A Texas Sky, Page 2

  six months after the wedding."

  22

  Now it was Darvi's turn to stare.

  "She doesn't live in Austin?"

  He slowly shook his head. "Up in the hills. A small town

  outside of Blake called Stillwater."

  ATexasSky 15

  Darvi continued to stare, her mouth slightly agape. This

  couldn't be true. She'd been dying to see her friend for

  dose to three months and only now was able to make time

  to come to Austin. How could this have happened?

  "I can't believe it," she muttered softly.

  "Ifs been four years since you've visited, Darv. A lot can

  change in that time."

  Her shoulders drooped a little.

  "Yes, they can, and we never tried to stay in touch outside of my visits. There was never a need. We were always able to pick up right where we left off."

  "I'm sorry, Darv. I wish you had known."

  It took Darvi only a moment to see the sadness in his

  eyes. In the next instant her chin tipped up. "I'll just go to

  her," she said, standing up as though leaving on the spot

  23

  Brace was already shaking his head. "I don't have time

  to take you, and you--"

  "You don't have to," Darvi cut him off. "I can get there;

  you know I can."

  "Don't even think about it," Brace said in a voice he'd

  have used with his men. "I won't even discuss it"

  "Uncle Marty, when are you going to realize I'm not 16

  anymore?" She threw her arms up and flopped back down

  on the wooden seat "For that matter," she muttered,

  "when are you going to face the fact that I'm not 20 anymore?"

  But Brace was still shaking his head no.

  "You know I can make it!" she tried again.

  "I'm not willing to let you try."

  "Why can't you take me? I'll just make it a quick visit

  We can't be talking about more than two days on the trail,

  if that"

  "I don't have time. I wish I did, Darvi, but my boss is

  coming into town, and I can't be gone when he arrives."

  "When is he coming?"

  "Sometime next week."

  24

  "And that's all the more specific he could be? Men!"

  16 lori wick

  Brace leaned back in his chair, a big smile on his face.

  "What is that grin about?"

  "Oh, nothing much. Only about a niece who said she

  was coming back every summer and hasn't been here in

  four years." Brace nodded sagely. "Yes, indeed, women are

  much better about saying when they'll arrive and then

  coming on time."

  Darvi stood, working hard to hide her smile.

  "I believe I'll be going on my way now, since all you can

  do is insult me."

  "Are you going to be around at lunch?" Brace asked,

  knowing she was riot really angry.

  "That all depends."

  "On what?"

  "On whether I've found someone to take me to Merry's

  or not"

  The smile she gave him could have melted butter in the

  25

  snow, but he knew the steel in that little backbone of hers-- just like her mother's. He didn't let himself laugh, however, until she exited and shut the door in her wake.

  %r%r

  Dakota hit Austin hot, dirty, and sore. There was no

  doubt in his mind'that his first stop would be Brace's office,

  but from there he was headed for a bath. The dark cowboy

  rode easily up the familiar street only an hour past noon,

  stopped in front of the office, and didn't so much as wince

  when he climbed painfully from the saddle.

  Brace's back was to him when he entered the sparse

  room, but that didn't change Dakota's routine. He pushed

  his hat back on his head, turned the chair around as he

  always did, and straddled it This done, he waited for Brace

  to turn and acknowledge him.

  Brace knew someone had come in behind him, but he'd

  lost a file that morning and was determined to find it He

  ATexasSty 17

  26

  wasn't usually so rude to folks who entered and decided

  he had best say something.

  "I'll be with you in a moment," he called over his

  shoulder.

  "Don't hurry on my account"

  The sound of that voice caused the older man to stop.

  He turned slowly from the file cabinet and speared Dakota

  with his angry gaze. The seated Ranger looked back with a

  calm that was genuine.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "Coming back to work."

  "I told you I didn't want to see you for six months."

  "I don't need six months."

  "I say you do."

  The old Dakota would have stood and gone back to

  work without a word of apology. The new Dakota debated

  his next move. He wasn't certain of too many things right

  now, but lying low for another four months was not something

  he needed. He tried a new tack.

  "So what you're telling me is that you have so many

  27

  Rangers that you can let men sit around for months at a

  time."

  Brace came to the desk and sat across from Dakota, his

  eyes thoughtful as they watched him.

  "If you still feel good in another month, 111 put you back

  on."

  "And what am I supposed to do for another month?"

  "As a matter of fact, I have a personal favor to ask you.

  It won't take a month, but it should put you closer to home

  where you can go and lie low until the end of September."

  Dakota was not the least bit interested in lying low, but

  he figured once he'd done the personal favor, he could talk

  Brace around.

  "Whaf s the favor?" he asked, knowing it didn't matter;

  he would do whatever Brace needed.

