grateful."
"Just name it."
"A pillow. I don't think 111 sleep well without it."
"But you do think you'll sleep well without blankets and
sheets?" This came from Russell before he realized they'd
never been introduced. "I'm Russell, Holly's husband."
"I'm Reagan," that lady told him. "Did you put this little
house together?"
"Yes, ma'am."
92
Reagan took in the way his head almost touched the
ceiling.
"How did you manage that?"
"It wasn't easy," he replied, smiling in a way that belied
the words.
Reagan and Holly laughed a little just before both of
them heard a small voice.
"Papa?"
It was Elly. Russell opened the door for them, and
Reagan smiled as Elly entered with Alisa in her arms and
Jonah coming just behind.
"It looks like the whole family is going to welcome you,
Reagan. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all."
"This is Elly, and next to her is Jonah, and the baby is
Alisa. Children, this is Miss Sullivan."
Holly plucked Alisa from Elly's arms as the two older
children came over to shake Reagan's hand.
"You're the first one to live here," Jonah informed her. "I
wanted to live here, but my room is in the house."
93
City Girl 53
"Well, you'll just have to come and visit me. Will you do
that?"
Jonah was only too happy to nod in agreement, and he
might have had more to say, but Russell was ready to bring
the party to an end.
"All right, children, let's give Miss Sullivan a little privacy
now. We'll head back to the house and leave the ladies
alone."
"Thank you," Reagan said when they all turned to tell
her goodnight. In just a moment she was alone with Holly.
"Reagan, do you have pots or pans or even anything to
eat?"
"I don't, Holly, but I'll be doing most of my eating at the
hotel, so that's not really much of a concern. I guess it
would be nice to have a blanket, but I've got plenty of
clothes and the stove is going to keep me nice and warm."
Holly didn't comment on that particular remark but did
say, "I'll head back to the house and gather some things for
94
you. We have plenty to spare, so there's no need for you to
be going without."
"Are you certain, Holly? I mean, you have three children."
The olher woman was already shaking her head.
"If snot a problem."
Reagan stood in a mix of emotions when her landlady
left, so pleased to have a place to live and a job, but also
feeling the effects of a long day. She was tempted to sit
down but knew it would be too hard to get back up. It was
with relief that she heard Holly returning.
"Okay," Holly said when she was back inside, a basket
overflowing with a pillow, a quilt, one blanket, a set of
sheets, and several sizes of towels. "I took you at your
word about the food, but you can't sleep on a bare bed."
Reagan smiled at her adamancy.
"Oh!" Holly suddenly remembered, her hand going to
the pocket of her apron. "Russell sent this out to you."
54 lori wick
Reagan looked at the money in Holly's hand but didn't
95
take it.
"What is it?"
"Russ has lowered the rent, and this is the difference."
"Why is he doing that?"
"I told him it was a bit steep for you, and he doesn't
want you to struggle."
Reagan didn't speak, but she was thinking, Could these
people be real?
"Take it, Reagan." Holly pushed the money toward her.
"He won't want it back."
Reagan took the offered money, not sure what she
thought.
"Can I help you with anything, Reagan? We could have
this bed done in no time."
Reagan looked into her kind face and thought she really
had landed on her feet in this town. Almost all the people
in Kinkade had been kind, and her landlady was especially
so.
"Thank you, Holly, but it's no trouble. You've been very
kind, and before it's over I'll probably need something else,
96
but for right now, I'm doing fine."
"I'm glad, Reagan. Just come right to the back door if
you find you do need something, even if if s in the middle
of the night."
Holly took her leave, and Reagan found herself alone
once again. Not until that moment did she remember the
money in her. hand. She looked down at it, her brow furrowed
in thought. Had the blacksmith asked where she'd
found a place to live only out of curiosity and kindness, or
was there something more?
"His wife is beautiful," Reagan said quietly, "but more
than one man has wandered in spite of that."
She hoped she had read the situation all wrong, but why
would he return about a quarter of her money in exchange
for nothing?
City Girl 55
Reagan had a sudden need to check the already locked
door. She went to each window and found them secured as
well. Not liking the thought irt her mind, Reagan nevertheless
97
faced the fact that Russell Bennett might not be as
respectable as she first thought.
-
"Is
she settled, Holly?" Russell asked once the children
were in bed. He'd taken his bath and gone to the bedroom
to find Holly changing into a nightie and starting on her
hair.
"I think so. She looked tired to me, but she didn't want
help with the bed." A huge yawn escaped her. "If she's like
me tonight, she'll sleep hard."
