by Tori Scott
He'd blamed Maddie for years. He'd even tried to track her down once, just so he could vent his frustration and anger face to face. But he'd loved her so much, and hated her with equal passion, that he was afraid of what he would do if he actually found her, and he'd given up the search. Seems as if that had been the best thing, after all.
If he'd found her and learned she was already pregnant with another man's child, he might have committed a sin as big as her father's.
As he watched, Doc stormed into the clinic and slammed the door. A moment later, Linda called out, "Rand, line two."
He crossed to his desk and picked up the phone. As soon as he punched the button, Doc roared, "What is the meaning of this, Rand? How can you even think of trying to help that woman?" The way he said that woman made Maddie sound like some kind of prostitute.
"I'll explain it all tonight, Doc. Seven o'clock at the Chamber."
"You'll explain it to me right now, Sheriff, or you'll explain it to the voters in a recall election."
Rand clenched his jaw and bit back the retort straining his vocal chords. "If you want to know what it's all about, you can come tonight, or you can read about it in the paper next Friday. It's up to you."
"I don't understand why you're sniffing around that girl again. Have you forgotten about what she did? Or are you thinking with the bottom half of your brain again, just like you did back then? She wasn't good enough for you then, and she still isn't."
"That's enough, Doc. Maddie didn't do anything to my parents. She's not responsible for her father's actions. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject. If you want to hear the rest, be there tonight." Rand slammed the receiver into the cradle with a curse and kicked his chair back against the credenza.
What had gotten into Doc? Rand had never heard him talk that way about anyone before. He'd delivered nearly every baby in town, including Maddie, and had always watched out for them, taken an interest in their lives. But something must have happened between those two, something that went beyond his parents' murders. And he intended to find out exactly what it was.
***
Maddie watched as Brandy and Missy cruised around the rink, showing off as they switched between skating backwards and forwards. She'd been lost in thought, wishing she'd had a chance to talk to Rand about what Ellie had told her, but he'd been too busy to call her back all day. He must have found out something, or was busy chasing down a lead, because it was the first day he hadn't been close by since she got back to town. He'd assigned a deputy to follow her around, but it wasn't the same.
Beside her, Linda glanced anxiously at her watch and fidgeted in her seat. Maddie leaned closer so she could be heard over the music blaring from the speakers. "Do you need to go somewhere? I can watch the girls and bring Missy home for you."
Linda looked startled, then shook her head. "No, that's okay. My daughter should be here any minute. I have a meeting tonight, but it won't hurt if I'm a few minutes late."
More out of a desire for conversation than real curiosity, Maddie asked, "What kind of meeting?"
Linda's face turned red and she looked away, avoiding Maddie's gaze.
"Linda, is there something I should know about? Are the townspeople about to run me out on a rail?"
Linda hunched down in her seat. "No, it's nothing like that. Just a town meeting."
Maddie kept an eye on the girls as they flirted with a couple of teenage boys and waited for Linda to elaborate. She'd learned in the courtroom that people hated silence and tended to incriminate themselves when they tried to fill it.
Linda squirmed as though the seat had become unbearably uncomfortable before she finally blurted out, "Rand called a town meeting. He needs help watching out for you and Brandy and wants the citizens to get involved. But I think he's stirred up a hornet's nest. Doc is calling for a recall petition to take Rand's job away from him. And Lord knows what else is going on." She breathed a sigh of relief when a pretty blonde walked through the door and headed their way. "I hate to abandon you, but I think I need to be there in case there's trouble."
Maddie stood and picked up her purse. "I'm going with you. Would your daughter mind taking Brandy home with her? I can pick her up after the meeting."
Linda glanced around The Skate Palace as though looking for a way to escape, but Maddie stood between her and the door. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"I'm going. I ran once, but I've grown up a lot since then and I can fight my own battles. I'd rather not take Brandy with me, but I will if I have to."
Linda sighed and turned to her daughter, who had just joined them. "Claire, this is Maddie Cooper. Would you mind taking her daughter home with you for a couple of hours? Maddie's going to the meeting."
Claire's eyes widened, but she recovered quickly and smiled at Maddie. "Sure. The girls will have fun. Which is more than I can say for you two."
***
Rand stood at the podium at the front of the high school gymnasium and assessed the mood of the crowd. The younger residents seemed mostly curious, gossiping amongst themselves as they waited for him to begin. The older group would give him the most trouble. They had long memories, and his parents had been well liked and respected.
Doc moved through the crowd, stopping to talk, to shake hands, to pat a shoulder. Every few seconds he'd glance up at Rand, glower, and turn his attention back to the people who seemed to hang on his every word.
Rand leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, calling for the group's attention. Conversation ceased as every head turned his way. "I think most of you know by now why I've called this meeting. I need your help. I'm sure you all remember Maddie Cooper, or have at least heard about her. She and her daughter, Brandy, recently returned home to Greendale."
