The next morning, he didn’t worry about disturbing Patience’s sleep. He kissed her awake and they made love in the early-morning light. He couldn’t think of a better way to start the day.
After he rolled off her, he leaned over and kissed her lips again. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Patience said, but she was already trying to slide out of bed.
“Wait a minute, honey,” he said, catching her arm. “We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. I told you I don’t want to talk.”
“But we can’t continue like this,” he protested, wanting to explain his plans for the future.
She misinterpreted his meaning. “If you don’t want to sleep with me, Jim, stop climbing into bed with me.” Then she stood and pulled on her robe. Before he could recover from the surprise and the pleasure of seeing her nude again, she was out the door and headed for the bathroom.
What was wrong with her? Why was she acting as if what they did at night had no meaning?
He knew she hadn’t behaved like this in the
past. Not with him, not with anyone. So what was going on?
When she returned from her shower, she told him he’d better hurry if he wanted to use the bathroom. She thought her mother would be heading there in a few minutes.
He was out the door at once. Then he remembered Mrs. Anderson’s saying yesterday that she didn’t get up until around eight. Patience had suckered him into rushing into the bathroom so she could go downstairs without him.
When he went downstairs, she and Elizabeth were taking care of the children, and she declined his assistance.
And that was how the entire day went. By the time he went upstairs after her that night, he’d given up trying to talk to her. But he couldn’t give up making love to her. Again she welcomed him to her bed and enthusiastically participated in the lovemaking.
He decided she had some kind of plan that she didn’t want to share with him. But as long as she let him make love to her, he didn’t think he had the energy to resist.
The next morning, however, when they were both having breakfast with his parents, she announced she was going into town.
“What?” Jim demanded at once, noting the surprise on all the other adults’ faces, too.
“I’m going to town. I need to check on the house. And get my gun. The waiting period is over.”
“But Patience,” Chad said, watching both her and Jim, “I don’t think it’s safe yet.”
“Mr. Randall, I appreciate everyone’s hospitality and sacrifice, but it can’t go on forever. There’s been no sign of Kane—I think I must have imagined seeing him. It’s time to get Tommy’s life and mine back on track. Besides, I’ll be getting custody of Tommy soon, and Kane will have to leave us alone.”
Jim considered arguing with her, but he decided to do that later. Right now he needed to ensure she spent her day safely. “I’ll go with you,” he said, his voice like steel.
Chapter Fourteen
Patience’s car hadn’t been started for several days and it took a minute to warm up. “Good thing I wasn’t trying to make a fast exit.”
“Seems to me your exit was pretty fast as it was.” Jim stared straight ahead.
She shifted into reverse and began backing up. Her little car was parked between two large trucks. She shifted into first and headed down the long driveway.
“I’ve leaned on your family for too long already. Besides, there’s obviously no danger. No one has seen or heard from Kane since we came down from the mountains.”
“What about your seeing him in town?”
Patience shrugged. “I think I just panicked because someone resembled Kane. If it
had
been him, he would’ve made his move by now.”
“What if you’re wrong?” Jim still stared straight ahead, his voice cold.
Patience mentally compared the warm, loving man she’d spent the night with to the angry man beside her now. She wanted to be able to fall into his arms and leave her safety up to him. But she couldn’t. And the nights spent in his arms were making her weak.
She had to protect her family. That was her job. And she couldn’t make Jim responsible for her and Tommy just because she’d slept with him. He’d believe forever that she had purposely trapped him. Which was why she had to end her stay at the Randall Ranch.
Because she also had to end her affair with Jim.
Slowly, each word measured, she said, “If I’m wrong, I’ll be the only one hurt.”
“And Tommy?”
“I…I want to ask a favor, Jim. If something happens to me, would you keep an eye on Tommy?”
“Pull over!” Jim snapped.
She eased the car to a halt on the side of the county road. “Yes?”
“Don’t you know how much it would hurt me if anything happened to you?”
Now it was her turn to stare straight ahead. She couldn’t face him.
When she didn’t respond, Jim grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. “Patience, what’s going on? You know I love you!”
