Chapter 1
"As I stepped off the train, I saw my husband, tears in his eyes. It shocked and surprised me, I'd only seen such emotion from him twice in my life, once when Champ had died, and then when he heard about Jonathan's death. Now I was coming home with my sister's child, and the self-control I had maintained since leaving Kansas City was ready to break." Laurie paused, then looked at the faces around her.
"Go on Mom, "Robin encouraged, "Don't stop now."
"Holding Robin's hand, I walked toward the small crowd of well-wishers, Doc, Ben, and Miss Phyllis, among them. Accepting their kind words and smiles toward the four year old walking so very straight next to me, I came to Gene.
Bending down to her level, he held out his arms and said, "I'm Uncle Gene, Robin, I'm glad to see you again." At once she threw her tiny body at him, crying and saying "Papa's gone". I felt my body shaking, and I bit my lip to keep from joining her.
Gene stood up, holding her with one arm against his shoulder, then looked at me.
"Casey." That is all he said, but it spoke volumes. Suddenly his arm was around me, and I wept into his chest. He held both of us for what seemed like ages, whispering how much he missed me, then I raised my face to meet his eyes.
"Sweetheart, I heard from the President, are you all right?" he asked. I nodded. "Yes, Gene, I was only shaken, thank God." Robin's voice piped up then, "The bad man tried to hurt Auntie." Gene looked startled, then meeting her gaze, told Robin, "No one is ever going to hurt Auntie or you, honey. You're safe, and I hope you'll be happy here."
She nodded, then leaned her head against his shoulder and fell asleep. Careful not to wake her, he released me long enough to shift her into a better position. As I picked up our bags, I felt him take my arm, then as I straightened he kissed my cheek, saying, "I'm sorry, Casey, you were right. She needs us, and we need her."
Tears again were in my eyes, "Oh, Gene, you only meant to protect me. You're right, though, our home is where we belong, where I belong."
I knew my days of being a full time deputy were over, for I had a more important job to do now. The expression on his face let me know he understood, and he squeezed my arm.
"Let's go home."
There was silence, then Laurie heard sniffing coming from her mom. "Honey, that was so sad, I never knew how your Great-grandmother was able to adopt Robin Jackson." She turned to her sister-in-law, who was wiping her eyes. "Laurie, I don't know how you do it, I felt like I was seeing the whole thing." Linda told her, putting a hand on her arm.
"I didn't do anything, just wrote out what Grandmother's notes said." she replied, touched at their words.
Temple stood up then, and hugging Laurie, told her "It's better then a video, listening to you. Next time you want a pair of ears, I'm here! Now we'd better round up our men, heaven only knows what they're up to!"
Amid the laughter, Abby Marsh added, "It probably involves beer and a football, so if anybody's sore tonight, you'll know why!" Laurie beamed at her, it was a treat to have the lieutenant visiting now that they got along.
As the group of women trickled out of the living room toward the patio, Abby hung behind. "Laurie, was Robin named after your Great-Grandmother's niece?'
"Yes, Chief Joseph named both Robert and Robin for her children. From everything I've read, Robbie takes after him, he was a Pinkerton detective then a soldier in WWII." Laurie stopped there, then quietly said, "I'll be happy if the legacy ends there, Casey's son was killed in action two weeks before the end of the war. It nearly killed her and Gene never seemed to recover from his death."
"I'm sure you'll never have to worry about that, Rick already did his share for all of you." Abby assured her. Laurie smiled at her, "You're right, besides, Robby will have his hands full when Andy moves to Tucson. I'm just glad it won't be until after he and Ramona get married!"
Just then a beeper sounded, and the lieutenant rummaged in her purse. "Dang, who'd be paging me here! Honey, where's your extension?" "Over here, Abby, you can take it in our room." Laurie offered, handing the cordless to her.
Going to the kitchen, she started making a pitcher of iced tea, grinning at the sound of Robin ragging her brother at dropping an easy pass. Abruptly Abby appeared in the doorway, "Honey, I need to talk to Rick and A.J., we've got a problem."
"They're outside, want me to go get them?" Laurie asked, concerned. "No, I'll do it, I just hate to be a party pooper!", she replied. Watching her go outside, Laurie refrained from following Abby; she didn't want to step on her toes when it came to the work the guys had done with SDPD.
Taking the beverage and some snacks outside, she saw Abby had taken her husband and brother-in-law aside by the barn. "Laurie, you're a mind-reader! How'd you know we were dying of thirst!" Towne said, trying to take her focus off the conversation going on behind them "Well, you had that lean and hungry look, make that thirsty look", she teased, trying to be light with her friend. She felt a pair of arms come around her then, and looking up, saw Rick's blue eyes. "There's my sweetheart!" he whispered, and she leaned against him as he kissed her.
"Ok, Rick, take it inside, my wife might get ideas!" Towne laughed, then groaned as Temple elbowed him "Good thought!" the older Simon grinned, then led his wife back into the house.
As soon as they reached the kitchen, she embraced him, then asked, "What happened, darling, what did Abby say?" He caressed her cheek, then said, "An ex-con we testified against 20 years ago escaped, he told his cell mate we were going to find out what revenge was." "Oh no, darling, is she sure he knows where you and A.J. are now?" Laurie asked, clinging to him.
"Abby doesn't think he does, so the Feds have some time to track him down. She just wants us to be careful for the next week or so." he assured her, then kissed her again. "Ok, I won't worry then, Rick, except, "she put her lips to his, "let's give Temple some more ideas!"
