A Randall Returns

by Judy Christenberry

  MIKE FINALLY SPOKE. “Good evening, Caroline. I was on my way over here when I ran into Dr. Scott looking for you. Said he went to med school with you.”

  “Yes.” She didn’t say anything else.

  “Caro! Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Don asked with a happy smile.

  Mike almost burst out laughing. Sensitive the guy was not. Anyone could see Caroline wasn’t happy with the man’s arrival. At least he hoped that was what was wrong.

  Without a word, Caroline moved back so they both could enter. “What are you doing here, Don?” she asked as she closed the door.

  Don looked puzzled. He turned to Mike, glaring at him. “Now that we’re here, I don’t need a chaperon.”

  “I’m afraid you don’t quite get it, Don. I was coming here anyway.”

  Don looked at Caroline. “You mean you invited the sheriff over? Are you having problems? Is someone bothering you?”

  “Not until now,” Caroline said coolly.

  He still seemed puzzled. Mike found it hard to believe anyone this dense could be a doctor.

  “Why are you here?” Caroline asked again.

  “I came to see you, Caro. I’ve missed you.”

  “Janice isn’t keeping you company?”

  “She’s around, but…she doesn’t challenge me. She’s not very bright.” Don took a step closer.

  “Pregnant women frequently don’t feel well. Perhaps you should be a little more sympathetic.”

  “She’s supposed to do things for me. After all, I’m the doctor. She’s just a nurse.”

  “I never realized you were such a snob.” Caroline turned away and moved to the fire, stretching her hands out as if they were frozen.

  Mike’s cell phone rang. Caroline’s sounded just the same, so she checked hers, which was on the mantel.

  “It’s mine,” Mike assured her. “I’ll take it to the kitchen.”

  As soon as Mike stepped through the door, Don hurried to Caroline’s side. “Darling, you need to get rid of the local law so we can talk. I made a horrible mistake when I married Janice. I don’t even think the baby is mine!”

  “Frankly, Don, I don’t care. I feel sorry for Janice, of course, but it has nothing to do with me.”

  “Caroline! How can you say that? We meant so much to each other.”

  “We were a comfortable habit to each other. I’ve realized it was all a big mistake. I’m sorry you drove all this way, but I don’t want to see you.”

  Mike walked back into the room.

  Caroline immediately transferred her attention to him. “Do you have to go?”

  “No. But apparently there’s a big snowstorm coming. The weathermen missed it. They thought it would just be a few flakes, but they were wrong. It’s set to dump a lot of snow because of the gulf stream combining with a cold front.”

  Don laughed. “Things must be really slow out here if you get excited about a snowstorm. Why don’t you go take care of business, so Caro and I can visit?”

  “No!” Caroline quickly said. “No, Mike, please don’t go.”

  “Of course not,” he said calmly, smiling at her.

  Don looked outraged. “Are you seeing this local yokel? For God’s sake, Caroline, are you out of your mind?”

  “Don’t you dare talk about Mike like that. He is ten times the man you are,” she retorted, glaring at her unwanted guest.

  Mike grinned. “Remember, honey, I can take care of myself.”

  Don took a step back, looking anxious. “I won’t fight you!”

  Mike simply stared at him, his grin in place.

  Just then the phone rang and Caroline went to the kitchen to answer it.

  “Dad? Hi. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. I wanted to be sure you knew about the snowstorm. Do you want to come out here?”

  “Oh, thanks, Dad, but I’d better stay here in case we have any emergencies.”

  “Well, I’ll call Mike and tell him to—”

  “He’s here, Dad. We’re having dinner together.”

  “Oh, good. Does he know about the storm?”

  “Yes, he does.”

  From the next room she could hear male voices. Apparently Don felt he had to try once more to get rid of the competition. “You need to go back to your office, Sheriff,” she heard him say. “Caro doesn’t want you here.”

  “I believe she asked me to stay. I didn’t hear her asking you to do so.”

  “You jerk!” Don yelled. He seemed to be losing his temper a lot tonight, she thought.

