“I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“Jim, stop being a martyr. You know you’re not an embarrassment. Come in and stay warm.” She got out, refusing to wait to see if he took her up on the offer. If he wanted to sit outside in the cold, that was his choice.
She heard his door open, but she didn’t turn around.
Inside, the same young woman was behind the reception desk. The immediate thought that she’d keep Jim entertained brought a surge of jealousy that took Patience by surprise. Shame on her. She’d lost Jim twice already. And she thought she should have a third opportunity?
“Third time’s the charm,” she muttered.
“Ma’am? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
Patience managed a smile. “I was talking to myself. I’m here to see Nick. Patience Anderson.”
“Yes, I remember. He’s waiting for you.”
Patience nodded and entered Nick’s office.
Nick had good news. “I got your hearing on the docket for Monday. We should have an answer, a favorable one, I hope, by Wednesday.”
“That’s wonderful, Nick! Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. But I’m worried about you being out on your own. You will be careful, won’t you?”
“I’m not on my own. I have an armed guard in the outer office.”
Nick appeared startled. Then his features relaxed into a smile. “Jim?”
“Yes, he insists.”
“Good for him. Well, let’s get started. Maybe you’ll be free by lunch.”
J
IM PASSED
the next few hours reading the magazines Nick had in his reception area. The magazines for men covered ranching business and sports. When he finished all those, he picked up a women’s magazine. Anything to keep him occupied so the woman behind the desk didn’t try to flirt with him.
She wasn’t ugly. In fact, she was quite beautiful, but his total lack of interest in her pointed out to him that he was in love with Patience and no one else. He smiled as he remembered his dad talking about the first time he’d met his mom.
His uncle Jake had invited three female interior designers to the ranch to update the house. In reality, he was looking for wives for his brothers. He had every intention of marrying off Pete first. But Pete was already in love with Janie, though they’d broken up.
Thank goodness, because when Chad saw Megan, he was taken at once. Used to being chased, her aloofness intrigued him. And before long, he knew he was hooked. But he vowed to forget
her if she wanted Pete, which had been Jake’s plan.
Jim smiled at his father’s willingness to sacrifice. Controlling life was impossible. As he’d learned when he tried to control Patience. But he’d learned that lesson too late.
Was he really being given another chance? He was having trouble reading her. Her offer of sex in gratitude had thrown him. But he was beginning to wish he’d taken her up on the offer.
The door opened and Patience emerged, with Nick right behind her.
Jim stood and extended his hand to his cousin. “All done?”
“Until Monday. I got us on the docket for Monday afternoon,” Nick explained.
“Terrific. I’ll tell the sheriff when we drop by to see him.”
“Why are we going to do that?” Patience demanded.
“Because we need to stay in close contact with him until we know for sure you’re safe. He also has some questions about the shootings.” His steady gaze dared her to argue with him. He released his breath when she glanced away.
“Okay.”
“Are you going to have lunch at the café first?” Nick asked.
Jim didn’t try to make this decision for Patience. He looked at her and waited.
“Yes, I think so.” Patience smiled at Nick.
“Mind if I join you? Sarah and her sister Jennifer have gone to Casper to do some shopping. I think they’ve started Christmas shopping already.”
“But it’s still October,” Jim said.
“Ask Patience. Women plan their shopping the way men plan mergers. But I sure like the results.” Nick grinned. He’d been born a Randall but had been adopted and raised as an only son by socialites in Denver. He’d only discovered his birth family a few years ago and found he loved the vigor and affection of his large family.
Jim chuckled. “Yeah, a Randall Christmas is pretty special.”
Patience said nothing.
Jim glanced at her and decided to change the subject. He’d started dating her in the early spring and they’d broken up the following fall. She’d never personally experienced a Randall celebration at Christmas except as a resident of Rawhide.
“You hungry?” Jim asked Patience.
“Yes, surprisingly, I am.”
“Why surprisingly?” Nick asked.
Jim laughed again. “Red and Mildred were waiting for her this morning. She overslept and they fixed her a special breakfast.”
“Ah.” Nick nodded in understanding as he moved them toward the door. “Go ahead and close up, Nancy,” he told the woman behind the desk.
