Randall Riches

by Judy Christenberry

  She closed her eyes, not wanting to let escape any hint of such a fact. The man was already freaked out by the rumors. She’d never lived in a small town, and she had no concept of the gossip that could occur, but Rich seemed fearful of it. As if a rumor of their marrying might make him marry her. A ridiculous thought!

  While she’d been trying to order her thoughts, Janie and Lavinia came in again.

  Janie looked first at Samantha and then Rich. “Did my son prop himself against the wall and not speak while we were gone?”

  Rich’s face turned red, but Samantha calmly said. “Why, no, he’s been telling me about his ideas for his new job. I’m impressed with his knowledge.”

  “Good,” Janie said. “I’d hate to hear he’d been rude.”

  “Not at all,” Sam said, smiling. “We’re as comfortable with each other as brother and sister.”

  Rich glared at her, but she thought it was a nice touch. That would make it clear to everyone that there was no attraction between them. Which was a lie, of course, on her part, but that didn’t matter. At least she was going to be able to stay in the first place she’d called home in twenty-four years.

  WHEN LAVINIA and Rich drove to town to pick up Samantha the next afternoon, Rich felt relieved about his situation. Samantha hadn’t given him any grief about the marriage thing. And now that she was getting out of the hospital, they wouldn’t be under the town’s eye.

  In fact, he could hurry that along by going out with someone else. He’d always played the field. He could do so again. But he noticed he didn’t have any enthusiasm for it.

  Okay, so he’d concentrate on his job until he felt differently. Either way, the rumors would stop.

  As Lavinia parked the car, she sneezed.

  “Bless you, Grandma. Are you coming down with something?”

  “I don’t know. I felt funny this morning.”

  “We’d better get you in to see Doc while we’re here.” His grandmother had caught pneumonia a couple of years ago and his mom always panicked if Lavinia showed any signs of a cold.

  “No, no, I’m sure I’m all right. I have to be to take care of Samantha.” Lavinia opened her door and got out of the car, only to sneeze again.

  Half an hour later, Doc was patting Lavinia on the shoulders. “You let these young people take care of you now, Lavinia. I want you to stay in bed until you’re feeling better.”

  “It’s just the sniffles, Doc, and you know it.”

  “You said the same thing when you had pneumonia. You do as I say or I’m putting you in the hospital.”

  “We’ll take care of her, Doc.” Rich put his arm around his grandmother.

  “Looks like it will be just you. Sam’s recovering well, but she won’t be up to doing all the work.”

  “Uh, okay. I’ll take care of both of them.”

  “Good for you. Call me if she feels worse and I’ll come see her. We don’t want to take any chances.”

  “Right.”

  “Are you picking up Samantha now?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve given her some cream to rub on the strained muscles in her shoulder. It will provide some warmth and help her shoulder to heal faster. Make sure someone applies it every night.”

  Foreboding filled Rich. On her shoulder? Touching her? Rich would do what he had to do, but that task sounded dangerous.

  He let his grandmother go ahead of him to Sam’s room. He pulled out his cell phone. “Mom, Grandma has a cold and Doc wants her to go to bed and stay there.”

  “Oh, thank goodness you had Doc check her out.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t—I mean, I can manage, but any help you can give me would be appreciated.”

  “I’ll be at the house when you get there and get Mom settled in bed, and Sam, too. Then I’ll make some things for the freezer. Your dad can come for dinner.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  When he got to the room, his grandmother was fussing, trying to help Samantha. “Grandma, Doc said for you to take it easy.”

  Samantha, letting Lavinia tie her shoes, jerked back and winced. “What’s wrong with Lavinia?”

  “Nothing at all, dear. Just ignore the boy.”

  “Grandma!” Rich turned to Samantha. “She’s starting a cold. Since she had pneumonia a couple of years ago, Doc errs on the side of caution.”

  “Sit down, Lavinia. I’ll manage.” She got up and took Lavinia’s arm and led her to the only chair in the room. In spite of Lavinia’s arguments, Samantha had her seated and leaning back.

