City Girl (Yellow Rose Trilogy 3)

by Lori Wick

  panes on the windows. Now on her way out the door,

  Reagan took a moment to study a portrait on the wall.

  A man and woman looked back at her. The woman had

  Cash Rawlings' eyes, and Reagan didn't have a hard time

  figuring out who they were. Neither one smiled, but

  Reagan thought that to have had a son as caring as Cash,

  they must be very kind.

  "Reagan," Cash said as he came through the door, "I'm

  glad I caught you..." He started again but stopped talking

  without warning.

  Reagan watched him walk around the room, not

  touching anything but smiling with pleasure at the job

  285

  she'd done. He turned to face her when he was finally

  behind his desk.

  "The office looks great. Thank you."

  "You're welcome," she said with a smile, glad she could

  please someone.

  "Those are my parents, by the way."

  City Girl 157

  Reagan's eyes went back to the frame.

  "I figured as much. You have your mother's eyes."

  "So I've been told/' Cash said as he moved to join her by

  the picture.

  "What are their names?"

  "Charles Sr. and Virginia Rawlings."

  "Who's Junior?"

  "lam."

  Reagan frowned up at him.

  "'Cash' was all the better my brothers could manage,

  and the name just stuck."

  "How many siblings do you have?"

  286

  "Two brothers, both younger. In fact, if you look at my

  father, you'll just about see an older version of Dakota."

  "Dakota? Thaf s an unusual name."

  "It is, but it fits him."

  Reagan looked back at the portrait, and Cash studied

  her. Again he found himself feeling rather drawn to her.

  "Reagan's not all that common either."

  "No," she said with a smile, "but I think it fits me too."

  "It does," Cash had to agree. "What's your middle

  name, by the way?"

  "Reagan."

  Cash laughed. "Okay, whaf s your first name?"

  "Eileen."

  "Eileen Reagan Sullivan?"

  "That's it. A fine Irish girl must have a fine Irish name,"

  she told him, brogue in place.

  Cash was delighted and wished she'd do it again.

  "Who were you quoting? Your father?"

  "That's the one. Mother got away with Reagan as a

  middle name only because it was her maiden name."

  287

  "How did you get away with not going by Eileen?"

  "I didn't--not around my father at least."

  "Why didn't you like Eileen? If s a beautiful name."

  "It is, but I wanted the connection to my mother."

  158 lori wick

  Cash saw the sadness in her face and was certain he

  knew why.

  "Did she die, Reagan?"

  "No, she left my father and me not long after my ninth

  birthday." Reagan looked up at him, her look almost

  daring him to pity her. "My father finished drinking himself

  to death three years later."

  "I'm sorry."

  "I'm not," she stated flatly. "After that, there was no one

  to stop me from being Reagan."

  Cash thought it was the kind of comment she would exit

  on, but she stayed right where she was, her face still set.

  "Before I forget," Cash said, changing the subject as tactfully

  288

  as he could manage and walking back to the desk to

  pick up an envelope, "I have your pay ready. You can

  expect it every Friday."

  "Pay?" Reagan asked as she moved to the desk and took

  the packet from his outstretched hand. She looked inside,

  not believing him until she saw the bills. She set the envelope

  back down.

  "You're not paying me."

  "Says who?"

  "Says me."

  Cash laughed. "Lef s get something straight right now,

  Reagan Sullivan. I didn't hire you in the same way I did my

  other employees, but you've got yourself a job."

  She began to shake her head, and Cash's brows rose.

  "Don't even think about saying no to this, Reagan." He

  handed the money packet to her again. "You won't win."

  Now Reagan's brows elevated.

  "We'll just see about that, Mr. Rawlings."

  Cash smiled at her tone.

  "I'm not trying to play power games with you, Miss Sullivan.

  289

  It's just that I'm a businessman with a ranch to run,

  and you are one of my employees. If s no more complicated

  than that You're doing your job, and I'm paying you for

  it."

  City Girl 159

  "But you wouldn't even need me if I hadn't--" Reagan

  began, but Cash wasn't listening. She could see that by his

  face.

  "Take the money, Reagan," Cash stated for the last time,

  not really caring if he sounded high-handed. "I won't hear

  of anything else."

  Cash went to his desk chair then, and Reagan knew the

  conversation was over. She did leave with the money as

  she exited the office, but even as she cleaned up so she

  could check on Katy, she was thinking of ways to get

  around her new boss's having to pay her.

  "I completely forgot to tell you something yesterday,

  Reagan." Cash started Saturday morning with these

  290

  words.

  "What's that?"

  "Brenda says she'll stay with Katy while we go to

  church."

  There was no mistaking the relief on her face.

  "Did she really?"

  "Yes. I usually leave around 9-20 if that will work for you."

  "That would be fine," she said, but then hesitated.

  "Should I ask Katy?"

