City Girl (20 page)

“Reagan?” Katy's voice suddenly came through the wall.

“Is that closet door open?” Cash asked as he turned to Reagan.

“I don't think so.”

Cash worried the edge of his lip for a moment.

“I'd better see what Katy wants.”

“Right!” Cash was brought back to reality. “Before you go, though, do you think you could be comfortable in here, Reagan?”

Reagan couldn't stop her smile, her eyes sparkling and white teeth flashing at him.

“You haven't seen my house, have you, Cash?”

With that she turned and went on her way. Not until then did Cash notice that Luke had not taken his eyes from Reagan. Remembering that night with Ty in front of the hotel, the ranch owner had all he could do not to pat Luke on the back and warn him that the lady would not be interested.

“I spilled my water!” Katy all but snapped at Reagan when she crossed the threshold. “Cash should just come in here and put me out of my misery. I can't even get myself a drink!”

Reagan did not comment. The thought of Katy dying horrified her, and for a moment she could not speak. She came close to the bed, lifting a towel from the basin on her way past. She mopped the water without overdo fuss, but inside she was shaken.

I've caused all of this. Katy's misery and all the inconvenience are my fault.

“Okay,” Cash stated with enthusiasm, coming through the open door unannounced. “Here's the plan, Kate. Reagan and I are going to clear the stuff from this closet and then shut the door. You're going to hear a lot of cutting and pounding because I'm going to put a doorway through on the other side.”

“Whatever for?” Katy asked, mouth open.

“Reagan's going to sleep in the little storeroom by the pantry, and the new door will give her access in here. I don't want another bed in this room, but she needs to be able to hear you.”

The older woman looked so upset that Cash went to her. Reagan felt they needed time alone, but for some reason she couldn't move.

“Katy.” The big cowboy said her name quietly, taking the chair and leaning close. “I want you better, and to do that you can't get out of this bed. Reagan has to be close to help you, but she can't sleep on the floor.”

“But it's little more than a closet. Never has a guest in this house been treated that way.”

“I know, and if things were different, it wouldn't have to be this way now, but Reagan understands.”

“Maybe we should move to my house. I wanted Reagan here to take care of you, but maybe we should get out of your hair.”

Cash picked up her hand.

“This is where you're staying until you can walk out on your own. When you're on your own two feet—bossy as the day is long—you can go home. Until then we're going to live together and probably drive each other crazy at times, but that won't change the facts. The three of us are going to do everything we have to do to get you out of that bed.”

Listening to him from where she felt frozen in place, Reagan saw for the first time how much Cash loved this old woman. This kind of love was foreign to her. She didn't know what to do with it; indeed, it frightened her, but at the same time she was strangely touched by what she was witnessing.

“Okay.” Cash stood, clearly ready to get to work. “We'll make it as fast as possible, but it will be noisy.”

“Who's helping you?” Katy demanded.

“Luke.”

“Well, that's at least something.”

Cash went on his way, and Katy decided to take her mind off what she thought of as an intolerable situation.

“Have you met Luke?”

“I don't think so,” Reagan said. She wasn't ready to talk, but keeping Katy's spirits in mind, she answered.

“I think he's about your age.”

“Now, what would you be knowing about my age?” The brogue was back, and Reagan was smiling.

Katy snorted. “You can't be more than 20.”

Reagan had a good laugh over this, and without even knowing it, Katy was drawn away from her pain as curiosity got the best of her.

“You don't mean to say you're older!”

“Indeed, I do,” Reagan said as she straightened the room and even dusted the dresser.

“Twenty-one?”

Again Reagan laughed.

“No!” Katy exclaimed. “I refuse to believe it.”

“I'll have you know,” Reagan informed her, brogue still in place as she came to the end of the bed, “that I will be 24 later this year.”

Katy's mouth opened and with good reason. Reagan did have a youthful appearance about her. And with her gutsy, sometimes zany, approach to life, Katy naturally thought her younger.

“What year were you born?” Katy prodded, certain Reagan could not be telling the truth.

“Eighteen fifty-nine. How about yourself?”

The number on the tip of her tongue, Katy opened her mouth but caught herself just in time.

Reagan smiled, and Katy shook her head a little in mock despair. But all of this fun came to an end just moments later when pounding and lots of movement started on the other side of the wall. Reagan went over and swiftly began to empty the closet so she could shut the door, but there had been no missing the pained look on the bedridden woman's face.

Reagan had never been so glad to sit down. Prior to speaking with Cash, she had been determined to clean the entire house
and
see to Katy's needs, but right now she saw that in no uncertain terms Cash had rescued her.

Katy was finally asleep. There was now a new passageway between Katy's room and her small bedroom. Katy had eaten and told Reagan she wanted to sleep, and Reagan had figured out that if she left the doors open, she could sit on the porch in a rocking chair and still hear if Katy called.

