City Girl (26 page)

“An armadillo. Have you not seen one yet?”

“You mean, they live around here?”

“Sure.”

Her hands to her waist, she turned fully to face Cash Rawlings, her eyes filled with astonishment. In a brogue as thick as though she'd just arrived from Ireland, Reagan demanded, “What kind of employer are you not to let a girl know about such creatures? My heart could have been scared into stopping on the spot.”

Cash could only smile, wishing she would do it again.

“Were you born in Ireland?”

“We were discussing armordillos!”

“Armadillos,” he corrected softly, his eyes alight with amusement.

“That is entirely beside the point! I want to know that one of those creatures is not going to visit me in my room some night.”

“No, they don't like the house. It's too active.”

“They?” The brogue was back. “How many might there be?”

To which Cash could only laugh. “I've got to get back to work, Reagan,” he responded, turning with a wave. “I'll talk to you later.”

Reagan was not at all sure she wanted to end this conversation, but she was given little choice. She also knew her employer was right. Katy hadn't been checked on since the doctor left, and some of the laundry was still in the basket. The day was moving on, and if she wasn't careful, it would move without her.

Fifteen

“I'
VE GOT TO GO TO TOWN
tomorrow,” Reagan told Katy later that day. “We're low on supplies. Do you go to Mrs. Unger's?”

“Always. And for everything except the molasses candy that Cash likes.”

“Is that what's in the bowl in the living room?”

“That's it.”

“I've got paper here.” Reagan sat down and began to read what she had on her list.

“We're low on brown sugar? Have you checked the tall cupboard by the door?”

“No. I'll do that,” Reagan said, head bent, making notes.

“Are you sure you're saved, Reagan?” Katy suddenly asked quietly.

The younger woman looked up at her. Their eyes held for a moment, and then Reagan nodded affirmatively.

“Are you having doubts, Katy?”

“A few. I just don't feel saved. I want to get out of this bed. I want to do so many things, and I can't! Would I be feeling this restless if I was really saved?”

Reagan had no idea what to tell her. “Why don't you ask Cash? You know he'll help you.”

Katy sighed with relief.

“Maybe I will. I know from church that Satan is a powerful enemy. He lies all the time. Maybe he's lying to me, and I'm lying to myself, and God knows that I'm just fine with Him.”

“Except…” Reagan began but halted.

“Except what?”

“Isn't worry a sin?”

Katy's eyes got big.

“I think it is.”

“Talk to Cash, Katy. Don't lie there without answers.”

The older woman nodded, and Reagan smiled at her. As Reagan bent back over her list, Katy found herself thanking God for the younger woman and almost instantly realized she'd never done such a thing before.

“Okay,” Reagan said. “How about beans? We're very low. Is there another bag I'm not seeing?”

The conversation went back to the matter at hand, namely, Reagan's trip to town. They covered the entire list before Katy told her that Lavinia would expect the order to be charged and that if Cash needed his candy from Reynold's, the money jar was in the big cupboard.

Reagan finally left the sickroom, a dozen thoughts filling her head, the first one being that she would have to tell Katy how much she was needed. She ran the house with ease, seeing to every need. Did anyone ever tell her how vital she was to the ranch? It seemed like something Cash would do often, but whether or not he did, Reagan decided that at some time she needed to add her own voice of admiration.

“I appreciate this, Brenda,” Reagan told the other woman the next morning.

“It's my pleasure, Reagan. Do you need anything special done?”

“No. She's had her bath, which made her a little cold, so now she's under an extra blanket and reading a book.”

“All right. I'll check on her and see if she wants anything from her house.”

“Good. I've been over a few times, but I'm always in a rush.”

This established, Reagan took her list and small coin purse with money from the jar and walked outside to the barn. The day felt as if it was going to be hot. Little by little, as the weeks passed, it had been warming up, and Reagan knew that very soon she would have to look into some lighter-weight clothing. Today however, she had supplies to purchase. She wasn't comfortable spending someone else's money, but if this was what it took to get Katy back on her feet, she would do it.

Reagan worked all of this out in her mind before she got to the barn. Never very comfortable around horses, she forced herself not to think about what must be done. If she could have figured a way to get supplies back to the ranch on her bicycle, she would have done it.

The barn was scarier than she thought it would be, and not until she was inside did she remember that the horses were kept in the paddock outside. The thought of having to catch one gave her no comfort, but as she walked down the length of the barn, a horse's head came out over the door of its stall. At first Reagan was startled but realized suddenly that she'd been rescued.

“Hey, fella,” she began coaxingly, not missing the gray muzzle and sunken eyes. “You look about my speed.”

