put some vegetables
into a pot. She was getting ready to make gravy
when Cash came on the scene.
"How was she after they left?"
"Back to herself, only nicer."
"Good."
Reagan turned fully to him.
"How did you convince her to see them?"
"I reminded her of all thaf s being done for her, and it
seems to have softened her."
Reagan nodded. "When does the doctor come again?"
"I'm not sure. Do you think he's needed?"
"By Katy, yes. She needs to have hope that her hip is
coming along and this whole thing will come to an end."
"Maybe I'll pop in tomorrow after church and let him
know that she could use a visit."
Cash went back to work then, this time in his office, and
Reagan went back to the meal. As she had come to expect,
fatigue hit her at this time every day, but she kept on. At
least her patient was speaking to her. Reagan found that
301
made all the difference in the world.
Katy listened for the wagon wheels to pull away on
Sunday morning but could hear nothing. Brenda had
166 lori wick
brought the girls with her, and they were both eager to
visit. Utter sadness filled Katy over the loss of her mobility.
Many were the times these girls had come to the back door
and she had had cookies for them. Now she lay in bed,
more helpless than a baby. Never had she been so frustrated.
Her good sense had told her to take a quick ride on
that bike and be done, but she had wanted to show off for
Cash.
For a moment Katy's eyes closed on his memory. Prior
to her accident, he had never spoken harshly to her, but he
was right, she needed to be shamed. Giving Reagan a hard
time when she had quit her job to come and help and then
302
repaying her with orders and anger was simply not to be
tolerated. Katy didn't know what had come over her.
, "All right, girls," Brenda said, entering with a fresh
pitcher of water. "You've talked enough. Go see how your
father is doing and if he's still in bed, tell him it's late."
"'Bye, girls," Katy called to them as they hurried away.
"I forgot how much they talk. I hope they didn't wear
you out."
Katy only smiled, but it did the trick. Brenda assumed
she was tired and left her on her own, but in truth, the older