A Randall Returns

by Judy Christenberry

  The young man, hired only a couple of months ago, stood up, his body shaking from head to toe. “I—I know—I didn’t—it’s all my fault!” he finally wailed.

  “Steve, you had some problems. It’s not anything that you can’t change. I’m going to step up some training procedures that would’ve helped you. You failed, but I failed you, too. Together, we’ll get better.”

  “I can’t—I don’t know—”

  “Now’s not the time make any decisions, Steve. We all face the results of a critical mistake. In a few days, we’ll start training. I want you to go home tonight and get some rest. Tomorrow you’re assigned to the hospital, to wait on Harry and get him whatever he wants.”

  “Y-Yes, sir.”

  “And the rest of you need to let Harry know he did good. And you need to start our physical regimen, and get serious about it. Even you, Willie. Steve, I want weight lifting on your schedule. You’re too lightweight right now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “All right, everyone go home, except for those on duty. Tomorrow is another day.”

  The men filed by him, shaking his hand, patting him on the shoulder. When Steve waited until last, Mike knew he’d need more patience.

  “Sheriff, I’m so sorry. I’d do anything—”

  “Steve, every minute of training, every mile you run, every part of your job is what you can do to make up for today. But you’re not alone. We’re all going to be beside you. And don’t forget your duty tomorrow. I expect to see you by Harry’s bed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The young man dashed out the door and Mike gave a sigh of relief. He made for the door himself.

  “You okay, boss?” one of his veterans asked.

  “Yeah, Carmichael. Thanks for asking.”

  “I’m glad you came over to report. All those guys were driving me crazy. And hey, tell the docs we appreciate their work.”

  “Will do. Call if I’m needed.”

  Mike stepped out into the night air. He drew in a deep breath, hoping the cold could chase his thoughts away. He’d almost lost a man tonight. Damn, he was tired, but he owed it to Harry to be there for him.

  Maybe he’d be able to thank Jon. He wasn’t sure it was a good thing to face Caroline when he was feeling so low.

  Taking another deep breath, he headed for the hospital.

  Once inside, he was taken to see Harry. Mike entered the room, thinking his man would be alone. Instead, he found a couple of medical staff working on him.

  “Hello? Is it all right if I—”

  He stopped as Caroline faced him.

  “Mike! I thought you’d gone.”

  “I had. My men needed to be reassured. But I wanted to see Harry before I went home.”

  “Of course. We were just adjusting a bandage for his comfort. Harry, the sheriff is here to see you.”

  Mike scarcely noticed the nurse standing there as he looked at his man. “How are you, Harry?”

  “I’m okay, boss,” the wounded man said in a weak voice. “I’m sorry—”

  “No, Harry, you have nothing to apologize for. Everything’s okay. We’ve got those guys in jail. You’re a hero for saving Steve’s butt.”

  “He’s young,” the wounded deputy murmured.

  Mike smiled ruefully. Harry was all of twenty-five years old himself. “Yeah. Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”

  “Yep,” Harry said. “I can hardly stay awake now.”

  “Then I’ll say good-night. All the men will be by to see you in the next few days. And Steve will be your servant tomorrow.”

  “We can take care of Harry,” the nurse said quickly.

  Mike looked at her for the first time, hearing a possessive note in her voice. “Good. But Steve needs to work through his guilt.”

  She nodded, Harry had already closed his eyes and Mike decided his man was in good hands.

  Mike realized suddenly that Caroline had disappeared. “Did the doctor go home?”

  “Yes, sir,” the nurse said. “She told us to call her if we needed anything. She was very tired.” She seemed to be reprimanding him for demanding too much.

  “Right,” he said with a smile, and walked out of the hospital. Time for him to go home, too.

  But his feet didn’t take him home. Nor did they lead him to a pause to call Jon and express his gratitude. He’d do that tomorrow.

  He didn’t even admit to himself where he was going. Until he was standing in front of Caroline’s door.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Caroline was trying to decide what to have for dinner when she heard a knock at the door. She hoped she didn’t have to go back to the hospital. She was tired.

  She swung the door open and discovered Mike standing there.

  Frowning.

  “Why did you open the door without asking who it was? That could be dangerous.”

  “Mike, this is Rawhide, not Chicago.”

  “Yeah. And Harry got shot today, so Rawhide isn’t as innocent as it appears.”

  Caroline read the weariness in his eyes. She stepped back and gestured for him to come in. The surprise on his face told her she had some fence mending to do.

  “I’d like to hear why that happened today,” she said. “Obviously it didn’t happen by chance.”

  Mike hesitated before he stepped over the threshold and allowed her to close the door against the cold. She’d lit a fire in the fireplace, making the room warm and inviting.

  “If you’ll sit down, I’ll get us some coffee. I just made it. I know you must be as tired as me. Did you get to talk to Harry?”

  “Briefly.” Mike sat down on the sofa and leaned his head back for a moment. Then he sat up and said, “Did I hear a note of possessiveness in that nurse’s voice?”

  “I think so. Actually, Harry was asking me about her when he had to move to intercept that man. They were stealing, weren’t they?” She spoke from the kitchen as she poured the coffee.

