Randall Riches (7 page)

“No need. If you’re willing to take me in, I’ll do the cleanup.”

Rich got to his feet. “I can help, Grandma.”

“You should rest your ankle,” Samantha protested.

“I’ve been resting it all morning. You wash, I’ll dry.”

“Dictatorial as usual,” she muttered, hoping the others couldn’t hear.

“Okay, I’ll wash and you dry.”

“How about I wash and dry and you rest your ankle?”

Samantha heard a laugh and she looked at the three at the table.

Lavinia asked, “Do you two always argue? It reminds me of Janie and Pete.”

Rich protested. “Mom and Dad? They don’t argue much.”

“Maybe not now, but they argued up a storm before they got married. Had the men in both families upset because the women wouldn’t speak to them, made them sleep on the sofas.”

“Why?” Rich asked.

“Because I said she should marry me since she was pregnant. And I was right.” Pete smiled triumphantly at his wife.

“I think I won, Pete,” Janie said. “I didn’t want to unless you loved me. And you do.”

“With all my heart, honey. But that wasn’t ever in question.”

Both Lavinia and Janie laughed. “But you wouldn’t tell me,” Janie pointed out.

Pete was beginning to look a little uncomfortable. “No need to discuss it further. Since we’ve been married more than twenty-five years and had three kids, I think everyone knows we’re a great match.”

Though Janie chuckled, she stood and held out her hand. “Let’s take Sam’s bag upstairs. Is everything ready, Mom?”

“Sure.” Lavinia looked at Rich and Sam at the sink. “You two come up when you’re finished.”

When they were alone in the kitchen, Samantha said, “Do you think your grandmother needs someone to take care of her?”

Rich gave her a sharp look, then concentrated on the
saucer he was drying. “I think she gets very lonely with Granddad gone. He was a crusty old guy. But she adored him.”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad you’re staying. I want Grandma to be happy.”

“I’ve only promised to stay a week.”

“You might like it. I don’t think you’ll be too lonely with Grandma here. And the ranch hands will probably be happy to spend time with you.” By the time he finished speaking, he was frowning deeply.

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, but, well, cowboys talk a lot but they don’t always keep their promises. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I told you I could take care of myself, Rich.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want that, either. I want you to be happy, too.”

She put the last clean saucer in the dish rack and let the water drain from the sink. “Your grandmother doesn’t have a dishwasher?”

“Didn’t want one. Dad tried to talk her into a kitchen renovation with all the latest gadgets ten years ago. She refused.”

“Are you coming up?” Lavinia’s voice floated down the stairs.

“On our way!” Rich sang out.

He took Sam’s hand and led her up the stairs. She tried to pull away when they reached the top of the stairs, but he held on. “Are you in Mom’s room?” he called.

“Yes,” Lavinia answered. “But now it will be Samantha’s room.”

Samantha stepped into the room where Janie, Lavinia and Pete were waiting. She stared at the beautiful room and fought back the tears.

Three days with Lavinia and Samantha knew she was in trouble. Her self-discipline had eroded to the point that she knew she’d never want to voluntarily leave. Lavinia treated her like a favorite child. She was cheerful and loving. Sam had never experienced such an environment.

She rose when the alarm went off. She’d always been an early riser, though she didn’t normally rise at six-thirty. But Lavinia did. She insisted on cooking breakfast each morning, but Sam set the table and cleaned up afterward.

She’d persuaded Lavinia to let her do the vacuuming and clean the bathrooms, too, but it had taken a determined argument. Those chores took at most an hour or two each day. Sam fixed lunch and the two of them made dinner together, but Sam enjoyed those tasks, especially since there was an abundance of food and only the two of them to eat.

Sam figured she was going to gain weight if she wasn’t careful.

She came downstairs this morning, a smile on her
lips. She had nothing to frown about. “Morning, Lavinia,” she called as she entered the kitchen.

“Good morning, dear. I do enjoy having you here. I really was feeling lonely.”

“I’m lucky to be here. But I don’t feel I’m earning my keep.”

