She slipped her hand from his arm, and he looked at her with an almost pained expression.
“You’re right,” he told her. “I guess I’d better be going. Goodbye, Katherine. It was nice meeting you. And I hope everything turns out okay for you.”
She smiled at him and was surprised to find her lips were trembling. “I’m glad I met you, too, Lonnie.”
He studied her face one last moment before he moved away from her and started down the stairs. Katherine swallowed hard at the lump suddenly choking her throat.
“Don’t forget to call if you change your mind,” he said over his shoulder.
Unable to utter a word, she lifted her hand in a simple wave, then hurried inside and shut the door behind her. Once she’d safely fastened the locks she took a step toward the couch. Then just as quickly, she groaned and turned on her heel.
With her nose pressed to the window, she peered down at the parking lot below. Lonnie’s truck was pulling away from its parking slot and heading toward the street running adjacent to the apartment building. At the intersection, the brake lights winked brightly in the darkness and then merged into the line of passing vehicles. In a matter of moments the vehicle was lost in the traffic, and Katherine turned listlessly away from the window.
She didn’t know why Lonnie’s departure had left her feeling so melancholy. She’d only known him for twenty-four hours. A person couldn’t form an attachment in that short a time.
Trying to put the sheriff out of her mind, Katherine switched on the television and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of instant coffee. She should have invited Lonnie in for a cup and a few cookies, she thought, as she filled the teakettle with water. She’d knocked him out of having dessert at the restaurant.
Do you ever make homemade pies, Miss Katherine?
The memory of his question put a winsome smile on her face. He’d probably like apple or blackberry, she decided. Something with a kick that required lots of sugar. She’d like to do something personal for him, like baking a pie. Because she knew he would smile and compliment her and truly appreciate the effort she’d gone to. He was just that sort of man. The kind she’d always wished to meet someday.
Well, you met him, and now he’s gone, she thought. And that was good. Now she could forget him and all the things he’d told her about the Ketchum family. About Amelia and poor Noah.
It was hard to believe the man was dead. Murdered! And why? Why would someone have killed old Noah? She should have asked Lonnie about that. But everything had been such a shock to her she hadn’t been able to think straight, much less ask sensible questions.
The teakettle began to whistle and for the next few moments she concentrated on making the coffee. But as she carried the hot drink into the living room, Lonnie and the Ketchums returned to her thoughts.
With a heavy sigh, she sank into the armchair and rubbed a hand across her belly. It would be nice to have a family. Especially for the baby’s sake. He’d grow up to have aunts and uncles and cousins and a sense of his roots. That would be good. It was important for a person to know where he came from.
These past two days she’d learned just how important. The idea that Celia might not have been her real mother had shaken the ground beneath her. It still shook, but she had to forget it. Get over it. She wasn’t going to let Lonnie or the Ketchums turn her world upside down.
For the next fifteen minutes Katherine sipped her coffee and tried to focus her attention on the television screen. She was a news junkie, and normally she could lose herself in the events occurring around the world and across the nation. But tonight her interest lagged and several times she caught herself wondering if she’d made a big mistake by sending Lonnie away. She shouldn’t be feeling lost without him. But darn it, she was!
Eventually Katherine muttered a frustrated oath and reached for the telephone. In seconds she heard Althea’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Katherine! Is something wrong? You don’t normally call this late in the evening.”
Katherine bit down on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Althea. Were you getting ready for bed?”
“Gosh, no! It’s not that late. I’m doing laundry, and Tom is out on call. Someone’s furnace has gone out and in this freezing weather he didn’t want them to have to wait until morning.”
Althea’s husband, Tom, worked as a heating and air-conditioning repairman. Since Katherine had gotten to know the couple, Tom’s business had boomed. He’d already taken on two partners and was considering adding a third so it would free him up to spend more time with Althea and their young daughter, Julie.
“Oh. Well, I’m glad I’m not bothering you because I…I was wondering if I could come over and talk to you for a few minutes. I won’t keep you up late. Promise.”
“Of course you can come over. You don’t even have to ask!” Althea exclaimed. “But Katherine, what’s wrong? You sound distracted.”
“I am distracted! But I don’t want to get into it over the phone,” she told the other woman.
“It’s not the baby, is it?” Althea asked worriedly. “Do you need to go to the doctor?”
“No! No! It’s nothing like that. I’ll tell you when I get there,” Katherine told her, then quickly hung up the phone.
Under normal conditions, the drive to Althea’s house took about ten minutes. But tonight the street traffic was minimal and she made the trip in just a little over five.
As soon as she knocked on the door, Althea jerked it open and tugged her inside.
“You shouldn’t be out in this weather, Katherine! And at night like this! If Julie hadn’t already been in bed I could have driven over to your apartment.”
Katherine waved a dismissive hand at her friend. “That part doesn’t matter. I’m just glad I’m here. I’m feeling silly and I want you to tell me to stop it.”
Frowning, Althea led her over to the couch. Katherine removed her coat and took a seat while her friend grabbed the remote control and turned down the sound on the television.
