Read A Texas Sky Page 27


  church she attended and that if he liked, she would come

  for him at ten o'clock. One more message from Dakota

  established that his parents would be along and also

  offered to include her in their carriage.

  Now, Dakota, Charles, and Virginia rode in silence to

  the Wingate home. Virginia was tense, her mind filled wttfc

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  uncertainty over this outing. Charles seemed so certain,

  and Dakota was calm, his expression relaxed, but she felt

  completely out of her element

  It helped to have Darvi join their group. That young

  woman began a conversation with her the moment she

  took a seat, and Virginia actually relaxed a little before they

  arrived at the church.

  "I want you to meet a friend of mine," Darvi continued to

  talk as they walked up the steps, the younger woman having

  taken the older woman's arm. "Her name is Mrs. Beacher, and

  she's such a dear. In fact, she lives justafew blocks from you."

  "Martha Beacher?"

  "Yes!"

  "We've known each other for years. She goes to your

  church?"

  Darvi smiled. "This is her church. She was the one who

  introduced me."

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  Virginia relaxed a little more. Martha Beacher was a

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  wonderful woman, always kind and ready to lend a hand.

  Up to that moment Virginia had not known what to expect,

  but suddenly she wasn't worried, at least not about

  meeting the people. However, the sermon, or whatever the

  service entailed, still had her somewhat concerned.

  "9'''3"

  "Can you tell what your parents thought?" Darvi asked

  Dakota as they walked in the garden behind the house.

  "Not exactly." His voice was deep and soft. "I think my

  father understood, but I'm not sure what Mother was

  thinking."

  "How is it that they wanted to come?"

  "My father decided. I'm not sure he gave Mother much

  choice."

  "Does she do everything he says?"

  Dakota smiled. "What do you think?"

  Darvi smiled back. "I think the Rawlings men are used

  to getting what they want."

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  Dakota looked very innocent. "I can't imagine what

  you're talking about"

  "Of course you can't." Darvi's voice was indulgent.

  "You always ask me and give me lots of choices. You never tell me to do anything."

  Dakota worked at not smiling. "Regarding what?"

  "'By the way, Darvi, we're not going to make the next

  town. Would you like to camp here for the night?'" she

  began to tease him. "'Darvi, you've been through a lot.

  Would you like to lie down and rest awhile?'" Her brows

  rose in a way that told him she was very pleased with herself

  just then. "You're used to giving orders, Dakota Rawlings,

  and I suspect your father is the same way."

  "You little pill," Dakota growled playfully and began to

  reach for her. Darvi darted away from him and around a

  bush.

  "Did I hit a little dose to home, Mr. Rawlings?"

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  Dakota told himself not to laugh as he came around the

  bush toward her. Darvi evaded him nicely and slipped

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  across the paved path around an arbor. She peeked

  through and watched him approach. She was about to dart

  off again, but he stopped. Bending just a little to watch his

  face, Darvi waited.

  "I just thought of something," he admitted, his eyes on

  hers. "I can't really do anything if I catch you."

  Darvi's smile grew rather wide, her expression downright

  smug.

  "On second thought..." Dakota reconsidered and

  started forward again.

  Virginia chose that moment to call from the kitchen

  door, telling them she was serving coffee and cake in the

  living room.

  "We're coming," Darvi took advantage and answered,

  her eyes gleaming with amusement as she sauntered triumphantly

  up the path.

  "You're an impudent piece of baggage, Miss Wingate,"

  Dakota growled close to her ear as he drew up beside her.

  Darvi smiled for a moment but suddenly stopped and

  turned worried eyes up to his. Her brow lowering in concern,

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  she studied him a moment

  "You knew I was teasing just now, didn't you, Dakota?

  I mean, you do know how much I appreciate everything

  you've done, all your care and such?"

  Dakota's finger swept through the soft tendrils of hair

  that refused to stay off of her forehead, pleased when her

  brow softened a little.

  "Yes," he said softly. "I do know that you're thankful.

  You've told me in dozens of ways."

  Darvi's head tipped to the side in a way Dakota found

  irresistible.

  "What kinds of ways?"

  In a flash Dakota was back on the roadside, having rescued

  Darvi from Cassy's ranch. He had stopped to check

  on her and soon found her sobbing in his arms. Never had

  he felt so needed.

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  "Lef s just say/' Dakota began, working to dispel the

  image, "in your own special way you've made it very dear."

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  Darvi studied him. "Will I ever get a straight answer to

  that question?"

  Dakota could feel himself falling, his heart squeezing

  and filling all at the same time as he looked into eyes that

  held such trust and honesty.

  "I hope so" was all he was willing to say just then/ and

  Darvi understood. She smiled a little and nodded.