  Cash shook his head no. "Has she spoken to you yet?"

  "No. She had a good meal last night and again this

  morning--better than she has eaten--but other than

  thanking me, she hasn't said two words."

  Cash's unconscious sigh told of the pain he was feeling.

  Katy hadn't spoken to him either.

  "Just leave her be," he finally said. "You can't read her

  mind, so unless she asks for something, let her alone."

  "I'll work on the house some more and check on her

  often."

  "Good."

  291

  And they both discovered that it was good. Cash ate his

  breakfast, and Reagan went to work on Katy's regular

  chores. That it was Saturday and she should have gone to

  160

  City Girl 161

  town for supplies was lost on her. She dusted, swept, and

  started the meat for dinner, all the while checking on Katy

  at regular intervals.

  Cash went about his day as well. As usual on a Saturday

  night, the boys would be done a little early so they could

  head into town with their pay, and his own schedule was

  one he liked to keep monitored so that he was fresh for

  Sunday morning.

  He worked in his office for a time and then went to

  check the livestock in the barn. It didn't take long, and as

  he made his way back to the house, the Bennetts' wagon

  came up the drive. He stopped, a big smile on his face, as

  it drew abreast of him.

  292

  "Well, hello," he greeted Holly and all t
hree of the kids,

  even as he lifted Elly so he could swing her down from the

  wagon bed. Jonah scrambled behind his sister.

  "Hello, Cash. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I

  have two little people who need to see Reagan."

  "I don't mind at all, and she's going to be very pleased.

  Here, let me get Alisa."

  The baby smiled at him as soon as she was in his arms,

  and Cash kissed her soft, pudgy cheek.

  "How is Katy doing?" Holly asked after Cash had given

  her a hand down.

  "She's having a pretty hard time with it all, I would say.

  How are things in town?"

  "There she is!" Elly suddenly cried before Holly could

  answer, and both adults turned to see Reagan come out the

  front door. From across the yard they could hear Reagan

  laugh as Elly and Jonah ran to hug her. The three sat down

  on the front porch steps together, heads close as they

  snuggled and talked.

  Cash looked back at his guest just as Alisa reached for

  293

  her mother.

  "And you, Cash Rawlings," Holly said as she settled

  Alisa on her hip, her voice low to give them privacy. "How

  are you doing?"

  /

  162 lori wick

  Cash smiled, knowing she could read him well after all

  these years.

  "I think I'm still surprised that it happened at all. I keep

  expecting to see Kate in the kitchen and bustling through

  the house, but if s Reagan."

  "How is Reagan doing? Is it dreadfully uncomfortable?"

  "Actually, it's not. She's very competent, and she works

  quietly and effectively. Compared to Katy's bossing me

  around, the place is silent."

  "So you're not sorry she came?"

  "I was at first. I didn't think I could manage it, but she

  294

  did so well with Katy that I didn't feel I had a choice." Cash

  laughed a little. "Katy's not even speaking to us right now,

  but Reagan just keeps on."

  Holly's face told him she sympathized.

  "We're praying for you, Cash."

  "I can tell. I'm getting very little sleep, and it's probably

  the only way I'm holding up. But tell me, why did you visit

  when we'll see you tomorrow?"

  "We weren't sure if Reagan would come."

  "She's planning on it," Cash was glad to tell her.

  "Brenda Johns is going to fill in for her. You should have

  seen Reagan's face when I gave her the option."

  "Relieved?"

  "Definitely. I'm not certain if she's coming because she

  wants to be in church or get away from Katy, but either

  way, she's coming."

  "I'm glad."

  Up on the porch, Reagan was glad too. She had missed

  295

  the children so much, and she thought if she had to go

  another hour with Katy's silent treatment she just might

  scream. She had just about decided to take a spin on her

  bike when she looked out the window and saw the children.

  "How is school?" she asked them.

  "If s good. We still like it."

  "But we miss you, Reagan," Jonah told her. "And not

  just for rides on trie bicycle."

  City Girl 163

  Reagan laughed and hugged him a little closer. She

  thought about taking them in to see Katy, but if that

  woman was still pouting, the children would be hurt by

  her actions and wouldn't understand the reason.

  "You know what?" Reagan said as she stood, taking the

  kids' hands in hers. "I need to see that baby."

  Holly and Reagan hugged when the groups joined, and

  as everyone had come to expect, Alisa had a smile for whoever

  296

  was holding her.

  'I've missed you, Alisa," Reagan told her softly, and not

  for the first time Holly was struck by the fact that this

  woman did not want a husband and family. It didn't make

  sense to her.

  The baby only smiled at Reagan and reached for her

  face.

  "Is Katy up to company?" Holly asked.

  Cash's and Reagan's eyes met. Reagan shrugged, and

  Cash nodded in decision.

  "Why don't I just go in and check with her?"