"What did she say about the returned rent?"
"Not much, but I'm not sure she liked it."
Russell was quiet over this. He had debated what to do
about the rent, and in the end was glad he'd given some
back, but there was a chance he could have given the
wrong impression, or even that they would find themselves
taken advantage of. He wasn't all that keen about
being a landlord in the first place, and he and Holly had
98
both decided that if it didn't work out, they would not rent
"the shack," as they called it, to strangers again.
"Of all the people I tried to imagine would be our first
tenant, Holly, I don't mink Reagan fit the bill."
"What type of person did you expect?"
Russell's smile was lopsided. "Some homeless man with
a drinking problem, maybe. I don't know."
Holly only watched him climb into bed.
"Did you get to know anything about her?" he asked as
he lay down on his back.
"Not before I let her rent the place. I mean, she mentioned
that she couldn't afford it, and just now she told me
she's working at the hotel, but you had already mentioned
56 lori wick
that." Holly chewed on her lip, a sure sign she was worrying.
"Did I mess things up, Russell?"
"No," he said quietly. "But when I'm fe
eling tired, like I
am tonight, having someone else in my life to take care of
makes me weary."
99
Holly was now ready for bed and joined her husband
"Well, you might have emotions involved simply
because she's the type of person who causes that, but
something tells me that Reagan is used to taking care of
herself."
"You're probably right"
Both husband and wife had run out of steam. Neither
one moved to kiss the other goodnight. Russell simply
reached for Holly's hand to squeeze it, and Holly mumbled
a goodnight Russell was thinking that he loved her and
should say so, but sleep was rushing in fast
"Have you got those biscuits in?" Sally asked a little
before five the next morning.
"In and almost done," Reagan informed her, her arm
still mixing the batter for two cakes.
"How much longer?"
"Only about five minutes. The bread is rising nicely."
Sally stood back in approval, thinking Reagan was
going to work out fine. Sally had all but taken the morning
100
off, since the baking had to be done first, and for the first
time in a month, she wasn't tense before she started to
cook.
Even if Cousin Leslie shows up, I might just keep Reagan too. "We have customers," Pierce put his head in the door to
announce.
"Well, where is Missy?" Sally demanded,
'a haven't seen her."
City Girl 57
Sally's face went red very quickly as she whipped her
apron off and went out to the dining area to do someone
else's job. Her peaceful thoughts about Reagan's hard work
evaporated.
Reagan noticed the exchange but kept her thoughts to
herself. She wondered at people these days who didn't
have enough pride in their work to show up on time and
do a good job but then remembered that it was none of her
business. The event lingered on her mind, however, so
when she finished her work in the kitchen, she removed
101
her own apron and went out front to see if she could help.
Sally was still taking orders, so Reagan started around with
the coffeepot and a tray of mugs.
"Well, now," one cowboy spoke amid a table full of cowboys,
straightening when she got to his table. "You must be
new."
"I might be." Reagan was noncommittal. "Do you want
coffee?"
"I do, ma'am, yes, but only after you tell me if you're on
today's menu."
"Do you want the coffee on your head or in your cup?"
was Reagan's only reply as she counted heads, set mugs on
the table, and began to pour. The men at the table had a
good laugh over her words, but to a man they tried to catch
her eye.
"You have flour on your cheek," the man alone at the
next table told her.
Again Reagan was nonchalant
"Do I?"
"Yes."
102
"Would you like coffee?"
"Here, let me get the flour off for you."
Reagan was two arms' lengths away from the table
before the man saw her move. He sat with his handkerchief
in hand, just staring at her.
"All I'm offering is the coffee," she clarified. "Do you
want some?"
58 lori wick
Not able to get anything more than an impassive stare
from her, the man gave in. He nodded and watched as she
poured but wasn't able to miss that she left his table
without a backward glance.
"They seem to like you," Sally commented when
Reagan came back to the kitchen to help dish up eggs and
bacon.
"I'm the new girl, thaf s all."
Sally took in that head of dark wavy hair, the dark
sparkling eyes, and the small but shapely figure, and
wasn't convinced. And she was right. Two weeks passed,
103
and the men still watched for Reagan. She had a way of
lighting up the dining room with her candor, her quick
smile, and her no-nonsense service. Sally had been smart
enough to offer her a little more money, so each morning
when she was finished with the baking, she moved to the
dining room to wait tables. She was already used to being
proposed to and took it in stride, but she didn't tolerate (,
unwelcome caresses. More than one mess had to be
cleaned up because Reagan had been forced to discourage
a suitor by dumping his food on top of him.
