A Randall Returns (6 page)

“I assume Eric is dead?”

“Yes.”

Mike stood and then helped Caroline to her feet as the two men put the woman on the stretcher. Caroline immediately pressed the wound, stopping the flow, which had resumed. She walked alongside the stretcher.

Mike was about to follow when a waiter handed him a set of keys. “These are the lady doctor’s.”

“Oh, yes, thank you.”

Their own waiter was standing there, ringing his hands. “But what about your dinner? The roast beef is ready.”

Mike stared at him. “Tell you what. Put it in some to-go boxes and I’ll take it with me.”

Relieved, the waiter hurried away. The maître d’ told him to add two desserts. Then he announced to all the diners that everyone was entitled to free desserts.
After all, they’d be detained there for a while so the cops could question any potential witnesses.

Mike reached for his wallet to pay for the dinner, but the maître d’ stopped him.

“
Monsieur,
you owe nothing. Thank you for ending the distress at once. You and your lady were very helpful. Your dinner is on the house.”

“That’s not necessary,” he protested.

“Please,
monsieur.
It is my pleasure. We hope you will try us again on a quieter night.”

Mike put away his money. To insist would hurt the man’s pride. “Thanks, we will.”

They shook hands just as the waiter came out with several large sacks. “Could you carry them to the car for me? I think my hands may be dirty.”

“Of course, sir.”

That way Mike could reward him out of sight of his boss.

When he reached the hospital, he found Caroline in the ER, talking to another doctor, Mike assumed, judging by the scrubs the man was wearing. A surge of jealousy struck him and he fought it down before he reached them.

“Oh, Mike, you’re here. This is Dr. George Kenny.”

Mike took his hand in a firm shake.

“Mike is the sheriff in Rawhide. He disarmed the shooter and prevented anyone else from being injured.”

“Good thing you were there, Sheriff. You and Caroline. She saved that young woman’s life.”

“Yes, she did. Is there anything else to be done, Doctor? Our night’s been rather eventful, and we’re both tired.”

“Of course. No, we have everything under control.”

After they shook hands again, Mike led Caroline out to the SUV. “Want me to drive?”

She’d been determined to be independent. But the night’s events seemed to make such rules silly. “That would be wonderful.”

He helped her in and then circled the truck to get behind the wheel. “Do you smell our dinner? It’s on the back seat.”

Caroline looked over her shoulder, surprised. “I smelled roast beef, but I thought I was imagining it.”

“I thought maybe we could eat once we finish up with the repercussions of tonight.”

“We have to tell Holly’s parents she’s been arrested?”

“I told the policeman we’d do that. It will come easier from us than it would from a stranger on the phone. And you said Eric worked for your uncle?”

“Yes. I’ll call him now before they go to bed.” She pulled out a cell phone as Mike drove, listening to her end of the conversation.

“Uncle Griff? It’s Caroline.” She gave him all the details of the night’s events. “No, I don’t know the woman’s name,” she replied to Griff’s question.

“We went through her purse,” Mike said. “It’s Serena Samuels. She lives in Buffalo.”

Caroline repeated the information. “No, we’re going to Holly’s parents’ home now to tell them in person.” She looked at Mike with a question in her eyes, and he nodded.

“Yes, it will be easier for them. Thanks, Uncle Griff.”

Mike glanced at her quickly. “Is your uncle going to notify Eric’s next of kin?”

“Yes. He says he has the information on file. He thinks Eric’s from a little town in southern Colorado.” She sat there, staring straight ahead. “He’s always played around. When he hooked up with Holly, several people warned him not to break her heart. But I guess he did, anyway.”

“I guess so. People don’t change just because other people tell them to.”

“No.”

“We learned something tonight.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We have some things in common.”

“What’s that?”

“We don’t stop working when five o’clock comes around. Even if we’re not in uniform, we both respond to people in need.” He kept his eyes on the road.

“I guess that’s true. But you had the dangerous part. She could’ve shot you.”

Mike shrugged it off. “Honey, I’m six foot four, and Holly was five-one or -two and probably a hundred pounds.”

“A bullet doesn’t care,” Caroline said harshly. She’d learned that lesson in Chicago.

“True, but I didn’t give her a chance to shoot me.”

“I know,” Caroline whispered. “I’m glad.”

Instead of continuing the conversation, Mike reached out and took her hand. They rode silently into the night.

When they reached Rawhide, Caroline directed him
to Holly’s parents’ house. The Gambils were a quiet couple, liked and respected by their neighbors. Caroline dreaded telling them what their daughter had done.

“Do you want to stay in the car?” Mike asked, as if he’d read her mind.

“I’d love to, but I’m not going to do that.” With a sigh, she pulled her hand free from his and got out of the SUV. They walked up the sidewalk and rapped on the door.