  Her dad drew her attention back to their phone conversation. “I hear voices, Caroline. Is someone there besides Mike?” Jake asked.

  “You’d better talk to Mike about the snowstorm, Dad. I’ll get him.”

  She leaned around the doorjamb. “Mike? Could you talk to Dad?” She waited until he got close and she whispered, “Don’t mention Don.”

  As soon as Mike took the phone, Caroline spoke to her ex-boyfriend. “You have to leave. I have no interest in you or your problems. You’re a married man, and you need to go home to your wife.”

  “Honey, I’ll dump Janice. She’s not a problem.”

  Caroline ground her teeth. “Don’t you get it, Don? I hate your guts, especially because of the way you treat Janice. I’m not leaving Rawhide. I’m where I want to be.”

  “You can’t mean that. You’ll be bored here. Chicago has so much. Change your mind before it’s too late.”

  Caroline walked over and opened the front door. “Get out.”

  He appeared to finally get the message. Just as he was about to leave her house, Mike hung up the phone and said, “Stop!”

  “Go!” Caroline countered.

  “Caro, you can’t send him away tonight. He won’t get too far before the storm rolls in. Especially in the car he’s driving.”

  “My car will do fine,” Don asserted.

  “Look, man, I’d like you to leave as much as Caroline does, but you’ll die if you get on the road now.”

  Caroline grabbed Mike’s arm. Whispering, she said, “I want him out of here.”

  “Where’s the nearest hotel?” Don asked stiffly.

  “We don’t have a hotel in town. Maybe Mrs. Brown has an empty room. She runs a bed-and-breakfast. I’ll call her,” Mike offered.

  He moved to the phone again. Caroline stood there, her arms crossed. She’d finally shut the door because snow was blowing in and the warm air rushing out. But she wasn’t going to allow Don to stay with her. If Mike wanted to save him, he’d have to find a place for him.

  He hung up the phone. “Sorry, she’s full.”

  “What a miserable place,” Don muttered.

  Mike moved to Caroline’s side. Leaning close, he said, “I could put him up for the night, but I only have one bed.”

  Caroline looked at him. “I’ll be glad to let you sleep in my guest room. But not him.”

  “I’ll be back in half an hour. And I’ll be starving. Okay?”

  “Deal,” she said with a smile.

  “Come on, Don. I’ve got a place you can stay.”

  The two men left and Caroline put the casserole in the oven. Maybe her evening wasn’t going to be ruined, after all.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The storm was roaring into town. The snow was coming down harder now, making vision difficult. Mike had his sheepskin coat buttoned all the way and his cowboy hat pulled low. Don was hatless and wearing a light corduroy coat. By the time they reached the Sheriff’s Office, the man was shivering uncontrollably.

  “This weather is horrible.”

  “No worse than winters in Chicago,” Mike said, staring at the man in surprise.

  “You’ve really been to Chicago?”

  Mike shoved him into the building. Then he answered, “I lived in Chicago for over ten years. I’ve seen blizzards there, too.”

  “And you choose to live here?”

  “I do.” He looked to the two deputies on duty. “I’m taking this guy up to my
apartment. Let me know if he makes any trouble.”

  Don acted affronted. “Trouble? I resent that.”

  “Resent all you want. I’m giving you a place to stay until the storm dies down. I’m going upstairs to pack a few things. Then the place will be yours. Get him some coffee and keep him entertained,” Mike ordered the deputies. “Anything going on?” he asked before he went up the back stairway.

  “No, sir. Everything’s locked up tight.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

  Mike ran up the back stairs and pulled a suitcase out from under his bed. He was taking some spare clothes just in case the snow kept blowing. And he was going to spend the days—and nights—with Caroline.

  When he came back down the stairs, he found Don drumming his fingers on one of the desks, impatiently waiting.

  “The apartment is all clear, Don. Go on up and make yourself at home. Feel free to eat anything in the fridge or cupboard.”

  “Hey, boss, where you gonna be?” asked one of the deputies.

