“HOW ARE YOU?” VIRGINIA FINALLY ASKED. At first she hadn’t talked. She just wanted to hug him, not caring the reason he was suddenly in St. Louis and not Texas.
“I’m doing fine. How are you?”
“Worried about you.”
“Why?”
She looked him in the eye.
“The last I’d heard you had five bullet holes in you.”
Dakota grinned. “And you thought that might slow me down?”
Virginia only shook her head.
“Mother,” he said, changing subjects quickly to what was on his mind. “Have you had your fall fling yet?”
“If you mean my Autumn Garden Party,” she told him patiently, “no, I haven’t. It’s in 18 days.”
“Can you invite the Wingates?”
His mother’s brow furrowed. “Three blocks over, the large blue house?”
“That’s the one.”
“Why?”
“I want to see a little more of their daughter.”
After dropping that tidbit of information, Dakota started for the stairs.
“Oh, and Mother,” he now tossed over his shoulder, “can you send for the tailor? I need a new suit.”
A moment later the bell rang at the front door.
“Dakota James Rawlings,” his mother said in a no-nonsense way, “you come back here this instant!”
Dakota turned with a smile. “I’ve got to clean up if I’m going to be fitted for a suit.”
“That can wait. Tell me about this girl.”
“Get the door, Mother,” he teased her, turning to go on his way.
Virginia had all she could do not to laugh. He was a rascal, just like his father, but she adored him.
The matter at the door only took a moment, and the second she was free Dakota’s mother made a beeline for the stairs. Long before she reached his bedroom, she heard Dakota and his father talking. Not bothering to even knock at the door he had only partially closed, she barged right into her son’s room. Dakota was already shirtless, bent over the washstand, Charles Rawlings Sr. talking to his back.
“So how’s the ranch?”
“Doing great,” Dakota spoke as he scrubbed. “I worked with Cash the days I was there. Everything looks fine. I think he’s got a sale coming up soon.”
“I’ve been following the prices. He should do well at market right now,” Charles commented.
“How can you be talking about the ranch at a time like this?” Virginia demanded, arms akimbo.
“At a time like what?” Charles questioned in confusion.
Virginia pointed to Dakota. “The boy is in love.”
“He didn’t tell me he was in love,” Charles stated. He then mumbled, “No one tells me anything.”
“Of course he didn’t tell you he was in love, you’re only interested in the price of beef. Did you even ask about your mother?”
Charles looked sheepish, and both Virginia and Dakota had to fight smiles as they looked at him.
“How is your grandmother?” he ventured at last.
“I didn’t get a chance to go see her, but as far as I know she’s doing fine.”
“And Cash?” This came from Virginia.
“Great. I’ve been at the ranch quite a bit these last few weeks. He’s doing well.”
“Slater and Liberty?”
“I haven’t seen them, but I think everything is fine.”
“Good. Now, about this girl,” Virginia started. “What’s her name?”
Dakota grinned but still said quietly, “Darvi.”
Virginia’s eyes widened with memory. “Darvi Wingate? Isn’t she engaged to Brandon Young?”
“Was engaged,” Dakota corrected.
“Did you have something to do with the breakup?” Charles asked.
“No. It all happened before we met.”
Virginia was frowning again. “Before you met? She’s Marty Bracewell’s niece, isn’t she? You’ve known each other for years.”
“Met again,” Dakota explained and waited for the barrage that wasn’t long in coming. His mother wanted to know everything. Dakota did not volunteer every detail but gave his parents a fairly clear picture of the situation. His mother was stunned into silence, and he was rather relieved. It had been an emotional time.
“Is she all right now?” Charles asked kindly.
“Yes. She’s doing very well.”
“Good. I forgot to ask how long you can stay,” Charles continued, reading his son’s face very easily.
“I should head back to Aurora tomorrow, but I’ll return for the party. The timing hasn’t been right to talk to Darvi about some of what I’m feeling, and I may never have a chance, but I wish to do my own talking.”
Both parents nodded in agreement, understanding completely.
“I’ll get an invitation out today. I’ll also send for the tailor, or if you’d rather, you could go to him and speed the process a bit.”
Dakota nodded. “I’ll do that. Thank you, Mother.”
Virginia went to hug him again. “It’s good to have you here, scars and all, even if it’s just for a day.”
Dakota looked over his mother’s head to see his father looking pleased. It was at that moment he realized he’d missed a vital opportunity. This was the first time he had seen his parents since coming to Christ. By coming in and mentioning Darvi he had lost his chance, at least for the moment, of bringing up the changes in his life.
His parents left him alone, and Dakota prepared to go uptown. As he did so, he prayed for yet another opportunity to share his faith. If not now, then in a few weeks when he returned to St. Louis.
Darvi would eventually kick herself for not making the connection, but they had never socialized with the Rawlingses before, and she simply gave their last name no thought.
Accompanying her parents to the party, she wore a dress of dark apricot. Made for her, it was lightweight and full-skirted. It fit perfectly, displaying her lovely shape and slim arms and neck. She didn’t go for too many ruffles or much lace, but her gown was elegant.