Mr. Gambil was considerably older than Caroline’s father; in fact, he looked a little frail. His wife was small and quiet. They both stared at Caroline and Mike, surprise on their faces.

“Hello, Sheriff, Caroline,” the man said.

“May we come in for a minute, Mr. Gambil?” Mike asked.

“Well, of course. We weren’t expecting company, you know, but you’re welcome anytime.” The man led them into a neat living room.

Mrs. Gambil leaned toward Caroline. “I’m afraid Holly isn’t in this evening, but I’ll tell her you came by, Caroline. We’re all so glad to have you back in town.”

Caroline swallowed, trying to think of how to break the news.

“Mrs. Gambil, this isn’t a social call,” Mike said softly. “I’m afraid your daughter is in trouble.”

The older woman’s gaze shifted from Mike to Caroline and back again. “Is she all right? Has there been an accident?”

Mr. Gambil turned so pale Caroline thought he was going to pass out.

“No!” Caroline hurriedly said, reaching for Mrs. Gambil’s hands. “Holly is fine.”

The sobs slowed, but not much.

“Mr. Gambil, your daughter shot and killed Eric Williams this evening, and she was arrested in Buffalo for murder.”

Caroline was glad Mike had gotten right to the point. At least they now knew the truth.

Mr. Gambil grabbed his chest and passed out. His wife screamed his name and dropped to his side, putting her arms around him.

“I’ll get your bag for you,” Mike whispered, and ran back to the car.

Caroline tried to pry Mrs. Gambil’s arms from her husband so she could tend to him. When Mike returned, he helped her with the woman.

Caroline pulled out her stethoscope and said, “Call Mom and Jon. We’re going to need some help.”

They took Mr. and Mrs. Gambil to the clinic. Because Caroline suspected a heart attack, Jon met them there to help her evaluate the older man’s condition. That left Mike with the wife. She was hysterical, first fearing her husband’s death. Then she was sure her daughter would be hanged.

Mike tried to calm her, but he had limited success. When Caroline’s aunt Anna and B.J. walked in, he felt like a drowning man suddenly finding a boat. Anna, a licensed midwife, helped the nurse give Mrs. Gambil a tranquilizer, while B.J. called Nick Randall.

“Nick, these people need some legal advice. Their daughter has been arrested for murder. I know you don’t usually do that kind of law, but…”

She hung up the phone a minute later. “Nick is coming over. He said he could at least get some information and figure out if there is someone in Buffalo who can help.”

“I don’t know their financial situation,” Mike said awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it. Nick funded a grant to provide legal services for anyone in Rawhide. If he
can’t handle the work, the grant pays for another lawyer to take over.”

“That’s wonderful, B.J. I was pretty relieved to see you and Anna. Now I know why Caroline told me to call you.”

“We all try to pitch in, Mike. That’s what family is for.” She sat next to him. “Sounds like your dinner didn’t go too smoothly.” She gave him a sympathetic smile.

“No, it didn’t. We never got to eat.”

“Oh, you must be hungry. Do you want me to send someone to the café to get you some food?”

“No, thanks. We have our meal in Caroline’s SUV. When she’s finished, we’ll heat it up and eat together.”

“If it’s still in the car, it may be frozen by now. It’s pretty cold out there.”

“How long do you think they’ll be?” Mike asked with a sigh.

B.J. turned to Anna, who was sitting with a now calm Mrs. Gambil. “What do you think?”

“If you’ll keep an eye on Mrs. Gambil, I’ll go see how things are going.” With a nod, Anna left the waiting room.

Mike sighed again. “Nice to have someone who can go through those doors and get answers.”

B.J. laughed. “Yes, it is.” She heard the clinic door open and close and said, “That will either be Nick or Jake. I left word for him to come, too,” she said.

It was Nick who walked into the waiting area. Mike had met him once, but he’d been dressed in a suit and tie. Now he looked like anyone in Rawhide, wearing jeans, boots, a cowboy hat and a sheepskin coat.

“Evening, B.J., Mrs. Gambil, Sheriff,” he said, nodding to them. “Mrs. Gambil, can I talk to you for a few minutes?”

B.J. and Mike looked at each other, then he spoke up. “Mrs. Gambil was given a sedative. She might not be able to tell you much. But I can explain what happened.”

“Thanks, Sheriff. I appreciate that.”

“Make it Mike,” he said as he stood up, extending his hand.

B.J. directed them to the adjacent doorway. “In there you’ll find a place to sit and a pot of hot coffee.”

Mike released a breath of relief and followed Nick into a small meeting room. The lawyer sat at a round table and took out a legal pad and pen from his briefcase.

Mike got them coffee and straddled a chair, blowing into the steaming brew. “I don’t think this will take long. It was pretty simple for all its devastation.”

“What happened?”

