A Randall Hero

by Judy Christenberry

  “Didn’t you kiss anyone other than your husband?”

  “After we were married?” Lucy asked, horrified.

  “No, before. Didn’t you date other people?”

  “Not really.”

  “Then you need to play around now. Find out what it’s all about.” He kissed her again, this time more deeply.

  When he moved back, she was breathing heavily. “I don’t…think we need to do that.”

  “It’s the only way you’ll learn about love, Lucy. You can’t just read about it, or hear about it or dream about it. You have to try it.” He let his arm settle on her shoulders and pull her closer. He kissed her again, this time his tongue entering her mouth.

  She jerked away. “No!”

  “Easy, Lucy. It’s all right.”

  “No, I can’t—”

  “Shh, Lucy. Just relax. Let’s just sit here for a minute.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “It’s called French-kissing. Did you ever do that with your husband?”

  “No. We didn’t k-kiss much.”

  “Damn, that’s terrible. Kissing is great. You need to practice a lot.” He immediately initiated more kissing. This time, he could feel a difference. She’d stopped fighting him, and relaxed against him.

  After about half an hour, John pulled back. “Okay, I think that’s enough of a lesson tonight. How about supper?”

  “Did I do something wrong?” Lucy asked.

  “Oh, no, honey, but a guy can only go so far before he wants to take it to a higher level, and I’m not sure you’re ready for that.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you want me to help fix supper? I’m pretty good in the kitchen.”

  “No. I’ve got it all ready. I’ll just set the table,” she said, jumping up from the sofa.

  She began setting the table. Then she heated up some green beans in the microwave. Finally, she unplugged the Crock-Pot. Taking the lid off, she emptied the contents into a casserole dish.

  “That smells good,” he said, coming up behind her.

  “Thank you,” Lucy said, sidestepping him to grab some condiments. “Dinner is ready.”

  John joined her at the table and she passed him the dishes. He filled his plate and ate well. “You’re a good cook, Lucy.”

  “That’s a real compliment since you eat Camille’s cooking every day.”

  “You’re just as good a cook.”

  When he’d finished his meal, Lucy cleared away the dishes and warmed up the apple cobbler she’d made earlier. She served it with vanilla ice cream.

  “This is wonderful, Lucy.”

  “Thank you.”

  After they ate, they did the dishes together.

  “This is nice, sharing the chores,” John told her with a smile.

  “Yes, it is. You’re very good at cleaning up.”

  “It’s a Randall tradition. In this family, everyone helps with the cleanup. When it was just the four brothers, Red was the cook, and he insisted they all know how to cook and how to clean up. It’s still the tradition. Dad and I help Mom clean up after dinner. After all, she did all the cooking because we were working.”

  “I like that about you and your dad.”

  “Did your husband help clean up?”

  “No. But I didn’t mind. He was always drunk by the end of dinner. All he did was sit in his chair and drink.”

  “That sounds terrible. No wonder you’re soured on marriage. Didn’t you share anything?”

  “No.” Her tones were clipped again, as they got when she didn’t want to talk.

  “Say, have you met Russ and Isabella’s children?”

  “No. Isabella came to the office one day, but I haven’t seen her or the children since.”

  “You’d laugh if you saw the kids. The little girl takes after her mother. They call her Angel. She was about Emma’s size when Russ found her and her mother on the side of the road in a snowstorm. He took them to Rawhide but had to take them into his apartment, this very one you live in. Russ had lost his first wife when she was pregnant.”

  “I didn’t know that!”

  “It’s not something he talks about. When he found Izzy and Angel, he refused to have anything to do with little children. But he had to take them in because of the storm. Izzy was sick and he had to take care of Angel. By the time Izzy was well, Russ was in love with Angel.” He smiled broadly. “She’s the happiest child you’ve ever seen.”

  “Does she look like Isabella, because she’s certainly beautiful.”

  “Yeah, she does. But their little boy is all Russ. You know he’s a twin?”

  “Russ is a twin? Who’s his brother?”

  “Well, he has two brothers, but Rich is his twin. He’s Samantha’s husband.”

  “I haven’t met her.”

  “Yeah. She rescued Rich from a broken ankle, driving him home, not knowing that she already knew his father.”

  “How could she not know?”

  “She didn’t know Pete’s last name. She was cleaning the stables at the rodeos with her dad when she was little. Pete was a sucker for a kid in trouble. He tried to adopt her, but her dad wouldn’t turn her loose. Instead, he packed up and moved on. After her father died when she was sixteen, she continued to work the rodeos, but she had problems with the randy cowboys and switched to waitressing.”

  “Sounds like she had a rough life.”

  “Yeah, and it took a while to get it straightened out. But the Randalls are lucky in love.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yeah, I think I am. I’ve been wanting to marry and have a family, but I’ve refused to consider it until I felt the way Dad does about Mom.”

  “Yes, I can see how that would affect you. But maybe you’ll get lucky like the others and suddenly find the woman for you.”

  A curious smile played about his lips as he said, “Oh, it’s happened for me, too. I finally met the woman of my dreams.”