  They walked on to the house, Dakota doing all he could

  not to place an arm around her slim waist. He hadn't been

  glad to see Brandon at the house a few weeks back, but he

  couldn't say he blamed the man for trying.

  3"3r-5'

  "Have you been at church this whole time?" Clarisse

  Wingate spoke rather primly the moment Darvi walked in

  the door. It was almost two o'clock.

  "No, the Rawlings asked me to lunch, and I accepted. I

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  didn't think you'd mind."

  "And does my minding mean anything to you these

  days?"

  "Of course it does, Mother. I thought you enjoyed the

  Rawlingses and approved of them."

  Her mother sniffed, not wanting to admit that her

  daughter was right. Another tact was needed.

  "You've certainly transferred your affections swiftly

  enough."

  "Swiftly?"

  "Yes, swiftiy! You just broke off with Brandon a few

  weeks ago."

  Still managing to keep her voice kind, Darvi said,/'I

  broke up with Brandon early this summer, but no one

  would listen to me."

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  Her mother shook her head. "I don't know you anymore."

  ATexasSky 247

  Darvi felt cut to the quick but stayed quiet Why her

  mother would want the "old Darvi" back was unimaginable.

  The old Darvi pouted if she didn't get her way. The old Darvi

  was never happy, constantly wanting more things, parties, or

  excitement The new Darvi was very glad to be rid of hex:

  "Di
d I see Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings in the carriage earlier?"

  her mother asked next, working hard to sound as

  though she didn't care.

  "Yes."

  "Does Mrs. Rawlings go to that church?"

  "She did this morning."

  Her mother's face was so stiff it looked as though it

  might crack.

  "May I tell you something, Mother?"

  Clarisse Wingate nodded but looked no less unyielding.

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  "Our ancestors are so important to you, but I can't

  remember half of them, I'm your only child. If I don't

  remember, who will?"

  "You could make more of an effort."

  "I suppose I could, but even you have forgotten some of

  them, and when that happened, I finally understood that

  we do not carry on through our ancestors."

  Her mother's face went from stony to livid.

  "How can you say such a thing? Why, you were named

  after your dearly departed Uncle Darwin and Uncle

  Virgil!"

  Clarisse stomped away at that point, leaving the foyer area

  and retreating to her small sitting room on the south side of

  the house. It was her sanctuary, her leave-me-alone spot but

  Darvi did not take the usual hint She followed right behind.

  "Please, Mother. Please discuss it with me."

  "I will not! I've never heard such nonsense. You're

  going against everything we've ever taught you."

  But her mother did turn to her, and even though her

  eyes did nothing but accuse, Darvi tried again.

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  "I have so much I want to share with you and Father, so

  much in my heart But it seems to me that you only want to

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  look good on the outside, not take time to see inside to the

  real person."

  "You will not speak to me in such a way!"

  The words were all but shouted, and Darvi retreated in

  defeat. Her face a mask of pain, she uttered her final words.

  "Uncle Marty told me I could live with him anytime I

  needed. I leave Wednesday for Aurora. I think I'll just go

  on to Austin from there."

  Darvi waited for her mother to ask her not to go, to order

  her or demand that she come right home, but nothing was

  forthcoming. Feeling as though her insides were breaking

  into little pieces, Darvi took her pain over this rejection to

  her room, where fighting tears of horrible pain and confusion,

  she began to sort through her things and pack.

  "5^^-

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  "I

  want you to do me a favor," Virginia said to Dakota

  the moment he came home from returning Darvi. Setting

  her book aside, she turned a little to face him squarely.

  "All right," Dakota said as he sat down, watching his

  father put his paper aside and figuring that he was in the

  dark as well.

  "When do you leave?"

  'Tuesday or Wednesday."

  "Virginia nodded. "I want you to write me a letter."

  Dakota forced a dozen questions to stay inside.

  "You can write it now and leave it here for me, or you

  can write it after you leave and mail it."

  Dakota only looked at her; Charles did the same.

  "In the letter, I would like you to explain to me what

  that man was talking about this morning. What does he

  mean when he says we have to be born again?"

  "May I ask you a question?" Dakota put in before she

  could go on.

  Virginia gave a brief nod.

  464

  "Why can't we talk about this face-to-face?"

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  Virginia looked away and kept her eyes averted while

  she answered.

  "I haven't told anyone how much it bothers me that all

  of you boys have something with your grandmother that I

  don't have. And now your father is interested, and I'm

  going to be left all alone."

  "I would never leave you all alone," Charles said quietly.

  "Mot physically--I know that--but this is bigger than

  our living together, Charles. You must see that"

  "Yes, I do," he admitted out loud because she was still

  not looking at either one of them.

  "But why a letter. Mother?" Dakota persisted.

