City Girl (19 page)

Cash's mind came to a complete stop. He had been staring up with his eyes open, but they now closed as he remembered Reagan.

I think You must have sent her, Lord. I would never have asked her to come, but Katy was so glad to see her. I have never seen Katy cry.

Cash's own throat closed at the memory. It had been awful to see her vulnerable and tearful, but the more he thought about Reagan's presence, the way she comforted Katy, and the fact that that woman even accepted it, the more a peace stole over his heart. He would not have planned to end the day the way he did, but he now chose to be thankful.

In a moment of time things change so quickly, Lord, but You're never surprised. Whatever You have for tomorrow, help me to be ready and thankful for Your care.

Suddenly realizing he wasn't the least bit tired, Cash relit the lantern and opened his Bible. He read for almost an hour, and when he did fall asleep, it was with the sweet knowledge that God was still very much in control.

“I wasn't sure how you liked your eggs” were the first words that greeted Cash the next morning; he had barely taken two steps into the kitchen. “I scrambled them. Will that be all right?”

“Yes,” Cash said, not used to having his opinion asked. Katy knew his likes and dislikes very well. Neither was he accustomed to having such a young, attractive woman flushed and working over the stove in his kitchen, but clearly she had found her feet. As efficiently as if she did it every day, she laid the table service where he always sat, set his plate in front of him, and filled his coffee cup while he watched.

“I found a small pitcher of cream and assume you take it in your coffee.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you,” Cash said, getting over his surprise enough to sit down.

Reagan put both sugar and cream in close reach, her movements relaxed but very capable.

“Now she might eat something for me,” Reagan muttered good-naturedly, turning away to replace the coffeepot and lift a waiting tray that held a second breakfast.

“Katy's awake?”

“Yes, but she wouldn't eat a thing until you'd been served.”

Cash's mouth tightened. “Well, this is the last day for that. Here, give me that tray.”

Upon seeing his expression and hearing his tone, Reagan knew better than to argue. She stayed where she was, and realizing she needed to eat as well, fixed herself a small plate.

Cash, on the other hand, did not give his own stomach or cooling food a second thought. Tray held firmly in his large, work-roughened hands, he headed in to straighten a few things out with a certain stubborn old woman.

“Cash,” Katy said in soft surprise. “Did you finish your breakfast already?”

“No, I have not,” he said, his voice sounding more angry than she had ever heard him. Cash set the tray on her bedside table, pulled the chair close, sat down, and looked at her. “We will have one thing straight right now, Kathleen Sims. I am not the one in need of tender care.”

“Well!” Katy said with a small spark of her old indignation. “What did she fix you that you're so put out?”

“I mean it, Katy,” he said in a no-nonsense way. “You can lie in this bed and tell Reagan how you want things done until you're blue in the face, but you'll not tell her to feed me and take care of my needs first.”

“What will you do?” Katy challenged. The pain was riding her hard, but she could not let this pup have his way.

Cash sat back and crossed his arms.

“That's easy. I'll forbid her to see to a single one of my needs. No food cooked, no clothes washed, nothing.”

“I'll just tell her otherwise.”

Cash stood, moved the tray so she could reach everything and then put his hand on the headboard to lean over her once again.

“This is still my home,” he said with deadly calm. “It was a surprise to see Reagan at the door last night, but after a few hours of thinking it through, I see her as a blessing. But her main purpose here is to take care of
you
. If she doesn't understand that, I'll get someone who does.” Cash straightened, his voice returning to normal. “Start your breakfast, Katy, and I'll ask Reagan to check on you as soon as I've explained the situation to her.”

Cash left the sickroom without a word. He found Reagan in almost the same position as he'd left her. As he sat back down at his now-empty place, movement caught his eye. He looked to see Reagan using the corner of her apron, and taking his meal from the oven. She set the hot plate before him.

“Please sit down, Reagan. I need to tell you a few things.”

Reagan obeyed, her face sober, but rebellion growing in her heart. She was not leaving here, no matter what he said!

“You're not here to take care of me,” Cash stated. “I can understand Katy's distraction with that since she's done nothing but see to my needs and the needs of others for many years, but if she's ever going to get out of that bed and walk again, she needs to take care of herself.”

Reagan's heart turned with pain at the thought that Katy might not make a full recovery.

“If it makes her feel better to have you changing beds and doing other household chores, that's fine. But you're never, and I repeat, never, no matter what Katy says, to set her needs aside for mine. You won't hear this from her, but it's what I expect.”

“What do I do if she tells me otherwise, like this morning?”

Cash looked her in the eye and admitted, “After getting over my surprise, I'm glad you're here, Reagan, but I know how I want this done. Katy sometimes forgets who's in charge. If you can't do as I expect, I'll find someone who can.”

Reagan had no argument for that. Indeed Katy's very commanding presence had caused Reagan to forget whose home she was in. All remaining fight drained out of her. It was more than reasonable that Cash get his way in this matter, especially in light of the fact that he only wanted his housekeeper to be well.

