City Girl

by Lori Wick

  help her down, but Reagan told them she could manage.

  When she caught sight of one trying to get a glimpse of her

  ankles, she became all businesslike. In a matter of minutes

  the job was done, and the men were thanked and sent on

  their way.

  "Did you give them cookies?" Katy asked when Reagan

  told her of the episode.

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  "They weren't looking for cookies," Reagan stated in no

  uncertain terms, and Katy chuckled.

  "You can laugh all you want, Katy, but I could have done

  without them."

  Cash, who had just entered the room, exchanged a look

  with Katy, both sets of eyes holding laughter.

  "So how was Lavinia?"

  "She misses you and sent you some powder."

  "Now wasn't that nice! What scent?"

  "Wildflower,Ithink."

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  "Mmmm..." Katy showed her appreciation after

  Reagan had handed her the tin and she had opened it

  enough to get a whiff. "Who else did you see in town?"

  "Before Reagan fills you in," Cash inserted, "I saw

  Pastor at the livery, and he wanted to know if the three of

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  us are planning to have a Bible study together. I told him

  we hadn't gotten that far."

  "I want to," Reagan said without hesitation. While

  reading her Bible that morning, she'd had several questions.

  "I do too," Katy added.

  "All right. We'll start this week. How's Thursday

  night--in here after dinner?"

  "What will we study?" Katy wished to know.

  "I'm not sure just yet. Do you have an interest?"

  Katy looked thoughtful. "I missed some of the work

  Pastor Ellis did on God's promises. Can we go over that?"

  "Sure. Is that going to work for you, Reagan?"

  "Anything," she told him. "I feel completely lost in the

  Bible."

  "Okay. Thursday night it is."

  Cash went on his way, and Reagan turned to Katy.

  "Did you talk to him about your doubts?"

  "No, because I remembered what he would say."

  "What would he say?"

  "That all feelings have to follow the truth of Scripture. If

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  I don't feel saved, but I know in my heart that I took care

  of things between God the Father and me, then I'm saved

  forever."

  "You know so much, Katy," Reagan said in amazement. "How do you know so much?"

  Katy did not look pleased. "I sat in that church just

  trying to be good enough to get God's notice without

  admitting that His way was the only way He would accept.

  I did my level best not to listen, but a few things got in!"

  Reagan bit her lip in an effort not to laugh, but it didn't

  work. A giggle slipped out and then another.

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  Just realizing what she'd said, Katy began to laugh as

  well. Before many moments passed, the two of them were

  having a loud session of laughter and giggles.

  Across the way, Cash sat in his office and listened. He

  was in the midst of trying to catch up on his correspondence,

  but for a time he couldn't lift the pen. This miracle

  that had happened in his own household was just too big

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  to take in.

  -S"3r

  One week and six days after Katy was hurt, Dakota and

  Slater Rawlings rode up the drive to the ranch. They hadn't

  planned on arriving together but had met up on the road

  and come in at the same time. It had been a good time to

  catch up as Dakota had taken a new job, but both men were

  preoccupied with the news about Katy. She was not a

  young woman anymore, as they knew all too well.

  Dakota and Slater quickened their pace when the ranch

  house came into view, but a scene in front of the house--

  Cash and a young woman arguing--caused them to finish

  the ride very slowly. When they got close enough, they saw

  that a contraption stood between the warring couple--one

  they'd both seen in St Louis but never in Texas.

  "Why have you brought me out here?" Reagan asked

  loudly enough for the visiting Rawlingses to hear. "And

  why do you have my bike out?"

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  "I want you to go for a ride."

  "To town?"

  "No. Just for pleasure."

  "Why?"

  "You need a break."

  Reagan's hands came up.

  "I have work to do, Cash."

  "It can wait. Get on the bike."

  "What if Katy needs me?"

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  "I'll keep an eye on her. Get on the bike."

  "This is ridiculous."

  "No, it's not. Whaf s ridiculous is that you haven't had

  a moment to yourself since Katy fell, and I know you love

  to ride. Now get on the bike."

  "Stop saying that"

  "As soon as you get on the bike, I will."

  With eyes that told him she thought him demented,

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  Reagan took the bicycle handles and, with the ease of

  breathing, hopped on and began to ride. Planning to keep

  it short, she started around the house, fully intending to

  stay in the barnyard.

  "Make it a long one," Cash called after her, "or I'll send

  you out again."

  Not until that was settled and Reagan was riding out of

  sight did Cash look up to see his brothers. They were both

  smiling hugely, and Cash shook his head, not looking forward

  to explaining the situation to the two men with the

  Cheshire cat smiles.

  "Well, now," Dakota began. "Who was that?"

  "You can get that gleam out of your eye, Dak. If s not

  what you think."

