Randall Wedding (17 page)

“That’s true, especially since Angel already has cousins to play with,” Samantha said.

The waitress brought their food and Russ drew a deep breath of relief. “Here’s our food. We’d better concentrate on eating so we can reunite Izzy and Angel. Mom may be getting tired of baby-sitting.”

That drew laughs from Rich and Samantha, but they all began eating.

When they reached the ranch, Izzy had a joyful reunion with her daughter, with Russ hanging over her shoulder. They both swore Angel smiled at them.

“It was probably gas,” Janie said. “That’s what my mother told me when the boys smiled.”

“Hey, Mom, we have some news for you,” Rich said.

Russ was surprised when he felt Izzy take his hand. She knew what was coming. Did it upset her? He figured she was thinking about Rich and Samantha’s suggestion she have another baby right away, but surely she knew he wouldn’t pressure her. Hell, he hadn’t even made love to her yet.

There was general celebrating over their good news and Russ and Izzy’s return. Then Russ encouraged Izzy to pack Angel’s things so they could return to their apartment. Red had packed a box of food for them. “So you can have breakfast in the morning without going out.”

Russ grinned at Izzy. “See, honey, we have delivery here, too.”

“It’s true,” she said. “And the food here tastes better.”

“Of course it does.” Red grinned.

“Is there a chocolate cake in that box?” Russ asked.

“Sure is. Chocolate cake is good for you.”

“I think you’re right. Izzy sure likes it,” Russ told Red, as Isabella blushed again.

“That’s a good sign for other things, liking chocolate,” Red said. When the others shushed Red, Russ figured it had something to do with sex.

He loaded the box of groceries and Angel’s things in the back of Rich’s truck. When they got to town, Rich helped carry their belongings upstairs. Izzy invited them up for some cake before they went home, but they were anxious to get back to their child.

Russ walked his brother out to his truck with a thank-you for picking them up. When he came back in, Izzy was unpacking the food. She put the fresh eggs in the refrigerator and the loaf of bread in the pantry. There was some milk that she left on the counter.

“I want some milk with my cake,” she said. “Do you, Russ?”

“Yes, please.” He stepped into the spare bedroom to check on Angel. She’d drifted back to sleep during the ride home.

When he returned to the living room, Izzy had cut a couple of slices of chocolate cake and was pouring the milk. “I wasn’t sure what they were
saying about the chocolate cake, but it doesn’t matter. I really love it. I think eating chocolate keeps you happy.”

“I think they were trying to say you’re a passionate woman,” Russ said, not meeting her gaze. “But I have no complaints.”

They enjoyed their cake and milk. Russ watched as Izzy licked the last bit of chocolate icing off her fork. “Want another piece?” he asked.

“I’d love one, but I can’t have it. I’ll wait until tomorrow, or I’ll look like a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.”

“I have a confession to make before you go to bed.”

“A confession? What could it be?”

“I lied to you in New York.”

“What about?”

He thought he saw fear in her eyes. “I didn’t want you to be upset. But someone sent a man here to help the two criminals escape.”

“They escaped?”

“Yeah. The man shot the deputy, too.”

“And he’s dead? Oh, no! How awful! No one will want me to stay here after that. I’m going to have to leave Rawhide.” Isabella covered her face with her hands.

“Hey, the deputy didn’t die. He’s going to get well. And it’s partly his fault anyway. He let the man in without searching either him or his briefcase.”

“He shouldn’t have to die because he got a little careless,” she protested.

“In that line of work, you’d better not be careless. The sheriff let him have it when he was stabilized. And there’ll be no leaving, Izzy. You promised forever. Remember?”

“I remember. But Russ, you can’t want me to stay. I’m glad I was able to help you get over your mourning, but you can’t want a life with me. I bring trouble.”

“Your father brought trouble. But I think we’ve heard the last of him.”

“But Angel has his blood. What if she takes after him?”

Isabella asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. He drew her into his arms and held her there even when she tried to push away.

“I don’t think Angel will do that. Especially since she’s going to live here, with you and me. We’ll teach her the right things.”

“I think it would be better if Angel and I disappeared. You deserve better than me.”

“You’re overly tired. Let’s get some rest. We’ve got plenty of time to discuss our future.” He pulled her to her feet and led her into the bedroom. He dug out another pajama top and told her to take the bathroom first. In no time, they were tucked into
the big bed. As Isabella began to succumb to her exhaustion, Russ slipped his arms around her and drew her close.

“Russ,” she whispered, her voice slurring, “Don’t let me go. I might get lost.”

“I won’t let you go, honey. You’re here to stay, you and Angel.”

T
HE NEXT DAY
Russ returned to work, and Isabella decided to do some more shopping. A lot of Angel’s wardrobe was burned in the fire, also. Isabella was constantly washing to keep Angel in clean clothes.

She called Sarah and asked her to join her on another shopping trip. It was more fun with Sarah along. After an hour of buying baby clothes, Sarah suggested they visit the café for coffee and maybe something to eat.