  When she came in with two mugs, Mike stood and took one from her. “I don’t care if I can’t sleep. I needed this badly.”

  “It’s decaf,” she assured him. “How did you know they would be there?”

  “We didn’t know for sure. The manager called, explaining what he suspected. He’d been losing inventory. He began to realize that the loss of inventory occurred whenever a couple of men visited the store.” With a shake of his head, Mike said, “I offered to put some deputies in the store undercover.”

  “Ah. That’s why Harry was pretending to shop.”

  “Yeah. I thought it would be a simple job. But when guns are involved, nothing is simple.”

  “True.”

  They sat there in silence, Mike watching the flickering flames of the fire, and Caroline watching him. Suddenly he stood up. “I’d better go before I get too comfortable and fall asleep.”

  “I was going to fix something to eat. It would be as easy to make it for two.”

  “That’s a very kind offer, but—”

  “Mike, I want to tell you I…you woke me up when you yelled at me.”

  “I didn’t really yell,” he protested.

  “You made me remember some things. I—I wanted to thank you.”

  “What are you saying, Caroline?”

  He wasn’t going to let her get away with subtlety. Okay, she owed him that much. “Mike, I’m over crying about my deficiencies. I’ve counted my blessings. And I’d like us to explore what was happening between us.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked.

  She stood and put her hands on his chest. “I’m sure. I already knew I was over Don. But now I’m through feeling sorry for myself. I have too much to be grateful for.”

  He covered her hands with his and dropped a gentle kiss on her lips. But he didn’t prolong the contact. “I’m glad you understand how much you have to offer someone.”

  Caroline asked with a frown, “Someone?”

  “Caroline, I’m attracted to you. You know that. But you’re way out of
my league. As you said, we lost control, but it’s best forgotten. I just came by to thank you for taking care of Harry.”

  “I see,” she said slowly, and withdrew her hands from his chest. Clearly, he didn’t feel as she did. “Well, thanks aren’t necessary.”

  “I think they are. Just like at the restaurant, you came to Harry’s aid without hesitation. You even helped take down the bad guys. What are you doing? Trying to get a badge of your own?”

  She couldn’t take much more. Stiffly, she said, “No, Sheriff, I’m not. Thank you for coming by.” Then she walked to the door and opened it.

  Mike stared at her, not moving. “Caroline, I’d like to be friends. We’ll be working together a lot, apparently.”

  “Of course, Sheriff. After all, as you said, Rawhide is a small town. Avoiding each other would be hard work.” She managed a smile, but it wasn’t warm. How could it be? Her heart was breaking.

  “Caroline—”

  “I’m getting chilly, Mike,” she pointed out, still standing by the open door.

  He crossed to her side. “I’m still attracted to you, Caroline. I don’t know a single red-blooded man who wouldn’t be. But I’m just the sheriff, not a millionaire rancher or someone well known.”

  “I never asked you to be either of those.”

  “No, you didn’t. Look, Caroline, I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

  “In your opinion,” she pointed out, her jaw squared.

  He raked a hand through his hair, confusion and frustration on his face. “Look, I’m not sure anymore what I think. The best I can say is we’ll start again. Like we just met. Only I won’t put you in cuffs, okay?”

  “I’d appreciate that,” she said, the ice around her heart melting a little.

  “May I take you to dinner tomorrow night?”

  “All right.”

  “Good. I’ve got to go. I’m going to jog at seven tomorrow so I can cover for some of the guys while they work out.”

  “Where do you jog?”

  “I circle the town. Keep an eye on things while I exercise.”

  “I see. Well, thank you for coming over.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  “Yes.” To her surprise, he covered her lips with his and gave her a prolonged goodbye kiss. Then he left, reminding her to lock her door.

  She did so and leaned against it. What was wrong with him? He was blowing hot and cold. His invitation to dinner and that goodbye kiss were hot. His hesitation and quick departure weren’t.

  Had she forced him to invite her to dinner? No. She’d accepted his obvious goodbye. He was the one who’d drawn back from the edge, who wanted to start over.

  Okay. That meant he was fair game.

  She checked her watch. She needed a quick dinner and an early bedtime. Because she was going to be out and about at seven in the morning!

  MIKE HAD TOSSED and turned all night. He’d worried about Harry, worried about his misjudgment in assigning Steve to the case. He’d blamed himself for the team’s failure.

  And he’d worried about dating Caroline.

  Man, he’d been a nervous wreck by the time he got out of her house last night. He’d wanted so badly to hold her close. If he were honest, he’d admit that he’d wanted to take her to bed. Instead, he was going to go slow, to date her.

  His footing was unsure with Caroline, unusual for a decisive man like him. One minute Mike considered himself not rich enough for her blood; the next he knew himself to be a successful man whom people respected. One minute he thought she had issues with her own self-esteem and was pushing him away; the next she was coming on to him. Yes, about the only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to be with her—however he could. As a friend. As a lover. Whatever way Caroline would allow.

  Lord have mercy, she was going to try his patience. He’d have to be careful around her until he knew for certain where she was leading him.

