A Randall Returns (16 page)

The ring slid onto Caroline’s third finger, fitting perfectly.

“My goodness, look how it sparkles, Mike. It must be at least three carats!”

“Four! I wanted you to have a ring you’d be proud of.”

“But, Mike, it must’ve cost a lot!”

He grinned. “That’s an understatement,” he muttered.

“But—”

He kissed her again. “It was my decision. And I like the way it looks on your hand. All I want is for you to want to wear it.”

“Oh, yes I do!”

When they reached the house, Jon and Tori had already gone inside. Mike and Caroline greeted the family, but said nothing about their engagement. Then she asked Red for a cup of hot tea and went out to the kitchen with the women.

It took several minutes for someone to notice the diamond on her finger. Then Mike heard Elizabeth scream, “Caroline, your ring!”

Caroline must have been swamped by all the women, judging from the sounds in the kitchen.

Jake, in the living room with the other men, looked up when he heard the commotion. Like everyone else, he started toward the door, but Mike put a hand on his arm. “Jake, could you wait a moment?”

“You know what’s going on?”

Mike nodded. When the others left the room, he said, “I asked Caroline to marry me…and I gave her a ring. I hope you and B.J. don’t mind.”

“Mind? Hell, no, son. Welcome to the family!” He shook Mike’s hand and then hugged him.

“Thanks, Jake,” Mike said, a little startled by the man’s exuberant reaction.

Suddenly, Jake stepped back. “Did she talk to you about… about children?”

“Yes, sir. If she can’t have babies but wants children, we’ll find a way. However, I discovered that Don was impotent.”

“That bastard!”

“My words exactly,” Mike told him. “But he’s gone now and he won’t be coming back. I scared him away.”

Jake clapped him on the shoulder. “Thatta boy! Good job!” He grabbed Mike’s arm and started in the direction of the kitchen. “Let’s go see what kind of a ring you bought my little girl.”

When they entered the crowded kitchen another eruption occurred. Everyone wanted to welcome Mike
into the family and shake his hand. B.J. hugged him, as did all the ladies. And they all raved about the ring.

“Where did you find it?” B.J. asked.

“Ask Sarah. She said she had some private stock for special customers,” Mike said, nodding toward the woman.

Nick stepped up next to Jake. “My wife has exquisite taste.”

Jake reached his daughter and asked to see her ring. She held out her hand, watching his eyes. He stared at the diamond on her finger, then turned and looked at Mike. “Are you trying to start an uprising, Mike? All the ladies are going to want big rings. Mercy, you must’ve spent a wad.”

Mike grinned. “Caroline is a special lady. I didn’t want her to be ashamed of my ring.”

“You got that accomplished,” muttered Pete, scratching the back of his neck.

Janie put her arm around her husband’s waist. “Don’t worry, honey. I have something better than Caro’s ring.”

“You do? What’s that?”

“Almost thirty years with you.”

The kitchen seemed to turn into a love fest, with wives reassuring their husbands.

“Gol-darn it! Get out of my kitchen with all this lovey-dovey stuff,” Red yelled. “I have work to do!”

“I could use some help unloading my SUV. You won’t believe how many presents Caroline brought with her.” Mike headed out to his car and some of the men followed him. They all loaded up with presents
and returned to the big living room used for family gatherings.

Mike stood at the entrance, staring at the huge tree. “How did you get that tree in here? It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Casey said at his side. “It takes us a long time to decorate it. Tonight we’ll sing Christmas carols around it. And then Jake will read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ to all the little kids before they go up to bed.”

“That sounds terrific,” Mike said.

“And then the parents play Santa Claus,” Casey continued. “The rest of us watch and drink eggnog.”

“And how early does Christmas start in the morning?”

“There’s a rule. No one goes downstairs until the sun has risen. Then it’s up to us, but no one wants to miss Christmas morning. Besides, we get to open presents.”

No matter what was under that tree in the morning, Mike knew he’d already gotten the best gift.

Mike enjoyed Christmas Eve, which followed Casey’s description. The small children were adorable as they listened to Jake read the story in his deep voice. Some of them sat at his feet. Others stayed in their mothers’ laps.