  "Can you escort my niece to Stillwater?"

  18 lori wick

  "Darvi?" Dakota guessed, knowing she used to visit

  every summer. He'd even met her one year.

  28

  "Yes. A friend of hers moved, and she wants to see her."

  "Certainly. When does she want to leave?"

  "Probably next week, but 111 ask her."

  Dakota nodded.

  "And until then," Brace said unyieldingly, "you can just

  enjoy the sights of Austin. If I see you working, I'll shoot

  you myself."

  Dakota knew he had no choice, but he didn't like it

  Fighting the urge to say more, he stood.

  I'm headed to get a bath."

  "All right. Why don't you come to dinner some night?

  You name the day."

  Dakota nodded. 'Ill get back to you."

  Brace watched him leave, looking for signs of injury. He

  wouldn't have admitted it for the world, but it looked to

  him as though Dakota was right: He was ready to come

  back to work.

  %r%r$ff

  29

  Darvi's attempt to find an escort to Stillwater was

  proving fruitless. For a time she had traversed the streets

  of Austin, hoping to find an advertisement or anything that

  might indicate a guide service, but she knew such possibilities

  were remote.

  From her place in Austin's reading room, Darvi looked

  out the window and told herself this was not going to

  work. But I don't know what else
to do, she then answered

  herself. I can't exactly walk the streets looking for a man to

  hire--Uncle Marty would have a fit. But I'm feeling just about

  that desperate.

  Just about ready to give up and open a book that had

  caught her eye when she came in, she spotted him. Darvi

  was willing to bet her grandmother's inheritance that he

  was a Ranger. She'd certainly spent enough time around

  A Texas Sty 19

  her uncle to spot the type. Not even remembering to

  replace the book to the shelf, Darvi came to her feet as

  gracefully as speed would allow and made a beeline for the

  30

  door.

  Dakota knew he was being followed, but he wasn't

  overly concerned. After all, the streets were fairly crowded

  and the bathhouse was on a main street. Still, there was no

  doubt that he heard footsteps that matched his own. And

  unless he missed his guess, it was the light tread of a

  woman. He let it go a few seconds longer before stopping

  and slowly turning around. Sure enough, about ten yards

  behind him, a woman stopped as well.

  "Did you need something?" he asked politely, removing

  his hat

  "No," she answered softly, but everything in her voice

  and manner said the opposite.

  "Are you all right?"

  This time she only nodded and looked away, dearly

  embarrassed.

  Dakota studied her for a moment, replaced his hat, and

  31

  turned back on his way. He nearly shook his head when

  she continued behind him.

  Thinking she was simply going his way, and not

  wanting to make her feel awkward, he left it alone. Not

  until he was ready to walk up the steps of the bathhouse

  did he let himself look again. What he saw stopped him.

  The woman--quite pretty he could see from this distance --was even closer and staring right at him.

  "Are you certain you're all right?"

  "You are a Texas Ranger, aren't you?" the woman suddenly

  blurted.

  "Yes, ma'am. Is there something I can do?"

  Dakota watched her composure slip a little more before

  she visibly gathered her courage and went on.

  20 lori wick

  *

  32

  "Do your duties happen to take you into the hills Very

  often?"

  "The hills, ma'am?" Dakota asked, completely at sea.

  "Yes. I have a need to go to Stillwater, and I'm looking

  'for someone to escort me."

  Dakota had all he could do not to react, asking himself

  if this could actually be Darvi. Gone was the child he'd met

  years ago, and Dakota was left wondering how long it had

  been.

  "You see," she tried again, this time catching herself and

  now standing like a woman in command, "if s rather

  important that I go to Stillwater. I'm terribly sorry to accost

  you on the street in this way, but I thought if you were to

  be traveling in those parts, I could accompany you and

  give my family ease about my travel."

  Dakota was on the verge of telling her exactly who he

  was and that he had already been asked to see her there

  when gunshots were fired down the street.

  "Will you excuse me a moment?" he said to the woman

  without hesitation as he turned and ran that way.

  33

  Gun pulled and ready, Dakota hurried toward the

  sound, which took him between two buildings and onto a

  side street. He heard shouting as he moved and sure

  enough, as soon as he spotted the commotion, which

  appeared to be a woman with a shotgun, he also spotted

  two officers. Even though the woman still had the gun, the

  men seemed to have the situation under control. Glad not

  to be pressed into duty just then, Dakota holstered his

  weapon and walked back toward the bathhouse.

  Long before Dakota reached his destination, he could

  see that the street was empty. He debated getting back to

  Brace right then so that he could get word to his niece, but

  a sjfark of mischief lit inside him. He would certainly have

  to let Brace know that he would be coming for dinner. The

  sooner the better.

