Randall Renegade
Page 15
“About what?”
“About…having an affair,” she said, suddenly realizing she was not dressed. She pulled up the covers.
“You didn’t enjoy it?”
“Yes, but…I have a son. I can’t be so irresponsible.”
“I agree. That’s why we should get married.”
“Jim, I told you I didn’t ask for any promises. It’s not necessary.” She tried to get out of bed.
“Sweetheart, how many times do I need to tell you I love you? I’ve loved you for quite a while. And now that I’ve tasted life with you, I can’t go back to life without you.”
“But if I marry you, one day you’ll claim I trapped you,” she told him.
He took hold of her chin and turned her face toward him. “And I’ll be giving thanks every time. I’m so glad you asked me for help and so glad I was smart enough to follow you up that mountain. Honey, I’ve loved you since college. I’ve never found anyone who could compare to you. I love you. We’re perfect together.” He kissed her. Then he said, “We Randall men are one-woman guys. And you’re my one woman.”
She shook her head. “You’re just saying that because you think you ought to. A month or two from now you’ll realize you don’t mean it.”
“How long?”
She blinked several times. Then she asked, “How long what? What are you asking?”
“How long will it take for you to believe I want to be married to you?”
“Jim, stop being ridiculous.”
“I’m not. I want to know how long I have to wait until I can claim you for my wife. A wife I’m going to keep for the rest of my life.”
Tears began running down her cheeks. “Jim, don’t.”
“I have to, honey. I can’t live without you in my life. I’ll be Tommy’s daddy. Your mother can live with us. We’ll have a great life.”
“Do you promise you’ll never regret marrying me?”
“I promise.”
She gave a big sigh. “Then I have to take the chance, because I’m miserable without you.”
It took him a couple of seconds to realize she’d just accepted his offer. With a big cowboy whoop, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. When he came up for air, his first question was, “When?”
“I don’t know. I suppose we’ll have to consult our families.”
“We can be married in three days. We’ll go tomorrow and get the license in Buffalo.”
“Three days? That’s too soon. I want a real wedding!” she protested. “I’m only planning on having one.”
Jim grinned. “Okay, I’ll give you a week.” He kissed her again. “Let’s go down and tell everyone.”
Downstairs the younger Randalls were finishing their meal and the older Randalls were gathering to take their turn at dinner.
Jim and Patience, holding hands, came into the kitchen. Jim was beaming and Patience looked a little embarrassed. “We’re going to be married,” Jim announced.
Everyone congratulated them. Tommy stared at them. “What’s that mean?”
Jim squatted down beside the bench where Tommy sat. “It means you and your mommy,and Grandma, too, if she wants, are going to live with me. And you’ll be my little boy.”
“I can call you Daddy? I’ve never had a daddy.”
“You can call me Daddy,” Jim assured him. “Your name will be Tommy Randall, and Davy and Steffie will be your cousins.”
Tommy cheered the loudest of all.
“Have you set a date?” Mrs. Anderson asked.
Jim and Patience gazed at each other. “Well,” Jim said slowly, “I voted for three days from now, but Patience wants a real wedding, with a big cake and a reception. I agreed to a week from today.”
“Jim!” Megan protested. “I don’t know if we can get everything ready. Besides, a week from today would be Wednesday. Why not have the wedding a week from Saturday?”
Jim looked at Patience. “Is that okay with you?”
She nodded, her face glowing with pleasure.
Red immediately started making his famous chocolate cake to celebrate the announcement. Elizabeth volunteered her wedding gown for Patience to wear. Mildred and Red assured them they could make the wedding cake and all the food needed for the reception. The men said they’d clean the arena in case the weather was bad.
Patience stared around her in amazement. “I don’t know what to say. It’s so wonderful that everyone is pitching in.”
“That’s the Randall way,” Jim told her.
Chad asked, “Where are you going to live?”
“I guess we’ll start out in town,” Jim said, “but I’d like to build a place out here.”
“I have an idea,” Red said. “Mildred and I have been talking about moving from our place down the road, back into the bedroom behind the kitchen,” he said. “It’s too hard to keep two houses clean and running.”
“Are you sure, Red? Don’t uproot yourselves just for our sake. We want you to be comfortable,” Jim said.
“We’re sure. We’ve talked about it a lot, but we hated to leave our little house empty. It’s not huge, Jim, but it’s got three bedrooms.”
Jim looked at Patience. She gave a nod of approval.
“We’d love it, Red. Is that okay with you, Mrs. Anderson?”
She looked at the both of them. “I’d rather stay here where Mildred is going to live.”
Jim hurriedly assured her the house was just a few steps away. Jake, however, intervened. “We’d be glad to have you stay where you are, Marilyn, if it pleases you.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Mom, are you sure?” Patience asked.
“Quite sure, dear. I love both you and Tommy, but sometimes the house is too noisy with all of us in it.”
No one mentioned the crowd in the Randall household.
“What are you going to do with your house, Marilyn?” B.J. asked.
“I suppose we’ll sell it.”
B.J. looked at Jake. “I think it might be perfect for Caroline,” she said, meaning her daughter who was due back in Rawhide soon.
Jake frowned. “Why can’t she live at home?”
“She’ll need to be close to the clinic,” B.J. said. “Like Jon is.”
“Okay. We’ll buy it. Will that be okay with you, Marilyn?”
“Oh, yes.”
Jake smiled at her. “Okay. Right now, though, we want to concentrate on your wedding. Welcome to the family, Patience.” Jake stepped over and kissed her cheek. All the adults of the family followed suit.
Patience was overwhelmed. Then Jim’s arms came around her and she felt at peace. She was where she wanted to be.
“You sure you don’t want to wait until Christmas when Caroline will be home?” Jake asked.
Patience started to agree to wait, but Jim answered first. “No! I’m not waiting any longer than I have to. I want to claim Patience and Tommy as mine as soon as possible.”
Jake lifted his glass and everyone else did likewise. “A toast to Jim and Patience. May their marriage be long and happy and produce more grandchildren!”
Jim couldn’t agree more.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-4096-4
RANDALL RENEGADE
Copyright © 2003 by Judy Russell Christenberry
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