Doc bellowed out,. "That was your first mistake, letting that woman stay instead of running her out of town." His words echoed through the room
Rand fixed Doc with a penetrating glare. "That's enough. Since when has this town judged a child for its parent's behavior? Some of you have had to live down the shame of a drunken father, others have been embarrassed by a father who refused to work to feed his family. We've had our fair share of child abuse, extramarital affairs, drug addiction. And in a town this small, everyone knows every detail."
Several heads nodded in agreement, and a couple of people shushed Doc when he snorted loudly in derision.
"Maddie Cooper has had to live with what her father did, but she wasn't the one who committed the crime. It's time to forgive and forget." He paused and took a deep breath. "For all of us."
A movement at the rear doors caught his attention and he looked up, straight into Maddie's wide-eyed gaze. The look on her face shook his concentration for a moment before he forced his attention back to the job at hand.
"I've made copies of pictures and rap sheets of a dozen known felons who are suspected of making threats against Maddie and her daughter. This is serious business, folks. Any one of these men could be headed to Greendale. What I need from you is your pledge to keep your eyes open, to watch for strangers, and to let me know immediately if you see something out of the ordinary."
Doc stood and gestured to the people in the seats around him. "You made a promise to this town, Rand McCade. You swore that if we elected you sheriff, you would keep trouble out of our town. Now you're handing trouble an engraved invitation by harboring Maddie Cooper and her bastard child."
Gasps raced through the crowd, and Rand glanced at Maddie. Her hands balled into fists at her side and an angry flush heightened the color in her cheeks. "That's enough, Doc. One more word and I'll have Cody escort you back to the clinic and keep you there until this meeting is over. Do I make myself clear?"
Doc subsided into seething silence, but Rand didn't miss the venomous look he shot Maddie as she marched down the center aisle to the podium. There was definitely something there, something he'd missed, something between Maddie and Doc. He filed the thought for later when Maddie climbed the steps to
the stage and crossed to the podium.
He stepped back to let her have her say. He could tell from the look on her face that trying to stop her would be a monumental mistake.
***
Maddie quivered with rage at Doc's insensitive remark. She had no idea what had brought on the verbal attack, but he'd made a mistake by bringing up her daughter's paternity. That was one thing Maddie couldn't forgive. He'd made an enemy for life as far as she was concerned.
She took a moment to calm down before she addressed the crowd. "Well, you know all my worst secrets now, so at least there's nothing to stand between us."
The crowd chuckled and she felt a little of her normal equilibrium return. "I wouldn't even think of putting any of you in danger if it weren't for my daughter. Those of you who have children and grandchildren hopefully will understand. When our lives were threatened, all I could think about was getting her to safety. Getting her home. Illegitimate or not, she's still my daughter."
Several heads nodded. A male voice from the back of the room called out, "But did you have to bring your problems here? What about the safety of our children?"
Maddie glanced toward the door where Linda still stood, smiling her encouragement. "I had nowhere else to go. And I honestly don't believe there's a danger to your children. This is between me and someone who has a grudge against me and no one else. But if the majority wants me to go, I will. But I want to tell you how good it feels to be home, to be among people I've known since childhood. To feel safe."
Gertrude Roberts stood and turned to face the crowd. "We duly elected our sheriff, and he's never let us down. Maybe we should do as he asks, help him keep an eye out. We could be a community-wide neighborhood watch group. If we all help, Greendale will stay a safe place to live."
Andy Griggs stood up beside her. He'd slicked his hair back for the occasion, and he actually looked debonair. "Gertie's right. The sheriff always does his job. Even when I get out of line, he straightens me right out. And I 'member Maddie when she was knee high to a grasshopper. Her daddy mighta been a working slob like the rest of us, but she had big dreams. She was gonna be a big shot lawyer. Looks like she got her dream, so now we need to make sure her little girl gets to have hers."
Gertrude watched Andy as he spoke and clapped him on the back when he finished. "Good for you, old man. There's hope for you yet."
Andy's ears reddened and he dropped into his seat like someone had knocked him in the head.
Rand stepped to Maddie's side and leaned toward the microphone. "This is what I love about this town. This willingness to help someone in need. Our Maddie is a respected judge now, and you never know when you'll need to have a judge on your side."
Amid more chuckles, he picked up a stack of papers and handed them to volunteers who passed them around. "I want everyone to take one of these, study them. If you see one of these men, call me. I put my cell number at the top of the page. Do not try to approach them if you see them. These men are dangerous."
Maddie nodded. "Please don't risk your lives trying to be a hero. All I need is a warning, enough time to get my daughter to safety."
Rand looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back. When he'd handed out the last of the flyers, he leaped back onto the stage and leaned across her to reach the microphone. "And besides, Cody's been itchin' to get his hands on a real live bad guy. Y'all wouldn't want to deprive him of his moment of glory, would you?"
Laughter rippled through the room and he dismissed the group on that upbeat note. Maddie didn't even realize he held her hand until she started to move away. His strong, callused fingers held her firm until the last straggler had left the building.
He turned to face her and brushed her hair back from her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be subjected to this."
She took a step back to gain some distance. She couldn't breathe when he was that close, touching her. "I'm the one causing all the trouble. It was only right I should be here to take some of the heat."
