A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (18 page)

where Seth's brother was concerned. She ran a successful

cattle ranch, and for the most part, life was good.

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She'd been hoping for years that Seth would find a woman

to love, but not like this, not one he had to capture. What

she saw as equal amounts of good and bad in the brothers

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still amazed her. The good she saw in Seth made her want

better for him than this.

"I can't say as I like her," Cassy admitted.

"Come on, Cass." This came from Eliot. "Give it a

chance."

"He's supposed to find someone who loves him in

return!" Cassy shot back at Eliot, both talking as though

Seth wasn't there.

"It doesn't always work that way."

"Give it time." This came from the man in question, his

voice calm and confident. "If she stays long enough, she'll

love us."

"I hope thaf s true," Cassy said, "but if she doesn't like

kids, you can haul her back to the train station or wherever

she came from."

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"I wouldn't expect anything else, Gassy."

Much of the tension left the table at that moment These

three had lived together and been friends for a long time.

It was natural that Cassy didn't want another woman

coming in to upset that balance.

"I'm turning in," Seth said, finishing his food and

standing up. "Thanks for dinner."

"Are you going to keep watch?" Eliot wished to know.

"I don't think so. Ill be up early, and I somehow doubt

she'll be gone. If she is, I'll deal with it then. Maybe you

could just check on her when you retire, Cassy. I would, but

if she's still awake, it might make it even harder for her."

"I'll do it. What's her name again?"

"Darvi. Darvi Wingate." The name was said softly, a

gentle smile on Seth's mouth.

"Why now? Why her?" Cassy asked of Eliot after Seth

went to his room.

"I've been asking myself the same questions."

"So what are we going to do?"

Eliot shrugged a little. "Just wait and see."

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darvi's uds opened, and she stared at the log wall in

front of her face. She frowned in confusion before closing

her eyes in remembrance. Tempted to pinch herself, she

knew it was useless. This was no dream, and it was time

she faced that.

Rolling to her back, she spotted a window above her

bed, sat up, and looked out. Bright sunshine filled the sky,

and she could tell it was going to be another hot day. Just

as suddenly as she remembered the last few days,,she

recalled having roommates. Before undressing last night,

she'd taken the lamp close to the room's full bed and seen

two sleeping children. She now looked that way, wondering

if they were still abed.

What she saw made her blink. Sitting on the edge of the

bed, dressed and ready to go for the day, was a little girl.

She stared right back at Darvi, her expression open and

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curious.

"Hello," Darvi tried.

The little girl continued to stare.

"What's your name?"

"She can't talk," a little boy said from around the door

he'd just opened a bit. "But her name's Lindy."

"Thank you," Darvi told him before turning back to the

little girl. "Hello, Lindy:"

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She gave a little wave and smiled as the boy entered the

room and sat beside her.

"I'm Nate," he supplied, his face just as open and

friendly as his sister's.

"Well, Nate and Lindy, I'm Darvi. Ifs nice to meet you."

The words were no more than out of her mouth when

someone knocked. Seth stuck his head around the door.

Modest as her gown was, Darvi still reached for a bathrobe

that wasn't there. She had to content herself with pulling

the covers a little higher.

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"Come on you two. Give Darvi some privacy."

"What did you call me?" Darvi asked as the children

scrambled out.

"Darvi," he admitted, his eyes watchful.

"How long have you known?"

"Since before you fell off the bed yesterday morning."

Darvi's eyes lit with flame.

"We can talk about it," Seth reassured her.

"Oh, no," Darvi countered, her voice tight "We are not

going to talk about anything. I'm not saying a word. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Seth only nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

Darvi got up the moment he shut the door. Certain she

was finally going to get on that train, she dressed yet again

in her navy suit, trying to ignore some of the creases, and

from years of solid habit, made her bed. After packing her

bag, Darvi went out to do battle. This was all before finding

the large room almost empty. The woman they referred to

as Cassy stood at the stove. As soon as she spotted Darvi,

she took a plate from the oven.

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"I have some breakfast for you," she spoke as she

moved to put it on the table.

It was on the tip of Darvi's tongue to refuse, but then she

saw it was dished up and ready.

"Thank you," Darvi only replied and sat down,

thanking the woman again when she was served a

steaming mug of coffee. Trying to calm her now-racing

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heart, Darvi bowed her head and thanked God for the

food. She might never see this woman again, but she

wanted her impression to be a favorable one.