“Nonsense. I’m making pancakes this morning.”

“I’m going to have to watch my weight. You’re such a good cook, Lavinia.”

“You’re not bad yourself, Samantha. You’ll make some man a fine wife.”

Sam stopped in her tracks. “I don’t think so. I’m not interested in marrying.”

Lavinia turned around. “Why’s that?”

“Men like me, but not for the role of wife. I have no family, nothing of value. They see me as just a short-term fling, but I’m not interested in that role.”

“I should think not! And if Rich, or any of the boys, act like that, you let me know. I won’t put up with that kind of behavior.”

Sam smiled. “Don’t worry, Lavinia. I can take care of myself.”

After breakfast, Lavinia offered to show Samantha how to knit. Sam had told her last night that she’d like to learn how. They settled in the comfy den and Lavinia pulled out several skeins of green wool. Sam learned quickly. Lavinia watched her, a smile on her lips.

A knock at the door surprised both ladies. “I’ll get it,” Lavinia said, “so you won’t drop any stitches.”

Sam figured it would be someone for Lavinia anyway, since she didn’t know anyone but the Randalls.
She didn’t figure Rich, Janie or Pete would knock on the back door.

Lavinia came back into the room, a worried look on her face. Samantha was worried, too, when she saw who followed Lavinia.

“Brad! What are you doing here?”

“Like I told Mrs. Dawson, I’m here to take you home. You shouldn’t have run so far just because we had a little argument.”

“How did you find me?”

“One of your boyfriend’s friends came back in. He told me Randall’s name and I checked the rodeo files for his address. Once I got to Rawhide, it only took one visit to a café to find out where you were. People like to talk.”

Sam kept her gaze on Brad. She knew he was mean, and had a bad temper. She was worried about Lavinia standing so close to him. All she wanted to do was make sure he left. Quickly. “I think you misunderstood, Brad. I was tired of Flagstaff. I didn’t want to stay there.”

“You’ll change your mind,” he said in an arrogant tone.

Sam turned to Lavinia, and said “I’d better step out on the porch and talk to Brad.”

“Of course, dear. I’m sure your young man would like to visit alone. You’ve certainly come a long way, haven’t you?” she asked Brad.

“She’s worth it,” Brad said. As if he were a gentleman, he stepped back and waved Samantha in front of him.

Once they stepped outside, she turned to face him. “I don’t know why you’re here, but I want nothing to do with you.”

“Yes, you do,” he said, confidence in his voice. “I know you’re all alone. No one will care if I take you back to Arizona.” He flashed her an evil grin.

He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward his truck.

“
I
object, even if no one else will,” she said. This wasn’t the first time Sam had faced a bully, planning on using his strength to take what he wanted. She’d actually taken a self-defense course for just such occasions.

He had her off the porch, dragging her to the truck. She still thought maybe she could convince him to leave her alone, until he drew a big knife as he grew more irritated with her resistance. She knew she had to do something now.

Suddenly, she dropped as if she’d fainted.

Brad growled and yanked on her arm, causing her a lot of pain, but she didn’t give in. He leaned over to force her to her feet. Samantha raised a leg and kicked him in the groin as hard as she could. He folded over in pain and she kicked him in the face. He released her as he screamed in rage. She rolled to the side so he wouldn’t fall on her.

Then she grabbed the rocking chair on the porch and slammed the hard wood down on his head and he slumped flat on the ground.

“Good girl,” Lavinia said, stepping out of the house
with a rifle in her hands. “You did that slick as a whistle. But you’re bleeding. What happened?”

Sam looked down at her arm, shocked to discover he’d cut her arm as he fell. She grabbed the wound, knowing she had to stop the bleeding.

“We’d better get out of here. He’s going to be furious when he comes to. I’ll drive you to Janie’s place and we can call the sheriff to pick him up. Then I’ll be on my way.” She hated the fact that her voice trembled.