“I get hungry about ten o’clock. I’m hoping it’s the pregnancy,” Sarah said. “Otherwise, I’ll still weigh a ton after I have the baby.”

“I’m sure it’s the pregnancy. I ate everything in sight when I was pregnant and I’ve returned to my regular weight.”

“I know. I’m so jealous,” Sarah said with a laugh. “You are going to have a cinnamon bun, aren’t you?”

“I guess. I’ve got chocolate cake at home, though.”

“You can eat that later,” Sarah suggested, grinning.

The waitress arrived. “Hello, ladies. So, Mrs. Randall, you’re back?”

Since she was looking at her, Isabella knew the woman was talking to her. Besides, everyone called Sarah by her first name. “You sure do have an effect on the town,” the waitress went on. “Rawhide used to be calm. Now we have murder and mayhem because of you.”

Isabella was horrified. The town blamed her? Now she knew she had to leave. She couldn’t saddle Russ with the burden of her reputation. Soon they’d start blaming
him
for keeping her here. She lowered her eyes, staring at her clasped hands on the table.

Sarah didn’t wait for the waitress to continue her conversation. “I don’t think that’s Izzy’s fault. Bring us coffee and a cinnamon roll each.” She turned to Izzy when the waitress left. “Don’t pay any attention to what that woman said. She’s probably thrilled with all the excitement. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m afraid it is, Sarah. And I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“If it does happen again, we’ll deal with it, just like we did this time. You’re a part of our family now.”

Isabella tried to hide her concern. There was no point in upsetting Sarah. She needed to stay calm and happy for her baby. “You sure have a good stock of baby clothes, Sarah. I think I got everything Angel needs.”

“I’m glad. I don’t have to worry about the stock not moving. The Randalls are keeping us supplied with customers, my sister in particular.”

“Did you know Rich and Samantha are expecting again?”

“No!” Sarah exclaimed, pleased about the news. “That will be someone for my child to play with. That’s nice.”

“Won’t the twins play with your baby?”

“Yes, of course, but they’re a year older. Christmas next year is going to be wild, isn’t it? Angel will be walking and talking by then.”

“Yes, she will.” She’d be old enough to cry if Izzy took her away, too. Better she do so before Angel was old enough to notice. If it wasn’t already too late. She was pretty sure Angel would miss Russ when they went away. She knew
she
would. But she didn’t want to think about that. If she did, she’d start crying.

She and Angel returned to the store with Sarah for another hour and Isabella picked out a few more things for herself. She bought another suitcase to match the one she’d taken to New York. Then she invited Sarah back to their place for lunch.

“I need to check with Nick,” Sarah said.

“He can come, too. We’re just having sandwiches.”

“Oh, that would be fun. I’ll go home and check with him. Then I’ll give you a call.”

“Okay. Thanks for shopping with me.”

“Any time. I enjoy it.”

Isabella didn’t look in on Russ before going upstairs. She needed to think. The waitress’s words had upset her. She’d actually thought yesterday on the plane that she could have a new life here with Russ. But not if staying made his life worse.

He’d been so good to her and Angel, taking care of her when she was sick, marrying her and standing beside her to face her father. And now she repaid him by disturbing the peace and quiet of Rawhide.

But how could she leave? It wasn’t just Angel who would miss Russ. She’d never known a man like him. He was gentle and kind, loving and patient, brave and strong. And she loved his touch. She’d seriously considered telling him she didn’t want him to wait a year before he made love to her.

She knew he’d keep his promise. He was that kind of man. But sleeping with him if she wasn’t going to stay would only make matters worse. Besides, so far she hadn’t figured out what was so wonderful about sex. Her first husband hadn’t convinced her. Maybe she was frigid.

Sarah called to say she and Nick would join them for lunch. She offered to bring some potato salad to go with the sandwiches. Isabella gladly accepted the offer. That was one of the wonderful things here in Rawhide. Everyone pitched in. Of course, most of them were Randalls!

By the time Nick and Sarah came upstairs, along with Russ, Isabella had the table set and had sandwich makings laid out on the kitchen counter. They
all made their own sandwiches and then gathered at the table where they could add potato salad to their plates.

They discussed family news and other goings-on in Rawhide, steering away from Isabella’s problems. She figured Russ had asked their friends to avoid that topic. While she was grateful, it only made her all the more aware of how much she had disturbed the peace of Rawhide.

After lunch Russ said he was dropping by the hospital to give Jack, the deputy who’d been shot, a book to read. “Want to go with me, Izzy? I don’t think you’ve met Jack Hayes.”

“Are you sure he’ll want to see me?” she asked.

“Of course he will.”

“Go,” Sarah said. “I’ll stay here with Angel. In fact, I might take a nap along with her.”

“Oh, Sarah, that’s so nice of you.”

Nick left with Russ and Izzy. “Thanks for letting Sarah care for Angel. It builds her confidence about handling a new baby.”

