by Lori Wick
mouth to speak again but suddenly stopped. Cash saw his
father's eyes dart across the room before the older man
shifted his gaze to his coffee cup and took a drink.
Cash turned to see his mother had come in and let the
door swing shut behind her. Cash watched her as she came
to the table.
'"You're talking about God, aren't you?"
Charles looked a bit sheepish, but Virginia sat down, her
face open.
"If s all right, Charles," she shocked him by saying. "I've
been doing some thinking of my own."
"On what exactly?"
City Girl 33
56
Virginia turned and looked at Cash-"I've
been patting
myself on the back about this wedding." She smiled a little
wryly. "I'm not sure why--Clarissa Wingate did all the
work--but for some reason it's given me great pride that
two of my boys have found wives. But in the midst of those
thoughts, you came to mind. If s not that you're not married,
Cash; if s what you believe. I was just short of taking
bows over Dakota and Darvi's marriage, and then I
thought you wouldn't feel that way. You would thank God
for putting them together."
Cash only looked at her, still too surprised to speak.
"You would, wouldn't you, Cash?"
"Yes, Mother," he said gently. "I would."
Virginia sighed a little, her gaze going upward. "I just
don't know if He wants me. I know Charles is interested,
and I want to be, but I feel as though God is hiding."
"The God I believe in, the God of the Bible, doesn't play
hide-and-seek with anyone. He's not capricious. Deuteronomy
57
4:29 tells us God can be found if we search for Him
with all our heart and soul."
"Where does it say that?" Charles asked, standing as he
spoke and moving to the small desk in the kitchen where
he'd been keeping the Bible. When he came back, Cash
opened the book and showed him the verse. Virginia
pressed in to see as well.
For the next few minutes Cash took them to passages
that spoke of God and His expectations of the people He
created. Both Virginia and Charles were very attentive.
Cash didn't press his parents, and after just a short time, he
sat back and was quiet
Virginia was the first to speak. "Charles, would you
mind terribly if we didn't leave for Europe this month?"
"No, I wouldn't, but why wait?"
"I just want to hear more of what Pastor Cooper has to
say. I want to go this morning and next week too. If we're
leaving soon, I might be distracted."
34 lori wick
58
Charles took her hand, and for a long time they looked
at each other.
"I'm a stubborn old man," he said, having forgotten
Cash's presence.
"You're in good company then/' Virginia said, her eyes
still on his. "You're married to a stubborn old woman."
Charles raised Virginia's hand and kissed it, but they
weren't distracted with each other for very long. This subject
was too urgent in their minds. Only seconds passed
before they had more questions for their oldest son.
*3r
"What are you doing?" Liberty asked her husband when
she found him poised outside the dosed kitchen door. She
was ready for the service long before she needed to be, and
because she'd already had some juice, she was hungry.
"Cash is talking to the folks about spiritual issues,"
Slater responded, his voice low. "I don't want to interrupt."
Liberty nodded. She couldn't really hear what was being
59
said, but she was quiet with her husband. They stood for a
moment longer until Slater glanced at his wife's face. As
usual she looked a little pale in the morning. He knew it
would help if she could eat.
"How about," he started, "I take you out to breakfast?"
"All right. Do I need a sweater?"
"I'll keep you warm."
Liberty smiled in delight as he took her hand and led her
to the front door. An impulsive outing was always fun in
her mind, and she loved having time with her spouse, but
even as they left, both husband and wife remembered to
pray for the people in the kitchen.
"YOUR father gave me the longest hug he's given me in
years," Gretchen Rawlings told Cash, Slater, and Liberty
after the train pulled out of the St. Louis station. "I don't
know when I've seen him so tender."
The older woman's eyes misted over, and her three
grandchildren let silence fall, but they understood just
what she meant. The questions and discussions they'd had
60
in the last few days and the interest they saw in Charles
and Virginia had given them all renewed hope that
someday they might set their faith, their future, in Christ.
It was five days after the wedding and time for all of
them to head home. Before catching their own train back to
spend a week on the gulf, Darvi and Dakota had spent a
few days on their own and then come back to the Rawlngses'
house to open gifts. Now these other four would
ride together as far as Dallas before Slater and Liberty
would connect to one train and Cash and his grandmother
to another.
Everyone was on the quiet side. It had been a tiring
time--fun, but draining both physically and emotionally.