  "What do we think?" Slater asked, smile still in place as

  he dismounted, went forward, and hugged his oldest

  brother.

  Dakota was next, and the middle brother's mouth was

  opening to say more when he spotted Reagan again on the

  bike. His gaze drew the others, and for a moment all three

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  watched as she made a wide circle by the barn and headed

  once again toward the back of the house, looking for all the

  world as though she was having the time of her life. Dakota

  finally spoke when she disappeared.

  "Is that the woman from town? The one in the letter?"

  "Yes. Her name is Reagan Sullivan."

  "A woman who owns her own bicycle, Cash," Dakota

  said, eyes hopeful. "Just the kind of girl you need. Any

  chance she's a believer?"

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  Cash had all he could do not to shake his head. Since

  their marriages, his brothers had one thing on their minds:

  to see him married as well.

  "Well?" Slater put in now. "Is she?"

  "As of about nine days ago, yes."

  "She's not taken, is she?"

  "You two take the cake, you know that? I strongly suspect

  you're here for Katy, but all you want to know is

  whether or not I've found someone to marry."

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  The younger brothers' faces became very sober, and

  Cash saw in an instant that he should not have teased

  them.

  "Come on in," he said. "Katy will be surprised speechless."

  "How is she, Cash
?" Slater said seriously. "I mean,

  really?"

  Cash smiled, absolutely delighted to be able to say, "I'll

  let her tell you herself."

  "that was just what I needed!" Reagan announced as

  she spotted Cash in Kat/s room, rushing in before seeing

  that they had guests. "At first I thought you needed your

  head checked, but then I just--" Reagan came to an abrupt

  and awkward halt. Two men were in the room, both cowboys,

  and Reagan had interrupted.

  'I'm sorry," she said as she began backing toward the

  door. "I'm sorry," she said even more softly before anyone

  could speak.

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  "Come in, Reagan." Katy's voice stopped her; she had

  never heard her so excited. "These are my other two boys!"

  Reagan looked to Cash.

  "My brothers," he supplied. "Dakota and Slater, I'd like

  to introduce you to Reagan Sullivan."

  "Hello," Reagan greeted them, still embarrassed. The

  men were perfect gentlemen, however, and came forward

  to shake her hand, neither one seeming the least bit put out

  "If s a pleasure," Dakota said, his smile genuine.

  "Cash and Katy have been telling us about all you do.

  We can't thank you enough." ,

  This had come from Slater, and Reagan blinked in surprise.

  She had known that Cash was a gentleman, but three

  in the same family was almost too hard to believe. And

  they were all so different in appearance!

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  "You're not from Texas, are you?" Dakota now asked,

  his voice a deep dra wL

  Reagan smiled. "How could you tell?"

  "No one else here rides a bicycle."

  Reagan couldn't help but laugh at that; she knew it was

  probably true. But as much as the men genuinely seemed

  to enjoy her company, Reagan wanted to leave them on

  their own. If the light in Katy's eyes was any indication, she

  was near to bursting with pleasure over having them there.

  "I've got some things to do in the kitchen," she said,

  backing toward the door. "I'll see you at dinner."

  "Thank you, Reagan/' Cash said, even as he hoped she

  wasn't leaving for another reason. He had caught a

  glimpse of vulnerability in her face, something he was not

  accustomed to seeing in Reagan. It left him uncertain about

  how to respond.

  Reagan was feeling very much the way Cash had

  guessed. She knew that she was still needed, but interfering

  with this family reunion was the last thing she

  wanted. Katy needed to see "her boys" on her own. And

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  too, she just hadn't spent much time with families. She

  thought that Russell and Holly's family was unusually

  dose, but now she was seeing it again in Cash and his

  brothers.

  To get her mind off the feelings she didn't understand

  and didn't know how to handle, Reagan threw herself into

  a wonderful meal, one that would celebrate the return of

  the brothers. Glad she'd baked a cake earlier that day, she

  frosted it and then worked hard on the potatoes and vegetables

  to go with the meat

  "We're going to eat in Katy's room tonight," Cash

  announced about 15 minutes after Reagan got down to

  work, Slater right behind him.

  "That's a wonderful idea. Katy will love that."

  While Reagan remained over the stove and oven, the

  men took a small table and four chairs to Katy's room.

  Reagan did not understand the complete plan, however,

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  until after they came and took all the bowls of food as well.

  Reagan was getting ready to serve herself from the pot

  when she heard a voice.

  "Ill get her," Slater called over his shoulder as he came

  back to the kitchen. "Come on, Reagan. We're waiting for

  you."

  Reagan shook her head.

  "I'll be fine in the kitchen, Dakota. I see Katy all the

  time."

  "I'm Slater, and Katy wants you to come,"

  Reagan looked suspicious. "Did she say that?"