  ^

  W

  34

  dakota thought he might be more comfortable at the

  boardinghouse, but if he wasn't going to be working for

  another month, he would have to be a little careful with

  his money for a time. That determined, he rolled out his

  bedding and prepared to sleep under the stars for the fifth

  night in a row. He could have made it to Austin in less

  time, but he'd taken it slow. As he now shifted around for

  a position that would not aggravate his wounds, he knew

  why.

  I may not be as ready for this as I thought, he told the Lord.

  I was pretty upset that Brace didn't want me back right now, but

  I think You must have had a hand in that.

  For a moment Dakota lay very still and wondered at

  tfiis miracle that had happened in his heart. He knew God

  could have closed the book on him so easily; his wounds

  still ached in reminder, but here he was, alive and able to

  do things differently.

  How many people get a second chance? J don't know why You

  think me worth it, but I'm grateful, God--more grateful than I

  can say.

  35

  Hot days on the trail were catching up to him. Dakota fell

  asleep still praying for his parents' salvation and then for

  Desmond and Geneva, asking God to help him remember

  all the things they had shared with him.

  21

  22 lori wick

  ^*3^^I

  have a surprise for you," Brace told Darvi on Saturday

  as they sat down to lunch.

  "What is it?" Darvi asked, trying to show interest when

  all she could do was think about her friend. She could

  write, she realized, but it wouldn't be the same.

  "I can't tell you. It's a surprise."

  Darvi didn't like surprises, and she suspected her uncle

  knew this.

  "Just give me a hint."

  "All right. Let's just say that someone is coming for

  36

  dinner tonight."

  Suddenly things made sense. Milly, the woman who

  kept house for her uncle a few days a week and started his

  meals, had put a large roast in to bake that morning. With

  Darvi in the house, she had been leaving a little earlier in

  the day, giving the young woman leave to change anything

  she wanted on the menu. But today she had told Darvi

  exactly how she wanted the meat finished and what she'd

  wanted to go with it

  "Someone as in a family? Or someone as in one

  person?"

  "I think I've told you enough."

  "A man or a woman?"

  Brace went on eating.

  "What if I have plans for the night?" Darvi now tried.

  "What would you say to that?"

  "I'd say I'm surprised. I thought you were here to visit

  me."

  Her sharp tongue getting her into trouble in the usual

  way, Darvi didn't reply.

  37

  "I think that might be why I'm confused a
bout your

  being in such a hurry to rush off to see Merry. You only just

  got here."

  "I'm sorry, Uncle Marty," Darvi whispered in true

  repentance, her heart seeing how insensitive she had been.

  A Texas Sky 23

  "Oh, Darv," he laughed, "I'm just teasing you. You

  know I would wish for you to go. I'd take you myself if it

  were possible."

  Darvi smiled at the warmth in his tone, but her head

  was having a little talk with her heart

  You're going to have to drop it, Darvi. He's right about this.

  You came to see him. Now accept that and enjoy your visit here.

  Not one to feel sorry for herself, Darvi forced herself to accept the situation. She would write to Merry in the morning and be done with this plan.

  SgrS^

  38

  "You look like a pincushion," the doctor said mildly as

  he examined Dakota's torso. "Oh, yes, I see what you

  mean. This one is rather red and nasty."

  Dakota took a breath as the man probed around his side

  but didn't cry out as he was tempted. He'd woken that

  morning feeling warm and uncomfortable and knew it was

  more than the weather. He'd tried to ignore it for most of

  the day, but the pain had grown worse. With just two hours

  before he had to be at Brace's for dinner, he stopped in to

  see the doctor.

  "I've got some powder I want you to put on this, and

  sleep on your other side for a while."

  Dakota nodded, not bothering to mention that he'd

  been shot in the upper arm on the other side. It wasn't any

  wonder that sleeping without a mattress was fitful these

  nights.

  "If you don't see vast improvement by Monday, get

  back in here."

  "All right. What do I owe you?"

  The doctor named a price so low that Dakota looked at

  39

  him.

  "My nephew's a Ranger," the man said with a sigh.

  "You're a breed apart--there's no denying that."

  24 lori wick

  Dakota smiled a little and thanked the man. Once outside,

  he could tell evening was on its way; the temperature

  had dropped a little. A cool evening and a home-cooked

  meal--Dakota could hardly wait

  %r$f

  "Are you about ready to come out?" Brace had found

  Darvi in the kitchen and asked her for the second time.

  "Almost," she said, knowing she wasn't going to have

  any other excuses.

  "I thought you'd be more excited," he teased.

  Darvi looked him in the eye, her hands going to her

  waist

  "I'm expected to be excited about someone I've never

  40

  met?"