The horse stretched his neck out in a friendly fashion, but Reagan was still uneasy. She glanced around and spotted a buggy, one that looked light and manageable. She went into that stall and, taking the shaves, manhandled the buggy out into the lane between the two long rows of stalls.

“Okay,” she panted, still speaking to the horse, which looked half asleep, “we'll just get you out of there, and you
can take me to town.”

Reagan flipped the latch, and as soon as the horse heard it, his ears perked up and he moved to come out. A moment later, the door swung fully open and the horse came straight at Reagan, his nose smelling her clothing for sugar or a handful of oats.

“Oh, no!” Reagan cried as she backed up. “Stay back now; stay back.”

But the old horse just nuzzled the front of her dress and then stood still. When Reagan saw that she was not going to be trampled, she relaxed a little and began to give orders.

“All right now. You just back yourself up to the buggy.”

The horse's ears twitched, but already his eyes had half-closed again.

“Come on, now. I've got things to do. Just get hitched to this buggy, and we'll go.”

Reagan reached out and pushed a little on the horse's side, but the animal didn't appear to notice.

Reagan cast about for some other plan, and that was when she spotted him. Watching her intently, Cash Rawlings stood about 20 feet away, shoulder propped against a column.

“Oh, Cash,” Reagan began, “I didn't see you.”

“Reagan, what are you doing?”

“I'm trying to get this horse hitched to the buggy. I have to go to town.”

Cash could only laugh.

“And what were you doing just standing there, Cash Rawlings?” Reagan wanted to know. “I could have been trampled.”

“Not by Misty. I think she's older than I am.”

“Oh, it's a girl?” She looked with new interest at the animal's face. “How can you tell?”

Cash's laughter echoed off the barn's interior, even as Reagan turned red and refused to look at him.

Pushing away from the column, the rancher finally took pity on her and came forward.

“Didn't Katy tell you I always assign one of the men to take her to town?”

“No. We never got to that.” Reagan glanced at him. “How did you know I was out here?”

“I saw Brenda in the kitchen, and Katy told me where you were headed. I was actually getting ready to saddle my horse and head after you, sure you'd taken off on your bike.”

“I would have if I could have figured out a way to do it!” she told him indignantly, a slight brogue entering in.

“I'll take you,” Cash told her, moving to put Misty back inside with soothing words and a handful of oats.

“But you're busy, Cash, and the whole point of my being here is to help.”

“I need some things in town too, Reagan. If I didn't have time, I would send someone else.”

Reagan looked suspicious but let it go. He was a big boy. If he didn't want to go to town, he didn't have to.

“By the way,” Cash began again, “were you really hoping Misty would just back her way into the harness?”

Reagan's chin went into the air. “As old as she is, I thought she must know how.”

“But Misty's never been a cart horse. She's a cattle pony.”

“Oh, there are different types?”

Her eyes were so big with interest that Cash couldn't find it in his heart to laugh again, but he wanted to. The things he'd taken for granted nearly all his life were so wondrous to her. In fact, it wasn't all that unusual to spot armadillos in the barn, but he didn't think he would mention it.

“So, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I have my list and some money for your candy.”

“Are we out of candy? I haven't been eating it much.”

“Katy didn't want to run out.”

“She spoils me.”

I'm glad someone does
was the first thought that sprang to Reagan's mind.

Because she had no idea where it had come from, it disturbed her all the way to town.

“Okay, Reagan,” Lavinia said, having checked over the list again and been even more picky than Katy. “I think that's the lot. Anything more?”

“I don't think so.”

“Here—” The proprietress grabbed a tin of lady's powder—it was scented with flowers—and pressed it into Reagan's hands. “Take this to Katy; no charge. Tell her to come back soon.”

“I'll do that, Mrs. Unger. Thank you.”

“Sally misses you,” Lavinia said, acting as though she had all day even though there were other patrons in the store.

“I miss her too. If Cash doesn't get back before I'm done, I may go down to see her.”

“I can always tell him where you went.”

“I'll do that, then. Thank you again.”

Lavinia waved Reagan away, but in truth she was just barely holding her tongue. Had she seen something in Cash Rawlings' eyes when he'd dropped Reagan off?

“He's tall and she's not, and I always think that makes for a cute couple.”

“I don't need a couple,” Mrs. Guthrie said in Lavinia's ear. The woman's hearing was not what it used to be, and she also had a habit of starting conversations in her head. “Don't try to sell me more than I need, Lavinia Unger.”

Lavinia only shook her head, moved to assist her customer, and held her peace yet again.

“You look tired,” Sally told Reagan, hugging her again. “How much time do you have?”