A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) (35 page)

"He didn't understand. He offered to take me to church

every day if I wanted, but he just couldn't see how our not

sharing title same beliefs could make that much difference.

It took two days to convince him, and now I think he hates

me." Darvi paused, her voice growing thick. "It also didn't

help to have my parents just as confused. My mother is

barely speaking to me."

"What did they have to say about the abduction?"

Darvi shook her head a little. "In order to protect

Renee's privacy, I didn't go into much detail. I'm not sure

that's fair to them since I don't think they understood the

full gist of what happened, but I didn't know what else to

do." Darvi paused before adding, "Not that I'm sure it

would matter. All my mother seems concerned about right

now is my breakup with Brandon."

Dakota's face clouded with compassion, and Darvi tried

not to cry. Instead, she shifted her attention to Dakota.

"How did your parents take the news of your conversion?"

she asked Dakota.

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"We haven't discussed it. I wrote them as soon as I was

able to sit up, and Mother mentioned it in her letter back to

me, but when I got home, I didn't bring it up. I was gone

less than 24 hours later and just arrived back yesterday."

"And you've been in Aurora?"

"Part of the time, yes. Jared Silk has been charged for

money laundering, fraud, and embezzlement, but so far

Seth and Eliot are still at the ranch. Something tells me they

are behind Silk's arrest"

"But they're not in jail?"

236 lori wick

Dakota shook his head no, even as he read the worry in

her eyes.

"When does your aunt suggest you come back?"

"Suggest?" Darvi exclaimed. "She says I'm to be there

by the twenty-eighth."

"A week from today."

"Yes."

"There's no point in my going all the way there and

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back. I'll just stay and go with you."

"You don't have to do that."

They stared at each other.

"I have a lot of things going on inside of me right now,

Darvi/' Dakota confessed. "But it's only fair to warn you

that I'm not a St Louis type of person. I love Texas."

"I love Texas too, but if s only fair to warn you that I've

never been so confused about anyone as I am about you."

Dakota laughed a little.

"If s good to hear that someone else is in the same boat."

Darvi smiled, and again they found themselves regarding

each other.

"Aunt Renee's telegraph was at the house when I

arrived," Darvi said quietly. "I read it and remembered

your telling me you were going to be in Aurora with me. I

didn't see how mat was possible, since you'd just left."

"If I had it to do over again," Dakota said, "I'd have

asked to see you a moment before I left, so you would have

known of my plans to return to Aurora."

"Would you have told me about your parents too?"

440

"That one's a little harder, Darv," he said comically. "I

can never remember when Mother has that fall garden

thing of hers, and for all I knew, she and my father were on

a trip somewhere. They don't exactly check in with me."

Darvi had to laugh, and not just at Dakota's expression.

She was beginning to see that he was from a different

world. He teased her about trouble following her around,

and she knew she was somewhat sheltered, but never once

had he treated her like a child the way her parents and

A Texas Sky 237

Brandon were wont to do. She was just a year younger man

Dakota, but he'd been out of the nest and on his own for

ages. She, on the other hand, was still treated like a little

princess, one who had suddenly discovered her wings and

was not living up to the life her parents had planned for her

in the palace.

"I should get you home," Dakota said. "It's getting

dark."

441

Darvi sighed. "I feel terrible that I'm in no hurry to go

home."

"I feel bad about that too, but I'd feel worse if your reputation

suffered because of my keeping you in the park too

long." Dakota had a sudden thought. "Would you like to

stop by your house and ask your parents if you could

spend the evening with my family?"

Darvi perked up but then thought better of it "Won't

your parents be rather tired?"

"Yes, but we always play cards when we're home on

Saturday nights, even when everyone is weary. You could

be our fourth."

"I would like that," Darvi said. Dakota stood and

offered his arm, his heart swelling over the chance to spend

more time with her. He still didn't know if that meant love,

but he was enjoying every moment of it

And his parents enjoyed it too. Darvi's parents were

willing to let her go, and Dakota's parents were delighted

to see her. They brought her in and made her feel very welcome,

even going so far as to tell her how sorry they were

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for all she'd been through. Dakota's heart squeezed with

thankfulness for their kindness and hospitality. It was a

fabulous evening, and Dakota had all he could do not to

take Darvi's hand when he eventually walked her home.

To Dakota's surprise, his parents were still up when he

got back. They called him into the living room when they

heard the door.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now, Mother."

