Sabrina (Big Sky Dreams 2) (23 page)

201 "I was going to ask you if you might be ready to get out of the house?" Rylan had waited until he was ready to leave and had gone so far as to ask Sabrina to walk him to the door.

"What did you have in mind?" Sabrina wanted to jump at the idea of getting out but made herself ask.

"I thought I'd give you a tour of the livery. We could go when it's almost dark. There would still be enough light to see but probably not too many folks around."

"And the livery is closed today?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'd like that."

"I'll come back about seven-thirty. Does that work?"

"Yes. I'll be ready."

"Don't dress up. It's pretty dusty inside."

Sabrina nodded and then remembered the way Rylan had dumped her into the water. Her eyes flew to his, and she would have been willing to bet money he'd remembered the same event.

"I'll see you tonight," Rylan said, not willing to talk about the water incident that had indeed come to mind.

Sabrina agreed and watched Rylan head out the door, telling herself that the excitement she felt was simply over getting out of the house.

Cassidy settled into the Vicks' living room, Nellie, the youngest Vick, on her lap.

"She won't last long," Miranda said, taking in her daughter's sleepy gaze. Heidi came along next, her mouth moving before she got into the room.

202 "Heidi." Her mother stopped her. "Please go back out and try again."

Heidi turned, went out the door, and came back in again, only this time she was quiet. Cassidy looked to Miranda for an explanation.

"It's too easy to expect to be the center of attention or to interrupt someone when you enter the room talking." This said, Miranda looked down at Heidi, who had sat next to her. "That was much better. Thank you."

"I have a lot to learn," Cassidy said. "And I only have until January to learn it."

"Well," Miranda said with compassion, "you don't give birth to six-year-olds. You do have a little time before they start talking." "That's true."

"I'm six," Heidi said, having now come close to Cassidy's lap. "Yes, you are. I think that's very big."

"Nellie is just little. She's a baby."

"Did you want to hold her, Heidi?" Cassidy offered.

The little girl loved this idea, and climbed onto the sofa to get in position. Cassidy handed the one-year-old to her sister, thinking she would wake up during the transfer, but it didn't happen.

Chas and Trace, accompanied by Franklin and Parker, joined them a short time later, and Chas invited everyone to play a word game that even the children could enjoy. The afternoon passed quickly, and as she always did, Cassidy shared her thoughts on the drive home.

"Whenever we go to the Vicks'," Cassidy said, "I'm more confused than ever about which I want. Nellie and Heidi are adorable, but the boys are so cute and just as much fun. I can't believe how big Parker's eyes are, and he worships Chas. I picture our little boy doing the same with you."

"Like Franklin does?" Trace asked with a smile.

"He can't stop staring at you. You'll have to bring Quincy in again and give him another ride."

"I think the next time he rides it should be at the ranch."

203 "Oh, that's a good idea. You would have a slave for life if you did that."

"I thought I had a slave for..." Trace tried to say, but he had to stop because someone was poking him in the side.

"So did you learn most of your skills on the farm or after you

came here?" Sabrina asked as the tour of the livery ended.

"I learned them mostly on the farm, but I honed them here. Pete

was very patient and kept me on even when things didn't go well." "Like what?"

Rylan stepped back from the back door that led to the alley and reached up to find a hook. He brought down a rather mangled- looking piece of iron and handed it to Sabrina.

"One of my first attempts at a hook."

Sabrina put her free hand over her mouth.

"You can laugh," he said dryly, and Sabrina did as she handed it back to him. Rylan replaced the hook, pulled the door shut, and would have started toward Jeanette's, taking the back way, just as they'd come.

"Rylan." Sabrina stopped him, looking up in the closing darkness. "Would you please take me to see Crystal? I want to talk to her, and I know no one at Jeanette's would understand."

Rylan looked down at her. He had not expected this, but it made perfect sense. This was who she was.

"I don't mind walking with you, Sabrina, but have you considered that it's getting a little late?"

Sabrina did not need an explanation, but neither was she put

off.

"I think I'll be able to tell if she has company."

Rylan did not need to know how she would know this, but he agreed without hesitation to walk her to Willow Street.

204 "How are you?" Sabrina asked. Both she and Rylan had been invited into Crystal's apartment.

"How am I? You can ask me that when I'm looking at those bruises!"

"Yes, I can ask. I haven't seen you in days."

"The question is whether you've seen that snake Zeke?" Crystal said, still not answering the question.

"No, I keep hoping he'll be picked up."

"He's probably on the run, thinking he killed you."

"I hope he's long gone," Sabrina said, and then got to the reason why she'd come. "I'm going to look for a new place. I won't be back here to live."

Crystal nodded, having known all along it was just a matter of time.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you."

"I'm not leaving town, just the neighborhood."

Crystal nodded, but her eyes told of her disbelief.

"Don't give me that look," Sabrina said, standing up to her. "I've never lied to you, and I'm not going to start now."

Her tone made Crystal smile and say, "You talk awfully feisty for someone who's a bruised mess."

Sabrina chuckled and stood. "I hope I'll be out and around in a week. Don't forget that I'm praying for you."

"Go on, now," Crystal said. "And take this walking mountain with you."

Rylan had to laugh, but he followed Sabrina to the door, waiting while she hugged Crystal. He had so much in his heart as they walked away from the apartment that he didn't know where to start. He wanted to tell Sabrina how special she was and how much he appreciated her, but not now, not in the dark when he couldn't see her face.

