“Save Tommy, Jim, please,” Patience cried.
Before she knew what was happening, Kane spun her away from him and slapped her. “He’ll do as I say!” Kane shouted.
At the same time, Jim crouched down, drew his pistol from behind his back and fired.
Kane fell to his knees. His blood spattered Patience and she screamed.
From outside came a shout and the sound of running boots.
Jim reached Patience just before his father and the sheriff appeared in the doorway.
Mass confusion reigned for a few minutes. In all the commotion, Kane, bleeding and on the floor, reached out for the gun that had fallen from his hand. Patience saw the movement and screamed just as another shot rang out. Kane’s lifeless body slumped to the floor.
She looked up to see the sheriff with his gun drawn, staring at Kane. Chad looked at the two of them and asked, “Are you all right?”
Jim nodded. “We are. Patience is strong. She’ll be okay.”
She shuddered against him. She hoped he was right. She had to be.
Chapter Fifteen
The sheriff holstered his gun and pulled out a cell phone to summon his deputies to take care of the body.
Chad looked at Jim and Patience. “Son, why don’t you take her back to the ranch?”
“Okay, Dad. Thanks for being here for us.”
“Glad I could help. But the sheriff is the one who ended it. Everything is going to be fine now. Tell your mom I’ll be home shortly.”
Jim wrapped his arm around Patience and led her to the kitchen. There he picked up her coat and helped her put it on. Then he grabbed his own coat and headed for Patience’s car.
“How about I drive, honey?”
She nodded, but didn’t speak. She was afraid she’d start crying. She handed him the keys from her coat pocket and got in the passenger side.
Jim leaned down and dropped a kiss on her pale lips. Then he closed the door and circled the car to climb in behind the wheel.
They made the drive in silence. She knew he’d turned to look at her several times, but she couldn’t chance catching his look of concern, afraid it might break her control. She closed her eyes and said nothing.
When they reached the ranch, Red met them at the back door.
“Did you see your dad? He was going to meet—”
“Yeah, Red, we saw him. Everything’s over. Kane is dead and…”
Patience pulled free of his grasp and ran through the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. She needed to be alone to deal with what had happened.
J
IM STOOD THERE
in the middle of the kitchen and watched Patience’s retreat.
“Did I say something wrong?” Red asked anxiously.
“No, Red, you didn’t.” With a sigh Jim explained what had happened at the Anderson house.
“Lord have mercy. That poor girl.”
“I know. I think she needs some time alone.”
Megan came into the kitchen. “Jim! I thought I heard Patience’s car.” She looked around the room. “Where is she?”
Jim shrugged. “She went up to her room. She…she had a difficult time today.”
“Where’s your dad?” Megan asked, anxiety in her voice.
“He’s fine, Mom. Kane is dead. Dad stayed in town to help the sheriff deal with everything.”
B.J. entered the kitchen in the middle of Jim’s explanation. She put her arm around Megan but said nothing.
“Who shot him?” Megan asked.
“I shot him first. He was holding Patience with a gun to her head. Then he lost his temper and struck her. As she fell to the floor, I drew my gun and shot him. He was still alive and went for his gun again. The sheriff finished him off.”
“I’m glad it’s over,” B.J. said. “I’m going to call Jake. He’ll be relieved to hear the news. Where is Patience?”
“She went to her room.”
“She’s not hurt?” Megan asked.
“I suspect she’ll have a bruise on her cheek, and she may be a little sore tomorrow, but that’s all. Where are the boys?” he asked.
“In the game room of course,” Megan said. “I think they’re spending too much time playing video games, but we didn’t want them outside. Maybe I should tell them they can go out.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll get them to go with me and help do the feeding. It’ll be good for them.”
He left the kitchen and headed for the game room. As his mother had said, the boys were zealously playing their video games. “Davy, Tommy, it’s okay for you to go outside again. Want to come help me feed the animals? We can get it all done before the guys come in. That way they won’t have to do it before they come home.”
“Okay!” Davy said, standing up. “That means I’ll see my daddy sooner.”
“That’s right, Davy. How about you, Tommy?”
“Mommy said I had to stay inside.”