Mike sat with his arm around Caroline. She was relaxed, leaning against him, whispering occasionally. He couldn’t imagine being more content. After the story, Anna led everyone in Christmas songs. The voices blended amazingly well. By the time it was all over Mike had to admit he’d never spent such a wonderful Christmas.

A sleepy Caroline kissed him good-night and went up to bed shortly after ten. Mike wanted to go up with her, but, as she’d predicted, he was led to the bachelor pad by Casey. There he found all the unmarried men, even his uncle. They were talking about a variety of subjects including the price of Caroline’s ring. But no one asked.

Mike was going to turn in when his cell phone rang.

“What’s up?”

“Sheriff, I’m sorry, but we’ve got this hysterical lady wantin’ to see her baby and fearin’ her husband will come. We don’t know what to do.”

“She’s the woman who left the infant at the clinic?”

“She says she is, but the nurses wouldn’t let her see her baby and she’s hysterical.”

“Okay, Gary, I’ll be right there.”

He told Casey he had to go back to town. Casey said his bunk was closest to the door. “Just knock and I’ll let you in,” he offered.

All the way back to town, Mike worried about what was going to happen. How it would affect his engagement to Caroline.

He’d known all along that she was growing too attached to the baby. He’d watched the two together and had marveled at Caroline’s gentle touch, at Rosa’s soft coos when she was being held. And he’d known trouble was brewing. He’d told Caroline it was only a matter of days before social services came and took control of the baby—Rosa was getting healthy enough to leave the clinic—but he doubted she listened to him.

Mike raked a hand through his hair. If Rosa was reunited with her mother, Caroline would be devastated. Would she blame him? Would she give him back his ring and end their relationship?

Questions whirred in his head as he pulled up at the clinic. Alice, the nurse on duty that night, explained that the woman had come in and asked for her baby back. When they’d told her no, she’d tried to get past them. Alice had fought her while the other nurse called the Sheriff’s Office.

“Your officers were wonderful, Sheriff Davis. They got her out of here.”

“Good. I’m going to talk to her.”

“Will she get Rosa?”

Mike patted her shoulder. “I don’t know. It’s not my decision.”

When he got to the office, he heard sobbing as soon as he opened the door. The woman was in the first cell, crying her heart out. The two deputies were standing around looking very uneasy.

“Open the cell,” Mike ordered, “and don’t lock it again.”

The woman, who had long blond hair, never looked up. Mike sat down beside her and touched her shoulder. “Ma’am, I’m the sheriff, Mike Davis. What’s your name?”

She glanced at him, and he saw that her face was a mess—her eyes swollen, one of them black, with a bruise on her opposite cheekbone.

“Gary, get me some tissue,” he called to his deputy. “Ma’am, did my men hurt you like this?” He gestured to her eye.

“Oh, n-no. That was m-my husband.”

“Is he here?”

“N-no. I ran away and—and I hitched a ride with a truck driver.”

“And your name?”

“Mary Hudson.”

“And your husband’s name?”

She shook her head and covered her face.

“Mrs. Hudson, I need to know your husband’s name and his location.”

“I left him in Salt Lake City. His name is…is Perry Goodson.”

“You’re not really married to him?”

She covered her face again and sobbed some more.

“Okay, I need some more information. Why do you think your baby is in our clinic?”

“B-because I left her on the steps. If I hadn’t, that bastard was going to kill her. He said he couldn’t get enough sleep when she cried.”

“And did you name your baby?”

“Yes! Yes, I named her Rosa because she was as pretty as a rose. My mom was named Rose. I wanted her to have her own name, so I change it to Rosa.”

He asked her several more questions. Then he said, “If I take you to see your baby, will you accept the fact that you can’t take her out of the clinic tonight?”

She grabbed his hand. “I can see her? She’s all right?”

“Yes. I understand she’s putting on weight and seems happy. But you’re going to have to appear before a judge and prove that you can take care of your baby. That you won’t abandon her again.”

“I won’t! I promise! But I can’t afford a lawyer or anything. I’ll never get her back. Please help me!”

“The main thing you have to do is calm down. You can’t see Rosa like this.”