When they stepped out into the cold air, Nick asked, “Have you ever had Red’s chocolate cake? That’s something you won’t forget too soon. My wife, Sarah, had vowed to stop eating his cake because she said it was too rich—until she found out she was pregnant.” He was beaming.
“Nick, that’s great!” Jim said. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Jim. We’re excited. Our Bryan is almost two. Sarah’s hoping for a little girl. But I told her it’s not likely. We Randall’s tend to have boys.”
Jim nodded in agreement, but Patience laughed. “You two are so macho. I think little girls are wonderful. Steffie is such a sweet little girl,” she said, referring to Toby’s daughter.
They’d reached the café. It was crowded, as it usually was on a Saturday, but they managed to find a booth in the back.
“Nick, mind if we sit facing the door?” Jim asked as he guided Patience into the booth first. “I don’t want any surprises.”
“No, of course not. I don’t have any rabid enemies right now.”
Jim nodded. “Rabid is right. Kane isn’t sane.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. How did your sister meet him, Patience?”
Patience drew a deep breath. “He came to Rawhide four years ago, doing odd jobs. He even came to church. That’s where Faith met him. We didn’t know much about him. He swept Faith off her feet. He didn’t mention that they’d be leaving as soon as she married him. The letters she sent told us she was very lonely and homesick.”
“Yeah,” Jim agreed. “I can imagine.”
“When she finally came home, she was pregnant and run-down. Faith was older than me, but she was always so gentle. I felt it was my job to protect her.” Patience glanced away, unable to face the sympathetic looks of the two men.
“I wanted Jon to check her out at once, but
her husband—he’d come with Faith—forbade her to go to a doctor. I planned to beg Jon to come to our house the moment Joseph left for any period of time, but he didn’t. Then, when she started labor, I knew something was wrong. I called Anna. As soon as she got there, she called Jon and did what she could for her.”
“It’s not your fault,” Jim whispered, hearing the agony in her voice.
“When Jon got there, he managed to deliver the baby with Anna’s help. I think we all knew Faith was dying, she’d lost so much blood. They kept working on her, trying. Joseph walked out and we never heard from him again until he abducted Tommy.”
“We’re going to remove him from Tommy’s life. And yours, too,” Nick assured her. “Legally at least.”
“That will help.” Patience mustered a slight smile for Nick.
They ordered their meals and kept their conversation on lighter topics. Nick left first, after paying for everyone, insisting on doing so because Patience was his client.
Jim turned to Patience. “What do you want to do after we see the sheriff?”
“I want to check on our house. Get the mail.”
“You know you can’t move back yet,” Jim said as he stood.
With a sigh, she followed him. “Not yet,” she agreed.
He let her precede him out the door, stopping to shake hands with one of his dad’s friends. Then he followed Patience until she abruptly stopped. He grabbed her shoulders to avoid running in to her.
“Hey, Patience, give me some warning when you’re going to put on the brakes,” he said with a laugh.
She didn’t respond.
He suddenly noticed how rigid she’d gone. He quickly scanned the area. “What is it? Did you see him?”
“Yes, but…now he’s disappeared. He was there and now he isn’t. Jim, h-he’s back.” Her voice trembled.
He wrapped his arms around her, giving her his warmth and strength. “Hang on, honey. Let’s get to the sheriff’s office.”
Patience’s paralysis scared her almost as much as thinking she saw Kane. She couldn’t allow her body to betray her that way. She had to be ready to fight.
“What if the sheriff doesn’t believe me?” Patience asked, panic in her voice.
“He’ll believe you, sweetheart.”
“But, Jim, maybe I think I saw him because I’m worried.” Her hands were trembling and her voice shook.
“Patience, my dad told me there’s nothing wrong with being afraid. It’s how you handle that fear that counts. And you’re going to do just fine.” He leaned over and kissed her lips. Then he opened the door to the sheriff’s office.
When Sheriff Metzger saw them enter, he stood. “Good to see you both. How are you, Patience?”
“She’s a little shaken up. She thinks she saw Joseph Kane on the street across from the café,” Jim said.
The sheriff looked at Patience for confirmation and she nodded.
“Come sit down. Jim, did you see him?”
“No.”
