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“Thank you.”

  She did as he asked. “Remember to dial nine for an outside line. I’ll be back to take your vitals after you’re through talking.”

  He nodded, already having pushed the button before he forgot the radio station’s call-in number.

  The line was busy.

  For the next fifteen minutes he kept pressing the redial button. By the time it rang through, there was a recording that said no more requests were being taken.

  He muttered a curse.

  “It’s that time again, ladies and gentlemen. We’re coming up on three in the morning. I’ll be taking your requests again Monday at midnight on KHLB, the Hill Country station out of Austin at 580 on the AM dial. Thank you for listening to the Red Jarrett Show where I aim to bring you a little bit of the best of everything.”

  The Red Jarrett Show.

  He liked the sound of it. She’d probably been called Red growing up. He bet the nickname had pushed her buttons more than once. At twenty-eight she’d evidently passed beyond the point where it rankled.

  The woman had talent. Tremendous talent.

  Her commentary was as scintillating as her performance.

  Who’s taking you home tonight, Audra? For sure it’s not the Racetrack Lover.

  That man won’t be driving his brand-new M3, let alone any car, for a while.

  The overhead light went on. “Sorry, Mr. Hawkins. Once I’m through here, you won’t be bothered again until the morning nurse comes on duty at seven. I understand you’re going to be discharged at noon. She’ll be the one to explain the doctor’s orders before you go home.”

  Home?

  He didn’t have one.

  Neither did Audra.

  The Jarrett ranch house now belonged to his father and Pam.

  Except for a hundred and twenty acres and a bungalow, the main portion of the Jarrett Ranch now belonged to some millionaire businessman from Cleveland, Ohio, named Edwin Torney.

  Like tremors that continued to shake the ground after a major earthquake, the tragic words from the first song he’d heard Audra sing kept running through his head. “Windshield Rancher?” The poignancy of those words had magnified a thousand times after what he’d learned in the last forty-eight hours.

  “UNCLE DAVID?”

  “Audra? What are you doing calling me? You’re supposed to be sleeping in after your show. How come you’re awake? It’s only nine-thirty.”

  She knew he worried about her recurring nightmares as much as Pam did. “Since I went off the air I’ve been busy cleaning.”

  A lot of cleaning, topped off by a nightmarish phone call from Tom had made her angrier than she’d ever been in her life.

  “Cleaning? Now, Audra—”

  “Have you talked to Pam and Clint?” she broke in. “Are they bringing Rick home today?”

  “I just spoke to Pam. They’ll be on their way soon.”

  “Good.”

  “If you need something from town, call Clint on his cell phone.”

  “I’m fine. It’s you I have to talk to. It’s important. Could you come over to the bungalow now?”

  “What’s wrong, honey? No—don’t answer that. I’ll be right there.”

  “Thank you. The front door’s open.”

  She’d been standing in the kitchen to make the call. By the time she’d pulled the cherry-pecan muffins from the oven, she glimpsed her uncle’s blue half-ton pickup through the window.

  “Audra?” he called out a minute later.

  “I’m in the kitchen!”

  “It smells good in here,” he said as he entered from the living room.

  “Sit down and have breakfast with me.”

  He took a seat at the drop-leaf table next to the window. His concerned eyes smiled at her in admiration. “That broken leg hasn’t kept you down one bit.”

  “I can do everything but drive.” She put a platter of bacon and eggs on the table, then sat down across from him, leaning her crutches against the wall.

  No doubt he’d fixed himself hot cereal earlier that morning, but her uncle didn’t let it prevent him from eating again.

  “These muffins are worth a king’s ransom.”

  She chuckled. “You always say that about everything Pam or I cook.”

  “Because it’s true.”

  Audra finished munching on a piece of bacon. “Don’t give me any credit. I learned it all from her. In fact, she’s the person I want to talk to you about.”

  “Go ahead, honey.”

  “Uncle David, when you were defending Pam to the boys at dinner the other day, it was as if every word you said had been pulled straight out of my heart. No one deserves happiness more than she does.”

  “That’s a fact.”

  “Now that she and Clint have found each other, I believe they’re headed for a wonderful future. But it could get ruined if they’re not left alone to settle into their marriage without trouble hemming them in on all sides.”

  While she’d been talking, he swallowed the last of his coffee. “Have the boys been badgering you girls without my knowledge?”

  Nothing got past her uncle.

  “Not until this morning when I had a call from Tom. He said he’ll be dropping by the main house later today to get his things moved out. He also informed me that the boys had held a meeting.

  “It was decided that I have to vacate the bungalow this weekend. They’re planning to take over the place on Sunday evening and use it for their headquarters while they build a new barn out back.”

  Her uncle’s lip’s tightened.

  “There’s more. They’ve hired an attorney to get a court order prohibiting any guests staying at Pam’s bed-and-breakfast to ride beyond the creek, since the property on the other side is theirs.”

  “He said that, did he?”

  No doubt her uncle was imagining the same thing she was. That this was only the beginning of the harassment in store for Pam and Clint.

