City Girl (13 page)

Russell looked at his son.

“Do you think Reagan is afraid of something, Jonah?”

“Well, maybe she's not, but she might be afraid that God wouldn't want her.”

Russell smiled at him very tenderly. The little boy had summed up so neatly what many people believed. His own sister felt that she had to clean herself up before she could approach God. Nothing Russell and Holly had ever said could sway her. His sister was still trying to work on her life so she would be “saveable” in God's eyes.

In truth Russell and Holly didn't know if this was Reagan's problem or not, but when the quiet time was over and their two older children were in bed, they prayed for Reagan about that very thing.

Reagan had all she could do not to growl with frustration. She had thought the Bible would be so easy to read and understand, but the different passages she turned to were about as clear as mud. She read that evening until she had to turn in and even tried again before work the next morning, but it was no use.

She wasn't in the best of moods to be heading to work, but she was liking her job more and more, having found the best method to do things and settling into her routine with Sally very nicely. And of course the dining room always made for a change. One could never anticipate exactly what would happen.

For all Reagan's sarcasm and sometimes-sharp tongue, she knew she was genuinely liked by the men who ate breakfast at the hotel each morning. Some were rather persistent about her joining them for a cup of coffee. She always said no but never grew angry or irate as long as they kept their hands to themselves. Indeed, she took it all in so calmly that they found her all the more intriguing.

Reagan had learned early on never to tell a man that she had no plans to ever be married. Men could be counted on to respond in one of two ways. Some said they were fine with that plan since they were only looking for a little fun and not a ball and chain—something Reagan found highly insulting. She thought the term “ball and chain” fit a man much better. Others attempted to talk Reagan into agreeing with them on the spot that every woman needed a husband. The term “ball and chain” was the last thing on their minds. Reagan had learned that both conversations were futile.

Nevertheless, some days she was flattered. A few men were so charming and persistent that Reagan had to stop herself from smiling for fear of encouraging them. One such man was Tyrone Arnold. He went by the name of Ty, and there was no getting around his good looks and fine manners. He looked at Reagan as though she were the last woman on earth, and never once had he intimated that he was just out for a few laughs. At the same time, he never once proposed or asked to take her out for the evening. He always made Reagan feel as though she'd made his day simply by waiting on his table.

Today was about to be different.

Reagan worked on pies until it was time to go out front. As always, the door opening from the back brought the delicious smell of food along with Reagan's presence, and the men loved it.

“We thought you'd never come,” one young cowboy complained. He would take Reagan out every night if she would only agree.

“I can see you've suffered greatly,” she said dryly, filling his cup without giving him any encouragement.

“When do I get a ride on that bicycle?” he asked, but Reagan didn't answer. She was getting coffee, talking to a little girl who was out for breakfast with her father, and taking an order from Ty, who had just sat down.

“Whatever Sally has hot and ready,” he said congenially.

“Hungry this morning?” Reagan knew she could ask this man and not get a lewd comment.

“Starving.”

“I'll get her right at it.”

“Hey, Reagan,” someone else called in full voice as she moved back to the kitchen. “You still haven't answered the question I asked you yesterday.”

Reagan glanced over her shoulder to answer but kept moving.

“I can't remember what you asked, but whatever it is, the answer's no.”

Reagan exited on a wave of laughter.

“They sure like you,” Sally said as she entered the kitchen.

“That's because they don't know me.”

With no time for chitchat, the women sped headlong into the morning. Reagan waited tables, finished the baking, and was scrubbing pots when the back door to the kitchen opened. Ty was standing there.

“Hello, Ty,” Reagan greeted him. “Are you looking for Sally? She's in her office.”

“Actually, I came to see you.”

Reagan's guard went up, but she tried to brush it off.

“Did I leave a strip of bacon off your plate?”

“No,” he said with a smile. “You never make mistakes with my breakfast.”

There was a warm tone in his voice that Reagan didn't like, but she only looked at him.

Ty was swift to see that she wasn't smiling at him in return and knew it was time to get to the point. He did so, keeping his voice even and businesslike.

“I didn't want to ask you in front of the others, Reagan, because I wanted you to take me seriously, but I was wondering if you'd have dinner with me some evening this week?” Reagan was already shaking her head when he added, “I want to talk to you about a job.”

Reagan was suddenly all ears.

“A job?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of job?”

“I want to tell you about it over dinner.”

Reagan shook her head. “You've got the wrong girl, Ty. Any job that has to be discussed over dinner...” She let the sentence hang.

