“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?”
While everyone else nodded, Jim said, “Uncle Jake, my name’s not on the list.”
“I know. You’re still recovering and,” he continued as Jim started to protest, “you’re acting as Patience’s personal guard. You stay with her no matter what.”
Jim couldn’t argue with that assignment. “I appreciate all this. Be careful. I don’t want any of you hurt.”
Chad gave him a hug. “We feel the same way. And we’re not going to let this maniac mess things up for any of us.”
Jim hoped his father was right.
He called the sheriff’s office to see if he or his deputies had spotted Kane in town, but the sheriff said there was no sign of him.
Jim hung up and said, “Nothing.”
Jake frowned. “Are you sure she actually saw him?”
“I don’t know, Uncle Jake. I didn’t see him, but her reaction was pretty strong. I believe her.”
“Yeah. Well, we’ll keep her safe here. And remember, no one goes anywhere alone. Okay?”
Drew grinned. “That’s going to make scoring pretty hard on Friday night.”
Chad frowned. “I’ll speak with you in your bedroom, young man.”
Drew, who’d thought they’d all laugh at his quip, looked alarmed. “I was just joking, Dad.”
“This is not the time to joke, Drew,” Chad said sternly.
“He knows it now, Dad,” Jim said, championing his brother. Drew shot him a look of gratitude.
“Humph!” Chad grunted, still glaring at his son.
“Okay,” Jake said, “anybody with night duty, you’ve got time to catch a nap now. Anybody on duty, man your posts. And don’t say anything to the ladies.”
Everyone but the four elder Randalls and Jim left the room. Jake clapped Chad on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about Drew,” he said. “He’s just young.”
“He’s been out of university for six months now. It’s about time he grew up,” Chad growled.
The phone rang. Pete, closest to it, picked it up. “Randall Ranch.”
“Jake’s here. You want to talk to him?”
Pete handed the phone to Jake.
“Yeah? Oh, hi, Nick. Yeah. No, we’re fine. We’re prepared. No, you stay there and keep an eye on your family. The man is crazy. Thanks for offering. Call your brother Gabe and tell him not to come.”
After a pause Jake said, “We will.” Then he hung up the phone. “Nick and Gabe were going to come, but I convinced them to stay home. I’d better call Griff before he decides to come rescue us, too,” he added, shaking his head.
“I’d better find Patience.” Jim headed for the door.
“Boy?” Pete called.
“Yes, Uncle Pete?”
“You know you’re hooked, don’t you?”
Jim smiled. “Oh, yeah. I’m just waiting for things to settle.” Then he headed in search of Patience, something he figured he’d be doing the rest of his life.
After consulting with Red, who always seemed to know where everyone was, Jim went to the spare room on the second floor that had been turned into a workout room. There was a thick carpet on the floor and weight machines along one wall.
When he peeked in, he saw his mother, B.J. and Patience exercising to the beat of a popular tune. From his point of view, Patience didn’t have any need for exercise. She was already in perfect shape, but she seemed happy to be working out.
The music ended and his mother noticed him watching. “Jim! Come on in. We’re just finishing up.”
“No hurry. I was enjoying the show,” he replied, smiling at Patience.
Her cheeks were already flushed from the exercise, but they reddened even further at his look. She took the towel B.J. handed her and mopped her brow, glancing away from him.
“So, what’s your plan?” Megan asked.
“My job is to keep an eye on Patience.”
“But I’m safe, here in your house,” Patience protested. “Even Kane wouldn’t be crazy enough to try anything here.”
“I would hope not,” Jim agreed, “but we want to err on the side of caution. So, Patience, I’m keeping you company until we get rid of Joseph Kane.”
“Things could be worse, Patience,” B.J. said with a grin. “They could’ve assigned Red the task. Then you’d be stuck in the kitchen and he would keep feeding you!”
“Oh, my. That would be a problem,” she agreed with a laugh.
Jim held out a hand. “Let’s go check on the kids.”
“I need to shower first,” Patience said.
“Wow, this bodyguard job is gonna be tough,” Jim said, his eyes dancing.
“Jim, don’t tease Patience,” his mother said. Then she turned to the young woman. “Dear, if he gives you any trouble, let me know at once. Even if he won’t listen to me, he’ll listen to his father.”
“I always listen to you, Mom,” Jim protested.
Megan ignored him. “Go take your shower, Patience. Jim will wait outside your door.”
Patience swept past Jim and marched down the hallway. Her room was in the rear corner of the second floor. When they reached it, he opened the door and looked around. Waiting while she gathered her things for a shower, he walked her to the hall bathroom and checked it out, too.
“Okay, Princess, you’re on your own.” He sketched a bow and then leaned against the wall.
“Thank you,” she said, refusing to play.