Lavinia ignored her. “I’ll get a towel.” She dashed back inside and reappeared with a clean soft cloth. “I think you’re going to have some bruises on your arm, too.”

“Didn’t you hear me, Lavinia? We need to—”

“I heard you, child. But I’ve already called the sheriff.” She paused when they both heard a vehicle roaring down the long driveway. “That will be Rich. The sheriff couldn’t get here so quickly.”

“You called Rich? But he’s injured. I don’t want anything else to happen to him on my behalf.”

Lavinia grinned. “Don’t worry. Rich can’t attack Brad now ’cause you already did.”

The truck came over the hill and the driver didn’t slam on his brakes until the last minute. The doors opened and Rich, Red and a young man Samantha had only seen once, Toby Randall, raced to the front porch. They all stopped when they saw Brad lying on the ground.

“Is he alive?” Rich wanted to know.

“I hope so. I didn’t mean to kill him,” Samantha said, taking a hesitant step toward the body.

“I’ll check,” Toby said, kneeling beside him.

Rich stared at her. “What happened to your arm?”

“He had a knife,” Sam said, but she was beginning to weaken as she bled and the adrenaline faded.

Toby picked up the knife that had fallen near the man. “Here it is.”

“How’d he find you?” Rich asked. “You didn’t call the café, did you?”

“Of course not!” Samantha snapped, irritated that Rich thought she’d do something so stupid.

“Then how would he know?” Rich asked again.

“One of your friends came into the restaurant and he asked your name. He checked the rodeo records. Once he got to town, gossip did the rest. He was determined to take me back.”

“What? Grandma, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Rich. It’s Samantha who got hurt. Look at that cut on her arm. She’s going to need stitches.”

Samantha tried to hide her right arm behind her back, but Rich stepped to her side and gently pulled it forward, unwrapping the towel.

Red whistled. “That looks painful.”

Samantha stared at the blood still seeping through the cut. “It’s almost stopped bleeding.” It was painful, but she said nothing else.

The sound of a siren caught their attention. At the same time, Brad stirred.

Samantha took a step back and she warned Toby to get away from him. “He’s crazy.”

“We can tell that,” he assured her. “We don’t much cotton to men who threaten defenseless women.”

“Defenseless? Take another look, Toby Randall,” Lavinia ordered. “Samantha weighs about a half of what that man does and she took care of him. And I’ve got my rifle in case he tries anything else. We’re not defenseless.”

“You’re right, Mrs. Dawson. I’m sure this guy will agree with you, too,” Toby said, grinning.

The sheriff’s car pulled up and two men got out. The older one called, “Mrs. Dawson? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. But he’s not.”

The sheriff and his deputy stepped into the circle, able to see the man for the first time. “I can see he’s been taken out. Now, Toby, Rich, I hope you didn’t overdo it. We don’t want him bringing assault charges against you.”

Rich grinned. “We wish we were the ones to take him down. Especially after he did this.” He gently pulled Samantha’s arm forward again. “But it was Sam herself who took care of the guy.”

The deputy’s jaw dropped and the sheriff looked at Samantha in admiration. “I see. I can call an ambulance.”

“No, thank you, Sheriff. I’m fine,” Sam replied.

“We’ll drive her to Doc’s now. We can fill you in later, okay? I think she’d better get stitches right away,” Rich assured the sheriff.

“Good idea. Bob,” the sheriff said. “Put some cuffs on this guy and put him in the back of the car. Then we’ll stop blocking their way out of here.”

The deputy tried to pull Brad to his feet, but he was too heavy. Toby offered a hand. The deputy turned Brad
around and started to cuff him. Brad yanked his arm away and tried to hit the deputy, roaring, “You have nothing on me. Don’t touch me.”

The sheriff didn’t hesitate. He pulled a pistol and leveled it at Brad’s head. “You’re under arrest. If you resist, I’ll shoot you. Got that?”

“You can’t do that!” Brad insisted and took a step toward the sheriff.

The sheriff pulled back the hammer on his gun. “Try me.”