“What are you feeling silly about? Did Richard do something this evening before you left work? Or…” She paused and worriedly studied Katherine’s pale face. “He didn’t call you at home or anything like that, did he?”
Katherine quickly shook her head. “No. It’s not Richard. And thank God he hasn’t started bothering me at home. But I expect that to happen soon,” she added dourly.
“Then what’s this all about? It has to be something big, because it’s like pulling teeth to get you over here for any sort of visit,” Althea said.
With a long sigh, Katherine pushed a hand through her dark hair and looked around the cozy living room. There were signs of Althea and Tom’s daughter all over the place: a Barbie doll on the floor near the fireplace, a box of crayons and a coloring book on the coffee table, a pair of small tennis shoes and a matching red sweater piled near the leg of the couch. The sights reminded Katherine all over again that Althea had a real family with a beautiful little daughter and a loving husband. And though her friend’s house was modest, it was just the sort of home that Katherine had always wanted. Rooms full of love.
“It’s that sheriff,” she finally said. “He showed up again tonight. Just like I told you he would. And, Althea, he had roses. Roses!”
Althea scooted to the edge of her armchair. “Really? What was his reasoning for those?”
Katherine shrugged. “He thought I was upset with him. And I guess it was his way of apologizing.”
A sly smile spread across the brunette’s face. “Sounds like Tom could take lessons from this sheriff. But don’t tell me you’re upset because a man gave you roses!”
Katherine pulled a face at her. “No! That’s just part of what happened. He, uh—” She paused and drew in a deep breath as she felt her face turning red. “He took me out to dinner. We ate and talked and then he asked me to go home with him to his ranch in Hereford.”
Althea’s mouth dropped open. “Go home with him! What
kind of guy is this, Katherine? Are you really sure he’s the sheriff of Deaf Smith County?”
Katherine’s head bobbed up and down. “Positive. And he didn’t mean go home with him in the sense you’re thinking.”
Disappointment crossed Althea’s face. “Shoot. That takes all the fun out of it.”
Groaning, Katherine lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Althea, this isn’t a time for jokes. I’m…I need your help. I’m miserable.”
“Oh, honey,” Althea said, her expression suddenly contrite. “I’m just trying to lighten your mood. I know this is serious. So what did you tell this sheriff? And why did he ask you in the first place?”
Katherine pressed fingertips against both her temples. “I told him that I couldn’t go with him, of course. And he asked me because he has some fool notion that if I go out there to his ranch and rest and relax for a few days, I’ll decide that I want to meet with the Ketchums. In other words, I guess he thinks he can talk me into meeting the family.”
“And you told him you didn’t want to meet the Ketchums?”
Katherine nodded glumly.
“Okay. So what’s wrong? If you’re completely sure you don’t want to meet these people, then I don’t see a problem. You’re simply not going. That is what you want, isn’t it?”
Dropping her hands from her forehead, she looked miserably at Althea. “I don’t know. I believed that’s what I wanted. But after Lonnie left I felt…well, I felt like I’d lost something. Something I might never find again. I know that sounds crazy, but I can’t help it.”
Rising from her chair, Althea went over to the couch and took a seat next to Katherine. Once she’d put her arm around the other woman’s shoulders, she said, “It sounds to me like you need to go to this man’s ranch. You’re all mixed up and you need time to think. If he’s offering you a place to stay, why not take him up on it? He sounds like a nice man.”
He was a nice man, Katherine thought. That was one of the problems. With no effort at all, she could let herself fall for him. And that was the last sort of problem she needed at this time in her life.
“The baby is coming soon,” Katherine reminded her.
“That’s one more reason you need to go now. Before your little one gets here and you can’t go.”
“I can’t just leave work,” Katherine protested.
“You have maternity leave coming,” Althea pointed out. “Start it a little early. Tell Richard your doctor advised you to get more rest.”
“My doctor did advise me to get more rest.”
As though that settled everything, Althea threw up her hands and jumped to her feet. “See? You’d be telling the truth. And,” she added slyly as she stood smiling in front of Katherine, “you’d be getting away from your boss for a while. I know that would take some weight off your back.”
Althea was right. It would be a relief not to have to face Richard every day. After a moment she said, “I’m scared. You’re making a little sense.”
Althea giggled. “Sometimes I do. Though Tom has his doubts.” She sobered as she studied Katherine’s face. “Look Katherine, I realize you don’t want to think about Celia being your aunt or that Amelia and Noah might be your real parents. But how can you not think of it? And if this sheriff is a friend of the Ketchums then you could learn a whole lot about your family.”
Katherine frowned. “They might not be my family. This whole story may be made up or simply a mistake. Then where would I be?”
Althea tilted her head to one side as she contemplated Katherine’s question. “Well, you could always come back here to Fort Worth. Tom and I will always be here for you. No matter what happens with the Ketchums.”
Tears stung Katherine’s eyes. Having Althea was the closest thing she would probably ever have to a sister. Unless Lonnie was right about Victoria Ketchum. But Katherine didn’t for one second count on that idea. If she really had brothers and a sister, Celia would have told her. She wouldn’t have let Katherine continue to live a lie for all these years! Or would she?
