Free A Texas Sky (Yellow Rose Trilogy) by Lori Wick

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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
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    "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
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    there's some verse in Scripture that says once you accept
    Christ, you have to let men accost