Samantha didn’t figure the sheriff got many takers on that offer. His voice sounded made of steel. Brad hesitated.

“Now, put your hands behind your back and let my deputy cuff you.”

“I want to file assault charges!” Brad roared, but he actually did as the sheriff ordered.

“Against whom?” the sheriff asked calmly.

“That woman, damn her! She tried to hurt me on purpose.”

“You’ll get a chance to talk to a lawyer as soon as we get you to jail. But it’ll be hard to convince a jury that this little lady brought you down for no reason,” he added with a grin. Then he turned to Samantha and Lavinia. “Are you taking your car, Lavinia? I’ll help this lady to the car.”

Rich shook his head. “I’m taking them in. That is, Grandma will have to drive, but I’m going with them. Come on, Sam.” He put an arm around her waist and urged her forward.

She leaned toward him. “I can slap on a Band-Aid. I don’t need to see the doctor.”

“You’re going to the doctor, Sam. That’s a deep cut. It’ll probably leave a scar but it’s got to be cleaned out and sewn up.”

Samantha tried to resist, but her head was hurting, her arm throbbing, and she thought she’d done something to her collarbone. She didn’t have much strength left. By the time he got her to the car, slipping both of them into the back seat, Lavinia was behind the wheel.

“We’ll see you in town,” the sheriff said and got in the police car. The driver turned the sedan around and sped down the driveway.

Rich didn’t have to tell his grandmother to hurry. She was on their tail in no time.

R
ICH CARRIED
Sam into the doctor’s office even though she insisted she could walk. Rich didn’t believe her, which was probably a good thing.

“Where’s Doc Jacoby?” he asked as he walked past the patients waiting in reception.

The young lady behind a small desk looked up. “What’s wrong?”

Rich pressed his lips tightly together, trying to control his anger. Then he repeated, “Where’s Doc Jacoby? We’ve got an emergency!”

“What’s up, boy?” asked an elderly man who had just come through an open door near the reception desk.

“Doc, this is Samantha Jeffers. Her arm has been cut and she’s lost a lot of blood. You need to take a look
at her.” Rich turned so the doctor could see Sam’s right arm.

Dr. Jacoby had been taking care of him and his family most of their lives. Rich trusted him completely.

“Nasty cut. How did that happen?” Dr. Jacoby asked.

“Some guy took a knife to her. Can you take care of her?”

Doc turned to his other patients. “Sorry, folks, but I have to attend to this young lady right now.”

He ushered them into an examination room and turned to Sam.

“So, can you talk, young lady?”

“Yes, of course. I really don’t think there’s anything you can do, but Rich insisted—”

“You a friend of Rich?” Doc asked, looking first at her and then Rich.

Lavinia, entering the room behind them, spoke up. “No, she’s my companion.”

Doc sent a sharp look Lavinia’s way. “You okay, Lavinia? Didn’t know you had a companion.” He shouted for a nurse. When a woman appeared in starched white, he asked her to help the patient put on a gown.

“Please, Doctor,” Sam began, “I don’t need—”

Both Rich and Lavinia assured her Doc Jacoby was the best. She needed to follow his orders.

The nurse indicated for Rich to set Sam down on the examining table and turned to pull a disposable gown out of a drawer.

“Rich,” Lavinia caught his attention. “You need to
leave so we can undress Sam. We don’t want any more blood on her clothes.”

He turned bright red and stepped to the door. “Don’t let her fall,” he said before closing the door behind him.

“Your grandson seems mighty intent on this little patient,” the nurse said, grinning at Lavinia.

“He surely does,” Lavinia agreed with a big grin on her face.

“He just feels responsible for me,” Samantha said.

Lavinia patted Sam’s good arm, smiling gently at her, and the nurse began unbuttoning Samantha’s shirt.

“Really, I don’t need to undress. It’s already stopped bleeding. Maybe just a bandage?”

“You’re being ridiculous, child,” Lavinia protested. “Who knows where that knife has been. The cut has to be cleaned and you’ll get a tetanus shot. You’ll need stitches, too.”