Part 41 (1/2)

”It's just you and me now,” Meredith said. ”Father died ... was killed. I buried him yesterday. All your friends were there. They asked about you. You have so many.” She choked as she remembered Lulu Starnes and the photo of three young people who'd looked ready to conquer the world.

She leaned down and kissed her mother. Tears dampened her face as she laid her cheek against the parchment like skin of her mother.

She heard a knock on the door. She wiped her cheeks as the private duty nurse returned, followed by her mother's doctor. She stood to meet him.

He gave her a look of concern. ”I'm sorry about your father,” he said. ”I had hoped to attend the funeral, but I had an emergency.”

”Thank you,” she said. She drew him to the door. ”I'll be taking over the responsibility for my mother's care. What... where are we?”

”You have some decisions to make. She didn't leave a living will. Your father ordered us to use all means to resuscitate.”

”How much longer does she have?”

”Her organs are closing down. No more than several days, if that much; as little as a few hours.”

”Is there any chance she will regain consciousness?”

He shook his head. ”No.”

”Can she hear anything? Feel anything?”

”I don't believe so,” he said gently.

Meredith looked down at the shadow of her mother. She probably didn't weigh more than eighty pounds now.

”Then no heroic means,” she said. ”I don't think she would have wanted it.”

He nodded. ”I'm sorry, Miss Rawson. I liked her.”

She noticed he used the past tense.

She went back to her mother's side. She hoped that on some conscious level her mother knew she was loved.

”I won't leave you,” she whispered in a choked voice.

'BISBEE'.

Holly watched the hawk circle above and thought life couldn't get better than this. She wouldn't allow the past to intrude. Not now.

She wished she could capture these moments and seal them in a bottle.

It was Sat.u.r.day. Doug had arrived with his niece, who greeted Harry like a little brother. He basked in her attention.

When Doug had opened the Jeep door for Holly, his slow smile warmed her all the way through. Despite his office, she couldn't help but feel comfortable with him.

She liked the affectionate but firm way he treated his niece and the easy manner he had with Harry. She liked the feelings he aroused in her. She longed to put her hand in his, just as she'd watched so many other couples do.

She'd always missed that kind of intimacy with Randolph. She couldn't remember him ever just grabbing her hand or wanting her with him on any occasion other than a political or social event.

When they'd reached the ranch, Russ had cast her a rueful glance as Doug helped her mount the mare, his hand lingering a moment more than necessary. Her pulse quickened and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her.

She had to force herself to concentrate as he lifted himself into the saddle. She sensed Doug's gaze on her as they rode toward the mountain. Harry was riding in front of Doug, protected by strong arms. It was always Doug now. Not Sheriff. She had tried to think of him as the latter, but it was hard to equate him with a gun or violence. She knew it was a cliche, but he was more gentle giant than lawman.

He was both. She had to remember that. He might not want to do anything if he learned the truth, but he would have to. She'd known him long enough to sense his integrity, his strong sense of duty.

She did not want to be responsible for making him choose between his job--his vocation--and her. She sensed she would destroy him if she did.

She should stay away from him. She knew he cared about her and that those feelings ran deep. She saw it in his face, in his eyes; heard it in the way his voice lowered to a husky whisper.

Hers did as well. She cared more than she'd wanted to admit. She relaxed with him. He liked her for who and what she was, and not for her looks. She'd certainly gone to a great deal of trouble to make herself plain.

She must never forget that she was married to someone. Someone who had tried to murder her.

”Liz?”

She looked at him.

”That was a heavy sigh. Something wrong?”

”Just thinking of the work I have to do. My garden creatures are doing well. I really shouldn't be here, but Harry loves to ride. His ambition is to be a cowboy,” she added. ”A sheriff like 'Sher'f Doug.'”

”What about Liz?” he asked.

”Liz likes it, too,” she admitted.

He continued to look at her. ”Marty says your sculptures have been flying off the shelves.”

Her stomach knotted. He had been talking to Marty about her. Had Marty mentioned her delay in giving a Social Security number or that the telephone was in Marty's name? She struggled to get back to the subject. ”She also says that once the summer season is over, sales go way down. I need to sell as many as possible before then.”

He didn't say anything but she saw the puzzled look on his face.

He was probably wondering why she didn't have insurance money from her husband's death.

She didn't explain. She couldn't lie in front of a son who knew his father was alive.

Once more, she told herself to stay away from Doug.

If only she could.

But she needed the sense of belonging that he brought to her life. The companions.h.i.+p. Harry needed it even more. Randolph was not the person she wanted Harry to emulate.

Doug's gaze kept coming back to her, though only in quick sideways movements. ”There's a great movie for kids tomorrow night. I promised Jenny that I would take her. Perhaps ...” His voice trailed off as if he knew her answer in advance.

A film. She knew the one he referred to. Magicians and magic and wonder. Harry would love it, especially going with Jenny. An older woman.

”You're smiling,” Doug said with surprise.

Did she really smile so rarely that when she did, it caused comment? And how to answer? She couldn't tell him the reason--that her son had a four-year-old's crush on Jenny. Not with Harry within listening distance.

But she saw Doug's eyes light.