"Darvi, is it?" Cassy asked when her guesf s head came

up.

"Yes, and you're Cassy?"

That woman nodded.

"I met your children. I hope I didn't disturb them."

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"Not at all. There is a spare room, but it's right across

from Seth's. He felt you would feel safer in with the children.

You can move if you like."

"I appreciate the offer, but I won't be needing either

room another night."

Cassy only nodded, knowing it would not help Seth's

cause for her to comment

"May I ask you where Mr. McDermott is, or, urn, Seth?

I don't know his last name."

"Redding. Seth Redding. Eliot had to run into town, and

Seth is around somewhere. I know he wants to talk with

you."

The eggs and steak on Darvi's plate were delicious, and

so was the thick slice of bread, but it was somewhat lost on

her. She spent the entire meal searching the door and windows

for any sign of Mr. Redding. He didn't appear until

after she was finished. As soon as Darvi saw him come in,

she went for her bag. Back in the large room, the handle in

her grasp, she spoke. '

"You may explain to me when you return me to town."

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"I'm not returning you to town, but we can go for a

walk and I'll tell you what happened."

Darvi could have stomped her foot with frustration, but

as with everything else in this situation, she was helpless.

She set her bag back against one wall and followed Seth

outside. He walked them toward the distant woods, his

stride shortened to match Darvi's. Not that she was very

close to him. She walked a few steps behind and some ten

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feet away. Seth glanced over at her stormy face and knew

he would just have to begin.

"Eliot--he's my half brother--and I work for Jared Silk;

he's a banker. He's not all that honest, but he pays us well,

and we're good at what we do." He glanced to see if she

was listening, but she looked away when their eyes met.

"Jared's sick of Annabelle Hewetf s column. If the truth be

told, she's often right about him, but he wants her stopped.

He came up with the plan to talk to her, and our job was to

convince her to have dinner with him,

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"The men we sent grabbed you because you look like

her, and also because she's always headed somewhere. Her

job takes her all over town, so it wasn't surprising they

found you at the train station. We thought we had

Annabelle until Eliot saw her heading into the news office

early yesterday morning. By that time, it was too late."

"What was too late?"

"I had already decided that I liked you."

Darvi stopped and gawked at the man. She could

hardly believe her ears.

"It's not forever, Darvi, at least your being forced to stay

here isn't forever, but I'm just so sure that if you stay for a

while, you'll come to care for us."

Darvi was stunned. This tall, confident, good-looking

man was staring at her with his heart in his eyes. Darvi's

head was spinning. She shifted her gaze to the wide open

land and the trees beyond. Even from here she could hear

the low sound of the cattle and understood how they made

their living.

"Mr. Redding."

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"Please call me Seth."

Darvi put her hand up. "All right. Seth. Let me get this

straight. You work for a man who wanted a woman

abducted and threatened, but the wrong woman was

taken. Now that you've met me, and even realizing I'm not

Annabelle Hewett, you want me to share your life?"

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"I was hoping you weren't Hewett, since working for

Jared would have made that relationship impossible. Much

as I hated for you to be afraid, I was very pleased to learn

you weren't her."

Darvi thought about the way she'd been treated in the

last 48 hours. Not once had the men given the impression

that she was going to be physically harmed. They had been

downright gentlemen, but it didn't make what they had

done less wrong.

"I get the impression that you're a very nice man, Seth.

Your family/' Darvi almost stumbled over the word,

knowing Eliot was living with his girlfriend and her children,

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"seems very nice too. So how is it that you believe

you can spot a woman, desire her, and take her?"

"I know if s outrageous, but I'm sure if I let you leave,

I'll never see you again."

"Thaf s right, you won't!"

Seth put his hands out as though he'd made his point

Darvi could not believe this. Things simply didn't

happen like this these days. This was 1882. This was civilization.

A man simply did not come in, pick out the female

he wanted, and carry her off into the night!

"You have to take me back to town," Darvi persisted,

working to keep her voice even. "You have to return me so

I can catch my train home. Have you thought about what

my family might be feeling when I don't show up? You

can't keep me, no matter how you feel. I am a person with

rights and feelings, and I want to leave."

"To my head it sounds very logical, Darvi, but my

heart's just not convinced."

Darvi threw up her hands in frustration and turned