  Rich was grateful. In turn, he took Samantha’s good arm and led her to the bed. “I’ll tie your shoes. Are you packed?” He knelt in front of her and quickly tied the shoes. Then he looked for her suitcase.

  “Yes. The nurse who helped me dress took care of it.”

  Helped her dress? Surely they wouldn’t expect him to— No, they couldn’t ask that of him. It would make it tough to ignore Sam if he had to get that close.

  “You can’t dress yourself?” he asked, trying to make his voice sound calm, but he figured he missed as his grandmother and Sam both stared at him.

  Sam spoke first. “Of course I can. But I’m slower. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself and Lavinia, too.”

  “Sure, okay. Ready?”

  When they got to the car, the women escorted by Rich, hobbling along on his walking cast, he realized he had another problem. He shouldn’t let his grandmother drive. She’d sneezed three more times on their way out to the car. He found a blanket in the trunk and put his grandmother in the back seat, tucking the blanket around her. She was shivering.

  “You aren’t supposed to drive,” Samantha reminded him quietly.

  “I know, but if you help me, we can make it.” He opened the passenger door for her. “I’ve got to pick up the prescription Doc gave us. Do you need to get one filled, too?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Hand it to me and I’ll take care of both of them at once.” She did so, and he indicated the front seat. “Sit down. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  When he returned to the car, he explained that, since the car was automatic, he could drive with his left foot. However, he wanted her to sit next to him in case he needed help.

  Samantha strapped herself in to the middle seat. “You mean you want me to grab the wheel?”

  “No, I want you to press the gas pedal if necessary. You’ve got two good feet. I’ve got two good arms. Together we can manage.”

  She agreed, watching him carefully. Neither of them noticed anyone looking at them until they backed out of the parking place. Someone shouted, then. Rich looked up and saw several of his friends. They were giving him a thumbs-up.

  They were that excited that he was driving? Then it hit him. They saw Sam pressed against him and thought their closeness was for romantic reasons, not for driving.

  He groaned and shifted against the car door.

  “What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

  “Nothing!” he snapped. Then he apologized. “Sorry, it’s my fault. My friends saw us sitting close together and thought—you know.”

  “So, do you want me to move away?”

  “No. It wouldn’t be safe.”

  If he’d been in the car alone, he wouldn’t have hesitated to try driving by himself, but with his grandmother sick in the back seat and Sam having already suffered from severe bruising, he didn’t want to have a wreck.

  The fifteen-minute drive took a little longer because he didn’t want to go too fast. But with Sam pressing against him so she could have her foot ready if he needed help, the ride seemed interminable. Her left breast rested against his right arm, soft yet firm, distracting him from the driving. He only hoped she wouldn’t notice his response.

  He gave thanks that his mother was waiting for them. She hurried out to the car.

  “Mom, come on in. I’ve changed the sheets on your bed. It’s all ready for you.”

  He opened his door to get out, but his mother’s next words
stopped him. “You two sure are cozy.”

  Sam spoke up. “Rich isn’t supposed to drive with his right foot, so I was helping.”

  “Oh, you poor dear,” Janie exclaimed. “I forgot, since you’ve been getting around so well.”

  “That’s okay, Mom. We’re a house of gimps,” Rich joked.

  “Well, let’s get Grandma in her bed. Rich, can you make her a cup of hot chocolate?”

  “Sure.” After saying that he realized he had no idea how his mother or his grandmother made hot chocolate. Maybe they had some of those instant packets.

  He got Sam’s suitcase and followed her into the house. “I’ll carry your bag up after I make the chocolate for Grandma.”

  “Go take the bag up now. I’ll make the chocolate,” Sam said, surprising him.

  “But your arm?”

  “I can do it one-handed, except for pouring it into the cup. You’ll be back down here by then.”

  He didn’t wait for her to offer twice.

