Read A Texas Sky Page 21


  Thinking of the house shifted Dakota's thoughts back to

  Darvi. Though he didn't know it, he was experiencing

  some of the same emotions she had struggled with, especially

  that of not wanting to get too dose to these people.

  What '$ the balance here, Lord? I want to be a witness far You,

  but I've had to come here under pretense to get Darvi. What is

  my main role?

  The answer was not obvious to Dakota. The men

  thanked him and left him to the cleanup. Dakota was glad

  to be on his own.

  grgr'S-

  "Is

  there anything else you need from town, Mrs.

  Robinson?"

  "No, Dakota. I didn't mink you'd need to be going this

  soon, but I'm low on flour too," Cassy said, standing next

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  to the wagon. "No, Undy, you can't go." The mother

  directed this to her daughter, who was tapping her and

  looking up with pleading eyes. Cassy looked back to

  Dakota. "Why don't you grab a little candy or something?"

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  He smiled. "I'll do it."

  Dakota put the team into motion, finding he wasn't

  enjoying this at all. From what he could figure out, Darvi's

  predicament all revolved around the wants of one man. He

  didn't know his name yet, but clearly the man wanted

  Darvi.

  At moments like this Dakota had to remind himself that

  the other people at the ranch might have been able to help

  her escape. He needed to think this way to keep things in

  their proper perspective. Most things could not be blamed

  on just one person. The man, a brother to Eliot McDermott

  if their looks could be trusted, must have instigated the

  abduction, but Cassy Robinson was a capable woman. If

  she had wanted to help Darvi, she would have.

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  Dakota pushed these thoughts aside. He was determined

  to speak with the sheriff but knew that at least one

  of the men and the boy had gone into town earlier. It could

  get a bit tricky. He was thinking about how to handle it

  when he realized he was on the edge of town and had

  better look for Dawson's. Then something wonderful happened.

  About a block from his destination he spotted Joe

  Laverty, who had spotted him as well. They had managed

  just enough eye contact to give Dakota hope, and sure

  enough, when he was almost through with his list, the law

  man appeared at his side.

  "Is there somewhere we can talk?" Dakota said without

  introduction.

  The sheriff was right glad to see this Ranger after so

  many days. Without a word he moved toward the back

  room. Dakota waited a moment and followed.

  "I thought you might have moved on by now."

  "No, but thafs my plan for the end of the week."

  "And you need me," the sheriff said with some satisfaction.

  "In a way I do. Can you answer some questions for

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  me?"

  I

  A Texas Sky 191

  "Maybe," he said thoughtfully, not wanting the

  younger man to sense his need to be needed.

  "Is there a woman in town who works for the newspaper

  named Ann Bell?"

  "Her name's Annabelle. Annabelle Hewett. She writes

  for the paper every week"

  "What contact does she have with the men from the

  Robinson ranch--Eliot McDermott and the other man?"

  "The other man is Seth Redding, and they're half-brothers.

  They work for Jared Silk, a banker whose dealings

  are called into question by Annabelle on a regular

  basis."

  "But the brothers themselves," Dakota went back to

  them. "You've never brought them in for anything?

  "No, they always have airtight alibis."

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  "What kind of things do you suspect of them?"

  The sheriff's smile was bitter.

  "Thaf s the problem. They don't often get their hands

  dirty, and neither does Silk. The brothers have connections

  who give them what they want and still let them come out

  smelling like a rose. I've never heard of them having

  someone murdered, but I'm not too sure they're above

  much else."

  Dakota nodded, but the sheriff wasn't about to provide

  information without gaining some in return.

  "Now if s your turn. What does this have to do with the

  woman you're after?"

  Dakota knew it was time. "Her name is Darvi Wingate,

  and she's a near mirror image of Annabelle Hewett."

  The sheriff let out a low whistle. "Abduction is not the

  brothers' style, but it sounds as though they tried it and

  grabbed the wrong woman."

  "And decided to keep her," Dakota finished. "Do you

  think this banker is behind that?"

  "I don't know, but I'm going to find out"

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  "I would appreciate your sitting on that until I get Miss

  Wingate out of there."

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  "I can do that."

  A creak in the floor caused the men to cut the conversation

  short. Dakota left the room first, and the sheriff hung

  around just long enough to let him get on his way.

  Neither man noticed the way Nate Robinson kept

  behind the shelves, his eyes peeking just above the large

  sacks of meal as he watched the men's mouths move and

  listened to their words. He eventually left the storeroom as

  well, but by the time he got out front, both men were gone.

