by Lori Wick
14 lori wick
dtyGirl 15
been Dakota's superior in the Rangers. He hadn't been
happy when Dakota had wanted to leave but in the end
21
had admitted that he understood.
"Let me get that," Dakota said as Darvi came back into
the room, a large box in her arms.
Dakota waited for her to take a seat on the sofa and then
set the box down so it would be positioned between them.
Darvi had opened a few gifts already, presents from people
Dakota did not know, so it was special for her to watch him
open this box and remove the gift. It was a beautiful wall-mount
coffee grinder.
"Oh, my," Darvi said as she took in the size and heavy
cast-iron make. "This is wonderful. I think Uncle Marty
knows how much you like your coffee."
"I think you might be right" Dakota suddenly stopped and stared at Darvi. "Are we thanking all these people at
the wedding for this stuff or what?"
Darvi laughed until she was red in the face.
"Leave it to a man," she finally gasped, "not to know whaf s going on. If a gift arrives early, it's usually because
the giver can't attend the wedding. I've been sending out
thank-you cards as things come in."
Dakota looked rather sheepish but still laughed a little.
22
"Thanks for taking care of all this, Darv."
"You're welcome."
The couple's eyes met and held for long moments. Dakota was glad the box separated them. Darvi wished she
could move it. Both were thinking: Just a few more days.
"3* *5ash
Rawlings sidestepped a running child and the
woman darting after him and made his way into the downtown
shop. Each and every time he was in St. Louis to see
his parents, he took a gift to his housekeeper, Katy.
Knowing her personality, it had always been something
practical. This time he was going to surprise her.
"May I help you, sir?" asked a friendly woman who met
him in the middle of the store.
"Yes, please. I'm looking for something for someone
who is a little older. I'm not even sure she'll welcome the
idea," Cash added with a smile, "but I'm going to give it a
try."
The perfume shop owner's smile was genuine, her eyes
twinkling as she said, "I believe I have just the thing." She
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turned and led him to one of the three perfume counters,
slipped behind it to face him, and from under that glass
countertop withdrew a tray full of tiny bottles.
"Try this," she said, uncorking a small vial and waving
the lid in his direction.
"That's nice," Cash said, but it had a scent he would
term romantic. He almost shuddered as he pictured Katy's
reaction.
"Too romantic?" the woman shocked him by saying.
Cash looked down at her and blinked. "As a matter of
fact, I was thinking that very thing."
"I was hoping you were, in case you realize you have a
second lady at home who would enjoy some perfume."
She was openly flirting, and Cash's smile was kind, but
he stuck to the business at hand.
'Til just shop for my housekeeper this time," he said,
not unkindly. "Have you something else in mind?"
"I do," she stated, all at once becoming very professional.
She put the first tray back under the counter and
had Cash follow her to the next counter.
24
"This is what I should have shown you in the first place.
I believe you will like it."
The woman was right. Cash inhaled the gentle scent and thought that not even Katy would be able to hide her pleasure.
"This is perfect," he stated quietly. "I need it gift-wrapped
and able to travel."
16 lori wick
"Right away/' the woman agreed with a smile, wondering
why some woman had not snatched up this
charming, redheaded cowboy. His manners were faultless,
and if the cut of his clothing was any indication, he was not
living on the streets. But the thing she was most drawn to
was his eyes. A deep shade of brown, they were so warm
that even a stranger was made to feel as though he cared.
The package wrapped and secured for travel, the proprietress
walked Cash to the door as if it were an everyday
occurrence. It wasn't, but she couldn't deny herself the
sight of watching him put his hat back in place and then
seeing his long legs take him down the street. She knew her
25
business would never survive out of the city, but for a
moment she wondered just how far west she would need
to go in order to find a town where the men were all like
mat
"How are you, Ubby?" Virginia asked as soon as she
returned from meeting with the dressmaker. Virginia's
dress was done, but she had caught some of the excitement
that surrounded this wedding and had gone in person to
make sure it was being delivered that very day as
promised.
Having removed her hat and gloves, she now came over
to hug the younger woman and kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry
I wasn't here when you came down."
"Thaf s fine. I'm feeling much better, thank you. I had a
good breakfast, and I just came back from a walk."
"Did Slater go with you?"
"No, a message came for Dak, so he went to Darvi's to
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deliver it"
Virginia took a seat but didn't bother to get comfortable.
"At moments like this, I wonder if any of us are going to
survive this."