The family was weary. And Liberty was not just tired--she
was hungry. She had not felt up to eating before they left,
so it wasn't surprising that she was ready for food not too
many miles down the tracks. The young couple asked the
rw
61
36 lori wick
others to join them in the dining car, but both Cash and
Grandma Rawlings declined.
"I'm rather glad we're on our own for a moment, Cash,"
Gretchen turned from the window to say.
"Why is that?"
'I've been meaning to tell you that you need to get married."
Cash looked at her, hardly able to believe his ears.
"You're the fourth person to tell me that in a week," he
admitted quietly and found his grandmother's eyes
widening in surprise.
His face was so serious that she put a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, Cash. Truly I am. That was very insensitive of
me."
And that was all. No "buts," no explanation of good
intentions or having only his happiness and well-being in
mind--just an apology.
62
Cash smiled at her and she smiled in return, and
although they shared no other words, Cash's heart was
very thoughtful.
It zoos never my intention to lie the last one, but it's not as if
I'd planned it. I couldn't be happier for my brothers, but seeing
them get married doesn't change anything in my life. Cash let
his heart be quiet for a moment, and then he spoke to the
Lord. You don't have this for me yet. I don't need to even ask
about it. I can see it with my awn eyes. I feel I'm ready to be married,
but You know me best.
Cash could see that this was all he could say to God. He
could thank God and trust Him for the future, but he
couldn't expect God to act on something just because he
felt the time was right in his human mind.
Cash's own sense of weariness suddenly intensified. He
was so glad for the time he'd had with the family, but right
now he was tired. A glance at his grandmother, whose
stamina always amazed him, told him she was settling in
for sleep too. Cash had no problem joining her. Even
63
knowing he would have to move when Slater and Liberty
City Girl 37
came back, he stretched his long legs toward the seat across
from him and let his body slouch down into comfort so he
could sleep.
%r -Sinkade,
Texas
There weren't too many trains into Kinkade each day,
but Reagan had taken an early one. She had a name,
William Harmond, and an address, and in her mind that
was enough. She wasn't as fresh as she would like to have
been for a first meeting with her new employer but felt sure
he would understand.
The platform cleared swiftly, and Reagan was glad to
have a moment to look around. She liked what she could
see of Kinkade. It looked to be on the quiet side and
64
nowhere near as large as her neighborhood in New York;
she could tell that it was a town just her size.
"Excuse me," Reagan said when a man in uniform
passed by. "May I ask you a question?"
"Certainly, miss. What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a Mr. William Harmond. Could you
possibly tell me where he lives?"
"Yes, ma'am, it just so happens he lives next to my aunt
You go to the middle of town, and then a block to the north,
turn left, and he's the third house on the right."
Reagan beamed at him. She never dreamed she would
hear such clear directions.
"Thank you, sir."
The man watched her walk away, a small smile on his
face as he shook his head a little. She had smiled at him as
though he'd given her a sack of gold.
Reagan did not look back. She moved toward downtown,
a woman with a mission, her eyes swiftly scanning
the storefronts. She watched the door of the general store
just being opened, reminded again of the early hour. It was
65
38 lori wick
a brisk day, but not at all cold like New York. Reagan had
everything she could do not to smile and greet everyone
she saw.
A bit of preoccupation over one advertisement in the
barber shop window almost made her miss her turn, but
with just a few maneuvers, she was on her way again. It
didn't take long to find that the instructions had been perfect
Doing exactly as she'd been told, she stood in front of
a large, well-kept home and saw the name Harmond on the
porch. Thinking there was no time like the present, Reagan
started up the walk.
A brisk knock on the wide wood door produced a
woman. She didn't look like a servant, and Reagan could
only hope he hadn't hired someone else.
"May I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yes, please. I'm Reagan Sullivan. I'm looking for Mr.
William Harmond."
The woman nodded, and Reagan thought she looked at
66
her oddly.
"I'll get him for you" was all she said before leaving
Reagan on the front porch.
"Well, at least she didn't shut the door completely," the
nanny muttered, wondering what to think of what had just
happened. She wasn't given much time. Within seconds
the door opened wide and a man stood there.
"Miss Sullivan?"
"Yes. Are you Mr. Harmond?"
"I am. Won't you please come in?"
"Thank you."
Her heart surging with excitement, seeing now that it
was all going to work out fine, Reagan stepped across the
threshold.
"You didn't get my letter," Mr. Harmond began before
Reagan could even set down her bag.
