by Lori Wick
in the area."
Reagan was asking herself if that might happen between
her and Sally when she spotted something that made her
gasp.
"What is that?" she asked in horror, moving a little
closer to Cash and trying to get behind him.
"Go on now." Cash raised his voice and waved his hand.
The armadillo that had wandered into the yard stopped
his clumsy progress and stared over at them, so Cash
waved him on again. Reagan's eyes nearly swallowed her
338
face as she looked at the strange armor-plated creature as
he waddled back the way he'd come.
"What is it?" she gasped out loud.
"An armadillo. Have you not seen one yet?"
"You mean, they live around here?"
"Sure."
Her hands to her waist, she turned fully to face Cash
Rawlings, her eyes filled with astonishment. In a brogue as
thick as though she'd just arrived from Ireland, Reagan
demanded, "What kind of employer are you not to let a girl
know about such creatures? My heart could have been
scared into stopping on the spot."
Cash could only smile, wishing she would do it again.
"Were you born in Ireland?"
"We were discussing armordillos!"
City Girl 185
"Armadillos," he corrected softly, his eyes alight with
339
amusement.
"That is entirely beside the point! I want to know that
one of thosfe creatures is not going to visit me in my room
some night."
"No, they don't like the house. Ifs too active."
"They?" The brogue was back. "How many might there
be?"
To which Cash could only laugh. "I've got to get back to
work, Reagan," he responded, turning with a wave. "I'll
talk to you later."
Reagan was not at all sure she wanted to end this conversation,
but she was given little choice. She also knew her
employer was right. Katy hadn't been checked on since the
doctor left, and some of the laundry was still in the basket
The day was moving on, and if she wasn't careful, it would
move without her.
"I'VE GOT TO GO to town tomorrow/' Reagan told Katy
later that day. "We're low on supplies. Do you go to Mrs.
Unger's?"
340
"Always. And for everything except the molasses candy
that Cash likes."
"Is that whaf s in the bowl in the living room?"
'That's it"
"I've got paper here." Reagan sat down and began to
read what she had on her list.
"We're low on brown sugar? Have you checked the tall
cupboard by the door?"
"No. I'll do that/' Reagan said, head bent, making notes.
"Are you sure you're saved, Reagan?" Katy suddenly
asked quietly.
The younger woman looked up at her. Their eyes held
for a moment, and then Reagan nodded affirmatively.
"Are you having doubts, Katy?"
"A few. I just don't feel saved. I want to get out of this
bed. I want to do so many things, and I can't! Would I be
feeling this restless if I was really saved?"
Reagan had no idea what to tell her. "Why don't you ask
Cash? You know he'll help you."
Katy sighed with relief.
341
"Maybe I will. I know from church that Satan is a powerful
enemy. He lies all the time. Maybe he's lying to me, and
City Girl 187
I'm lying to myself, and God knows that I'm just fine with
Him."
"Except..." Reagan began but halted.
"Except what?"
"Isn't worry a sin?"
Katy's eyes got big.
"I think it is."
"Talk to Cash, Katy. Don't lie there without answers."
The older woman nodded, and Reagan smiled at her. As
Reagan bent back over her list, Katy found herself thanking
God f of the younger woman and almost instantly realized
she'd never done such a thing before.
"Okay," Reagan said. "How about beans? We're very
low. Is there another bag I'm not seeing?"
The conversation went back to the matter at hand,
namely, Reagan's trip to town. They covered the entire list
342
before Katy told her that Lavinia would expect the order to
be charged and that if Cash needed his candy from
Reynold's, the money jar was in the big cupboard.
Reagan finally left the sickroom, a dozen thoughts filling
her head, the first one being that she would have to tell
Katy how much she was needed. She ran the house with
ease, seeing to every need. Did anyone ever tell her how
vital she was to the ranch? It seemed like something Cash
would do often, but whether or not he did, Reagan decided
that at some time she needed to add her own voice of admiration.
"I appreciate this, Brenda," Reagan told the other
woman the next morning.
"If s my pleasure, Reagan. Do you need anything special
done?"
"No. She's had her bath, which made her a little cold, so
now she's under an extra blanket and reading a book."
343
18fi
188 lori wick
"All right. Ill check on her and see if she wants anything
from her house."
"Good. I've been over a few times, but I'm always in a
rush."
This established, Reagan took her list and small coin
purse with money from the jar and walked outside to the
barn. The day felt as if it was going to be hot Little by little,
as the weeks passed, it had been warming up, and Reagan
knew that very soon she would have to look into some
lighter-weight clothing. Today however, she had supplies
to purchase. She wasn't comfortable spending someone
else's money, but if this was what it took to get Katy back
on her feet, she would do it.
Reagan worked all of this out in her mind before she got
to the barn. Never very comfortable around horses, she
forced herself not to think about what must be done. If she
344
could have figured a way to get supplies back to the ranch
on her bicycle, she would have done it
The barn was scarier than she thought it would be, and
not until she was inside did she remember that the horses
were kept in the paddock outside. The thought of having to
catch one gave her no comfort, but as she walked down the
length of the barn, a horse's head came out over the door
of its stall. At first Reagan was startled but realized suddenly
that she'd been rescued.
