A Randall Hero

But he hoped they got there soon.

When they passed the turn to his family ranch, he smiled. At this speed, they were five minutes away.

“Uh, you’d better slow down inside the city limits. You don’t want to meet the sheriff from the back of a squad car.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Can’t we just tell him we have an emergency?” Lucy asked.

“Good thinking, girl,” the driver said as he accelerated. “That’ll do it!”

They got pulled over two minutes later, just as they entered the town.

The deputy pulled behind them and approached the car. “Pardon me, sir, but did you know you were going eighty miles an—”

“Dave,” John interrupted him, leaning toward the driver’s window, “we’re trying to get to the hospital. She’s in labor.” He nodded toward Lucy.

The deputy sprang to action. “I’ll lead the way!”

John laughed under his breath. There was no traffic on Rawhide’s main road, but now the deputy was turning on his siren and motioning for them to follow him. It was a little ridiculous, but John didn’t suggest the driver slow down again.

He noticed Mike coming out of his office to find out what the siren was for. He’d come to the hospital to talk to his wife.

The squad car came to a halt beside the clinic and the old man pulled right in behind it.

“Thank you so much for helping us.” John started easing Lucy out of the truck.

“You aren’t going to pay for the gas?” the driver asked.

Lucy stared at the man, but John reached for his billfold again. “I guess that would be twenty dollars again, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, it might a’ been more, but I’ll let you slide, seein’ as you’re having a little one.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t forget my luggage,” Lucy reminded him.

Since two nurses were bringing a gurney down the slanted sidewalk and Lucy would be cared for, he reached in for the luggage. Then he followed Lucy and the nurses into the clinic.

“John?” Lucy called, holding her hand out to him. “Will you—will you mind going in with me? I—I’m scared.”

“Yeah, I’ll go in with you, Lucy.”

“Thank you so much.”

He grinned. “I guess that will be twenty dollars, right?”

She smiled back. “That man would’ve charged us for breathing if he could figure out how.”

“Probably. I was just glad I had enough twenties to last us. I think he would’ve thrown us out if I hadn’t.”

“He kept staring at my stomach, as if I were faking labor to get a ride.”

“You are having pains, aren’t you?” the nurse asked.

“Yes. The last one was—What time was it, John?”

“Nine-twenty-nine.”

“How far apart are they?” the nurse asked.

“About—Ohhh…Now!”

“But it’s only nine-thirty-five!” John said as he looked at his watch. He yelled out, “Caro! She’s down to six minutes apart and coming faster.”

A tall woman in a white medical coat came out of her office.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Randall. I haven’t met you, have I?”

“No. I—I’m Lucy.”

“Well, welcome to our little hospital. John said you were eight months along?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, my nurses are going to take you in this room, so I can do a quick examination.”

“John?” Lucy cried urgently.

“Caro, I think she’ll be more calm if I go with her.”

“Of course, John. If you stand by her head, you won’t be in the way and you won’t see anything.”

John did as Caroline suggested. Lucy clutched his hand as if it was a magic charm. He bent and added a kiss to her hand.

Caroline gave John a sharp look. But he didn’t say anything. Lucy was frightened and he wanted to reassure her as much as he could.

After a quick examination, Caroline stood up and told the nurse to bring in the sonogram machine. “Lucy, we’re going to look at your baby on our sonogram machine. That means I’ll need to put some jelly on your tummy.”

“John can stay, can’t he?”

“Certainly. We always let the father stay if he wants.”

John didn’t correct her assumption, nor did Lucy say anything.

Caroline raised her top for the ultrasound and the purple bruises on her stomach were obvious.

“Lucy, who beat you?” Caroline asked.

“M-my husband.”

“John? John did this?”

Caroline was shocked, and John hurried to reassure her. “No. No, I didn’t do this.”

“Then who?”

“My husband,” Lucy said again.

“Where is he?”

“Kansas City…I hope.”

“Was he trying to cause a miscarriage?”

“I think so.” Tears slid down her cheeks, and John bent down to reassure her.

“All right, let’s do the sonogram. I have to press down a little, but considering what you’ve withstood, I think you’ll be all right.” Caroline spread the jelly over Lucy’s stomach and then she pressed a roller on her stomach connected to the machine.