“It's not like that, I assure you, Reagan. I have tremendous respect for you and a job that would be perfect for you if you're interested. It's not a job I'm offering to anyone else, so you let me know if and when you want to hear about it.”

To Reagan's amazement, he turned for the door and exited. He was only a dozen feet down the alley when Reagan, whose curiosity had gotten the best of her, made it outside and stopped him with one question.

“Can I meet you somewhere for dinner?”

Ty turned.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't want to be picked up at my house. I'll come to dinner and hear about the job if I can meet you.”

“That's fine,” Ty agreed, coming toward her a ways and gaining tremendous ground by agreeing to this term.

“How about this Saturday night?”

“How about Tuesday next week?”

Ty grinned, knowing he was doing the right thing.

“Tuesday, it is. Where do you want to meet?”

“Right here in front of the hotel.”

Ty tipped his hat. “Tuesday, seven o'clock. I'll be here.”

Reagan watched him walk away without a single romantic thought in her head, but she didn't think his handsome face would be hard to look at if she actually went to work for him.

“Okay, Reagan,” Russell said the next evening as he did odd jobs in the little rental house. “Try that.”

Reagan opened the cupboard door and found it working fine.

“It's perfect, Russell. Thank you.”

“With all your independence,” he teased her, “I'm surprised you didn't fix it yourself.”

Reagan grinned.

“I left my tools in New York.”

Russell smiled in return.

“Okay. What was next?”

“This window. The lock is a little loose. I've been thinking about buying a gun, but I haven't done it yet.”

On his way toward the window, Russell stopped and turned to look at her.

“Are you saying that if you had a gun, you wouldn't need window locks?”

Reagan looked thoughtful.

“No, but I wouldn't be as concerned about them.”

“Have you ever handled a gun?”

Reagan met the eyes that were trained on her and answered slowly.

“No, but I didn't think it could be too hard.”

Russell's finger came up. “You do not make one move toward a gun without talking to me first. Do you hear me, Reagan?”

“Yes, Father.”

“You can
Yes, Father
me all you please, but you do as I say.”

Reagan's head tipped as she looked at him.

“What do you fear would happen?”

Russell looked shocked enough to cause Reagan to laugh.

“This is not funny, Reagan,” he responded, trying to be stern. “You could shoot yourself or someone else.”

“I think that would be the point.”

Russell leveled her with a look.

“I'm not fixing another thing in this house until you agree to consult with me about any and all weapons.”

Hands to his hips, the hammer held easily under one huge thumb, Russell waited.

“All right,” Reagan said with a tolerant shake of her head. “I'll be sure to tell you, but you don't need to be such a tyrant about it. I don't know how Holly stands it.”

“Holly isn't wandering around with a naive view of guns,” he muttered as he went to work on the window. “Sometimes you scare me.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“That's what scares me.”

Any stinging retort Reagan might have had was interrupted by Jonah's arrival. He'd been helping his father by finding a needed tool.

“Have you got it?”

“I think so. Is this it?”

“That's the one,” Russell congratulated the little guy as he took the tool from his open palm.

“How are you, Reagan?”

“Miss Sullivan,” his father corrected, his back to them as he worked on the latch.

Reagan only winked at Jonah and brought out a jar of candy she had bought at the general store.

“Would you like a peppermint drop?”

“Yes, please.”

“How was school today?”

“It was fun,” he answered around the ball of candy swelling his cheek. “I like school, but sometimes I miss Alisa.”

“She probably misses you too.”

Jonah gave her his shy smile, and, as always, Reagan's heart melted a little.

“Jonah,” Russell called to him then, “climb up here and hold this for me, will you?”

The little boy was swift to help, his eyes catching Reagan's one more time and with one glance telling her how proud he was to be asked to help his dad.

The Bennett “men” finished up at Reagan's a short time later, and as nice as it was to have everything repaired, Reagan hated to see Jonah go. Quite suddenly she wanted to be with that little boy whenever she could.

“You're coming on Saturday, aren't you, Reagan?” Jonah asked as Reagan walked him home from school, forgetting again to call her Miss Sullivan.

“What's on Saturday?”

“The party at Cash's ranch!” Jonah looked up at her with huge eyes, as if her not knowing was some type of crime. Elly had ridden ahead on the bike, and Jonah and Reagan walked slowly along behind her.

“I don't think I'm invited, Jonah,” she said, feeling a need to be honest.

“Everyone is! Pastor Ellis said so.”

“Is it a church party?”

Jonah nodded with great enthusiasm. “We have lots of fun. We get to swim in the pond, play games, and even ride horses all by ourselves! And then we eat dinner under the big shade trees by the house.”