The Way Things Should Be

Carrie Carr

Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC (2005)

With long-standing family issues settled in the previous novel, Strength of the Heart, Lex and Amanda thought their biggest problems were behind them. But they were wrong. Trouble brews when two family members - one known, one unknown - come into contact with Lex and Amanda, and suspicious things start to happen. Someone wants to force Lex to give up land she recently purchased. An explosion is set off by unknown people down by the creek. Somehow, finances thought safe have been tampered with. Meanwhile, Amanda's sister Jeannie prepares for the birth of her first child, while Amanda feels her own biological clock ticking.

The Way Things Should Be

Prologue

Hands, wrinkled and gnarled with age, gently patted the leather-bound picture album before tucking it away into a cardboard box. A quick glance around the room showed that it was the final book to pack, so Travis Edwards climbed to his feet and dusted his hands across the thighs of his faded jeans. He placed the palms of his hands against his lower back and stretched his tall frame as a woman with faded blonde hair entered the room.

The middle-aged woman handed him a large glass of tea, condensation already making the outside of the tumbler slippery. "Mr. Edwards, why don't you let me finish up in here?"

"Thank you, Nancy, but that's really not necessary. You've had enough to handle with the other parts of the house. The least I can do is finish putting away old pictures for the move."

Travis had recently returned to Dallas to pack up his personal belongings so that he could move back to Somerville to be with his family. His granddaughter Lexington has offered him a room at her home, but Travis’ pride wouldn’t allow that. Instead, he enlisted Lexington’s partner Amanda, to find him just the perfect house in town, which she did. It was a few short blocks away from Amanda’s grandparents’ home, and the four-bedroom house would be perfect for him and his housekeeper, who had agreed to make the move with him.

He took a deep draw from the glass and sighed in relief. The look he received from his long-time housekeeper brought a smile to his face. "I know, I know. You're going to tell me again how I should have just paid for someone to do all of this, right?"

Nancy shook her head. "Of course not, Mr. Edwards. That would be rude." She smirked with the familiarity of their years together. "But I did promise your granddaughter that I'd keep an eye on you, and not let you overdo it." She waited until he drained the glass, then took it from his hand. "If you'll go upstairs and rest for a little while, I'll make sure that these boxes are properly marked."

Travis knew when he'd been beaten. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll just--" The ringing of the doorbell interrupted him. Before the housekeeper could take a step, he waved her off. "I'll take care of it. Probably one of the movers here early." With a smile and a wave, Travis stepped around a pile of boxes and headed for the front door.

He opened the door and looked into eyes that somehow triggered painful memories, rendering him speechless. A moment later, the pain was replaced with confusion. Standing on the front steps of his home was a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties, with brown hair and eyes so light brown they were almost golden. Shaking off the eerie feeling, Travis attempted to smile. "May I help you?"

The woman brushed one hand through her short hair and looked embarrassed. Her clothes were clean, but she was obviously out of her element in the well-to-do neighborhood. A wrinkled denim jacket covered her black tee shirt, which was tucked into faded blue jeans. The scuffed white sneakers on her feet had seen better days, and she was carrying a dark green backpack over one shoulder. "Is this the Edwards' residence?"

"Yes, I'm Travis Edwards. Is there something I can do for you, miss?" Travis felt no fear at the woman’s presence, but her features were familiar, although he couldn’t place where he might have seen her before.

Her face registered surprise at the owner of the grand house answering the door. "I don't know, Mr. Edwards." She let her hand fall to her side. "This probably wasn't a very good idea," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but if you're trying to sell me something, I'm really not interested. You see, I've got a lot of things to finish up today, and--"

"No sir, I'm not selling anything. My name's Eleanor Gordon, but everyone calls me Ellie." She reached under the collar of her tee shirt and pulled on a chain, which held a large gold class ring. "My mother is Naomi Gordon."

Travis leaned forward. His heart began to pound when he recognized the ring. "Where did you get that?"

Ellie lifted the chain over her head and handed the jewelry to him for closer inspection. "My mother gave it to me. She said it belonged to my father."

"Your father?" Travis looked inside the gold band and read the engraved initials W.T.E. "This was my son's." His eyes met hers. "I think you should come inside so that we can talk."

She followed him inside, stepping past boxes and trying to take in the grandeur of the large house. The further into the home she got, the more nervous Ellie became. What had started out as a lark to find the other half of her family quickly turned into wanting to run away as fast as she could.

Travis led the silent woman into the sitting room, one of the last areas left to pack. He motioned with one hand to the Victorian divan, where Ellie promptly sat down on the edge, as if afraid it would break under her weight. The backpack that had been slung over one shoulder, she quietly placed on the floor by her feet. He took the chair across from her and studied her slender form. Of average height, the way her clothes hung on her Ellie looked as if she was in need of a few good meals. He looked up as Nancy appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Edwards? Is there something I can bring for you and your, guest?" She cast a dubious glance at the woman seated on the divan, but her years of training wouldn’t allow her to be rude. It wasn’t in her nature.

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Nancy. How about bringing us some of those nice sandwiches and more tea? I believe that Miss Gordon and I have a lot of things to discuss." Travis looked over at his guest, who stayed silent. He watched as Nancy left the room, then turned his attention back to the young woman.

Ellie’s eyes were fixed on the battered leather encasing her feet. She could feel the older man’s gaze upon her, but her nervousness kept her from meeting his eyes. The butterflies in her stomach were dive-bombing the candy bar she’d had for breakfast, and once again Ellie privately questioned her sanity for being there. She jumped when Travis cleared his throat.

"Miss Gordon, I don’t want to appear nosy or rude, but would you mind telling me how you came to receive this?" Travis raised the ring and chain that he still held in his hand, fearing if he loosened his hold it would disappear. "It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that—"

"No, I understand." Ellie swallowed hard and forced herself to look into his kindly eyes. "A few months ago, I was helping my mother clean out her attic, and found a bunch of old letters and pictures." Ellie bent over and unzipped her backpack. Rummaging through its contents, she retrieved a photograph, which she passed over to Travis.

Although he had a good idea of what was coming, nothing could have prepared him for the emotional jolt that the old black-and-white provoked. His son, looking strong and handsome in his Army uniform, shared an intimate smile with the woman standing next to him. Neither one was looking at the camera, but it wasn’t hard to see that they were very much in love.

"That was taken the weekend before he shipped out. Mom says that she was already pregnant with me in that picture, although neither one of them knew it at the time."

"How long—" Travis’ voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "How long did they know each other?" It wasn’t like Billy to hide the fact that he was in love. His son had always worn his heart on his sleeve, and usually bragged to the world about his latest "true love".

Ellie hated the fact that her being here had upset the man in front of her. He seemed very nice, and much too old to be put through such an extreme emotional shock. She mentally cursed herself for not thinking things through, and for impetuously racing into the situation before getting all the facts. "I think they’d been dating for about a month before the picture was taken."

Although the woman sitting before him was a carbon copy of his late son, Travis felt he had to ask the next question. "And your mother is completely certain that Billy was your father? Just because he had given her his school ring, doesn’t necessarily mean they were in an exclusive relationship."

"She was sixteen, Mr. Edwards. He was her first and her only, until she married my stepfather five years later." Ellie pulled out another picture, this one in color. Standing at the beach in their bathing suits was an attractive family: a woman with dark hair and eyes with her arm around the waist of a man who was blond with light eyes, and an eight-year old Ellie standing behind a toddler with blond hair that was almost white. "That’s my brother, William. He’s five years younger than me."

"William?"

"Yes, sir. My dad is a great guy, and it was his idea, according to my mom." Ellie accepted the picture back from Travis, but allowed him to keep the black and white. "That one is for you, Mr. Edwards. I thought you might want to have it."

Travis brushed the dampness from his eyes. He was saved from speaking by Nancy, who brought in a tray holding a plate of sandwiches, two glasses of tea, and a pitcher. When she saw how upset her employer was, it took all of Nancy’s training not to go into attack mode. She put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr. Edwards?"

"No, Nancy. Thank you." He waited until she left the room before addressing his guest once again. "So, your mother never told you about your father? Why wait until now?"

Ellie sighed. She had sometimes asked herself that very question. "Mom told me years ago that my father was killed in Vietnam, and that she didn’t know of any living relatives. I never questioned it, because Anthony, my stepdad, has always been an excellent father. I had no reason to want to look into my roots. But, like I told you earlier, when we found the old letters that your son had written my mom, I wanted to know more about him. So, here I am."

"And you just dropped everything to come find me? What about your family, your job?" Travis held out an empty plate to Ellie, motioning that she should take it and a sandwich. At first she declined, but when she saw he wasn’t going to give up, she took the plate and placed some food on it.

"Thank you." Ellie picked up one of the glasses and took a long drink, not even bothering to sweeten the tea like she normally would. "My family understands my need to learn about my real father, Mr. Edwards. They don’t like it, but they understand. They’re back in San Diego, where I was born. As for my job, well, let’s just say I’m on vacation." She stopped speaking and took several bites of the sandwich, trying to keep from looking like it was her first real food in days, which it was.

Travis leaned back in his chair and watched the woman eat. She didn’t gulp her food, but he could tell that she was definitely hungry. Her manners showed a good upbringing, and he could almost hear his beloved wife’s voice telling him to quit treating their granddaughter like a stranger. "Eleanor? I’m sorry, may I call you Eleanor?"

She nodded, then swallowed. "Yes, sir. You can call me Eleanor, or Ellie. Whatever you like, Mr. Edwards."

"Excellent. But only if you call me Travis. And, maybe when you’re more comfortable, you can call me Grandpa, or Grandfather, whatever you’d like."

Ellie almost choked on her iced tea. She surreptitiously wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Thank you, Mr. … I mean, Travis. I’d really like that."

He smiled and stood up. "I’d like that too, Ellie. Why don’t you let me show you upstairs, where you can get cleaned up and maybe rest? I’m sure your journey from San Diego was a long one." Travis watched as Ellie eyed what was left of the sandwiches. "Why don’t I have Nancy bring these up to your room?"

"Thanks." Ellie reached down and grabbed her backpack, then stood up. "I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I’m sure I could find someplace nearby to stay."

"Nonsense. I have more than enough room and plenty of places to sleep, at least until the movers get here. What are your plans now?" Travis led Ellie to the staircase in the foyer, where he took the steps slowly so as not to make her nervous. "I hope you plan on staying for a while, so that we can get to know each other."

Ellie hadn’t thought that far ahead. Her main goal, which was to meet more of her family, had been attained. Now she was at a loss. She followed Travis up the stairs, all the while wondering where she was to go to from there.

Chapter 1

In a clearing just beyond the deserted gravel road, two men stood in deep conversation. Both dressed in dark suits, the taller of the two scrawled notes on the clipboard that he held while the other chewed on a thick cigar and looked around. The occasional birdcall and the rustling of golden leaves on the trees were the only sounds around them, often punctuated by the scratching of pen against paper.

Not used to the heat of the Texas fall season, cigar man unbuttoned his suit coat. He pointed through the trees to the north. "You say a spring-fed creek runs about fifty yards away? How much water are we talking about here?"

The tall man looked up from the notes he was taking. "From the geologist's report, the main spring originates about ten miles away, but it's fed by several smaller ones as it travels south." Sweat caused his wire-framed glasses to slide down his nose, and he impatiently pushed them back up with one finger. His short, dark hair was plastered to his head, making him wish that he had left his jacket in the rental car that was parked on the other side of the fence. "Properly dammed, we could have a nice lake to the west of here within a year."

"Good. The shareholders have been breathing down my neck for months, Wilson. We need to finish up buying the land around here, no matter what the cost." Cigar man spit a wad of soggy tobacco near the other man's feet, tossing what was left of his cigar to the ground. "We're not going to have any trouble with this, are we?"

Wilson casually took a step forward and crushed the glowing stub under the sole of his imported leather shoe. "Not that I'm aware of, Mr. Billings. Not many people know about the upcoming auction, so we're sure to win with a low bid."

"See that we do. After that Montana fiasco, my ass is on the line." The shorter man took a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the perspiration from his face. His bald head gleamed in the morning sun, and he hastily ran the cloth across his crown. "I don't care what it takes. We have to get this land. Once we’ve secured this tract, then the rest of the area should fall into our hands easily." Billings reached inside his coat for another cigar, snipping off its end with a silver cutter. He took his time at lighting the rolled tobacco, closing his eyes as the smoke rolled around in his mouth. A long moment later, his eyes reopened and he removed the cigar and pointed it at the man who stood across from him. "Nothing, I repeat, nothing better screw this up, Wilson. If my ass gets burned, you can be sure yours will be melted." He spat again, then rebuttoned the dark coat and stalked to the fence.

A light knock on her door caused Amanda Cauble to look up from her desk. "Come in." When an older woman entered the room, she stood up and hurried around the desk to embrace her. "Grandma, what a wonderful surprise. What brings you to the office today?"

Anna Leigh Cauble returned her granddaughter’s exuberant hug, then allowed herself to be seated in one of the guest chairs while Amanda sat next to her in the other. "Can’t I come to see my granddaughter when I want?"

"Of course you can. I’m just so glad to see you, that’s all." Amanda brushed the wrinkles from her navy skirt. "How about I take you to lunch to make up for my manners?" She watched as Anna Leigh smiled, and knew that she’d been forgiven.

"Actually, I was coming to ask you to lunch, dearest. But I’m not one to pass on a free meal, especially from the manager of such a fine establishment." Although Anna Leigh owned Sunflower Realty, which Amanda managed for her, she no longer worried about the day-to-day workings of the business.

Knowing she’d been gotten again, Amanda shook her head and stood up. "Let me get my purse, and we’ll go down the street to the Crossing. At least they have a good lunch menu."

A short time later, both women were stationed at window seats in the bustling restaurant, sipping iced tea and waiting for their orders. Amanda watched her grandmother for a moment, then tapped the table. "Okay, spill it."

"Spill what, dear?" Anna Leigh tried her best to appear innocent, but failed miserably.

"Come on, Grandma. Your hands haven’t stilled since we sat down, and you keep looking around the room as if you were afraid someone was watching. What’s up?"

Anna Leigh took another sip of her tea, then set the glass down on the table. "You are much too smart for your own good, Mandy. I swear, you’re as bad as your grandfather." She straightened the knife and fork that were on the table. "I need your help. I know you’re real busy with the office right now, but the girls put me in charge, and well, I’m at a loss."

"In charge? What are you talking about?" Amanda leaned forward to hear her grandmother’s muted words. "What girls?"

"From the office, Mandy. Don’t tell me you don’t know." At that moment, the waitress brought each of them their salads. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome, ma’am. Is there anything else you two ladies need?" the waitress asked, even though she was already looking at another table, calculating how long it would be before they needed refills on their drinks.

"No, thank you. We’re fine," Amanda dismissed her politely, anxious to hear what Anna Leigh had to say. After the waitress left, she waited for a long beat. "Well?"

Anna Leigh raised a forkful of lettuce to her mouth, but didn’t eat. "Well, what?" She put the food into her mouth and chewed daintily.

"Argh!" Amanda threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "What about the girls at the office? Is there something wrong that they asked you to bring up to me?" She looked down at her bowl of salad, suddenly not very hungry.

Feeling bad, Anna Leigh swallowed her food and shook her head. "No, of course not. I was talking about the baby shower." She reached across the table and patted Amanda’s hand. "I thought you knew about it."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "All this secrecy is about a baby shower? Good grief." She picked up her glass of tea and swallowed about half its contents.

"Of course, Mandy. You know what a gossip Wanda is. It’s almost impossible to keep anything a secret from her, but we’re determined to surprise her with a baby shower." Wanda Skimmerly worked at Sunflower Realty with Amanda. After years of marriage, she and her husband Dirk were expecting their first child. Both were ecstatic, but cautious. It wasn’t something that they had planned for, but they were excited just the same. The other women at the office were so happy for them both, they wanted to do something fun for them.

"Well, good luck, Grandma. I bet she figures it out before you get it planned." Amanda started on her salad, relieved that her grandmother’s news wasn’t of a more serious nature.

Anna Leigh returned her attention to her plate. They concentrated on their salads for several minutes before she cleared her throat. "I was thinking about having the shower at our home next Saturday, Mandy. What do you think?"

"I’m sure it’ll be fine, Grandma." A shrill sound to the left of their table caught Amanda’s attention. She watched as a woman comforted an infant, rocking and cooing to it quietly. Intent on the scene, she almost didn’t hear her grandmother’s next words.

"Excellent. Then I can count on you to help me host it, right?"

Amanda had just taken a drink of tea, and spewed it all over the table. She coughed and sputtered for several moments before she was able to speak. "Me? Why me?"

Unruffled, Anna Leigh dabbed at the tea on the table with her napkin. "Because you’re my granddaughter, and the manager of the office. Why not?" She looked up into Amanda’s eyes. "Is there a problem, Mandy? I suppose I can always find someone else to help me, if you’re too busy."

"No, Grandma, it’s not that." Amanda honestly didn’t know why the idea of co-hosting a baby shower made her so uncomfortable. But, her grandmother had been there for her when no one else was, and she was determined to repay her in this small way. "Next Saturday?"

"That’s right. I’m hoping that you and Lexington could maybe stay over Friday night, so we can get an early start on Saturday. What do you think?"

I’m thinking that Lex will probably want to kill me for this. As much as Amanda dreaded a baby shower, she hated to imagine her partner’s reaction when she told her they’d been drafted to help with one. She listened politely as her grandmother started talking about plans, colors, and refreshments.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Lexington Walters yelled, throwing her hat down in disgust. She glared at the person standing in front of her, who had the good sense to be looking at the ground, and not into her stormy eyes. "What makes you think I’d go along with this?"

The man being dressed down bit the inside of his cheek to keep from going off on the rancher. This was his first day of work at the ranch, and he thought his previous experience with breaking horses would impress her. Once she had finished her tirade, he looked into her face and shrugged. "It’s the way I’ve always done it, Ms. Walters. I’ve never had any complaints before."

Lex picked up her hat and dusted it against her leg. "You’ve obviously worked for some real idiots, then, Roger." She heard his intake of breath, and wasn’t surprised at the explosion.

"Look, lady, I’ve been in this business since before you were in diapers, and I don’t appreciate you talking to me like I’m some sort of green kid." Roger stepped closer until they were almost nose to nose. "If you don’t like my methods, fine. Let me talk to the guy who usually breaks in your horses, and we’ll compare notes."

"You want to talk to the ‘guy’ who breaks our horses?" Lex laughed. "You’re looking at her." She looked over at her foreman, Roy, who had been standing nearby in case the new hire got out of hand. "Have the boys prepare a couple of horses to break, Roy. Tomorrow morning I’ll be showing Mr. Jensen how we do things at the Rocking W." She turned back to Roger. "Don’t be late." Lex walked off, leaving Roger staring at her back, dumbstruck.

Roy patted the newest ranch hand on the back in both in sympathy and amusement, then headed back to the bunkhouse. This wasn’t the first time that he’d witnessed a new hire underestimating their boss.

Ronnie, who had been watching from a distance, waited until Lex was far enough away from the other men so that he wouldn’t be heard. He jogged up and fell in step beside Lex, waiting for the right moment to speak.

"What’s on your mind, Ronnie?" Lex continued to walk, but she slowed her pace slightly so that the teenager could keep up. He had practically become her shadow since his adoption by Martha and Charlie months earlier, and Lex had to admit to herself that she enjoyed his company.

He shook his head at her perception. It never failed to amaze Ronnie how Lex seemed to know everything that went on at the ranch. He was hoping he’d grow up to be half as good at what he’d decided to do, which was go to veterinary school. Now if he could just get up the nerve to tell his benefactor. But for now, he was more interested in how Lex ran the ranch. "Did I hear right? Are you going to break some horses tomorrow?"

"Yep." Her anger still bubbling, Lex kept her answers short. If she hadn’t caught Jensen with the sadistic bit he was planning on using for breaking horses, she’d have ended up with several animals with ruined mouths. Lex couldn’t believe the ignorance of the man, who had come to the ranch with glowing letters of recommendation.

Ronnie could tell that Lex was still fuming over her confrontation with the new hire, but his excitement got the better of him. "I know that I’m supposed to clean out the stables on Saturday morning, but would it be okay if I came up to the corral and watched you break horses first? Maybe I can take care of my chores tonight, after dinner." He held his breath in anticipation of her answer.

The teenager’s request caused Lex to stop in her tracks. "Why would you want to waste your time watching something like that?"

"I don’t think it’s a waste of time at all, Lex. It’s another part of how the ranch works, and you promised you’d show me everything."

"I did, didn’t I?"

"Yes, ma’am. You told me that as long as my grades stayed up, you’d teach me everything you know about ranching." Ronnie smiled with pride. "I’m on the honor roll again this semester, so I’ve kept my part of the bargain."

Lex nodded then resumed her trek. "So you have." She couldn’t help but admire Ronnie’s thirst for knowledge, something that he had shown almost from the moment he arrived at the ranch. "I’ll make you a deal. You finish up your homework tonight, and the two of us will take care of the stables after we teach Jensen a thing or two. How’s that sound?"

"All right!" Ronnie whooped, pumping his fist in the air and jumping off the ground. At Lex’s grin, he put his hands in the back pocket of his jeans and tried to appear nonchalant. "That sounds like a good deal to me, Lex. Thanks."

His exuberance brought the rancher out of her foul mood. She wrapped one arm around the boy’s shoulder and pulled him close. "Anytime, buddy." They walked the rest of the way to the ranch house in silence, both thinking about the coming morning.

"Oh, Mandy. Isn’t this just the most darling thing?" Anna Leigh held up a garish pink infant dress for her granddaughter’s inspection. "I think that Wanda would love it."

Amanda rolled her eyes. For someone with as much class as her grandmother had, the woman had absolutely no taste in baby clothes. "Grandma, you’ve already bought four other pink outfits. What if she doesn’t like pink?"

"Nonsense, dear. All baby girls look good in pink." But, to her credit, Anna Leigh returned the item to the rack. She turned to see Amanda staring at a young couple nearby.

The man, tall and very nice looking with dark hair and eyes, held a six-month old baby. He bent his head down and kissed the child’s head, while his wife looked on with a smile. They were about Amanda’s age, and she couldn’t help but be envious of the cooing bundle as she looked on. It seemed that everywhere she looked lately there was either a pregnant woman or someone with a baby. Even Wanda, who had never expressed a desire for a family, was due in the next few weeks. Her sister Jeannie was also expecting, due in early November.

Concerned at the look on Amanda’s face, Anna Leigh touched her arm. "Is everything okay, Mandy? You seem a million miles away."

"Hmm?" Amanda blinked. She pasted a smile on her face and turned around. "I’m sorry, Grandma. What did you say?"

"I asked if anything was wrong. You’re not yourself today."

Much to her dismay, tears welled up in Amanda’s eyes. "I’m fine, really." She turned away, embarrassed by her emotions. "If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to go to the ladies room."

Anna Leigh watched in surprise as Amanda rushed away, wiping at her face with her hands. "Now I wonder what all that was about," she murmured. She made a mental note to call the ranch in the next few days and check with Martha, hoping that the housekeeper would have some insight into her granddaughter’s strange behavior.

Lex stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She fluffed her hair dry with another towel, then walked into the bedroom. At no sign of her lover anywhere, Lex frowned.

Amanda had been quiet all through dinner, not even joining in the teasing when Martha started giving Lex a hard time about attending Wanda’s baby shower. After the meal, she quietly excused herself, citing her need to make a few phone calls before locking herself in the office.

Worried, Lex glanced at the bedside clock. Almost two hours had gone by since she had last seen Amanda. I didn’t think she’d be that upset with me. When Amanda told her about the baby shower, Lex had been less than enthused. Of course, the rest of the table enjoyed a nice laugh at her expense, not that she minded. The thought of spending hours with a group of women oohing and ahhing over baby items was not Lex’s idea of a good time. Charlie had slapped her on the back and promised the rancher that she’d live through the ordeal, while Martha offered to buy her a dress for the occasion. All she had to do to quiet a giggling Ronnie was glare at him, but Lex figured her lack of enthusiasm for the event had upset her partner more than she’d thought.

She hurriedly dressed in a pair of boxers and a heavy tee shirt, determined to speak to Amanda and find out what was bothering her, once and for all. In her haste, she nearly knocked the object of her search over, when they met at the bedroom door.

"Sorry," Amanda mumbled, putting her hands on Lex’s hips to steady herself. She didn’t bring her eyes up, instead finding the floor beneath them fascinating.

"No, I’m the one who’s sorry." Lex backed into the bedroom, pulling her lover with her. She started to sit them down on the bed, when Amanda broke free of her grasp and headed for the bathroom.

"I’ll be back after my shower." Amanda was almost to the bathroom door when she felt Lex’s hands on her hips again.

"Want me to scrub your back?"

Not looking at Lex, Amanda disentangled herself. "That’s okay. You just got dry." She closed the door in Lex’s face. "I’ll be out in a little bit."

Lex stood staring at the closed door. She was torn between going in and apologizing, or allowing Amanda her space. The way she had been dismissed helped her decide, and Lex dropped her shoulders and went to lie down on the bed to wait.

A short time later, Amanda stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in the flowery terry cloth robe that Lex had given her when they’d first met. She crossed to the dresser and found a long nightshirt, then turned and headed back to the bathroom without speaking. She came back out a few minutes later, her hair still damp from her shower.

"Feel better?" Lex asked, more for something to say than anything else.

Amanda sat on her side of the bed, her back to Lex. "What’s that supposed to mean?" She slipped under the covers and lay down on her back, looking at the ceiling.

"Nothing. I just—"

"I’m sorry," Amanda interrupted, rolling over to face her lover. "I didn’t mean to snap at you like that, Lex."

Lex rolled over until she mirrored Amanda’s posture, her head propped on one hand. She used her other hand to brush the damp hair away from the sad eyes across from her. "What’s wrong?"

Turning her head, Amanda kissed the palm that caressed her face. She closed her eyes, not certain how to answer the question. "I don’t know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Hold me, please?" An instant later she was cradled in strong arms, her head pillowed on her lover’s chest. The soothing motion of Lex’s hands stroking her hair and back calmed Amanda somewhat, but she still felt unsettled. What is wrong with me? Not wanting to think about it any further, she concentrated on the loving touch, allowing herself to unwind,.

The tense body in her arms slowly relaxed, and before Lex could question her anymore, Amanda fell asleep. The rancher lay in the darkness, holding the woman she loved and wondering what she could do to help.

Chapter 2

Having been up half the night worrying, Lex awoke later than normal to find Amanda's side of the bed cold. She got up and went into the bathroom, not surprised to find it empty. On Saturday mornings, Amanda liked to go downstairs and help Martha with breakfast . The compromise worked well for everyone: Martha still fixed the meals, and both households ate together in the main house. On the weekends, she allowed Amanda to join in the meal preparation, and the two of them normally did the grocery list together on Sunday. After finishing her morning routine, Lex dressed and hurried downstairs.

"Good morning," Amanda greeted Lex warmly when she stepped into the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee and set it down on the table before wrapping her arms around her lover for a hug.

Lex returned the embrace, somewhat confused at Amanda’s bright disposition, especially considering the evening before. "Good morning to you, too. I guess you slept pretty well?" She allowed herself to be led to the table and pushed down into her usual chair.

"I sure did." Amanda bent down and kissed Lex on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered. She patted the rancher on the shoulder and moved back over to the stove, where Martha was putting the finishing touches on breakfast.

At that moment, Ronnie and Charlie stepped into the kitchen, the boy excitedly relating something to the sheriff. "You should have seen the look on his face. It was priceless." He stopped when he realized that all eyes were on them. "Morning." Ronnie kissed Martha on the cheek before taking his place at the table.

"From what Ronnie tells me, it sounds like you’ve got a busy morning ahead, Lex," Charlie drawled, sitting down across from her.

Lex shrugged her shoulders. "Not much different from any other Saturday, Charlie. What’s on your agenda for the day?"

Martha and Amanda brought the dishes over to the table and sat down, and the rest of the meal was punctuated by the normal small talk. Lex finished before everyone else and stood up. "If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to take care of some things down at the barn, before I go up to the corral." She kissed Amanda on the cheek. "See you at lunch?"

"Definitely."

"Great." Lex nodded to the others before leaving the room.

Ronnie eyed his half-full plate, then the doorway. He began to shovel forkfuls of food into his mouth at a quicker pace, until Martha halted his hand midway to his mouth.

"Hold on there, Ronnie. Where’s the fire?"

He chewed hard, then swallowed. "What?"

"You’re tossing down that food like you haven’t eaten in days. What’s the rush?" Martha frowned. "Didn’t you get enough to eat at dinner last night?"

"Yes, ma’am, I did. It’s just I gotta hurry, or I’ll be late." He continued to eat steadily, although at a much more acceptable pace.

Charlie exchanged looks with Amanda, who shrugged. "It’s Saturday, son. What on earth would you be late for?"

Ronnie finished his meal and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "They’re going to break some horses up at the corral this morning. Lex promised to let me watch." He looked at Martha. "May I be excused?"

"Of course." Martha remembered a similar scene in this very kitchen, probably fifteen years earlier. Lex used to get excited about the same things, and she understood how important it was to Ronnie. "Don’t be late for lunch, though. We’ve got a date with a math book afterwards, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, ma’am." Ronnie jumped up from the table and kissed the air by Martha’s cheek. "Bye!" He raced out of the kitchen, excited.

Charlie leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "I’m about halfway tempted to head up there myself," he mused. "I’d like to see Lex show those men a thing or two."

"Oh, what do you mean?" Amanda asked, raising her fork to her mouth.

"Ronnie told me on the way over that Lex had a run-in with the new hand. She’s going to show him the proper way to break a horse."

Amanda’s fork dropped to her plate. "What?"

"Not again," Martha grumbled. "The last time Lexie did that, she broke two ribs, not the horse." She tossed her napkin down on her plate and stood up. "I swear, that girl doesn’t have the sense that God gave a goose. She hires those men for a reason, crazy kid." She continued to grumble as she gathered up the empty dishes from the table.

"Are you telling me that Lex plans on getting on one of those wild horses?" Amanda asked, her appetite gone. She pushed away from the table. "She didn’t mention anything like that to me last night." Not that she had the chance, Amanda’s inner voice chastised her. Your little tantrum saw to that, didn’t it?

Charlie stood up. "Well, she is in charge of the ranch. Ronnie told me that the new man had some sort of homemade bit that he wanted to use on the horses, which would have cut their mouths to pieces. I don’t blame her for wanting to clear things up." He barely had time to catch Amanda before she ran from the room. "Where are you off to?"

"I’m going to go talk some sense into her, Charlie. There’s no reason she should risk injuring herself, just because of some jerk at the bunkhouse." Amanda tried to twist out of Charlie’s grasp. "Martha, tell him."

Martha shook her head. "No, honey. He’s right. Lexie is the head of the ranch, and we can’t go racing off and embarrassing her in front of her men. That would just cause more trouble than good."

"Maybe. But you can’t just sit around here and wait for something to happen, either." Amanda looked up at Charlie. "Please, take me up there? At least we can watch from a distance, or something."

"Oh, no. You’re not going to get me in the middle of this." He stepped back. "I’ve got some paperwork I need to finish up at the house." Charlie grabbed his hat. "I’ll see you ladies at lunch."

Amanda watched him leave, her arms folded across her chest. "Am I the only one around here who cares what happens to Lex?"