  "Because I need time to think. I feel rattled when you

  start to talk of this, and I want to panic and run." She finally

  turned to him, and Dakota was shocked to see tears in her

  eyes. She managed to speak, but her voice was filled with

  self-deprecation. "Wouldn't the women in town be amazed

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  to find the invincible Virginia Rawlings all shook up over

  her son's religious convictions?"

  "I'm not sure I agree with you there, Mother. If you were

  to get any of them alone to talk about their own mortality, I

  think you might see something different. Maybe all the parties

  and committees are a way of covering their own fears."

  "But you and that pastor honestly think I deserve to go

  to hell, don't you?"

  "I deserved to go to hell," Dakota countered. "Why God

  saved me from that I'll never know, but thafs what He did,

  and I know He's waiting to do the same for anyone who

  will call on Him."

  Virginia's heart lightened within her. She had felt so

  helplessly condemned, but Dakota's tone had been understanding

  and humble. And she did want to comprehend,

  but it was frightening to her as well. At the same time, he

  had made it sound as though there was hope.

  "So you'll write the letter?"

  "Absolutely. I'll leave it in my room."

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  466

  Virginia wanted to cry in earnest then. He was so much

  like his father: used to taking charge but sensitive with

  those he loved. She didn't know why she'd expected the

  worst, but she had.

  Stifling a yawn, Virginia suddenly felt very weary. Not

  getting her son's wrath or scorn was so relieving that all

  she wanted to do was sleep.

  Having been married to her for 30 years, Charles detected

  the signs. She had yet to look at him, which told him she was

  either embarrassed or still felt betrayed, but even in profile

  he watched her lids grow heavy over the pages of the book

  she had reopened. Before long she was trying to read with

  her head laid back, finally giving up and placing the book in

  her lap. Moments later her eyes were dosed.

  Father and son were on their own, but neither spoke.

  Dakota had questions but sensed they should wait His

  father hadn't looked his way before going back to the

  newspaper, but Dakota had watched the way he'd studied

  his wife. It came to him without warning, and he was not

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  sure his parents were aware of the fact, but Dakota saw for

  the first time that God had certainly blessed their marriage.

  Dakota didn't join his parents in reading or napping just

  then.'He was too busy wondering how he'd never seen this

  before. Not moving an inch from the living room, Dakota

  talked the whole thing out with God and determined to ask

  Cash the next time he saw him whether God blessed-those who wanted nothing to do with Him. Dakota thought He
must, but that wasn't good enough. The Texas Ranger

  wanted verses to prove it

  5"3"3*

  "How are you today?" Dakota asked quietly as he and

  Darvi walked from her front door on Monday evening.

  "I'm fine," she said quietly.

  "Was your mother a little cool just now," he asked

  before getting to the carriage, "or did I imagine things?"

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  468

  "Frozen better describes her/' Darvi said so quietly that

  Dakota let it drop. He had asked her to join him for dinner

  and knew that this conversation would wait for the restaurant.

  They rode in silence; Dakota at the reins, Darvi'beside

  him. Thinking as they moved along that Dakota was one of

  the most restful persons she'd ever known, Darvi felt not the

  slightest anxiety whenever she was with him. If he looked at

  her a certain way, her heart would pound and her pulse race,

  and his nearness affected her no small amount, but never

  did she know danger or fear. It was an amazing thing.

  Sitting beside her, having already pulled the carriage

  over to the curb in front of the Grayson Hotel, Dakota

  studied Darvi's profile and waited. He smiled just studying

  that captivating mouth and little-girl-turned-up nose. She

  was in a far-off place right now, but the half-smitten Ranger

  saw no reason to disturb her. Not even the horse's shifting

  brought her attention around, and Dakota waited several

  minutes in silence. When he saw her noticing where they

  were, he just waited for her eyes to swing to his. Darvi

  smiled as soon as they met

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  "We're here," she grinned a little.

  "Yes."

  "How long?"

  "I didn't keep track."

  "But we didn't just get here, did we?"

  "No."

  For a few seconds they just watched each other.

  Dakota's heart felt a little fuller every time he was with her.

  Darvi's was doing the same.

  Dakota climbed down at last, moved to her side, and

  assisted Darvi to the walk. Offering his arm to her, he said,

  "May I escort you to dinner, Miss Wingate?"

  "Yes, please," she said.

  Dakota led her inside. It was going to be a wonderful

  evening.

  GfiwiM

  "I WATTED FOR HER TO TELL ME I COULDN'T gO to Uncle

  Marty's, but she was silent. She's been silent ever since."

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  "Oh, Darvi, I'm sorry it's gone like that. Is it the same

  with your father?"

  "No," Darvi said with relief. "I think he's a bit upset

  with Mother. In fact, he talks to me more than he has in