Her feet throbbing, even though she'd put them up on a small wooden bench, Reagan let her head fall against the high-backed rocking chair, her eyelids lowered just enough to find the horizon going to dusk. In that position, she was ready to think about the day.

Katy had received a surprising number of visitors, almost all food-bearing: the Bennetts; Max; Brenda and her daughters; two other cowhands; Pastor Ellis and Noelle; Lavinia from the general store; and Dr. Bruce again. Reagan had been introduced to the ones she did not know, but she did not visit with any of them or even stay close by. Katy still had things she needed from her little house, and finding them had taken some searching. Reagan also had her own room to clean and put together, wanting it done before nightfall. All had been accomplished, but by the time Reagan had started dinner, she'd been nearly cross-eyed with exhaustion, and the day wasn't done. Cash had turned out to be a marvelous help in the kitchen, but he'd gone to be with Katy while Reagan worked on the dishes. Never had Reagan been so glad to hear anyone say she wanted to sleep than when Katy made this announcement not long after the dishes were completed.

Reagan now shifted a little in her chair, thinking she should just head to bed, but before she could do that, her thoughts went back to the way Cash had dealt with the patient all day. Panic almost gripped the new caregiver. Cash's tenderness was still too much for Reagan to take in.

For the first time in a very long time, Reagan found herself asking her own heart why she could not let people love her. As a child she'd been starved for love and affection, but when she'd grown into womanhood and men were actually willing to marry her, her young heart had felt frozen in her chest.

And then today, having to watch the love between a pair who were like mother and son had been just as painful.
When
, Reagan asked herself,
had all love become a threat? When did I go from needing it so badly to being terrified by it? And where, if anywhere, does God fit into the whole picture?

Not having answers to these questions was so confusing and painful to Reagan that she didn't even want to think about them, but one question would not go away, and that one was directed at God.

Do You really love people in a way they can survive?

The question repeated itself over and over again in Reagan's mind until she thought her head might burst. When she knew she couldn't think on it anymore, she rose wearily to her feet and made her way inside. A swift check on Katy told her that for the moment she was still off duty.

Trying not to long for the little house behind the Bennetts', Reagan took herself off to bed.

Twelve

D
EAR
S
LATE
,
THE LETTER STARTED
, the third one of the evening.
Katy has fallen and broken her hip. The doctor predicted that she will be laid up for about six weeks, but if she remains still during the healing process, she should be able to walk again with very little trouble.

I won't try to go into details on how it happened, but there is a young woman from town who has moved in to help her. At first I didn't want her, but Katy was so glad to see her that I didn't feel I could send her away. I will keep you informed of Katy's progress, but if any business should bring you into the area, I know she would appreciate the visit.

Greet Duffy and the family and give my love to Libby. You're to take good care of her right now. God bless you all.

Love, Cash

Cash had deliberately kept all the letters short, but it had still been a lot of writing for one day. He would ride into town first thing in the morning and get them posted. Thoughts of town caused him to remember that, between him and Reagan, they would have to keep tabs on the pantry and other house supplies and needs. Max might be a help in that area, and he had offered to do all he could.

Cash sat up straight and thought about what a long day it had been. From his office he'd heard Reagan go onto the porch and now rose to check on her.

The porch was empty.

Lantern in hand, he made a swift check on Katy, found her sleeping, and knew it was time to close up for the night. He had no more gotten to her doorway, however, when she called Reagan's name.

“No, it's Cash,” he whispered, going over to shut the closet door so Reagan would not be disturbed. “Do you need something?” he asked, approaching the bed.

“No. What time is it?”

Cash told her as he sat down.

“Why aren't you in bed?” she wished to know, but her voice was calm.

“I was just headed up.”

“Good. You need your rest.”

“I just finished letters to the family, letting them know you'd been hurt.”

“You didn't have to do that.”

“How do you figure?”

Katy had no reply. She knew very well that if she said anything, he would only remind her of what she would have done if the situation had been reversed.

“Cash?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Do you pray for me?”

“Yes, I do. What made you ask that?”

“Do you think God let this happen because I've sinned?”

“Not specifically, I don't, but at some point we all have to face the fact that we sin. If the fall you took helps you to do that, then I would say that was good.”

“So you don't think I'm being punished?”

“No, but you know how I feel about God getting your attention, Katy. I think you've needed Him for a long time.”

“What if it's too late?”

“I don't believe that, and God's Word doesn't support that idea either.”

Again Katy had no reply. Cash wasn't sure what he should add or say, so he opted just to pray this time so that she could hear.

“Father in heaven,” he began quietly, “thank You for Katy. She means so much to me. I ask You to help her heal well so she can be on her feet again, but even more than her body, Lord, I know her heart needs to be healed of sin, like mine did before I found You. Bless Katy this night and in the days to come. Thank You that Reagan could be here to help. Help us all to sleep so we can work hard tomorrow. In Your name I pray. Amen.”