“No, I don’t,” she said, trying to twist free.
Jim withdrew his hands. “What?”
“I know you like to have sex with me. That’s all I know.”
“Because you kept telling me you didn’t want to talk. I don’t understand what you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
“Jim, we had…sex because we both wanted it. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to trick you into marriage. I didn’t ask for a proposal before I’d sleep with you.”
Jim was confused. “What are you saying?”
“Nothing. I’m saying nothing, and I don’t intend to spend the day on the side of the road involved in a meaningless discussion.” She put her car in gear and drove on toward Rawhide.
After several minutes of silence Jim asked, “So you just wanted sex? That’s all?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted three years ago?”
Jim squared his jaw. How could he answer her? “Look, Patience, I was young and stupid.
I didn’t like anyone forcing my hand. But I loved you then. I love you now.”
“Don’t! I didn’t ask for any promises.” She parked by the gun store and got out of the car. “I have to pick up my gun.”
Jim sat there, staring as she marched into the gun shop. He didn’t know what to do. Finally he decided to go visit the sheriff, whose office was just across the street. He’d be able to keep an eye on Patience through the window.
With a sigh, Jim headed into the sheriff’s office. There was little activity there. Several deputies were at their desks doing paperwork. The sheriff was in his office on the phone. One of the deputies looked up.
“Hello, Jim. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to know if there’d been any sign of Joseph Kane.”
The deputy shook his head. “We’ve been on the lookout. We stopped one guy who matched Patience’s description of Kane, but he had ID on him. His name was Charles Johnson.”
“Why didn’t you call us?” Jim asked.
“No reason to. I told you, it wasn’t Kane. Mr. Johnson explained that he bought the coat for ten dollars from a man heading south. He even
found some of those fake coins in the pocket. He gave them to me.”
“How considerate of him,” Jim returned sarcastically.
“No need to get testy, Jim.”
“Look, just tell the sheriff that Patience and I are going to be over at her house today. He can call us there if anything comes up.”
Jim headed back across the street just as Patience came out of the gun store. “Get in the car,” he said. “I don’t want you standing around in public.”
“Jim, you’re being overprotective.”
“One of the deputies told me they stopped a guy they thought looked like Kane—he was wearing that jacket you described. He said he bought it off a guy who was heading south.” He watched her, waiting to see her reaction.
Alarm flashed in her eyes. “Did they check this guy’s ID?”
“Yeah. His name was Charles Johnson.” Jim drew a deep breath. “I don’t like the sound of it.”
She slid behind the wheel of her car. “So maybe Kane
has
left town.”
“This guy seemed a little too helpful to be real. He had an answer for anything they wanted
to know.” Jim frowned, still thinking about the deputy’s words. “He even showed them some of those weird coins Kane had. Said they’d been left in the pocket of the coat.”
“Maybe they found them when they searched him.”
“The deputy didn’t mention searching him. I guess he thought there was no need because the man was so forthcoming. That’s what bothers me.” He gave Patience a long, hard stare. “I don’t think you should move back into town yet.”
She wiped away anything in her expression that might make him think she agreed with him. “And how long should I stay there? Another week? Another month? No, Jim. It’s time we moved back.”
“I think your mother should’ve named you stubborn, instead of Patience.”
Jim sighed. She was determined to get the house ready today. He guessed they could do that. Then he’d get his parents to talk her into staying another few days. He’d take things a little at a time and would eventually persuade her never to leave.
They reached Patience’s home and parked in front. Jim took a good look at the house. It didn’t
appear disturbed. There were houses and neighbors on both sides. Surely they would’ve reported any disturbance to the sheriff.
“You go on in,” he ordered, wanting her out of sight quickly. “I’ll bring in the gun.” He watched as she unlocked the front door and disappeared inside.
Jim picked up the gun and bag of accessories from the gun shop and carried it into the kitchen. He noted that Patience must have gone into her bedroom, so when the phone rang, he yelled, “I’ll get it.” Lifting the receiver he said, “Anderson’s.”