“I—I will,” she said, hiccuping a little.

“Do you have a coat?”

“I have a sweater,” she said, looking wildly around her.

Gary stepped forward and held her sweater out for her to slip her arms into the sleeves.

Mike handed his keys to Gary. “Run upstairs. I have
a couple of coats in my closet. Bring one of them down.”

Mary looked confused. “I’m fine with my sweater.”

“It’s cold outside, ma’am. Where did you come from?”

“Salt Lake City.”

“No, I mean where’s your family?”

“My dad lives in Kentucky. My mom’s dead. I—I ran away with Perry. Dad told me not to come back. I knew I’d made a mistake, but I didn’t have anywhere to go. Then I got pregnant and I hoped Perry would like our baby.”

Gary came down with a heavy jacket and held it out for Mary.

Mike took her outside to his SUV. He helped her in and circled the vehicle to drive her to the clinic.

Once they got there, Mary seemed afraid. “I don’t think they’ll let me in.”

“Yes, they will. I’ll make sure of it.”

Mike led her into the clinic and rang the bell for assistance.

The two nurses came together, their eyes wide and wary. “Sheriff,” Alice said in greeting.

“Ladies, this is Mary Hudson. She left her baby on the front steps about a week ago because the father threatened to kill her. She understands that she can’t take the baby away, but she’d like to hold her and see if she’s all right.”

“Are you sure she won’t hurt her?” Alice asked.

“No!” Mary protested. “I’d never do that. I promise I just want to—to hold her.”

The pain in her eyes, the hunger to see her child, convinced the nurses more than Mike’s words.

The four of them went down the hall to the nursery. Mary started trembling when she saw the baby sleeping in a bassinet.

Alice put an arm around the woman. “Here, come sit in the rocker. She should be wanting her bottle anytime now. You can feed her.”

Mary’s eyes lit up with joy. Alice helped her remove Mike’s jacket, then the woman sank down in the rocker and stared at her baby, tears running down her face.

Mike leaned against the wall, waiting.

When the baby began stirring, Mary watched her child in awe. Alice picked the baby up and handed her to her mother.

Mike was afraid Rosa would let out a yell, but the baby just latched on to the bottle the nurse had given Mary. When she finished feeding, the nurses showed Mary how to burp her.

Once that was done, exhaustion took effect on the weary mother.

“Come on, Mary.” Mike picked up his coat and helped her put it on.

She turned to the nurses and thanked them for taking care of her baby.

“Where are you taking her?” Alice asked.

“I’m going to drive her back to the jail.”

“We can keep her here. She might need some attention to that bruise.”

“Don’t worry,” Mike said, realizing he was going to have another fight on his hands if he didn’t convince
the nurses he was going to help Mary. “I’m going to put her in my apartment for the night. Tomorrow I’ll see what I can do for her. But first she needs to sleep.”

“But where will you sleep?”

“I’m spending the night at the Randalls’ ranch.”

“Will she be able to keep her baby?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to ask Nick Randall to help her.”

“Good.” Alice turned to comfort the mother. “Don’t worry, Mary. You’ll be okay.”

By the time he got the woman back to the Sheriff’s Office, she was almost asleep. Mike left her with Gary while he went upstairs and straightened up a little. He found a T-shirt she could sleep in. That was the best he could offer. Then he called down for Gary to bring her up. Mike showed her the bathroom, offered the T-shirt and told her someone would give her breakfast when she woke up.

“Thank you so much,” she whispered, obviously overwhelmed.

The two men went down the stairs. Gary muttered, “The man who beat her should be in jail.”

Mike nodded in agreement. “Will you keep an eye on her? When she wakes up, take her to breakfast at the café. You can even escort her to see Rosa again. Tell her she’ll have to spend the night in my apartment again tomorrow night. Then she’ll see Nick Randall to find out what she has to do to get her baby back.”

“Sure, boss. Listen, she’s a little thinner than my sister, but I’m sure my sister can give her a few clothes. That might make her feel better.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Gary, if you think your sister won’t mind. After all, tomorrow is Christmas.”

“Couldn’t be a better time to give.”

“Good point. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to see how she’s doing.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mike felt sorry for the woman. She seemed so young, so lost. He believed he had to help her.