“I know she did, but everything’s okay now. You’re safe. Your, uh…that mean man has gone away. He won’t bother you anymore,” Jim told him.
He made sure the boys were warmly dressed and led them to the first barn, where a few animals were stabled. He let the boys help him, though he did the lion’s share of the work. The activity felt good.
About halfway through, Chad joined them.
“I can get it, Dad,” Jim assured him.
“I’m sure you can. How’s Patience?”
“I think she’s okay. She’s resting right now.”
They finished the feeding just as the other Randall men arrived home. They were pleased to find the chores already done. As Chad gave them a brief summary of the day’s events, Jim hurried the two boys to the house, taking them to the bathroom to wash up.
“That was fun, Jim,” Tommy said as he washed his hands.
“I’m glad. We’re going to need to get you a horse pretty soon. Once you learn to ride, maybe we can take your mommy on a picnic next spring. That’s always fun.”
“I have a horse,” Davy said.
“I want a horse,” Tommy said earnestly, “but Mommy said my room isn’t big enough.”
Jim laughed. “Well, horses don’t live in houses. Maybe we can find a place for him here.”
“But then I couldn’t see him.”
Jim picked up the little boy. “Maybe we’ll talk your mommy into living here with me, and you can come, too. Then you could see the horse every day.”
“Yea! And I could see Davy, too.”
“Right. And Steffie.”
“Oh, yeah, but she’s a girl.”
“Yeah,” Davy seconded.
“When you get older, you’ll find out how important girls are.” Jim hoped he could convince Patience of that. “Okay, you two go down to dinner. I’m going to check on your mother, Tommy. We’ll be down in a few minutes.”
He watched the two boys go down the stairs, smiling as they discussed what Tommy would name his horse.
He walked down the long hall to Patience’s bedroom. He couldn’t help but think about the conversation they’d had earlier that day about the things that had been happening each night. She hadn’t forgiven him for his youthful blunder in college. Not that he blamed her, but he wished she could.
Knocking on the door, he waited for her to respond. But he heard nothing. Slowly he opened the door. The room was almost dark, lit only by the setting sun.
He walked softly to the side of the bed, staring down at her sweetly curved body under the covers. He sat down and gently shook her shoulder. “Patience?”
Her eyes fluttered open, then closed again.
“Patience, it’s dinnertime, honey. Do you want to come downstairs?”
She opened her eyes and pushed herself up, the blanket falling to her waist. She was wearing only her underwear. “I—I’m sorry you were involved in what happened today.”
“I’m not,” he said. “I’m glad it was the sheriff’s shot that killed him, though, and not mine, and I’m glad Kane is gone forever.”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“I took the boys out with me to feed the animals. They had a good time.”
“I guess they would. Tommy likes to be outside.”
“Yeah.” He coughed before he said, “I, uh, promised him a horse.”
She stared at him in shock. “You what? How could you do such a thing? We don’t have a place for a horse. He’ll be so disappointed!”
Jim took hold of her shoulders, giving her a little shake. “When we’re married and living here on the ranch, of course he’ll need a horse.”
She looked away. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Yes, it is! We love each other.”
“I don’t remember saying I love you. You just feel guilty because I saved your life.”
“Today I saved your life, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“And you saved mine. That makes us even, right?”
She nodded cautiously, not sure where he was going with this logic.
“You’ve already said we slept together because we both wanted it.”
“Jim, I don’t know—”
“Right?”
“Yes, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“About what?”
“About…having an affair,” she said, suddenly realizing she was not dressed. She pulled up the covers.
“You didn’t enjoy it?”
“Yes, but…I have a son. I can’t be so irresponsible.”
“I agree. That’s why we should get married.”
“Jim, I told you I didn’t ask for any promises. It’s not necessary.” She tried to get out of bed.
“Sweetheart, how many times do I need to tell you I love you? I’ve loved you for quite a while. And now that I’ve tasted life with you, I can’t go back to life without you.”
“But if I marry you, one day you’ll claim I trapped you,” she told him.