"Of course not, Amanda." Martha walked up and stood beside the distraught woman. "We all care. But Lexie’s been doing this since she was a teenager. There’s no one better at it than she is, I can guarantee you that."

"You’ve all lost your minds," Amanda muttered, stomping out of the kitchen.

Lex parked the jeep next to the bunkhouse. Before she opened the door, she looked at Ronnie. "A lot of the guys like to sit on the top of the corral to watch, but I’d prefer if you’d just stand a few feet back."

"Sure, Lex. But why?"

"Some of the horses like to try and brush the rider off on the corral posts. I’ve seen men get their legs broken because they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way." She climbed out of the vehicle to meet him on the other side. "Do you think I want to face Martha if something like that happened to you?"

He laughed and pulled his gray felt cowboy hat down to a more snug position. It had been a birthday present from Lex, and Ronnie was rarely without it. "I don’t blame you there. She’s tough."

They walked to the corral where the men were gathered. Several of them hollered a greeting, which Lex acknowledged with a wave. She nodded to Roy, who was inside the corral helping two other men saddle a horse.

"Hey, boss. We’re almost ready for you." He traded looks with Tony, another ranch hand. By unspoken agreement, they kept Roger away from the animal, just to be on the safe side. "I’ve got this, if you don’t mind checking the gate." A large pen was connected to the corral by a long chute, where they loaded the animals to tag or vaccinate. Roy wanted to make certain the gate was properly closed, since there was another horse already in the chute. The last thing they needed was another animal in the corral while Lex was astride this one.

"Tony nodded. Gotcha." He received a glare from Roger, who had just left the chute area.

The new hire walked over to Roy and roughly grabbed the heavy rope that was to be used as reins, causing the horse the shy away. "What’s the matter? Don’t trust me?"

Roy attempted to calm the frightened animal, thankful when Lex stepped into the corral and helped him. "We’ve got this, Roger. Why don’t you go find yourself a good seat?" the foreman asked. Once the man was out of earshot, he whispered, "Are you sure this is such a good idea? I swear these are the wildest bunch I’ve seen in a while, boss."

"What’s the matter, Roy? Afraid I can’t handle it?" Lex teased, as she carefully ran her hands over the horse’s skin. She paused when she saw a raised mark on the animal’s stifle, or where the hip met the abdomen. "What’s this?"

He leaned down and studied the spot. "I’m not sure, but if I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was a welt." Their eyes met. "Looks pretty fresh, Lex."

"That’s what I was thinking." As much as she tried to give everyone a chance, she was beginning to dislike Roger Jensen. "Would he have had any time alone with the horses since they were brought up from the back pasture?"

"I’m not sure." Roy scratched his chin. "Hell, Lex. I didn’t think to keep a continuous eye on him. Do you think he’d do something like this?"

Lex pursed her lips and nodded to where the men were gathered. "I don’t know, Roy. But he’s looking pretty damn smug right now." She was well past being angry. "I’ve half a mind to go over there and knock that damned grin off his face, that’s for sure."

"Maybe we should just save this for another time," Roy suggested. "If he whipped these horses to scare them, it would be foolish to try and break them now."

"Are you calling me a fool?" Lex asked. "Never mind. Just cover up so I can get on." She waited until Roy held a piece of burlap over the horse’s face, then hurried into the saddle and grabbed the heavy rope. Bracing herself, Lex nodded.

Roy stepped out of the way, pulling the burlap down with him. He quickly climbed through the corral beams and said a silent prayer for the stubborn woman who clung to the bucking horse with just the strength in her thighs and grip of one hand.

Although she should have been terrified, Lex couldn’t help but grin at the adrenaline that rushed through her. She had always enjoyed this part of ranching, even though it was one of the more dangerous jobs. As the horse kicked his rear legs in the air, she leaned back and held the ropes taut. The unexpected spin almost caught her off guard, but she was able to stay in the saddle. Not even the loss of her hat tore her concentration away from the animal beneath her, as she continued to hang on.

Amanda paced around the house for a whole fifteen minutes before she decided to drive up to the corral and see what was happening. It didn’t take very long to navigate the narrow dirt road, and before she knew it she had parked her Mustang next to Lex’s old jeep. Once she got out of the vehicle, she could see the men hanging off the fencing of the corral, some yelling encouragement to Lex, who was being tossed around like a rag doll. Horrified, Amanda rushed over and climbed up next to them so that she could see.

The horse didn’t seem to be tiring. Lex was beginning to think that maybe Roy was right, and that trying to break the animal was a mistake. She was contemplating jumping off when she heard a familiar voice ring out over the din.

"Lex!" Amanda screamed, seeing her lover struggle to control the huge animal.

Turning her head toward the sound, Lex didn’t see the horse’s head suddenly jerk sideways. Her firm grip on the ropes caused the animal to fall on its side, rolling completely over before jumping up and running to the far side of the corral.

The crumpled form on the ground didn’t move. Two men rushed to the horse to keep it back, while Roy and Amanda hurried over to check on Lex. Both landed on their knees next to the still body. Lex was lying on one side, her face turned to the ground. Roy pulled off his gloves and touched the side of her throat, checking for a pulse. A low groan caused him to jerk away. "Lex?"

"Damn," Lex coughed, rolling over onto her back. She looked up into the worried eyes of her wife. "What are you doing here?"

Amanda began to run her hands over Lex’s body. "Are you hurt?"

Lex sat up and rubbed her midsection. "Nah. Just got the breath knocked out of me," she wheezed. A hard slap to her shoulder caught her off guard. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For scaring me to death!" Amanda stood up as Roy helped Lex to her feet. "Don’t you ever do that again, Lexington Walters." She wiped the moisture from her face, her tears of worry now turning to tears of anger. "What were you trying to prove, anyway?"

Roy, for his part, decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and quietly left the two women alone in the middle of the corral. He motioned to the men to take care of the horse, and headed for the bunkhouse for a cup of coffee. I’ll bet she’d rather take her chances with the horse. I know I would.

Lex followed Amanda out of the corral, picking her hat up on the way and dusting it off against her thigh. She waited until they were away from the men before answering her lover’s question. "For your information, Amanda, this is what I do. What are you doing here?"

Amanda stopped and spun around. "No, Lex. What you do is run a ranch. What part of that says you have to ride wild animals?"

"I’m not going to ask my men to do anything that I wouldn’t do," Lex retorted.

"They all know that. But does that mean you have to risk your life? How do you think that makes them feel? It’s their job."

The rancher paused. She had never actually thought about it that way.

Amanda could see that she had Lex’s attention. "And what about what we have? Dammit, Lex, we’ve only been together for a year. Don’t you think we deserve more time together than that?" She stepped closer and put her hands on Lex’s hips. "I can’t bear the thought of losing you so soon after finding you."

"Amanda," Lex took off her gloves and tucked them in her back pocket. She reached up and wiped the tears from her lover’s face. "I’m sorry." She was relieved when Amanda leaned forward into her arms. "Please don’t cry, sweetheart."

The anguished plea only caused Amanda to cry harder. She buried her face in Lex’s dusty shirt and held on tight.

Lex was about to say something else when she heard snickering behind them. She turned her head and saw Roger shaking his head.

"Looks like she’s got you on a pretty short tether, Walters. Guess you’re too whipped to show me how to break ponies."

"Back off, Jensen."

He either didn’t hear the low order, or didn’t care. Roger moved closer. "Damned cute, though. Is she good in the—" His comment was cut short by Lex’s fist. She had released her hold on Amanda and punched the obnoxious man.

Lex stood over Jensen, her hands clenched at her sides. "You’ve got exactly ten minutes to get off my ranch, asshole." She wanted to pick Roger up and pound on him, but Amanda’s hands on her back calmed her.

"Fine." He climbed to his feet and licked his lower lip, tasting blood. "I didn’t want to work for a damned woman, anyway."

"Come on, honey." Amanda pulled at Lex’s shirt. "Let’s go back to the house and get you cleaned up."

She would have rather stayed to make sure Jensen left, but Lex decided that she’d upset Amanda enough for one day. "Sounds good to me. I think I’m wearing most of the corral," she joked, as she crawled into the passenger’s seat of Amanda’s car and closed the door.

Not a word was spoken as they drove back to the ranch house. Amanda was still trying to calm down after the horrifying scene at the corral. She kept seeing Lex’s still form lying in the dirt, and the fear of losing what they had was fresh in her mind. She knew that she had overreacted, but didn’t know how to voice her apology, so she kept quiet.

For her part, Lex was still fuming over the arrogance of Roger Jensen. She was also irritated with herself for not checking his references more carefully, taking the names he had given at face value. That’ll teach me. Now I’ve got to put another ad in the paper to replace him.

It wasn’t long before Amanda parked the Mustang in front of the main house. She was out of the car and halfway to the house before she realized that Lex wasn’t with her. With one foot on the front porch, Amanda turned around and looked back over her shoulder. Lex was still in the car, staring straight ahead with an angry look on her face. I really screwed up this time. She’s furious.

Before Amanda could go back to the car, Lex opened her door and climbed out. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even acknowledge Amanda’s presence as she walked by her and into the house. She was through the den and almost to the office when Amanda’s quiet voice stopped her.

"Lex?"

"What?" Lex spun around and stood, waiting for the reason her train of thought had been disturbed. She wanted to call the newspaper and place her ad for the Sunday edition, and had very little time left to do so.

Amanda understood that her lover was upset, but the curt tone still hurt. "I thought you were going to go upstairs and get cleaned up." The dirt and grime that covered Lex’s clothes left a light trail behind her, and Amanda knew that Lex normally didn’t like to track anything into the house that would cause Martha any undue work.

"I will, but I’ve got some things to take care of, first." Lex turned back around and went into the office, closing the door behind her.

"But…" Amanda barely got the word out of her mouth before she was alone in the room. She was about to go upstairs alone, when her own anger got the best of her. I’m not going to allow her to brush me off like that. We need to talk about this. Her mind made up, Amanda crossed the room and knocked on the office door. When she didn’t get an answer, she slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

Lex sat at the desk, typing away at the computer. She had removed her hat, and there were rivulets of mud down the side of her face where she had perspired. Intent on the screen in front of her, Lex didn’t hear Amanda step into the room.

"Ahem."

Frowning, Lex looked up from the computer. "Amanda? What’s the matter?"

An incredulous look crossed Amanda’s face. "What’s the matter? You snapped at me and locked yourself in here, and you want to know what’s the matter?" Her voice began to rise as she grew more upset. "I know I screwed up back there, but that’s no reason to bite my head off and then ignore me."

"What?"

"I’m sorry that I was so concerned about you. I guess just because we’re married, I don’t have that right." Amanda’s temper was in full force, and she had a lot to get off her chest. She pointed her finger at Lex, who had pushed the chair away from the desk and stood up. "I know we’re going to disagree on things, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let you just walk away from me without so much as a word."

"But I—"

Amanda moved around the desk until she was less than a foot away from her lover and waved her left hand in front of Lex’s face. "We’re partners, Lexington Walters. The day you put this ring on my finger, we agreed to share everything. And, for your information, I’d like more than a year to share with you. Life’s too precious to go around doing crazy things like you did today." The look that Lex gave her caused Amanda to pause in her tirade. "Well?"

"Can I talk, now?" Lex asked quietly.

Amanda pursed her lips in thought. "Okay."

Taking hold of Amanda’s hands, Lex raised them to her lips and kissed them. She looked into her wife’s eyes, upset with herself at causing the woman she loved so much anguish. "I’m sorry, Amanda. I didn’t mean to snap at you, I was running out of time to get the ad placed for Jensen’s replacement before the deadline for tomorrow’s edition." She leaned forward and kissed Amanda lightly on the lips and then pulled away. "And, I’ll do my best to not take stupid chances anymore, okay?"

"Okay." Amanda’s ire dissipated almost as quickly as it had flared. She used her thumb to wipe a smudge of dirt from Lex’s cheek. "Why don’t we go upstairs and get you into the shower? I doubt that Martha will allow you at the lunch table like this." She led her partner from the office, relieved that the misunderstanding was behind them.

Once upstairs, Lex followed Amanda into the bathroom and allowed herself to be undressed. She was enjoying the attention as her shirt was slowly unbuttoned, until Amanda gasped. "What?"

Amanda ran her hands delicately across Lex’s torso, where a mottled purple and black bruise had formed. "Does this hurt?"

"Not much," Lex assured her, craning her neck to see. The discoloration covered her lower abdomen just above her hips. "Must be where the saddle got me when that damned horse rolled over." She looked back up into the concerned face of her lover. "Really, sweetheart. I barely feel it." She pulled Amanda close, determined to take the worried look off her face. "Wanna scrub my back?"

The playful tone caused Amanda to grin. "I think that can be arranged." Her own shirt was pulled from her body before she had a chance to say another word. Moments later, her bra joined the shirt on the floor, and Amanda stood in front of Lex, wearing only her jeans and sneakers. Gentle hands traced the contours of her chest, causing her to tremble in anticipation.

"Cold?" Lex asked, a sly look on her face. She didn’t wait for an answer, but unbuttoned the faded jeans and slid them down. Looking up from where she knelt, Lex wrapped her arms around Amanda’s legs and leaned into her. "I love you, Amanda," she murmured.

"I love you, too." Amanda pulled Lex’s head closer to her body and stroked her hair. Once again she was reminded just how precious what they had was, and she vowed to herself to protect their love, no matter what the cost.

Chapter 3

The passing scenery held little interest for the woman reclining in the leather seat. Small trees and fields covered by cattle were different from what she was used to seeing, but Ellie was more intrigued by the interior of the limousine, having never been in one before. Although the last few days spent with her grandfather made her more comfortable with him, she still felt completely out of place in her faded jeans, tee shirt and scuffed sneakers. Travis’ question startled her out of her trance and she looked up to meet his kindly face.

"How’s your family doing, Ellie?" It had taken Travis several hours of gentle persuasion earlier in the morning to convince his granddaughter to call her parents in California. She didn’t want to take advantage of his hospitality, but found it continually difficult to tell him no. Travis, being the sharp businessman he was, proudly used that to his benefit. Since Ellie came to him so late in her life, he was determined to make up for the lost time any way he could.

"They’re doing fine, sir. Mom was afraid that I’m making a pest of myself." Actually, Naomi Gordon was furious with her daughter, citing that they’d done just fine without the Edwards’ family up to this point, and couldn’t understand why her daughter was still in Texas.

Travis couldn’t help but laugh. He patted his granddaughter on the knee, pleased when she didn’t shy away or flinch. "If you’d like, I could talk to your mother and assure her that I practically had to force you to stay with me. You’ve actually been a lot of company to me these past few days."

Inwardly cringing at the thought, Ellie shook her head. A proud woman, her mother would probably inadvertently say something that would offend Travis, and that’s the last thing she wanted. "No, that’s okay. I think that Mom just doesn’t understand why I’m still here." She often wondered the same thing herself, since her original goal of finding and meeting her father’s family had been met.

"You can always lay the blame on me, Ellie. I just thought that since I was going back to Somerville so soon, this would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet your cousin." Travis had to admit privately that it wasn’t the only reason he asked her to stay. Even though he hadn’t known about Ellie’s birth, he felt pangs of guilt for not seeing another granddaughter grow up. Seeing familiar terrain, he pointed out the right-hand window. "Speaking of Lexington, the turnoff for her ranch is up ahead."

Ellie leaned across to get a better view. The white limousine turned onto a well-graveled road that was almost hidden by oak and cedar trees. "Exactly what kind of ranch are we talking about? Is she some sort of cattle baron, or something?" They had spent the majority of their time talking about her family and his late wife, Melanie, and hadn’t really touched on the subject of her cousin. Now, she wished she had asked more questions. The covered wooden bridge the car went across seemed well built, if not a little out of place in Texas.

"A cattle baron? No, not really. Lexington was given this ranch by her father, and she’s worked hard to keep it running. But she raises mostly horses on it, now." He could tell Ellie was nervous, and wanted to put her mind at ease. "I think you’ll really like her, and her partner, Amanda."

"Partner? I thought you said she owned the ranch alone." Now Ellie was completely confused.

"The ranch is Lexington’s, true. But you could say that Amanda owns it by default, especially since they’ve been married. I’ve never seen two people more in love than those two." Travis smiled fondly in remembrance. "It does my old heart good to see them so happy."

Ellie’s eyes widened at this revelation. "Married?" The thought of two women in that sort of relationship was something she hadn’t even thought much about before. She was about to ask more questions when the car pulled into the circular driveway of the ranch house. It was quite different from what she had expected; the brick exterior looked more like a residence in Dallas, than a ranch house out in the middle of nowhere. Ellie mentally gave her cousin points for not living in a log cabin, or something like it. She allowed the driver to help her from the car, Travis not far behind.

"Beautiful, isn’t it? I think the girls chose well when they had it rebuilt." Travis mistook Ellie’s silence for awe as he led her up the steps and onto the porch. He was about to knock on the door when it opened, and a tall, slender woman dressed similarly to Ellie embraced him.

"Grandpa! You should have called to let us know you were on the way. We weren’t expecting you until later on today," she admonished, after she stepped back. Her eyes tracked to Ellie, and her face wore an expectant smile. "Hello."

Travis put his arm around Ellie in a protective gesture. "Lexington, I’d like for you to meet Eleanor Gordon." When Lex held out her hand to the other woman, he added, "Your cousin."

Cousin? Lex tried to keep the friendly smile on her face, instead of the bewildered expression that was working its way to the surface, as they shook hands. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eleanor." She gave Travis a look that told him he had some explanations to give. Before she could say anything else, another woman came up behind her.

"Lex, are you going to leave them standing on the porch all afternoon, or are you going to let them in the house?" Amanda put her arm around her wife’s waist and pulled her out of the doorway. "Hi, Grandpa Travis. You certainly made good time." She waited until everyone was in the hallway before she gave the older man a firm hug. "I’ve missed you."

"I’ve missed you, too." Travis held out his hand in Ellie’s direction. "This is Eleanor Gordon. Ellie, I’d like to introduce you to my other granddaughter, Amanda Cauble."

Ellie shook hands with the younger woman, easily disarmed by Amanda’s bright smile. "Hi, Amanda. It’s great to meet you. Just call me Ellie."

Lex looked on as her lover charmed their guest. She followed the group into the den, standing back and watching her cousin interact with Amanda and Travis. The woman was obviously older than either one of them, and her pale brown eyes were almost golden. She seemed comfortable with their grandfather, and Lex wondered just how long this mysterious "cousin" had been around. Ought to be interesting, to say the least.

For her part, Ellie had trouble believing that Amanda was one of "those women" that she had always heard whispers about. Her cousin Lex, on the other hand, although feminine and attractive, radiated a no-nonsense aura that almost scared her. She had no trouble at all putting Lex into that stereotype. The way the woman just stared, without speaking, unnerved her. This is going to be fun, she thought to herself. Not.

After the evening meal, Lex excused herself to check on the horses down at the barn. It wasn’t long after she finished feeding the animals that the barn door opened, and a figure stepped inside. Realizing who it was, she continued to brush Thunder’s coat, her back to the unwanted guest.

"You don’t like me much, do you?" Ellie asked, leaning up against one of the rails. She had her hands in the pockets of her denim jacket, out of habit.

Lex didn’t turn around. "I don’t know you."

"That’s true, I suppose." Taking her hands out of her pockets, Ellie moved forward and leaned over the stall door. "I’m not some gold digger, if that’s what you’re worried about." She watched as the brush glided rougher than before across the dark coat of the stallion. "I don’t know much about horses, but it looks like you’re trying to rub him raw."

Glaring over her shoulder, Lex lightened up on the brush. "You’re right. You don’t know much about horses." Realizing they were going to have this conversation whether she wanted to or not, she stopped her rough stroking of the animal and turned around. "Why are you here?"

Ellie knew what Lex was asking, and it wasn’t about her trip to the barn. "I wanted to know about my family."

"After all these years? Seems a bit out of the blue to me." Travis and Ellie had filled them in at dinner about who Ellie was, and where she came from, but it still bothered the rancher. "From what you’ve said, you have a good family back in San Diego. Why bother coming halfway across the country to look up people who didn’t even know you existed?"

"You’re right. I do have a good family," Ellie admitted, finding a rough spot on the board she was leaning over and picking at it. The look that Lex was giving her made her more than uncomfortable, and she knew if she continued to meet her cousin’s eyes, she’d say something that she might regret. "But, all of my life, I’ve felt like some little part of me was missing. When I read the letters that my father wrote to my mother, it made me realize what that part of me was." Ellie finally raised her head to see an unreadable look on Lex’s face. "You’re lucky to have Travis for a grandfather. He’s made me feel like family in the few days that I’ve known him. I just wish I’d have found those letters sooner, so that maybe I could have met my grandmother, too."

A pained expression crossed Lex’s face at the mention of their grandmother. Because of her father and brother, she grew up without contact with her grandparents, as well. It had only been in the last year that she rediscovered the love of her grandfather, and the ache that separation caused still went bone deep. She still didn’t trust Ellie, so she decided a subject change was in order. "How long do you plan on being here?" Much to her dismay, Amanda had offered Ellie the use of the guestroom for as long as she wanted, before Lex could say any different.

"I’m not sure. Why?"

"Just asking." Lex opened the stall door and brushed by her cousin. She decided to try and get her grandfather alone, so that she could find out all he knew about Ellie. Something just doesn’t feel right, here. She’s up to something.

Ellie watched as Lex put the brushes away and left the barn, a determined set to her shoulders. "Nice talking to you," she muttered, staring at the retreating woman’s back. "I wonder if all of her kind have chips on their shoulders like that." Shrugging her own shoulders, Ellie left the barn as well, contemplating her next move.

Amanda heard the back door slam, and heavy boot steps stomp down the hallway. She looked up from the table, where Martha and her were making up the grocery list for the coming week. Her eyes met the housekeeper’s. "I don’t think Ellie’s visit with Lex went very well."

"Doesn’t seem like it, does it?" Martha agreed. She was about to say something else when the back door opened again, and the other half of their subject walked into the house. "We’re in here, Ellie," she called out, hoping to get some clue as to what transpired in the barn.

A dark head poked its way into the kitchen, and Ellie smiled when she saw that Amanda was with the housekeeper. She stepped further into the kitchen and joined them at the table. "Thanks."

"Would you like something to drink?" Martha offered.

"No, thank you." Ellie looked at the table, unable to meet their faces.

Amanda could feel the agitation coming from Lex’s cousin. She wasn’t sure what transpired in the barn, but she did know that for some reason, Lex didn’t like or trust Ellie, and was determined to find out why. She touched the older woman’s arm in concern. "Are you all right?"

Am I? Maybe coming here with Travis was a mistake. It’s obvious that my cousin has no use for me. Ellie looked up and tried to smile. "I’ll be okay." The consideration given to her by this total stranger was comforting, in a strange sort of way. Amanda didn’t fit the stereotype that she had in her mind about lesbians. But Lex, on the other hand, most certainly does.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Amanda offered.

Embarrassed, Ellie pulled her arm away. "Not unless you can tell me what I did to make Lex hate me so."

"What has she done? Maybe I should go talk to her." Amanda started to stand up, but was stopped when Ellie reached out and grabbed her arm.

"No, wait. I don’t want to cause any trouble."

Martha took the opportunity to chime in. "Lexie doesn’t hate you, Ellie. She’s just got a lot on her mind, and tends to come across that way. Don’t let her crankiness get to you." The housekeeper’s face wore a comical expression, and the other two women couldn’t help but laugh.

Outside the doorway, Lex paused. She had been about to go into the kitchen, when she heard the topic of discussion. Crankiness? That’s a load of bullshit. Disgusted, she quietly turned and headed for the master bedroom, deciding to turn in early and save from having to defend herself to her family.

"What about this one?" Amanda asked her partner. She held a pale green baby blanket up for inspection.

Lex cocked her head to one side with a thoughtful look on her face. "Why green? I thought that girls were supposed to have pink." Surrounded by baby items and maternity clothes, Lex felt extremely out of place. "Besides, I don't know why we’re still shopping. We found something for Wanda’s baby over twenty minutes ago." They had waited until Travis and Ellie had gone to meet the movers at his new home before starting out on the shopping trip. Lex hated to waste a workday, but when Anna Leigh called and had to cancel at the last minute, she didn’t want Amanda to go on alone. Now, she was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Yes, but now I want to pick out something for Jeannie, and for her baby. I can't believe that you of all people would think that way. Most pastels are perfectly suitable for either sex."

"But the baby isn't supposed to be here for another month, right?"

"And due dates aren't set in stone, Lex. Early deliveries run in my family." Amanda handed the blanket to her lover. "Here. Since you're so dead set against me carrying anything heavier than my purse, you can be the pack mule today." Although she loved Lex dearly, Amanda was sometimes aggravated with her overly protective wife. Her exasperation was short-lived when her eyesight landed on a blouse several yards away. "Oh, look! Don't you just love that shade of yellow?"

A martyred groan was Lex's only response as she dutifully followed. She silently hoped for a reprieve from the shopping excursion, but had an uneasy feeling that it was just beginning. She made what she hoped was an appropriate sound when Amanda held up the blouse and asked her opinion. I swear to God, if we can just go home soon, I promise to never curse again. She accepted the blouse and added it to the growing stack. "Don't you think we should break for lunch? We've been at this for hours."

Amanda glared at her partner. "It's only been forty-five minutes, Lex. You didn't have to come, you know. I was perfectly capable of driving myself."

"I know you were, Amanda. But when your grandmother had to cancel at the last minute, I..."

"You just wanted to come along and babysit, right? Dammit! I'm not helpless, you know." The irritated woman pushed by a confused Lex.

"Where are you going?"

Amanda threw up her hands and stopped. She turned around and wiped tears of frustration from her eyes. "If you must know, I'm going to the ladies' room. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Amanda, wait." Lex started to chase after her, but stopped when Amanda continued to walk away, waving her arms over her head. "Damn." She watched helplessly as the woman she loved stomped away. "So much for this being a happy time."

Once Amanda returned from the restroom, she yanked everything out of Lex’s hands and silently made her way to the nearest register. Her mood didn’t brighten after they left the store.

The drive home was silent, as Lex wracked her brain for something to say that would calm her still-seething partner. She took her eyes from the road long enough to glance across the seat of her truck, concerned at the faraway look on Amanda’s face. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Feeling guilty over her earlier outburst, Amanda continued to stare through her window at the passing scenery. She wasn't sure why she felt the way she did. Over the past couple of months her nerves were on edge and she often took out her frustrations by snapping at Lex, or crying for no apparent reason. Just remembering the hurt look on her lover's face was enough to bring tears to Amanda's eyes. She doesn't deserve that. I've got to find a way to make it up to her.

The extended silence from the other side of the truck brought renewed pain to Lex's heart. She still wasn't sure what she had done to warrant the silent treatment, and now she was afraid to reach across and touch Amanda. I don't think I could handle it if she pulled away. Lex didn't attempt conversation again until after they drove across the bridge that led to the ranch house. A brisk wind jostled the truck as it exited the wooden structure. "Looks like the weather's going to be changing." She mentally cringed at the desperate attempt.

Amanda turned away from her window and met Lex's eyes. "Maybe it'll take my rotten mood with it." The tentative smile she received wasn't much, but it was a start. "I'm sorry, Lex. I don't know what's gotten into me lately." She reached across the truck and grasped Lex's forearm. "Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive." Lex pulled the truck in front of the house and shut off the engine. She unfastened her seatbelt and turned to give Amanda her complete attention. "I know something's been bothering you for a while now. Do you want to talk about it?" At the negative shake of her wife's head, Lex looked down at the seat between them. "I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong, Amanda. Talk to me, please."

"I…I can't."

Hurt by the rebuff, Lex pulled back and opened her door. "Fine." She reached into the back seat to grab the shopping bags, then climbed out of the truck. "I'll take these into the house for you." Before she closed the door, Lex looked into Amanda's eyes. "I'm going to check the back fence. I'll see you sometime this evening." She was thankful that at least she didn’t have her cousin to put up with, seeing as how this entire day continued to go from bad to worse.

The door closed and Amanda was left staring at Lex's back. She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes and didn't even attempt to stop them.

Hearing the slam of the front door, Martha stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a white dishtowel. She watched as Lex carried several bags into the den, and was surprised to see her stomp down the hallway moments later. "Lexie? Where's Amanda?" When the upset woman was even with her, Martha grabbed her arm to stop her. "What's going on?"

"She's on her way in. I've got to check the far fence this afternoon, so don't wait lunch on me." Lex pulled her arm from the housekeeper's grip and continued down the hall until she passed through the back door, slamming it behind her.

Seconds later, Amanda came in the front door, wiping her face with one hand. She peeked into the den and, not seeing Lex, straightened her back and met Martha mid-way in the hall. "Did you see--"

"Lexie? She took off out the back door like her tail end was on fire. What on earth is going on?" Martha led Amanda back into the den and guided her to the sofa, sitting down next to her. "You two have been touchy for a while now. Do you mind me asking why?"

Amanda looked at the bags that Lex dropped on the coffee table in front of them. "I'm not sure, Martha. I mean, I know that I've been out of sorts lately, so I guess that Lex is just picking up on that." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "Maybe we've just been spending too much time together. I don't know."

Martha sat quietly and thought about the tensions that had been running through the house. "I don't think that's it, honey. You two have never had any problem being together before now. This has all been building for months. Ever since you heard that your sister was expecting, you've been a bit prickly."

Amanda turned her head and opened her eyes. "That's not it. I'm very happy for Jeannie and Frank. Why would them having a baby upset me?"

"Maybe it's because you want what they have?"

Amanda's eyes widened at the thought. "I don't think so, Martha. I'm thrilled for them, and I can't wait to hold my niece in my hands. I'm certainly not ready for that drastic a step." A chagrined smile formed on her face. "Besides, Lex doesn't quite have the equipment to be a father."

Martha gave her a playful slap on the leg. "Hush up, child. I know there's other ways to go about it. Have you talked to Lexie?"

"No!" Amanda jumped up from the sofa as if she had been burned. "I mean, well, of course not. I don't know if we're ready for that kind of responsibility. Heck, I don't know if I'm ready. That's such a big step." Terrified of the direction the conversation was going, Amanda reached into one of the bags on the table. "Let me show you the things that we picked out for the shower, and for Jeannie and the baby. I think you'll really like them."

Astride the large black stallion, the silent figure watched from the copse of cedar and oak trees as two men continued to bicker back and forth. She nudged the horse out of their hiding place and stopped when they were a few feet away from the men. Lex crossed her forearms over the saddle horn and leaned forward. "You fellas lost?"

The shorter of the two men spun around, startled. "Hey, boss." Roy, foreman of the Rocking W Ranch, walked up to Lex’s horse and patted its neck. "Didn't think we'd be seeing you out here today. Thought you had business in town." He was relieved to see that Lex bore no outward signs of injury from Saturday’s fiasco. But he also knew better than to say anything about it.

"I did, but I'm back." Lex didn't feel like talking about what transpired earlier. "Thought I'd come out here and check the fence. I didn't know you'd be here." She swung her right leg over the saddle and dismounted, allowing the reins fall to the ground. "What's up?"

Roy turned back to the fence, where he leaned on one of the posts and looked at the property beyond. "I just wanted to come out and see how much fence we'd have to move if you bought the land next to us."