“Do you have any questions?”

“No. I should tell you, though, that she was awake in the night and has some pretty aggressive plans.”

“Like what?”

“She says she hasn't done the windows in a while, the rugs need beating—things like that. She also said your bedroom and office need turning out, and she was going to get to it next week.”

Cash shook his head a little. “I think you should run everything through me for a while. You can take notes or whatever you need to keep track of what she wants done, but before you start any large projects, see me.”

“All right.”

“I need to tell you, Reagan,” Cash added, “I'm very thankful that you've come to help her.”

“It's all my fault, Cash. No matter what you say, I'll believe that.” She shrugged and added, “There was nothing else I could do.”

The rancher knew there was no point in arguing with her.

“Nevertheless, I thank you for your willingness to come and help.” He paused suddenly, as he fully realized what a huge job they would both have. “Reagan,” he went on, “the doctor said that Katy must keep still if her hip is going to heal properly so she can walk again. I don't want you to lie to her, but between the two of us, we need to keep her as calm and happy as we can manage. I'm not sure she'll make it easy, and I'm not going to let her run you ragged, but—”

Cash cut off when Reagan put her hand up.

“I know what you want, and I'm willing to do that.”

Cash stared at her. He genuinely liked her, he realized, and at the moment he was more grateful to her than he could say. That it had been her bicycle that caused the accident was of little importance to him. She was willing to help, and he was very glad to have her.

“I did tell Katy that you would check on her after I talked to you.”

Reagan pushed out of the kitchen chair.

“I'll go right now.”

Cash ate his again-cool breakfast, his mind covering the things he had to do. Reagan could not keep sleeping on the floor of Katy's room, and his family needed to know what had happened. He ate without giving much thought to the taste, his mind on the full day ahead.

“What is that noise?” Katy demanded not long after Reagan started giving her a bath. She'd eaten a small breakfast and had been fairly subdued. Reagan had been the one to suggest washing up when she noticed the hair around Katy's temples and forehead was matted with sweat.

“I don't know.”

“Well, go check!”

“As soon as we're done and you're settled.”

“Oh, for pity's sake!” the old woman exclaimed in very real frustration. “I tell you, Cash does not know what he's talking about! I'm fine. Go see what that is!”

Reagan stood to full height, a glint in her eye and, surprisingly, a smile on her face.

“As me Irish father would say,” she said, dropping into a remarkable Irish brogue, “‘Dinna fash yourself, woman.'”

“What?” Katy was so taken aback, she forgot about the noises.

“‘Dinna fash yourself.' In other words, don't fret yourself, don't worry.”

“Easy for you to say,” the older woman sniffed, turning her head with as much dignity as she could muster.

Reagan ignored her and went back to the bath. She made swift work of it, and by the time someone knocked on the door, Katy was bathed and in a fresh gown.

“Come in,” Reagan called.

Cash's head came around the corner.

“I need to show you something, Reagan. Do you have a minute?”

“Coming right up.”

“What were those noises?” Katy demanded.

“I'll tell you as soon as I get finished talking with Reagan,” Cash said, waiting for Reagan to come to the door so he could take her out into the hall.

“If you're stirring up a bunch of dust, Cash Rawlings...” they both heard Katy begin, but neither one turned back to hear the rest.

“There's a small storeroom around here next to the pantry,” Cash said, as they headed down the hall. “It was never meant for a bedroom, but if the closet door in Katy's room is open, you can hear everything in that room.”

Reagan suddenly smiled at him.

“You sound as though you speak from experience.”

Cash smiled at being caught out and laughed when he volunteered, “My mother's great uncle visited one time. With the way he snored, you could hear it all over the house, but my brothers and I did hide in this room one
night just to get the full effect.”

Reagan had a good laugh over this as they finished the journey to the room. She passed odds and ends of furniture and even some sacks of food that had been stacked against one wall of the narrow hallway. When she got to the room, she could see that someone had been busy.

The room was very small, but already there was a bed with a small table near the head. Suddenly, from behind Cash and Reagan, one of the ranch hands showed up with a small dresser.

“Right in the corner there, Luke,” Cash directed. “Now, Reagan, we've got rugs to spare and just about anything you want to make this liveable. I don't want you sleeping on the floor for the next six weeks. It's simply not practical, and I don't think you'll be able to move around comfortably if I put another bed in Katy's room.”

“But I can't be too far away and still hear her if she calls in the night,” Reagan finished for him.

“Exactly. Now right here, on the other side of the wall, is the closet. We're going to try a few experiments and see…” Cash stopped talking, his voice trailing off for a moment.

Reagan watched him, as did Luke, both waiting for further instructions.

“Do you sleep soundly?” he finally asked.

Reagan shrugged. “I don't know. I've never given it much thought.”

“Did you wake easily when Katy called you in the night?”

“I think so.”

“But you were sleeping on the floor,” Cash said as he did some thinking out loud, “and that couldn't have been very restful.”