Stifling a groan, she looked at Althea. “You’re right about one thing. Every time I try not to think about the Ketchums and the story of my…well, my supposed parents, I only think of them more. Maybe it would be good for me to take time off and try to figure out what I’m going to do—or not do.”
Althea slowly nodded. “You’re not going to have any peace if you don’t. And you sure wouldn’t be much help at work.”
Work! How nice it would be, Katherine thought, to be able to simply prop her aching legs up during the day at any time she chose to. It would be downright decadent to sleep until seven o’clock in the morning and not have to deal with the rush hour traffic as she drove to the courthouse. But most of all it would be a relief not to have to face Richard’s suggestive smiles and well-meaning offers to help her out of her “predicament.”
“You’re right about that,” she murmured absently.
“I can see the wheels in your head turning,” Althea commented as she studied Katherine’s thoughtful expression. “What are you thinking?”
Rising to her feet, she said, “I’m thinking I’ve got to go.”
“Go! But you—”
“I’m going back to my apartment and call Lonnie,” she interrupted Althea’s protest. “To tell him I’m going with him.”
Althea’s eyes suddenly widened. “You’re really going with the man?”
Katherine frowned at her. “Yes. Haven’t you been encouraging me to do just that?”
Althea left the armchair and came to stand next to Katherine. “Yes. But now that you say you’re really going, I’m suddenly worried. You say this Lonnie is nice, but you don’t really know him. You might get yourself into a situation you’d rather not be in.”
Only if she allowed herself to act like a fool over Sheriff Lonnie Corteen. And she wasn’t about to do that, Katherine promised herself.
“If I do, I’ll come right back home,” she said simply.
Althea looked as though she was going to argue, but then her frown changed to a resigned smile. “You’re right. This will be good for you. Just promise that if you need me you’ll call.”
Katherine nodded. “I promise. Now I’d better get home before it gets too late to call Lonnie.”
Althea walked her to the door, and the two women parted with a hug. Ten minutes later Katherine was back in her apartment waiting for the motel switchboard to transfer her call to Lonnie’s room. When he did finally answer the telephone his voice sounded tired and husky. Katherine’s heart pitter-pattered beneath her breasts.
“Lonnie Corteen.”
“Lonnie. It’s me, Katherine. Did I wake you?”
At the sound of her voice, Lonnie scrambled to a sitting position on the side of the bed. “Er—no. You didn’t wake me. I was just watching a little television.”
There was a moment’s pause and then she said, “That’s good. I’m glad I didn’t wake you. Uh, the reason I’m calling—”
“You’ve changed your mind. You’ve decided to go with me tomorrow.”
A heavy release of air passed her lips. “How did you guess?”
“You wouldn’t be calling me for anything else.”
For some reason his words made her feel terrible, which didn’t make any sense at all. She hadn’t been invited to simply call him for a chitchat. This was business. They both knew that.
“Well, I…I got to thinking it over,” she said. “And I decided a little trip might be just what I need right now. To get rested up before the baby comes.”
Lonnie smiled. He couldn’t help it. “That’s good. I’m glad you changed your mind. And I think later on you’ll be glad, too.”
She hoped he was right. She’d never been an impulsive person. Usually she mulled over a problem for a long time before she ever made a decision. But tonight, after he’d walked away, she’d felt the urgent need to call him, to keep the slender thread between them from breaking. And she’d been ashamed to admit to Althea, a
nd even herself, that spending more time with Lonnie Corteen had weighed heavily on her decision to travel to West Texas.
“When were you planning to leave?” she asked suddenly.
“Well, I was planning on getting away from Fort Worth before daylight. But naturally, if you’re going with me, I can leave later.”
Katherine bit down on her bottom lip as her thoughts whirled. “I’m going to need some time to get things in order with my job. And I’ll need to speak to my doctor. I might be ready by noon or shortly after. Is that too late?”
Lonnie hated driving after dark, but if it meant she would travel with him, he could change his preferences.
“No. That’s fine,” he said quickly. “Just call me here at the motel whenever you’re ready. Unless— Do you need some help packing or anything?”
Was he always going to be this nice? Katherine wondered. Didn’t anything make him testy? After all, he was a man. He was supposed to be more selfish than this. At least, all the men she’d known put their needs and wants before any one else’s. After a few days in his company, she’d probably find out Lonnie wasn’t any different.
“Thank you, but I can manage. I’m already putting you out, anyway.”
“I came here to Fort Worth to get you, Katherine. I’m happy you’re letting me get the job done.”
She was a job to him. If she could continue to remember that, her heart would be perfectly safe in his company.
“Is the bus station still there at Hereford? I’ll need a way to get back home.”
Not if the T Bar K in New Mexico became her home, Lonnie thought. But that was a big if and he didn’t want to question or push her right now for any reason.
“Yes, it’s still there. But don’t worry about transportation to Fort Worth. If necessary, I can drive you back.”
That would be entirely too much to ask of him, but she didn’t say so. When the time came to leave his home, she could argue that point with him.
“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” she told him.
“Good night, Katherine. And I’m…very glad you’ve decided to go with me.”
A Baby on the Ranch Page 7