City Girl 17
Liberty smiled with compassion. "When we went to
dinner the other night, Darvi told us her mother wanted
her to have a wedding she would never forget"
Virginia's eyes rolled. "She's sure to have that, and if it
will keep peace in the family, then if s worth it"
Liberty didn't comment but was well aware of the story.
Liberty also knew that at times Dakota found his mother
rather stubborn on issues she felt were important Virginia
Rawlings was not as worried about St Louis' opinion as
Darvi's mother seemed to be, but when it came to spiritual
truths, she was almost stiff with fear and pride. Mr. Rawlings
had been more open, and the discussions with his sons
had given them great hope, but Virginia still seemed to be
digging her heels in on the subject. So much so, in fact, that
27
Dakota had told Cash and Slater, If it wasn't for Mother's hes~
itance, I think Father would have come to Christ by now. He
won't have anyone to blame if he waits too long, but I do think
Mother is holding him back.
Is there anything I can do to help?" Liberty asked, even
as she prayed for Slater's parents.
"I can't think of anything just now. Be sure you get your
dress to Winnie so she can press it for you."
"She came for it yesterday."
"Oh, that's right. I saw it in the back hallway. It's beautiful,
by the way."
"Thank you."
Virginia sighed. 'I've got so many lists in my head, I
can't keep track."
One o
f the staff came to the door just then with a question
for the lady of the house. Virginia stood as she
answered, moving toward the doorway, but then remembered
her daughter-in-law.
"Oh, Libby, how rude of me to leave like this, but the
truth is, I'm going to be so busy today. Are you going to
28
feel terribly neglected, dear?"
"Not at all, Mrs. Rawlings. Slater and his grandmother
have plans, this afternoon to show me where she used to
18 lori wick
live. Darvi and I will see you at dinner tonight," Liberty
reminded her. "Your sons are going out on their own."
"I'd forgotten about that," she said with a laugh. "Look
out, St. Louis!"
-3^
"Do you remember the time you tried to hide from
Father in a stall full of hay?" Dakota asked Slater that
evening.
The three Rawlings brothers were in a small St. Louis
dining establishment. Their table was quiet, as was the rest
of the place, and the smells coming from the kitchen told
them their father's recommendation had been a good one.
"How could I forget?" said the youngest brother,
29
shaking his head at the memory. "I still have the scars from
that pitchfork I never saw coming."
"I came into the house and thought you were dead,"
Cash added. "All because Dak stood in the hallway and
howled all the way through the doctor's examination of
you."
Dakota shook his head and smiled. "I hated the pain of
one of Father's spankings, and I thought a pitchfork in the
seat must have been a hundred times worse."
"At least I didn't get both," Slater added.
"He wouldn't have done that," Cash added with confidence.
"I heard him and Mother in the kitchen later. He
was too shaken up about the blood all over your pants."
Cash suddenly looked at Slater. "What had you done?"
"Ridden Father's horse after I'd been told not to. I
thought Father had gone to town, but when I came past the
pond, I saw him headed into the barn. He came out a
second later shouting my name, and I knew I'd been
caught. He wasn't even looking for me in that stall, he said
later, but he decided to fork some hay into one of the stalls
30
before he turned the ranch upside down to find me,"
City Girl 19
"Father's probably hoping you have a son that gives
you twice the trouble."
"Me?" Slater looked to Dakota in amazement. "I was
easy compared to you, especially after you'd decided to
join the Rangers. Why, you arrested the dog every day over
something. You practiced holding your toy gun on Mother
and Katy so much, the two of them still don't flinch at the
sight of a weapon."
Both Slater and Cash had a good laugh at Dakota's
expense, and he couldn't help smiling as well. The threesome
fell quiet for a moment, and after several seconds,
Cash realized his brothers were exchanging a glance. Cash
was about to ask what was going on when Dakota gave
some instructions to Slater.
"All right. Slate, you go first."
Slater nodded and looked to his oldest brother.
31
"You have to get married, Cash."
"Is that right?" Cash asked calmly. He didn't know
whether he should be laughing or his mouth should be
hanging open at this unannounced change in topics.
"Yes. Marriage is wonderful, and now that Dak is taking
the plunge, if s your turn."
"To any lady in particular?" Cash asked congenially.
Slater turned back to Dakota.
"Go ahead, Dak, you've been in his church. Who could
he marry?"
With this, Cash started to laugih.
"Be serious now, Cash," Slater scolded him. "You have
to let Dak think."
"You two are crazy. Do you know that?"
"Never mind now," Slater directed, starting to smile too.
"Let Dakota think."
