A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy)

by Lori Wick

  I'll get Darvi off safely, and then I'll make my way home. I'll

  visit Cash for a while and then go see Slater and Liberty. If Brace

  doesn't want me back by then, I'll go back to the ranch for good!

  ^"3"9r

  "Are you going to be all right?" Dakota asked Darvi

  once they had left the house. She hadn't cried when they

  had said goodbye, but her face was so set that Dakota knew

  she was in agony. The fact that she didn't answer him also

  told him she was just hanging on.

  Not in a hurry this time, they rode easily. Dakota was

  very rested, and Darvi had not wanted to leave. Neither

  128

  did she want to talk, at least not for some miles. Indeed, it

  was midmoming--they were long out of Stillwater-- before she broke the silence.

  "Weren't those little girls cute?" she asked quietly.

  "Oh, yes," Dakota replied with a smile. "I fell in love the

  first moment I saw them."

  "They liked you too."

  "I hope so."

  "Merry told me," Darvi assured him. "She said Vivian

  and Filar are usually more comfortable with women. I

  guess their father owns their hearts, but with you they

  made an exception."

  Dakota smiled. "They weren't very vocal, but they sure

  liked to look at me."

  Darvi smiled as well and turned to stare at him.

  "What?" Dakota wished to know.

  "I'm just trying to see you through their eyes."

  Dakota good-naturedly shook his head. "Well, tell me

  when you figure it out"

  ATexasSty 71

  129

  With that the two were content to ride in silence for a

  time. Darvi looked completely at ease, like a child who's

  well taken care of, and that must have been because she

  was well looked after. Dakota was constantly on the alert.

  He was mentally thinking about the roads that would take

  them to Aurora and also where they could lunch, as well as

  finding a suitable place to set up camp before dark.

  Dakota had stocked up on provisions, so he wasn't worried,

  but when the sun was right over their heads, he

  decided to mention to her that they were not going to make

  any sort of town that night

  Upon this announcement, Darvi pulled her mount to a

  stop.

  "We're not going back through Blake where we stayed

  before?"

  "Not if we're headed to Aurora so you can catch the

  train. Blake would be out of the way."

  Her hat shaded her face quite nicely, but she still put her

  hand up to the brim and looked around them.

  130

  "Where will we spend the night?"

  "There's an oak grove about five hours from here. If s

  off the road, but there's a large stand of trees, and the

  stream there is deep and fast flowing. I think we'll be in

  good shape if we can make that"

  "Then we'll be in Aurora tomorrow night?"

  "Probably not, but if you want to ride hard, we can try."

  Darvi thanked him for the information and heeled her

  horse back into motion; indeed, she even picked up the

  pace some. At the same time, her mind gave her heart a

  short lecture.

  You had to see Merry. You couldn't live another day until you

  saw Merry. Would you have been quite so eager, Darvi, if you had

  known you were going to be sleeping on the ground? Darvi rode

  on without even trying to answer.

  m

  Ok

  "IS THIS THE PLACE?"

  131

  Busy scouting the area, Dakota didn't answer, but Darvi

  knew it had to be. He had taken them off the main road

  about 30 minutes back, and the trees were just as he had

  described. Darvi could also hear the rippling sound of

  water over rocks.

  "Okay, Darvi/' Dakota spoke as he came back toward

  her on foot, "Come on this way around the trees. We'll set

  up camp for the night and have some dinner."

  Darvi did as she was directed, knowing that hotel room

  or not, it was going to be good to get out of the saddle.

  Once again she was reminded of how her determination to

  see Merry had clouded all else. They had certainly ridden

  harder to Stillwater, but she didn't remember feeling sore.

  Now as she dismounted, she barely stifled a groan.

  "You weren't sore on the way to Scotts," Dakota commented

  from behind her.

  Darvi turned to see him watching her.

  "How did you know I was sore?"

  A slow smile stretched across the Ranger's face.

  "I just watched you get off that horse."

  132

  Darvi tried to look stern but ended up laughing a little.

  At least she could do that What she couldn't do was rub

  the parts of her anatomy that ached with stiffness and

  fatigue.

  A Texas Sky 73

  "Why don't you walk down by the water? I'll take care

  of your horse."

  Darvi looked as grateful as she felt before thanking

  Dakota and unfastening her satchel from Finley's saddle.

  "I think 111 freshen up a bit."

  "All right Keep your eyes open and stay within earshot"

  Thinking he sounded just like Uncle Marty, she went on

  her way, moving gingerly as sensation returned to her

  limbs. Pain or no pain, it wasn't long before she noticed

  what a lovely setting it was. The day was still plenty warm,

  but just the sound and sight of the water seemed to cool

  her, and finding a large rock right at the edge was like an

  answer to prayer. Darvi sat on it, slipped off her boots and

  stockings, and placed her feet in the water. The action

  133

  seemed to cool all of her. Had it been dark, she'd have

  gotten all the way in, but for the moment this did the trick.