  “Call me if you need me, but there probably won’t be much going on.”

  “Say, that reminds me. A car came down the street about ten minutes ago. Driving way too fast. Spun out a couple of times. I didn’t ticket them, though.”

  “That’s okay,” Mike said, perturbed by the carelessness. “They didn’t hit anything?”

  “I don’t think so. They stopped at the clinic. I thought maybe that’s why they hurried, but whoever it was left something on the doorstep and got back in the car and left town.”

  Mike frowned, chasing back a niggling feeling. There was that one time back in Chicago…. Best to check it out, he thought. Dialing the number for the clinic, he waited to see if the phone would be answered. Finally a nurse picked up.

  “Someone left a package on the front steps. Make sure it’s not human,” he ordered after identifying himself. “No, I’ll wait.”

  The two deputies just stared at him.

  Within a moment, the nurse was back. “Sheriff Davis,” she said in a frantic voice, “it’s—it’s a baby!”

  Damn. This was one time he didn’t want to be right. “I’ll get Doc Randall and be right there.”

  “What was it, boss?”

  He informed his staff and advised them to be alert. He’d investigate over at the clinic. Then he was out the door, his hat pulled low and a scarf protecting his face.

  When he reached Caroline’s house, he didn’t bother to knock. He shoved the door open and stepped inside.

  “It’s about time. Dinner is ready,” Caroline said with a smile.

  What a temptation. He unwrapped the scarf so she could understand him. “Caro, someone left a newborn baby on the front steps of the clinic.”

  “In this storm?”

  “Yeah. One of my men saw a car stop there, but it didn’t occur to him that the package left off could hold a baby. You’ve got to come check the infant out.”

  She was grabbing her coat before he’d finished.

  “You’ll need a hat and scarf, too. It’s blizzard conditions out there. I’ll escort you.”

  “There’s no need. Stay here and eat dinner. I don’t want it to go to waste.”

  “We’ll heat it up later,” he assured her as he put the casserole in the fridge.

  When Caroline had pulled on a wool cap and wrapped a matching scarf around her neck, Mike took her arm and led her out into the storm. They struggled forward, clinging to each other. A distance that took a minute in normal weather took five as they fought the wind and snow.

  Caroline fell against the wall when they got inside the clinic. “Thanks for helping me, Mike. It’s bad out there.”

  “Yeah. Give me your things and go see what you can do.”

  A nurse, Susan, appeared at that moment. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here, Doctor.” She led Caroline down the hall.

  Mike went out front again to see if he could find any sign of the person who’d abandoned the child. But if there had been anything it was buried in the rapidly piling snow.

  He went back inside, craving a cup of coffee. He found a pot in the waiting room. After pouring himself a cup, he wandered down to the nursery. He could see Caroline through the glass. She now had on scrubs and she was bent over a tiny form. The baby was under a heat lamp and he could see it moving, which meant, of course, that it was still alive.

  Thank God. Both for the baby and for Caroline. He knew she would be heartbroken if she lost this small patient. For at least half an hour, he watched her care for the newborn. She had no idea he was around; her focus was on her patient.

  Watching Caroline with the infant was hypnotic. She took such pains to be gentle, her voice soothing, almost cooing. Her words were like a lullaby, calming the baby, who’d been through a traumatic ordeal.

  Mike had to wrestle himself away from the placid scene. Duty called. Among other places, he contacted social services, notifying them of the abandoned infant and possible charge. They informed him they’d shortly be sending a caseworker to check on the child. Mike thought of the irony of this baby being abandoned so close to Christmas. Then again, he reminded himself, unfortunate events didn’t stop just because of the holidays.

  He was still deep in thought when he returned to see Caroline sitting in a rocking chair and cuddling the infant against her. She offered a bottle of warm milk, while the two nurses tensely watched. When the baby began to suckle, they all relaxed.

  Helen noticed Mike standing there and spoke to Caroline, who looked up and smiled at him. Caroline said something to the nurse and Helen hurried out to him.