“Now you can see your baby. There’s so much natural insulation I think she’s survived and is doing fine.”

“It’s a girl?” Lucy asked, holding her breath.

“Yes. I think you may be a little further along than eight months. I think your baby is going to come about two weeks early. She might even be six pounds.”

“Is that good?”

“It means you can take her home after a couple of days.”

Lucy closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks.

John knew the problem immediately. He bent down to whisper to her, “Don’t cry, Lucy. You can come home with me. I’ll be holding your hand all the way. Okay? We’ll give your baby a home. It will be all right.”

John’s words didn’t give her the reassurance she needed. Sobs ripped out of her as she lost control.

“Lucy, what’s wrong?” Caroline asked.

She just shook her head. John put his arms around her and brought her face to his chest, turning her toward him. “It’s all right. We’re going to take care of you, both of you.”

“I can’t s-stay, John. He’ll find me,” she said between sobs.

“Are you talking about the man who beat you up—your husband?” Caroline asked, her voice turning hard.

“I need to go away!” Lucy sniffed and then gasped as another pain hit her.

“Honey, right now you have to have a baby. You can deal with the other things afterward.” John held her close.

Caroline ordered the nurse to bring Lucy into the delivery room then turned to John.

“We’re going to change her into a hospital gown. If she doesn’t mind, you can go in.”

“Maybe I’d better step outside until they get you changed, Lucy, but I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”

“You’ll come right back?” Lucy asked, her hand still clinging to him.

“Yes, I promise.”

“We’ll call you, John,” the nurse told him.

He moved out into the hall, and Caroline was waiting for him. She didn’t look too pleased. “What is going on here?”

He lowered his eyes. “I don’t think she wants me to tell you.”

“Well, you’re going to have to explain to your parents. They think they’re here to see the birth of your child.”

His head shot up. “Why would they think that?”

“Because you’ve brought a lady to town who’s pregnant and you’re going into the examination room with her, just like a husband.”

“No, that’s not it. I can’t—”

“John, she wants you back in there with her,” the nurse said.

He turned back to Caro. “Tell them I’ll be out to talk to them later. Okay?”

“Whatever you say. How’s she doing, Wendy?”

“The pains are coming faster, Doctor.”

John interrupted the nurse’s report. “I’m going back in with her, Caro. I’ll stay at her head and just try to keep her calm.”

“All right, John. I’ll go talk to your parents.”

“It’s not what they’re thinking. She’s…almost family.”

“Yeah, right!” Caroline said as she headed out to the waiting area.

John wanted to go to his parents, but he’d promised Lucy he’d be there for her. He’d explain to them later. He entered the delivery room to find Lucy still sobbing. Immediately taking her hand, John kissed it and stroked it, then put his arm around her.

With his deep voice, he talked to Lucy, calming her as he had earlier. “Hey, Lucy, we made it to the hospital. That’s a good thing, don’t you think? Now you can be sure your baby will get good care. That beats a comforter in a pickup truck, doesn’t it?”

“I’m so glad you’re here, John,” Lucy said, her voice weaker as she tried to bear the pain.

“I’m glad, too. You’re going to be fine.”

The nurse entered then. “All right, Lucy, I’m going to give you a shot that should relieve some of the pain. Just hold still.”

“She’ll be all right?” John asked, looking for reassurance.

“Yes, she’ll be fine. We just like to make it a little easier.” She gave the injection then she said, “Okay, Lucy, just draw a deep breath. You’ll find it’s more bearable now.”

John lost track of time as he stood by Lucy, watching her suffer for the sake of her child. He hadn’t had firsthand experience of a child being born and had no idea what a woman went through to give birth. To think that Lucy’s husband had tried to provoke a miscarriage just broke John’s heart.

When Caro came in, called by the nurse, John knew it was time. He wanted to let Lucy rest, to take a well-deserved break, but he knew she had more work ahead of her.

Several pushes later Lucy let out a gutteral groan and gave birth to her daughter. When Caro held Lucy’s baby in her arms and they all heard that fierce cry, John could feel tears in his eyes.

“You did it, Lucy!” he said, bending down to envelop her in a hug. “You did it!”

Lucy looked relieved. “Can I see her?”