Mike went through the event, expanding on things when Nick asked for clarification. “When it was over, she sobbed hysterically, just like her mother. I’m not sure she’ll even remember what she’s done.”

Nick rubbed his forehead. “What a mess. That boy two-timed everyone. Holly was warned, but she was in love.” He gave a disgusted look.

“You don’t believe in love?”

Nick smiled wryly. “Don’t be silly. I’m one of those Randalls who fell like a ton of bricks. I adore my wife and child. But she also loves me. It takes two people to find happiness. I’m afraid Eric—God rest his soul—was only out for sex. I wonder if Holly is pregnant.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Mike replied. “Caroline didn’t say anything.”

“She may not know, either. You know they’ve got those pregnancy tests that tell the woman without her seeing a doctor. My wife told me the news two weeks before she went to see Jon.”

“You’ve got more experience there than I do.”

“So you and Caroline were dining together at that French restaurant?”

Mike gave him a straight look. “And?”

“It doesn’t sound like a dull dinner.”

Mike grinned. “No, but I’m not sure dinner with Caroline could ever be dull.”

“Right. Randall women are bright and beautiful. Hard to resist.”

“Especially if you don’t try,” Mike admitted. “But Caroline seems determined not to marry.”

There was a question implicit in Mike’s voice, and Nick shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t heard anything, though my wife said something was going on about her return.”

“Yeah,” Mike said with a sigh. He hadn’t intended to let anyone know of his interest in Caroline. He’d already decided he wasn’t good enough for her, but if her father thought he was, Mike wasn’t going to fight it.

As if thinking of him made him appear, Jake strode into the room. “Glad you could come, Nick. This is terrible business,” he said, shaking Nick’s hand, then Mike’s. “Mike, glad you were able to take care of things…and Caroline.”

“Caroline didn’t need anyone to save her. She sprang into action at once. She’s a good doctor.”

“Well, of course. But you had to disarm the shooter first. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Mike finally said. “Did B.J. find out how things are going?”

“She said something about you getting your dinner soon. Haven’t you eaten yet?”

“No. We brought our meal home from the restaurant. I thought I’d wait until Caroline could join me.”

“Good guy. I bet you’re starving.” Jake was almost rubbing his hands in glee.

“It wouldn’t be the first meal I’ve missed in life, Jake. It’s not that big a deal,” Mike said, feeling uncomfortable.

B.J. opened the door. “They’re cleaning up now, Mike. Caroline is getting ready to go.”

“Thanks.” He stood up, suddenly very eager to leave the clinic. He didn’t want to say anything to encourage Jake, and he was afraid he might if he spent much more time there. He walked back to the waiting room, followed by Jake and Nick.

“Where is Mrs. Gambil going for the night?” Mike asked B.J. “I don’t think she can go home by herself.”

“No, of course not,” B.J. assured him. “They’ll give her a bed here. She’ll want to stay with her husband, and Caroline wants the nurse to keep an eye on her, too.”

“Good.” He might’ve said more, but Caroline came in and drew all his attention. She looked tired, but still beautiful. Jake hugged her, and Mike wished he himself had that right.

“How’s Mr. Gambil?” he asked.

Caroline let out a relieved sigh. “He’s doing well, resting comfortably. It doesn’t look like a heart attack, as I first feared. Probably it was just anxiety, though he gave us a scare.”

Mike approached her. “Ready for dinner?” he asked with a smile.

Caroline gave him a tired smile. “I think I’ll pass on eating. I just want to fall into bed.”

He stepped closer. “I waited for you. Just eat a little before you go to bed.”

With another sigh, she said, “Okay, just a little.”

Mike risked a glance at Jake, who’d remained strangely silent. He saw B.J.’s boot on top of her husband’s, obviously restraining him from prompting his daughter. Mike nodded to Caroline’s mom in gratitude, and she smiled in reply.

“Good night, everyone,” he called as he urged Caroline to the door. He was never so grateful for the cold night air.

S
TRIDING OVER TO
J
AKE
, Nick patted him on the back. “Neatly done, Jake. And I’m proud of you for not saying anything.”

“Yeah, me, too,” the older man said, glaring at his wife.

Nick grinned. “Well, Mike seems like a nice man.”

“He is, and fast-acting, too.” Jake nodded to himself. “I’m right on track.”

“This is none of your business, Jake Randall,” B.J. said. “You leave Caroline alone. She has to find her own happiness.”

Instead of arguing with his wife, Jake wrapped his arm around her and led her toward the door. “I just hope she’s as lucky as I was.”

M
IKE DROVE
the short distance to Caroline’s house while she sat slumped against the door, her eyes closed. When he’d parked the truck, he reached over and touched her cheek. “We’re home, honey. Go in and grab a shower while I heat up dinner.”

“I don’t—”

“Don’t bother dressing again. Just put on a robe. You’ve got ten minutes.”

