A Randall Returns by Judy Christenberry Read Free Book Online Page B

they had a lot of money.
    When twelve o’clock arrived and one of the deputies came in to relieve him, Mike told him where he could be found in case of an emergency.
    “Hey! You’d better watch out. You’ll be married before you know it. The Randalls like to matchmake.”
    “And that’s a problem?” Mike asked with a grin. “I haven’t seen any ugly Randalls.”
    The deputy nodded, grinning in turn. “Good point, but just remember you said you didn’t intend to marry.”
    “I will.”
    Mike hurried upstairs to the apartment the town provided over the jail. He washed up and added a corduroy jacket to his jeans and shirt to keep the chill out, then pulled on his sheepskin coat.
    Climbing into his SUV, he drove the short distance to Caroline’s house.
    He knocked on the door, eager to see her.
    But when she opened the door, her first words weren’t welcoming. “Dad said you’d be here at twelve-thirty!” she snapped, purposely looking at her watch.
    “I came early because I thought you’d want to visit your patient before we went to the ranch. I didn’t think the girls should—I thought they might be bored.”
    He’d changed his statement because he’d caught sight of two little faces watching him. “Hi, girls! Did you sleep good?”
    “Yeah, and Caroline made us pancakes for breakfast,” Beth said adoringly.
    “Did she? Wonderful. Did you save me some?”
    Jenny didn’t realize he was teasing. “Oh, no! Are you hungry?”
    He swung her up into his arms. “No, sweetheart, I’ve already had breakfast.” Then he looked at Caroline. “Are you going to go check on your patient?”
    “Yes, thank you. Girls, I’ll be right back.”
    When she’d left, he gathered both girls on the sofa for another Chipper story.
    Before he could begin, Beth said, “Caroline’s goingto see Mommy. She’s her patient. Do you think Mommy will be all right?”
    Mike gave her a rueful smile. “I’m sure she will be. Dr. Caroline is a good doctor. You’re feeling better, aren’t you?”
    “Yes. She gave us medicine,” Beth assured him.
    “And orange juice,” Jenny added.
    “See, I told you she was a good doctor. Now, did I tell you about when Chipper ran away from home?”
    He had their attention for the next twenty minutes.
    Caroline came in just as he ended the story. Both girls jumped down from the sofa and ran to her. “How’s Mommy?” Beth asked. Jenny didn’t speak, but her wide-eyed gaze was fixed on Caroline’s face.
    Caroline shot him a questioning look and he shrugged his shoulders. Then she looked at the girls. “Mommy is doing much better. After school tomorrow you can visit with her.”
    Both children were excited about that. Caroline told them to go put on their shoes and they would all go to lunch at her family’s house.
    Jenny immediately brought her shoes to Mike. He helped her, so she beat her sister in the race to get ready. Beth complained, but Caroline assured her it didn’t matter.
    Mike and Caroline each took a child and strapped her in the back seat. As Caroline slid into the front and attached her own seat belt, she said, “I’m sorry you got roped in by my father.”
    Mike raised his eyebrows. “Roped in? I thought I was accepting an invitation to lunch.”
    “Don’t be naive, Mike. Besides, you probably would’ve received a number of invitations instead of providing taxi service for us.”
    “I did receive some invitations. Mrs. Dunster, in fact, seemed particularly put out that I was already engaged.”
    “Margie Dunster? She’s got to be fifty, way too old for you.”
    “Thanks for the warning.”
    “I shouldn’t have said anything. Actually, she may have been wanting to meet you because she was a…a particular friend of Sheriff Metzger.”
    Mike was a little surprised by Caroline’s implication, but he only nodded.
    “Turn here,” she said abruptly, pointing to a gravel road that led off the county road. He did so, but there was no sign of buildings.
    “How