Lex turned and looked at the foreman, then at the other man who was loading tools into the back of a truck. "What do you mean, if I bought it? I didn't even know it was for sale."

"You didn't? Aw, hell, boss. I heard that it was going to be auctioned, and just figured that you all ready knew all about it." Roy took Lex's arm and led her away where they could talk more privately. "Ted's girlfriend works at Johnson's Auctioneers, and she told him yesterday that she’ll have to work late the next few weekends because of some of the big sales they've got coming up."

Damn. I've been letting too much of the ranch go lately. I used to find out about these things way in advance. Lex patted her foreman on the back. "Thanks for letting me know, Roy. I'll make a few phone calls and see what's up." She gathered Thunder's reins and pulled herself into the saddle. "You guys better get back. Lester's bound to have supper waiting for you." On her command, the huge animal spun around and took off for the trees at a gallop.

The slam of the back door roused Amanda from her bout of self-pity. She had spent the better part of the afternoon upstairs in their bedroom, lying on the bed with her face buried in Lex’s pillow. She raised her head and listened, hoping to hear boot steps on the stairs. When several minutes passed and still no sign of Lex, Amanda curled up around the pillow again and stifled a sob. As distressed as she was with the way things were between them, she didn’t know what to do to make them right again.

Downstairs, Lex didn’t even realize how quiet the house was as she made her way into her office. She closed the door then stepped around the desk to drop into the leather chair. After rifling through her Rolodex, she found the number she had been searching for and picked up the phone. Several rings passed before a man’s voice answered on the other end. "Ed? Lex Walters. How’re you doing?"

She leaned back in her chair and propped her dirty boots on the edge of the desk. "Great. Hey, listen. A little birdie told me that the MacGregor land to the north of us is going up for auction in the next couple of weeks. Is that true?" Lex picked at a spot of dried mud on her denim-clad thigh as she listened. "Right. Is it a public auction, or sealed bids? Excellent." She dropped her feet to the floor and grabbed a pen, scribbling on the desk blotter. "Uh-huh. No proxies? Gotcha." Lex tapped the pen against the paper. "Thanks, Ed. I’ll see you next Saturday. Bye."

After hanging up the phone, Lex leaned back in her chair again and put her boots back on the desk. She linked her fingers behind her head and smiled. "I’ve finally got a chance to get that grazing land I’ve been wanting for so long." The MacGregor property had some of the best grasslands in the area, and she had been trying for years to talk the old man into selling. "I wonder what changed his mind?" She had no way of knowing that MacGregor, after having a stroke and being placed in a nursing home, signed over the property to his grandson, who immediately put it up for auction. Nonetheless, Lex knew she had a good chance of picking up the property the following weekend with a low bid.

Lex had stayed in her office until Martha called everyone to dinner, and she was concerned at how Amanda looked. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she barely looked up from her plate, which hadn’t been touched. She was just thankful that she didn’t have her cousin to contend with. Travis called earlier, and Ellie and he were in the middle of unpacking, so they wouldn’t be able to make dinner.

The silence of the table was uncomfortable, although Ronnie seemed oblivious to it. He swallowed a bite of food and caught Lex’s eye. "Roy wanted me to tell you that the horses from Saturday are doing okay. He’s got two of them in training saddles, and plans to try and ride them again next weekend."

"That’s good." Lex was proud of how Ronnie took an interest in the ranch. She sneaked a peek at Amanda, who continued to play with the food on her plate. "Amanda? Would you like to take a walk with me after dinner?" she asked, bracing herself for the rejection. The disastrous shopping trip still had Lex on edge, but she wanted to try and bridge the gap it had caused between them.

Amanda, not sure if she had heard correctly, looked up into Lex’s face. Instead of the anger or indifferent look she had expected, all she saw was love and concern. "I’d like that," she murmured, almost shyly. She scooped up a bite of food and placed it in her mouth, finally having something to look forward to.

A short time later, the two women stepped out the back door of the house, the light from the stars and moon guiding them. Lex held out her hand and was relieved to feel Amanda’s slip into it and squeeze. She led them down by the hay barn, walking slowly to pass the time. "I’m sorry about earlier." Lex wasn’t sure what she had done wrong, but she was determined to clear things up between them.

"So am I," Amanda admitted. She stopped and turned to face her lover. "I don’t know what’s going on with me." Not comfortable with the feelings she had, Amanda tried to make light of her emotional turmoil. "Maybe I’m PMS’ng or something."

The frown on Lex’s face grew. "I don’t think that’s it, and neither do you." She looked down at their joined hands, shadowed by the moonlight. "I want to help, if I can, Amanda. But you’ve got to talk to me."

"There’s nothing wrong! Why can’t everyone just leave me alone, and quit bothering me?" Amanda broke free and rushed into the barn, wiping tears of frustration from her cheeks. Leaning against a fragrant bale of hay, she heard boot steps behind her and turned around. The hurt look on her wife’s face pushed everything else away and she took a step to fall into Lex’s waiting arms. "I’m sorry," she whimpered, burying her head into the soft denim of Lex’s shirt.

"Shh. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart," Lex murmured, holding Amanda with one hand while using the other to stroke her hair. At least I hope it will be, she worried to herself. She slid down into the hay, pulling Amanda into her lap and trying to offer any comfort she could.

A short time later, Amanda took a cleansing breath and sat up. She patted Lex’s chest as she looked up into her eyes. "Thanks. I guess I needed that."

"You’re welcome. Feeling better?" Lex asked, removing a strand of hay from Amanda’s hair. The gesture reminded her of the first time they were in the barn together, over a year ago. "Remember the first time we were in here?"

Amanda smiled. "How could I forget? I fell for you, literally and figuratively." After Lex had rescued her from a raging creek, the grateful realtor had spent the next few days helping her around the ranch. While they were in the hay barn, Amanda climbed to the top of the bales and fell into Lex’s arms, which precipitated their first kiss.

"I had already fallen for you," Lex admitted. "The moment I pulled you out of that creek." She leaned forward and covered Amanda’s lips with her own, feeling the familiar thrill when her lover’s hands reached under her shirt to caress her skin.

"I felt the same way." Amanda unbuttoned the denim shirt. "But I kept telling myself it was a form of hero worship." She pushed the shirt out of the way and reached around to unclasp Lex’s bra, sliding both garments from her wife’s body, then gently pushing Lex onto her back.

Lex’s face broke out into a happy grin. "Hero worship, huh?" Her eyes widened as nimble hands unbuckled her belt and opened her jeans. "Uh, Amanda?"

"Hmm?"

"Don’t you think we should go back to the house?" Feeling her jeans being pulled down, Lex automatically raised her hips to help.

"Nope." Amanda slid the denim down and then covered Lex’s body with her own, which was still clothed. "I want you right here, right now. Got a problem with that?"

"Nope," Lex parroted, extending her arms and quickly relieving Amanda of her own clothes. "As a matter of fact, that’s the best offer I’ve had all day." She wrapped her arms around Amanda and rolled over, causing them both to laugh in joy and relief.

Chapter 4

Amanda pulled her Mustang into the drive at her grandparent’s house. She was several hours early for the baby shower, and couldn’t believe how quickly the week had passed. Although Lex had been busy preparing for today’s auction, they had still managed to spend quite a bit of quality time together. She dreaded the questions that her partner’s absence would cause, but Lex had explained that if she wanted the property, she had to be at the auction in person for the opening of the bids.

The front door of the house opened, and Anna Leigh stepped out, waving. "Mandy! I’m glad you’re here." She waited until her granddaughter was on the porch with her before continuing. "I’m having the hardest time with deciding what kind of punch to serve."

Oh, yeah. That’s a real tragedy. Amanda pasted what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face and followed her grandmother into the house.

Before she knew it, hours had passed and most of the women from the office, as well as several of Wanda’s friends were seated in the living room. Amanda glanced at her watch and sighed. The only person missing was the guest of honor, and Wanda’s sister was in charge of bringing her. The slamming of car doors caused a smile to break out on Amanda’s face. She tried not to open the door the moment the bell rang, but wasn’t quite successful by the surprised look on the women’s faces. "Hi."

"Hi." Wanda frowned, then looked at her sister. Because the other women had parked their cars all up and down the block, she didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. "I didn’t know you’d be here, Amanda. Karen told me that your grandmother needed us to stop by for something, but she didn’t say what."

Amanda held open the door and stepped back. "Why don’t you come in? I think she’s in the living room." She struggled to keep the grin off her face as the two women stood in the doorway of the room where the others were "hiding".

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices shouted, causing Wanda to hold her hands to her cheeks.

"Oh, goodness! I can’t believe this." She turned to look first at her sister, then at Amanda. "I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me." Before she could say anything else, she was pulled into the room by the enthusiastic bunch, as voices danced over one another excitedly.

Lex was the only woman in the room, as six men studied each other across a large table. She almost jumped to her feet when Ed Johnson walked into the room, carrying a briefcase. He settled at the head of the table, nodding at each of the others before sitting down.

"Gentlemen. Lex," he added, a slight smirk on his face. "We’ve opened all the bids, and now have a winner." He opened his briefcase and pulled out large envelope. "There were several close bids, but one was higher by a good two percent. So, our client has agreed to the terms of the bid." He pushed the envelope past two men, one of them Wilson, until it rested in front of Lex. "Congratulations, Lexington Walters. Looks like you’ve bought yourself some prime grazing land."

"Excellent!" Lex opened the envelope and glanced at the papers inside. She looked up at Johnson. "I’ll have the bank draft to you in about an hour," she promised.

Ed Johnson nodded. "Perfect. I’ll have the paperwork ready for you by then." He looked around the table. "Gentlemen, thank you for your time."

Several of the men stood up, some of them giving Lex a less than polite look. One man, wearing wire-framed glasses and an expensive suit, waited until the others left before standing before her. "Excuse me, Ms. Walters?"

Lex stood up and tucked the envelope under her arm. "Yes?"

"I’d love a chance to talk with you, if you have the time."

Not wanting to be impolite, but wanting to surprise Amanda by making an appearance at the baby shower, Lex stood up. "Depends on how long you want to talk. I’ve got another appointment."

Wilson wiped his sweaty palm on his pants leg before holding it out. "My name’s Anthony Wilson." He was surprised at the firm handshake he received from the beautiful woman.

"Mr. Wilson. What is it I can do for you?" Lex resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her jeans. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d be given such a limp, damp handshake, and it immediately put her on edge.

He looked around the empty room, as if afraid someone might be listening to their conversation. "Could we go someplace private to talk?"

Lex left the room, and walked down the hallway to the front door. "Like I said, I’ve got things to do, Mr. Wilson. But if you want to walk me to my truck, we can talk on the way."

Damn. Billings is going to kill me if I don’t get her to listen to reason. He followed her, but waited until they were outside before speaking. "Ms. Walters, I don’t know what you paid for that land, but I’d be more than happy to give you double, right here, right now." Wilson almost ran into Lex’s back when she stopped suddenly.

"Double?" Lex turned around and glared at the young man. "I don’t know what you’re up to, mister, but that land’s not for sale. Not for any price." The offer made her extremely uneasy, and she reminded herself to talk to Ed about this stranger. "But thanks." Lex opened her truck door and climbed in. She rolled down the window. "I’m sure you can buy some other land around that’s just as good, Mr. Wilson." Lex tipped her hat to the man in the suit before rolling the window up and backing the truck out of its parking place. She didn’t see him scramble to fish a cellular phone from his coat pocket, or the look on his face when the person on the other end of the line started yelling at him.

"Ooh!" Wanda held a tiny ruffled dress up to her chest. "It’s adorable, Mrs. Cauble." Although she had worked for Sunflower Realty for years, Wanda couldn’t bring herself to call the owner by her given name, no matter how Anna Leigh tried. "Thank you!" She had been opening gifts for what seemed like hours, and the groups enthusiasm hadn’t waned a bit.

Amanda felt her smile slip again. The constant noise and chatter were beginning to get on her nerves, and more than once she’d found herself making excuses to leave the room. "Let me go check on the coffee," she said, standing and then weaving through the crowd of women.

On her way back, Amanda ran into one of Wanda’s friends, who had left the party earlier to freshen up. The woman, short and heavyset, gave Amanda a curt look. "Where’s that good-looking partner of yours? I thought you two were inseparable."

"She had another appointment, Judi. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really should get back to the party." Amanda edged by the nosy woman, but not before she heard Judi’s parting shot.

"Guess the honeymoon’s over. That certainly didn’t take long."

Anna Leigh looked up as Amanda sat next to her. She could tell her granddaughter was upset by the way she bit her lower lip and kept from looking at anyone. "Mandy? What’s the matter, dearest?"

Amanda shook her head, but didn’t answer.

With a quick glance around to be sure they wouldn’t be missed, Anna Leigh took Amanda’s arm and pulled her back out of the room. She led them to the kitchen, where the sounds of the party could barely be heard. Gently pushing Amanda to a chair at the table, Anna Leigh dropped down beside her and tried to look into the younger woman’s face. "Now, tell me what’s wrong, Mandy. And don’t you dare sit there and say ‘nothing’."

"Oh, Grandma." Amanda leaned over and wrapped her arms around her grandmother’s neck, finally allowing the tears to fall. "Do you think that Lex is tired of me already?"

"What?" Anna Leigh pulled back until they were looking eye to eye. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Sniffling, Amanda reached for a paper napkin that was on the table and wiped her eyes. "We’ve been arguing a lot lately. Not to mention the fact that she’s not even here with me today."

Anna Leigh shook her head at her granddaughter’s warped logic. "My dear child, you told me she had a very important bidding to be at this morning. And we both know how well Lexington would fit in at a baby shower."

"I suppose you’re right. But what about our arguments? We didn’t used to fight all the time."

Thinking for a long moment, Anna Leigh decided to bring up something that had been bothering her for a few weeks. "Mandy, look at me." When the tearful eyes met hers, Anna Leigh’s heart almost broke, but she held firm to her resolve. "You’ve been somewhat, how should I put this—"

"Bitchy?" Amanda offered, a wry smile on her face.

"No, I wouldn’t say that, dear. But you’ve certainly been preoccupied, lately. Would you care to talk to me about it?"

Amanda jumped up and started rearranging the plastic drink cups around the punch bowl. "Why does everyone keep asking me to talk? There’s nothing wrong, dammit!" She threw a stack of colored napkins across the room, then spun around to find her grandmother’s sturdy presence close by. Amanda easily fell into the older woman’s arms once again, sobbing uncontrollably. "Why, Grandma? Why is everyone having a baby except me?"

After dropping off her bank draft and signing a large stack of papers, Lex whistled along with the tune on the radio as she drove toward the Cauble’s house. She planned on surprising Amanda by showing up for the end of the baby shower, and nothing could ruin her good mood. When her cell phone rang, Lex snapped it off her belt. "Hel-lo?"

"Ms. Walters?"

Lex frowned. "Yes?" She thought the call would be Amanda, and was disappointed that it wasn’t.

"I’m sorry to bother you on a Saturday," the voice continued. "But I’m afraid I have some bad news."

"Oh-kay." Realizing it wouldn’t be a short call, Lex turned the truck into a nearby parking lot so that she could give the caller her undivided attention. "Who is this?"

"Oh, yes. I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Walters. This is Rodney Cline, with Edison Investments." The firm that she entrusted with the large majority of her money had recently changed hands, and Lex hadn’t had time to get to know the new people involved with the company.

"Right, Mr. Cline. What can I do for you?" Lex pulled down the visor and studied herself in the mirror, double-checking for any gray hair, which she did when no one else was around. It was a secret fear of hers, looking older than she was, and the last thing she needed was any reminder that she was older than Amanda.

The man on the other end of the phone released a heavy sigh. "Ms. Walters, would it be possible for you to come by our offices as soon as possible? As I said before, I have some news that I really don’t want to relate over the telephone."

Lex looked at her watch and thought for a moment. Is he out of his mind? I’m not about to drive all the way to Austin, and on a damned Saturday, to boot. "Do you have any idea where I am, Mr. Cline? I’ve got an important engagement to keep, and there’s no way that I can miss it. Just say what you need to on the phone." Although she didn’t know what the man wanted, Lex decided that whatever it was, it couldn’t put a damper on her afternoon. She was even looking forward to surprising her wife at the shower, and decided she’d stop off on the way and grab a bouquet of flowers for both Wanda and Amanda.

"All right, If you insist. I’m afraid I have to be the bearer of some rather unfortunate news," he rushed out. "The gentleman handling your account hasn’t been to work since Wednesday, and we’ve discovered some irregularities."

Lex felt the contents of her breakfast begin to churn. "And?"

"It seems that he made some unauthorized transactions with your funds, Ms. Walters. We’re still trying to figure out what, and why."

"Unauthorized? But don’t you folks normally just handle things? What’s all this mean?"

"It means, Ms. Walters, that the stocks and cash in your account are gone." Cline cleared his throat, preparing for the worst.

Lex slumped down in the truck seat and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "Gone? What do you mean, gone? How the hell did it happen? Don’t you have ways of preventing something like this?"

"Normally, yes, of course. If you’ll just bear with me, I’ll try to explain what transpired. From what we can tell by looking at your account history, Terence altered your mailing address in our computer system, so that you wouldn’t be notified when transactions were made to your account. He set your mailings to go to a post office box, and forged your signature on letters that authorized him to liquidate your stock."

"How could he forge my signatures? I don’t understand this."

"Well, your signature would have already been on file, Ms. Walters. Once he did that, all he had to do was transfer the money to a bogus joint account that he set up in both your names, then initiate checks to you and him, as joint owners. All he had to do then was forge your signature, and sign his own."

Lex shook her head. "And nobody figured this out? What the hell is your major malfunction?" She was getting angrier by the moment.

"Unfortunately, all the information that he needed to do this was right here, either in the computer or in our files. He also kept the check amounts under ten thousand dollars, to avoid regulatory attention on his activities. We handle thousands of accounts, and I can’t keep track of each and every transaction that our brokers execute, and he knew that. But, that’s not all." The next part was really going to upset her, and Cline wasn’t looking forward to bringing it to her attention.

"What else could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, you see, the reason it came to my attention is because once your account was almost empty, he made a really bad investment that required us to put a call on your account."

"Call?"

"Yes. That’s where you don’t have enough equity, either in stocks or cash, in your account to cover the amount that you are required to maintain. So, the remaining stock is liquidated to recoup as much of the deficit as possible. We have to notify you when that happens so that you can send us the funds that are needed to get your account back into good shape again, in order to avoid the liquidation of your assets. So your name appeared on our call sheets, and," he cleared his throat, "I called you."

"You’ve got to be shitting me." Lex’s head fell back against the headrest and her eyes closed.

"I thought it was odd because you generally have made sound investments. We’ve never had a problem with your account before. Then, I saw the P.O. Box address. And, of course, Terence is nowhere to be found, so—"

"So, you’re saying I actually owe money on an account that was bled dry by one of your people? Why the hell did he pick me?"

"We can’t figure out why it was just you, but the authorities have been notified. I’m terribly sorry about all of this, Ms. Walters."

"Sorry doesn’t bring back the money I trusted you with, Cline." Lex leaned forward and thumped her head on the steering wheel. Okay, don’t panic. She had enough in the bank to cover buying the new property, and to keep the ranch running for several months. The sale of the next herd of horses should see them through until spring. She just hoped that nothing unexpected came up in the meantime.

"Ms. Walters? Are you all right?"

"Of course I’m not all right, you dipshit. Your stupid firm just lost hundreds of thousands of dollars of mine, and you ask me if I’m all right?" She took a deep breath in an attempt to control her temper. "That pissant better hope the authorities find him before I do, Mr. Cline. Because I plan on taking each and every penny out of his worthless hide." Her final words were so quiet he had to strain to hear them. "You’ll be hearing from my lawyer."

The broker swallowed hard as the angry woman disconnected the call. He was just glad that she was in Somerville, and not in Austin, where he would have had to deal with her temper in person.

The large truck had been parked behind Amanda’s Mustang for over ten minutes, yet the driver still hadn’t left the vehicle. Lex leaned on the steering wheel and looked at the neatly kept house, mentally debating with herself on whether or not to actually go inside. She wasn’t sure how she was going to bring up the subject of her lost investments with her lover, especially as

touchy as Amanda had been lately. Taking a deep breath, Lex gathered up the three bouquets of flowers she picked up on the way and got out of the truck. To make the surprise compete, she decided to ring the doorbell, hoping that one of the Cauble women would answer it. She wasn’t disappointed.

Anna Leigh’s face lit up when she realized who stood on her front porch. "Lexington! This is a wonderful surprise. But what are you doing ringing the bell?" Her answer was a large bouquet of roses.

"Sorry I’m late, Grandma. I hope y’all saved some ice cream." Lex stepped inside and looked around. "Is my beautiful better half around?"

"These are exquisite, Lexington. Thank you." Anna Leigh held the flowers up to her nose and inhaled deeply. "Mmm." She lowered them and kissed the younger woman on the cheek. "Everyone’s in the living room, dear. And I believe we were just about to have cake and ice cream."

"Cool." The rancher mentally girded her loins for the onslaught of women, and stepped into the living room.

Amanda looked up, surprised at the figure in the doorway. "Lex?" She watched in amusement as her partner brought a beautiful flower arrangement to Wanda and presented it to her.

Lex knelt down and handed the flowers to the guest of honor, who immediately began to cry. "Wanda, I’m really sorry I’m late, but I hope these will help you forgive me."

"Oh, Lex. These are absolutely beautiful." Wanda looked across the room at Amanda. "Any time you want to trade spouses, I’m more than ready. Dirk never brings me flowers this nice."

The entire room expelled comments of appreciation, and several of the women stood up and crowded around Wanda to get a better look. Lex took the opportunity to sneak away until she was able to sit next to Amanda. "Hey there, beautiful." She handed her wife a dozen yellow roses, knowing that they were Amanda’s favorites.

"Hey there, yourself," Amanda murmured. Her grandmother had helped calm her after the earlier outburst, and now she was just tired. She couldn’t help but smile at Lex, especially knowing how much her lover disliked large gatherings. "Thanks for coming. Did you win the bid?"

"Uh, yeah. The property is ours. But I’d rather not talk about it right now, okay?" Even though the man she spoke to earlier rang all her warning bells, Lex was considering selling the newly bought property to him.

Amanda studied her partner closely. It wasn’t like Lex not to brag about such a big deal, especially since she had coveted the grazing land for years. A talk was definitely in order once they got home. "I can’t believe you’re here. I know how much you hate things like this."

"True." Lex leaned over so that no one could overhear her. "But you should also know how much I love you, Amanda. You’re worth a hundred of these hen parties." She nodded to the bouquet that Amanda was holding. "So, am I forgiven?"

"You were never in trouble, you silly thing," Amanda assured her, bumping Lex with her shoulder. "But if you really want to be my hero, you could take me away from all of this."

Lex stood up and bowed, holding out her hand. "You wish is my command, darlin’. Let’s sneak out, and I can drive you in on Monday to get your car."

Taking her partner’s hand, Amanda allowed herself to be pulled from her seat. "I’ll call Grandma later to explain." She followed Lex out of the room, relieved to get away from all the reminders of what she didn’t have.

By the time they were on the road home, a light rain had begun to fall. Amanda peered at the gathering clouds and was thankful that Lex was driving, and looked over at her wife, who seemed completely engrossed in the drive. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I could probably use all the pennies I can get," Lex grumbled, still upset about the earlier phone call with the broker.

Amanda reached across the truck console and grasped Lex’s arm. "What do you mean?"

The rain started falling harder, and a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky in front of them. Lex slowed the truck in deference to the weather, wishing she could slow the conversation as well. "You know that I put my inheritances in investments, while I kept the ranch money in the bank?"

"Yes. I also remember that your investments were doing pretty good. Why?"

After turning the truck onto the gravel road that led to the ranch house, Lex glanced over at Amanda. "They’re gone."

"What?"

"The investments, Amanda. They’re all gone." Lex stopped the truck before they reached the bridge, and turned in her seat to look Amanda directly in the eyes. "Some punk the investment company had working for them took everything I had. And with the money I just spent on the new land, I’m close to tapped out."

Amanda’s eyes widened. Although Lex had never acted like she had a lot of money, she was comfortable in the fact that between her inheritances and investments, the ranch would never go broke. Now, it seemed like that was a definite possibility. "Oh, my God."

"Yeah." Struggling to keep her tears from falling, Lex turned and looked at the bridge, unable to meet Amanda’s gaze. "I don’t know what I’m going to do, Amanda."

Thinking fast, Amanda blurted, "What about your grandfather? He could—"

"No!" Lex turned back to face her wife. "He’s not doing as well as you might think. I mean, sure, he’s got enough to live out his life comfortably, but the oil bust hit him really hard." She sighed. "Besides, the last thing I want him to know is that I screwed all this up."

"But, Lex, it wasn’t you." Amanda unbuckled her seatbelt and raised the console, so that she could get closer to her lover. "And I’m sure he’d understand that."

When the strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, Lex was unable to control her emotions any more. She buried her face in Amanda’s neck and let the tears that she had held at bay, finally fall. After a few minutes, she pulled back and sniffled. "He can’t know, Amanda. Please. I’ve got to try and work through this myself."

"We will work through this," Amanda amended, placing a kiss on Lex’s lips. Her eyes darkened as she frowned in thought. "Do you know why this guy targeted you, of all people? Did you know him?"

"No, I’d never met the man. Mr. Cline said he was fairly new, so maybe he thought because I was a woman, he’d have an easier time of getting away with it."

That explanation wasn’t good enough for Amanda. "Maybe. But there’s got to be a better reason. Would you mind if I did a bit of checking around?"

Lex finally smiled. "Could I stop you?"

"Not really." Amanda scooted back across and buckled her seatbelt. "Let’s go home."

"Good idea." Lex put the truck back into drive, and slowly navigated it across the bridge. As she pulled up to the house, she noticed her grandfather’s car in the driveway and sighed. "I hope he’s alone."

Amanda couldn’t figure out why Lex didn’t get along with her cousin. The woman seemed nice enough to her. "Let’s just get inside, and worry about it then, okay?"

"Yeah," Lex grumbled, getting out of the truck and waiting for Amanda to go up the steps to the porch. She didn’t trust Ellie any further than she could throw her, and the last thing she wanted to deal with now was some gold-digger trying to swindle Travis out of his money. She followed Amanda into the house, and was surprised to hear noise coming from the den.

Hearing the sound also, Amanda walked into the den, where Ellie was sitting on the sofa, watching a loud action movie. She touched the other woman’s shoulder but pulled it back quickly when Ellie jumped and turned around. "Hey there."

Ellie fumbled for the mute button on the remote, settling for the pause and stopping the movie. "Hi, you two. I wasn’t expecting anyone home for a while."

"Obviously," Lex muttered. She frowned when Amanda lightly slapped her on the stomach. "What?"

Ignoring her partner, Amanda walked around the sofa and sat next to Ellie. "Have you been alone long?"

"No, not really. Grandpa went to the bunkhouse to talk with Lester, and Martha suggested that I come in here to relax and enjoy the movies." Ellie looked at her cousin, determined to try and get along, if only for Amanda’s sake. She wasn’t certain why the younger woman’s opinion mattered to her, but it did. "Nice collection."

Lex rolled her eyes and dropped down into a nearby chair. "Hrumph." She swung one leg over the arm of the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Grandpa, huh? Sounds like the little shit already has her hooks into him. I just hope I can figure out what her game is before it’s too late.

Mentally shaking her head at her partner’s behavior, Amanda leaned forward and tried to disarm the situation. "I’m afraid it was a lot better, before my mother burned Lex’s house down."

"Your mother?" Unable to help herself, Ellie gave Lex a peculiar look. "You must have been as nice to her as you are to me."

Sitting up, Lex placed both feet on the floor and glared at her cousin. "Give me a break. At least we knew what Amanda’s mother was all about. She didn’t just show up one day, expecting to be welcomed into the family with open arms."

"Lex!"

Ellie waved off Amanda’s concern. "That’s all right. I probably deserved that." She stood up and crossed to the doorway. "But some of us weren’t born with silver spurs on our feet. My family had to work for every cent it got." She walked out of the room before she could hear Lex’s sputtering.

"That bitch!" Lex jumped to her feet and was almost to the door when Amanda grabbed her shirt. "I bet I worked harder when I was ten years old than she has in her entire life!" She tried to twist away, but Amanda held firm. "Damn her to hell!" Her bravado released, Lex slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "I’ve never owned spurs," she choked out, before her anger turned to tears and she found herself in her lover’s arms for the second time that afternoon.

Chapter 5

Ignoring the other people in the room, the slender woman smiled at her visitor. "You’re such a sweet man," she remarked loudly. "Taking time out of your busy week to come see me like this." She had been a model patient, and knew it was only a matter of time before she was released. The testimony of the man in front of her, as well as the staff, would work heavily in her favor. Leaning across the table, she spoke more quietly. "Now, give me all the juicy details, and don’t leave anything out."

"It went just like you said it would." He was so proud of himself that he almost bounced in his seat. "I just wish I could be there when she finds out, so I could share that with you, too."

Struggling to keep a maniacal laugh from escaping her lips, the pale woman tapped her closely trimmed fingernails on the tabletop. "I’m sure the look on her face will be similar to when her house burned to the ground."

He put his fingers to his lips. "Ssh. No sense in letting everyone else in on the fun." Looking around the room the make certain that they weren’t overheard, he leaned forward also. "The other matter went off well, too. I just can’t believe no one’s noticed it yet."

"She never cared about the money, the foolish girl. That’s why I have to take it away from her, so she’ll come to her senses and come back to me, like it’s supposed to be."

Terence leaned back in his chair and brushed his hair back with both hands. "And don’t forget about me."

"Of course not. You’ll get what you deserve," she promised. If he caught the double meaning behind the words, he didn’t show it.

"I guess once this is all over, I’ll have to thank Cheryl." His cousin was a nurse at the institution, and it was her phone call several months previously that brought Terence together with Liz. Befriending the quiet patient, Cheryl felt sorry for her because her family never visited, and called Terence to see if he’d be interested in a visitation program. Realizing the patient was a brilliant businesswoman, she thought that her cousin would benefit from the woman’s knowledge, and practically begged him to meet Liz. Little did she realize how well the two would get along.

After hearing her version of why she was committed, Terence agreed to help Liz…for a cut of the profits, of course. He was tired of helping other people get rich, while he drove an old car and lived in a crappy apartment. Terence quickly blew each paycheck within a couple of days, and then had to live off what he could scrimp together for the next two weeks. With Liz’s sharp mind and his connections, it all seemed almost too easy. His written testimonial, along with his cousin’s, would help the woman they knew as Liz to be released from the institution, where she had been confined for almost six months.

Lex had spent the majority of Monday morning and afternoon on the telephone, trying to get more information about the theft of her investments, with no luck. Mentally tired and her patience worn down from dealing with telephone menus that she needed a road map to follow and unhelpful customer service representatives, she was about to get up from her desk and head over to Martha’s when the phone rang again. Amanda was already over at the cottage, having decided to take the day off to regroup as well. Anxious to join her lover, Lex grumbled and picked up the phone. "What?"

"Ms. Walters?"

"Yes, this is Lexington Walters. Who are you?" Lex leaned back in her chair and stared at the picture of Amanda she had on her desk. It would have to do until she could get whoever was bothering her off the phone.