  “I see. Well, I wish you the best, John. You deserve it.” She knew she was saying the right thing, but she was trembling inside, afraid the time had come for John to leave.

  “Thank you. I think I do, too.”

  “When will you be marrying? Have I met her yet?”

  “I think so. You see, I met her one night on a lonely road. She was stranded and so was I. We spent the night together. Holding her in my arms, I knew she was the one for me.”

  “John, that sounds like—I mean, you can’t mean me?”

  “Why not?”

  “I think you have terrible luck.”

  “I don’t.” He scooted forward. “Kiss me, Lucy.” She hesitated, but he pulled her back into his arms for a kiss. “Yeah, it’s definitely you,” he said when he released her.

  “How can you tell?”

  “Because I’d rather be here with you, doing nothing, then anywhere in the world with anyone else.”

  “Oh, John, I don’t think you’re lucky in love.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’m definitely lucky. You just wait and see.”

  “I don’t think you should tell your parents how you feel.”

  John laughed. “They already know, honey. Dad has told me I shouldn’t rush you.”

  “I don’t think you’re taking his advice.”

  John pulled her close again, her breasts against his chest. “I’m trying, Lucy. Trust me, I am.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Tuesday morning, Lucy was almost ready to leave for the doctor’s when a knock sounded on her door.

  Surprised, she peered out the peephole and saw John standing there. She hurriedly opened the door. “John, what are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to take you to the doctor’s office.”

  “Aren’t you riding out today?”

  “Nope. It’s time for your appointment. I don’t want you to go alone.”

  “It’s not anything big, John. We’re just getting a checkup.”

  “I know. Just think of it as an extension of delivery.
Are you ready?”

  “I was just giving Emma some of her bottle. Not all. I don’t want her to fall asleep.”

  “Aha. Let me talk to her.”

  John stepped into the apartment and walked to the table where Emma’s carrier sat. “Good morning, Emma, my love. How are you?”

  As if on cue, Emma cooed to John, obviously happy to see him.

  “Okay! I guess that means we’re ready to go. Will you carry her?”

  “Of course. My truck is right by the stairs. We’ll be there in two seconds.”

  After donning her coat, and making sure Emma was well wrapped in her blanket, Lucy opened the door and stepped out into the cold air. “Did a front come through? It’s cold out here!”

  “Yeah. That’s why I’m parked by the stairs. That’s the closest I could get.”

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s the beginning of December. Even in Kansas City we might have snow by now.”

  “Yeah,” John agreed. They reached the bottom of the stairs and his truck. He opened the passenger door for Lucy and handed in Emma.

  When he got behind the wheel, he immediately put his truck in gear and started toward the clinic. The heater was already warmed up and blew hot air into the cab.

  “You left the motor running? Weren’t you worried about someone stealing it?”

  “In Rawhide?” John asked with a laugh. “Usually you have to have strangers around for things like that to happen. In Rawhide, we don’t have strangers very often. If we do, they stand out like a sore thumb.”

  As John had said, they were at the clinic almost immediately. Lucy managed to get Emma’s carrier out and started up the steps as John joined her.

  “Hey, Emma, are you doing okay?” John asked the baby. She again responded with her coos.

  “You know, Lucy, I think Emma will start talking soon. She’s trying so hard.”

  “Sometimes I think so, too. But then she never actually says words. Not even Mama.”

  “I think she says Dada sometimes.”

  Lucy gave him a strange look. But a nurse met them as they entered and she didn’t say anything about his comment.

  “Dr. Randall is waiting for you. If you’ll come with me,” she said, and led the way down the hall to an examination room. “You’ll need to undress the baby.”

  Lucy took Emma out of the carrier and began to take off her sleeper. “You be a good girl, Emma, so the doctor can examine you.”

  John leaned over, resting his elbows on the examining table to talk to Emma. “Of course, she’ll be good, right, Emma?”

  Once again Emma tried to talk to the man who Lucy perceived as her favorite person. It sometimes made her a little jealous that Emma responded to John that way.

  Just then, the door opened and Caroline came in.

  “Good morning, Lucy. Hi, John. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “I like to be at everything important for Emma. She’s my girl!”

  Again the baby cooed at him.

  “Well, she certainly seems in agreement. Hello, Emma, are you ready to be examined?”

  “I left her diaper on until you were ready,” Lucy said. “I didn’t want to mess up your room.”

  “Thanks, Lucy. How is she doing? Any problems?”

  “She’s doing great. She’s sleeping four hours between bottles and she wakes up happy. She only cries when she wants my attention, mostly to wake me up.”

  “Very good.” Caroline measured her. “She’s growing nicely.” Then she gave her a complete examination. “Very nice, Lucy. You’re doing a good job.”

  “Thank you,” Lucy said.

  “Now, the only thing is to draw her blood. She’s going to cry. Are you prepared for that?”

  Lucy swallowed and nodded. John, however, hadn’t realized they would do that. “Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes, John, it is. You can hold her if you want.”

  John looked at Lucy. “Yes, I’ll hold her.”

  Emma cried as predicted. Lucy tried to soothe her with soft touches and an even softer voice, while John held her close.