“Yes, as soon as the nurses clean her up,” Caro replied. “She’s got all her fingers and toes and looks like she’s healthy. After you see her, I’ll do an examination.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor. I’m so happy.”

John realized he shared Lucy’s happiness. Because she was Harry’s sister, of course. That was the only reason…wasn’t it?

When he considered that he had to face his parents, he realized he needed to be able to reveal Lucy’s identity. He knew his mother would take Lucy under her wing like a mother hen, if she knew. And he had to be able to put Lucy there. Once they were alone, he’d talk to her about revealing her identity.

The nurses brought Lucy’s baby back into the room. Caroline took the baby in her arms and carried her to Lucy. “Here’s your little girl, Lucy.”

Lucy held her baby in her arms, glowing at the tiny creature.

“John, look!”

“She’s a beauty, sweetheart.”

As Lucy began to fade a little from the exhilaration, John reached out and took the baby from her. As he felt the warmth of the baby, the little life, he stared in amazement.

Caroline took the baby from him. “I need to examine her now, John. I think Lucy is going to sleep. A well-deserved rest, I might add.”

He nodded. “I’ll stay with her until she falls sleep.”

“All right, but don’t forget your parents are waiting for an explanation.”

“No, I won’t.”

Once Lucy was back in a room, John waited until the nurse had left before he broached the subject of her identity. “Lucy, I need to explain to my parents about you being Harry’s sister. You understand that, don’t you?”

She nodded, as if resigned. Then reality struck and Lucy’s features crumpled. John knew she’d come face-to-face with the reality of not having a home for her baby.

“Lucy, Mom will take you in, you and the baby. I live with my parents, so I’ll be there, too.”

“I can’t stay there, John. I’m afraid he’ll come find me. He—he’s threatened me before about leaving him. He told me he’d come after me if I left him.”

“Honey, we won’t let him hurt you or the baby. I promise.”

“But I don’t want to bring trouble to either you or Harry. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“We won’t worry about that, Lucy. Your husband is a coward. Only a coward would attack a pregnant woman, any woman, much less his own.”

“I want to file for divorce as soon as I can. But I don’t feel I can bring trouble down on you. Please don’t ask me to—”

“Honey, I’m telling you, you can’t deny your baby a home. That’s what I’m telling you.”

Caroline came into Lucy’s room, a little bundle in her arms. “Lucy, your baby is as healthy as can be. And she weighs six pounds, one ounce. She’ll be able to go home with you.”

John took Lucy’s hand and held it in his own. “Lucy, you need to tell Caro who you are,” he said, hoping to force Lucy to reveal her identity.

“No, John!” Lucy protested.

“You know you need to. I’m going to have to tell my parents, too.”

Ignoring him, Lucy held out her arms for her baby. “Can I hold her?”

Caroline handed the tiny infant to her mother. “I need to know her name, Lucy.”

“Oh, I want to name her after my grandmother. Emma.”

“That’s a lovely name. Now, what’s her last name?”

Keeping her head down, Lucy said, “Horton.”

“All right. Do you have a middle name?”

“I think Lynn. Emma Lynn Horton.”

“That’s lovely.”

John wasn’t satisfied. “Tell her, Lucy!

“No!”

“You must. For Emma’s sake.”

Caroline remained silent, but he could feel her eyes on him.

“You must,” John prompted Lucy again. “Tell her why I said you were family.”

Finally, Lucy raised her head and looked at Caroline. “I’m Harry Gowan’s sister.”

Chapter Three

“You’re Harry’s sister?” Caro seemed pleasantly surprised. “How did you come to know John?”

“I didn’t know him till yesterday. But he’s been so very kind to me. I’ll never be able to thank him adequately.” She looked at John, gratitude in her eyes. “I was alone and scared and he made me feel safe. He even convinced me he could deliver my baby.”

Caroline stared at John. “Oh, really?”

“I was just trying to reassure her. I’m not challenging your skills, Caroline. You know that. But we were both stranded on the road last night, and all we could hope for was a car to stop by so we could get a ride into town.”

“But I don’t understand how you got together. Did you—”

“I’ll tell you later. I think Lucy should get some sleep.”

“All right,” Caroline agreed. She knew Lucy was exhausted. “Let me take the baby. I’ll put her in a bassinet.”