"Um, yes. This is Anthony Wilson. We met Saturday at–"

Not in the mood for niceties, Lex cut him off. "I remember you, Mr. Wilson. Is there a reason you’re bothering me today?"

He cleared his throat. "Actually, yes. I wanted to see if you’d had a change of heart where that property is concerned. You see, my boss bought the land north of there, and he’d really like to add more connecting acreage. I’m sure we could come up with a figure that would be more than fair."

"Oh, well then. You want me to feel sorry for your boss? Okay, but he's not getting my land. You can come up with figures all day long, Mr. Wilson and it wouldn't be enough to interest me in selling the property I’ve just bought." Lex closed her eyes and counted to ten. It didn’t help much, though.

"You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Ms. Walters. My employer–"

"Don’t you try and threaten me, you little weasel! Even if I had been thinking of selling, I sure wouldn’t sell to you. Now, quit bothering me, before I hunt you down and show you how we geld troublesome horses!" She slammed down the receiver and got to her feet. "Stupid little prick." Taking her hat from the rack by the door, Lex stomped through the den, not even noticing her grandfather sitting quietly in the corner, reading the newspaper.

Travis watched his granddaughter leave the room, then raised the paper back up. "She must have gotten that temper from her father’s side of the family," he muttered. Even Travis didn’t want to encounter Lex when she was angry.

Amanda watched as Martha tried to frame a response to Ellie’s latest comment. Even as good-natured as the housekeeper was, she had been put on the defensive several times during the course of the conversation. Lex’s cousin had proven to be an intelligent, if somewhat uniformed individual, and she had extremely strong opinions on the subjects that she had brought up. Amanda couldn’t believe how closed-minded Ellie was on everything.

"But don’t you see, Martha? Surely as a teacher yourself, you understand the importance of teaching evolution and creationism. Don’t students have a right to know everything? Or do you want them to grow up actually thinking that they were descended from apes?" The look on Ellie’s face told them how she felt about that.

"I agree that a child’s spiritual needs are important," Martha calmly said. The woman sitting on the sofa next to Amanda reminded her of some of the old biddies at her church. Their superior attitude was one of the reasons she didn't always make it to Sunday services. "But the place for that kind of teaching is in the church."

Ellie leaned forward, trying to ignore the sensation of Amanda’s hand coming to rest on her leg. She knew that it was there to keep her from getting carried away in the conversation, but for some reason, it only served to distract her. "I suppose the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you actually approve of Lex’s lifestyle." She felt a sudden loss as the hand quickly disappeared from her leg.

"I’ve very proud of my girl," Martha defended. "I raised her the best I could, and I think she turned out very well."

"Sure. But as a Christian, aren’t you disappointed, or even just the tiniest bit disgusted by how her life goes against everything that the word of God teaches?" Her mother was a deeply religious woman, and Ellie had been raised in a strict Baptist household. She turned slightly to point a hand at Amanda. "Without her obviously perverted influence, who’s to say that Amanda here wouldn’t be happily married with children by now?"

"You’ve got some nerve," Amanda interrupted. "Coming into our home and condemning the way we live, just because it’s different than how you think." She took a deep, calming breath, in order to keep from reaching over and slapping the woman next to her. "For your information, I am happily married — to the woman I love more than anything in the world. She didn’t 'influence’ me. As a matter of fact, I pursued her. And I don’t appreciate your holier-than-thou attitude, Ellie."

Ellie held up her hands in a defensive posture. "Whoa. Hold on a minute, Amanda. I was just voicing an opinion." She looked over to Martha, who wore an expression on her face that showed that she was trying to control herself, from either joining in Amanda’s tirade, or laughing over it. Ellie wasn’t sure which. "No offense, Martha. I’m sorry if my mouth overrode my brain."

"No offense taken, Ellie." Although she was steaming mad inside, Martha didn’t want such a sensitive topic to ruin the day. She just hoped that the more time Ellie spent with Lex, the more she’d understand that her bigoted views were wrong.

"Thank you." Ellie turned back to Amanda. "I’m sorry if I upset you, Amanda. Believe me, it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. It’s just that you’re young and beautiful, and could have your pick of anyone. I guess I just can’t see why you chose Lex."

Amanda smiled at the mention of her lover’s name. "Because she’s the other half of my soul, Ellie. I hope that someday you find someone that make you feel that way. Because believe me, it’s the best damn feeling in the world."

"If you say so, Amanda." Ellie patted herself on the thighs then stood up. "I think I’ve irritated you ladies enough this afternoon. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back over to the main house and see what my grandfather is up to."

Martha watched her leave. "That girl has some real tough issues to ponder." She looked at Amanda, who frowned. "Don’t tell me you didn’t notice it."

"What?"

"Never mind, dear." Standing up, Martha gathered up the empty coffee cups from the table. She had noticed the way Ellie kept looking at Amanda. "Let’s just say that those that holler the loudest, usually have the biggest burr under their saddle blanket."

Meeting a few feet from the back door of the ranch house, Lex almost knocked Ellie to the ground. She was still seething over the phone call from Anthony Wilson, and hadn’t noticed her cousin coming up the path.

Ellie had to turn sideways to keep from being thrown to the dirt. "Hey, watch it."

"Back off, Ellie. I’m not in the mood for your shit," Lex snapped, as she stomped to the barn. She didn’t realize that her cousin was behind her until the door didn’t close after she stepped inside. "What?"

"You know, for someone who’s supposed to be gay, you sure are cranky all the time." Ellie leaned up against the far wall and watched the emotions race across her cousin’s face. After a few quiet moments, she spoke. "I don’t get it."

Rolling her eyes, Lex walked over to the stall where the newest horse was stabled. Roy had informed her earlier that the filly was saddle broken, and should bring a good price when they decide to put her up for sale. "What do you not get?"

"Why someone as sweet as Amanda would want to be with a grump like you." Ellie concluded that Amanda must not really be gay, because she was a lot nicer than the other lesbians she’d known — especially her cousin. "If she weren’t here, she’d probably be married to a nice guy, and have a couple of kids right now."

The comment hit Lex in one of her most vulnerable areas. She’d often wondered what Amanda saw in her, but wasn’t about to give Ellie the satisfaction of knowing that. "You don’t know Amanda very well, then. Because she’s never said a thing to me about wanting children."

Ellie laughed, although it wasn’t a happy sound. "Come on, cousin. I haven’t been around very long, and even I can tell that she’s upset about not having a real family." Ellie decided that the arrogant woman in front of her deserved to be brought down a few pegs, and she was glad to be the one to do it. "Have you even discussed children?"

"You are so full of shit," Lex argued, although she didn’t sound quite so convinced.

"I am, huh? Haven’t you noticed how quiet Amanda gets when someone mentions her sister’s pregnancy? Or the sad little look on her face when Martha talks about that lady at the office who’s expecting?" Ellie started to take a step closer to Lex, but the look on her cousin’s face caused her to stop. "Or, since you’re obviously the man in this relationship, have you just decided that whatever you say, is the way things should be?"

Lex crossed the barn and tangled her hands in Ellie’s denim jacket, shoving her cousin back against the wall. "Shut the hell up! It’s not like that." She was dangerously close to knocking some sense into her cousin, when a gasp at the open door caught her attention.

"Lex! What are you doing?" Amanda rushed to stand between the two women. She turned back to look at Ellie. "Are you all right?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Just trying to have a conversation with Butch, here. But she’s, ugh–" Ellie was cut off in mid sentence by another hard shove against the wall by Lex.

"Shut up." Lex felt herself suddenly pushed away by Amanda. "Hey!"

Amanda put both hands on her lover’s chest and looked into her eyes. "Honey, stop. Please." She turned around and pointed a finger at Ellie. "And you, cool it with the name calling." She moved so that she had both of them in her vision. "I swear, you two are like a couple of kids. You’re grown women, so act like it." Amanda grabbed Lex by the front of her shirt and pulled. "Come on. We’re going for a walk."

Lex glared at her cousin as she turned to go with Amanda. From the first moment that Ellie first appeared at the ranch, she seemed determined to be on Lex's bad side. As a parting gesture, Ellie sneered at Lex as she was leaving. It was almost enough to stop Lex in her tracks, but Amanda had a firm grip on her clothes, and wasn't stopping. "Bitch," Lex muttered under her breath. She allowed herself to be led down a trail behind the barn, and the cool afternoon slowly helped her anger subside.

Not long after they'd left the barn, Amanda had traded her grip on Lex's shirt for her lover's hand. She felt the tension drain from Lex, and looked over to see a calmer look on her face. "You doing any better, now?"

"Yeah."

"What caused you to go off like that? It’s not like you, Lex."

Lex looked out at the nearby trees. "It's no use, Amanda. I've been trying all day to see if there was some sort of insurance or something on the money I had invested, but all I get from these so-called experts is that I'm out of luck. If I file a formal complaint, they’ll look into it, but that money is gone." She turned her head until she could see Amanda's face. "I may have to sell off bits of the ranch in order to keep it afloat, starting with the property I just picked up." Although selling to that obnoxious man who kept bothering her didn’t seem like an option at this time. I’d rather starve. Something just doesn’t seem right about all this.

"Oh, Lex. No." Amanda felt like crying. She knew how much the ranch meant to her lover. "I've got a pretty decent amount in my trust fund. It's not like I ever use it for anything. I could--"

"No!"

"Why not? I thought you told me that this was our ranch." Stubborn pride or not, Amanda wasn't about to stand by and watch Lex give up her dream.

Shaking her head, Lex pulled away from Amanda and took several steps alone. "That's not the point." Her voice was so quiet, it was almost impossible to hear her. "I can't ask that of you."

Amanda walked toward her and placed her hands on Lex's hips. She could see the tight set of her lover's shoulders, and wanted to try and make her understand. "You're not asking, Lex. I'm offering." She used her grip to turn Lex around so that they were facing each other. "Let me contribute, for a change. I love this ranch as much as you do, Lexington Walters. Let me be more a part of it."

There were so many reasons why she needed to say no. Lex didn't want it to look like she married Amanda for her money, which is what Amanda's family thought when they first got together. She had brought Amanda out to the ranch to live, not asking for a cent. How would Amanda's father feel if he found out? And her mother - God help me if her mother ever found out, that evil bitch. She opened her mouth to speak, but found it covered by Amanda's hand.

"Don't answer right now, Lex. Think about it, and we'll discuss it more, later. I just want to put the offer on the table, so to speak." Amanda removed her hand and dropped a kiss in its place.

Can't hurt to think on it, right? Lex returned Amanda's kiss, wrapping her arms around her lover and once again silently marveled at her luck at finding such a wonderful woman.

From his seat in the living room, Travis heard the back door slam, and footsteps pound down the hallway. He turned his head and saw his granddaughter's profile in the door. "Ellie. Why don't you come in here and join me?" he asked, patting the vacant spot next to him.

Still seething over her encounter with Lex, Ellie did as she was asked. She glared at the dark television, then turned to look at her grandfather. "Have you been sitting in here by yourself long?"

"For a bit," Travis admitted. "But I enjoy the quiet, to tell you the truth." He had a pretty good idea why Ellie was so upset, and part of him questioned his decision to spend time out here so that his grandchildren could become acquainted. "Are you all right?"

Ellie took the question seriously, thinking for some time before answering. "I'm not sure, Grandpa. Lex sure is full of herself, for someone who is living against the scriptures."

Sitting up in his seat, Travis wasn't sure he heard right. "What?"

"This whole ‘lesbian’ thing. She’s just not normal, Grandpa. And she’s obnoxious, to boot."

Travis bit the inside of his mouth. Going off on Ellie wasn’t going to make her any less self-righteous, and would probably only cause more bad feelings between the two women. "Lexington has been going through quite a rough time this past year, Ellie. Perhaps you’d be less likely to judge her if you knew more about her."

She shook her head. "I doubt it." After the silence lengthened between them, Ellie turned to her grandfather. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How do you tolerate how she is? I mean, the queer thing and all." Ellie’s question came out quietly, and without her usual bitterness. She honestly couldn’t understand why everyone seemed okay with how Lex lived her life. It completely confused her.

Travis pulled his newfound granddaughter closer to him and waited until her head rested on his shoulder. "To tell you the truth, I don’t even think about it. She’s just Lexington to me. And she’s happy. That’s all I could ever ask for."

"Was she strange as a child?"

"I wouldn’t know," he murmured, his voice suddenly sad. "This last year was the first time I’d seen her since she was four years old."

Ellie looked up into Travis’ face. "Really? Did you stay away because you didn’t like how she was?"

"No, dear. Nothing like that. Her father kept her grandmother and I away from her. It wasn’t until last fall that I was able to get back in touch with her."

"Oh? What happened then?"

Travis went on to tell Ellie about the past year, and what Lex had been through. About how she had pulled Amanda from the creek, then struggled against cattle rustlers whose leader almost killed Lex by pushing her off a cliff. How his friend, who was the cook for the ranch hands, contacted Travis to let him know, precipitating Travis’ rush back to Somerville and the reunion with the granddaughter he’d never stopped loving.

He then went on about Lex’s childhood, or lack thereof, and how, even from an early age, she was expected to take care of the ranch, struggling for, but never receiving, her father’s approval. He told of the stresses that Lex had been under, and of how she finally reconciled with her father, just before he died of pancreatic cancer. How Lex's own brother schemed against her to get his hands on her money and her property. And finally, Travis spoke of his own excitement of finding another grandchild, only to have the two at each other’s throats every time they got together.

"Wow." Even though she still didn’t approve of Lex, Ellie at least had a good idea why her cousin was on such a tight string all the time. "She’s been through it, hasn’t she?"

"Yes, she has." Travis sat up so that he could look directly into Ellie’s eyes. "Don’t get me wrong, Ellie. I don’t condone Lexington’s little temper tantrums. But I at least understand where she’s coming from. That young woman has been hit from all sides her entire life. No wonder she's cautious about who she trusts and reacts the way she does. But let me tell you this. She is the most loyal and generous person in the world. And nothing is more important to her than her family and her ranch. She's nearly given her life for them time and again."

"Her family? From what I can tell, that's just you and me, Grandpa. She may be nice to you, but she's clearly doesn't like me."

"You're wrong, Ellie. If you think that only blood relations can be family, you've got a lot to learn."

"Well, if she had a husband, I could understand that, but--"

Travis shook his head at Ellie's narrow-mindedness. "Amanda is Lex's family. She loves Lex with her whole heart and they are as married and as much family to each other as I was to your grandmother, my sweet Melanie. Martha is Lex's family, too. She's the only mother Lex has ever known. Sheriff Bristol is like an adopted father to Lex. And Amanda's grandparents treat Lex as their own granddaughter.

"I was gone for most of Lex's life, but I'm thankful each and every day that when I turned up here at the ranch, Lex and Amanda welcomed me into their family with open arms. As her family, we all have one very important thing in common. We love Lex, and she loves us. And rather than sit in judgment of her 'lifestyle', we'd rather she know that despite the problems and conflicts in her life, we will stand by her with all the love and support we can give her. She's worth it."

Ellie nodded. "All right. But don’t expect me to suddenly forget that she’s queer, Grandpa. That’s just something that I can’t overlook. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just wrong."

"Just give her a chance. At least try to get to know her, before you sit in judgment on her, Ellie. That’s all I ask."

"I’ll try." But Ellie didn’t think she’d ever understand her cousin, or her unnatural ways.

As for Travis, he wondered if Ellie had really heard a single word that he'd said.

Chapter 6

Amanda awakened to light kisses across her throat. She moaned and reached up to wrap her arms around Lex, never opening her eyes. "Now that’s my kind of alarm clock." The kisses started to move lower down her chest. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven-thirty," Lex mumbled, still intent on her task. She pulled a bit of flesh into her mouth and started to suckle gently.

"Ah. Well, that’s not too…Seven-thirty?" Amanda sat up in the bed, disengaging the warm lips from her chest. "Why didn’t you wake me earlier?" She climbed out of bed, taking her previously discarded nightshirt with her. "I need to be in the office before eight."

Lex rolled over to watch her lover race around the bedroom, gathering clothes and grumbling under her breath. "I thought you needed the sleep, sweetheart. You were tossing and turning half the night."

Stopped in the middle of the room, Amanda tried to keep from yelling at Lex’s attempt to help. "It’s just that I’ve got a ton of paperwork to get caught up on, and I really didn’t want to have to work late tonight." She walked over to the bed and sat down, laying her clothes beside her. "I should have told you last night." Amanda leaned over and kissed her wife, before getting up and gathering her clothes again. "Thanks for watching out for me, honey. The extra sleep did help."

Since she decided to spend the day riding, Lex got dressed while she waited for Amanda to get out of the shower. She was pulling on her boots when her partner stepped from the bathroom, fully dressed for the day. "Wow. You look great."

And she did. The navy blue two-piece business suit skirt was cut right above the knee, and the white silk top opened at the neck, showing off the heart-shaped diamond necklace that had been a gift from Lex last year. Low heeled navy pumps finished the outfit, which was a lot dressier than Amanda usually wore to the office. "Thanks. It’s new."

"Any reason for the fancy outfit?" Lex asked. She couldn’t remember any special dates, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t any.

"No, not really. I just thought that since I’m the office manager, I should dress like it, at least part of the time," Amanda admitted. "Do you think it’s too much?"

Lex stood up and crossed to where Amanda was standing. She ran her hand across the soft material in a light caress. "Too much clothes? Yes. At least for what I had in mind. But for work, no. I think you look fabulous." She accented her final words with a heated kiss.

"Lex," Amanda gasped, trying to get her equilibrium back after the kiss, "that’s not fair."

"All’s fair in love and horseshoes," Lex whispered, softly biting under Amanda’s ear. "Just thought you should know what you missed by getting out of bed."

Swallowing hard, Amanda took a step back. "H..horseshoes?" She shook a finger at her wife, but couldn’t keep the grin off her face. "You are so bad."

"Uh-huh. And if I could have kept you in bed a little bit longer, you’d see just how bad I can be." Deciding to cut Amanda some slack, Lex put an arm around her shoulders and started to lead her from the room. "But if you’re real good, I’ll show you tonight," she whispered in Amanda’s ear.

"Definitely not fair," Amanda whined. "And I’ll hold you to that, Stretch." They both laughed as they walked down the stairs.

After breakfast, Lex walked Amanda out to her car. She was standing at the open driver’s door, while Amanda climbed in the vehicle. "I’m going to spend the day riding over to the new property. You know, check out what we’ve got, and make sure it’s okay to put stock on. So I won’t be home until probably around dark."

"Okay. But be careful."

"Aren’t I always?" Lex asked, before she leaned in and captured her partner’s lips in a lingering kiss.

After Lex pulled back, Amanda reached up and wiped her lipstick off Lex’s lips with her thumb. "That’s what I’m afraid of." She allowed her wife to close the car door, but she hurriedly rolled down the window before Lex could walk away. "I love you. Oh, and would you take your cell phone with you, please?" she yelled after her.

Lex put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Yes, mother. I suppose you want me to wear clean underwear, too?" she teased.

"No sense in starting anything new," Amanda retorted, earning an outraged look for her comment. "That’s what you get for teasing me, smartass." Her smile faded and her looked turned serious. "Cell phone, please?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart. I was planning on it, anyway." Before Amanda rolled up the window, she added, "I love you, too." Lex winked at her and stood on the front porch until the Mustang drove out of sight. Once the car was gone, she exhaled heavily. "Mooning over your wife isn’t getting the chores done, Lexington. Sooner you leave, the sooner you get back." She turned and walked back into the house, still talking to herself.

Michael Cauble brushed a tiny spec of lint from the camera lens, then packed it in a leather case. His photography studio had become very successful in the past few months, and it seemed like he was always running from one appointment to another, with little time to spend with his family. If he hadn’t talked his father, Jacob, into helping him with the larger jobs, he’d probably never see him, either. He made a mental note to call Amanda for lunch sometime during the week, in order to see her. A quick glance at his calendar showed today as the only open day, and he was just about to call her when his phone rang. "Cauble Photography. Can I help you?"

"Michael? This is Frank." His son-in-law rarely called. But with Jeannie due to deliver their first child next month, Frank had called more often, usually to share in some little tidbit that happened during the pregnancy, or to ask advice on how to handle a cranky mother-to-be.

"Hi there. Is that daughter of mine still giving you a hard time?" Michael sat down at his desk and looked at the photographs in front of him. Jeannie was his oldest, and she and her husband had been trying for years to have children. He kept reminding her of that fact when she’d call him from California, upset at some imagined slight that Frank had done.

"Actually, Michael, she’s in the hospital. There’s been some complications, and–"

"What kind of complications? Is she all right?"

Frank took a deep breath. "I don’t know, Mike. The doctors are talking about doing a Cesarean, but they’ve got to get her stabilized, first." His voice got quiet. "I’m scared, Michael. She’s just so damned tiny, and the baby’s gotten so big, even this early." Jeannie wasn’t due for another six weeks or so, but because of her small frame, she looked enormous. "I can’t lose her, Mike. I just can’t." The big man started to cry.

Completely out of his element, Michael ran his hand through his hair, trying to think. His first instinct was to catch the next plane out, but he had a huge wedding to work tomorrow, and it was too late to cancel. He’d even hired his father as an assistant, due to the size of the ceremony. Hearing his normally cool-headed son-in-law fall apart on the phone wasn’t helping, either. "What about your parents? Are they there with you?"

"No, I can’t reach them. They’ve been in Europe for an extended vacation. I don’t even know what damned country they’re in!" Frank’s voice rose, then quieted. "I don’t think I can handle this, Mike. She’s all I got."

"Ssh. Everything’s going to be fine, Frank. I’m sure of it." Michael’s eyes rested on the picture he took of Amanda and Lex’s commitment ceremony months previously. Amanda! She’s really good with Frank. Maybe she can help. "Listen. I’m going to go over to the realty office and talk to Amanda. Are you at the hospital now?"

Frank sniffled, trying to get himself together. "Yeah. Have her call my cell phone, will you? She has the number."

"I sure will, Frank. Hang in there, son. We’ll get through this."

"Thanks, Mike. I’m sorry about this, but I just didn’t know what to do."

Michael was already grabbing his car keys. "Don’t apologize. We’re family. Now go get some air, or something. Amanda will be calling you in a little bit, okay?" He hung up the phone and hurried out the door, barely taking the time to lock up behind himself.

Terence found a parking space close to the building and pulled his new Volvo into the spot. He knew that he shouldn’t have spent the money, but he was tired of driving around in the rusted old heap he had before. He smiled as he remembered the auto dealer's face when he told the man that he wanted to trade in his 1977 Thunderbird for a new C70 convertible. The disbelieving salesman nearly chased him from the showroom, but the man’s attitude changed when Terence offered to pay cash. As he climbed from the vehicle, Terence brushed his hand across the top of the door and grinned. Now if he could just figure out why Liz had him come to the hospital today, he’d be all right. He signed in at the front desk, and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Liz’s voice behind him.

"It’s about time you showed up. I’ve been waiting for over an hour." She stood there, dressed in an expensive silk business suit, with a young woman beside her. "This is my daughter," Liz said loudly. "She wanted to meet you."

The woman wasn’t quite what he pictured. She seemed taller and heavier, than he had been led to believe. Terence frowned at her, but held out his hand. "It’s nice to meet you, uh–"

"Amanda," the woman supplied, in a loud voice also. "Thank you for being such a good friend to my mother while I was away." She picked up a small suitcase and motioned to the door. "I think Mother has spent enough time here, don’t you think? I had to take a taxi from the airport, so if you don’t mind, we’d appreciate you giving us a ride."

"Oh! Sure." Terence took the bag from the young woman and followed the two of them out of the building. He was about to ask Liz a question when she held up her hand.

"All in good time, Terence. I’ve already made reservations at the Hyatt Regency, so if you’ll just drive, we can talk in the car." Liz scanned the parking lot. "Which one is yours?"

Terence mentally cringed. This wasn’t how he wanted Liz to find out he had bought a new car, and an overly expensive one at that. He pointed to the convertible. "It’s that one. But I can explain–"

Liz waved him off, before opening the passenger door. "Later. Just get me away from this dreadful place, will you? We can discuss your propensity for spending money on the way." She looked over at the young woman still standing beside Terence. "Well? Are you coming, daughter dear?" Liz seemed to find something very funny, and was still laughing when the other two finally got into the car with her.

A short time into the drive, Liz pointed to a bank. "Pull in there, Terence. I have to take care of some business." As he did as she asked, Liz turned around to address the woman in the back seat. "Coming, dear?"

The woman smiled back at her. "Yes, Mother." As she got out of the car, she tapped Terence on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Terry." With a quick wave, both women disappeared into the bank.

Terence spent the next half hour reading his owner’s manual for the Volvo. When he heard the click of high heels coming near him, he looked up to see Liz, who was alone.

She slid back into the passenger’s seat and turned to look at him. "Well? Are you just going to sit there all day, or are you going to take me to the hotel?"

"What about your daughter?" he asked, quickly putting the book back in the glove box. "Shouldn’t we wait for her?"

Liz looked at him as if he’d grown another head. "My daughter? Oh, you mean Sara. No, we won’t be seeing her again, I’d imagine." She pulled the visor down and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. "Put the top up on this beast, Terence. My hair already looks frightful."

He did as he was told, and after the top was in place, Terence couldn’t hold his questions any longer. "I thought your daughter’s name was Amanda. Why did she disappear? And how in the world did you get released so soon?"

"You dear, dear boy." Liz patted him on the leg and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder how you survived before you met me. Drive, and I’ll try to answer all your inane questions." Once the car was back en route to the hotel, she settled back into her seat. "Getting released was actually quite easy. As the hospitals have extremely long waiting lists, all it took was the right paperwork. And, of course, affidavits from my doctor, your cousin, and most of all, my daughter." Here she began to chuckle. "The court systems are so overworked, it wasn’t hard to get someone to pose as Amanda and get away with it. The right amount of money to the right person, and here I am." Her arms spread wide, Liz laughed. "Freedom is delicious, especially when it’s bought."

Terence shivered at the sound of Liz’s laughter. "So, what’s next on the agenda?"

"A hot bath, room service, and a shopping trip. Not necessarily in that order." She turned her head to study Terence’s face. "Don’t worry, dear. The fun’s just beginning."

That’s what I’m afraid of, he worried. This was a whole new side to Liz, and he wasn’t too sure if he liked it.

Lex set the hoof back on the ground gently, although what she really wanted to do was slam it to the floor. Thunder’s loose shoe wasn’t a tragedy, but it did change her plans for the morning. She patted him on the shoulder and climbed out of the stall. Looking around the stable, she counted three heads: Thunder, Amanda’s pony Stormy, and the new filly that had just recently been saddle trained. Obviously the ranch hands had taken the other horses out to work, and this was what she was left with. She eyed the paint pony, and then shook her head. As small and gentle as the mare was, she knew that there was no way she’d survive the kind of riding that Lex liked to do. That left the newest filly, and Lex walked over to her stall. Larger than the paint, she seemed strong and healthy, if not a bit high-spirited. "Guess it’s you and me, girl."

It took Lex longer than usual to saddle up the filly, but she didn’t mind. Fact was, she was looking forward to getting back on the horse, since it was the first one to throw her in a long time. Once outside the barn, she swung herself up in the saddle, and was prepared for the side dance that the filly performed. "You are a frisky thing, aren’t you? Let’s just see how well you handle, girl." She spun the frolicsome animal around, and headed off down the north trail.

The filly kicked up her heels and tossed her head. Lex, ready for the young horse’s antics, tightened the grip of her knees, pulled down the brim of her black Stetson, and laughed. "That’s it, girl. Show me what you’ve got."

A short while later, the animal settled down and Lex started to enjoy the ride. The fall morning was a bit cool, but her long-sleeved denim shirt was more than warm enough. In order to avoid an argument with Martha, her duster was tied to the back of the saddle, although Lex didn’t think she’d need it. Lex inhaled deeply. The leaves on the trees around her had already begun to change. Inhaling deeply, Lex relished the rich scent of autumn that the fallen vegetation brought. It was one of her favorite times of the year.

A small brown rabbit darted across the path, disturbed from its den by the sound of the horse’s hooves. The filly reared in alarm, but Lex tightened her hold on the animal. "You’re going to have to do a lot better than that, if you want to toss me off this time." Once the horse had settled down a bit, Lex patted the warm neck below her with one gloved hand. "A little rabbit won’t hurt you, you big chicken." Satisfied that the animal was calm enough, Lex tapped her heels into the filly’s flank and quickened the pace.

The morning flew by during the quiet ride. Finally, they came upon the new opening in the fence that Roy and the hired hands had added the day before. He had asked her if she wanted the entire length of fence removed, but since Lex wasn’t too sure if she’d even be able to keep the land, she told him to just make an opening large enough for a truck. She’d worry about the rest, later.

Once on the new property, Lex headed the filly toward the creek. It surprised her by being quite shallow in several places. Farther downstream, it slowed to a bare trickle. "I wonder what’s up with that?" she asked the horse. "It’s usually flowing pretty well this time of year." Lex decided that a little more investigation was in order. So she turned her mount around to head upstream.

Amanda could have sworn that the pile of folders on her desk had grown since she last looked at them. She had put off this part of her job for most of the morning, but knew that they wouldn’t get done on their own. She sighed and took the next one off the top, opening it and studying the figures before her. "I’m going to have to show Margaret how to use a blasted calculator," she grumbled, marking through one of the lines and writing something else out to the side. As much as she loved her job, she honestly hated paperwork. Amanda would much rather be out showing houses to people. "Geez! Six times two is twelve, not twenty-four." She scribbled another notation on the paper. Three more mistakes later, Amanda was on the verge of calling Margaret into her office, when her phone buzzed. "Yes?"

"I’m sorry to bother you, Amanda, but you’ve got a visitor."

"Thanks, Shelly. Send them on in." Happy for the temporary reprieve, Amanda closed the folder and returned it to the stack. When the door opened, she stood up and walked around the desk. "Daddy! Wow, what a great surprise."

Michael gladly wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter, needing the emotional support her embrace brought. He continued to hold her, until Amanda pulled back to look into his face.

"What’s wrong?" When he didn’t answer immediately, her eyes widened in alarm. "Is it Grandpa? Grandma?" When he didn’t answer, she continued her questioning. "Oh, my God. Is it Jeannie? The baby?"

"Shh. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to upset you." Michael led his daughter over to one of the guest chairs in front of her desk and then sat down next to her. "I just got a call from Frank. Jeannie is in the hospital."

"The hospital? What’s the matter?"

"She’s developed some complications, and it looks like they’re going to have to take the baby early." Although obviously distraught, Michael tried to keep his voice even. "They’re trying to get her stable before they do a Cesarean, but the surgery could be as early as tomorrow morning."

Amanda looked down at their joined hands, and at how her father kept rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. A year ago, he’d probably be off on one of his "business" trips, and wouldn’t even know about Jeannie’s pregnancy. I’m so glad to have my father back in my life again. "Poor Frank. He’s probably beside himself." She stood up, breaking the grip that Michael had on her hands. "Looks like we’ll be on the next flight to California, huh?"

"Well, that’s the problem." Michael ducked his head in shame. "I can’t go until tomorrow evening, at the earliest."

"Why, Daddy?"

Michael finally looked up to meet his daughter’s eyes. "I’ve got that huge wedding to photograph in Austin, tomorrow. I even had to hire dad for extra help." He couldn’t have felt worse if someone had punched him in the stomach. "Nothing really changes, does it? I’m still putting work before family," he muttered, looking back down at the floor.

"Oh, Daddy." Amanda knelt at his feet and looked up into his face. She could see how torn her father was. "This isn’t the same, and you know it. Before, you were the head of a company — now you’re the only employee." She tried to make light of the situation. "I’m sure you’d hate to fire your only photographer for not doing his job, wouldn’t you?"

"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, reaching over and brushing an errant strand of hair away from Amanda’s eyes. "If it wasn’t so late, I’d try to give it to someone else. But there’s just not time."

"I know."

"And I can be on the next flight out of Austin, the moment it’s over."

Amanda smiled. "I know."

Michael stood up and pulled Amanda up with him. "I guess it’ll just be you, Lex, and your grandmother. Dad and I will be there as soon as we can."

"Not a problem, Daddy. Considering how terrified Lex is of airplanes, you’re probably doing the smart thing." Amanda walked back around her desk and picked up the telephone receiver. "Now I get to have the fun of telling her we’re flying out today. I’m sure she’s going to love that."

The farther upstream she rode, the more dense the trees and the more shallow the creek became. Lex could see that the creek walls were still muddy, and she couldn’t understand the sudden loss of water. They’d had the normal amount of rain, and the flowing water should have been at least knee to waist deep in most places.

Another thing bothering her was the silence. Normally, she’d hear birdcalls and the rustling of animals in the underbrush. But now, the only sounds were of her horse, the squeaking of the leather saddle, and the slight noise made by the slow running creek. Not normally the nervous type, Lex could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she looked around the trees for anything unusual.

Dense mountain cedar mixed with changing oak leaves made seeing very far almost impossible. "You’re losing it, Lexington." Not even the high-strung filly seemed bothered by the unnatural quiet as she stretched her neck forward and shook her head, causing the bridle to jingle.

Lex stood up in the stirrups to relieve the tightened muscles in her back. Feeling rather foolish, she was glad that no one else was around to see her unusual bout of excitability. She stiffened her legs out front to keep them from cramping, and had just ducked under another low-hanging branch when the cellular phone on her belt vibrated. Shifting slightly in the saddle to reach for the phone, she finally worked it free from her waist just as a loud explosion ripped through the quiet.

The noise terrified the skittish filly, causing it to take off through the trees at a dead run. Lex managed to hang on until another explosion made the horse rear, which brought the rancher’s head in contact with a thick tree branch. Dazed, she dropped the cell phone and slid semi-conscious from the saddle, her left foot caught in the stirrup. The horse never slowed as Lex hit the ground, and it dragged her through the underbrush.

The excited woman looked around the hotel suite. "I’m so glad to be back in the civilized world," she told Terence. Then she held out her hands, displaying them to him. "Just look at my nails. I’m sure it will take weeks to get them back in shape. And the clothes! May I never see cotton again. No wonder the people in the State Hospitals are unbalanced. Not one shred of silk could be found."

"Uh, okay." Terence had never seen this side of Liz before. Her eyes were glazed, and her speech was almost frantic. "Have you taken your medication today?"

"Medication? You mean that crap they tried to poison me with? Of course not. I quit taking that months ago." Liz looked out through the window. "Lovely view, isn’t it?"

Terence mentally shook his head. That would explain why she’s acting so strange. Maybe later I can talk her into going back onto the meds. It would be the best thing for her. He opened his briefcase and found an envelope, deciding it was time to change the subject. "Here’s the information for your Swiss bank account, Liz. I thought it would be best to put the funds from California there, instead of your other account." At her previous request, he opened up a bank account in her name, with him as just a rider, and deposited the money from the sale of the rancher’s stocks. He just hoped she didn’t see how much he took out for his little "shopping spree", which included new clothes and the Volvo. But, by the maniacal look in Liz’s eyes, Terence didn’t think she’d even notice.

He was wrong.

Elizabeth took the envelope and opened it, scanning its contents quickly. "That stupid child! She actually had more money in her trust than what she started with. Has she not learned anything from me?" She then looked at the bank statement of her other account. After carefully reading each page of the report, Liz threw the papers down and slapped Terence. "You fool! I didn’t authorize that kind of spending!"

"But, Liz–" Terence stammered, holding one hand against his cheek as he tried to back away from her.

"Don’t you ‘but Liz’ me, you little toad," she snapped, closing the distance between the two of them again, until she was right up in his face. "You’ve probably drawn all sorts of attention to yourself. I wouldn’t be surprised if the authorities were minutes away." Her face had taken on a frightening shade of red, and spittle flew from her lips as she continued to berate her accomplice. "I had everything planned out perfectly, you jackass!"

Terence held his hands up to protect himself from her ire. "Don’t worry, Liz. I bought the car here in Austin. It’s a big city, and no one will tie us together."

That seemed to placate her, at least for the moment. She looked thoughtful, tapping her blunt nail against her teeth. "I suppose." Elizabeth turned and walked away, obviously dismissing her minion.

She sat down next to the telephone and dialed a number. "Yes, front desk? I’d like a manicure, a pedicure, and a massage sent up to my room immediately. Thank you." She hung up the phone and looked at Terence, as if she hadn’t seen him there. "Are you still here? Go. I’ll contact you when I want you."

"Now wait just a damned minute, Liz. We’re partners in this. Don’t think you can just–"

"Get out!" she shrieked, picking up the Bible from the nightstand and throwing at him.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to talk to her at the moment, Terence decided the smartest thing to do was leave. He could always come back, later. He opened the door and was about to close it behind him when he heard her voice again, this time deadly calm.

"And don’t you dare spend another penny, unless I tell you to, Terence. It wouldn’t do to upset me again," Elizabeth warned, just before the door closed. She waited until she knew he was gone, then picked up the phone again, dialing a number from memory. After several rings, it was answered. "It’s me. I have another little job for you. Yes, that’s right. I need another little ‘accident’." She kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. "Right. Same terms. I’m at the Hyatt Regency, room 842. We can discuss the particulars when you get here." She hung up the phone, smiling.

"As usual, she’s not answering her phone." Amanda hung up the handset and looked at her father. "She was going to ride over to the new property and check it out. I guess she’s in a low place, or something. Maybe Martha’s heard from her." She picked up the phone again and dialed.

"Rocking W Ranch, Martha speaking."

"Hi Martha, it’s me. Has Lex checked in with you today?"

"Lexie? Checking in? Are we talking about the same person?" the housekeeper asked, amused. "I’m afraid not, Amanda. Was she supposed to?"

Amanda released a heavy breath and sat on the edge of her desk. "No, not really. But I just tried her cell phone, and she wasn’t answering."

"And that’s news?"

Despite her anxiety, Amanda couldn’t help but laugh. Martha knew Lex better than anyone, including herself. "No, I suppose not. But something’s come up, and I really need to reach her."

"Is everything okay? I told that stubborn woman to take a radio with her. But, no, she said the phone would be more than enough. I ought to–"

"Martha, please. Jeannie’s in the hospital, and we’re going to have to fly out this evening. Could you please let Lex know, if she shows up?"

"Oh, honey. I’m sorry." Martha’s tone immediately changed. "Would you like for me to pack your bags for you? That could save some time."

"Yes, please. I’d really appreciate it, Martha." Amanda gave her father a smile, to let him know everything would be okay. "I’ll be home as soon as I can, all right?"

"Of course, Amanda. You drive careful, and I’ll let Lexie know the moment she gets in."

After the call was disconnected, Amanda gathered up her purse and briefcase. She eyed the paperwork on the corner of the desk, feeling guilty for the relieved feeling that she’d be able to put it off for a little while longer. I’ll see if Shelly can look over the figures while I’m gone. She’s got a good head for numbers. She met Michael halfway across the room, and with her hands full, gave him an awkward hug. "I’ll call you as soon as we get to the hospital, Daddy."

"Thanks, sweetheart. I really wish I could be going with you." Although it couldn’t be helped, Michael hated not going with his daughter. "I’ll see you tomorrow night though, right?"

"Right." Amanda kissed his cheek. Before she could leave, her phone rang again. She wasn’t going to answer it, but Shelly’s voice came on the intercom.

"Amanda? I’m sorry to bother you, but your grandmother is on line two."

Placing her things on her desk, Amanda picked up the phone again. "Thanks, Shelly." Curious, she tapped the button. "Grandma?"

"Mandy dear, how are you?"

"Well, I–"

A voice from a loudspeaker almost drowned out what Anna Leigh said, so she raised her voice to be heard. "Have you seen your father or grandfather? I can’t seem to find either one of them."

"Actually, Daddy is right here with me. Where are you?"

Again, the voice echoed through the phone. Anna Leigh had to wait before she could answer. "I’m at the hospital in San Antonio, if you can believe that."

"What? Why a hospital?"

Michael heard what Amanda said, and rushed over to her side. "Is she all right?"

"I don’t know, Daddy. That’s what I’m trying to find out." Amanda was beginning to wish that she’d never gotten out of bed this morning. "Grandma, why are you in a hospital in San Antonio? What happened?"

"No dearest. I’m not in the hospital. Wanda is."

"Wanda? What’s she doing in San Antonio?" Meeting her father’s eyes, Amanda could only shrug.

"Her sister wanted her to go shopping, and I offered to drive them both down here. You know my car’s a lot more comfortable than either one of theirs. I’d hate for poor Wanda to be cramped up in one of those little–"

"Grandma, please! Why is she in the hospital? And where is her sister?" Amanda felt like tearing her hair out. Her grandmother did love to tell a story, but often ended up completely off the subject. Seeing that Michael was just as frantic, she asked, "Can I put you on speakerphone? I think it would be easier than trying to relay everything to Daddy."

"Of course, Mandy." Anna Leigh’s voice now came through the speaker loud and clear, except for the occasional sound of the hospital’s intercom system. "Now, where was I?"

"You were telling us what happened to Wanda," Amanda supplied, rubbing her face with her hands.

"Oh, yes. That’s right. We were shopping, and poor Wanda’s water broke, right in the middle of the maternity store. I felt so bad for her, poor dear. She was terribly embarrassed. But the salesclerk assured us that it had happened more often than she could count, and calmly called an ambulance."

"Her water broke? But I thought she wasn’t due for another few weeks," Amanda queried.

"Exactly. But, you know how Mother Nature can be. Remember, Michael? We thought that our little Mandy would never come into this world. She was determined to stay right where she was, wasn’t she?"

Michael smiled at the memory. He remembered how Elizabeth threatened to sue the doctor, the hospital, and finally her husband, when she went several weeks past her due date. "I remember, Mom. But why are you still in San Antonio, if Wanda’s sister was with you?"

"Rita had to take my car back to Somerville to get her children from school, and find a baby sitter for them. So, I volunteered to stay here with Wanda until she gets back."

"Damn," Amanda muttered. She was hoping that Anna Leigh could go with Lex and her to California.

"What’s wrong, Mandy?"

"Oh, nothing." Amanda looked at Michael, who shook his head. Telling Anna Leigh about Jeannie right now would only upset her, and there wasn’t any use in that. She thought quickly. "I just lost the office pool on when Wanda would have the baby, that’s all."

Anna Leigh laughed. "You girls are something else. Well, I see the doctor coming this way, so I’d better go see what’s going on. Michael, please let your father know I may not be home until tomorrow, all right?"

"I sure will, Mom. He’s going to help me with that big wedding in the morning, so maybe I’ll just go over and stay with him tonight."

"That sounds great. You boys try to stay out of trouble, and I’ll see you when I get back. Mandy, I’ll talk to you later, too." Anna Leigh hung up the phone, obviously anxious to speak to Wanda’s doctor.

Amanda traded looks with her father. "When it rains, it pours, huh?" She picked up her purse and briefcase again. "Can this day get any worse?"

Sharp branches and twigs assailed Lex’s body as the pony continued to race through the heavy brush. She tried to reach up and work her boot free from the stirrup but couldn’t quite reach. Just as she thought the filly was tiring and slowing down, another blast, this one closer, caused the animal to spin and change direction. Lex used the movement to finally slip out of her boot, and she dropped to the ground in a heap, wheezing and gasping for breath.

Still dazed, Lex lay amongst the leaves and brush, trying to ascertain whether or not she had any serious injuries. Although her entire body ached, miraculously she doesn’t seem to be hurt. She sat up and looked around, completely lost. "Damned horse," she muttered, rubbing her head. She knew she’d have a definite knot where she made contact with the tree branch.

It took some time, but Lex finally got her thoughts together. She couldn’t stay where she was, and even if she could, her pride wouldn’t let her. So, she tried to get to her feet, only to have her left leg collapse out from under her. Falling back to the turf, Lex cursed and grabbed her knee. "Shit!" She sat there until the pain was at least a bit more manageable. The leg that had been stuck in the stirrup was definitely sprained, at the very least. There was no way she’d be able to walk on it without some help.

Disgusted and hurting, Lex lay back on the ground and looked up at the canopy of golden leaves above her. It would be getting dark soon, and the cool air would be turning much colder. She wished for her coat, which was probably halfway across the property by now, tied to the saddle on the spooked horse. She had no idea where her cell phone was, or if it even worked anymore. "This day just keeps getting worse."

Chapter 7

Travis hung up the office phone and walked back into the den. He met Ellie halfway, and scooped her up in his arms and swung her around.

"Good news, Grandpa?" Ellie asked, once her feet touched the ground again.

"The best. Someone wants to buy my house in Dallas. I’ve got to go up tomorrow and take care of the paperwork."

Ellie hugged him again, this time more vigorously. "That’s great."

"Thank you, sweetheart. Do you want to stay here, or go with me?" Travis was hoping that she’d stay and try to get to know her cousin more, but he had a feeling that it was a lost cause.

"Well, since Lex doesn’t seem to want me around anyway, I can always stay at your house in town and help Nancy unpack things, if you’d like." Ellie leaned against the back of the leather sofa, enjoying the excited look on her grandfather’s face. She had come to care for Travis very quickly, and was glad that she made the trip from California, if only to meet him.

The front door opened, and quickly slammed shut. From the hallway, Amanda saw Ellie and Travis, and hurried into the den to join them. "Have you seen Lex?"

Ellie could see that Amanda was upset, and she appeared almost frantic. "Why? What has she done, now?" She was hoping it was something good, because in her eyes, Lex didn’t deserve a woman as sweet as Amanda.

"She hasn’t done anything." Amanda tossed her briefcase in a nearby chair and ran her hands through her hair. "I was just hoping that she’d come back from her ride early." She walked over to Travis and surprised him by wrapping her arms around him. "I’m glad you’re here, though. This has already been one heck of a day."

Travis was glad to hold Amanda, and felt her arms tighten around him. "Is there something that I can do to help?"

She sighed before stepping away. "Go with me to California tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Jeannie’s having complications, and I need to get out there as soon as possible."

Put on the spot, Travis didn’t say anything right away. "Well, sure, Amanda, but–"

"Grandpa was going to Dallas tomorrow to sign the papers on his house. Someone wants to buy it," Ellie supplied helpfully. "Is that why you’re looking for Lex?"

Travis put his hand on Amanda’s shoulder. "Don’t worry about the house. They can just wait until I get back."

"I couldn’t ask that of you." Being in the real estate business, Amanda knew how important time was to a buyer. If Travis hesitated the slightest, he’d probably lose the offer. And considering how the market was, he might not find another one for months. "Besides, I’m sure Lex will be back any time, now. It’s getting close to dinner time, and she knows how Martha feels about that."

"If you need me to, I’ll be glad to go with you," Ellie offered. She hated seeing Amanda so upset, and wanted to try and help any way she could. It’s just like my selfish cousin to not be here when Amanda needs her. Someone ought to knock some since into that arrogant bitch. "I’ve got the money left that I was going to use to get back home, anyway."

Amanda wasn’t sure if she wanted to have Ellie along, but she could see that was the only way she could keep Travis from canceling his plans. She hoped that Lex would be home soon, and all of this would be a mute point. "Thank you, Ellie. But if you go, I’d be glad to pay your way."

"Actually, I’d feel better if you’d let me pay for all the tickets. And, once you’re in Los Angeles, then Ellie can fly down to see her family." Since he couldn’t get Ellie to call her mother very often, he wanted to somehow make sure she touched base with her. "Then, if you’d like," he told Ellie, "you can fly back here and spend some more time with us."

Ellie was shocked. These people talked about money like it was nothing to worry about. She had to sell her car and most of her belongings just to be able to travel to Texas. But, she wasn’t so proud as to turn down a free flight — and with Amanda, too. "That’s very kind of you, Grandpa. I’ll pay you back for mine as soon as I can."

He raised his hand to forestall any objections. "Oh no you won’t, young lady. What good is money, if you can’t spend it on your grandkids?"

Amanda hugged Travis again. "Thank you, Grandpa Travis. You’re just too sweet. Now if Lex would just get home, I’d feel a lot better." Suddenly remembering her brother-in-law, Amanda covered her mouth with one hand. "Frank! I need to call him." She rushed to the office to use the phone, leaving Travis and Ellie looking at each other in confusion.

She sat at the desk picked up the phone. Flipping through the Rolodex nearby, Amanda found the phone number for Frank and dialed. While she waited for him to pick up, she noticed the day’s mail stacked in the inbox. Rifling through it, she found a letter addressed to her, and was about to open it when Frank answered.

"Hello?"

"Frank? This is Amanda."

"Oh, God, Mandy. It’s so good to hear your voice." His own voice shaky, Frank did his best to stay calm. "They want to take the baby early. And poor Jeannie is so weak."

Amanda took the envelope that was addressed to her and slipped it in her jacket pocket. "Is she doing any better, Frank? Daddy told me that the doctor’s were trying to stabilize her."

"I don’t know. They keep rushing around, but no one’s telling me much. I can’t lose her, Mandy. I can’t."

"You’re not going to. We all know how tough Jeannie is. She’s put up with you all these years, hasn’t she?" Amanda joked, trying to calm him down.

Frank’s laugh evolved into a sob. "I hope so."

"Look, we’ll be there as soon as we can, okay?" Amanda was already flipping through the Rolodex again, this time searching for the number of the airline they had used before. "I’m going to make our reservations as soon as I hang up with you, Frank. Just hold on, and when you see that sister of mine, tell her I said for her to quit scaring you like this."

"All right. I will." Frank hung up, still sounding defeated.

Amanda held the receiver in her hands, trying to get herself back under control. For all her brave talk, she knew how serious her sister’s condition was, and it pained her to be so far away at a time like this. She quickly called the airline, and found out that the only flight out that day was in less than three hours. They’d barely have time to pack before they’d have to race for the airport. She made reservations for two, and checked her watch and hoped that Lex would be home soon.

Deep in the woods, Lex also looked at her watch. It was close to dinnertime, and she knew that it would soon be dark. She tried again to move her leg, almost crying out at the pain in her knee. The joint was severely swollen, causing the denim material of her jeans to tighten uncomfortably. As it was, she realized that the cloth would have to be cut away, and she wasn’t looking forward to that chore, or the pain it would cause.

She rubbed at the small knot on her head. "Sitting here feeling sorry for myself isn’t helping. I need to find a way to get out of here." Lex looked around for something to use as a crutch or a cane. There was nothing nearby that looked useful, and she resigned herself to go in search for a suitable piece of wood. She rolled over onto her right side, careful to not jostle her injured leg too much.

Slow going at first, Lex pulled herself along the trail that the horse had dragged her through. Although her leather gloves protected her hands, she had to pause frequently to catch her breath. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Lex, she found a sturdy piece of deadwood, and used it to rise to her feet.

Every step on her left leg was agony. "Damned horse, bolting like that." The thought of the filly brought back to her mind the reason it bolted in the first place. "Who on earth would be using explosives out here, and why?" Lex misstepped and almost fell down. "Shit!" When she found a fallen tree off to the side of the path, she was able to sit down without too much trouble.

Lex looked down at her swollen knee. Between the affects of the pain and not having had lunch, she was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. She was torn between leaving it like it was, or cutting the material to release the pressure around the swelling. She leaned back against another tree and closed her eyes. Her thoughts went back to the explosions that put her in this position. "I’d better tell Charlie about it when I get back to the house." Yeah, right. At the pace I’m setting, Charlie will be retired from the Sheriff’s office before I get home.

Martha found Amanda in the master bedroom, checking the bags that had been packed earlier. After Travis told her the latest developments, Martha wanted to see if there was anything that she could do to help.

She noticed the tight set of Amanda’s shoulders, and immediately went over and put her arm around the younger woman. "What can I do, honey?"

The familiar touch was almost Amanda’s undoing. She turned around and sunk into the housekeeper’s embrace. They stood that way for some time, until Amanda pulled herself together and stepped away. "I think I needed that, Martha. Thanks."

"You don’t have to thank me, Amanda. Travis told me downstairs that you’ll be leaving in a bit. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Amanda zipped up the small suitcase. "Unless you can get Lex here in the next fifteen minutes, no." She lifted the case from the bed and carried it over to the door. "I tried calling her cell phone earlier, and didn’t get an answer. Where the hell is she? It’s nearly dark."

Martha shook her head. "I don’t rightly know. Blasted woman told me she didn’t need a radio, since she’d have the phone." She sat down on the bed and straightened out her apron. "We all know how lousy the reception is with that stupid thing. She was just being stubborn." And for not being available when Amanda needed her, Martha planned on giving Lex a strong talking to once she got back to the house. "She’s going to get a piece of my mind, believe you me."

"Don’t do that, Martha. I’m sure the time got away from her, and it’s just taking her longer than she expected to get home. But, I really wish she was going with me." Amanda knew that Lex was going to be upset that she missed her, and even more upset when she found out her cousin took her place on the trip. I don’t know what’s going on between those two. It’s like some sort of competition, or something. "I guess I’d better go downstairs and get Ellie. We can stop off on our way to the airport and pick up some of her things."

"Ellie? Is she going with you?" Martha didn’t like the sound of that, not one bit. She saw how the woman looked at Amanda. Even with all her self-righteous prattling going on, that woman’s got a hankering for what’s on someone else’s plate, I’ll bet.

Not understanding the concerned look on Martha’s face, Amanda nodded. "It was Grandpa Travis’ idea. He didn’t want me going alone, and he’s got to go up to Dallas first thing tomorrow and sign the papers for the sale of his house. And since Lex isn’t here–"

"Would you rather that I went with you? I can be packed in a matter of minutes." Martha didn’t want to be around when Lex found out that Ellie went with her partner.

Although she loved the idea, she knew it wasn’t fair to ask Martha to drop everything, especially since Charlie often worked late, and she was trying to give Ronnie a good home. The teenager thrived under Martha’s tutelage, and Amanda didn’t want to jeopardize that. "I appreciate the offer, Martha. Really. But Ellie’s just going to fly with me, then take another plane down to visit her family in San Diego. I’ll be fine."

Martha didn’t look so convinced. "Are you sure? Because it’s really no trouble for me, you know."

"What about Ronnie? Do you really want to leave him to the mercy of all these men?" Amanda asked, only halfway joking. It was bad enough he followed Lex around like a lost puppy and emulated her every move. The last thing they needed was for him to end back up in the bunkhouse with the ranch hands.

"I suppose you’re right." Martha stood up. "At least let me walk you downstairs." When they got to the doorway, she turned to look into Amanda’s face. "You watch Ellie, you hear? Don’t be afraid to hurt her feelings, if you need to."

"Why would I want to do that? She’s been pretty nice to me. It’s Lex that she has trouble with."

Martha reached up and put her hands on Amanda’s shoulders. "Just don’t let her get away with anything, that’s all." She was afraid she’d said too much already, so Martha led Amanda from the room, leaving the other woman more confused than ever.

Ellie fidgeted in her seat, almost too excited to be sitting so close to Amanda, who peered out the small window. She noticed that Amanda’s silk blouse was open, and got a glimpse of the part of her breast that wasn’t covered by her lacy bra. Intrigued, Ellie watched as the smooth skin rose and fell with every breath that Amanda took, until she realized what she was doing. What’s wrong with me? Why am I looking down Amanda’s shirt? Embarrassed, Ellie quickly turned away. Dear Lord in Heaven, could my cousin’s tendencies be rubbing off on me? I have spent a lot of time at the ranch. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, but all that she could think about was how soft Amanda’s skin looked, and wanting to know if it felt the same.

For her own part, Amanda kept thinking about Lex. Martha promised to have her call the second she arrived back at the house, but Amanda couldn’t help but think that something just wasn’t quite right. She turned to say something to Ellie, and noticed a panicked look on the other woman’s face. Oh, great. Is fear of flying hereditary in this family? She touched Ellie’s arm, which caused her to almost jump out of her skin. "What’s the matter?"

"Were you always this way?" Ellie blurted, still trying to make sense of her own hormones, which were running rampant.

"What way? What are you talking about, Ellie?"

"You know, this way. Or did being around Lex cause you to become," here Ellie’s voice lowered, "queer?"

Amanda laughed, until she saw that Lex’s cousin was completely serious. "Are you asking if I’ve always been a lesbian?" Not ashamed of who she was, Amanda was amused when Ellie motioned for her to speak more quietly. "Actually, I’ve always been attracted to women. But even if I had been attracted to men, it wouldn’t have mattered the moment I met Lex. I fell head-over-heels in love with her as soon as I saw her on that muddy creek bank, in the pouring rain."

"Hrumph." Ellie rolled her eyes at the admission.

"Haven’t you even been in love?"

"Love doesn’t really exist, Amanda. It’s just something that greeting card companies came up with to make more sales." Ellie crossed her arms over her chest, tired of the conversation. She thought that the woman sitting next to her was probably a victim of hero worship, since Lex pulled her from a creek and saved her life.

"I think you’re wrong, Ellie. Love is real. And it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world. I pity you for not ever knowing it."

Ellie shook her head. "I know what I need to know. And, if love is so great, don’t you think you could do better than an ill-mannered redneck like my cousin?"

Fighting the urge to slap the smug look from Ellie’s face, Amanda pulled her suit jacket around her and turned back to the window. She may have to fly with the obnoxious woman, but she sure as hell didn’t want to have to look at her for the entire flight. "I’ll have you know that Lex has much better manners than some members of her family. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and get some rest."

"Dammit all to hell!" Lex leaned against a tree, her breath coming out in rapid vapors. The sun was almost down, and she was making very little progress. Her denim shirt, once overly warm, was no match for the humid evening. She slowly rubbed her socked foot against a broken log, trying to remove the bits of leaves and twigs that liberally coated the bottom of the material. If not for the rapidly cooling night, she would have taken it off earlier. She wondered if anyone had actually missed her yet, and then cursed herself for probably worrying Amanda. "Like she doesn’t have enough to worry about, without me adding to it." Disheartened, Lex started walking again. A soft beeping sound in the brush to the right of her caught her attention. "What the–"

Due to her injury, it took Lex quite a while to finally find the source of the beeping. She used her makeshift crutch to dig through the underbrush, and whooped in relief when she finally uncovered her lost cellular phone. Lex picked it up and wiped the device against her shirt, and started to hit the speed dial for the ranch when the familiar "out of area" flashed across the screen. "Dammit!" She almost threw it back into the brush, but caught herself and clipped it to her belt.

Following the path that she had been dragged was taking too long, so Lex changed her plan and decided to work her way back to the creek. It wouldn’t be that much faster, but if they started looking for her, it would make her easier to find.

Lex finally broke through the heavy trees. The sun had disappeared earlier, and the cool evening breeze brought a damp chill to the injured woman. Her mind drifted again to her duster, which was draped across the back of her saddle. "Probably halfway home, by now." The trickling sound of the creek reminded her just how long it had been since she had ate or drank, and she hurried as fast as her aching leg would allow. Finally standing at the top of the creek bank, Lex looked down and tried to figure out the best way to get down to the water without any further injury.

The empty trays that cluttered the hotel room attested to the occupant’s recent spending. Empty champagne bottles matched half-eaten platters of food, and lying on the bed were hangers of clothes in various colors and styles.

Terence stood in the doorway, his mouth open. After being lectured about spending, this was the last thing he expected to see. "What happened to not drawing attention to ourselves?" he asked Liz, who walked out of the bathroom in a silk robe.

"Oh, shut up. I’m staying in the Presidential Suite, Terence. I have an image to uphold." Liz sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone.

"Who are you calling now?"

"Sssh. Hello? May I speak with Amanda Cauble, please?" Liz listened to the voice at the other end of the phone, then frowned. "A family emergency? Really?" She hung up the phone and smiled at her co-conspirator. "She left the office earlier today. Maybe something has finally happened to that perverted bitch that stole my baby from me." Liz jumped up and clapped her hands together. "Wouldn’t that be absolutely delicious?"

The insane sparkle in Liz’s eyes scared Terence. No amount of money is worth putting up with her. He still had her bank information, and didn’t think that it would be that hard to take his cut early. Hoping that she wouldn’t notice, he began to back toward the door, slowly.

Still dancing around the bed, Liz saw a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. "Where do you think you’re going?" She picked up her purse from the bedside table and pulled out a small, shiny revolver.

"Where did you–"

"Please, Terence. You think that you’re the only person I’ve seen since I got out of that hellhole?" Liz waved the gun at him. "Sit down, you little worm." Once he was seated, she again took her place on the bed and dialed another number. It wasn’t long before a voice sounded in her ear.

"Rocking W Ranch, Martha speaking."

"Good evening," Liz drawled, her voice soft, with a thick southern accent. "May I speak with Amanda, if it’s not too much trouble?"

"I’m terribly sorry, but she’s gone out of town on family business. May I take a message?"

Terence watched as Liz’s face contorted into an angry mask, and was surprised that her voice still sounded like a sweet southern belle.

"Oh, goodness, no. That’s quite all right. I’ll just catch her another time. Thank you so much for your time." Unable to control herself any longer, Liz slammed the receiver down, then picked up the bedside lamp and hurled it across the room. "I am her family, damn it! She should be with me!" She started throwing anything she could find, screaming about the unfairness of her daughter living with "that woman", and what she’d like to do to the rancher.

Fearful that her tantrum could get them caught, Terence rushed to Liz’s side and wrapped his arms around her, in an attempt to calm her. "It’s going to be okay, Liz. I’ll find out where she’s gone to, I promise." He continued to stand in the center of the room, rocking the agitated woman, all the while trying to think of a way to get out of the mess his greed got him into.

As gentle hands brushed across the lathered coat, concerned eyes searched around for the cause. Ronnie gathered up the dangling reins and led the filthy horse into the barn. He checked the other stalls, and could see that both Thunder and Stormy were standing quietly by, watching him with curious eyes. The other four horses that were used by the ranch hands were watching as well, all with shiny coats and contented looks on their faces. With another glance at the pony, he realized that it was Lex’s saddle on her. "Lex?" he called out, thinking that maybe she had come into the barn for one reason or another. After looking around and not finding the rancher, he walked over and buzzed the main house on the intercom.

It only took a few minutes before the buzz was answered. "This is Martha."

"Martha, is Lex up at the house?" Ronnie asked, keeping his eye on the filly.

"No, she’s not. Why?"

"Because I found the new horse outside the barn, and wanted to know if she needed me to clean her up and feed her." The intercom was silent, and Ronnie wasn’t sure if Martha heard him or not. "Martha?"

"I’ll be right there, Ronnie. Leave the horse alone until I get there."

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the exhausted animal. The filly was covered with mud, and her tail and mane had bits of leaves and twigs tangled throughout. Suddenly the barn door opened, and Martha rushed inside. Ronnie met her at the horse’s side, and held the reins while the housekeeper looked the animal over. "See? Lex doesn’t usually leave her ride looking like this without a reason. I thought maybe she had to go to the bathroom or something, that’s what I buzzed you at the house."

"That’s fine, Ronnie." Martha ran her hands over the saddle carefully, looking for any clue as to where the rider went. One look at the way the horse was lathered and covered with muck, Martha knew that something went terribly wrong. She looked over the animal’s back and tried to smile for Ronnie. "She’s a mess, that’s for sure." Martha patted the horse’s neck and ducked under her. "Maybe we can talk this boy of mine into giving you a nice rubdown and some oats."

Knowing the request for what it was, Ronnie wasted no time in removing the saddle. He handed Lex’s coat to Martha, who took it and held it to her chest without a word.

She watched for a few more minutes until she knew that the filly would be well taken care of. "I’m going to run back up to the house. Come in to the kitchen when you get done, and I’ll have supper waiting for you."

"Yes, ma’am." Martha’s calm demeanor didn’t fool Ronnie. He knew that something had happened to Lex, and he just hoped that he could show Martha he was old enough to confide in. After she left the barn, he hurried to finish his chore, so that he could get back to the house and find out what was going on.

Martha didn’t even remember walking back to the house, and the next thing she knew she was back in the kitchen. She immediately picked up the phone and dialed the bunk house.

"Yeah."

"Lester? This is Martha. Is Roy there?"

"And hello to you, Missus. You too good to talk to an old codger like me?" The old cook cackled, which progressed into a phlegmy cough.

"Dammit, Lester, this is important. Where’s Roy?" As much as Martha usually enjoyed their banter, her nerves were on edge with the thought that Lex was somewhere out on the ranch, possibly injured or worse. And without her coat. I swear, that woman’s going to be the death of me one of these days.

Halfway through her tirade, Lester had motioned for Roy to come to the phone, and the foreman heard the end of her speech. "Martha, this is Roy. What’s wrong?"

Martha leaned against the counter and wiped her face with one hand. "Lexie had taken that new little horse out today, and it just came back, Roy. And she wasn’t on it."

"The filly we just broke? Why would she–"

"I don’t know why she does what she does, Roy. You should know that by now. But she’s somewhere out there, and we can’t reach her on the cell phone."

"Why did she take the cell, instead of a radio?"

"Roy!"

"Oh, right. I’ll gather up some of the boys, and we’ll be up there in a few minutes, Martha."

"Thank you." Martha hung up the phone and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. "God give me strength."

Chapter 8

The crowd of people bustling through the airport belied the late hour, and Amanda wove her way through them without much thought. She was still angry about Ellie’s comments from earlier, and did her best not to take it out on the innocent people around her. When she saw that she was on the opposite end of the terminal from the car rental agency, she spun around, only to run into Ellie, who had been following right behind her. "Excuse me." She tried to step around the other woman, but found her progress stopped by hands on her shoulders.

"Amanda, please." Ellie didn’t know what she wanted Amanda’s approval so bad, but the thought that she upset her was tearing at Ellie’s heart. "Can I talk to you for just a minute?"

"Can you walk and talk at the same time? Because I’d really like to pick up the rental car and get to the hospital as soon as possible." Amanda twisted out of Ellie’s grasp and began the long trek to the car rentals.

Ellie watched her go, then picked up her own bag and rushed to catch up. "Look, Amanda," she huffed when she was by Amanda’s side, "I’m sorry about upsetting you on the plane. It’s just that I get so aggravated by the way Lex treats you."

"What are you talking about?" Amanda didn’t slow her pace, but did turn to look at Ellie. "She treats me great. If anything, lately I’ve been treating her badly."

"That’s ridiculous. She lords over you like some kind of–"

Amanda stopped in her tracks, which caught Ellie off guard. "You don’t know us, Ellie. And if you’d taken half the time to get to know your cousin that you spent cutting her down, you’d realize that Lex has the biggest heart of anyone. But you spent most of your time baiting her and calling her names." Amanda poked Ellie in the chest with her finger, not caring what it looked liked to passersby. "So get off your high horse, little miss know-it-all. I don’t have time for your childish shit." Amanda stormed off, leaving Ellie gaping at her back.

"Damn." Ellie followed at a more discreet distance, and waited until Amanda had the keys to her rental car. She hurried to walk beside the angry woman, and tried for a lighter approach. "Carry your bags, ma’am?"

Unable to contain the smile that broke across her face, Amanda allowed Ellie to grab her bag for her. It was another thing that Lex would have done, and Amanda couldn’t help but compare the two women. Although Ellie was shorter and less muscular, she did have similar characteristics. Amanda just wondered if she’d ever realize that. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome." Ellie ducked to grin at Amanda. "Listen, I know I’ve been an ass. But, I’d really like to go with you, and try to offer any support I can to you and your family, if you’ll have me."

"Do you promise to lay off Lex? I’m tired of defending our lifestyle to you, Ellie. And, to tell you the truth, I’m a little tired of you, too."

The words cut through Ellie like a knife. She saw the defeated slump to Amanda’s shoulders, and knew that she was one word away from being completely kicked out of the other woman’s life. She didn’t know why, but the thought of that bothered her more than her cousin’s homosexuality. "Truce?"

Amanda’s weary look brightened considerably. "Truce." She looked down at the key ring in her hand. "Now, why don’t you make yourself useful, and help me find a red Buick with this license plate number?"

After finding the car and loading their bags in the trunk, Amanda drove them out of the airport. "Have you been to Los Angeles before, Ellie?" She expertly pulled onto the freeway, not even fazed by the heavy traffic.

"Uh, no. Up until a couple of months ago, I’d never even left the San Diego area. I lived in the suburbs, and rarely ventured into the city." Ellie gasped as a car cut in front of them, and she grabbed the overhead handle in fear. "Are these people crazy?"

Laughing at the other woman’s discomfort, Amanda reached over and patted Ellie on the leg. "Don’t worry. I learned to drive with these crazy people. And, at times, I can be just as crazy as they are." She spent the remainder of the trip pointing out attractions, and even offered to show Ellie around, once her sister was okay.

Due to the late hour, they had no problem finding a parking space at the hospital. Ellie followed Amanda, who acted like she knew exactly where she was going. Several turns and an elevator ride later, they stepped into a hallway where a tall, well-built man was pacing the floor.

Frank saw Amanda and another woman step out of the elevator, and he rushed over and scooped his sister-in-law into his arms. "Mandy! I’m so damned glad to see you." He held Amanda close, until the stare of the other woman made him uncomfortable. "Oh. Hi."

"Hi." Ellie didn’t like how close the man held Amanda, and she stood just out of reach with her arms crossed over her chest. "I take it you’re Frank?"

Amanda pulled back and wiped at the tears that had formed when she spotted Frank. "I’m sorry. My manners seem to have left me. Frank, this is Lex’s cousin, Eleanor Gordon. Ellie, this is my brother-in-law, and friend, Frank Rivers."

Holding out his hand, Frank was a little surprised when Ellie took her time to grasp it. "Hi, Ellie. It’s nice to meet you." He looked behind them. "Where’s Lex?"

"That’s the question of the day," Ellie muttered. "My cousin seemed to think that riding around playing cowboy was more important than being here."

Amanda glared at the sullen woman. "That’s not exactly true." She turned to Frank. "Lex hadn’t gotten back yet from checking out her new property, when I had to leave for the airport. Ellie graciously offered to fly with me." Her tone spoke of untold stress, and the others remained silent. "How’s Jeannie?"

"She’s stabilized, and they plan on taking her into surgery in the next couple of hours." Looking years older in just the last few hours, Frank rubbed his face with his hands. "She has pre-enclampsia. Jeannie's blood pressure has been constantly rising for the past few weeks, and her doctor has been carefully monitoring it. Now it's near the danger level and it won't come down at all. She's so swollen, that you'll hardly recognize her. The doctor said that if we don't take the baby now, we could lose them both. Jeannie is being so brave about this, only thinking of the baby. She made me promise that if anything happens and we have to make a choice, that we'd save the baby, but the thought of losing either one of them...I don’t know how much more of this I can take, Mandy."

Ignoring Ellie’s glare, Amanda put her arm around Frank and led him to the waiting area. "It’s going to be fine. We both know how stubborn my sister is."

Frank wearily sat down in one of the faded chairs. "This whole thing has drained her, though." He looked up at Amanda. "And she’s been asking for you a lot."

"Do you think I can see her before they take her in to surgery?"

"I don’t see why not." Frank started to stand, but was held down by Amanda’s hand on his shoulder. "Down the hall, second door on the left."

Uncomfortable, Ellie watched as Amanda went in search of her sister. She looked down at Frank. "How about I get you some coffee, and something to eat? You look like you could use it."

Frank nodded his thanks, and leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

Amanda pushed open the door slowly, and peeked inside. When she was certain she had the correct room, she walked in quietly and closed the door behind her. The sight in front of Amanda was almost her undoing.

Jeannie lay against the white sheets, her dark hair spilled over the pillow. Her normally healthy tan had been replaced by a waxy paleness, and she appeared almost translucent in the muted light. The pregnant, swollen body before her hardly resembled the petite woman that her older sister had been. At the sound of the door, she turned her head and opened her eyes. A slight smile crossed her features and she tried to hold up one hand. "Mandy," she gasped, her hand falling back down to her side. "You came."

"Of course I came, Jeannie Lou," Amanda answered quietly. "I’m just sorry it took so long to get here." She saw Jeannie pat the bed, and took the invitation and sat next to her sister. Taking hold of Jeannie’s hand, she leaned down to hear her words.

"Look like a beached whale, don't I?" Jeannie quipped in a tired, scratchy voice. She feigned a smile meant to reassure her younger sister, but quickly tired from the effort.

Amanda shook her head as she squeezed her sister's hand.

"I wasn’t sure if I could hold on," Jeannie whispered. "I wanted to, though."

"Don’t talk like that, Jeannie. You’re going to be fine."

"Please, listen." Jeannie pulled their joined hands to her chest. "Frank and I talked a lot about it, and we even had the papers drawn up. We want you and Lex to be the baby’s godparents."

"What? But–"

"No, really. I’ve never known two people who had as much love to give as you two, and we think our baby would be lucky to have you."

Amanda shook her head, scared at all the talk of her sister’s mortality. "Nothing’s going to happen to you, Jeannie. Don’t talk like that."

"Please?"

Her sister looked so fragile. "All right. Whatever you say." Amanda hated talk like this. She felt the same way when Lex changed her will. She hoped that agreeing with Jeannie would help her get through the surgery without worry.

Jeannie squeezed Amanda’s hand, and her head fell back against the pillow. "Thank you, Mandy. I knew I could count on you." Her eyes closed.

"I love you, Jeannie." Amanda pulled her hand up and kissed it, then watched as Jeannie’s eyes opened again.

"If I don’t make it out of surgery–"

"Please don’t say that, Jeannie," Amanda begged, struggling to hold back her tears. "You’re going to be fine."

Jeannie tightened her grip on her sister’s hand. "If I don’t make it, please take care of Frank for me. You know how helpless he is," she tried to joke, sensing her sister’s unease.

Amanda’s laugh turned into a sob. "God, Jeannie. I don’t know–"

"Promise me?"

Realizing that she wouldn’t win, Amanda nodded. "All right. But nothing’s going to happen." She leaned down until they were nose to nose. "You’re going to be all right, you hear me?"

A discreet throat clearing from the doorway caused Amanda to stand up and turn around. A middle-aged nurse gave her a sympathetic smile. "I’m sorry, Miss. But we have to get Mrs. Rivers ready for surgery. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave."

"Okay." Amanda turned back to her sister and kissed her on the forehead. "I’ll see you in a little while, all right?"

Jeannie nodded, and closed her eyes again. The conversation had worn her out.

Amanda walked across the room and stopped by the nurse. "Take good care of her. She’s the only sister I’ve got." Her emotions almost came undone when the nurse squeezed her arm. Amanda edged her way out of the room while the orderlies came in.

Hearing the slam of a vehicle door, Martha hurried out of the kitchen and through the back door. The white four-door pickup truck bore the ranch brand on the driver’s door, and Roy waited with the other two men next to the truck. When Martha stepped up beside him, the four of them went into the barn together.

Ronnie still brushed down the filly, and he looked up as the group walked inside. "Hey, there. What’s going on?"

"That’s what we’re trying to figure out," Roy told him, looking to Martha. "So, you figure Lex took the filly out today?"

Martha nodded. "According to Ronnie, it was her saddle on the animal."

"Where’s the saddle now?"

"In the tack room," Ronnie supplied. "I haven’t cleaned it yet. I was going to do that once I finished with her."

Roy ducked his head slightly in confirmation, then left the group long enough to check out the saddle. When he returned, he removed his hat and shook his head. "I can’t see anything wrong with the saddle, other than being dirty." He tried to sound matter-of-fact, to keep Martha from worrying too much. "She’s new to the saddle, so it wouldn’t take much to toss someone off. I’m sure Lex is walking back now, cursing her decision to take a new pony for a ride."

"Maybe. But I’d feel a lot better if you’d go out looking for her. She said something about checking out the new property today, and that’s one heck of a long walk." Martha had all the confidence in the world in Lex’s ability to take care of herself, but the fact that she wasn’t back yet, or called on the cell phone, worried her more than she cared to let on.

"All right." Roy turned to one of the men. "Juan, why don’t you gather up some flashlights and supplies, while Chris saddles up the horses."

"I want to help," Ronnie interjected. "I’ve finished taking care of the pony, and I can ride as well as anyone else."

Roy looked over at Martha, who sighed, then nodded. The young man had shown a lot of responsibility around the ranch, and another pair of eyes out in the darkness couldn’t hurt. "Okay. I’ll need you to run up to the house and get the radios, so we can keep in touch." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Ronnie had raced from the barn. Roy put his hat back on. "We’ll contact you the minute we find anything," he promised Martha.

"Thank you, Roy." Martha reached over and squeezed the foreman’s arm. "Just take care of my boy, and bring my girl home."

"You know I will." Roy waited until the housekeeper left the barn, then turned to help his men get ready for the ride.

"This looks as good a place as any." Lex had limped around the creek looking for the easiest place to descend, and her best bet seemed to be in front of her. The muddy walls appeared to be at less of an angle, and there were several bushes of juniper that she could hang onto during the decline.

Over halfway down, the stick that Lex used as a crutch snapped in two, throwing her headfirst down the embankment. She tumbled through the mud, finally coming to a stop a few feet from the water. "Damn, damn, damn!" Lex reached down and gripped her knee, struggling to keep from passing out from the pain. She lay there until the stars in her vision disappeared, then sat up and looked around. "Just perfect. I can’t even climb down into a creek bed without screwing it up." The sound of the running water awakened her thirst, so Lex dragged herself to the edge of the water and scooped up some of the clear liquid in her hand.

Once her thirst was slaked, she lay back and looked up at the stars. The cool night was clear, and she was definitely feeling the chill. The cold water of the creek gave her an idea, and she reached for the utility knife that she wore on her belt. Leaning over her leg, Lex cut away the denim material below her knee. She dipped the cloth into the creek, and then wrapped it around her leg. "Shit, that’s cold." But the cold compress seemed to help her sprain, and she lay back again and tried to think warm thoughts.

Her injured knee throbbed in beat with her heart, and she once again found herself thinking about Amanda. As strained as their relationship had been lately, she couldn’t help but think about the woman she vowed to spend the rest of her life with. "I hope she’s not too worried." Suddenly remembering her cell phone, Lex tried to use it again, but was still given the "out of area" message. Then the phone beeped twice, and went dark. "Just great. Now the stinking battery’s dead." She clipped it back to her belt, and fought off a cough.

The cold, damp night air combined with the wet compress continued to cause Lex problems. She would shiver, cough, and struggle to stay awake, then find her eyes closing against her will. Amanda’s face filled her vision, and she started thinking back to when they first met. I think the moment I saw you, lying in the mud next to the creek, I fell in love with you. I tried not to, but there was just something about you, even then. Lex hadn’t been even interested in finding love, much less expecting to find it in the most unusual of places. What would someone like her, see in me? She’s beautiful, smart, and could certainly have her pick of lovers. I wonder why she chose me? Lex continued to fight her feelings for Amanda, not sure if they’d even be reciprocated. But every minute they were together opened Lex’s heart more and more. And after the kiss in the barn, she knew that she was lost. "And here I am, lost again. But without you," Lex whispered. She covered her face with one arm, defeated.

The hospital was quiet in the late evening hour. Amanda and Frank sat facing the operating room where Jeannie had been taken earlier, and they waited nervously for any word of Jeannie’s progress. Their linked hands drew angry looks from Ellie, who stood at a nearby window, unable to sit still and watch Amanda take comfort from someone beside herself.

"What’s taking so damned long?" Frank wanted to jump up and rant, scream, and demand to be allowed in the operating room. He hated not being with his wife, and had taken all the childbirth classes so that he could be present at the birth.

Before Amanda could answer, several more hospital personnel raced down the hall and through the door of the room, leaving a tense atmosphere behind.

Ellie walked over and sat next to Amanda. "Something’s up." Although she didn’t like the way he and Amanda interacted, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Frank. "It’s probably something routine," she tried to assure him.

Frank disentangled his hands from his sister’s-in-law and stood up, to begin pacing across the floor. He hands went into his pockets and rattled the change, while he made a wide circuit around the otherwise empty waiting room. "This is taking too damned long. What’s going on in there?" His questions, more to himself than anyone else, continued as they waited.

Jeannie’s doctor finally stepped through the door, wearing a serious look on his face. He was almost knocked back by Frank, who had rushed over to meet him.

"Well? How is–"

"Mr. Rivers, you are the father of a beautiful baby girl. Even though she’s a little premature, she’s doing quite well."

Amanda came over to stand next to Frank, and could see by the look on the doctor’s face, that wasn’t all he had to say. "There’s something else, isn’t there? What about my sister?"

"I’m afraid we’ve had some complications." The doctor’s voice was quiet, and it seemed as if he were searching for the right words.

"Complications? What kind of complications?" Frank tried to push by the physician. "I want to see my wife."

Putting his arm in front of Frank to block his path, the doctor shook his head. "During the procedure, Mrs. Rivers’ blood pressure became elevated and she had several seizures. We–"

"So that’s what all the commotion was about?" Amanda asked.

"Where is she now," Frank demanded. "I’ve got to–"

"She’s in recovery," the doctor told them. He waited until he had their complete attention. "I’m afraid there’s no easy way to say this, but the seizures caused a stroke, and Mrs. Rivers has slipped into a coma."

Amanda stumbled backward until Ellie caught her, leaving her arm around Amanda’s waist. "Dear God."

Frank continued to shake his head. "No, that’s not possible. It was just a simple Cesarean. Things like this don’t happen." He grabbed the doctor by the arm. "She’s going to be fine though, right? Tell me she’s going to be all right."

"I’m sorry, Mr. Rivers. Although she is stable at the moment, she’s unconscious. And, unfortunately, we have no way of knowing when she will ever wake up." The obstetrician put a steadying hand on Frank’s arm before continuing. "Or if she will, and what her condition will be if she does."

Jerking awake, Lex sat up and looked around. She didn’t remember falling asleep, and wasn’t too sure how long she’d been out. Her hands shook as she removed the damp wrap from her knee, but at least the compress had diminished the pain. Either that, or it’s just numb from the cold. A sound off to her right made her turn her head, and she thought that she saw a light in the woods. Am I hallucinating?

Men’s voices yelled in the distance, and the sound of several horses could also be heard. Lex almost cried with relief at the knowledge that a search party had been sent out for her. "Hey," she tried to yell, but the word came out more like a ragged croak. The mixture of the night air and the dampness had all but taken her voice. The lights were moving parallel to the creek, and it wouldn’t be long before they’d be out of sight.

Knowing that her voice won’t be of any help, Lex tried to stand up, hoping to catch their attention. Her injured leg buckled beneath her, and she fell back to the ground, gasping in pain. She could tell that the voices were slowing moving away, and was desperate to be found. Lex looked around and found several good sized rocks, and began to toss them into the woods at the lights. Dammit, over here!

Ronnie, who was pulling up the rear of the search party, stopped his horse when he thought he heard a noise. To his left, there was a crack, like something hitting a tree. He waited, and heard it again. "Hey, Roy! I think I heard something." The other riders turned their mounts around and backtracked to where the teenager waited.

"What did you hear?" Roy asked.

"Probably his imagination," Chris mumbled. He wasn’t too happy about having a kid on a search, and had been making rude comments ever since they left the barn. "Maybe he just thinks…whoa!" His comment was cut short by his horse rearing, after something hit the animal’s flank.

Roy tried to keep from laughing. He never did like Chris very much.

Ronnie pointed to the left, toward the creek. "I kept hearing what sounded like rocks, being thrown into the trees."

"Good man," Roy complimented him. He waved his hand forward. "Why don’t you lead the way?"

"Really?" Ronnie couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. He tried to look calm by pulling his cowboy hat down lower over his eyes. "This way, fellas."

Lex was beginning to think that the search party had gone on, until she saw the lights start working their way through the trees. When the first rider broke through, Lex thought at first she was seeing things. When one of the lights hit her in the face, she had never been so happy to be temporarily blinded in her life.

Ronnie quickly moved his light out of her face and urged his horse across the slow moving creek. He jumped down to stand a few feet away from Lex, who never attempted to get to her feet.

"Damn, I’m glad to see you," Lex croaked.

The other riders soon joined them, and Roy jumped down to stand next to Ronnie. "Hey, Boss. We’d have rode right past you, if it wasn’t for this guy here." He squatted down and looked at Lex’s leg. "Is it broken?"

"Nah, just sprained," she whispered. "But I’d appreciate a little help getting out of here."

"Can you ride?" Roy asked her. When Lex frowned, he almost laughed. Roy looked up at Chris. "You double up with Juan, and give the boss your ride."

"Why can’t the boy double up?" Chris whined.

""Cause I told you to, that’s why. Or, if you want, you can walk back." Roy winked at Lex, who covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "Ronnie, you get on that side, and I’ll take this side," he directed, helping Lex to stand on her one good leg. It didn’t take long for them to get her up into a saddle.

Once mounted, Roy leaned over so that no one could hear him. "What happened to you out here?"

Lex was trying to stay in the saddle while fighting off the intense pain. She shook her head and whispered through gritted teeth, "It’d be easier to tell you what didn’t."

All alone in the room, Amanda watched as her niece slept. The infant lay on its stomach in the incubator, sucking on a thumb and unaware of the drama that brought her into the world. Tiny wisps of black hair peeked from the stocking cap, and Amanda thought for a moment that this is what a child of hers and Lex’s would look like.

Resentment welled up inside her, as Amanda realized that her dream was impossible. She and Lex would never be able to have a child together, and the thought hurt. Jeannie had what she never would, and jealousy tore through Amanda.

Remembering her sister’s condition, Amanda closed her eyes. Jeannie’s prognosis was grim, at best. Frank was with the doctors now, trying to learn anything positive. Feeling sick to her stomach at her uncharitable thoughts, Amanda rushed from the room in tears.

Ellie looked up from her seat in the waiting room as Amanda hurried down the hallway. Concerned, she stood up and was surprised when Amanda fell into her arms. Not one to turn down the opportunity to hold Amanda, she pulled the crying woman close. "Sssh. It’s okay."

Amanda absorbed the comfort, closing her eyes and wishing it was Lex holding her close. The gentle hand brushing her hair, and the strong heartbeat under her ear was different, and she pulled back, a little embarrassed. "I’m sorry about that, Ellie."

"Don’t be. I’m just glad I was here." Ellie pulled her hand away from Amanda’s head, and was about to brush the tears away from her eyes when she saw Frank walking up to them. "Frank."

So engrossed in his own thoughts, Frank didn’t pay much attention to the way Ellie held Amanda. His eyes were bloodshot, and his business suit was wrinkled almost beyond repair. He had removed his tie earlier, and part of it hung out from one of the jacket pockets. "There’s been no change," he related, rubbing his rough beard with one hand. "There’s a specialist with her now, but it doesn’t look good."

At hearing Ellie’s greeting, Amanda turned around. "Oh, Frank. She’ll make it through this." Amanda took his hands in hers. "Jeannie’s tough, and she’s got a lot to live for."

"God, I hope so." Frank finally noticed his sister-in-law’s wan appearance. "You look worse than I feel, Mandy."

Ellie stepped up and put her arm around Amanda’s waist. "I was just going to suggest finding a hotel room, so that Amanda could get some rest."

"No, I couldn’t." Feeling guilty about her earlier thoughts, Amanda wanted to stay and give Frank her support.

"Mandy, please." Frank pulled her closer and looked down into her tired eyes. "You’re not going to be any good to Jeannie if you get sick." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "Why don’t you go to our place?"

"But what about you?"

"I’ll be fine. They’ve offered me a place to rest here, so I don’t have to leave the hospital." Frank didn’t tell her that he’d probably never use the cot. He didn’t want to spend any time away from his wife, unless he was forced to. "I’ll call you if anything changes."

Ellie took the keys from Frank. "Thanks. I’ll make sure she gets some rest."

"I’ll go, but I won’t like it," Amanda muttered. She gave Frank a hug, and allowed Ellie to lead her down the hall.

As the two women walked away, Frank couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t quite right. Ellie took a little too much interest in Amanda, at least in his eyes. But, before he could dwell any more on it, a nurse came up to take him back to Jeannie’s doctors.

With Roy on one side and Juan on the other, Lex was carried up the steps to the house. Ronnie opened the back door, and the men carefully maneuvered the injured woman inside. Lex hated the helpless feeling, but hated trying to use her leg even more, so she tolerated the attention the best she could. She wasn’t looking forward to explaining to Amanda what had happened, either.

Having heard the back door open, Martha stepped out of the kitchen and gasped at the sight before her. "Goodness! What in heaven’s name did you do to yourself, Lexie?"

"It’s not as bad as it looks, Martha," Lex tried to assure her, as the men carried her into the kitchen and helped her sit in one of the chairs. "Just twisted my knee a bit, that’s all."

Martha sat down next to her and reached for the denim that was wrapped around Lex’s left knee. "Played doctor a bit, did you?" She slowly unwrapped the material, then tore the leg of the jean higher up, so that she could get a better look.

Once the pressure was released, the pain flowed back. "Ow!"

"Quit your hollering, Lexie." Martha looked up at Roy, who was standing in the doorway trying to keep a smile off his face. "Thank you for what you did, Roy. I owe you one."

He shook his head. "Don’t thank me, Martha. You’d best be thanking that young man there." Roy pointed to Ronnie, who was standing back by the kitchen counter. "If it hadn’t been for his sharp ears, we’d probably still be out there searching."

Lex turned to look at a now-blushing Ronnie. "Is that true?"

"Well, sorta. I guess. But I’m sure the others would have heard the noise, too. I just happened to be the first one." He scuffed his boot along the floor, unable to meet Lex’s eyes.

"Don’t you be making light, Ronnie. We were well up the trail by the time you called us back."

Martha beamed. "I’m so proud of you, Ronnie." She looked back down at Lex’s leg. "You messed this up pretty well. We’d better have Dr. Anderson check you out in the morning."

"It’s just sprained." Lex looked around the room. "Amanda must be pretty upset with me, if she’s not down here hollering with you." When everyone in the room remained silent, Lex began to get upset. "What’s wrong? Where’s Amanda?"

"Calm down, Lexie. Amanda’s perfectly all right. It’s just that she–"

Lex tried to stand up, but when she put weight on her injured leg, she immediately dropped back into the chair. "Dammit! She what? Where the hell is she?"

"Jeannie was admitted into the hospital today, and Amanda has flown out there to be with her."

"What? By herself?" Lex slammed her fist down on the table. "I should have been here."

Seeing that his boss was about to have a meltdown, Roy ushered Juan out of the house. He knew that showing such emotion in front of them would later embarrass Lex.

"Stop it. Amanda didn’t go alone, and even if she did, she’s a grown woman. I’m expecting to hear from her or Ellie any time, now." Bracing herself for the explosion, Martha wasn’t disappointed.

"Ellie? The woman who keeps bitching about my ‘lifestyle’, but can’t seem to keep her eyes off my wife, went with Amanda? Whose brilliant idea was that?" Lex stood up on her good leg. "I’ve got to get out there."

Martha grabbed Lex’s arm. "Have you lost your mind? You can’t even stand up, much less walk. You have no business going anywhere, except to the doctor."

"I’m not leaving Amanda alone with that woman, Martha. Haven’t you seen the way she looks at her?" Lex turned to Ronnie. "Would you mind going upstairs and getting me some clean clothes and my old crutches out of my closet? I need to make a few phone calls."

Not wanting to disappoint his idol, Ronnie dashed off to do Lex’s bidding.

"You’re not going to be able to get another flight out tonight," Martha told her. "The one they took earlier was the only flight out until tomorrow."

"Then I’ll find another way." Lex took one step and almost cried out from the pain. "Would you mind helping me into the office?" When Martha didn’t move or say anything, Lex softened her tone. "Please? I can’t just sit here, Mada. I’ve got to go."

With a shake of her head, Martha stepped up next to Lex and put her arm around Lex’s waist. "Stubborn woman." She took most of Lex’s weight on her shoulders and helped her walk down the hall.

Part V

Chapter 9

The drive from the hospital was quiet, except for Amanda giving Ellie directions from time to time. She had gladly handed over the keys to the rental car, knowing that she had no business trying to operate the vehicle in the state she was in. Ellie didn’t seem to mind, and had actually been very solicitous the entire trip.

"That’s it, there on the left," Amanda pointed to a two-story, Spanish-style house. As Ellie pulled the car into the driveway, Amanda thought back to the last time she had been here. It had been a few weeks before she left for Texas, when her grandfather had been in an auto accident. And not long after, I met the other half of my soul. She wondered what Lex was doing now. I miss her so much. "I need to call home as soon as we get inside."

"It’s kind of late to be calling, isn’t it?" Ellie asked, as she got out of the car and grabbed the bags from the trunk. "Wouldn’t it be better to wait until morning?"

Amanda closed her door and then took her bag from Ellie. "It already is morning, Ellie. And no, I don’t think it would be better to wait. Lex is probably worried sick." She led the way up to the front door, and took the keys from Ellie’s outstretched hand. "Thanks." After fumbling with the lock, Amanda finally opened the door.

"Whoa." Ellie had followed Amanda inside, and her eyes widened when Amanda flicked on the interior light. The front room was wide, with glossy tile floors and ornate furniture. "I’ve only seen places like this on television, or in those fancy magazines at the doctor’s office." She thought about what a baby would do to the obviously expensive surroundings, and chuckled.

"What’s so funny?" Amanda asked.

"Nothing."

Still upset with herself over her own thoughts about the baby, Amanda didn’t feel like letting Ellie off the hook so easily. "It must have been something, or you wouldn’t have laughed. I don’t see anything about this situation that’s funny."

"No, really. I think I’m just tired." Ellie didn’t want to fight with Amanda over something as silly as what she had been thinking. Deciding a subject change was in order, Ellie made a show of looking around the room. "I bet you’d be living like this, if you had stayed in California and gotten married."

Amanda tossed the keys down on a side table. "I am married. To Lex."

"That’s not the same thing, Amanda. I mean, you’re an intelligent woman." Ellie stepped closer and touched Amanda’s arm. The touch turned into a light caress. "You’re beautiful, and could have your pick of just about any man you’d want."

Repulsed by Ellie’s words, Amanda backed away. "I don’t want a man, Ellie. I’m happy with Lex."

"That so-called ‘marriage’ isn’t real, at least legally, or in the eyes of God. Everyone answers to Him, at sometime in their lives."

Now Amanda was mad. Very mad. She reached out and poked Ellie in the chest. "Now you listen to me, you holier-than-thou bitch. If I have to ‘answer’ to your God, believe me, I have a few choice words for Him." She poked Ellie again, causing the other woman to back up against the wall. "And where do you get off being so damned high and mighty, considering how you’ve been looking at me, lately? Do you have a closet to step out of, Eleanor?" Amanda yelled.

"Thanks, Rob. I owe you a big one." Lex shook the hand of the man who helped her off the small plane. "Sorry about the late hour." When Lex couldn’t get a commercial flight out, she called an old high school buddy, who just happened to own his own plane.

He helped her with her crutches and then patted Lex on the shoulder. "Not a problem, Lex. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even have this plane. Besides, I hear the women out here are hot. I may have to spend a few days down at the beach." When the bank tried to foreclose on Rob’s commercial delivery service, Lex had loaned him the money to stay afloat. He never forgot the favor, and was glad to finally be able to return her generosity.

"You’re right about that, my friend." Lex allowed him to help her through the terminal. She saw a row of pay telephones and stopped. "Thanks again, Rob. I’ll let you go find that beach, now."

"Are you sure you don’t need a ride? We can always share a cab," he offered.

Lex shook her head. "No, that’s all right. I’m not too sure where I’m going from here. You go on, and have fun."

"Okay. But if you need anything, give me a call." Rob patted the cell phone in his jacket pocket, then waved and walked out of the terminal.

Finding an available pay phone, Lex reached into her pocket and pulled out the proper change, then fished in her shirt pocket for the slip of paper she had written Frank’s cell number on. She balanced on the crutches while she dialed the phone, and was relieved when he answered almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Frank? This is Lex."

"Oh, hi."

"Hey. How’s everything going?" Lex had no way of knowing Jeannie’s condition, and didn’t know why Frank sounded so preoccupied.

There was a long pause, and then Frank cleared his throat. "Not well, Lex. Has Amanda called you?"

"Uh, no. I just landed in Los Angeles. What’s going on?"

"They had to take the baby early. And Jeannie–" His voice broke.

Oh, no. "Are they okay?"

"The baby’s fine. She’s a little premature, but should only have to stay about a week."

"And Jeannie?" Lex dreaded his answer, especially with how the normally stoic ex-football player sounded.

"She’s in a coma, Lex. Jeannie had some complications during the C-section, and had a stroke." Frank sniffled. "They don’t know if she’s going to come out of it or not."

Lex closed her eyes and bent her head. "Damn, Frank. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

He coughed, then cleared his throat again. "Not right now, but thanks. I’m sure Mandy could use you, though. She and Ellie went to get some rest at our house."

Ellie? That bitch is still with Amanda? I’ll kill her. "How long ago did they leave?"

"About fifteen minutes or so, I guess." Frank gave Lex directions to the house, not realizing the undercurrent of emotion.

"All right. Thanks." Lex wrote the address on the back of the paper she had put Frank’s phone number on. "I’ll get on over there. And, Frank?"

"Yeah?"

"Let me know if there’s anything you need, okay?"

"Thanks, Lex."

After she hung up the phone, Lex tucked the paper back into her shirt pocket and went out the terminal door in search of a cab. Several vied for her attention, and she took the closest one. She gave him the address, and allowed the driver to help her into the back seat.

The drive didn’t take as long as Lex thought it would, and in no time they pulled up behind the rental car in the driveway. Lex paid the driver then thanked him when he assisted her out of the car. He told her that he’d wait until she was in the house, and she slowly made her way up the walk.

Lex stood at the front door, and was about to ring the bell when she heard Amanda’s raised voice. What the hell? Finding the door partially open, she pushed on it and was surprised by the sight before her.

Ellie was backed against a wall, with Amanda in her face. Both turned when they heard the front door open.

"Lex?" Both women ask at the same time.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lex asked, moving inside. "Amanda, are you all right?"

Amanda moved away from Ellie and met Lex halfway. "I should be asking you the same thing. What happened to you?"

Lex started trying to explain, but Ellie didn’t pay any attention. All she could think about was Amanda’s words to her. Closet? What was she…no! I’m not like that! Lex is the pervert, not me. But Ellie had always been honest, even to herself. She thought about how her feelings for Amanda had grown, and how her cousin’s "partner" had intrigued her, even from their very first meeting. And my fascination with her breasts isn’t quite the "normal" way to feel for another woman. Even I know that. She looked over and saw Amanda touching Lex, as if to assure herself that she was really there. I’ve got to get out of here. "I see you’re in good hands now, Amanda. If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to go visit with my family." Ellie brushed by the couple, and saw the cab that had started to pull out of the driveway. She waved him down, and he stopped and waited for her to climb in. A few weeks with my mother ought to clear my head, one way or another. She decided to take the next flight out to San Diego, and worry about her new family, later.

Hours earlier, the sun made its appearance, but Lex wanted to let Amanda sleep as long as she could. She ran her fingers through the hair that fanned across her chest, and wished that she could have been with her lover sooner. Lex tried to move her left leg and was gratified that the pain wasn’t as bad as it was the night before. Damned stupid fool. I shouldn’t have tried to take a new horse onto unknown property. If I had just stayed close to the house, Amanda wouldn’t have had to go through all of this alone. She thought about the scene that greeted her the evening before. Although she wasn’t alone — she was with that bitch of a cousin of mine. I’d like to know what went on before I got here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Amanda that mad, before.

"You’re thinking pretty hard about something this morning," a quiet voice mumbled. Amanda turned her head so that she could see Lex’s face. "Anything you want to share?"

Lex tried to smile, but the dark circles under her lover’s eyes almost broke her heart. "Just wishing that I’d been here with you, instead of Ellie."

With the previous evening’s events still fresh in her mind, Amanda couldn’t help but grimace. "I wish that you would have been, too. That cousin of yours has some real issues to work out."

"Like what?"

"Oh, just that I think that she’s got more in common with you than she’d care to admit."

"In common with me?" Lex sat up slightly, but kept her firm hold on Amanda. "What could she…oh." She couldn’t stop the smile that worked its way onto her face. "Bet that was a revelation. I always felt that she was a bit too friendly with you. But, then I thought I was just being unreasonably jealous."

Amanda crawled her way up Lex’s body until they were eye-to-eye. "Martha also mentioned something to me before we left. Am I the only person who didn’t see it?"

"Yep." At her partner’s outraged look, Lex leaned forward and kissed Amanda. The light peck quickly turned into a more thorough exploration, until both women had to pull away, breathless.

"Now that’s my idea of good morning." Amanda nestled back against Lex’s chest. "How’s your knee this morning? You never did really tell me what happened to you yesterday."

Checking the limb again by moving her foot, Lex sighed. "It’s okay. Not as sore as last night, anyway."

"And?"

"It wasn’t that big of a deal, Amanda. I just got thrown from that new horse, and twisted my knee."

Amanda sat up and looked down at Lex. She traced her fingers along Lex’s normally smooth face, which was marred by a few scratches that were already healing. After they had undressed for bed the night before, she had found several bruises and scratches along Lex’s body, but they had both been too tired to talk about it. "You look a little bit more banged up than if you were just thrown. What really happened?"

The conversation wasn’t getting any easier. Lex took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. "Well, I was thrown. Sort of. I had taken the new filly out to check the property we had just bought, and she was pretty skittish. There were a couple of explosions off in the distance–"

"Explosions? Where?"

Lex’s expression quieted Amanda’s questions. "After the second explosion, which sounded farther up the creek, the horse reared and pushed me into a tree limb." She rubbed the top of her head, which still sported a slight bump. "My cell phone rang while I had been stretching in the saddle, so my boot got caught in the stirrup, and she dragged me for a bit. That’s where the scratches came from."

Amanda lowered her head. "That was probably me, calling your phone." She raised up and her face was filled with remorse. "I’m so sorry, Lex."

"Hey." Lex cradled Amanda’s face with her hands. "I couldn’t have stayed on that horse, even with both hands. It wasn’t your fault." She kissed the tip of her wife’s nose. "Besides, once I finally found that damned phone, I couldn’t get a signal, anyway. It seemed like things just kept getting worse. But, finally Ronnie and Roy found me, and brought me back to the house. That’s when Martha told me about you and Ellie leaving in such a hurry. So, here I am."

"I was wondering about that, too. We were on the last flight out. How did you get here?"

"A friend owed me a favor. No big deal." Lex was just thankful that Rob had turned down her offer to pay for the fuel. After buying the new property, she wasn’t sure what her bank account looked like. "And speaking of getting here, what was that little scene I walked in on? You looked like you were about to kick Ellie’s ass. Not that I would have minded."

Now it was Amanda’s turn to be embarrassed. "I don’t know if it would have gotten that far. But then again, I was pretty upset." She looked down at where her hands were stroking Lex’s chest in a nervous pattern. "She’d made a few rude comments about you, and with the stress of everything that was going on, I guess I just snapped."

"What kind of comments?" Although she’d never admit it to anyone, Lex was secretly pleased with how Amanda always came to her defense. Even if it was to a member of her own family.

"Like our relationship was the result of my misplaced hero-worship, and things like that." Amanda would never tell Lex everything, for fear it would only hurt her. She doesn’t have to know that Ellie thought that she "lorded" over me. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

"Well, she was partly right." Lex pulled Amanda close to her. "Except that she figured the wrong person. You’re my hero, Amanda."

Unable to find her voice, Amanda just snuggled closer to Lex, happy to feel at least part of her life back to normal.

The smell of fresh coffee caused Elizabeth’s eyes to open underneath the sleeping mask she wore. She stretched and yawned, removing the mask and then sitting up as Terence handed her a steaming cup of the fragrant brew. "What are you so damned cheerful about this morning? Do you have any idea what time it is?" After a careful sip of her coffee, she muttered, "And how the hell did you get into my room?"

"It’s well after nine, Liz. I didn’t think you meant to sleep the entire day away. And, I told the maid down the hall that I'd forgotten my key." Terence pulled a chair close to the bed and propped his feet on the coverlet. "Besides, I know you’ll be glad to see me when you hear what I have to say."

Still not completely awake, Liz kicked Terence's feet off her bed. "Cretin. Now, tell me what makes you so full of yourself today."

Terence didn't seem to mind the way Liz spoke to him. If anything, he appeared amused by her grumpy comments. "Be nice, Liz. Or I won't tell you that you're about to become a grandmother."

The coffee that she had just sipped was spewed onto the expensive coverlet, and Liz gasped and sputtered. "I'm what? How is that possible?"

"You have two daughters, don't you? Not just the one who's living with another woman." Terence pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and read from it. "Jeannie Cauble was admitted into a hospital in Los Angeles yesterday morning, pregnant with her first child. Your other daughter, Amanda, took a flight out with another woman yesterday afternoon." He looked up from his paper and felt very proud of himself. He had been up half the night with a friend of his in California, who had relayed the news to him. "So, I think you should be a bit nicer to me, Grandma."

Liz was halfway to the bathroom to get dressed when Terence finished his reading. She turned around and pointed a long finger in his direction. "Don't you dare call me that! I won't allow myself to be that old." When she reached the doorway, she stopped. "Start packing, and then get on the phone and get us the next flight out there. And while you're at it, call room service and get me some decent coffee."

"Yes, Grandmamma," Terence whispered, unable to contain his glee at finally breaking through Liz's icy demeanor. He picked up several silky items and tossed them in her suitcase, still chuckling at the way she spit coffee everywhere.

While Lex finished up in the shower, Amanda gathered up the clothes that they had tossed around the room the night before. She picked up her dress jacket that was partially hidden under the bed, and frowned when an envelope fell from one of the pockets. "Where did that come from? Oh, right. Must be the one that I picked up before we left." Amanda sat on the edge of the bed and opened the envelope, pulling a folded piece of paper from it. She began to read, then gasped in horror, allowing the paper to fall to the floor.

Lex heard Amanda’s gasp, and limped heavily from the bathroom. "What is it?" She saw the dropped paper on the floor, and bent down to pick it up, before landing on the bed next to her wife. After reading a few lines, Lex was still confused. "I don’t get it. So you closed out an account."

"No, Lex. This was where my trust fund was. I never closed out this account." Amanda looked at her lover, willing her to understand. "Someone else has taken it. All of it."

"But who? Maybe it’s just some sort of computer error." The argument sounded weak, even to Lex. She had a sneaking suspicion that whoever was the mastermind behind her sudden loss of money, was probably behind this, as well. She looked at the return address on the top of the letter. "This is a local bank. Why don’t we run over there today and check it out?"

Amanda nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. But I’d like to go by the hospital and check on Jeannie today, first. Another few hours won’t change anything at the bank."

"All right." Lex put her arm around Amanda and kissed the side of her head. "Besides, I’d like to check out this new niece of ours."

The warm breath on the back of her neck was like a soothing balm, as Amanda looked through the glass at the tiny infant while Lex stood behind her. "Isn’t she beautiful?"

"It’s kind of hard to tell," Lex admitted truthfully. "She’s awful little." Although in her eyes, the baby seemed to have Jeannie’s nose, and her dark hair. If it were a bit lighter, she could be Amanda’s. A heavy hand squeezed Lex’s shoulder, causing her to turn around. "Hey, Frank."

"Lex. Amanda." Still looking rumpled and exhausted, Frank gladly pulled Amanda into a hug. "I’m glad you both are here."

Amanda pulled away from her brother-in-law. "Oh, Frank. You look like you haven’t slept at all." She reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "How’s Jeannie?"

"The same as she was last night. The doctors aren’t holding out much hope, I’m afraid." He peered past the two women and through the glass. "At least Lorrie is doing okay."

"Lorrie?" Both women asked at once.

Frank’s face broke out into a tired smile. "Yeah. Jeannie and I," his voice broke, and it took him a moment to get himself back together. "Before she was born we had already discussed a name for her. Lorraine Marie, after her two godmothers."

"That’s so sweet, Frank." Amanda hugged the big man again, oblivious to her partner’s confusion.

Lex looked at the baby, and then back at the embraced pair. "Godmothers?"

"Sure. Didn’t Amanda tell you?" Frank asked, looking over Amanda’s shoulder.

"Uh, no. We hadn’t really had time to discuss it," Amanda told him, turning around and facing her partner. "But it’s pretty cool, isn’t it?"

Was it? Lex thought about the implications, especially with Jeannie lying comatose. Her leg ached, and she wondered what Martha would have to say about it, if they ended up taking responsibility for a baby. She’s already raised me, and now has Ronnie to worry about. Would it be fair to her and the rest of the family? "I don’t know, Frank. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of drastic change in my life."

Feeling the serious undercurrents of emotion from the two women, Frank tried to lighten the conversation. "Really, Lex. It’s only a formality. Jeannie is a fighter, and she’ll come out of this any time. Besides, it’s too late now. The paperwork has already been done." He lightly tapped Lex on the shoulder and winked.

Lex sighed, and turned back to look at the baby once again. "If you say so." But she didn’t sound very thrilled by the honor.

Beside her, Amanda felt her heart break. If Lex wasn’t ready to become a godmother, then she certainly wasn’t going to want to be a regular mother any time soon. She felt her dreams shatter along with her heart.

Chapter 10

The rest of the week went by quickly, especially since Michael, Anna Leigh and Jacob showed up to offer their support to Frank at the hospital. They had taken rooms at a nearby hotel, and took turns sitting with Jeannie, whose condition hadn’t changed.

Amanda tied off the end of crepe streamer, then began to wind it around the banister. They were decorating the house for the baby’s homecoming, although her heart wasn’t really into it. Frank hadn’t wanted to bring the baby home before, since, once their daughter had gained a little weight, he was able to arrange to have her stay in Jeannie’s room at least part of the time. He had hoped that the baby’s presence might stimulate his wife to wake up. But now, due to a lack of space and available cribs, little Lorrie would have to come home. She looked across the room at her grandmother, who was teasing Jacob about something she couldn’t quite make out. Don’t they realize that Jeannie won’t be here? How can they be happy? Disgusted with everyone else’s attitude, Amanda tossed the crepe to the floor and rushed up the stairs.

Sad eyes watched Amanda’s retreat. Lex was still nursing her injured knee, and although she hadn’t used the crutches for a couple of days, she still wasn’t able to navigate the stairs. Before Lex could climb out of the leather recliner that she had been ordered to stay in, Michael sat down beside her.

"Is everything all right? You look a little upset." Michael had spent the entire morning watching his daughter and Lex, and he could tell that something was going on between them. He just wished that one of them would confide in him, so that he could try and help.

Lex’s eyes closed momentarily when an upstairs door slammed closed. When she opened them and looked at her father-in-law, she couldn’t keep the sadness out of her voice. "I’m not sure. Amanda’s been so quiet lately, and she won’t talk to me." Not to mention the fact that they hadn’t been alone long enough to talk.

Their trip to the bank a few days earlier had been a bust, too. The banker had been very respectful, and had even shown them the signed papers. Although it didn’t look exactly like Amanda’s signature, it was close enough to pass. They had also spoken to the clerk who had talked to "Amanda" on the phone several times. He was happy to "finally meet Ms. Cauble in person", and didn’t seem to know any difference between the real and the bogus woman. Even after Lex threatened the bank with a lawsuit, the bank president shrugged his shoulders and apologized, but assured them that, as far as they could tell, everything was done legally, and nothing could be done about it.

"Would you like me to go up and talk to her?" Michael offered.

"No, that’s all right." Lex closed the footstool on the recliner and got to her feet. "I think I’ll try my luck at the stairs." She patted Michael on the shoulder and limped across the room.

It took Lex longer than she’d expected, but she finally made her way up the stairs and to the closest door to the stairs, which appeared to be the only one on the floor that was closed. She tapped lightly on the wood. "Amanda?" An incoherent mumble was her only answer, so Lex opened the door slowly.

Amanda sat in the floor in the middle of the room, which had been decorated as the baby’s nursery. Bright yellow walls were punctuated by pastel stripes of blue, pink, and green. There were butterflies and flowers decoupaged all over the walls, and the white crib, rocker, and changing table looked ready for occupancy. Amanda held an oversized stuffed teddy bear in her arms, and her face was buried in its soft fur. She didn’t even look up as Lex walked into the room.

"Amanda?" Lex limped in, her knee throbbing at the abuse it took climbing the stairs. She gritted her teeth and knelt beside her lover, reaching out and running her hand through Amanda’s hair. "Hey."

Finally realizing who was with her, Amanda looked up. "Lex? What are you doing here?"

"Coming to see if you’re okay." Lex finally sat down, spreading her legs out in front of her. "Whew."

Amanda put the bear down. "You came up here for me?"

"Yep."

"You didn’t have to do that, you know." Amanda scooted closer.

"I know." Lex felt Amanda’s arm go around her back, and she countered by putting her arm across her wife’s shoulder. "But I hated the thought of you being up here alone, upset."

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Lex grinned, and leaned her head into Amanda’s. "You may have mentioned it at one time," she teased. "But I never get tired of hearing it."

The beeping and the low whoosh of the machinery were the only sounds he heard as Frank stepped into the room. He held Lorrie carefully, still not used to the squirming bundle that was dwarfed by his hands. "Hi, Jeannie. I brought our little girl by." His voice was soft, and he painstakingly placed her in the crook of Jeannie’s arm, taking his wife’s limp hand to lie across the baby. "She’s a lot like her mama, you know. Feisty little thing." He swallowed back his tears and touched Jeannie’s face. "She’s got my hair, but I think she’s going to have your eyes. I wish you’d wake up and see her."

Jeannie remained unresponsive, but Frank continued to talk to her for several minutes. He checked his watch, and knew that the nurse would be coming in soon to attend to Jeannie’s needs. Before he picked up Lorrie, he leaned forward and kissed his wife on the forehead. "I’m going to take her home, honey. Your dad and your grandparent’s are here, and they’ll be helping me with her until you get up on your feet again. I hope that’s soon, because I miss you so damned much, Jean. I love you." His lips quivered against her skin, and he stood back up and wiped his face with a handkerchief, which he stuffed back into his pocket.

Frank gently picked up Lorrie, tucking her blanket around her. "Tell mama that you love her, Lorrie. You’ll be back to visit soon." He cleared his throat and left the room, hating having to leave his wife behind, while he took their daughter home.

Almost to the outer doors of the hospital, Frank felt as if someone was watching him. He turned to look over his shoulder, and saw someone duck back around a corner. The single glance he was able to get sent shivers down his spine. That’s impossible. She’s still locked up in a mental hospital in Texas. I must be imagining things. Not wanting to take any chances, especially with Lex and Amanda here, he decided that it would be best to tell Lex what he thought he had seen, just in case.

Outside, Frank walked the short distance to his car, a silver Lexus GS, which he had pulled up close to the hospital exit before going in to get Lorrie. He unlocked one of the back doors and buckled the baby into her car seat, cooing softly at her while his inexperienced hands figured out all the buckles. "Blasted thing is more complicated than it looks," he mumbled. Once his daughter was safely in the center of the rear of the car, he climbed behind the steering wheel and pulled slowly out of the parking lot.

He took the city streets instead of the freeway, thinking back to when Jeannie teased him about that very thing. He hadn’t driven them on the highway since he found out Jeannie was pregnant, and had also stayed well below the speed limit any time she was in the car with him. As he stopped at a traffic light, he remembered one of the last conversations they’d had about that particular subject.

"Frank, you can drive faster than this, you know," Jeannie teased her husband. "I’m just pregnant, not made of crystal."

Stopping at the light, Frank turned to look at his wife, who glowed with beauty. "As the mother of my child, you’re more precious than crystal. You always have been, Jean." With the traffic light still red, he leaned over and kissed her, love filling his heart. He sat back in his seat, waiting for the light to turn green. "I will love spending the rest of my life with you, Jeannie Rivers. I can’t wait to show you how much."

Frank’s eyes brimmed with tears over that precious memory. He glanced in the rear view mirror, glad to see that the baby was sleeping peacefully. While he tried to regain his focus, the two cars in front of him went on, and he followed them through the light.

He never saw the delivery truck that sped through the intersection from the left, which slammed into the front panel and driver’s door of the sedan so hard that the car went into a spin.

The impact then caused the car to careen onto a sidewalk, barely missing several pedestrians, before crashing through a plate glass window of a closed down restaurant. The only sounds that could be heard were the falling of broken glass, the hissing of the car’s engine, and the wail of a baby.

It had taken some doing, but Lex was able to talk Amanda into coming back downstairs. She used the excuse that she needed help, which got her a doubtful look, but Amanda went along with her, anyway. Now they stood by the foot of the stairs, listening to Michael’s comments about the baby gifts, which covered the formal dining room table.

"That’s not what I mean at all, Mom. I just said that I’d never seen this many packages the last few holidays, combined." He yelped when Anna Leigh walked behind him and swatted his rear.

"This baby is the first great-grandchild, Michael. Of course she’s going to be showered with gifts." Anna Leigh pointed to the couple standing in the entryway. "Although I think those two should shoulder some of the blame."

Lex limped into the living area, then took her seat in the recliner when her partner gave her a gentle shove in that direction. "Don’t blame me. Amanda is the one that kept going shopping all the time." She raised the footstool on the recliner, and accepted the pillow that Amanda placed beneath her leg. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome." Amanda turned and put her hands on her hips. "I don’t suppose that you bought anything at all, did you, Daddy?"

"Well, maybe a small little something," Michael blustered.

"Mmm-hmm," Amanda teased, on her way to the kitchen. When the phone rang, she changed direction and picked up the cordless phone that was on a nearby table. "River’s residence." She listened for a moment, then paled and fell back against the wall, the phone falling from her hand.

Lex saw her wife collapse, and jumped up from the chair to rush across the room. She caught Amanda before she could completely fall to the floor. "Amanda? What’s the matter, sweetheart?" Her heart pounded in her chest, even as she heard the anguished answer.

"Frank. He’s…" As the family gathered around them, Amanda couldn’t stop her tears, and she turned and buried her face in Lex’s shirt.

"Hold on, Lex. Let me check this out." Michael picked up the phone from the floor. "I’m sorry, who is this, please? I’m Michael Cauble, and this is my daughter and son-in-law’s home." He nodded slowly as the person on the other end of the line continued to speak. Finally, Michael uttered a low thank you to whoever called, and he pushed the off button on the phone. He cleared his throat in a fruitless effort to control the desolation in his voice. "There was an accident. We need to, ah," his voice cracked. "The baby is okay. We need to get Lorrie. Frank is…" Michael couldn’t continue.

Jacob stepped forward and put his arm around his son, trying to offer what comfort he could, even as his own heart broke. His wife took a position on the other side of Michael, rubbing her son’s back as silent tears tracked down her face.

With her arms wrapped around Amanda’s body, Lex held her close and watched as Michael leaned into his parents, sobbing as if he were a small boy. As she gazed at the uncomprehending and heartbroken faces in the room, Lex knew with a quiet certainty that all their lives would never be the same again.

The overworked nurse went about her duties briskly, knowing that she had an entire floor of patients yet left to attend. Her tasks complete, she was about to turn and leave when the patient’s eyes blinked open. "Mrs. Rivers? Can you hear me?" When the eyes blinked in confusion, the nurse patted her arm. "It’s all right. Let me get the doctor, dear. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re awake." She picked up the phone and dialed the nurses’ desk, asking for the doctor on call to come to the room.

Soon afterward, the doctor hurried into the room. "Mrs. Rivers. It’s so nice to see you awake." He pulled out a small penlight and aimed it into her eyes. "Let’s just see how you’re doing, then we’ll get rid of that nasty tube."

It didn’t take long for them to take the breathing apparatus away, along with the heart monitor. The nurse placed a few ice chips on Jeannie’s lips, while the doctor watched.

He leaned in and smiled. "Now, Mrs. Rivers, can you tell me what your first name is?"

The room, which has been festive only a short time earlier, was now quiet, except for the sounds of Amanda’s crying, and Lex’s attempted words of comfort. Michael, Jacob, and Anna Leigh had left for the hospital to pick up Lorrie, where she had been taken as a precaution after the accident.

Lex sat stretched out on the leather sofa, with Amanda pulled up against her. They hadn’t moved since the family left, and Lex was beginning to worry about her wife.

"It’s all my fault," Amanda hiccupped, her face still nestled against Lex’s chest. "All my fault."

"No, sweetheart. It was an accident. You had nothing to do with it."

Amanda rolled away, so that she was sitting on the next cushion. "You don’t know that," she snapped.

Lex reached for her, but Amanda scooted farther away. "Yes, I do. You didn’t kill Frank, Amanda. It was a car accident."

"But, maybe I did. I wanted what they have, Lex. Jeannie’s comatose, and Frank’s dead. It’s all my fault!" Amanda jumped up and would have run from the room, but Lex grabbed her arm. "Let me go!"

"No."

"Dammit, Lex," Amanda struggled to break free. "Let go!"

Lex stood up and faced her irate lover. "I’m not going to let you run away, again. What did you mean when you said that you wanted what they have? Are you talking about a baby?"

The phone rang, saving Amanda from answering. Lex limped over to the phone, taking Amanda with her. She used her free hand to pick up the receiver. "Hello?" She paused for a moment, listening. "No, that’s great. Thank you." Lex set the phone down, her face registering disbelief.

"What?"

"That was the hospital. Jeannie has woken up."

The shock of the situation was almost more than Amanda could bear. Her anger spent, she collapsed into Lex’s arms.

Not too far from Jeannie’s hospital room, a man dressed in scrubs swiped at the floor with a damp mop. He spent more time looking around than actually cleaning, but lowered his head as two nurses walked by.

"Isn’t it tragic? Poor Mrs. Rivers practically came out of her coma the instant her husband was killed in that car accident," one nurse related to the other.

"Oh, I know. It’s just by some miracle that the baby survived. Why, the entire floor was shocked when they heard the news." They continued on their way, not even paying attention at the surprised look on the "janitor’s" face.

Terence dropped his mop. I need to tell Liz. He waited until the two nurses left, then hurriedly picked up his supplies and hid them in a closet.

Doing a floor by floor search, Terence finally found Elizabeth in the hospital gift shop. He looked around to make certain no one else noticed him, then, from another aisle, whispered loudly to get her attention. "Liz!"

The distinguished woman set down the delicate crystal figurine that she was looking at and spun around. "Excuse me, do I know you?"

He hurried around the greeting cards and grabbed her arm. "Cut it out, Liz. This is important." Not even bothering to be discreet, Terence pulled Elizabeth from the store, and into the hallway.

"This had better be good. I was trying to find a gift for my daughter, you ass."

Terence looked around to make sure no one was looking at them. "Your son-in-law is dead," he whispered.

"Oh, really? Well, isn’t that nice."

"Didn’t you hear me?" Terence asked, shocked at her attitude.

Liz smiled. "Of course I did. But you’re a little late with the news. I heard it about ten minutes ago." She brushed an imaginary speck of lint from her slacks. "It changes nothing, other than making things even easier for me. Now I should have no problem in getting both my daughters, and my granddaughter, back. I just wish that damned redneck bitch would have been in the car with him."

Although he shouldn’t have been surprised, it still struck Terence as extremely cold-blooded, even for Liz. "But he was the baby’s father. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?"

"My dear boy. You should know," Liz leaned in closer, "that all men are expendable."

The entire family stood outside Jeannie’s hospital room, including newly arrived Lex and Amanda. The doctor had just come out to speak to them about Jeannie’s condition, and they all waited anxiously for what he was going to say.

"Amazingly, Mrs. Rivers came out of her coma fairly alert. Her speech was affected by the stroke, as were her motor skills." He looked at the concerned faces around him. "She’ll need extensive therapy, but she’s young and strong. Mrs. Rivers’ prognosis is very good. I’m confident that she will make a full recovery over time. Are there any questions?"

Jacob, who had been standing with Anna Leigh, held out his hand. "I think you covered it pretty well, Doctor. Is she up to visitors?"

The doctor shook Jacob’s hand then nodded. "Certainly. Just don’t all go barging in there at once. She’s still a bit groggy." He adjusted his lab coat. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more patients to check on. Just have me paged if you need anything."

They all watched him go, then Anna Leigh leaned back into her husband’s embrace. "What will we tell Jeannie when she asks about Frank?"

"I think I should go in, and see how she’s doing, first," Michael volunteered. "I’m her father, and if she asks, I think it would be best, coming from me."

Amanda, who hadn’t left Lex’s arms, reached out for her father. "Are you sure, Daddy? I can come in with you, if you need me to." She talked brave, but the last thing Amanda wanted to do was see her sister being told that her husband was dead. I know what I would feel if it were me. I couldn’t go on without Lex. Poor Jeannie.

"No, Amanda. That’s okay." Knowing the offer for the sacrifice that it was, Michael kissed his daughter’s cheek, then squared his shoulders and went into Jeannie’s room, closing the door behind him. He was heartened to see all the machines were gone, and his daughter appeared to be resting peacefully. Walking slowly to the bed, Michael sat down on the edge and picked up Jeannie’s hand. "Hi, sweetie."

Jeannie’s eyes opened. Although she seemed happy to see her father, she strained to look past him. "Whers Fwan?" she slurred.