  %r%r%r

  Darvi opened her window very slowly, listening for

  creaks and groans. Not hearing any this night or the previous

  nights, she pushed it all the way up and settled back into bed.

  The first two nights she'd done this, she'd heard other noises

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  in the house and even someone outside, but not now. Whoever

  was checking on her must have figured that she was

  just sleeping with her window open, which was partly true.

  She had started opening her window the day after

  Dakota had arrived, all the while hoping not to draw suspicion.

  After Dakota's words that day, she acted the scene

  out in her mind. It all worked beautifully until she thought

  of opening the window with a loud creak and bringing the

  entire house down on her head.

  Darvi stiffened suddenly when out the window she

  heard a door open and close. Was tonight the night and had

  she missed it? Another door, farther away, opened, and

  Darvi knew someone was using the outhouse.

  She made herself breathe normally and tried to pray. At

  moments like this she wondered if she was going to make it

  Helplessness and frustration had begun to be the norm in

  her world as Seth would not listen to reason. Now all of that

  was replaced by tension and fear. She didn't think anyone

  was noticing--Seth and Eliot both went off to work as usual,

  and Cassy and the kids had nothing but the wedding on

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  ATexasSky 193

  their minds--but inside Darvi felt like a tightly stretched

  thread.

  Doors moved again, and Darvi knew all would be quiet

  now. One of the children shifted in bed, and
Darvi was

  once again set to wondering how she'd come to be in this

  place. It was all so unreal at times, and altogether too real

  at others. Sleep finally came, but not before Darvi muffled

  unexpected tears. Dakota had come to rescue her; she was

  still so amazed over that fact that she could hardly believe

  it would happen.

  gr-S"5r

  When the plan hit his mind, Dakota wanted to laugh. It

  was so simple, and yet it took some days to perfect He had

  discovered that every man in the bunkhouse went to town

  on Saturday night. Dakota would simply join them. He

  knew they all drank, visited friends, or played cards and

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  came back with great hopes that their horses could find the

  way. It couldn't have been more perfect if he had planned

  it with them.

  Dakota had meant what he said. There would be no

  guns fired nor anyone chasing them, not even Seth Redding.

  That the man was besotted with Darvi was more than

  obvious, and Dakota had no doubt he would take action to

  keep her, but the Ranger wasn't going to give him that

  chance.

  Letting Darvi know had been tricky. He hadn't been certain

  just how he would do it, but burning the biscuits and

  needing to have all doors and windows open gave him an

  excuse to be outside by the barn and available when Lindy

  came to see about the smell. Even Mrs. Robinson had

  checked on him. The single word tonight had been easier to

  pass than he'd figured, and the brief moment of eye contact

  with Darvi told him he'd been understood.

  Now as he made his way to town, having told the men

  he would bathe last and to go on without him, it felt like

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  358

  child's play to cut off the road and double back through the

  woods to the place near the ranch where he'd spent that

  first night.

  Even though it was dark, Dakota still climbed the tree,

  field glasses in hand, actually quite pleased with so little

  moon. He couldn't see much, but sound carried well, and

  it would be easy to count the men as they returned. The

  hours would be long, possibly until two or three in the

  morning, but in the end Darvi would be safe. Right now

  that was all that mattered.

  %r

  Darvi could feel sweat breaking out all over her body. It

  didn't help to be under the covers with her clothing on, but

  she was sure it was more than that. The first sounds she

  heard outside caused her to gasp in fear, and she knew she

  was going to have to keep still or ruin the whole thing. Had

  the men come in so noisily on the other Saturday nights?

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  Darvi had never noticed, but right now each sound of

  hooves, each low voice or laugh, made her feel as though

  she were being struck.

  And the children were more restless too, which eventually

  told Darvi that a closed window had been keeping the

  noise out. She didn't want them to waken, but neither

  would she shut that window. Darvi had to force herself not

  to think of them. Against her will she had come to care for

  them. She had to leave here--there was no other option-- but she didn't think she would ever forget Gassy and the...

  "Darvi."

  It was said so quietly that she almost missed it, and for

  a moment she hesitated before reminding herself that no

  one else would be calling her name. Reaching for the

  satchel that was packed and ready next to the bed, she sat

  up and started to put it through the window. Her heart

  nearly came out of her chest when she felt Dakota take it.

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  On legs that would not stop shaking, Darvi stood on the

  bed and leaned out, wondering how she would stay quiet

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  and climb out at the same time. She need not have worried.

  Dakota's strong arms were there and almost before she

  could guess his intentions, he lifted her and stood her

  against the side of the house.