“Thank you,” Lucy said.

As Caro exited with Emma, John told her, “I’ll stay with Lucy until she falls asleep. Then I’ll go talk to my parents.”

“Are you going to leave then, John?” Lucy asked.

He heard the fear in her voice, and he said, “No, I won’t leave you, Lucy. My parents are waiting here. I’ll just visit them for a little bit while you sleep.”

“I know I’m being a baby about you staying. I promise I’ll get stronger, but right now I can’t quite be brave.”

“You don’t have to. I’m here.” He took her hand in his and insisted she go to sleep. After several minutes, he slipped his hand away and waited to see if she would wake up. When she didn’t, he left the room. In the hallway, he found a nurse. “I’m going to the waiting room to talk to my parents. Let me know if she wakes up.”

“Okay. Do you want to take the baby to show them?”

“Can I do that?”

“Caro said you could.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

John figured his parents would like to see the baby. His mother would be excited about the tiny infant, and his father’s protective urge would be aroused.

Besides, he liked holding Emma.

When he reached the waiting room, he saw his parents sitting quietly. He stepped into the room, holding Emma, and his parents jumped to their feet. He couldn’t help the proud smile he wore. “I want to introduce you to Emma,” he said, pulling the blanket back a little.

“Oh! Let me hold her,” Camille Randall said.

He immediately handed the baby to her. He and his father crowded around. It was amazing to him that his parents didn’t demand an explanation. But he would give them one anyway. “I’m not the father.”

Griff Randall looked at him sharply. “Then who is?”

“A man named Cecil. The important person of the two who created this baby is the mother.”

“Who is she?”

“She’s Harry’s sister.”

“What?” Camille said. She appeared stunned.

“I said she’s Harry’s sister.”

“But how did you know her?” his father asked.

John replayed the past twelve hours for his parents. “She’s scared and doesn’t know what to do. Her husband beat her, hoping to provoke a miscarriage.”

Horrified, his parents stared at the infant in Camille’s arms.

“Oh, no!” Camille said, holding the baby closer.

“We’ll protect her and her child, of course,” Griff said.

John realized how wonderful his parents were. He felt sure they would’ve said the same thing if Lucy wasn’t Harry’s sister, but he was glad there was a family connection.

“I know I’m supposed to be running the ranch, Dad, but could you fill in for a day or two? Lucy feels alone right now. I can give her some assurance that she and her baby are safe.”

“I’m sure Harry would appreciate that, John,” Griff said. “I can take care of the ranch for a few days.”

“Thanks, Dad. And, Mom, I told Lucy she and the baby could come to the ranch at least until Harry got back.”

“Well, of course they can. She can take your sister’s old room and the baby can go in the one next door. It’ll be perfect. I’ll get started fixing it up this afternoon.”

“Don’t go to extremes, Mom. I don’t think Emma will know the difference and Lucy will just be grateful to be safe.”

“No, I won’t. I bet she hasn’t gotten any baby things for Emma. She likely wouldn’t since she was on the run. I can make those arrangements, too.”

“All right, but don’t overwhelm her. She’s not used to a family like ours.”

“Oh, no, just the necessities for this little darling.” Camille looked down at the baby sleeping in her arms. “She’s almost like my own grandbaby. What about Lucy’s parents?”

“Harry told me they got divorced a long time ago. Lucy didn’t mention either of them.”

“Then we’ll be this little girl’s grandparents, at least for a little while.”

“Let me hold her a minute,” Griff said, reaching for the pink bundle. He peeled back the blanket to get a good look at her. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Yeah,” John agreed. “Caro says if she holds her own, she can go home with Lucy.”

“How much did she weigh?” Camille asked.

“Six pounds one ounce.”

“Oh, yes, she’ll need to grow a little.” She cooed at the baby, “Listen, little Emma, you drink all your milk so you’ll weigh a little more. Then you can come home with your mommy.”

“You think she heard you, Mom?”

“You never know, John. Babies understand a lot more than we might think.”

“Okay, I’d better take her back to her mother, in case Lucy wakes up and thinks her baby is missing. I’m not sure when I’ll be home, Dad. Thanks for taking over for me.”

“No problem. We’ll call it family leave.”