  “Come to Mama, baby girl,” Lucy said, taking Emma in her arms and offering her her bottle. Emma began sucking her bottle and Lucy gently wiped away the tears that filled her own eyes. “Will there be anything else?”

  “No, Lucy. You did fine with Emma. She’ll have to take some shots in a few months, though. So you’ll have to be prepared.”

  “Okay,” Lucy agreed, holding back tears.

  “Now, once Emma is dressed, let John take her to the waiting room and we’ll do your checkup. We should’ve done it at six weeks.” Caroline smiled at all three of them and left the room.

  Lucy dressed her baby, continuing to soothe her, but John’s voice broke into her singsong murmurings.

  “Are you all right?”

  Lucy looked up at him. “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. That was hard on you, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. But it was necessary.”

  John nodded. “I didn’t realize you would be examined, too.”

  “I knew I needed to be but I didn’t know it would be today. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, it’s all right. Emma and I will go to the waiting room, if you’re sure you’ll be okay.”

  “Yes, of course. It can’t be nearly as difficult as giving birth.”

  “Right. Come on, Emma, let’s go take a nap.” As he started out of the room with the baby, he dropped a kiss on Lucy’s lips. Then he left the little room.

  With very little effort she could envision them as a family, a husband and wife and their newborn. Before she could fall into the fantasy, a nurse came in to bring her a hospital gown. Lucy hurriedly slipped into the garment and sat on the examining table to await Caroline.

  When the examination was over, Caroline pronounced her healthy. “I don’t know whether you’re involved with anyone, Lucy, but you can now have sex again. Just be sure to use condoms.”

  Embarrassed, Lucy said, “No, no, I’m not—I won’t.”

  “Okay. If you ever have any questions, you can call me.”

  “Thank you, Caroline.”

  Lucy dressed as quickly as she could, then walked to the waiting room. There, both Emma and John were napping. Lucy touched John on the shoulder and then picked up the carrier. “I’m going to the office now. Thank you for coming with me.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Did Caroline say you could, you know—Are you well enough to make love now?”

  “Yes,” Lucy said, her cheeks flooding with color. “But I told her I’m not involved with anyone.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “John, we don’t need to talk about this here!” Lucy whispered fiercely as she looked around the waiting room.

  “Okay, we’ll go. Are you going back to the office now?”

  “Yes. I told them I would be there at the regular time.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need a nap, too?”

  “I’m sure!”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  When they got to the accounting office, Lucy opened her door, saying, “Thanks again for going with us.”

  “Whoa! You’re not getting rid of me this quickly. I thought I’d come in and see Russ and Tori, just to say hi.”

  Lucy agreed, somewhat reluctantly.

  When they got to her desk, she put Emma’s carrier beside it in its special place and sat down next to her. John went to Tori’s and Russ’s office doors but neither answered his knock. No one answered.

  “I think you’re here alone.”

  Just then, the door opened and Russ and Tori entered with three cups of coffee.

  “John! We didn’t expect you, or we would’ve bought you a cup of coffee.” Tori set one of the cups on Lucy’s desk. “We went to the café for a snack while you were at the doctor.”

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “I’ll go get one before I start home, To
ri. I wanted to be sure both of them were all right. I didn’t know they’d draw blood. That was tough,” John said.

  “Oh, I know,” Russ joined in. “Wait until they start getting shots.”

  “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that,” John said, as if he would be going with Lucy.

  “You don’t have to go, John,” Lucy said clearly.

  “Of course I have to go. I can’t let you go on your own.”

  “Emma is not your child.”

  “I’m here in place of her daddy. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

  Lucy wasn’t going to argue such things in front of anyone else. “I need to start work now, John. Thank you for coming.”

  “You’re giving me the ‘here’s your hat, what’s your hurry’ business, Lucy?”

  “I don’t want to lose time at work. I have a lot to do.”

  Russ told John, “Come in my office and we’ll visit. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “You sure you can spare the time?” John asked, a little sarcasm aimed at Lucy.

  “Since Lucy has come to help us out, yeah, I can spare the time.” His smile invited John to accept his invitation.

  John went into Russ’s office and closed the door.

  “I’m sorry, Tori,” Lucy said, taking work out of the drawer.

  “Russ is right, Lucy. It’s because of your hard work that we can take a little time off. If you need to go upstairs for a few minutes, it’s all right.”

  With a quick glance toward sleeping Emma, she said, “No, I’m fine.”

  Rather, she would be. After John left.

  “HOW’S IT GOING, JOHN?” Russ asked after they settled in chairs in his office.

  “Fine. And you?”

  “Good. I heard about you taking out Lucy’s husband. That must’ve been tough.”

  “I had no choice. The man was determined.”

  “Well, in case Lucy hasn’t said it, thank you for her. You’ve given her a chance at life.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Did you know about Isabella’s history? She shared some problems like Lucy’s, only hers were brought on by a difficult father who abandoned any emotion for Izzy to bestow it all on his new son, his second wife’s effort. He had forced her into a bad marriage and luck took care of her husband. He was killed in a car crash.