  Taking her cue from him, she stood very still beside

  him. She thought that all might be quiet, but her breathing

  was so labored she couldn't be sure. However, Dakota

  must have been. He suddenly took her by the hand and-^

  began to walk with her across the field. They were more

  than halfway to the woods when Darvi realized her other

  hand was empty.

  "My bag," she said on a soft gasp.

  "I have it"

  And on they went, right into the trees, Dakota leading

  the way, ducking and moving branches from her path.

  Then suddenly, when they had climbed several dozen feet,

  he stopped. Darvi couldn't stop shaking and jumped nervously

  when he whistled. Again she had to stifle a gasp

  when something moved and started toward them. The

  next thing she knew, Dakota's horse had drawn abreast of

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  them, and Dakota was lifting her. Climbing into the saddle

  behind her, he maneuvered Eli through the woods.

  Darvi had no sense of time. She tried to listen for the

  sounds of pursuit but could hear only the horse and the

  sound of her own breathing and pounding heart. She said

  nothing. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind at

  once, but not one would stop and make itself heard. For a

  time she thought she might sleep, but the pounding inside

  was giving her a headache, so she sat very still, Dakota's

  chest at her back, and tried not to give in to the temptation

  to cry hysterically or leap off the horse and run.

  She knew some relief when they came from the woods

  and began moving down the road. She wished she knew

  where they were and hoped Dakota did, but as with the

  other questions, she kept this one to herself.

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  At last the sky began to lighten. Darvi was not glad to see

  it. The darkness made her feel safe; it made them untraceble.

  She had not been afraid of the people she'd been forced

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  to live with for these weeks, but having them pursue her and

  take her back was nothing short of terrifying.

  All these tempestuous thoughts took their toll. Darvi

  was near to bursting by the time Dakota pulled off the road

  and into a wooded area. He climbed down and brought

  Darvi down after him. It was light enough for him to see

  that she was deathly pale, her eyes huge. He had wanted

  to give her time, knowing her stay had to have been traumatic,

  but he needed to check on her before they went

  another step,

  "Are you all right?"

  "I think so," she said softly, eyes looking up at him in

  amazement "You came for me." Her voice held wonder. "I

  can't believe you came for me."

  A nearby falling branch caused her to start and move

  to ward him.

  "Is that him?" she asked in panic.

  "No." Dakota's voice was soft and reassuring as he

  watched her keenly. "No one is following us, and even if

  someone was, I wouldn't let him have you/'

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  Darvi couldn't hold back. She wa
nted to be so brave,

  but she couldn't do it much longer.

  "Please don't let him, Dakota," she said on a soft sob.

  "I'll do anything you ask, but please don't let Seth or

  anyone take me back."

  Dakota's heart couldn't stand it He moved and

  wrapped his arms around her, not at all surprised when the

  dam burst forth. Dakota didn't remember ever hearing

  anyone cry like Darvi did. She choked several times, but

  not even that stopped her. Not until she seemed too weary

  to make a sound did the tears stop, and by then she was

  like a limp rag. Dakota felt her legs buckle and bent to lift

  her in his arms. Darvi worked to catch her breath, looking

  up at him through swollen eyes.

  ATexasSky 197

  "Do you want something to drink?" he asked, not letting

  his mind dwell on all she'd been through; it wasn't

  time for that yet

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  "Not right now."

  Dakota took her back to the horse. It occurred to him

  after they'd started back down the road that she might have

  wanted a few minutes of privacy, but he didn't check with

  her. She would tell him if there was a need. And no doubt

  they would stop at some point, but home was just a few

  hours away. Darvi didn't know where they were heading,

  but Dakota found it comforting beyond words. No matter"

  what had happened, no matter how awful things had been,

  he would take her home to the ranch and take care of her.

  He couldn't think of a safer place in all of Texas.

  3-^r^inkade

  "Cash, I think you'd better come," Katy called out,

  interrupting the rancher's newspaper reading at the

  kitchen table. They had not been home from church that

  long, and Katy was still preparing Sunday dinner. She had

  been in the kitchen with him but suddenly left Cash now

  followed her through the house and into the front yard.

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  Dakota rode toward them, a woman in the saddle in

  front of him. He came to a stop before Katy, and Cash could

  see that the woman was asleep. Both Dakota and Darvi

  looked very spent

  "Darvi," Dakota said softly, but she remained limp in

  his arms.

  Cash stepped forward, and Dakota handed her down to

  him. The moment his feet were on the ground, however, he

  took her back. Katy led the way through the house and to

  an upstairs bedroom. Dakota had just stepped across the

  threshold of the guestroom when Darvi woke up. She

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  started violently and reached for the front of his shirt