"Hey, fella," she began coaxingly, not missing the gray
muzzle and sunken eyes. "You look about my speed."
The horse stretched his neck out in a friendly fashion,
but Reagan was still uneasy. She glanced around and
spotted a buggy, one that looked light and manageable. She
went into that stall and, taking the shaves, manhandled the
buggy out into the lane between the two long rows of stalls.
"Okay," she panted, still speaking to the horse, which
looked half asleep, "we'll just get you out of there, and you
can take me to town."
>
Reagan flipped the latch, and as soon as the horse heard
345
it, his ears perked up and he moved to come out A moment
City Girl 189
later, the door swung fully open and the horse came
straight at Reagan, his nose smelling her clothing for sugar
or a handful of oats.
"Oh, no!" Reagan cried as she backed up. "Stay back
now; stay back."
But the old horse just nuzzled the front of her dress and
then stood still. When Reagan saw that she was not going
to be trampled, she relaxed a little and began to give orders.
"All right now. You just back yourself up to the buggy."
The horse's ears twitched, but already his eyes had half-closed
again.
"Come on, now. I've got things to do. Just get hitched to
this buggy, and we'll go."
Reagan reached out and pushed a little on the horse's
side, but the animal didn't appear to notice.
Reagan cast about for some other plan, and that was
when she spotted him. Watching her intently, Cash Rawlngs
346
stood about 20 feet away, shoulder propped against a
column.
"Oh, Cash," Reagan began, "I didn't see you."
"Reagan, what are you doing?"
'I'm trying to get this horse hitched to the buggy. I have
to go to town."
Cash could only laugh.
"And what were you doing just standing there, Cash
Rawlings?" Reagan wanted to know. "I could have been
trampled."
"Not by Misty. I thinkshe's older than I am."
"Oh, ifs a girl?" She looked with new interest at the
animal's face. "How can you tell?"
Cash's laughter echoed off the barn's interior, even as
Reagan turned red and refused to look at him.
Pushing away from the column, the rancher finally took
pity on her and came forward.
"Didn't Katy tell you I always assign one of the men to
take her to town?"
190 lori wick
347
"No. We never got to that" Reagan glanced at him.
"How did you know I was out here?"
"I saw Brenda in the kitchen, and Katy told me where
you were headed. I was actually getting ready to saddle my
horse and head after you, sure you'd taken off on your
bike,"
"I would have if I could have figured out a way to do
it!" she told him indignantly, a slight brogue entering in.
"I'll take you," Cash told her, moving to put Misty back
inside with soothing words and a handful of oats.
"But you're busy, Cash, and the whole point of my being
here is to help."
"I need some things in town too, Reagan. If I didn't have
time, I would send someone else."
Reagan looked suspicious but let it go. He was a big boy.
If he didn't want to go to town, he didn't have to.
"By the way/' Cash began again, "were you really
hoping Misty would just back her way into the harness?"
Reagan's chin went into the air. "As old as she is, I
348
thought she must know how."
"But Misty's never been a cart horse. She's a cattle
pony."
"Oh, there are different types?"
Her eyes were so big with interest that Cash couldn't
find it in his heart to laugh again, but he wanted to. The
things he'd taken for granted nearly all his life were so
wondrous to her. In fact, it wasn't all that unusual to spot
armadillos in the barn, but he didn't think he would mention
it.
"So, are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I have my list and some money for your candy."
"Are we out of candy? I haven't been eating it much."
"Katy didn't want to run out."
"She spoils me."
I'm glad someone does was the first thought that sprang to
Reagan's mind.
City Girl 191
349
Because she had no idea where it had come from, it disturbed
her all the way to town.
--%r
"Okay, Reagan," Lavinia said, having checked over the
list again and been even more picky than Katy. "I think
that's the lot. Anything more?"
"I don't think so."
"Here--" The proprietress grabbed a tin of lady's
powder--it was scented with flowers--and pressed it into
Reagan's hands. "Take this to Katy; no charge. Tell her to
come back soon."
"I'll do that, Mrs, Unger. Thank you."
"Sally misses you," Lavinia said, acting as though she
had all day even though there were other patrons in the
store.
"I miss her too. If Cash doesn't get back before I'm done,
I may go down to1 see her."
"I can always tell him where you went"
"I'll do that, then. Thank you again."
350
Lavinia waved Reagan away, but in truth she was just
barely holding her tongue. Had she seen something in
Cash Rawlings' eyes when he'd dropped Reagan off?
"He's tall and she's not, and I always think that makes
for a cute couple."
"I don't need a couple," Mrs. Guthrie said in Lavinia's
ear. The woman's hearing was not what it used to be, and
she also had a habit of starting conversations in her head.
"Don't try to sell me more than I need, Lavinia Unger."
Lavinia only shook her head, moved to assist her customer,
and held her peace yet again.
3r -5r
192 lori wick
"You look tired," Sally told Reagan, hugging her again.
"How much time do you have?"
"Not much, but I wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm tired too, but then we both knew I would be. How
351
is Katy, by the way?"
"She's coming along. If 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
352
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, h
owever, where she made her purchase and
City Girl 193
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."
353
"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."
"Ann."
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
354
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.
194 lori wick
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
355
"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.
"Ill 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