"I should be, but the game perked me up a bit"

238 lori wick

Dakota sat down, kicked his shoes off/ and put his feet

on the ottoman.

"She's a sweet girl/' Charles opened. His shoes were off,

his feet up as well. "A lot of fun."

"Yes/ she is," Dakota agreed, his eyes a little distant

His mother then proceeded to astound him.

"Have you fallen for her because of her beliefs, Dak?"

Dakota had all he could do to answer in a normal voice.

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'That has played a part. Mother, I'm sure of it, but thafs

not the only reason." He stopped and looked at her. "Have

you heard something?"

"Only that she broke it off with Brandon, not the other

way around, and that the reason had something to do with

religion."

Dakota nodded but didn't know what to say. Was this

the opportunity he had been looking for?

"Your grandmother wrote to us, Dak," Charles put in.

"She made no secret of her excitement over what she calls your salvation. This is the third, no fourth, time we've heard this. First Cash, then my mother, then Slater, and now you.

I don't know what you think you all have that the rest of us

don't."

Dakota was no longer left wondering. There was no getting

around the fact that his parents were ready to talk. But

was he prepared to tell them? With a quick reminder that

he was only responsible for what he knew, he tried to start

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"No one's ever wanted you to feel left out, Father. I hope

you understand that And I know in the past you've said

you've been to church all your life." Dakota paused. He

was already starting to ramble. He took a breath and began

again. "There's so much I don't know or understand, but

this much is clear to me: I was lost in my sin. It took awhile,

but I finally saw that I do sin/ and that my sin separated me

from God."

Dakota looked into their faces, encouraged that they

were listening so closely.

A Texas Sky 239

"You've seen my scars, and I know Cash wrote you. I

nearly died. When that happened, I knew I wasn't ready to

die. If I had been forced to face God in person at that

moment, I would have had no excuse. Cash and Slate had

both told me that my sin separates me from God, and that

the only way to cover the separation is through His Son,

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Jesus. I accepted Jesus as my own Savior, and I no longer

fear death or judgment." Dakota's eyes met those of his

father's. "Ifs not about going to church all your life or

being a good person. Ifs more personal than that"

When they said nothing, he went on.

"And to answer your question, Mother^the same thing

happened to Darvi. Brandon wanted no part of it, so she

broke t off. Darvi and I didn't fall for each other because of

that, but knowing that we believe the same lets us explore

this relationship. If she didn't share my belief, I wouldn't

have a choice but to ignore my feelings, no matter how

much it might hurt"

"But you do think you're in love with her?"

-"I

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

Again, they silently regarded him.

Dakota suddenly hated this. He had never known such

peace as he had now, but not having his parents being in

one accord with him was very painful. They had raised

him to be independent and think for himself, so he knew

446

they would never be harsh with him over this or any decision,

but he wasn't sure they had the slightest inkling of

what had happened to him.

"Well, Dak," his mother finally said, although her tone

was sober. "We're glad to see you home and safe. Any little

difference in our beliefs is nothing in light of your being

safe. Thafs all we care about"

Dakota held his tongue. The "little difference" his mother

spoke of was nothing short of a life-and-death matter, but

Dakota knew there was no sense arguing. Reminding himself

to stay respectful, Dakota kept praying and asking God to work in their hearts and open doors of opportunity.

Q/foietee

"what if he's right?" charles asked Virginia after they

had retired.

Dakota's mother turned from the bottle of lotion she

had been reaching for and stared at her husband.

"About what?"

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"About facing God. Can I honestly say I'm ready?"

"Of course you're ready, Charles. You're a good person.

What more can God want?"

He stared at his wife. Had she not heard what Dakota

had said? Had he misunderstood?

"Charles?" Virginia ventured, her voice so tentative that

the senior Rawlings wondered what his face looked like.

"I'm going to go ask Dakota something. I'll be right

back."

Virginia was stunned. What had he been thinking? Her

brow furrowed with deliberation. She didn't like the children

coming home and upsetting things. If Dakota left

chaos in his wake, it would put such a damper on his visit.

Confrontation was the last thing she wanted.

Down the hallway Charles' thoughts were far different.

His heart almost in dread over some of the things his son

had said, he knocked on Dakota's door, working to

remember what Cash and Slater had shared as well.

Dakota answered before anything came to mind.