The Wednesday of her third week began just this way.
Reagan had not slept well and was not in the mood for
games. A man whom she had not met before wouldn't take
no for an answer, and Reagan had thrown his water in his
face. The man was outraged, but Reagan had had enough.
Exiting to the kitchen, she spoke as she gathered her things.
"I'm leaving for the day, Sally. I'm tired of being treated
like something on the auction block." She turned and gave
her employer a hard look. "From the outside this place
looks classy, but some of your breakfast customers act like
104
animals."
Not sure she still had a job, Reagan moved to the door.
She headed down the alley, not really keeping track of
where she was headed. She wasn't upset so much as she
was tired. The man really hadn't been that obnoxious, but
she hadn't been in the mood to deal with him.
C%GA/r/ . 59
Agood walk; that's all I need. Without my bicyck Iji^st ^^ get out enough.
"Good morning, Reagan," a voice suddenly c^aj|ed to her, and she realized she'd walked all the way d^own to Russell's livery.
"Hello, Russell," Reagan said easily enough, ap^proach.
ing where he stood in the alley behind his shop. %he stm didn't know the man very well, but at the moment^ he wag a kind face, and Reagan felt very alone.
"Did you work today?"
"I did, yes, but I left early."
"Are you not feeling well?" he asked with genu^ con.
cern. "Holly has everything you can think of i yOU're under the weather. Just stop and see her."
"No, I'm all right"
105
The big man studied her.
"Your face says you aren't."
Reagan smiled and laughed a little.
"Sometimes men are so rude!" she suddenly 1^^,
and Russell had all he could do not to laugh.
"I can't disagree with you there."
They were silent for a moment
"What happened?" Russell finally asked.
Reagan shook her head in wonder, "One of ue notej
patrons could not keep his hands to himself. I th^ew j^
water in his face."
Russell's booming laugh brought a smile to R^agan'g
face.
"Good job. You keep them in their place."
Reagan was fascinated. This was the last thin^ she/d expected from him.
"Do you really think it was all right that I did tr^,,
"Of course I do. A woman alone can't let he*, guaKj
down for an instant."
Reagan couldn't have felt better if he'd offered her ^
moon. Smiling a little, she thanked him and turned Q go on her way.
106
60 lori wick
/> "Oh, Reagan," he said, stopping her. She looked back.
"How are things in the little house? Everything working
well?"
"It's wonderful/' she told him honestly.
"Well, if you need something, you know where to
come."
With a wave Russell went back inside, and Reagan
moved toward home. She was inside the safe walls of her
little house a short time later, feeling as tired as if she'd
worked her regular day.
Sitting down in her chair and putting her feet up, she
found herself thinking of New York and growing sad over
what she'd left behind. It hadn't been much, but it had been
familiar. Tommy hadn't even sent her bicycle yet, and for
one ridiculous moment Reagan thought she might cry.
"This won't do," she said quietly. "I must be more tired
than I first thought"
But not even hearing the sound of her own voice could
107
convince Reagan. She dozed off for a nap before she could
put her finger on what was truly wrong.
*we
9b
"I'M supposed to be watching children," Reagan mutered
in low fury just two weeks later, her arm scrubbing
furiously at a pot. "Kind, gentle little children who adore
me. I'm supposed to be sitting under shade trees and
reading storybooks. I should be eating little cakes and fanning
myself if I'm warm." Reagan shook her head in irritation, blew the air from her brow, and picked up the bucket
of water that needed dumping.
It wasn't enough that waiting on tables had been added
to her original job as baker. Now, added to those jobs was
pot scrubbing. It didn't matter that she was being paid
more. She didn't like it! Nearly stomping to the back door,
Reagan took barely a step outside before she tossed the
108
bucket of water into the alley. She would have turned right
around and gone back in, but a deep gasp stopped her.
Peeking around the doorjamb that hindered her view,
Reagan caught sight of a tall cowboy. He was dripping wet
from his mid-chest to his knees. Reagan's hand came to her
mouth.
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't see you/'
"It's all right," he said, still looking surprised but not
angry.
"What were you doing back here anyway?"
The apologetic, concerned face of the woman with the
bucket was transfigured into a frown. The wet man looked
61
62 lori wick
City Girl 63
109
a little taken aback but still answered, "Jus* taking a
shortcut, ma'am."
Reagan did little more than nod, not aware that she was