Lone Star Justice (10 page)

A movement at the rear doors caught his attention and he looked up, straight into Maddie's wide-eyed gaze. The look on her face shook his concentration for a moment before he forced his attention back to the job at hand.

"I've made copies of pictures and rap sheets of a dozen known felons who are suspected of making threats against Maddie and her daughter. This is serious business, folks. Any one of these men could be headed to Greendale. What I need from you is your pledge to keep your eyes open, to watch for strangers, and to let me know immediately if you see something out of the ordinary."

Doc stood and gestured to the people in the seats around him. "You made a promise to this town, Rand McCade. You swore that if we elected you sheriff, you would keep trouble out of our town. Now you're handing trouble an engraved invitation by harboring Maddie Cooper and her bastard child."

Gasps raced through the crowd, and Rand glanced at Maddie. Her hands balled into fists at her side and an angry flush heightened the color in her cheeks. "That's enough, Doc. One more word and I'll have Cody escort you back to the clinic and keep you there until this meeting is over. Do I make myself clear?"

Doc subsided into seething silence, but Rand didn't miss the venomous look he shot Maddie as she marched down the center aisle to the podium. There was definitely something there, something he'd missed, something between Maddie and Doc. He filed the thought for later when Maddie climbed the steps to the stage and crossed to the podium.

He stepped back to let her have her say. He could tell from the look on her face that trying to stop her would be a monumental mistake.

***

Maddie quivered with rage at Doc's insensitive remark. She had no idea what had brought on the verbal attack, but he'd made a mistake by bringing up her daughter's paternity. That was one thing Maddie couldn't forgive. He'd made an enemy for life as far as she was concerned.

She took a moment to calm down before she addressed the crowd. "Well, you know all my worst secrets now, so at least there's nothing to stand between us."

The crowd chuckled and she felt a little of her normal equilibrium return. "I wouldn't even think of putting any of you in danger if it weren't for my daughter. Those of you who have children and grandchildren hopefully will understand. When our lives were threatened, all I could think about was getting her to safety. Getting her home. Illegitimate or not, she's still my daughter."

 Several heads nodded. A male voice from the back of the room called out, "But did you have to bring your problems here? What about the safety of our children?"

Maddie glanced toward the door where Linda still stood, smiling her encouragement. "I had nowhere else to go. And I honestly don't believe there's a danger to your children. This is between me and someone who has a grudge against me and no one else. But if the majority wants me to go, I will. But I want to tell you how good it feels to be home, to be among people I've known since childhood. To feel safe."

Gertrude Roberts stood and turned to face the crowd. "We duly elected our sheriff, and he's never let us down. Maybe we should do as he asks, help him keep an eye out. We could be a community-wide neighborhood watch group. If we all help, Greendale will stay a safe place to live."

Andy Griggs stood up beside her. He'd slicked his hair back for the occasion, and he actually looked debonair. "Gertie's right. The sheriff always does his job. Even when I get out of line, he straightens me right out. And I 'member Maddie when she was knee high to a grasshopper. Her daddy mighta been a working slob like the rest of us, but she had big dreams. She was gonna be a big shot lawyer. Looks like she got her dream, so now we need to make sure her little girl gets to have hers."

Gertrude watched Andy as he spoke and clapped him on the back when he finished. "Good for you, old man. There's hope for you yet."

Andy's ears reddened and he dropped into his seat like someone had knocked him in the head.

Rand stepped to Maddie's side and leaned toward the microphone. "This is what I love about this town. This willingness to help someone in need. Our Maddie is a respected judge now, and you never know when you'll need to have a judge on your side."

Amid more chuckles, he picked up a stack of papers and handed them to volunteers who passed them around. "I want everyone to take one of these, study them. If you see one of these men, call me. I put my cell number at the top of the page. Do
not
try to approach them if you see them. These men are dangerous."

Maddie nodded. "Please don't risk your lives trying to be a hero. All I need is a warning, enough time to get my daughter to safety."

Rand looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back. When he'd handed out the last of the flyers, he leaped back onto the stage and leaned across her to reach the microphone. "And besides, Cody's been itchin' to get his hands on a real live bad guy. Y'all wouldn't want to deprive him of his moment of glory, would you?"

Laughter rippled through the room and he dismissed the group on that upbeat note. Maddie didn't even realize he held her hand until she started to move away. His strong, callused fingers held her firm until the last straggler had left the building.

He turned to face her and brushed her hair back from her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to be subjected to this."

She took a step back to gain some distance. She couldn't breathe when he was that close, touching her. "I'm the one causing all the trouble. It was only right I should be here to take some of the heat."

"Maybe. But I would have spared you Doc's comments if I could."

"I'm a big girl now, Rand. I don't need you to run interference for me anymore. I just need you to protect my daughter."

He dropped her hand and placed a firm hand on her back to usher her down the steps. "I'll do my best, Maddie, to protect you both. That's a promise you can count on."

His words sucked the breath from her chest and her fists balled at her side. "You said that once before. I hope you've gotten better at keeping your promises." With a lift of her chin, she turned and walked away.

As she shoved through the door, she realized she was doing it again. Using anger as an excuse to run away from emotions she didn't want to deal with. It was an old pattern learned in childhood when she was shunned for being the poorest kid in the class, and for being the smartest.

She'd used it in self-defense when her father blamed her for the way his life had turned out. For being alive when his precious wife and son had died on an icy road. If she hadn't been thirty miles from home at a debate tournament when the freak ice storm hit, her mother and brother would have been at home watching television, instead of on their way to pick her up.