“I
did
see him,” Patience spoke for the first time, thinking the sheriff didn’t believe her.
“I’m sure you did. Now, what was he wearing?”
“That big camouflage army coat, jeans and boots.”
“A hat?”
“No, there’s a hood on the coat.”
“Was he clean-shaven?” the sheriff asked, studying Patience.
“No. He still had his beard. And those beady black eyes,” she added, shuddering.
“I remember,” the sheriff said.
Patience stared at him. “You’ve met him?”
“Yes. Jon called me when Faith died. Kane was outside the house when I arrived. He took one look at me and rushed away.”
“I’m going to take Patience back to the ranch,” Jim said. “Will you look around town for him?”
“I will. You two be careful out on the road by yourselves. He’ll have heard where Patience and the boy are.”
Jim pulled Patience to her feet. “We know.”
Patience was trembling. Jim held her close and pulled his cell phone out of his coat pocket. He called his father. “Dad? Kane is in town. We’re heading back now. Expect us soon.”
He hung up and smiled at Patience. “Let’s go.”
B
ACK AT THE RANCH
, Patience checked on Tommy, finding him playing with Davy. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him close.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” he asked.
She didn’t want to alarm him. “Nothing. But I was gone a long time. I thought maybe you’d miss me.”
“Sure,” he said, kissing her cheek, but she knew he was agreeing just to make her happy.
Jim had followed her into the room.
“Hey, Tommy, I know your mom just got home, but I’m going to have to borrow her for a little while, okay?”
Tommy, of course, had no problem with this. Now he could get back to the game he and Davy were playing.
Patience didn’t know what Jim’s intentions were, but she patted Tommy on the head. “All right. I’ll be back soon.”
With so much on her mind, she didn’t even question where she and Jim were headed. He handed her her coat and led the way out to the barn. “We’re going there again so we can have some privacy,” he said, watching to see if she’d object.
Patience had complete faith in Jim, however. She followed him without complaint.
Inside the barn, he closed the doors, sending the dogs, who’d followed them, back to guard duty.
“Are you sure they understand?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah. Maybe some of the younger dogs wouldn’t if they didn’t have the older ones. But they’ll alert us the minute any stranger is around.”
“But I’m a stranger,” she pointed out.
“Not really. You’re with me. That makes you okay.”
Patience gave a brief smile, thinking how ironic his words were.
Jim stepped toward her. “I wanted—”
The howl of the dogs interrupted him. Quickly he moved Patience behind him and drew his gun.
Chapter Twelve
“He’s here!” Patience gasped, clutching Jim’s uninjured shoulder.
“We’ll see,” Jim said calmly. He moved toward the barn door. When he reached it, he said to Patience, “Stay here for just a minute.”
“No! I want to go with you.”
“You will. I’m not leaving you alone. But I want to take a look outside without risking you.”
She took a step back, still staying in reach of Jim’s broad shoulders.
“Jim?”
When he heard his father’s voice, Jim relaxed. “We’re in the barn.”
“Just didn’t want you to worry. A coyote got close. That’s what alarmed the dogs, but you two should probably come back to the house.”
“Yeah, Dad. We’re coming.”
He reached for Patience’s hand and they stepped out, glad to see Chad and Pete standing on the porch, rifles at the ready, waiting for them.
“You’re sure, Dad?” Jim asked.
“Well, I saw a coyote, and that’s the direction the dogs were dying to go. If anyone else is out there, the dogs will let us know after the coyote moves away.”
“Tommy?” Patience asked.
“He and Davy are still playing. Toby and Brett are with them now,” Chad replied.
“Thank you,” Patience murmured.
“I don’t think you two should go out to the barn until things settle down, okay?”
“Okay,” Patience readily agreed.
When they got back in the house, the men left her in the kitchen with Megan, B.J., Red and Mildred. Jim assured her they were just going to work out a strategy and she shouldn’t worry.
The men had gone to Jake’s office to confer. “Jim says Patience saw Kane in town today. Patience is to go nowhere on her own,” Jake told them. “The children are not to play outside. I made a list here of your names and when you have guard duty.” He gave them each a copy.
“Everyone must assume his guard duty no matter what, understood?”