Lloyd studied the signatures, stunned by how many there were. “You did this?”
“I thought it would help.”
Lloyd turned away. “You want this for my mom, not my dad.”
“So what if he does?” Brian asked. “Peter completely respects Randy and what she would want and what Jake would want. Do you want Randy to risk surgery for something this important with a doctor who’s not totally qualified to do it? Don’t you want her to have the best? Wouldn’t Jake want that?”
Lloyd paced and smoked. “Jesus,” he muttered. “I was just telling Katie how torn I am about everything that’s going on, and now this! You should have gone straight to Pa, not to me. I’ll not be a part of something that he might think is some kind of betrayal.”
Peter closed his eyes and sighed. “Lloyd, if you don’t want to feel like you’re going behind his back, I’ll talk to him alone about this.”
“Alone?” Lloyd shook his head. “Pa isn’t exactly in the best mood he’s ever been in. I won’t let you go over there alone, because I need to be there to stop him from doing something he shouldn’t.” He looked at Brian. “Does Evie know about this?”
“Not yet, but she’ll want what’s best for her mother. You know that.”
Lloyd turned away, taking a deep breath. “I appreciate that petition, Peter. I just hate the real reason you’re doing this.”
“Believe it or not, Lloyd, I really want this for your father too.”
Lloyd rubbed anxiously at his forehead. “Let me go over there first. For all we know, my parents are—” He turned away. “I just want to make sure they’re open to company. We can’t just go barging in on them with something like this.” He finished buttoning his shirt. “Let me go talk to Katie and finish dressing. Brian, you take Peter back to your house. I’ll come and get you once I know it’s okay, but I’m warning you, Peter, that you might need my brother-in-law’s doctoring when this is over.”
“I might need a doctor myself,” Brian quipped.
Lloyd smiled sadly and walked out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. “Shit,” he grumbled. He did not relish going to Jake Harkner and telling him another man, who was in love with his wife, wanted to take her away for a good two weeks or more…maybe to die…in that man’s arms instead of his father’s.
Twenty-one
Jake finished shoving cartridges into his extra ammunition belt as he watched Randy dry a dish and put it into the cupboard. “I meant it when I said I want you to get help for everything,” he told her. “No hard work while I’m gone.”
“I know.”
“Especially laundry. I don’t want you lifting those heavy baskets. You have the laundry service come and pick up our things and deliver them when they’re finished. And you stay with Katie or Evie—not alone.”
“I will.”
“I’ll get back as fast as I can.”
“Then what? Ed Rogers isn’t sure he should operate on me himself, so what do we do? And how long do we wait?”
Jake set the cartridge belt on the table and sighed. “Damn it!” He rose. “We’re getting short with each other, and we never do that. I hate this mess we’re in.”
“Do you think I don’t?”
“If it weren’t for me and this goddamn job, we wouldn’t have these decisions to make.”
Randy faced him. “Jake, will you ever stop cussing? And you have to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. This isn’t something you can fix with fists or guns. And you’re being short because you have to leave.” She turned away. “And I’m being short because I’m scared and I don’t want you to go.”
He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Then I’ll stay.”
“You can’t. I won’t let you risk the judge’s decision, Jake.”
Someone knocked on the back door.
“Who is it?” Jake barked, picking up one of his guns from the kitchen table.
“Lloyd. We need to talk, Pa.”
Scowling, Jake opened the door. He set his gun on the table as Lloyd stepped inside and glanced at his mother, who clearly looked upset. She wore a simple housedress and her hair was down, as though she’d dressed quickly in case of company. Jake wore an open shirt. “Is this a bad time?”
“Right now there is no such thing as a good time.” Jake turned away and Lloyd glanced at the array of weapons and cartridge belts on the kitchen table. “Pa, Brian wants to talk to you and Mom…and Peter Brown is with him.”