"As I stepped off the train, I saw my husband, tears in his eyes. It shocked and surprised me, I'd only seen such emotion from him twice in my life, once when Champ had died, and then when he heard about Jonathan's death. Now I was coming home with my sister's child, and the self-control I had maintained since leaving Kansas City was ready to break." Laurie paused, then looked at the faces around her.
"Go on Mom, "Robin encouraged, "Don't stop now."
"Holding Robin's hand, I walked toward the small crowd of well-wishers, Doc, Ben, and Miss Phyllis, among them. Accepting their kind words and smiles toward the four year old walking so very straight next to me, I came to Gene.
Bending down to her level, he held out his arms and said, "I'm Uncle Gene, Robin, I'm glad to see you again." At once she threw her tiny body at him, crying and saying "Papa's gone". I felt my body shaking, and I bit my lip to keep from joining her.
Gene stood up, holding her with one arm against his shoulder, then looked at me.
"Casey." That is all he said, but it spoke volumes. Suddenly his arm was around me, and I wept into his chest. He held both of us for what seemed like ages, whispering how much he missed me, then I raised my face to meet his eyes.
"Sweetheart, I heard from the President, are you all right?" he asked. I nodded. "Yes, Gene, I was only shaken, thank God." Robin's voice piped up then, "The bad man tried to hurt Auntie." Gene looked startled, then meeting her gaze, told Robin, "No one is ever going to hurt Auntie or you, honey. You're safe, and I hope you'll be happy here."
She nodded, then leaned her head against his shoulder and fell asleep. Careful not to wake her, he released me long enough to shift her into a better position. As I picked up our bags, I felt him take my arm, then as I straightened he kissed my cheek, saying, "I'm sorry, Casey, you were right. She needs us, and we need her."
Tears again were in my eyes, "Oh, Gene, you only meant to protect me. You're right, though, our home is where we belong, where I belong."
I knew my days of being a full time deputy were over, for I had a more important job to do now. The expression on his face let me know he understood, and he squeezed my arm.
"Let's go home."
There was silence, then Laurie heard sniffing coming from her mom. "Honey, that was so sad, I never knew how your Great-grandmother was able to adopt Robin Jackson." She turned to her sister-in-law, who was wiping her eyes. "Laurie, I don't know how you do it, I felt like I was seeing the whole thing." Linda told her, putting a hand on her arm.
"I didn't do anything, just wrote out what Grandmother's notes said." she replied, touched at their words.
Temple stood up then, and hugging Laurie, told her "It's better then a video, listening to you. Next time you want a pair of ears, I'm here! Now we'd better round up our men, heaven only knows what they're up to!"
Amid the laughter, Abby Marsh added, "It probably involves beer and a football, so if anybody's sore tonight, you'll know why!" Laurie beamed at her, it was a treat to have the lieutenant visiting now that they got along.
As the group of women trickled out of the living room toward the patio, Abby hung behind. "Laurie, was Robin named after your Great-Grandmother's niece?'
"Yes, Chief Joseph named both Robert and Robin for her children. From everything I've read, Robbie takes after him, he was a Pinkerton detective then a soldier in WWII." Laurie stopped there, then quietly said, "I'll be happy if the legacy ends there, Casey's son was killed in action two weeks before the end of the war. It nearly killed her and Gene never seemed to recover from his death."
"I'm sure you'll never have to worry about that, Rick already did his share for all of you." Abby assured her. Laurie smiled at her, "You're right, besides, Robby will have his hands full when Andy moves to Tucson. I'm just glad it won't be until after he and Ramona get married!"
Just then a beeper sounded, and the lieutenant rummaged in her purse. "Dang, who'd be paging me here! Honey, where's your extension?" "Over here, Abby, you can take it in our room." Laurie offered, handing the cordless to her.
Going to the kitchen, she started making a pitcher of iced tea, grinning at the sound of Robin ragging her brother at dropping an easy pass. Abruptly Abby appeared in the doorway, "Honey, I need to talk to Rick and A.J., we've got a problem."
"They're outside, want me to go get them?" Laurie asked, concerned. "No, I'll do it, I just hate to be a party pooper!", she replied. Watching her go outside, Laurie refrained from following Abby; she didn't want to step on her toes when it came to the work the guys had done with SDPD.
Taking the beverage and some snacks outside, she saw Abby had taken her husband and brother-in-law aside by the barn. "Laurie, you're a mind-reader! How'd you know we were dying of thirst!" Towne said, trying to take her focus off the conversation going on behind them "Well, you had that lean and hungry look, make that thirsty look", she teased, trying to be light with her friend. She felt a pair of arms come around her then, and looking up, saw Rick's blue eyes. "There's my sweetheart!" he whispered, and she leaned against him as he kissed her.
"Ok, Rick, take it inside, my wife might get ideas!" Towne laughed, then groaned as Temple elbowed him "Good thought!" the older Simon grinned, then led his wife back into the house.
As soon as they reached the kitchen, she embraced him, then asked, "What happened, darling, what did Abby say?" He caressed her cheek, then said, "An ex-con we testified against 20 years ago escaped, he told his cell mate we were going to find out what revenge was." "Oh no, darling, is she sure he knows where you and A.J. are now?" Laurie asked, clinging to him.
"Abby doesn't think he does, so the Feds have some time to track him down. She just wants us to be careful for the next week or so." he assured her, then kissed her again. "Ok, I won't worry then, Rick, except, "she put her lips to his, "let's give Temple some more ideas!"