Maddie shoved the memories aside, not wanting anyone to see her cry. She'd learned long ago not to show any sign of weakness. Weakness made you vulnerable, and there was always someone waiting to take advantage of it.

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and headed back inside to apologize to Rand for her uncalled-for remark. He'd made his promise with the sincerity she'd once admired him for, and she'd tossed the past in his face. She wouldn't blame him if he'd changed his mind about letting her stay in town.

He was gathering the extra sheets of paper when she opened the door and glanced up, a frown creasing his brow. "Did you forget something?"

"Yes, Maddie said, closing the distance between them. "My manners. I'm sorry. That last comment was uncalled for. I'm feeling a little vulnerable right now, and I don't like the feeling. So I lashed out at you."

Rand ran the back of his fingers across her cheek, sending shivers all the way to her toes. "It's okay, Maddie. I understand."

"I believe you do. But I don't. I don't understand a lot of things. Like why you refused to see me after…what happened. Why you wouldn't even take my calls. I loved you, Rand. With my whole heart."

His eyes widened. "Wait. You called me? Tried to see me? When?"

"Oh my God, Rand. Every day. Several times a day. Right up until the day I left town."

"I didn't know. Actually, I don't remember much about those few days after the murders. Doc gave me some kind of sedative and I was pretty much out of it. Even the funeral was a blur."

"I was there. I thought you were ignoring me, refusing to look at me. I stayed at the back, and when you turned around and looked right through me like I wasn't even there, I left before the service ended. I called my aunt and she picked me up the next day."

Doc had kept him sedated
. It explained a lot, except why. Why would Doc keep Rand drugged for several days? Rand had always been strong. He wouldn't have fallen apart.

Rand pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. "I'm so sorry, Maddie. Doc told me you wanted nothing more to do with me, that you were running away--from me, from the town. I felt deserted and betrayed. I wanted you there with me, to hold me and help me deal with losing my parents, but you never came."

"Because Doc told me you hated me, that you never wanted to see me again. He told me to leave town, and to never come back. He even offered me money to leave." She pulled away and he dropped his arms to his sides. Maddie brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "Why, Rand? Why did Doc interfere in our lives like that? What did he have to gain?"

Rand shook his head. "I have no idea, but I intend to find out."

CHAPTER FIVE

Maddie kicked off her shoes and wiggled her aching toes. "Thank God, I think that's the last of it." Eight hours of non-stop shopping wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but Brandy had a blast. They'd spent the last hour unpacking the Expedition and putting away linens and kitchen utensils, lamps and pictures, and the most important purchase of the day--a video game system to replace the one they'd left behind.

"Is it okay if I go work on my room for a while?" Brandy asked as she stored a bag of cat food in the pantry.

"Sure. I'm just going to sit here on the floor and pretend we have furniture."

Brandy wrinkled her nose at the mention of furniture. "I still wish we'd bought new furniture instead of renting it. There's something weird about sleeping in a bed someone else has slept in."

"That's why I bought you a mattress pad and that plastic cover. We're not going to be here long enough to spend that kind of money. Now, go on and straighten your room. The delivery truck should be here any minute."

Maddie leaned her head against the wall and rested her arms on her knees. Domino purred quietly as he rubbed against her legs, and she reached out to stroke his silky fur. "You aren't sure about all this stuff, either, are you, boy? Last week everything was normal, now it's all mixed up and out of place."

Had she made the right decision? Uprooting Brandy and running back to Greendale had never occurred to her until she'd seen that dummy on her porch. But where else could they have gone?

Some of the old-timers still resented her, and she understood that. Her father hadn't endeared himself to anyone with his brusque ways and his vocal opposition to change in the community. Then he'd committed the worst crime the town had ever seen. It was natural that people saw her as an extension of the man they'd learned to hate. But she wasn't her father, and she wasn't responsible for his crime--at least that's what she told herself in the wee hours of the night when the nightmares hit.

She must have fallen asleep because a knock on the door sent her scrambling to her feet, heart pounding as she tried to remember where she was. Her butt was numb from sitting on the floor. A glance at her watch showed she'd been asleep for at least fifteen minutes.

She lifted the edge of the curtain on the window and peered out. No one on the porch. Her anxiety ratcheted up a notch as she scanned the front yard and driveway. Nothing. She knew she needed to open the door and take a closer look, but the memory of the dummy on her porch in Oklahoma made her hesitate.

She wished for the first time that she had a gun. She'd refused to learn to shoot because she hadn't wanted a gun in the house when Brandy was little. Now it seemed urgent that she get one and learn to use it. But she had no idea where to begin.

A noise out front sent her back to the window and her knees sagged in relief when she saw Rand's patrol car at the curb. On shaky legs, she crossed to the door and yanked it open before he could knock, all the while berating herself for being so weak that the mere sight of him made her feel safe. She wasn't a weakling, darn it. But she was acting like one, and that had to stop.

Rand took one look at Maddie's white face and trembling hands and knew something had happened. "What's wrong?"

She turned away and drew in a deep breath. "Nothing. It's silly. Someone knocked on the door, but when I looked there was no one there."

He placed a hand on her arm, but dropped it when she stiffened and stepped away. "Maddie, you've had a stressful week. It's natural to be afraid when someone's threatened someone you love. I was afraid for a long time after my parents were killed, always wondering if someone was going to come after me next."

When she turned back to face him, her eyes were wide with surprise. "But, why? My father was in jail. He couldn't have hurt you."