  When he came back into the kitchen, he discovered Sam had found a small tray. She put a napkin and a large cup on the tray along with the pills the doctor had prescribed. “Should I add a couple of cookies?” she asked. “Did she eat much lunch?”

  Rich scratched the back of his neck. “Come to think of it, she didn’t.” He had had his mind on picking up Samantha and hadn’t paid much attention to his grandmother’s appetite. “That’s a good idea.”

  When the chocolate was ready, she had Rich pour it into the large cup. Then she had him pour it into three regular-size mugs. One of them she added to the tray. “For your mother,” she said and reached down to slide the tray toward him.

  Rich must’ve thought she was going to try to pick up the tray, because he lunged toward her, reaching out. Samantha tried to back away and lost her footing. Rich grabbed her and pulled her against him.

  It was as if the world had stopped spinning suddenly as he held her against him, their breaths mingling as their gazes met.

  “Sam, I didn’t—” Rich began.

  At the same time, Sam said, “I’m sorry—”

  They stared at each other and Samantha felt her breath grow shallow, until she couldn’t breathe at all as Rich’s mouth covered hers. His strong arms wrapped around her body. Samantha slid her arms around his neck, loving the feel of him pressed against her. The rediscovery of that magic she’d felt before was amazing. She’d told herself she must’ve imagined it.

  He reslanted his lips as they kissed, as if he wanted more. Though Samantha knew there were reasons she shouldn’t supply his needs, she couldn’t seem to help herself. Or remember why she shouldn’t. His touch was too heavenly.

  The sound of the creak she always heard when someone was on the fourth step from the top, jerked her back to reality. When Rich pushed her away before she could move, she assumed it did the same for him.

  Suddenly she went from the exciting warmth of his body to nothing. They stood there staring at each other, but at least they weren’t touching.

  Janie breezed into the kitchen. “Did he forget how to make the hot chocolate?” she asked cheerfully. Then her gaze fell onto the tray. “Oh, it’s all made. Sorry I misjudged you, son. Were you afraid to carry it up because of your cast?”

  “Yes!” Samantha agreed enthusiastically, relieved that Janie came up with a reason for the delay. “Him with his foot and me with my arm, it was hard to decide who would be the biggest risk.”

  Rich said nothing. He didn’t even look at his mother. Fortunately, her mind was preoccupied. “I’ll take care of it. Oh, there’s a cup for me, too. Thanks, Sam.”

  Then they were suddenly alone in the kitchen again. A deadly silent kitchen.

  Rich ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t keep apologizing!” he finally said, sounding as if he would explode if he didn’t say something.

  Sam realized she didn’t want an apology. What she really wanted was for him to repeat his actions. Her cheeks blazed with fire as she turned away. “It’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is! I’ve told you I won’t marry you, but I keep kissing you.”

  She looked at him questioningly. “You think you have to marry every girl you kiss?”

  “No!” he roared.

  She immediately shushed him. She didn’t want his mother coming down to find out what was wrong. It was bad enough discussing this with Rich, but his mother? “So, we both understand the situation. If one of us—forgets and kisses the other, it’s just a passing thing. If no one sees us, then they won’t think anything about it. So there’s no harm.” She wasn’t sure she made sense, but she wanted the discussion ended. “I think I’ll go lie down for a little while. I’m tired.”

  Janie reentered the kitchen to hear that remark. “I’m glad you’re going to lie down. I came down to tell Rich he had to stop talking so you could rest. But it is good to see how well you two are getting along.”

  With Janie standing there beaming at them, Samantha didn’t dare even glance at Rich. “Right, Janie. I’ll go to bed at once.” And she bolted from the kitchen.

  Chapter Eleven

  Since not only Rich’s mother but his father also came over to Lavinia’s for dinner, everything went smoothly that evening. Rich even had a chance to talk to his dad about some changes he wanted to make to the routine on the ranch.

  He and his father did the dishes after dinner. All the kids had been trained in cleanup at home, male and female. His mom had said she wasn’t going to raise boys who thought they should be waited on.