  Her uncle’s anger was intimidating because he rarely raised his voice. She admired that quality in him. It was one she’d been trying to emulate without much success. Since they both had red hair, she couldn’t use that as her excuse.

  “I have a plan that could solve a few problems for the time being, provided you help me.”

  A pained expression crept over his face. “You and Pam have always had to figure out how to cope with your cousins to keep the peace. When is it ever going to end?”

  She put a hand on his arm. “Please don’t be worried on our account. You’re the one who’s carried the load all these years. But circumstances have changed around here. As far as I’m concerned, the boys have just declared war on Pam and Clint. I’m prepared to put up a fight if you are.”

  He patted her hand before letting it go. “What’s your battle plan?”

  “We’ll need Rick for this to work, so I’m thinking it’s providential that his accident happened on Jarrett property.”

  “Go on.”

  “What I’m proposing is that you and he move in here while he convalesces. We’ve got three bedrooms. I’ll take care of him while you keep him company. I know what he needs after being in the hospital. We’ll all get along fine.”

  She smiled. “Can you imagine the look on Tom’s face when he and the boys show up here on Sunday night and discover you and Rick in residence? I own a quarter of the place. As long as I still have this cast on, I have squatter’s rights.

  “They don’t have a clue how tough Rick is, but as you and I both know, he’s a big boy who can take care of himself. Between you and Clint’s son, they won’t be able to run me out of here until I’m ready to leave.

  “And here’s the beautiful part. While they’re forced to cool their heels, Pam and Clint will have some time alone to get their bed-and-breakfast going. Those two have got to be given their privacy. When they want a little company, they can mosey on over here for an hour.”

  Her uncle’s eyes lit up. “It’s an inspired plan.”

  “I’m glad
you agree. Now your job will be to convince Pam and Clint that it’s what you think is for the best for everyone. They won’t say no to you. They love and respect you too much.

  “Rick’s so independent I think he’ll be relieved his dad’s new wife won’t have to wait on him around the clock.”

  With a nod, her uncle pushed himself away from the table and got to his feet. “Thank you for the delicious breakfast.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Your concern for other people’s happiness at a cost to your own is one of your crowning virtues, honey.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t get up. Finish your food. I’ll go back to the house and wait for them. I’ve got a few things to do before our patient arrives.

  “When it’s all settled and they’re on their way over here, I’ll give you a ring. Since Tom’s coming for his things, don’t expect me until late tonight.”

  “I’m glad Clint will be there with you.”

  “It ought to be an enlightening experience for the boys to find themselves up against the Hawkins men,” her uncle mused aloud.

  Enlightening was hardly the word.

  Shame on you, Audra Jarrett, for your uncharitable thoughts.

  “WE’RE ALMOST THERE. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m fine, Dad,” Rick lied. It was time for another pain pill.

  Unfortunately, there was no medication he could give his anxious father, who continued to cast him sideward glances. Rick didn’t think he could deal with the situation much longer.

  Guilt plagued his dad. Though it was ridiculous for him to feel responsible for the horseback-riding accident, Rick understood.

  In Clint’s eyes his son wasn’t an ordinary person. He was a race-car driver who needed to be in top physical and mental condition. Those contracts waiting to be signed in Arizona were going to have to sit there for a while longer.

  But Rick knew the accident didn’t comprise all his father’s guilt. There was another component.

  A much bigger one.

  The one that had driven Rick to retire early from racing.

  The one resulting in a depression Rick hadn’t been able to throw off or hide from his father.

  If Rick knew it wouldn’t devastate his dad, he’d ask his buddy Chip to fly down from Colorado and drive him to Phoenix. The guy was having marital problems and needed to talk. They could both vent.

  Once there, Rick would check into a hotel and take advantage of the room service until he felt well enough to get around.

  To stay with Nate or Brent while he recuperated was out of the question. Their wives, one who was pregnant, the other who’d just had a baby, weren’t in any condition to wait on him.

  Everything came back to Pam, the giver. She’d insisted he sit in front so he’d have plenty of legroom. She would be doing the honors in the nursing department.

  It wasn’t fair to her or his father. Hell, it wasn’t fair to their marriage. Since she’d been a teenager Pam had been waiting on people, three of whom were boorish ingrates.

  More recently she’d had to cut her honeymoon short to be at Audra’s bedside. Pam deserved the luxury of being a wife in her own home without having to nurse him, too.

  Rick would give it three days at the most, enough to help his father get over the worst of his guilt. Then he’d phone Chip for help.

  “There’s Uncle David,” Pam exclaimed. “I wonder how long he’s been waiting on the front porch. I hope there’s nothing wrong.”

  The older man walked down the steps toward the car. Rick lowered his window as David drew up to his side.

  He studied Rick for a moment. “Thought I’d catch you before you drove in and tried to get out of the car when you’re hurting so much. You look a lot better than you did when they lifted you in the helicopter.”

  “Sorry to have ruined the day for everyone.”

  “That’s foolish talk, Rick. I’m not going to ask how you feel because I already know. Years ago I broke my collarbone during a cattle drive. The worst part is being patient while you wait for it to get better.”

  “You’re right,” Rick murmured. Pam’s uncle was a good man. “I’m already going crazy.”

