Page 53 of Fool's Gold

"And why not, she comes from good stock, at least on my side of the family," her grandfather said stiffly.

"Right," Rafe replied tightly. She was a fighter, but he didn't intend to have her fight a losing battle any longer. He opened the door to her room.

Phillipa peered inside. "I thought you said she regained consciousness."

"She did, but she must have fallen asleep again." Rafe smiled at Phillipa's doubtful glance. It pleased him to know Sarah had a strong champion in her corner. "Scout's honor."

"I doubt you were ever a scout," she said, then turned on her heel and entered the room.

Rafe followed them.

Granny walk up to the bed and stared, her gaze drinking in the sight of Sarah after all these years. She turned to look at Rafe while tears ran down her cheeks. "Thank you for bringing my baby back to me after all these years."

"You're welcome." A lump tightened his throat. "I wanted Sarah to have the real family she'd always missed."

Phillipa coughed.

Rafe looked at her and smiled at her disgruntled expression. "I'm not forgetting you, Phillipa. Sarah already has you and now she'll have you both." Rafe glanced at the old man, noting his imperiously raised eyebrow. "She may even have her old curmudgeon of a grandfather if he's smart."

Grandpa had the good grace to look sheepish.

"A happy family is what she's always wanted. Now did you bring those papers for me to sign?"

Phillipa opened her bag. She pulled out a document and a pen. "All you have to do is sign this and walk away." She looked up at him inquisitively. "If that's what you really want to do."

"It's what's best for Sarah. Who knows, maybe someday she'll be ready to come back to me." Rafe reached for the document and the pen Phillipa thrust at him. He scrawled his name on the line at the bottom.

"You'd wait for her?" Phillipa asked curiously.

"Forever," he said, and walked out the door.

Chapter Ten

Rafe stepped off the curb and walked toward the idling pickup truck. He opened the passenger door, and got a glimpse of Zeke's sour face before he hopped in. "Thanks for coming out this late to pick me up."

"Don't mention it." Zeke motioned back toward the lights of the hospital. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, thank God. She just regained consciousness. Mark said she should make a full recovery." Rafe pulled the door shut then rolled down the window, hoping a touch of breeze would make him feel better. "Let's get going, Zeke," he said impatiently. "I want to get home."

Zeke put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking spot. "I suppose you heard they picked up Travis Cain."

"Yeah, I did. Bob Wilson stopped by to give me the news. He said they rounded up Nevell Blackthorn, as well. The two of them were in on it together." He gazed over at Zeke. "Were you there when they came to arrest Travis?"

"I sure was," Zeke said with a scowl. "The sheriff came just as we were all sitting down to lunch."

"I never would have thought Travis was the one doing this thing." Rafe closed his eyes and said tiredly, "Thank God Wilson insisted on doing ballistic tests on the rifles on the Double-H. It uncovered a viper in our midst."

"Yeah, but it almost came too late."

"I know." Rafe thought about Sarah's brush with death and shuddered.

"It came as a shock to all of us when they came to get Travis. I never thought the kid would have it in him to shoot a person, let alone an animal. He just doesn’t seem to have the stomach for it."

Rafe glanced at Zeke's puzzled expression. "How'd Travis take it when they came to arrest him?"

"Bad." Zeke shook his head. "When the sheriff walked into the dining hall, the kid turned white as a ghost. And when they slapped the handcuffs on him, he looked like he was going to cry. The kid was shaking like a leaf. He was talking a mile a minute when they hauled him out the door. He was saying he might be a spy, but he wasn't a killer."

"It doesn't sound like a pretty picture." Rafe set his jaw. The kid had that coming and more. "Travis deserves everything they throw at him. I just hope Blackthorn gets a dose of the same medicine."

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