  Cash didn't wait for anyone to acknowledge his idea but

  headed to see his housekeeper, a few things on his mind.

  Without preamble he stepped into her room and began.

  "Holly Bennett and the children are here to see you. Do you

  want visitors?"

  Katy's eyes swung to Cash and then away. The cowboy

  stood where he was for a full minute, but the prone woman

  did not look back at him.

  "I'm not going to put up with this much longer, Kate."

  297

  "What are you going to do about it?" she shot right back,

  her eyes turning to him and showing her frustration.

  Cash shook his head. "Is that what this is about, Katy?

  Not speaking to the people who are bending over backward

  to help you is your way of having a say?" He shook

  his head again in very real regret. "You ought to be

  ashamed."

  Not giving her any time to reply, he turned for the door.

  "Cash!" she called to him.

  164 lori wick

  That man stopped and looked back, his brows raised in

  question.

  "Please tell them to come in."

  "I'll get them right now/' he said, all rebuke gone.

  Standing in her little room down the back hall where

  she'd dashed to get a small music box to show the children,

  Reagan stood very still, having heard a good bit of the

  exchange. Fresh waves of something foreign and frightening

  came over her, and she was again filled with wonder

  298

  over this man's care of his injured housekeeper.

  "Hello, Katy," Reagan heard Holly saying. She realized

  she'd been missing for some minutes. She made her way

  around through the kitchen, going slowly to give herself

  time to settle down.

  $--

  "And

  then what did you do?" Katy was saying just as

  Reagan entered the room.

  "We ran a race around the schoolhouse, and Elly almost

  won!" Jonah filled her in.

  "How did you do?"

  "I was first after all the big kids."

  A fond light entered Katy's eyes, and unbeknownst to

  her, both Cash and Reagan knew comfort at the sight of it.

  "Reagan," Katy suddenly said, "there's a tin of salty

  peanuts in that cupboard over the large counter. Go and get

  some of those for the children, will you?"

  299

  "Coining right up."

  What followed was a wonderful half hour. Katy spoke

  with some of her usual brusqueness, but all the remarks

  were kind with very few orders given, and more than one

  sentence was directed to Cash or Reagan. By the time Holly

  and the children headed back to town, things seemed to

  have righted themselves. *

  City Girl 165

  "I've got a roast in the oven, Katy," Reagan popped in to

  say after having seen the guests off and claiming four more

  hugs. "I'll check on it and then be back."

  "That little Jonah is a corker and a half."

  "
Yes, he is. He can't wait to have legs long enough to

  ride--" Reagan cut off, but it was too late. Katy knew just

  what she was going to say.

  "Now thaf s enough of that, Reagan Sullivan. We'll have

  no bad feelings on this. Whaf s done is done!"

  Reagan only nodded and slipped from the room, but she

  300

  was distracted as she checked the meat and put some vegetables

  into a pot. She was getting ready to make gravy

  when Cash came on the scene.

  "How was she after they left?"

  "Back to herself, only nicer."

  "Good."

  Reagan turned fully to him.

  "How did you convince her to see them?"

  "I reminded her of all thaf s being done for her, and it

  seems to have softened her."

  Reagan nodded. "When does the doctor come again?"

  "I'm not sure. Do you think he's needed?"

  "By Katy, yes. She needs to have hope that her hip is

  coming along and this whole thing will come to an end."

  "Maybe I'll pop in tomorrow after church and let him

  know that she could use a visit."

  Cash went back to work then, this time in his office, and

  Reagan went back to the meal. As she had come to expect,

  fatigue hit her at this time every day, but she kept on. At

  least her patient was speaking to her. Reagan found that

  301

  made all the difference in the world.

  Katy listened for the wagon wheels to pull away on

  Sunday morning but could hear nothing. Brenda had

  166 lori wick

  brought the girls with her, and they were both eager to

  visit. Utter sadness filled Katy over the loss of her mobility.

  Many were the times these girls had come to the back door

  and she had had cookies for them. Now she lay in bed,

  more helpless than a baby. Never had she been so frustrated.

  Her good sense had told her to take a quick ride on

  that bike and be done, but she had wanted to show off for

  Cash.

  For a moment Katy's eyes closed on his memory. Prior

  to her accident, he had never spoken harshly to her, but he

  was right, she needed to be shamed. Giving Reagan a hard

  time when she had quit her job to come and help and then

  302

  repaying her with orders and anger was simply not to be

  tolerated. Katy didn't know what had come over her.

  , "All right, girls," Brenda said, entering with a fresh

  pitcher of water. "You've talked enough. Go see how your

  father is doing and if he's still in bed, tell him it's late."

  "'Bye, girls," Katy called to them as they hurried away.

  "I forgot how much they talk. I hope they didn't wear

  you out."

  Katy only smiled, but it did the trick. Brenda assumed