"Yes, I did," she said plainly. "I wouldn't be here otherwise."
City Girl 39
William Harmond hesitated, his mind scrambling for
67
words.
In that instant, Reagan knew something was wrong, and
it wasn't hard to figure that the woman at the door had
something to do with it. Nevertheless she was going to
wait for this man to admit it
"How is it you got my letter if you're just now arriving?
I mailed it two weeks ago."
Reagan smiled. "I left early and took a little time to see
the country."
Mr. Harmond nodded. He had hoped to avoid this, but
now he had no choice.
"I must tell you, Miss Sullivan, that since I contacted you
the first time, I've taken a wife."
"Have you now?" she asked calmly.
"Yes."
"And that would have been mentioned in this letter that
I missed?"
"Yes. I'm sorry you've had to come all this way."
Reagan eyed him for a moment and then let her gaze
take in the foyer. It would have been a nice place to work.
68
"Well, I guess thaf s the end of it," she said, not with a
stinging tone but one that spoke of regret.
"I'm sorry."
Reagan smiled at him and started toward the door. Mr.
Harmond was there ahead of her, his gaze anxious as he
watched her. For this reason he saw the exact moment she
stopped. He froze when she turned to him, not at all sure
what she might do or say.
"Who did you marry?"
Nearly flabbergasted at the question, the man still managed,
"Beth Barton."
"Where did she work?"
"She was a cook at the hotel."
Mr. Harmond was awarded one of the smiles that drew
people to Reagan.
40 lori wick
"I'll have to head there then, won't I? "They'll be needing
a cook."
69
William Harmond couldn't stop his shoulders from
shaking. He'd never encountered anyone with such charm
and pluck.
"Good day," Reagan said as she moved out the door,
across the porch, and down the steps. She was halfway
down the walk when he called her name. Reagan turned to
see him approaching.
"This is for you," he said, his hand outstretched to offer
money to her. "I only sent half your train fare because I
didn't know if you'd really come, but this should be
enough to get you home if the hotel has already hired
someone."
Reagan took the money without hesitation.
"I thank you, Mr. Harmond. As I don't even know
where I'm sleeping tonight, I thank you indeed."
They parted company then, Reagan back to the main
street of town and Mr. Harmond back to his wife. Mr. Harmond
was not sorry he'd married; indeed, he was quite
content, and Reagan, although sorry the job didn't pan out,
70
felt it was early enough in the day to still land o
n her feet.
"3r Sr
Russell Bennett, a mountain of a man, wiped the sweat
from his brow, put down his hammer and tongs, and
stepped away from the forge in his blacksmith's shop. He
needed a drink and a rest from the fire. Business was brisk,
and this was his day to work in the shop. He wouldn't
make calls to the ranches until Monday. Not only taking a
drink but pouring some on his neck as well, Russell had
only just set the water jug aside when he spotted her.
Standing in the middle of the double doorway, right
where the horses came and went, was a small, dark-haired
atydrl 41
woman. She stood erect, a single bag grasped by both
hands and held in front of her.
"Can I help you?"
71
"I don't know, but I was wondering what I need to rent
one of your stalls for a time."
"You need a horse."
Reagan nodded.
"Would you say a horse is a pretty expensive item,
something a person would want watched with care?"
Trying not to smile, Russell said, "I would agree with
that, yes."
"Well, that being the case, would it be possible to leave
my bag in a stall for a time? I've got business here in
Kinkade, and the bag's heavy enough to add inches to my
arms."
Russell did smile then. He also pointed toward a stall.
"No one will disturb your bag if you leave it right
there."
"Right here?" Reagan asked, setting the bag down so
that it couldn't be seen from the door.
"That's the place."
Regan brought up the small purse that hung from her
wrist to look for a coin.
72
"You don't need to pay me."
Reagan eyed him.
"Are you going to rent that stall and let some animal
step on my things?"
Russell laughed at this, a booming sound that made
Reagan smile.
"No," he told her, still chuckling. "I close down at five.
Just be back before then so you can get your things."
"I thank you, sir."
"What's your business?" he asked her as she began to
walk away.
Reagan answered with only a glance over her shoulder.
"I'm job hunting."
That said, she continued on her way.
42 lori wick
Russell stood still for a moment, a smile on his face. His
own dear Holly would have to meet this one. Unless he
missed his guess, she was too independent by half and just
might need a friend in Kinkade.
73
$r
"I need to see the manager," Reagan said for the second
