town.”
“Thank you.” She’d have to let the sheriff know when she moved back home, as she fully intended to do in a few days…
J IM WAS USING his left hand to feed himself. He was managing okay, except for the peas. Balancing the small peas on his fork took more talent than he had, so he abandoned that part of his meal.
When he heard the door open, he looked up and was pleased to see his parents. “Dad! I’m glad you’re back.”
Chad didn’t hesitate to hug his son. But he was careful of his injured shoulder. “Did Jon check you today?”
“Yeah. He said I might go home tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful, dear.” Megan went to him and gave him a hug, as well.
“Is Patience at the ranch?” Jim asked.
“Yeah,” Chad answered. “I thanked her for saving your life. Your mother told me.”
“Yeah.”
“We found two dead bodies.” Chad looked at his son, waiting for his response.
“Those were two of the general’s lieutenants. They caught us the last day. I shot one and Patience shot the other.”
“Did you see the general escape?”
“Yeah. He was with the one I shot, and I think he saw the other one fall. That’s when he rode off in the other direction.”
“Toward the cabin?”
Jim frowned. “Yeah. Why? Did he use the cabin?”
“I think he burned the cabin. We saw the smoke the afternoon before, which would’ve been while you were coming down.”
“Damn him! I’m sorry, Dad. Patience, Tommy and I spent that last night in the cabin so we could have a hot meal and get a little rest. Patience had been up all night the day before.”
“It was a good plan, son, and it worked. You got down safely.”
“Thanks to Patience. The kids will really miss going to the cabin this summer, though.”
“Maybe we’ll rebuild and you can do some hammering.”
“That’s a deal, Dad,” Jim said.
T HE NEXT MORNING , after she’d made sure Tommy had eaten breakfast and was happily playing with Davy, Patience came downstairs. “Is anyone going to town today?” she asked.
Megan immediately told her she was going into pick up Jim. “Did you want to come with me?”
“Well, I need to pick up my car and I have some errands to run.”
“Then of course I’ll be glad to give you a ride. Or I could drive you around if you need to shop or something.”
Patience knew Megan was curious about her errands, but she didn’t want to tell the Randalls that she was going to go see their cousin, Nick Randall.
After an awkward pause Megan said, “I’ll be ready to leave in about fifteen minutes, if that’s all right.”
“Yes, I’ll be ready.”
On the ride into town, Megan didn’t ask any more questions. Patience was grateful. Nick Randall was the best lawyer around. Patience wasn’t sure she could afford him, but she had to start there. She needed to make sure that Tommy was legally hers. She should’ve done it long before now.
Once Megan had dropped her off at her house, Patience drove her own car to the main street of Rawhide and parked. Then she entered Nick’s law office, which was across the street from the general store.
“May I help you?” the receptionist asked.
“I’d like to see Nick Randall.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Patience stared at her. “An appointment? Uh, no.”
“He’s not in the office this morning. Could you come back this afternoon?”
Like she had a choice. Patience nodded. “What time this afternoon?”
“Just a minute. I’ll check with him.” The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Randall? What time could you take an appointment this afternoon?”
Patience stood there, feeling like an idiot for thinking she could just walk in and see the lawyer.
“Ma’am, what’s your name?”
Hurriedly she replied, “Patience Anderson.”
The woman repeated her name into the phone. “Oh. Yes, sir, of course.” She hung up the phone and said, “Mr. Randall is available now. He’ll be right
“Thank you.” She’d have to let the sheriff know when she moved back home, as she fully intended to do in a few days…
J IM WAS USING his left hand to feed himself. He was managing okay, except for the peas. Balancing the small peas on his fork took more talent than he had, so he abandoned that part of his meal.
When he heard the door open, he looked up and was pleased to see his parents. “Dad! I’m glad you’re back.”
Chad didn’t hesitate to hug his son. But he was careful of his injured shoulder. “Did Jon check you today?”
“Yeah. He said I might go home tomorrow.”
“That’s wonderful, dear.” Megan went to him and gave him a hug, as well.
“Is Patience at the ranch?” Jim asked.
“Yeah,” Chad answered. “I thanked her for saving your life. Your mother told me.”
“Yeah.”
“We found two dead bodies.” Chad looked at his son, waiting for his response.
“Those were two of the general’s lieutenants. They caught us the last day. I shot one and Patience shot the other.”
“Did you see the general escape?”
“Yeah. He was with the one I shot, and I think he saw the other one fall. That’s when he rode off in the other direction.”
“Toward the cabin?”
Jim frowned. “Yeah. Why? Did he use the cabin?”
“I think he burned the cabin. We saw the smoke the afternoon before, which would’ve been while you were coming down.”
“Damn him! I’m sorry, Dad. Patience, Tommy and I spent that last night in the cabin so we could have a hot meal and get a little rest. Patience had been up all night the day before.”
“It was a good plan, son, and it worked. You got down safely.”
“Thanks to Patience. The kids will really miss going to the cabin this summer, though.”
“Maybe we’ll rebuild and you can do some hammering.”
“That’s a deal, Dad,” Jim said.
T HE NEXT MORNING , after she’d made sure Tommy had eaten breakfast and was happily playing with Davy, Patience came downstairs. “Is anyone going to town today?” she asked.
Megan immediately told her she was going into pick up Jim. “Did you want to come with me?”
“Well, I need to pick up my car and I have some errands to run.”
“Then of course I’ll be glad to give you a ride. Or I could drive you around if you need to shop or something.”
Patience knew Megan was curious about her errands, but she didn’t want to tell the Randalls that she was going to go see their cousin, Nick Randall.
After an awkward pause Megan said, “I’ll be ready to leave in about fifteen minutes, if that’s all right.”
“Yes, I’ll be ready.”
On the ride into town, Megan didn’t ask any more questions. Patience was grateful. Nick Randall was the best lawyer around. Patience wasn’t sure she could afford him, but she had to start there. She needed to make sure that Tommy was legally hers. She should’ve done it long before now.
Once Megan had dropped her off at her house, Patience drove her own car to the main street of Rawhide and parked. Then she entered Nick’s law office, which was across the street from the general store.
“May I help you?” the receptionist asked.
“I’d like to see Nick Randall.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Patience stared at her. “An appointment? Uh, no.”
“He’s not in the office this morning. Could you come back this afternoon?”
Like she had a choice. Patience nodded. “What time this afternoon?”
“Just a minute. I’ll check with him.” The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Randall? What time could you take an appointment this afternoon?”
Patience stood there, feeling like an idiot for thinking she could just walk in and see the lawyer.
“Ma’am, what’s your name?”
Hurriedly she replied, “Patience Anderson.”
The woman repeated her name into the phone. “Oh. Yes, sir, of course.” She hung up the phone and said, “Mr. Randall is available now. He’ll be right
Similar Books