  Her satchel came next She reached for the bag and

  brought out a large handkerchief, one she'd borrowed from

  her father. After soaking it, she bathed her face and neck.

  In very short order she felt like herself again.

  "Are you all right?" she heard Dakota call.

  "Yes, thank you, I am. Do you need some help?"

  "No, I'm fine, thanks."

  "I have my feet in the water already."

  Darvi heard the laughter in Dakota's voice when he

  called back, "Sounds great I'll probably join you in a

  minute."

  Darvi smiled in contentment, all misgivings about

  camping slowly dying away. She decided as she sat there

  that she wanted a fresh pair of stockings. Her hands were

  back in her bag when she heard the rattle. She stopped

  moving, even though she could feel the outline of her gun

  beneath some of her garments. Her eyes shifting frantically,

  she finally spotted it A small rattlesnake was coiled on the

  134

  ground about a foot away from the rock. As Darvi watched,

  it uncoiled a bit and started to move away from her, but

  72

  74 lori wick

  Darvi still brought out her gun. She realized her mistake

  too late. Sensing her movement, the snake recoiled to face

  her, the rattles sounding off again.

  "I don't think I can do this," she whispered even as she

&n
bsp; held the gun at arm's length, her finger ready to pull the

  trigger. Her mind raced through the things she'd heard

  about snakes, such as their ability to jump the length of

  their bodies. She wanted to gauge the distance but was

  afraid to take her eyes from the reptile.

  "Darvi, you all right?" Dakota chose that moment to

  check on her.

  The snake still watched her, his tail now silent.

  "Darvi?"

  135

  "Dakota," she managed in a small voice. Then louder.

  "Dakota."

  "Darvi, are you--" Dakota was saying as he came into

  view, his brow lowering as he watched her hold something

  black out in front of her with both hands. He moved closer

  and saw that it was a stocking draped over a gun. Why it

  took him so long to see what had her frozen in place, he

  didn't know, but moving in swiftly, his gun coming clean

  from his holster as he walked, he fired one shot before the

  snake jolted with the impact and lay still.

  Her eyes still huge, Darvi kept her gun trained on the

  dead serpent even as she watched Dakota approach.

  Dakota was compassionate when he saw the fear in her

  face, but he still smiled and plucked at the black stocking.

  "Does the gun work without this?"

  Darvi slowly lowered the weapon. "I was afraid to

  shoot. I thought I would miss such a small target."

  "That still would have scared him away."

  "But then I would have wondered all night where he

  was." Her eyes flickered toward the snake. "Now I'll

  136

  know."

  Dakota then saw that she trembled a little.

  "You were very brave."

  "I don't feel brave. I feel like calling for my mother."

  A Texas Sky 75

  Dakota bent and put his arm around her shoulders and

  gave her a squeeze.

  "Thanks, Dakota."

  "You're welcome. Ill stomp about some and make sure

  he has no family." As Dakota started his search, he kept

  speaking. 'Tell me something, Darvi, does trouble just naturally

  follow you around?"

  "What does that mean?" she asked, working discretely

  to put her stockings on.

  "Oh, first you follow a complete stranger down the

  streets of Austin, who just happens to be me, and then you

  have two men following you in Stillwater, and now you

  attract a snake. It just causes a man to wonder."

  Stockings and shoes in place, Darvi turned to set him

  137

  straight. "I'll have you know, Dakota Rawlings, I can take

  care of myself very nicely."

  Dakota didn't even glance her way. "If s beginning to

  make sense why Brace didn't want you coming on your

  own."

  "You're all the same," she muttered, checking around

  the rock before climbing down. She gathered her tilings,

  gun still in hand, and moved back in the direction from

  which she had come. What she saw stopped her. Darvi

  didn't know how Dakota had accomplished it so swiftly,

  but he had set up a very orderly camp. A glance to the right

  showed that he had tethered the horses near food and

  water and already had a fire coaxed along, with two

  bedrolls opposite each other. Darvi knew she was in good

  hands, but she hadn't expected this. Dakota had told them

  he could cook. Darvi didn't know why she hadn't figured

  pn the rest.

  He lives his life on the trail Vfhat did you expect?

  "I think we're reptile-free for the moment," Dakota proclaimed

  as he joined her. "I hope you like your coffee

  138

  strong. I don't know any other way to make it."

  "I do like it strong, but believe me when I tell you that

  I'll eat and drink whatever you give me."

  76 lori Wick

  "Hungry, are you?"

  "Well/ not starved, but as usual, I've acted without

  thinking. It never occurred to me that we wouldn't be in a

  town tonight. If I was on my own, I'd be going hungry."