  While they cleaned the kitchen, Janie first put her mother to bed for the night and then took care of Samantha. Rich gave her the cream before she went upstairs. And breathed a sigh of relief.

  Until his father asked him to sit down because they needed to talk.

  “Dad, I cleared everything up with Samantha. She’s happy to stay and she doesn’t expect me to marry her, I swear.” He could’ve said that with a clean conscience this morning, but the afternoon had confused the issue. He wasn’t clear on what Sam meant with that jumbled speech before his mom came down. He thought maybe she was telling him she liked his kisses. But he certainly didn’t need to think that!

  “Good. Glad to hear it. But that’s not what I need to talk to you about.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Nope. Your mom and I didn’t go anywhere for our anniversary this year and I felt bad about it. So I bought tickets for a trip to Hawaii as a surprise.”

  “Good for you, Dad. That’s romantic.”

  His father grinned. “Yeah. I’ve learned a little over the years.”

  “So when do you— Uh-oh. That’s the problem, isn’t it?” A hard lump settled in his stomach. So much for all his plans to avoid Samantha.

  “I’m afraid so, son.”

  “When?”

  “This is Thursday night and we leave Saturday morning.” Pete stared at his son. “What I need to know is, can you manage with the two ladies upstairs by yourself?”

  Rich knew what his father wanted to hear. And he was going to give him that answer, no matter what. His parents were the best. “Sure, I can. We’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure, son?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “I’ll get Anna to come by and check on you when she can. And Russ and Abby will spend the weekend with you. I’m sure Mildred will send over some meals.”

  “That’s nice. Then I’m sure we can make it.”

  “Your mother will probably call here every day to be sure they’re all right. Any trouble and you can always call the ranch and whoever’s available will be right over.”

  Rich couldn’t help but smile. What his dad said was true. But he couldn’t see calling any of the uncles to come rub Sam’s shoulder. “I know. We’ll be fine. I’m pretty sure Grandma just has a cold. But we won’t take any chances, I promise.”

  “What do you promise?” Janie asked as she entered the kitchen.

  “To take care of Grandma and Sam.”r />
  “Of course you will,” she said with a smile, “but I’ll be here.”

  “No, you won’t, sweetheart,” Pete said.

  “What are you talking about, Pete?”

  “I’m talking about tickets I already bought for us to fly to Hawaii Saturday morning.”

  Janie gasped. “But why?”

  “Because I haven’t had you to myself in a while. Plus, it’s a belated anniversary present.”

  “But Mom—”

  “Will be taken care of,” Rich quickly said, thinking his mother looked like a newlywed as she stared at her husband. The love they shared had always been strong. The boys had never doubted it when they were growing up.

  “What if she gets worse? I’ll admit she just seems to have a cold, but—”

  “First we’ll call Doc to come see her. Then we’ll call you and I bet Dad will get you back here as soon as possible. It’s not like you’re abandoning her. She’s got me and Sam and the rest of the family,” Rich assured her.

  “Oh, Pete, you know I want to go,” Janie said with tears in her eyes.

  “I know, honey, but if it upsets you too much, we won’t go,” Pete hurriedly said.

  “Why don’t you bring Anna over tomorrow to look at Grandma and see what she thinks?” Rich suggested.

  “Good idea, Rich,” Pete said and turned to his wife. “And on the way home I’ll tell you about the other arrangements I’ve made.”

  Rich escorted his parents to the door and stood there watching them drive off. Then he banged his head against the wood frame of the door. “Good Lord, what have I done?” he asked himself.

  THE NEXT MORNING when Samantha first opened her eyes, she smelled coffee and bacon. She almost turned over to sleep a little longer until they delivered breakfast to her room.

  Then she remembered she wasn’t in the hospital any longer. And Rich had to be the one doing the cooking. She shoved back the cover and got out of bed. She dressed slowly but she noticed the pain wasn’t quite as bad today.