  He nodded like a schoolboy, and Reagan had to laugh.

  Nevertheless he was very persuasive, and before long

  Reagan found herself in Katy's room. A prayer was said

  and dishes were passed. The men bantered constantly,

  teasing Katy almost nonstop and still managing to compliment

  Reagan on the food.

  "I made cake," she said at one point, and the men were

  appreciative to the point of making Reagan think they had

  never had it

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  "We have molasses candy too, don't we, Reagan?" Katy

  put in.

  "Yes, ma'am. I just filled the jar."

  "I may never go home," Dakota said outrageously.

  "Ill go home," Slater added, "but I might have to take

  that candy dish with me."

  Cash snorted in disbelief. "If I know you, Slate, there

  won't be any candy left in the jar when you leave

  tomorrow night"

  Slater looked innocent at this remark, and even Katy

  laughed.

  "Do you have to leave so soon?" Reagan asked. These

  three had a way of making everyone feel right at home.

  "Yes. My wife is having a baby soon, and I don't want to

  miss anything."

  "You shouldn't have come," Katy worried from the bed.

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  "If s all right, Kate. You're too important to me not to be

  here, and Duffy says that Libby probably has another week

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  at least, maybe two."

  "Libby is Slater's wife, and Duffy is her stepfather and

  doctor," Cash supplied for Reagan.

  "Do you hope for a boy or a girl?" Reagan asked the

  blond brother.

  Slater smiled. "My wife has three younger siblings, a

  brother and two sisters. They are the sweetest kids in the

  world, which makes it impossible for me to choose among

  them. For some reason I feel the same way about the baby.

  I know if if s a little Laura or Jeanette, I'll love her, and if the

  baby's a little Zach, that would be just as great."

  "You should have brought them with you," Dakota said.

  "I could go for a conversation with Laura or Zach at just

  about any time."

  "Then you're going to love the latest, Dak," Slater rilled

  them in. "Just before Libby and I moved into our own

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  place, Laura would come into our room in the mornings

  and look around. At first she wouldn't tell Libby why, but

  then Ubby got her to admit that she was looking for a

  nest."

  "A nest?" Cash asked. "What was that about?"

  "We think it was about Duffy teasing Liberty and her

  mother one night, saying that he always knew when Katie

  was going to give birth because she'd start nesting up a

  storm."

  All the occupants of the room had a good laugh over

  this. Slater went on to tell of some other conversations with

  Laura and Zach and how fast Jeanette was growing, and

  Reagan could only sit in quiet amazement. It was with

  nothing short of relief to be able to serve the cake, have a

 
; small piece herself, and then escape to the cleanup needed

  in the kitchen.

  She was almost halfway done when Cash joined her. He

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  picked up the dish towel--something he did for her

  often--and began to dry the heavy pots she'd used.

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  Tonight, however, instead of talking to her about general

  topics or answering her questions on Scripture, he came

  right to what was on his mind.

  "What happened in there, Reagan?"

  "What do you mean?" she asked, head still bent and

  hoping it wasn't what she feared.

  "You looked about ready to cry when Slater was talking

  about his wife's siblings,"

  "I never cry," she told him, as though that were the end

  of the subject

  "Why is that, do you think?"

  "It doesn't do any good."

  "I don't know about that."

  Reagan looked at him but then went right back to

  washing.

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  "So answer my other question. Why was it upsetting to

  you when Slater was talking?"

  More than anything in the world, Reagan wanted to lie

  and say she wasn't upset at all, but she couldn't do it. She

  knew it was wrong, and this was Cash. She would never lie

  to him.

  "I don't want to talk about it," she opted, her voice tight.

  "All right," Cash said easily, his voice as calm as ever.

  "Are you always so nice?" Reagan demanded, turning

  to him, her face red with emotion. "Aren't you ever

  grouchy or mean?"

  Cash looked at her for a moment and then spoke, his

  voice filled with wonder.

  "What possible reason would I have for being mean to

  you, Reagan? You're my sister in Christ You're a part of my

  household. You take care of Katy and me as though you've

  been doing it all your life. You give of your time and energy

  all day long. What possible reason could I have to reward

  all your kindness and hard work with meanness?"

  Feeling very shamed, Reagan went back to the dishes.

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  She thought Cash would walk away and leave her to finish

  on her own, but even though she'd acted like a shrew, he

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  stayed. They were almost done when Reagan began to quietly

  admit what was on her mind.

  "I've never had a family like yours, Cash. I've always

  wanted one, but just the thought of it scares me to no end."

  "Why does it, Reagan?"

  "Because families take something from you."

  "What do you mean?"

  Reagan turned to face him.

  "Your brothers and Katy are here now, but they're not