  As though she'd just proved his point, Dakota smiled.

  Catching it, Darvi's chin came up.

  "I would have done fine on my own," she told him

  firmly. "I would have come up with something to eat."

  Fearing he would only get himself in trouble, Dakota

  didn't comment. Not fully understanding the female brain,

  however, he still found more than he bargained for.

  "Do you doubt it?" Darvi demanded, not willing to let

  the matter drop.

  Dakota looked at her.

  "Actually, I don't. Plucky as you are, you would probably

  139

  do fine, but don't ask me to condone your being out

  here on your own, Darvi. I won't do that."

  Darvi wisely shut her mouth. She hadn't expected as

  much as she got, and she determined to let it drop before

  she pushed Dakota into saying something she didn't want

  to hear. She believed she could do fine, and that was all that

  really mattered to her.

  %r%r

  The meal was very good. Merry had sent some baked

  goods with Dakota, and that man had a good supply of

  trail food. He turned dried meat into beef and gravy over

  rice, a biscuit on the side. They ate cookies with their last

  cups of coffee.

  Darvi volunteered to wash dishes, and she was at the

  stream doing this when Dakota realized they had company.

  Two men approached on one horse, a small, hard-ridden

  beast. Their eyes watched him but were more

  interested in the horses nearby.

  140

  "Hello," the man on the front called.

  A Texas Sky 77

  Dakota didn't like his smile but still said, "Good

  evening."

  "Nice horses," the second man spoke as they dismounted.

  Dakota saw no reason to comment. He hoped they

  would move on without a confrontation, and almost at the

  same moment, he heard the clank of pots and knew that

  Darvi was returning.

  "Not now, Darvi," he said under his breath, but there

  was no way she heard. Indeed, completely unaware of the

  danger, she entered the campsite talking.

  "I don't know if I got this one pot clean. It was very

  stubborn. I hope you aren't too--"

  Dakota didn't even look at her, which meant he saw

  every bit of interest on the visitors' faces. He decided to

  confront the situation head on.

  "The horses aren't for sale."

  The men both snickered before the first one said, "We

  141

  ain't got no money anyhow."

  "Well, that only leaves you one option, gentlemen,"

  Dakota went on amiably, "and it's only fair to warn you

  that I'll shoot you before I let you take our horses."

  They seemed to weigh this up for a time, looking at each

  other and then back to Dakota, who partially blocked their

  view of Darvi

  "She your wife?" number two asked.

  "The lady is not your business," he said flatly, his hand

  not moving to his gun, but his whole body shifting in a no-nonsense

  way. "And since we're camped here for the night,

  I think it might be best if you head on your way."

 
Hesitating only for a moment, the men climbed back

  onto the weary animal and continued down the road. Both

  Darvi and Dakota watched them for some time. Darvi's

  imagination had them doubling back, so she kept her eyes

  on them for as long as she could. When she finally glanced

  up at Dakota, it was to find him watching her.

  78 lori wick

  142

  "I suppose you're going to say that was all my fault?"

  she asked calmly.

  "No, I wasn't going to say that, but it would help if you

  didn't look so good."

  Knowing she was not at her best, Darvi nearly laughed.

  "What do you suggest?"

  Seeing the amusement in her eyes, Dakota barely kept

  from smiling. "Well, you could blacken a few teeth and

  maybe dye your hair a mud brown."

  "I'll think on it," Darvi assured him before adding, "if s

  your size and color, by the way."

  Dakota blinked.

  "Whaf s my size and color?"

  "The reason the twins stare at you, and also the reason

  those men in Still water and the men today left without an

  argument. Depending on who they are, people either find

  you a great comfort or completely intimidating." This said,

  she turned to put the pots down and then to sit down on her

  bedroll, reaching for her satchel as soon as she was settled.

  For a moment it was on Dakota's mind to ask which

  143

  way Darvi found him, but he thought he knew the answer.

  She'd half-hidden behind him while he talked with the

  men. Somehow he didn't think she was intimidated by him in the least.

  5"3r^"

  Dakota did not get into his bedroll when darkness fell

  and Darvi climbed into hers. There was still a small flicker

  of fire left, and he wanted to go back to Calder's letter, which

  was filled with Scriptures. He started to read the letter again,

  thankful that Calder had written out some of the verses.

  Dear Dakota,

  I want to start by thanking you for asking me about this subject.

  It's easy to do things by habit and not conviction. It was very

  good for me to be reminded why prayer is so important.

  A Texas Sky 79

  Colossians 4:12 says: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant

  of Christ, salutes you, always laboring fervently for you in

  144

  prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of

  God." Epaphras is devoted to prayer.

  Colossians 1:9 says: "For this cause we also, since the day we

  heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might

  befitted with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual