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Randall Honor
Judy Christenberry
A RANDALL THROUGH AND THROUGHOne look at lovely Victoria Randall, and Dr. Jonathan Wilson knew he was headed for a showdown. She was sexy, smart and she lived right next door. Would the sassy singleton succeed in putting a wedding rope around his neck? Not if Victoria had any say in the matter. Fall for a big-city bachelor who had snubbed her since the first day they'd met–no way! But then they shared a daring rescue and a stormy night of passion. Suddenly Jon and Victoria's future was more complicated. Would they face it together…or would this determined Randall face the unexpected on her own?
Randall Honor
Judy Christenberry
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun reading her stories as she does writing them. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy’s a native Texan, but now lives in Arizona.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
Dr. Jonathan Wilson opened the door of Randall Accounting, a grimace on his face. Two days in town and he already had to deal with a number cruncher. Not his favorite thing.
But Dr. Jacoby had insisted.
He’d expected life to be different here. After all, Rawhide, Wyoming, was a lot smaller than Chicago. He supposed he’d been unrealistic. Everything always seemed to come down to numbers, or maybe he should say dollars, even in this small town. After years of med school, he should know that.
“May I help you?”
The cool, educated voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Sitting in the large reception area, a petite blonde greeted him.
He guessed something else was the same as in Chicago. Beautiful women hovering near money. He’d bet this woman wouldn’t be able to tell a debit from a credit. She was there to find out who had money and how she could get some.
“Russ Randall, please,” he said briskly. He’d learned his lesson from his poor father. Avoid blond leeches if at all possible.
Her delicate eyebrows lifted slightly, as if she heard disdain in his voice. Not a way to make friends in this small town.
“I’m sorry, he’s not in right now. May I take a message?”
Jon was surprised that Randall had such professional help in a small town. She sounded almost as businesslike as he. “When do you expect him back?”
“I’m not sure. Could you tell me the nature of your business?”
She really was quite beautiful, but then his mother had been beautiful, too. Beautiful, greedy and self-centered.
He tried to find a pleasant way to refuse to answer. He didn’t want to make her mad. Finally he said, “It’s private.”
Any friendliness he’d imagined he’d seen disappeared. Her face expressionless, she said, “Russ is at lunch. He’ll return in about an hour. You may wait, or I’ll ask him to call you.” Without waiting for an answer, she picked up a pen and turned to the papers on her desk.
He stood there, feeling the coldness of her manner. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Is there someone who could show me the apartment he has for rent? It had this same address.”
Her head came up and she stared at him. “Who sent you here?”
“Why? Is the apartment a secret?”
“Dr. Wilson, we’re normally a little more open in Rawhide. You might want to make a note of that.” She opened her desk drawer and pulled out some keys. “This way.”
“How did you know who I am?”
“Certainly not from your friendly greeting.”
She’d circled him and was going out the front door. He decided he’d better follow her. He could determine her source of information later.
The accounting office appeared to occupy half the ground floor of the small building. The other half was a newspaper office. According to the sign painted on the window, its name was the Rawhide Roundup. Oh, yeah, that would probably be the same as the Chicago Tribune with hard-hitting news and in-depth articles about scientific discoveries.
He sighed but kept going, following in the blonde’s wake, unconsciously noting her trim behind in nicely tailored slacks.
At the edge of the building, she turned a sharp left and began climbing a stairway that ran up the side of the building.
He peeked over the railing as he climbed and saw what looked like a parking lot behind the building. “Is there parking back there?”
“Yes.”
Okay. She was mad at him. Good thing she wasn’t going to be his landlord. She’d never let him move in in the first place.
She reached the landing and then turned left again, going to the front of the building. She paused in front of two doors and unlocked the door on the right. She walked inside and folded her arms over her nicely formed chest. Not that he noticed.
“The apartment has two bedrooms and two baths, a full kitchen, including a microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher. The floors are hardwood in here, but the bedrooms are carpeted. There’s no air-conditioning, but it has gas heat, and the fireplace is gas.”
She remained in the center of the room, looking as unfriendly as ever.
“Thank you. May I look around?”
She sighed. “Of course. I’m returning to our office. Please lock the door when you leave.” Then she walked out.
And he still didn’t know who she was or how she knew his name.
VICTORIA RANDALL MUTTERED several words under her breath in reference to the man she’d left upstairs. Her mother, Anna, had stopped by the office yesterday, bragging about the new doctor in town. According to Anna, the man was brilliant, handsome and single.
She’d have to take her mother’s word on two out of three of those traits. Anna worked part-time as a nurse and midwife in the area, so presumably she’d know.
He was handsome, all right. But Tori knew he was a snob and unfriendly. He’d thought he was dealing with a receptionist, and he was much too important to even introduce himself. And he was going to be her neighbor?
She reached the office and sat down at her desk, trying to fix her mind on the work at hand. She had a lot to do. Business was good. After she’d gotten her accounting degree and the C.P.A. designation, she’d studied for her broker’s license, too. Their offices, hers and Russ’s, offered full financial services.
She’d bought in as Russ’s partner after Bill Johnson had died. He’d had the original practice and Russ had become his partner. When Bill passed away, Russ had bought the office building and the accounting business from his widow. That big an investment had made things difficult. He’d been pleased when Tori had expressed an interest in investing with him.
So, she decided, blowing out a long breath, she should’ve told the doctor who she was. Why had she reacted as coldly as she had? That wasn’t the way she was.
The office door opened and she looked up, expecting the doctor to have returned. Instead, she greeted her uncle, Griff Randall.
“Hi, Uncle Griff.”
“Hey, Tori. I was in town and thought I’d stop by to see if you’d read the Kiplinger letter yet. They just recommended the stock we bought last week. That endorsement should make the stock go up.”
“Yes, I did this morning.” She grinned. “Our timing was perfect.”
“I think we should hold on to it for a while. Its profit-to-earning ratio is good.”
“Very,” she agreed. “Let me show you something if you have time. I’ve been looking at another stock.” She turned to her computer screen and quickly brought up some research she’d done.
Griffin had been a broker in Chicago before he came to Rawhide. His mother had been her father’s aunt, but she’d left Rawhide as a pregnant teenager and no one had heard of her again. In the end, she’d asked her son to bury her on the Randall ranch.
When Tori had expressed an interest in the stock market as a teenager, her father had suggested she talk to her uncle Griff, who now lived on a neighboring ranch. He’d been her mentor ever since.
Griff circled the desk and was leaning over Tori’s shoulder to see the information she’d found when the door opened again and the doctor returned.
Tori stiffened and said, “Yes? Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, several. But don’t let me interrupt.”
Even though she was irritated with him, Tori couldn’t bring herself to be rude. Especially not in front of Uncle Griff. “Dr. Wilson, this is my uncle, Griffin Randall. Uncle Griff, this is the new doctor in town. Dr. Jonathan Wilson.”
Griff reached out his hand and the doctor shook it. “Glad to meet you. I hear you’re from Chicago.”
The doctor appeared surprised that Griff knew that information and Tori shook her head. He had a lot to learn about small towns.
“Yes, I am.”
“Me, too. Born and raised there.”
“So you’re visiting?”
“No. I live here now. Once Rawhide gets its claws into you, you never leave.”
The handsome man raised his eyebrows. “I will. I’m returning to Chicago in four years. I’m required to stay that long.”
Both Tori and Griff were surprised. At least, Tori guessed at Griff’s reaction when he asked the next question.
“Why four years?”
“It’s a government program. They offer interest-free loans to med students if they’ll work four years in rural areas after graduation.”
“And then you’ll just abandon the town?” Tori asked, her voice rising in horror. Doc Jacoby, the current doctor, had been in Rawhide for almost forty years. He wouldn’t be retiring now except that he was old and tired. He said he wanted to spend his sunset years fishing and visiting with friends.
“I’m sure the government will find someone else to do four years,” the doctor said, showing no concern for Tori’s reaction.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Griffin said, “Maybe you’ll change your mind.”
The man gave a brief smile, not the least bit warm, and said nothing.
“Do you want to leave a message for Russ?” Tori asked abruptly.
He looked at his watch. “I think I’ll get some lunch and come back. According to what you said earlier, he should be here in about half an hour, right?”
“Approximately.” Russ usually had lunch with Abby, his wife, at the elementary school. He’d be back when Abby’s afternoon class started, but Tori didn’t feel like sharing any personal information with the new doctor.
“All right. Thanks.” The doctor started turning toward the door when Griff stuck out his hand.
“Glad to meet you, Dr. Wilson. Hopefully my family won’t be in too frequently.”
“Of course, glad to meet you, Mr. Randall. Anytime I can be of service.” Then he nodded to Tori and left the office.
“As long as it’s within four years,” she said, mocking the man’s words. “And probably not unless it’s convenient! I can’t believe that jerk is going to replace Doc!”
Just as she finished her complaint, the door opened again and the doctor reappeared. “I forgot to ask. Is the other door another apartment?”
Her cheeks flushed, she nodded.