John was smiling as he carried Emma back to her bassinet. She stretched in his arms, as if she was trying to grow. “Not too fast, Emma. You need to be a baby for a little longer. That way you can have lots of cuddling.”

When he reached the room, Lucy was asleep and he settled Emma in her own small bed to sleep alongside her mother.

When he came out of Lucy’s room, Caroline caught him. “Mike wants to talk to you. He said he could come here if that would help.”

“Yeah, it would. Shall I call him?”

“I’ll let him know.”

“Okay, I’ll be in the waiting room.”

After letting Lucy’s nurse know where he’d be, he settled on one of the sofas in the waiting room, glad his parents had gone home. At least now they knew he hadn’t brought a woman pregnant with his child to the hospital as a surprise. But he almost wished Lucy was his woman. She seemed so gentle and caring and…lost. He felt a need to be responsible for her.

Mike walked into the waiting room. He must’ve driven down to get there this fast.

“Did that old man talk to you?”

Mike came to an abrupt halt. “Did you have something to do with that?”

“He’s the one who brought us to town.”

“I didn’t know that. But I wanted to talk to you about the woman you brought in.”

“Didn’t Caro tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Who she is. She’s Harry’s sister.”

Mike stared at him blankly. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Did you ask her for proof?”

“No, I didn’t. I’m not a lawman.”

“Damn it, John, you can’t just take her word for it.”

“Do you know her married name? I don’t. Well, I do now, but I didn’t then.”

“Maybe her driver’s license has her maiden name on it. A lot of women do that, for some reason.”

“Do you want me to go get her purse? I know where it is. I’ll be back in a minute.” John felt kind of bad about getting Lucy’s wallet while she was sleeping, but Mike had to see the proof.

When he came out, Caroline was talking with her husband.

“Why didn’t you tell me she’d been beaten, John?”

“Hell, you wouldn’t even believe who she is without proof. I figured we should prove her identity to you before we discussed what she’d been through.”

“Caro just told me about her bruises.”

“Yeah, and I took her by the shoulders and she winced. She said she was bruised there, too. When I told her to take off her coat so I could see, she said he didn’t hit her where other people could see.”

“Sounds like a pro.”

“She said he only hit her one other time, and he apologized and told her it wouldn’t happen again.”

“Did she say why he beat her this time?”

“She said he didn’t want the baby…and then she broke down in sobs.”

“Poor thing,” Caroline said. “Being pregnant is hard enough when both of you want the baby. When one of you doesn’t, it’s nearly unbearable. To have him try to destroy her baby is inhuman.”

Mike Davis put his arm around his wife. They’d been thrilled with both their children, but Mike knew she felt a lot of sympathy toward women who suffered at the hands of their husbands.

“What’s she going to do?” Caroline asked.

“I talked to Mom and Dad and they’re willing to welcome her to our house. Mom was planning what she would do to make them happy.”

“And she agreed to do that?”

“I haven’t actually talked to her about it. She thinks she should go away where her husband won’t find her. But she doesn’t know where to go. That’s why she was calling Harry. But he didn’t answer.”

“No, he’s on vacation, but I think he’d want us to help her. We could take her if you can’t,” Mike said.

John grinned. “Mom would never forgive me if she got away.”

“You do realize her husband might come after her.”

“Yeah. If he does, we’ll call you, Mike, but Dad and I will be ready.”

“Good. The MO of these kind of men is to keep hitting their wives. They don’t stop at two beatings. I’m glad she got out.”

“Me, too.”

“When you talk to Harry, tell him we’ve got the situation covered.”

“I will, Mike. He’ll know he can rely on both of us. And Mom is so excited. She’s looking forward to having a baby in the house again.”

“Are you going to stay available until she settles down? She seems to need reassurance for a while,” Caroline said.

“Yeah, I’m going to stay here until she’s okay with everything. I may stay until she can leave. Dad has offered to handle any problems with the ranch until I bring her and the baby home.”

“I just want to warn you, John, that her emotions will be all over the place. It happens after childbirth.” Caroline studied him and John dropped his gaze.

“I’m just offering protection, like Harry would want me to do.”

Mike clapped him on his back. “All right, we’ve got everything squared away for now. When she’s doing better, we’ll ask her if she’ll file charges.”