"There was that one woman," the black-haired brother
said thoughtfully. "She was sort of tall with blonde hair, I
think. Is she available?"
Cash shook his head in amazement
32
20 lori wick
"Maybe Libby and I need to go home by way of
Kinkade, so we can find someone for you/' Slater said so
matter-of-factly that Cash began to laugh again.
"Let me ask you one thing, Cash." Dakota's serious face
was almost comical. "Have you been looking?"
"Not specifically, no."
"She's not suddenly going to drop into your lap," the
middle brother chided.
"She did for both of you," Cash stated mildly.
This silenced the younger Rawlingses. They looked at
Cash and then at each other in surprise. The waiter came to
their table before anyone else could comment further, and
all three men realized they hadn't even glanced at the
menus. The waiter stood by while they looked over the
choices. It didn't take long, and after they'd given their
orders and the man had gone on his way, Cash spoke in a
voice tinged with laughter.
"Shall we start this evening over again, gentlemen, or
33
does someone want to tell me what that was all about?"
"We honestly want you to get married, Cash," Slater
admitted, his smile lopsided. "It's nothing more than mat"
Cash gave a moment's thought to this and then asked,
"Is there something in my life mat makes you think I'm not
trying?"
Both men shook their heads no.
"Then I don't know what else I can do. I certainly talk to
the Lord about it, but in truth, there is no one at my home
church, and I don't want a mail-order bride. You both
found love, and I have to be honest and tell you I'm looking
for the same thing."
Forgetting where he was for a moment, Dakota sat back
in his chair, the front legs lifting from the floor. His dark
gaze was intent on his brother.
"Darvi did drop into my lap, didn't she? I hadn't really
thought about it like that"
"Yes," Cash agreed, "and Slater dropped into Libby's. It
doesn't always happen that way, but since there aren't any
34
City Girl 21
single women my age at church right now..." Cash
shrugged as he let the sentence hang.
"Well, I still think you should," Dakota said, his brow
drawn down in a stubborn way.
"If you find someone for me, I'll listen to you."
"Darvi's cousin is a believer, and she's pretty too," Slater
said.
"Who's that?" Dakota was all ears.
"I can't recall her name. She's the one we met the other
night."
"If you're talking about Wendy, Mother told me she's
17." Cash put his oar in, wondering if he should stop them
or just listen.
Thankfully, their food came in record time, and from
there the conversation turned to business, Dakota's new
job and the town it was in, where he and Darvi would live.
Slater and Liberty's life in Shotgun, and finally t
he ranch.
Either by design or by oversight, the topic of a bride for
35
Cash was put on the back burner, and Cash was rather
thankful mat it was. His brothers wanted answers. He had
none. In his mind there was nothing to talk about
^
'(#
"thank you for dinner/' Charles said, following Virginia
to the kitchen and kissing her cheek after she set a
large bowl down on the counter.
"You're welcome/' she replied, smiling as she looked up
at him. "Do you think the girls liked it?"
"Very much/' he returned, his voice warming perceptibly.
"I would say our boys have done very well."
"And a grandchild, Charles!" She grabbed his arm. "I'm
so excited. I don't suppose we could talk Slater into
moving back to St. Louis."
Charles laughed. "He loves Texas, Ginny, not to mention
that you told me you were in as much a mood to travel as
I was. We already put off our trip to Europe for the wedding.
36
I was hoping we could leave after Dakota and Darvi
are off on their wedding trip."
Virginia looked at him in horror. "I can't leave now."
"Why not?"
"The baby!"
'The baby's not due until June."
"Virginia opened her mouth but quickly closed it again.
She had just seen a side of herself that she did not like. For
years women in her association had been making fools of
themselves over grandchildren; something she had vowed
never to do. She and Charles had only recently learned that
Liberty was going to have a baby, and here she was trying
CityGirl 23
to fit her life around this grandchild instead of the man
she'd been married to for more than 30 years.
"You're right," she said quietly. "The baby's not due
until summer, and I did want to see Europe in early
spring."
Charles put his arms around her and held her dose. He
37
didn't say all that was in his heart, but he was very proud
of her. Unbeknownst to either of them, they were thinking
of the same sets of friends who were grandparents. On
Charles' part, he was picturing men whose wives would
not stray from their grandchildren. Trie men were forced to
sit and listen to tales of travel from other husbands whose
wives accompanied them or who simply chose to travel
without them.
Suddenly weary, Virginia thought she could rest in her
husband's arms all night But her daughters-in-law were
waiting for coffee and dessert in the next room. After a