Jim tried to repress the desire he felt as she disappeared into the bathroom. His “duty” was going to be harder on him than one would think. He wanted to share everything with Patience. And his mind tempted him with images of her stripping naked for her shower….
He’d almost forgotten why he was there in the hallway when he was jolted by her scream. With no thought to her modesty, he burst into the small, steam-filled room.
“Patience! Are you all right? What’s wrong?”
Patience grabbed a towel and covered herself. Then she confessed, “Nothing! I forgot about the coatrack. Through the shower curtain, it looked like a man and I thought…”
Jim turned and looked behind him. His mother, an interior designer by profession and with a shop in Rawhide, had decorated the bathroom. She’d put a coat rack in the bathroom, a tall coat rack that swiveled and stood in the corner so that whoever used the bath could hang their clothes on it.
Jim, once he understood the problem, ignored Patience’s stumbling explanation and enjoyed the sight of her legs and shoulders glistening with water droplets and nothing else.
“I, uh, better let you get dressed,” he said. He moved slowly, finally closing the door on the glorious sight of her.
With a groan he collapsed against the wall, his mind’s eye still tracing her body without the towel. He hoped he never forgot that sight. He figured it was going to be a long time before he could convince Patience of his love and have the chance to see her almost naked again.
Five minutes later she opened the
door, sedately dressed in a long skirt and a knit top. Barefoot, she immediately began apologizing. “I shouldn’t be so skittish, not with you right here to protect me, but it took me by surprise.”
“Not a problem. I’d rather you sound the alarm any time you’re unsure, rather than hold back until it’s too late.”
“I need to go back to my bedroom and get some shoes.”
“Are you dressing up for dinner? You don’t have to do that here, you know. We’re casual.”
“I know. But I like to wear a skirt sometimes. It’s good to change from blue jeans now and then.”
He followed her down the hall and couldn’t help agreeing with her. When she stepped into the bedroom, she turned to close the door.
“If you’re just getting ready, you know, doing your hair and putting on shoes, I think it would be all right for me to come in.” He waited for her response.
“I suppose so.”
She didn’t sound enthusiastic, but he didn’t hesitate to accept her offer as she held the door open. He sat down on the edge of her bed and watched her slip on some soft leather shoes. Then she sat at the vanity of the antique bedroom suite and began combing out her long hair.
“May I do that?”
Even Jim was surprised by his request. He hadn’t planned it. But the desire to touch her in some way was almost overwhelming.
“It…it gets tangled. I don’t think—”
He stood and took the comb from her cold hands. “I’ll be careful.” He stood behind her and gently pulled the comb through the damp strands of blond hair. When he reached a tangle, he slowly picked it apart until the strands all flowed smoothly.
“Your hair is so beautiful,” he told her softly. He regretted his words, however, because she opened her eyes wide, as if she’d been sleeping, and reached for the comb.
“Thank you. You’ve done a nice job of getting rid of the tangles, but I need to dry it now.” She reached for an electric dryer.
He didn’t know if she expected him to leave or not, but he returned to the bed and sat.
She stared at him. “The dryer is noisy.”
“All the more reason for me to remain. I might not hear anything over the sound.”
That appeared to make sense to her. She nodded and clicked on the dryer. Then she bent over, turning her head upside down, and began blowing dry the underside of her hair. After that, she sat up and began smoothing down her hair with a brush while she blew hot air on it.
“Do you do this every time you wash your hair?” Jim asked, fascinated with the process.
“No. After I comb it out, if I’m in a hurry, I braid it and let it dry naturally. But when the weather is cold, it’s better to get it thoroughly dry first.”
“I don’t want you to braid it.”
She stared at him. “Why not?”
“Because it’s so beautiful loose. You didn’t used to braid it at school.”
She ignored his remark. “It gets in my face and I can’t see to do any work. Now I’m going to braid it, then go down to help with dinner.”
“Can’t you wear a…a barrette or something?”
With a sigh, she said, “I’ll only braid the front of it, okay?”
He watched her separate the hair around her face on each side and weave it into a braid about a pencil width. Then she circled that small braid into a coil and pinned it in place. When she finished, her hair was held back from her face, but the unbraided portion fell almost to her waist, a golden stream of hair that begged for his touch.
“You’re beautiful,” he said softly, rising to his feet.
“Jim! You mustn’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because it makes me think… I mean, I appreciate you guarding me, but that’s all this is. You’re playing a dangerous game when you say things like that. It makes me think you’re…you know, like we used to be.”
She jumped up and started for the door. But Jim couldn’t let her go. He caught her and pulled her into his arms. “I am like we used to be, Patience, if by that you mean I love you. Because I do. I was going to wait until this thing with Kane is over, but you might as well know now that I love you.”
He leaned down and kissed her with all the pent-up passion he’d been feeling. She stepped back, but she was unsteady as she stared at him, her eyes wide.