205 "I need to find an apartment," Sabrina said when they were partway back.

"Why the hurry?" Rylan asked.

Sabrina was quiet and Rylan waited.

206

"NANETTE IS WONDERFUL,"SABRINA began. "So are Becky and

Heather, but the house is hard for me."

"The house itself-the building?"

"Yes. It looks like a home my sister lives in, and the memories are painful."

"I'm sorry, Sabrina. I wish we had all known."

"It's not exactly something I can explain. 'Oh, by the way, every time I see your house I'm reminded of my sister-the one who got me involved in prostitution and then deserted me to marry a wealthy man.' ,,

"Tell me something, Sabrina," Rylan said, her words cutting like a knife. "When was the last time you felt cared about?"

"I'm sorry I said that," Sabrina said, her voice contrite. "I wasn't rebuking you. I really want to know."

"Well, I feel cared for here," she said, her voice now a little confused. "And Danny and Callie care for me."

"Before that," Rylan pressed.

"Oh," Sabrina said and then didn't speak for a longtime. Jeanette's house was in sight before she said, "I can't really remember. I was probably 12 or 13-sometime when my father was still alive."

207 They were back at the house before Rylan could frame a reply, and there was no chance to speak of it further, but the entire evening stayed on his mind until he fell asleep that night.

"Well now," Rylan said to Jessie when he was in the store that week. "This looks fun."

"Oh, it is," Jessie spoke sarcastically. "I love it when the shelf breaks."

Rylan went down on his knees to have a look, having to shift canned goods and boxes out of the way.

"What happened?"

"It must have given way in the night. It was like this when I came down this morning."

Rylan saw that the board was beyond repair, but he also knew that Chas could cut one for her in little time at all. So could Jeb, but he and Patience were still on their trip, something Jessie must have been very aware of.

"Do you miss Sabrina?" Rylan asked.

"Well, she doesn't work for me on Thursdays, but if she were here,

I'd have had her down the street looking for Chas right now." "Tell me something, Jessie. How do you keep up with it all?"

"I don't know. I guess I've just been doing it for so long. I never

remember a day in my life without this store."

Jessie was smiling at him, clearly not bitter about the thought, when Clancy came up.

"Did you break it, Pastor Rylan?"

"I didn't break it, but I'm going to talk to Mr. Vick and see if he can fix it."

Jessie began to protest, but Rylan waved a hand at her and kept talking with the little girl. "Do you think a bear came in and sat on this shelf?"

"I don't know," Clancy said, her eyes growing with the idea.

208 "Or maybe it was an elephant," Rylan suggested next. "How do you suppose he got in here?"

"He wouldn't fit," she said so seriously that Rylan had to laugh. "Can I get a little help up here, please?" an irrate voice called from the front counter, and Jessie went that way.

"Well," Rylan said when they were alone. "What are you going to do today?"

"We might go to the creek," Clancy told him. "We can get wet." "That sounds fun."

"Do you like to get wet?"

"I do, yes. Especially when the weather is this hot."

"Is it hot?" Clancy asked, and Rylan had to smile. Leave it to a child not to notice temperatures as warm as they were having.

Rylan had actually come in for some soap but noticed that Jessie was still busy. He gathered the fallen items and stacked them as neatly as he could on the floor. When he finally went on his way, the broken board was in hand. He would stop by and see Chas or leave it with Miranda if Chas was somewhere at a building site. Once he was free to look at it, that man would probably have the board cut and sanded in under ten minutes.

"Just a bit more," Heather said as she leaned close to Sabrina's face, using powder to cover the last of her bruises. At last she stood back and smiled at the younger woman. "Well, now, that's the face we all know and love."

"Do I look all right? I can go out?"

"I think so. Jeanette will be surprised to see you, and Jessie and the girls will go wild."

"Oh, Heather," Sabrina said, gratitude filling her eyes.

"Now my powder is a little bit pale for your skin, so let's try it out on Becky first."

The women went to the kitchen and stood, waiting for Becky to

209 notice. She was bustling around as usual and did not immediately look up. Not that she hadn't started talking as soon as they walked in, but it took some moments before she actually saw them.

"Well, now!" Becky suddenly exclaimed, coming close to stare at Sabrina.

"Is it better?" the youngest woman asked.

"If I hadn't seen you the other way, I would have never known. What did you do, Heather, use some of your powder?"

"Yes, ma'am. Doesn't she look great?"

"I'm going to work," Sabrina said, only to have Becky come to full attention.

"At the shop?"

"Yes, and then to Jessie's."

"And then where?"

"After that I'll head to the worst part of town, and since it's Saturday I'll pick a fight with the first drunken man I find."

Heather didn't even try to hold her laughter, but Becky drew herself up like a small hen and got ready to give Sabrina what for.

"No," Sabrina cut her off. "I'm leaving now. I don't have time to be scolded. I'll see you both tonight."

The women stood still as she slipped out the kitchen door and went on her way, but they were not done talking.

"If only she would marry Rylan," Becky said wistfully.

"That would be perfect," Heather agreed. "He would take such good care of her."

Becky nodded before both women went back to work.

"Excuse me," Jessie said to the woman who could not make up her mind about a pair of shoes. "I'll check back with you," she added before heading to the door. Sabrina had just arrived, and Jessie got there as fast as she could, giving the other woman a hug.

210 "How are you?" Jessie asked.

"Better. Can you tell Heather used some powder?"