“She’s wonderful to offer so much. She’s such a good friend.” His words made her feel much better about her visit to the hospital. Maybe Russ was right and the deputy wouldn’t blame her.

Jack seemed happy to see Russ. “Hey, Russ, thanks for coming by.”

“I thought you might like a good murder mystery, since you have to stay in bed for a while.”

“That’s terrific,” Jack said, reaching for the
book. Then his gaze fell on Isabella. “Who’s the good-looking lady?”

“Oh, sorry, Jack, this is my wife, Isabella. I forgot you hadn’t met her.”

“She’s the one those two men tried to burn? That means she’s the reason I almost died. Lady, you’re causing a lot of trouble around here.” His face was screwed up in a ferocious frown.

Izzy was shocked by his vehemence. She’d thought he might consider her responsible, but not as much as he apparently did.

“Whoa, Jack,” Russ said. “That’s not Izzy’s fault. Blame the criminals if you want, but not Izzy.”

“I will, too, blame her. She almost cost me my life, and maybe my job, too.”

“The sheriff is going to fire you?” Izzy asked, appalled.

“Haven’t decided yet,” a gruff voice behind them said. They both spun around to find an older, grizzled man with a badge on his shirt. “But whether I do or not has nothing to do with this young lady, Jack. You didn’t follow procedure. That’s what cost you that bullet.”

“Aw, Sheriff, I told you I was almost asleep,” Jack whined.

“No excuses. You should have slept, instead of running around all day. You knew you had night duty.” His voice changed from stern to friendly as he turned to Isabella. “Ma’am, I haven’t met you, but I’m sure glad to welcome you to Rawhide.”

“Oh, please, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”

“It wasn’t you I arrested, so I don’t reckon that’s your fault.”

“That’s very generous of you, Sheriff,” she said, but she didn’t see any agreement in Jack’s expression. She backed toward the door, glad when Russ followed her after saying goodbye to the two men.

In the hallway he caught up with her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Jack was wrong, honey. Don’t pay any attention to what he said.”

“No, of course not. The sheriff was very nice.”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. I’m afraid he’s going to retire soon. Not sure what we’ll do then.”

“Russ, is my car all right? It was in the garage and no one has said—”

“I’m sorry, honey, I should’ve told you. The engine still works, but the paint was singed and the inside reeks of smoke. Do you want it?”

“No. No, I don’t. I guess I’ll get another car.”

“Sure. We can go shopping for one whenever you want. They have several dealerships in Buffalo. You might think about a SUV this time—for those winter storms,” he added, winking at her.

“Yes, good idea.” She smiled at him, trying to hide her worry. “You might not come along next time.”

They reached the door. But before she could step outside, he took both her hands in his. “I’ll always be there for you and Angel. You can count on that, honey.”

She swallowed the tears that were building. She couldn’t cry here, now. “That’s a wonderful promise, Russ.” She leaned forward to give him a little kiss, as he’d been giving her the past few days. But Russ wrapped his arms around her and took that little kiss to a major kiss.

“I see your snow maiden has completely recovered,” Dr. Jon Wilson said behind them. Izzy’s face turned bright red.

“Yeah, she’s thawed out,” Russ said with a chuckle. Izzy tried to smile at Russ’s joke.

“Good, good. Is Tori still at the office?”

“She said she was going home at two,” Russ said, looking at his watch.

“Good. I want her to take some time off this week. I figure there isn’t a lot of business transacted around the holidays,” Jon said.

“Just mine,” Izzy muttered. She guessed she was messing up Tori’s vacation, as well as the other problems she’d created.

After saying goodbye to Jon, they buttoned up their coats and walked outside. “A brisk walk in this cold air ought to make you want to join Angel for a nap, too,” Russ said as they headed along the sidewalk.

“Yes,” she said simply.

“Are you all right?” Russ asked, leaning down to see her face, ducked into the collar of her coat.

“Just cold.”

“You’re not still bothered by what Jack said, are you? If you are, we’ll go back to the hospital and
I’ll point out whose fault it was. He really did a sloppy job.”

“But it was unexpected.”

“There are some jobs that can’t tolerate sloppiness. His is one of them.” He hugged her closer as they hurried the two blocks to the apartment.

Isabella didn’t say anything else until they got there. Then she said, “Can we go into Buffalo tomorrow to buy me a SUV? I don’t know anything about them. Do you?”

“Yeah. I’ll show you the ones I like. It’ll be fun. Can you get Sarah to keep Angel tomorrow?”

“Oh, I hate to ask her again tomorrow. Can’t we take Angel with us?”

“It would be hard on her. I’ll call Mom and see if we can drop her off at the ranch.”

“Are you sure she won’t mind? She might want to go out.”

“Mom loves Angel. And it’s winter. She seldom goes out to work during the winter. There isn’t all that much to do when it’s this cold out.”

“All right. But call her from downstairs so she won’t worry about me hearing if she needs to turn us down.”

“Sure. I’ll call her as soon as I get in.” Then he kissed her again.

She sure was getting used to his special kisses.