“You’re just saying that because we’ve spent so much time together.” Then she rushed from the room before he could move.
He’d known it was too soon to speak of his feelings, but he couldn’t hold back. Now she’d made it plain she didn’t want professions of love from him. And she’d probably ask for a change of guards if he continued to pursue her. Damn!
AFTER DINNER that evening, most of the younger Randalls moved in to the family room. There were lots of comfortable couches and chairs and a big-screen television.
Jim followed Patience in, even though he wasn’t showing any enthusiasm.
Patience figured he’d already lost his enthusiasm for guarding her. But she’d tried to give him a break. All evening long, she’d stayed wherever the rest of the family was. He knew she was safe with his family.
But he’d stayed beside her, regardless.
However, there were no more amorous looks or small touches. He was keeping everything strictly business.
Patience was glad. Of course she was. She didn’t want him to feel obliged to court her. And that was what she was afraid was happening. The Randall parents watched them with a pleased eye. Red and Mildred treated them like honeymooners.
At least, that was how Patience interpreted those sly glances and secret smiles. So she avoided looking at Jim and left him to follow, never inviting him to stay close.
In the family room, she sat down with Elizabeth, Davy and Tommy. Elizabeth was saving the end seat for Toby.
“There’s no room for me on this couch,” Jim growled. “Let’s move to the couch behind it.”
“I’ll be fine, Jim. You know I’m safe here.” She shrugged.
“It’s my job, Patience.” He took her arm and helped her stand. “We’ll be right behind Tommy.”
With an apologetic smile at Elizabeth, Patience moved. However, she didn’t snuggle up to Jim as Elizabeth did to Toby when he came in. He wrapped his arms around his wife and gave her a kiss.
A streak of jealousy shot through Patience. That was the kind of behavior she was trying to avoid—even though she’d love it. It wasn’t fair to force Jim into a lover’s role.
“Relax,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m not going to attack you when the lights go down.”
She wondered what he’d do if she said what she was thinking. She sighed and scooted away from him a little more.
The movie they were going to watch was a classic animated film the kids were sure to enjoy. Patience was glad. It would’ve been impossible to sit this close to Jim and watch a romance-themed movie.
When the movie began, she relaxed, carried away by the catchy music and the clever animation. She was also distracted by Tommy’s reaction. He was clapping and laughing along with Davy. Steffie, in her mother’s arms, seemed to like the movie, too. But halfway through it, Toby took his daughter from Elizabeth’s arms and carried her up to bed, her head on her daddy’s shoulder and her eyes closed.
Unconsciously Patience whispered, “Isn’t she sweet?”
Suddenly she realized Jim’s arm was around her. He gently pulled her against him and kissed the side of her head. “Yeah. Little girls always are.”
He didn’t release her when she tried to move away. And because it was what she secretly wanted, she settled back against him without protest.
When the movie ended, someone turned the lights on and Patience blinked in surprise. She straightened abruptly, leaving the warmth of Jim’s arms. “Oh. That was a good movie. Did you like it, Tommy?” she asked, hoping to draw attention away from her and Jim.
“Shh,” Elizabeth said. “Both boys are asleep.”
<
br /> “Oh! I didn’t realize…”
Jim stood up. “I’ll carry him up and help you undress him, Patience.”
“Thank you. Next time I’ll have him watch the movie in his pajamas,” she said, smiling. Then she realized how presumptive that sounded. “I mean, if we…if there is a next time.”
“There will be,” Jim assured her, straightening with Tommy in his arms.
She didn’t look at him until he’d gone past her, carrying her sweet little boy. She quietly followed him.
Upstairs they worked together to get Tommy into his pajamas and tucked into bed.
“Are you going to bed now, too?” Patience asked Jim as he walked her to her room.
“Maybe.”
They’d reached her door. She paused, staring at Jim. “What do you mean, maybe?”
“I’m guarding you. I’ll bed down out here so I can get to you quickly if you call out.”
Patience sighed. “I’ll be fine. I don’t want you losing sleep. You need to recover from your wound.”
“No argument, Patience. I’m guarding you.”
Patience took a deep breath. “Then come inside.” She turned and entered her room, not looking to see if he joined her.
Chapter Thirteen
When Patience reached her bed, she picked up her nightgown and headed for the bathroom. Jim stepped in front of her and grasped her arm.
“Wait a minute. What do you want me to do, exactly?”
She drew a breath, hoping she could be honest without pleading. “I…I want you to share my bed.”
He stared at her but didn’t release her. “Why?”
So he was going to force her to spell it out. Okay, she would. “I want you to make love to me, and I hope you want the same thing.” Her voice was trembling by the time she finished, but she thought she’d made herself clear.
Jim swept her into his arms and kissed her, a long, deep kiss she felt all the way to her toes.
“You know I want to,” he whispered when they came up for air. “But—”
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