  “How would you like a job to keep you sharp while that bone heals?”

  David Jarrett didn’t ask idle questions. Rick’s curiosity was piqued.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  His expression sobered. “Stay at the bungalow with my little Audra while you’re recovering. Let her wait on you. She’s well enough to be going crazy herself while she’s cooped up out there. Though she would never admit it, she needs company and protection until that cast comes off.”

  Rick had thought the same thing from the moment he’d invaded her bedroom without invitation. In fact, he’d gone so far as to be angry that no one was there to help her get through those nightmares.

  “There’s nothing I’d like better,” he said in all honesty. “But what makes you think she’d welcome me?”

  “I was her guest for breakfast this morning. She’d had a phone call from Tom. It shook her up, and she asked me if I’d sleep there until her cast comes off.”

  In Rick’s opinion Tom was a dangerous man.

  “What did he say to her?” Pam sounded alarmed.

  “He and the boys want her out of there this weekend so they can have a place to live while they build a barn.”

  Those bastards!

  “The problem is, I’d promised my best friend Harry that after I’d sold the property, I would stay at the Cattlemen’s Club until next weekend when the condo’s ready.

  “What I hadn’t counted on was the boys being this bitter. They’re already ganging up on Audra, and that’s something I won’t tolerate.”

  “Please don’t change your plans, Uncle David,” Pam pleaded with him. “I know how much you’ve looked forward to spending time with Harry. Go and enjoy yourself with him and your other friends. Clint and I wi—”

  “David asked me to stay with her. That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Rick broke in before Pam could say anything else.

  The older man looked relieved. Whatever love Audra didn’t get from her cousins, her uncle made up.

  “Thank you, son. Just between you and me, she’s been looking for a way to pay your father back. He was so understanding about Pam having to cut short their honeymoon to be with her at the hospital and after, she’s felt guilty ever since. She’ll see this as a way to even the score.”

  Sounds of protest came from the other two in the car. Rick, on the other hand, understood that kind of guilt very well. Things couldn’t be working out better for him.

  “I need to do a little fence-mending of my own, David. Audra and I didn’t get off to the best start. I’m afraid I broke into the bungalow during one of her nightmares. I thought she was being attacked.”

  “Clint told me.” David cleared his throat. “I have to confess, I’d sleep a lot better if I knew she wasn’t alone at night. If those terrible dreams haven’t stopped by the time she’s living in Austin, I’m going to take her for professional help,” he declared.

  “I had a buddy at the track who became trapped in his race car. He suffered the same kind of problem. He moved to his parents’ for a while and the nightmares finally went away. She shouldn’t be alone.

  “Dad? Why don’t we drive to the bungalow right now. I’m starting to feel tired and the pain pill is wearing off. You can bring my other things over later when it’s convenient.”

  His father nodded. “Since you’ve just left the hospital, that would be for the best. Once you’re settled, you shouldn’t have to move again.”

  David eyed Rick. “I’ll tell Audra you’re coming instead of me. One thing’s for certain. Cast or no cast, she’ll make you the best nurse in the Hill Country.”

  Even for the Racetrack Lover?

  There was an unmistakable tremor in David’s voice before he stepped away from the car.

  By the time they’d covered the three miles to the bu
ngalow in silence, Rick discovered that despite his pain, his black mood had improved. In a few minutes he would come face-to-face with Red Jarrett in the flesh.

  They’d met before, but now he was in possession of certain facts that made her even more fascinating to him.

  For one thing, he wouldn’t have to wait until Monday night to call in on the radio request line to talk to her. Instead of staying with his dad and Pam for the next three days, he’d be living with Audra for an indefinite period. He’d get answers to certain questions he’d been wanting to ask her.

  For another, it would give his dad and Pam time to be alone for a change.

  His thoughts went back to his first skirmish with Audra.

  Let’s agree to stay out of each other’s way. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Inside of twelve hours, boredom will consume you. By nightfall, we’ll be breathing the dust from your tires when you peal out of here for heaven knows what race with death you have scheduled next.

  Her prophecy had been way off.

  Inside of twelve hours, a helicopter had borne him away. Two days later, he was back at the ranch with no schedule in mind, no imminent race with death and no sign of boredom.

  While his father steadied him up the porch steps, Pam opened the front door of the bungalow.

  This time Rick heard no bloodcurdling screams, only the musical quality in Audra’s voice after Pam announced their arrival.

  “Come on back, Rick. Your bed’s waiting for you! Uncle David told me you’re willing to let me take care of you. You’re a brave man. I promise that if I whack anyone with my crutches, it won’t be you.”

  His dad turned to him with a puzzled look. “What did she mean?”

  Rick would have grinned if it didn’t hurt to smile. The pain from his broken collarbone radiated all the way to his mouth. “It’s one of Audra’s dark jokes.”

  “You understood it?”

  “Yes.”

  This side trip to Texas was getting more exciting by the second.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “HERE ARE the doctor’s orders.”

  Audra took the sheet from Pam, aware of Clint’s and Rick’s voices filtering down the hall to the kitchen.