A group of six arrived just ahead of Darvi and her parents, Stanley and Clarisse Wingate, forcing them to wait in line for just a few seconds. Nevertheless, the moment Darvi caught sight of Mr. Rawlings, her mind began to work. She didn’t have time to develop any ideas—they were inside more quickly than she expected—but as soon as she spotted the man who had occupied many of her thoughts for the last two and a half weeks, it all made perfect sense.
Dakota was slightly taller than his father, who was an older version of the Ranger, and Darvi’s eyes drank in the sight of him in a formal suit. His shirt was a snowy white, a black tie at his throat, and to Darvi he looked taller and larger than ever.
Her parents went through the receiving line first, and almost before she was ready, she was standing in front of him. Dakota held her eyes as he bent over her and kissed the back of her hand.
“May I see you on very short notice?”
“Yes.” Darvi’s soft tone matched his own.
“This evening? After the party?”
All she could do was nod. She thought it might be time to move away, but Dakota still held her hand. Her mind scrambled for something to say.
“I’ve heard from Annabelle Hewett,” she got out.
“She told me she’d been in touch.”
Darvi’s eyes widened. “You’ve seen her?”
“I just got back.”
Darvi nodded, even as her heart sank. “And that’s why you want to see me.”
Dakota studied her face.
“Are you seeing Brandon again?
Looking surprised, Darvi said no.
Dakota couldn’t stop his smile. More people were coming in the door, so Dakota turned to his mother.
“I’m going to walk Darvi to the punch bowl. I’ll be back shortly.”
Virginia sent a beaming smile at the small strawberry blonde, who smiled in return. Dakota offered his arm and led her away.
If Darvi expected more of his time, however, she was to be disappointed. Dakota walked her directly to the punch table, got her a glass, and bent slightly to catch her ear.
“What time may I call for you later? I thought we might go for a walk.”
“What time are you available after the party?”
“I think about six.”
“Will seven o’clock work then?” Darvi asked, wishing it could be now.
“I’ll be there.”
Darvi forced herself not to watch him walk away. Most people knew she was no longer engaged, but she hated it when people talked about her.
There was someone talking about her right now, but had she known about these two and how kind their words were, she would have relaxed.
“Is Darvi all right?” Virginia asked as soon as Dakota was back at her side.
“Why do you ask?”
“She was clearly surprised, Dakota, and she looked rather pale.”
“I noticed that too. I’ll be seeing her later and hopefully I can clear everything up.”
More guests arrived, and they went back to work. They spent another 20 minutes receiving people and then joined their guests in the huge garden at the rear of the house. It was a large group, but Dakota had little trouble finding Darvi with his gaze. He forced himself not to stare at her, much as he wanted to, but to mill around and talk with his parents’ guests, some of whom he hadn’t seen for years. And he enjoyed himself. He was even able to have a brief conversation with Darvi’s father, who watched him rather closely but did not seem to object to him as a person. Dakota’s heart, however, could not see seven o’clock coming fast enough.
“Did you have a good time at the party?” Dakota asked when they were barely out Darvi’s front door.
“Yes, I did. Your parents are very nice.” She glanced sideways at him while they walked. “We’ve never been invited to anything at your parents’ home before.”
“Haven’t you?”
“No. Did you have anything to do with today’s invitation?”
“Yes, I did.”
Darvi stopped and turned to him. “Why, Dakota? Why did you never tell me you’re from St. Louis?”
“Because I’m not,” he began, but seeing how stunned she was over that statement, he didn’t go on. He glanced down the sidewalk just then and saw they were almost at the park.
“Would you mind if we sat down?”
“No, that’s fine.”
A few minutes later they took opposite ends of a bench in the middle of the park so they could turn and see each other. Darvi said not a word but waited and hoped that this man wasn’t about to hurt her. She worked to keep her emotions from showing, hoping he would explain everything.
“The first thing I need to tell you is that I’ve never intentionally kept something from you. I knew you were from St. Louis, but where I was born just never came up.”
She looked confused, so Dakota tried again.
“I left St. Louis when I was five, Darvi. My home is Kinkade, Texas. I’ll always think of it that way. My father worked the ranch until just six years ago, when he and my mother moved back here. I’m 26 years old, and for most of those years my parents lived in Kinkade. My grandmother is still in Texas. She loved it so much she didn’t want to move back, even though her only son did.
“On top of that, St. Louis is a sprawling city. If you had looked at my face when we pulled into your neighborhood and then up to your house, you would have seen that I was stunned to see how close you lived to my parents.”
“Why didn’t you say anything then?” Darvi asked. It was not an accusation, just an honest appeal for understanding.
“I was all ready to meet your parents, Darvi, but they weren’t there. Brandon was. I could see that you didn’t want him hugging you, but for all I knew he’d had a life-changing experience of his own, and the two of you would be engaged again by the time we next saw each other. I wasn’t even convinced that he might not be with you at the party today.”
For a moment they stared at each other, and then Darvi looked at her lap. She fiddled with the folds in her skirt before speaking.
“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 the 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.
“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?”
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 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 it’s only fair to warn you that I’ve never been so confused about anyone as I am about you.”
Dakota laughed a little.
“It’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 that 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?”
“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 Brandon were wont to do. She was just a year younger than 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.”
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 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.”
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.
“That has played a part, Mother, I’m sure of it, but that’s 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.
“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.
“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, 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. “It’s not about going to church all your life or being a good person. It’s 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 it 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 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. That’s 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.