Somehow, it didn’t seem worth arguing. Maybe because the thought of a hot shower was too tempting. Afterward, she wrapped herself in a long robe that zipped up from her toes to her neck, and pulled on woolen socks. She combed her hair back and reentered the living room.

Mike had built a fire in the fireplace and had two plates full of roast beef and vegetables set out on the coffee table. There was a loaf of French bread on a separate plate.

“They sent the bread, too?” she asked, smiling.

“I think the maître d’ would’ve given us just about anything. We have dessert, too.”

The food looked delicious, the setting warm and inviting. Giving in to the moment, she sank onto the couch in front of the fire, and, side by side, they slowly ate their late dinner.

Caroline leaned back after. She’d consumed about half her roast beef. “Oh, I can’t eat another bite!”

“You can save that for lunch tomorrow, but you’ve got to taste the dessert.” He got up to retrieve a white pastry and she felt a sudden chill. Sitting close to Mike had felt so cozy, so warm. Even intimate, when their arms touched or their legs brushed.

In front of her, Mike opened the box to reveal tiny masterpieces. “We have
pain au chocolat
and Napoleons. Which would you prefer?”

Caroline licked her lips in anticipation. “I think I’ll have a Napoleon now and maybe the
pain au chocolat
for breakfast.”

“Good idea.” He slipped the pastry on a plate for her and one for himself. Then he slid back onto the sofa.

“Good thing you were there tonight,” he said, leaning back against the cushions. Since he’d had his arm on the back of the sofa, it fell to her shoulders.

His touch felt right, good, after their long night together. “I think we were both pretty useful tonight.” She relaxed and lay her head on his shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

“What was that?”

“About our jobs having similarities. In Chicago, I only dated other doctors because they understood when I’d had a hard day or had to cancel at the last minute.”

“Sounds kind of boring,” he said. Then he kissed her temple.

At least she thought he did. The touch had been so light, she wasn’t sure. She’d feel like a fool if she reprimanded him. Besides, he felt good, solid. “Oh, I suppose so.”

“So there’s no one special in Chicago?”

She gave him a sharp look. “Why do you think that?”

“Because either there is no one or your father doesn’t like him. Otherwise he wouldn’t be matchmaking.”

Caroline jerked her head from Mike’s shoulder and sat up. “My personal life is none of your business.”

“Are you sure?”

She stared at him, her mouth falling open. “What do you mean?”

“If your father is going to try to matchmake, it seems to involve me, too.”

Caroline turned away, arrogance no longer stiffening her shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’ll tell him no. I mean, I’ll tell him you won’t do. I’ll make sure he believes me.”

“But I think I would do.” Mike pulled her gently back against him again and lifted her chin. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all night.” Then he lowered his head and did so.

Ever since their first encounter—right here in this house—she’d known she was attracted to him. Her gaze frequently focused on his lips, her thoughts frequently wandered to his body. No matter how she warned herself, she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to spend the night with Mike, to share his bed. When he kissed her, his power over her was obvious. Incredible. Overwhelming. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed against him. This kiss was everything she’d hoped for.

But when he pulled her onto his lap, she realized it
was time for her to call a halt before she completely lost her head. “Mike, we—we need to stop. I’m not going to get married.”

Somehow, she expected to be thrown on the floor, as if she were damaged goods. That was how she felt. Had felt for four years. Instead, he pulled her closer.

“I don’t remember proposing,” he whispered, as he trailed kisses down her neck. “But a little loving might persuade me.”

He kissed her again, more deeply.

“I—I’m not trying to persuade you, Mike. I—I can’t marry.” She was having trouble breathing as he ran his hands over her.

“Okay. We won’t marry tonight. But we could love each other tonight. We could explore the possibilities of love. We could comfort each other.” He unzipped her robe several inches. “I could touch your silken skin. I could feel you pressed against me as I’ve been imagining all evening.”

She knew she should say no, but she couldn’t think why at the moment. She felt so good when he touched her.

He lowered the zipper a bit more and kissed the exposed skin. She suddenly found herself removing his tie, unbuttoning his shirt, running her hands over his broad chest.

When he stood, she thought he was leaving her, and she was sure she was going to burst into tears.

“Let’s go to bed, Caro. I want to make this a night to remember.”

She didn’t answer except to gaze up at him. But it
was all the answer he needed. In one fluid motion he bent and picked her up in his arms, cradling her against him as he strode purposefully to her bedroom.

Caroline was a tall woman, a capable woman. It wasn’t often that a man made her feel small, protected. But Mike made her feel these and many other things she’d never felt before.

When they reached her bedroom, he stood her on her feet and reached for the zipper on her robe. He paused, waiting for her signal before he pulled it down. Then he looked at her sharply. “Are you protected, Caro? I don’t have a condom with me.”