  “Sheriff? Dr. Randall said for me to bring you the box the baby came in and the note.”

  “There was a note?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  She handed the box over. Mike found a chair and sat down to examine the objects after he put on latex gloves Helen brought him.

  He first read the note. “Please care for my baby. My husband was going to kill her if I didn’t give her away. She’s a good baby. Her name is Rosa.”

  The box was lined with an old quilt, and there were several blankets, which had been folded over the infant in an attempt to keep her warm. Mike could feel the love that had gone into preparing the baby for this poignant goodbye. Mike doubted any prints could be lifted, but he did find a long strand of blond hair.

  He asked the nurse for a plastic bag for the hair sample. He felt sure the DNA from it would match the baby’s, proving the mother was blond. But he doubted he’d be able to find her.

  He returned to stare through the glass at Caroline, who kissed the baby’s soft cheeks and smiled at her. The woman was obviously falling in love.

  When the baby went to sleep, Caroline put her in a bassinet under the heat lamp and came out of the area to talk to Mike.

  “She’s fine,” she said immediately. “And she’s so sweet. Did you read the note? Her name is Rosa.”

  “Yes. There’s nothing else to identify her.”

  “No. She’s an orphan. But at least her mother saved her life. It must’ve been very hard to give her up like this.”

  “Yeah. Are you ready to go eat?”

  “Oh. I’m sorry, Mike, but I can’t leave the baby. I need to see her through the night to be sure she’s okay. You go ahead. Just help yourself to the food.”

  “What are you going to eat?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll see what I can find.”

  “I’ll be back with dinner in a few minutes.”

  He got up and headed for the door.

  “Mike, there’s no need—” She broke off abruptly because he was out of sight.

  Caroline went to her office and sat down behind the desk. Helen knocked on her door. “Susan and I brought dinner. Would you like to share?”

  “No thanks, Helen. Mike went to my house to get the dinner I’d made earlier. If he’s not back soon, I’ll get a pack of cookies from the vending machine.”

  Helen shook her head. “That�
��s not a proper meal.”

  “Don’t worry. Mike will be back in a few minutes. I may even have enough food for both of you.”

  “Hmm, what will he be bringing?” Helen asked.

  Caroline laughed. “I made chicken spaghetti. And there’s a chocolate cake Red baked.”

  “One of Red’s chocolate cakes? Mercy, I hope that man comes back. I once had a piece of a cake Red made. Whooee! I was happy for days.”

  Caroline grinned. “I know. I even forget what his cakes do to my hips.”

  “Well, I’m going to be praying the sheriff returns with that dinner you cooked. Hot food sounds so much better than a cold sandwich.”

  Half an hour later, they heard knocking at the back door. Helen was closest and she opened the door to peep out. Then she swung it wide. “Come in, Sheriff! Can I help you carry something?”

  “The cake is on top,” Mike said through frozen lips.

  “Bless you,” Helen said, taking the plate as if it were precious crystal. “This way to the kitchen.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the four of them gathered around the kitchen table and Caroline dished up the casserole she’d made. She hadn’t pictured her special dinner being eaten like this, but she was grateful for the food.

  They’d heated it in the microwave and the whole kitchen was redolent with a heavenly aroma. When Mike took his first bite, Caroline waited for his reaction.

  “Caro, this is great! I had no idea you could cook.” He reached for another bite.

  “Mildred and Red made sure all of us could cook. They said they weren’t raising any prima donnas who had to be waited on.” She grinned as Mike laughed. The two nurses said they’d write a thank-you note to Red.

  Then conversation halted as they all enjoyed the casserole, salad and green beans.

  “I haven’t eaten anything so good in years,” Susan said.

  “Just wait, honeychild,” Helen said. “When you taste Red’s chocolate cake, you’ll forget all of this.”

  Mike raised his eyebrow. “It’s that good?”

  “It is to me. Have you ever had some?”

  “No. I turned it down once.”

  “Oh, I’d never do that. It’s wonderful.”

  Mike looked at Caroline. “Can you make one of those?”