"Maybe. But I would have spared you Doc's comments if I could."
"I'm a big girl now, Rand. I don't need you to run interference for me anymore. I just need you to protect my daughter."
He dropped her hand and placed a firm hand on her back to usher her down the steps. "I'll do my best, Maddie, to protect you both. That's a promise you can count on."
His words sucked the breath from her chest and her fists balled at her side. "You said that once before. I hope you've gotten better at keeping your promises." With a lift of her chin, she turned and walked away.
As she shoved through the door, she realized she was doing it again. Using anger as an excuse to run away from emotions she didn't want to deal with. It was an old pattern learned in childhood when she was shunned for being the poorest kid in the class, and for being the smartest.
She'd used it in self-defense when her father blamed her for the way his life had turned out. For being alive when his precious wife and son had died on an icy road. If she hadn't been thirty miles from home at a debate tournament when the freak ice storm hit, her mother and brother would have been at home watching television, instead of on their way to pick her up.
Maddie shoved the memories aside, not wanting anyone to see her cry. She'd learned long ago not to show any sign of weakness. Weakness made you vulnerable, and there was always someone waiting to take advantage of it.
With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and headed back inside to apologize to Rand for her uncalled-for remark. He'd made his promise with the sincerity she'd once admired him for, and she'd tossed the past in his face. She wouldn't blame him if he'd changed his mind about letting her stay in town.
He was gathering the extra sheets of paper when she opened the door and glanced up, a frown creasing his brow. "Did you forget something?"
"Yes, Maddie said, closing the distance between them. "My manners. I'm sorry. That last comment was uncalled for. I'm feeling a little vulnerable right now, and I don't like the feeling. So I lashed out at you."
Rand ran the back of his fingers across her cheek, sending shivers all the way to her toes. "It's okay, Maddie. I understand."
"I believe you do. But I don't. I don't understand a lot of things. Like why you refused to see me after…what happened. Why you wouldn't even take my calls. I loved you, Rand. With my whole heart."
His eyes widened. "Wait. You called me? Tried to see me? When?"
"Oh my God, Rand. Every day. Several times a day. Right up until the day I left town."
"I didn't know. Actually, I don't remember much about those few days after the murders. Doc gave me some kind of sedative and I was pretty much out of it. Even the funeral was a blur."
"I was there. I thought you were ignoring me, refusing to look at me. I stayed at the back, and when you turned around and looked right through me like I wasn't even there, I left before the service ended. I called my aunt and she picked me up the next day."
Doc had kept him sedated. It explained a lot, except why. Why would Doc keep Rand drugged for several days? Rand had always been strong. He wouldn't have fallen apart.
Rand pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. "I'm so sorry, Maddie. Doc told me you wanted nothing more to do with me, that you were running away--from me, from the town. I felt deserted and betrayed. I wanted you there with me, to hold me and help me deal with losing my parents, but you never came."
"Because Doc told me you hated me, that you never wanted to see me again. He told me to leave town, and to never come back. He even offered me money to leave." She pulled away and he dropped his arms to his sides. Maddie brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "Why, Rand? Why did Doc interfere in our lives like that? What did he have to gain?"
Rand shook his head. "I have no idea, but I intend to find out."
CHAPTER FIVE
Maddie kicked off her shoes and wiggled her aching toes. "Thank God, I think that's the last of it." Eight hours of non-stop shopping wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but
Brandy had a blast. They'd spent the last hour unpacking the Expedition and putting away linens and kitchen utensils, lamps and pictures, and the most important purchase of the day--a video game system to replace the one they'd left behind.
"Is it okay if I go work on my room for a while?" Brandy asked as she stored a bag of cat food in the pantry.
"Sure. I'm just going to sit here on the floor and pretend we have furniture."
Brandy wrinkled her nose at the mention of furniture. "I still wish we'd bought new furniture instead of renting it. There's something weird about sleeping in a bed someone else has slept in."
"That's why I bought you a mattress pad and that plastic cover. We're not going to be here long enough to spend that kind of money. Now, go on and straighten your room. The delivery truck should be here any minute."
Maddie leaned her head against the wall and rested her arms on her knees. Domino purred quietly as he rubbed against her legs, and she reached out to stroke his silky fur. "You aren't sure about all this stuff, either, are you, boy? Last week everything was normal, now it's all mixed up and out of place."
Had she made the right decision? Uprooting Brandy and running back to Greendale had never occurred to her until she'd seen that dummy on her porch. But where else could they have gone?
Some of the old-timers still resented her, and she understood that. Her father hadn't endeared himself to anyone with his brusque ways and his vocal opposition to change in the community. Then he'd committed the worst crime the town had ever seen. It was natural that people saw her as an extension of the man they'd learned to hate. But she wasn't her father, and she wasn't responsible for his crime--at least that's what she told herself in the wee hours of the night when the nightmares hit.
She must have fallen asleep because a knock on the door sent her scrambling to her feet, heart pounding as she tried to remember where she was. Her butt was numb from sitting on the floor. A glance at her watch showed she'd been asleep for at least fifteen minutes.
