Randall Renegade by Judy Christenberry

It’s a normal reaction to the stress you’ve been under.”
    “Mom?” Jim said faintly, grabbing both women’s attention. He was awake.
    “Jim!” Megan exclaimed, reaching out to touch her son.
    “Where’re Patience and Tommy?” he asked hoarsely.
    “They’re fine. Patience is spending the night here, but she’ll go home tomorrow. Tommy and his grandmother are at the ranch.”
    “Keep them there,” Jim said. “Please.”
    “Well, of course they’re welcome to stay, but why—”
    “Keep them there,” Jim said again as his eyes closed.
    Anna checked his pulse and the IV. “He’s drifted off again,” she murmured. Then she looked at Megan. “Why do you think he wants them to stay at the ranch? So he can see Patience?”
    “No. I think he’s worried about their safety. Until he’s better able to talk, we’re going to do what he wants.” Megan frowned as she watched her son.
    “I’m going to sleep here tonight,” Anna said. “That way I won’t have to get up early anddrive in. We’ve got another front coming in soon. You’d better get started for the ranch.”
    “I’m not going home. I’ll call Elizabeth and tell her. With our husbands out of touch, still looking for Jim, no one else will dare fuss at me,” Megan told her with a smile. “I’m going to be here for Jim’s surgery.”
    Anna nodded, clearly not surprised by Megan’s decision. “How about we share a room, then?”
    “Sounds good,” Megan said, reaching for the phone.

Chapter Seven
    When Patience awoke the next morning, a terrible sadness seemed to hang over her.
    When she turned her head, she saw Megan dozing in a chair beside her bed. She wasn’t sure why Jim’s mother was still beside her.
    Patience decided to try to make it to the bathroom without waking Megan, but when she stood, she realized she was woozy. A quick grab for the bed saved her, but the commotion disturbed Megan.
    “Patience? What’s wrong?” Megan sat up, a startled look on her face.
    “I’m sorry. I needed to go to the bathroom, but the room began to spin.” Patience felt tears gathering in her eyes. Ridiculous. Why was she crying?
    Megan reached over and pressed the button tosummon the nurse. “I’m not sure they want you walking around.”
    “But I’m not sick.”
    “No, but they gave you a sedative early this morning, and its effects may not have gone away yet. Don’t you remember waking up and telling us about your nightmare?”
    Before Patience could tell her that she did not remember, the nurse entered the room and Megan asked her to help Patience to the bathroom. After the nurse helped her back to bed, minutes later, she announced, “Breakfast trays just arrived. I’ll bring both of you some breakfast.”
    “I’m not hungry,” Patience said.
    “If you want to go home today, you better eat a good breakfast.” With a brisk nod the nurse left the room.
    Patience frowned, then said, “She didn’t give me much choice, did she?”
    Megan chuckled. “No. Are you feeling better this morning? More rested?”
    “Yes. Yes, I am. And I’m going to eat so I can go home. And Mom and Tommy will come with me, so we’ll all be out of your hair, Mrs. Randall.”
    “Call me Megan. You know, there are a lotof Mrs. Randalls. Even Elizabeth is Mrs. Randall.” Megan smiled warmly.
    Patience smiled back and nodded, not mentioning how she’d once thought she would also be a Mrs. Randall.
    The breakfast trays arrived and they both ate in silence. Patience discovered she had an appetite, after all.
    At last she asked, “How’s Jim this morning?”
    “We should know soon. He’s in surgery—they’re removing the bullet. We should know any time now.”
    There was a knock on the door and Anna entered. “The operation’s over and Jim came through just fine. Jon got the bullet out and the wound is clean. He should be going home in two or three days.”
    Megan sighed with relief, but Patience stared at Anna in horror. “The bullet was