“Jim? This is the sheriff. My deputy told me you were at Patience’s. The owner of the sandwich place just came in to complain about a customer using those fake coins for his meal.”
“When?” Jim demanded, panic building in him.
“The guy went into the shop yesterday. The owner didn’t get around to mentioning it until today. The description sounds like Joseph Kane, but he’s shaved off his beard. Still has a mustache, though.”
“Damn! Okay, thanks for letting me know.”
“Listen, I already called your dad to let him know about the situation. He said to tell you he’s
on his way. He’ll come to Patience’s house. Should I come talk to her? He said she’s determined to move back in tomorrow, and I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Yes. That might be wise.”
“I’ll be over in a few minutes,” the sheriff said.
Jim hung up. Patience still hadn’t come out of her room. He called her name. Loudly.
“Jimmy? Can you come here please?”
Two things bothered him. Her voice didn’t sound right. And she’d called him Jimmy. She never called him Jimmy. She only used Jimmy when she was scared or stressed.
Jim took off his holster and withdrew his gun. Then he shoved it into the back of the waistband of his jeans, so he’d appear unarmed. “Okay,” he called, keeping his voice calm, “I’m coming.” He moved down the short hallway until he reached the one door that was closed.
He grabbed the doorknob and quickly opened it.
P
ATIENCE WAS DISTURBED
that coming home didn’t feel as good as it should have. She had to come home now. She had to assume control of her life. It was bad enough that she’d slept with
Jim, making the leaving all the more difficult. She couldn’t continue to rely on him.
Moving down the hall, she pushed open the door to her room. This room had been her sanctum, her place to hide from the world. But it felt different today. Maybe it was—
Cold steel pressed against her temple and an arm held her in place.
“Hello, Patience,” Kane greeted her. “It took you a while to come home, didn’t it? I’ve been waiting none too patiently.”
“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice tight with fear.
“Taking my revenge. You destroyed my plans. And then there’s the issue of my son.”
“You’ll be breaking the law. I’m going to be named Tommy’s legal guardian. If you try to take him again, the police will arrest you.”
He just laughed. Just then the phone rang. She tried to pull from his hold and answer it, but he held her firmly.
“Oh, no, my dear. You will not talk to anyone.”
Then she heard Jim announce that he’d get it.
“Ah. So the stranger who betrayed me is here. Good. That will make it easy for me to take my revenge.”
“No! It’s not Jim’s fault. I forced him to help me.”
“Then he’s a weak man to be ruled by a woman.”
“Please don’t hurt him!”
“You’d better worry about what’s going to happen to you, Patience. You ran away rather than accept my proposal. So you are of no use to me, unless you’ve changed your mind.”
She knew what she needed to say to live, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t even bear the thought of this man touching her as Jim had done. Not even to save her life. “No. I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Patience?”
The muzzle of the gun jammed harder against her temple. “Tell him to come here.”
Frantically Patience tried to think of a way out. At last she called, “Jimmy, can you come here, please?”
She held her breath as she heard Jim move down the hall as if everything was normal.
Jim opened the door and stepped inside. Patience immediately noticed that he wasn’t wearing the gun he’d had on earlier.
“Hands up, dear Jim,” Kane said with a sneer. “I’m going to put you out of your misery
soon enough, but first I intend to gloat a little. You thought you’d beaten me, didn’t you? But I cannot be beaten. God owes me!” His voice had changed to a roar.
“Is that so? Well, if you’re so invincible, un-hand Patience. Surely you don’t need
her.
”
“No, I don’t. But I have no intention of turning her loose. She’s my shield. Where is the boy?”
“He’s safe,” Jim replied.
“I want him! Go get him, and I’ll keep Patience alive long enough to say goodbye,” Kane said arrogantly.
“No. I won’t go get the boy and I won’t leave Patience alone with you.”
“Jim, go! You can keep Tommy safe…and yourself.” Patience felt tears in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling.
Jim smiled at her. “No, honey, that’s not the way it works. You’ve already told me you mean to kill her, anyway. So I would gain nothing by doing as you ask.”