But what would it do to Caroline? He’d do anything he could for her, because more than anything in the world, he wanted her to be happy. But he couldn’t take Rosa from her mother. He had to do his job.

He drove back out to the ranch, feeling like a fraud accepting Jake’s warm hospitality while bringing sadness to his daughter. Mike remembered how Jake had welcomed him into the family. That could change, come dawn.

Rapping on the bunkhouse door, Mike waited for a sleepy Casey to open up.

“Come on in. You won’t get much sleep if you plan to get up early,” Casey whispered.

“Yeah, I know. But wake me at sunup anyway, okay?”

“Sure,” Casey agreed, and yawned.

Mike went to the small room he’d been given and shed his clothes, sliding under the covers. But instead of sleeping, he tossed and turned, fearing the reality of dawn.

C
AROLINE HEARD
the stirring of the children early the next morning. She thought about staying in bed, but she
knew Mike would be waiting for her. She held up her finger and stared at her beautiful ring. He’d certainly surprised her. She knew he wanted to be with her, but she hadn’t been sure he wanted anything permanent.

A month ago she’d been in Chicago, hiding out from her family, from her life, thinking herself less a woman, less a potential wife because of her so-called deficiency. Then she’d come to Rawhide and found Mike Davis—and everything had changed.

She thought of little Zach and his mother and the lesson she’d learned from them. Then she thought of Mike and how, thanks to him, she’d learned how much she had to offer. She hugged herself at her luck in finding such a man as Mike.

A knock on her door had her hoping it was him. When she opened it, however, Davy stood there.

“Aunt Caroline? Are you going to come down? Daddy said to come ask you.”

The boy’s excitement was contagious. “Yes, I am. Let me get my robe and I’ll come down with you.” She put on a warm robe and slippers and stepped out of her room.

Davy was waiting for her. “Come on, Aunt Caroline. Daddy said we should go to the kitchen first.”

She could smell the coffee halfway down the stairs, and picked up speed. Knowing Mike would head for a cup of coffee, she hurried to the kitchen.

He wasn’t there.

“Have you seen Mike?” she asked Red and Mildred.

They both shook their heads. Then Red said, “We heard someone drive off last night. His SUV is out there
now, but he may have had a call and not gotten much sleep.”

Caroline was just heading to the bunkhouse to find him when he came in the door with Casey.

“Mike! Are you okay?”

He gave her a haggard smile. “Fine. But I didn’t get much sleep.”

Caroline’s heart fell. “Were you having second thoughts?” she asked softly.

He pulled her into his arms. “Never, sweetheart.”

She relaxed against him. “I would’ve stayed in bed this morning if you’d been with me.”

His smile brightened. “I wish I had been.”

“Come on, sit down, and I’ll get you some coffee.”

Along with coffee, she brought him a warm cinnamon roll. He drank some coffee first, but once he tasted the cinnamon roll, he finished it before he went back to the coffee. “Man, that was great. Can you make those, Caro?”

“That’s another secret recipe of Red’s,” she told him ruefully.

“Maybe for a wedding present Red will—” Mike suddenly stopped as his phone rang.

Since she was standing closest to it, Caroline picked it up. “Merry Christmas to you, too,” she said when the deputy greeted her.

“I’m sorry to bother you all on Christmas, Ms. Randall, but I need to speak to Mike about the baby’s mother.”

Caroline felt her chest tighten, her pulse pound. It suddenly became hard to breathe. “Excuse me?”

“Little Rosa,” the deputy clarified. “Didn’t Mike tell you? Her mother showed up last night to take her child.”

Caroline held back the tears that stung her eyes. She turned to look at Mike.

The man she loved looked like a criminal caught in the act.

“C
ARO
—”

“Why, Mike? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He took her hand and led her to the dining room, a silent, empty space where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

“I wanted to tell you, Caro. But I was going to wait until after Christmas.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Dammit, Caroline, I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what, Mike?” She held herself so stiffly, he was sure she’d snap.

“Afraid you’d…change your mind. About us.” At the questioning look in her eyes, he continued. “She wants her baby back—and I’m going to help her.”