Tags:
Fiction,
General,
Romance,
Western,
Love Stories,
Western Stories,
Texas,
Christian fiction,
Religious,
Christian,
Kidnapping,
INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE,
Texas Rangers
Bible, Mr.
Rawlings?" Merry asked.
"Just recently I have. I'm afraid that not all of it makes
sense to me."
"I don't think anyone would claim to understand all of
it," Merry added with a smile. "If he did, I'm not sure I
121
would believe him."
Darvi was careful not to look at Merry, but she was
nearly falling into her plate to listen to this exchange. Realizing
she was staring at Dakota, she forced herself to eat
A Texas Sky 67
From there the time simply sped away. Everyone was
barely finished when Merry said they were running late,
and before Darvi knew it, she was sitting in church, the
Scott family to the left of her and Dakota on their other
side.
Some of the songs were familiar, but the sermon was
something she'd never heard before or even considered.
The pastor told them, with verses to support it, that God
had not only saved man, but saved him with a plan. God
had good works for His children to do, and His will was
evident on every page of the Bible.
Darvi was still thinking about the sermon when she
walked absentmindedly out the church door. She had told
Merry she wanted a moment alone at the wagon. She was
122
nearly half a block down the boardwalk when a male voice
stopped her.
"Well, hello."
Pulled from her musings, Darvi turned to find two men
leaning against the side of a building, both dressed in
denim, dean shirts, hats, and boots. There was nothing disreputable
about them; indeed, they were clean-shaven and
well pressed, but Darvi thought it rude to address her
without an introduction. Her chin went into the air, but
they only smiled, pushed away from the wall, and started
to move toward her.
"Been to church, have you?"
"You, sir," she began, but stopped before starting the
set-down she was ready to give him, not certain her old tactics
were a good idea.
"Sir?" The man who was fairer-haired spoke again.
"Did you call me sir? Oh, I like that."
"And I'd like it if you'd move on and leave the lady
alone."
Neither man looked particular guilty or intimidated by
123
the large, dark man who appeared behind the woman, his
entire face visible above her head, but neither did they
want to tangle with him. Pretty as the woman was, the
68 lori wick
dark, intense eyes of the man who shadowed her were a
little more than they bargained for.
Watching them walk away, Darvi stood very still. She
could tell she was shaking a little and wasn't up to facing
Dakota. He didn't know this. Only a moment passed
before he stepped around and faced her. Darvi made herself
look up.
"Are you all right?"
"I think so," she said with more bravado than she felt.
"What did they want?"
"I don't know."
"But they wouldn't move on when you told them to."
"I didn't tell them to move on."
Dakota's brows rose on this. "Why is that?"
Darvi's face filled with frustration before she answered.
124
"I don't know! I'm a different person now, Dakota, and I
don't think I'm supposed to talk to people that way."
Dakota's eyes narrowed, his own temper rising.
"Let me get this straight. You didn't want to hurt their
feelings?"
Darvi scowled at him but didn't answer. Seeing the
upset and confusion in her eyes, Dakota softened. He
spoke quietly, his voice compassionate.
"Unless I miss my guess, Darvi, you and I have had a
recent change in our lives."
The strawberry blonde nodded.
"If yours is anything like mine, right now you don't
know which way is up."
"That about explains it. It's been wonderful," she was
swift to add, "but I'm so unsure about so many things."
Dakota saw that Calder was headed their way. He gave
him a quick wave and turned Darvi back toward the
church. As he hoped, Calder only waved back and turned
himself, giving them a moment alone.
"No matter what changes have occurred, Darvi, God
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wants us to keep using our heads. I refuse to believe mat
A Texas Sty 69
there's some verse in Scripture that says once you accept
Christ, you have to let men accost
Legs McNeil, Jennifer Osborne, Peter Pavia