  He dressed in thermal jogging clothes. Then he did his stretching in his apartment. He added a small gun holster at the small of his back, just in case. Finally ready, he stepped outside and began his regular tour of the town.

  That very quickly changed.

  A lady with a long brown ponytail and a slim body, one he celebrated in his dreams, jogged to his side.

  “Morning, Mike!”

  “Caroline, what are you doing here?”

  “Trying to keep in shape. I like to jog, but not alone. I hope you won’t mind if I join you?”

  He almost groaned aloud. Oh, yeah, that would get his heart working overtime, following her trim behind all over town. “Of course I don’t mind.”

  She gave him a big smile and gestured for him to continue, then moved up beside him.

  Somehow he’d thought she would try to carry on a conversation, but she was quiet, running easily beside him. It was clear she’d jogged before. “Did you jog in Chicago?” he asked her.

  “When I could.”

  “With that guy?” Mike didn’t look at her. He didn’t want her to see the jealousy in his eyes.

  “Don? No. He never jogged.”

  “Oh. Say, do you know that person?” Mike pointed out a man lingering in front of a store that was closed. The stranger served as a good distraction.

  “Yes. That’s John Miller. He’s a farmer who lives south of town.”

  “Okay. I usually turn here and head down your street.”

  “Great.”

  Was she going to stop when they got to her house? After not wanting her to jog with him, he realized that should please him. But now he wanted her beside him. It seemed so natural, as if they’d jogged together for years. So comfortable.

  When they reached her house, she made no move to stop. Mike released a big breath. It shouldn’t have been so important, he told himself. He was overdoing it again. Just when he’d promised he’d take it slow.

  Right.

  Caroline’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’m going to Casper Saturday to do some shopping. Is there anything I can bring back for you? Or do you want to come? Mom and I are going to spend the day there.”

  It was tempting. But after yesterday’s disaster, he couldn’t afford to take off. “I’m going to do some training classes on Saturday. I don’t want to put it off, after last night.”

  “You can’t work every day,” she protested. “You’ll burn out.”

  He didn’t answer for a minute. Then he said, “I’ll take some time off later. But we need to make some improvements.”

  “Okay. So if you need some presents for Christmas, you can make me a list and I’ll pick the things up.”

  “You’d do that?” he asked, surprised.

  “Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah.” That required another deep breath. Okay, so she’d bought his line about being friends. Well, it wasn’t actually a line; it was more a beginning. A point he’d passed the first time he’d met her. But her response proved that he’d taken the right approach. At least she wasn’t turning away.

  “I’ll have to think about a list. I might take you up on that offer.”

  “Good.”

  After jogging for forty-five minutes, they did a five-minute cooldown that took them back to the Sheriff’s Office. But Mike passed it and finished at the door of Caroline’s house.

  “Thanks for joining me. It’s nice to have a partner.”

  “If it doesn’t bother you, I’d like to join you every morning. I’ve been worried about setting up a routine.”

  “I’d enjoy the company.”

  She gave him a warm smile. “Good. Oh, and where are we eating tonight?”

  “I thought we’d go back to Le Mouton Bleu again. Hopefully, this time we can actually eat there.”

  “Lovely. So I’ll see you at…seven?”

  “Let’s make it six-thirty. I’ll make the reservation for seven.”

  She nodded in agreement and, smiling, went into her house.

  Mike stood there in th
e cold. Finally he forced himself to go back to his office. He’d used his shower time to moon over Caroline.

  CAROLINE DIDN’T THINK she was irresistible, but she knew the more time she and Mike spent together, the more likely it was that he’d become attached to her. And she was going to do everything she could to help that feeling along.

  As she worked, she planned her appearance for that night. She wanted to tempt him…just a little. The afternoon was busy, but she managed to head for her house just after five.

  Tonight deserved a bubble bath. It would clear her head and perfume her skin. Then she intended to put on a black dress, the slinkiest one she owned. No pants tonight. And even with snow on the ground, she intended to wear high heels.

  She put her lipstick on at six twenty-five. She looked the best she could, she decided. Not too bad.

  When six-thirty came and went, she frowned. Where was the man? She’d worked hard to bowl him over, but she couldn’t do that if he didn’t show up. At six-forty she began pacing.

  When the phone rang, she pounced on it, but paused to take a deep breath. Then she calmly said, “Hello?”

  “Caroline, I’m sorry. I’ll be right there. Oh, and, slight change of plans. We, uh, we’re going to double-date.”

  She took a deep breath. Double-dating didn’t fit in with her expectations. “Why?”

  “You’ll understand when I get there.” And he hung up.

  Caroline was not happy. He’d just ruined all her plans.

  She paced the floor again, regretting all her preparations.

  She’d just decided to change into slacks and a sweater when there was a knock on her door. Shrugging her shoulder, she went over and threw it open.

  “Sheriff!” she exclaimed, smiling. She wasn’t speaking to Mike. She was greeting Bill Metzger.

  He gave her a big bear hug. “How are you, Caro? I was glad to hear you finally came home.”

  “I’m glad, too. How are you feeling? Mike said you had a heart attack.”

  “Yeah. But I’ve found out it was minor. I’ve been exercising and I’m getting stronger.”

  “That’s wonderful!”