He took hold of her chin and turned her face toward him. “And I’ll be giving thanks every
time. I’m so glad you asked me for help and so glad I was smart enough to follow you up that mountain. Honey, I’ve loved you since college. I’ve never found anyone who could compare to you. I love you. We’re perfect together.” He kissed her. Then he said, “We Randall men are one-woman guys. And you’re my one woman.”
She shook her head. “You’re just saying that because you think you ought to. A month or two from now you’ll realize you don’t mean it.”
“How long?”
She blinked several times. Then she asked, “How long what? What are you asking?”
“How long will it take for you to believe I want to be married to you?”
“Jim, stop being ridiculous.”
“I’m not. I want to know how long I have to wait until I can claim you for my wife. A wife I’m going to keep for the rest of my life.”
Tears began running down her cheeks. “Jim, don’t.”
“I have to, honey. I can’t live without you in my life. I’ll be Tommy’s daddy. Your mother can live with us. We’ll have a great life.”
“Do you promise you’ll never regret marrying me?”
“I promise.”
She gave a big sigh. “Then I have to take the chance, because I’m miserable without you.”
It took him a couple of seconds to realize she’d just accepted his offer. With a big cowboy whoop, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. When he came up for air, his first question was, “When?”
“I don’t know. I suppose we’ll have to consult our families.”
“We can be married in three days. We’ll go tomorrow and get the license in Buffalo.”
“Three days? That’s too soon. I want a real wedding!” she protested. “I’m only planning on having one.”
Jim grinned. “Okay, I’ll give you a week.” He kissed her again. “Let’s go down and tell everyone.”
Downstairs the younger Randalls were finishing their meal and the older Randalls were gathering to take their turn at dinner.
Jim and Patience, holding hands, came into the kitchen. Jim was beaming and Patience looked a little embarrassed. “We’re going to be married,” Jim announced.
Everyone congratulated them. Tommy stared at them. “What’s that mean?”
Jim squatted down beside the bench where Tommy sat. “It means you and your mommy,
and Grandma, too, if she wants, are going to live with me. And you’ll be my little boy.”
“I can call you Daddy? I’ve never had a daddy.”
“You can call me Daddy,” Jim assured him. “Your name will be Tommy Randall, and Davy and Steffie will be your cousins.”
Tommy cheered the loudest of all.
“Have you set a date?” Mrs. Anderson asked.
Jim and Patience gazed at each other. “Well,” Jim said slowly, “I voted for three days from now, but Patience wants a real wedding, with a big cake and a reception. I agreed to a week from today.”
“Jim!” Megan protested. “I don’t know if we can get everything ready. Besides, a week from today would be Wednesday. Why not have the wedding a week from Saturday?”
Jim looked at Patience. “Is that okay with you?”
She nodded, her face glowing with pleasure.
Red immediately started making his famous chocolate cake to celebrate the announcement. Elizabeth volunteered her wedding gown for Patience to wear. Mildred and Red assured them they could make the wedding cake and all the food needed for the reception. The men said
they’d clean the arena in case the weather was bad.
Patience stared around her in amazement. “I don’t know what to say. It’s so wonderful that everyone is pitching in.”
“That’s the Randall way,” Jim told her.
Chad asked, “Where are you going to live?”
“I guess we’ll start out in town,” Jim said, “but I’d like to build a place out here.”
“I have an idea,” Red said. “Mildred and I have been talking about moving from our place down the road, back into the bedroom behind the kitchen,” he said. “It’s too hard to keep two houses clean and running.”
“Are you sure, Red? Don’t uproot yourselves just for our sake. We want you to be comfortable,” Jim said.
“We’re sure. We’ve talked about it a lot, but we hated to leave our little house empty. It’s not huge, Jim, but it’s got three bedrooms.”
Jim looked at Patience. She gave a nod of approval.
“We’d love it, Red. Is that okay with you, Mrs. Anderson?”
She looked at the both of them. “I’d rather stay here where Mildred is going to live.”
Jim hurriedly assured her the house was just a few steps away. Jake, however, intervened.
“We’d be glad to have you stay where you are, Marilyn, if it pleases you.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Mom, are you sure?” Patience asked.
“Quite sure, dear. I love both you and Tommy, but sometimes the house is too noisy with all of us in it.”
No one mentioned the crowd in the Randall household.