It took Michael a moment to figure out what Jeannie had said. He used his free hand to touch her face. "We’re so glad you’re awake, Jeannie. The whole family has been worried about you. And, you’ve got a beautiful little girl."

Her eyes moistened. Although Jeannie’s speech and motor skills were damaged by the stroke, her mind wasn’t. "Fwan?"

Michael swallowed hard, his eyes filling with tears, also. "There was an accident, baby. I’m afraid he’s–"

"Noooo!"

Jeannie’s wail could be heard out in the hallway where the gathered family hung their heads as they wept in shared pain.

After hearing Jeannie’s cry, Anna Leigh took her husband by his arm and led him away from Lex and Amanda. Once they were in the elevator, she leaned against him. "That poor child. We need to do something to help her through this, dearest."

"Such as?" Jacob hurt for their granddaughter also, but he didn’t know what his wife was up to.

The doors opened, and Anna Leigh took him by the hand. "Maybe seeing her daughter will help." They stepped out onto the pediatric unit, and she ushered Jacob to the glass cased room.

The head nurse, who remembered them from their earlier visits, met them outside. "Mr. and Mrs. Cauble. I’m so sorry to hear about your loss." She reached out and grasped Anna Leigh’s hands, wanting somehow to show her empathy. "We’ve been watching Lorraine for any signs of injury or distress, but she seems to have come through all of this just fine."

"Thank you, Sophia. It means a lot to us that you’ve taken such fine care of our great-granddaughter." Anna Leigh had gotten to know the head pediatric nurse during her frequent visits to the hospital, and felt a bond with the woman who also had her share of grandchildren. Her head turned when another nurse brought out Lorrie and handed her to Jacob.

"You just let us know if we can do anything else, Mrs. Cauble. We’ll all be praying for your family." Nurse Sophia stood next to the other nurse as the couple walked back to the elevator. "What a horrible thing to happen to a nice family. I hope they come out of it okay."

Back on Jeannie’s floor, Anna Leigh and Jacob returned with Lorrie. They spied Lex and Amanda in the waiting area, sitting quietly, and walked over to join them. Jacob handed the baby to Amanda, who accepted her niece with silence.

Wanting to make sure she was okay, Amanda carefully inspected the small bundle for any signs of harm. "Hey there, sweetie. How are you doing?" The baby squeaked, but was otherwise silent. "You’re so beautiful."

Lex leaned over until her head touched Amanda’s. "She’s all right, isn’t she?"

"It looks like it," Amanda assured her. "She’s just so tiny. I can’t believe that she survived, much less without a scratch on her." She teared up again at the thought of Frank. "This is just so surreal."

"I know, love." Lex put her arm around Amanda, and was about to say more when Michael finally came out of Jeannie’s room. He saw the family in the waiting area, and headed over to talk to them.

Jacob immediately put his arm around his son. "How’s she doing?"

"Not good, Dad. She’s completely shut down."

"What do you mean, dear?" Anna Leigh asked.

Michael looked at his mother’s kind face. "She threw me out of her room." He rubbed his face with his hands, then looked down at the floor. "She hates me."

"I’m sure that’s not true." Jacob escorted Michael to a chair. "She’s understandably upset. But once she has some time to grieve, she’ll be able to handle everything a little easier."

"Maybe if she sees Lorrie," Anna Leigh suggested. "Holding her daughter could help."

"She doesn’t want to see her, or anyone, right now." Michael didn’t tell the family the way Jeannie glared at him after he broke the news of her husband’s death. Telling his daughter that she was a mother, and a widow, was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Being thrown out of her room broke his heart, even though he understood why Jeannie wanted to be alone. "Let’s follow her wishes, at least for now. She needs time to sort things out in her mind."

Anna Leigh dusted her hands together. "I don’t like it. We shouldn’t leave her here all alone. She needs her family with her at a time like this."

Jacob put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. "I don’t like it either, Anna. But she’s a grown woman, and we need to respect her feelings."

"Mom, please. let’s just go back to the house for now, and we’ll try again later. Arguing here about it isn’t good for anyone."

"All right. But I still don’t like it." Anna Leigh followed the group to the elevator, looking over her shoulder once at Jeannie’s door. "I don’t like it at all."

Once back at the house, Anna Leigh took Lex by the arm and led her away from Amanda, who carried the baby into the living room. "Let’s go in the kitchen and gather some refreshments for everyone, Lexington."

"Okay," Lex agreed, somewhat confused. She limped behind the older woman, and was barely into the kitchen when her arm was grabbed and she was practically dragged over to the breakfast area to sit down. "I have the feeling this isn’t about getting drinks for everyone."

"No, it isn’t. I thought about it all the way over here, and I think that you’re the perfect person to talk to Jeannie."

Lex laughed, although it wasn’t a cheerful sound. "Yeah, right. I’m such an expert on losing husbands." She started to stand. "I don’t think so, Anna Leigh."

"Wait, please." Anna Leigh watched the doorway, and when she was certain that they were alone, she leaned over closer to Lex. "You’ve had a loss in your family recently, Lexington. I think that would give you more insight, at least in Jeannie’s eyes, than any one of us." She reached across the table and touched Lex’s hand. "Dearest, who better than you, for Jeannie to share her loss with?"

When it was put to her that way, Lex couldn’t argue. The loss of her father was still fresh in her mind, although talking about it again would most likely bring all the pain back to the surface. But she’d do anything for Amanda, and that included doing anything for Amanda’s family, as well. "All right. I’ll try. But I’m not going to promise anything." She thought about how Amanda looked holding Lorrie, and tried to imagine her wife holding their child. Lex now realized how much having a child meant to Amanda, but she still wasn’t certain if she was ready for such a drastic change in their lives.

Anna Leigh watched as Lex silently thought. "Is there something else on your mind, Lexington?"

Is there? Just how selfish will she think I am, when I tell her my worries about starting a family with her granddaughter? "There is, but I doubt you’ll want to hear it."

"What is it?" The woman across from her looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Anna Leigh hated that she added to that burden with her request.

"I think Amanda wants to have a baby." Once she said the words, Lex knew that she couldn't pull them back. "And I don’t think I do." She rolled up the placemat in front of her with nervous hands.

Struggling to keep her surprise from showing on her face, Anna Leigh nodded. "I see. Why don’t you, Lexington?"

Lex looked up. "I’m not quite the mothering type. Hell, my mother died when I was little. What kind of role model would I be?"

"Are you saying that Martha has been just your housekeeper, all these years?" Although she knew that most of what Lex said came from fear, Anna Leigh wasn’t about to let her get away with the feeble excuse. "What a shame."

"No! Of course not!" Lex got up in a hurry, which caused the chair she was in to slide across the kitchen floor. "You know that’s not what I meant. It’s just that–"

Anna Leigh stood up with her, using both hands to grasp Lex’s arms and keep her from leaving the room. "You’re scared." One of her hands touched Lex’s cheek tenderly. "Dearest, we’re all scared from time to time. But you can’t let that fear dictate your life."

"It’s not just that," Lex whispered. "My mother died giving birth. Jeannie nearly died giving birth." Her voice lowered even more. "I can’t lose Amanda like that, Anna Leigh. I can’t."

Although the idea of another one of her grandchildren suffering concerned her, too, Anna Leigh put her arms around Lex and brought her close. "I understand your worry, Lexington. But would you rather see her sad and upset for the rest of her life? Because, I can tell you right now, the desire to have a child isn’t something that just goes away."

The thought sobered Lex. Would she lose Amanda over that? Could their relationship survive such a difference in what each other wanted? She definitely had a lot of thinking to do over the subject. Lex put her arms around Anna Leigh and squeezed. "Thanks. I’ll go see Jeannie in the morning."

Later that evening, Lex stood at the door of the master bedroom and watched Amanda in the rocker, holding Lorrie. Earlier, Michael and Jacob had brought the chair and the crib from the nursery into the room so that Lex and Amanda could watch over Lorrie, since she was so little. Getting a preview of the maternal side of her partner was something that Lex had not expected to see so soon, and was pleasantly surprised by her own reaction. Her heart swelled with love at the picture Amanda and the baby made.

"They look good together, don’t they?" Jacob whispered from behind Lex. While downstairs, his wife had briefed him on Lex’s worries, and he wanted to see if there was anything that he could do to help alleviate her concerns. "Amanda would make a good mother, I’d bet."

"I’m sure she would," Lex whispered, so as not to disturb the scene. She turned to face Jacob. "Thanks for helping get everything brought over to our room. I was afraid that Amanda would end up sleeping in the nursery, if you hadn’t." And of course I’d end up there with her, with the two of us napping on the floor. Bringing the crib and rocker into the master bedroom makes a lot more sense.

He chuckled, then patted Lex on the shoulder. "She’s a mite protective of that little one, isn’t she?"

Turning back to look into the room, Lex couldn’t help but agree. Amanda hadn’t put the baby down since they got back from the hospital. "I think we’re all going to be."

"Probably so." Jacob noticed the dark circles under Lex’s eyes. "Why don’t you go on in there, and you three get some rest? Michael’s still trying to track down Frank’s parents, so there’s really not much more that can be done right now."

"That’s probably the best idea I’ve heard in days." Lex gave Jacob a firm hug, then watched as he went down the hallway toward the stairs. She walked slowly into the bedroom, hoping that Amanda would see her and not be startled by her sudden appearance.

Sensing someone else in the room, Amanda looked up and smiled at her partner. "Hi," she whispered, not wanting to wake the baby. She could tell by the way that Lex limped into the room that her leg was bothering her. "Could you come here?"

Lex nodded. In no time at all, she was standing right in front of the rocker. "How’s she doing?"

"Good." Amanda shifted the baby so that she could raise the small bundle. "Could you take her, so that I can get up? I’m afraid my leg has fallen asleep." Although it wasn’t a lie, Amanda knew she’d have no problem getting up. She just wanted to give Lex an opportunity to hold Lorrie, which she’d avoided doing so far.

"Me? Hold her?" Lex took a step back. "Do you really think that’s a good idea? I’ve never held a baby before." The closest she’d ever come to holding a baby was when she had been a teenager, and one of her friend’s cats had kittens. She’d held one of the blind, mewing tufts of fur, terrified the entire time that she’d crush it in her hands. Lorrie’s not much bigger than one of those kittens. I can’t do this!

Amanda barely lifted the baby. "Come here, Lex. I’ll show you how."

Riding wild horses didn’t scare her as much as taking that step forward, and putting her hands under the sleeping infant. "God, she’s tiny," Lex marveled. She let Amanda place her hands in the correct position, and then she was holding Lorrie. "I bet one of my boots weigh more than she does."

"I’m sure they do." Amanda gently guided the baby in Lex’s hands, until her wife was holding Lorrie correctly. "See? There’s nothing to it."

Lex looked down at the sleeping child, her eyes almost tearing up with emotion. "She’s beautiful, Amanda." Holding the baby in her arms, with her lover by her side, made Lex realize what Amanda had been wanting. She didn’t know if she was quite ready for such a step, but she vowed to herself to seriously consider it, if not for Amanda’s sake, then for her own. "We’re going to take good care of you, Lil’ Bit," she promised the baby, "and your mama, too." She looked up into Amanda’s eyes. "Aren’t we?"

"We sure are." Amanda leaned forward and kissed the top of the baby’s head, then kissed Lex on the lips.

Chapter 11

Michael stormed out of the formal den, where he had been on the phone. "Those obnoxious, self-involved, arrogant assholes!" He almost ran over his father, who held out a hand to stop his progress.

"What’s the matter, son?"

Still fuming, Michael willed himself to calm down, although all he wanted to do was tear a couple of choice heads from their bodies. "They acted like it wasn’t that big of a deal, Dad. I told them their son was dead, and all they seemed to be worried about was missing the next leg of their vacation." He paced around the more open living room, shaking his head. "Now I know why we never got along. The Rivers’ have a wine tasting to attend in France, then they’ll head home. It’ll probably be late next week, though." He rested against the back of a heavy leather sofa. "Please tell me I never got that bad."

Jacob placed his hands in his pockets while he appeared to give the question a lot of consideration. "You were there for the birth of both your daughters, weren’t you? And for their high school and college graduations?"

"Yeah. But you know the girls. Do you think I could have been able to miss something as important as their graduations?"

"True." Jacob had to agree with his son on that one. "And, before you say it, I know there were a lot of things you did miss. I’m not condoning that, but I do understand it. You were the head of your own company, Michael. There were times when you couldn’t drop everything and run off to a piano recital."

Although he knew his father was right, Michael also knew there were more times than he could count where he could have adjusted his schedule for his children. But, at the time, he thought that work was more important. And just look at me now. I’m struggling to make ends meet as a photographer, but I’ve never been happier in my entire life. "Thanks, Dad." Something, no, make that someone, was missing this morning. "Where’s Mom?"

"She drove Lex, Amanda, and the baby up to the hospital this morning. I thought I’d stay behind, and see if I could help you with the arrangements for Frank."

Michael nodded. "I know we need to decide something soon, but I was hoping to see what Jeannie wanted." In spite of the fact that he was thrilled that his daughter had come out of her coma, he didn’t look forward to the conversation about her husband’s remains. "Do you think that she’ll be ready to talk today? I hate upsetting her."

"Your mother is supposed to call and let me know." Jacob put his arm around Michael’s shoulders and guided him into the kitchen. "How about I whip up some breakfast for the two of us while we wait? Or some coffee, at the very least."

"Sitting there ignoring me isn’t going to make me go away," Amanda stated softly. She stood at her sister’s bed side, trying to get some sort of reaction out of Jeannie.

For her part, Jeannie continued to look at the opposite wall. She had heard Amanda come into the room earlier, but just didn’t feel like talking with anyone. Buffeted by the wave of despair that threatened to engulf her, she longed to disappear back into the nothingness of her coma. There, she wouldn't have to feel the pain of losing her husband. She wouldn't have to be aware of how helpless her stroke had left her. She wouldn't have to face the challenge of raising a child who would never know her father. Or of struggling for every movement and for every word.

Jeannie finally spoke. "Go ‘way, Manda. Weave me wone." Fresh tears sprang into her eyes at the garbled words that came out of her mouth. I sound like such an idiot. Why didn’t I die, too? I can’t do this without Frank. She hoped that if she ignored her sister long enough, Amanda would get the hint and just leave her alone.

Amanda rubbed her hand across Jeannie’s arm, trying to soothe her any way that she could. "Do you think that Frank would want you to feel this way? I understand it’s painful, but–"

"Shud up!" Jeannie turned her head to glare at her sister. "You don’ know ow I beel. You couldnd!" Her eyes conveyed all the anger that her words could not. "Go back do your berfec wuber, an’ your berfec widdle wife. Dus weave me be." Jeannie turned her head again to face the wall. "Go ‘way," she finished in an anguished voice.

"I love you, Jeannie," Amanda murmured, right before she gave her sister’s arm one last squeeze and left the room. She stumbled down the hall to the waiting area, where Lex watched Anna Leigh talk nonsense to the baby. Amanda sat beside her grandmother and tried to wipe the tears of hurt from her eyes.

Lex put one hand on Amanda’s shoulder and leaned down to make eye contact with her. "I take it didn’t go too well in there, huh?"

"That’s putting it mildly." Scrubbing her face with her hands, Amanda inhaled deeply, then released the breath slowly. "She's in such pain that she switches between self-pity and anger. I tried to talk to her, but she told me that I couldn’t know how she felt, and ordered me to leave the room."

Anna Leigh looked up at Lex, expectantly. She didn’t have to speak, as her eyes conveyed all she wanted to say.

Lex stood up tall and stretched. "Well, I guess that it’s my turn, then." The last thing she wanted to do was go into that hospital room, but she’d given her word, and she never went back on that. She held out her hands to Anna Leigh, who handed the baby to her. "Come on, Lil’ Bit. Let’s go see your mama."

Anna Leigh and Amanda watched as Lex carried the infant down the hallway, then disappeared into Jeannie’s room. "She certainly looks a lot more comfortable with Lorrie this morning," Anna Leigh commented.

Amanda couldn’t help but smile. "She should. I think Lex took as many turns getting up with her as I did last night. When I woke up this morning, Lex was propped up on pillows in the bed with the baby sprawled on her chest, both of them sound asleep. If Lorrie wasn’t so young, I’d almost be jealous," she tried to joke, but her heart just wasn’t in it.

Pushing the door open slowly, Lex peeked inside. She saw that Jeannie lay still in the bed, her head turned toward the far wall. She must have heard the door open, because her head turned slightly, then faced the wall again.

"Hi, Jeannie. I brought you another visitor," Lex explained quietly. Hospitals always gave her the creeps, and this one was no exception.

"Go ‘way," Jeannie grumbled, not bothering to turn her head.

Lex ignored the plea, instead sitting in the chair next to the bed. "I’m afraid I can’t do that just yet. At least not until we talk for a bit."

"I don’ wanna ‘alk. I can’. Wisen ooh me. I soun’ wike an iiod." Jeannie began to cry softly. "Pwese go ‘way, Wex."

After she stood up, Lex sat on the edge of the bed. She held the baby in one arm, while she used her free hand to touch Jeannie’s shoulder. "I’m afraid I can’t do that, Jeannie. There’s a lot of folks who care about you, and we all want to do what we can to help you get through this time."

Jeannie shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, wanting to escape-- wanting to be anywhere but where she was, who she was, and how she felt.

"I wish there was something that we could say or do to make everything all right for you. This has got to be the hardest thing you've ever had to face." Lex patted the baby, who had started to stir in her arms. She gazed into the baby's eyes. Lorrie was watching her intently. Lex smiled down at her and stoked her tiny cheek with her fingertips. When she raised her eyes again, she saw Jeannie turn her head away. All of the losses in Lex's life surfaced, along with the realization of her deep protective feelings for Jeannie's child. Lex's heart demanded to be expressed. Jeannie's loss became her loss, and the words she spoke next were for the both of them.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be. Frank should be here holding his daughter. You shouldn't have had a stroke. You should be together. You, Frank, and Lorrie. You should be a family. This isn't fair. It isn't right. You shouldn't have to have people standing over you telling you that everything is going to be all right when it's not. When you know deep in your heart that nothing will ever take this hurt away. When all you can hope for is to find a way to live with this pain. This isn't the way it’s supposed to be," Lex repeated.

Jeannie turned her head back toward Lex and raised her opened hand to her as if making a plea. Then she shut her eyes again in one last attempt to stem the flow of tears and sorrow that threatened to sweep her away in their intensity.

Lex shifted her hold on the baby and took Jeannie's hand. "I can't make it stop, Jeannie. I can't wake you up from this nightmare." Lex’s voice got even quieter and her eyes clouded as her own grief rose to the surface. "It wasn’t that long ago I lost my father. Even though we had our differences, I worshipped the ground that man walked on. My entire life was spent trying to be good enough for him, and it took him dying before we reconciled that." Lex realized she said more than she should, and cleared her voice to cover her embarrassment. "Anyway, after he was gone, I spent a lot of time brooding over things I couldn’t change. All my chances to be a daughter to him were gone. I hated that. I resented that I had to grow up not knowing my mother, and then lose my father just as I found out that he really didn't hate me.

Don't do that to Lorrie."

She placed Lorrie in the crook of Jeannie’s arm, then brought the appendage up so it cradled the baby. "You’ve got a lot to live for. And there’s a little girl here who needs her mama. You've got to love her for both you and Frank."

Jeannie’s head turned, and she looked down at the infant beside her. "She’s god Fwank’s hair," she marveled as fresh tears tracked down her face. Then her eyes glanced up and met Lex’s. Emotionally spent, all she could do was nod.

"She looks so melancholy. Probably due to living with that woman," Elizabeth snarled. Her view of her daughter was cut short by Lex leaving Jeannie’s room and walking over to stand in front of Amanda. She pulled her head back around the corner, not wanting to be seen. Yet. Turning around, she crossed her arms over her chest. "So? Tell me you have some good news, for a change," she asked Terence.

He scratched at the back of his neck, wishing once again that he could get back into his expensive suits, and leave the hospital wear behind. "From what I’ve gathered, your daughter’s condition has improved quite a bit. As a matter of fact, they may want to release her in the next few days." A quick slap against his arm caused Terence to cry out. "Ow! What was that for?"

Elizabeth grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him close. "You imbecile. I wanted to know about Amanda! I already know my other daughter’s condition. She’s a half-crippled, barely understandable mess. Lord knows what I’ll be able to do with her."

"But Liz–"

"Don’t whine to me, you mealy-mouthed little idiot. I need to know what that hick has done to my little girl, to make her so upset. If we can figure that out, it should give me just what I need to take Amanda away from her, for good." Elizabeth released his shirt, then wiped her hand on it as if soiled. "One way or another, I’m taking my daughter back."

Terence watched as Elizabeth retreated down the hall, his eyes wide. "That woman is completely crazy." He brushed off the front of his "uniform" before taking a different route through the hospital. "I guess that makes me just as nuts, since I’m working for her," he mumbled. No matter how hard he tried, Terence couldn’t figure out how to get away from Liz, without her retaliating against him. But, he decided, at least the pay was good.

After a long morning at the hospital, the family was just about to sit down for a late lunch when the phone rang. Michael, being the closest, answered the call. "Hello?" He waited for several moments, then a smile broke out onto his face. "It’s good to hear from you, Charlie. Yes, thank you very much. Sure, hold on a moment." He held the receiver out. "Lex, it’s for you."

Lex walked around the kitchen table and took the phone. "Thanks." She held the receiver up to her ear, and unconsciously turned away from everyone. "Hello?"

"Lex? This is Charlie."

"Oh, hi."

"How are you girls holding up? Martha told me the news."

Before going to bed the night before, Lex had spent a long time on the phone to Martha, telling the housekeeper everything that had happened. Since she had to be the support for Amanda, she needed someone to talk to that could be her support. "About as good as could be expected, I suppose. It’s really rough around here," Lex murmured into the phone.

"I can just imagine, kiddo." Charlie was quiet for a moment, then cleared his throat. "I checked out those explosions you said you heard. Seems like whoever owns the property north of you, was blowing some rock to make a dam on the creek. They’ve also cleared a bunch of the land nearby, but I don’t know what for. I’ve got deputies trying to find out more."

"I thought the creek had been dammed. The water was too low for it to have come naturally." Lex leaned against the counter top, watching as the rest of the family sat down at the table and tried not to listen in to her conversation. "Since the creek is a source of water for several properties, they can’t legally dam it, can they?" With the running of the ranch in her hands for so many years, Lex tried to keep up with all the laws and statutes that affected the ranch. It had saved her many times in the past.

"They couldn’t, if they completely dammed it. But as it is, water is getting through, although slowly," Charlie answered, apologetically. "We’re not even sure who owns the property, yet."

Lex thought about the events in recent weeks. At the bidding, Andrew Wilson seemed a little too anxious to buy the property she had just acquired. Now she just needed to find out who he worked for. "He certainly wasn’t smart enough to be working on his own," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Oh, sorry about that. I was just thinking about the bidding, where I picked up the new property. Some guy was pretty hot about buying it from me."

"Did you get his name?" Charlie asked, still in lawman mode. "I can try checking him out."

"Yeah. He said his name was Andrew Wilson, for all the good that’ll do you. I have a feeling this is a lot bigger than we think, Charlie." Lex rubbed her forehead to stave off the headache that was coming on.

"You’re probably right. I think while I’m at it, I’ll check the tax records for the entire area. Could be someone’s up to something."

"All right."

Charlie’s voice changed to a quieter tone. "Are you okay, Lex?"

"Sure, Charlie. I’m just fine." She didn’t feel fine, though. The gravity of the situation, as well as everything else that had happened, was weighing heavily on Lex’s mind. She knew that it was going to get a lot worse, before it got better.

"Uh-huh." Not convinced, Charlie let the question drop. "I know you’re probably busy out there, so I’ll let you go. Give us a ring if you need anything, all right?"

"I sure will, Charlie. Thank you." Lex hung up the phone, feeling more worn out than before. She turned around and her eyes sought out her partner’s. "If everyone will excuse me, I’m not very hungry right now." Lex left the room, and Amanda stood up as well.

"I think I’ll go–" Amanda gestured to the doorway that Lex just walked through.

Anna Leigh spoke for everyone else in the room. "You go right ahead, dearest. We’ll listen for the baby." Lorrie had fallen asleep on the way back from the hospital, and Michael had placed her in the bassinet they had put in the living room. "Let us know if you or Lexington need anything."

"Thanks, Grandma." Amanda rushed out of the room in search of her partner. Not finding Lex on the main floor, she was about to traverse the stairs when she noticed the front door slightly ajar.

Lex sat on the front steps, her elbows on her knees, and her head in her hands. She heard the door open, and wasn’t surprised when she felt someone sit beside her. Her mind was spinning with what Charlie had told her. Lex wondered if whoever bought and dammed the property was involved with her losing her money. She didn’t think so, but stranger things had happened. Now there was the added burden of Frank’s death, and what they were going to do about Jeannie and the baby.

"Lex?" Amanda put her hand on her lover’s arm. "Is everything okay at home?"

Raising her head, Lex turned and looked into Amanda’s face. "Yeah, things are okay there. Charlie just wanted to let me know that whoever owns the property north of ours, has cleared the land and partially dammed the creek. He’s still trying to find out who, and why." She tried to force a smile onto her face, but wasn’t very successful. "Sorry for running out on lunch like that."

Amanda scooted closer and then put her arm around Lex’s waist. "You don’t have to apologize, Lex. I just want to help, if I can."

"That’s what I want to do," Lex whispered. "I want to help you, and your family. There’s just so much going on." She leaned her head to the side, until it touched Amanda’s. The contact made Lex feel better, but she knew there was a lot they still had to talk about.

Later that day, Michael stormed out of Jeannie’s hospital room. He nearly ran over the man who was mopping the floors. "Excuse me. I didn’t mean to–"

"No, that’s all right. It happens all the time," the janitor assured him. He picked up his mop and dropped the head back into the rolling bucket. "No problem." Not bothering to take his orange caution cone with him, the man wheeled the bucket around the corner and out of sight.

Michael watched the man leave and then shook his head. "Strange. I’ll swear that guy is here all the time, cleaning the floor." He went in search of his mother and father, who had made the trip to the hospital with him. Finding them in the waiting area, Michael sat down beside his mother and leaned back in the chair. "How did I manage to have two daughters that were so damned stubborn?"

"I’d have to say it was hereditary," Jacob explained, with a pointed glance at his wife. "But you always said you wanted children who could speak their mind. What did Jeannie say to upset you?"

"I hated to bring it up to her, but I had to ask about Frank."

Anna Leigh, who had glared at her husband over his earlier remark, touched her son’s knee. "I know that had to be hard on both of you. What did she decide?"

Michael stood up so that he could pace around the small area. "She wants him cremated!"

"So? What’s so wrong about that?" Anna Leigh asked.

"You don’t get it, Mom," Michael tried to explain. "She told me she wanted him cremated, so that she could keep him with her! That can’t be a healthy thing."

Jacob stood up also, and stopped his son’s movement. "I agree, son. But it’s also so soon after his death. Maybe, in time–"

"And what do I tell his parents? As much as I dislike them, this won’t be easy. I’m sure they’d rather have a grave that they can place flowers on, and things like that." Michael dropped back into a chair. "As a parent, I know I would want some kind of closure."

A tall man in a lab coat stopped when he saw Michael in the waiting area. "Mr. Cauble? I’m Doctor Webster. I’ve been checking in on your daughter."

Michael stood up and shook the doctor’s hand. "Oh, that’s right. How is she doing, doctor? Has there been any problems?"

"No, she’s actually progressing along quite well. I was just going to talk to you about her care after she’s released." Dr. Webster flipped through a folder, then looked back up at Michael. "I’d say she could leave here in a day or so, if she continues to progress."

"That’s great." Michael looked to his parents for support. "Is there anything special we’ll need to do for her?"

The doctor nodded. "I have a list of assisted living centers nearby, who are all very capable of handling a case such as hers. If you like, I can–" He didn’t see the pair of women who walked into the area.

"Assisted living?" Amanda asked. "Are you suggesting that we put Jeannie into a home?"

The doctor turned to address the newcomers. "Well, yes. It would be the best thing for her. She’s going to need therapy and twenty-four hour assistance for the next few months. A nursing home would be the best thing for her, and for all of you."

Lex stood next to Amanda, and placed her hand on her wife’s shoulder. "How could locking her away from her family be good for her? Isn’t there another option?"

"Do you plan on taking care of her? Feeding, bathing, and helping her with all her needs?" Dr. Webster hated to sound so harsh, but he had seen so many good-intentioned families ruined by a loved one’s illness.

Seeing the anguished faces around her, Lex said the only thing she could. "Yes. We’ll take her back to Texas with us, and her family will see to Jeannie’s needs." When Amanda turned and looked adoringly into her eyes, Lex knew it was exactly the right answer.

"That’s right, Dr. Webster," Anna Leigh added. "You don’t know our family very well. When can we start making arrangements for Jeannie’s trip home?"

He shook his head and sighed. "I’ll have the duty nurse come talk to you." Dr. Webster walked away, hoping that this family would be able to handle the extreme stress it was about to experience.

Chapter 12

The darkened hospital chapel was filled to capacity, all eyes on the gray, polished metal urn that set upon the table at the front of the room. The minister had just finished the short ceremony, and leaned down to speak a few quiet words to the woman in the wheelchair that was parked on the front row.

Only able to use one side of her body, Jeannie refused to relinquish the grip she had on the strong hand in her lap. She turned her head and appealed to the owner of the appendage, who sat next to her.

"That was a fine service, Reverend," Lex said, understanding that Jeannie didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone outside of the family, due to her speech problems. "I’m sure Mrs. Rivers appreciates your kind words."

Jeannie nodded, still not wanting to speak. After the clergyman left, Jeannie turned to look at the urn, and then back at Lex. For some reason she had developed an attachment to her sister-in-law, and only wanted Lex around her. She looked up into Lex’s eyes. "Pwease? My woom?"

"What?" Lex felt the hand in hers tighten. "You want to take the urn back to your room?"

"Mmm-hmm." Jeannie started to cry again, and Lex pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her face.

"Sssh. It’s okay. I’ll take care of it," Lex promised. There was just something about the Cauble women that she couldn’t say no, to. "How about if Amanda takes you back to your room, and I’ll bring," she looked at the urn, unsure of what to call it, "that back."

"No." Jeannie pulled Lex’s hand closer. "Don’ weave me."

Lex sighed. "I can’t carry that, and push your chair, Jeannie." She turned to Amanda, who was sitting on the other side of her. Her lover was taking Frank’s death almost as hard as Jeannie was, since they had been close friends since high school. It was Amanda who had introduced Jeannie to Frank, and she was having a rough time as well. There’s no way in hell I’m going to ask Amanda to carry what’s left of her best friend back to Jeannie’s room. There’s got to be another way.

Before she could figure out what to do, Anna Leigh, who had overheard the conversation, handed Lorrie to Amanda. "Mandy, I think someone is missing their auntie." She winked at Lex, then squatted next to Jeannie’s chair. "Would it be all right if I carried the urn for you, Jeannie?"

God bless you, Anna Leigh. Lex waited until Jeannie nodded, then leaned down to release the brakes on the wheelchair. "Let’s get you back to your room." She wheeled Jeannie through the throng of well wishers, remembering all too well how hard it was to be polite to people when all you really wanted to do was hide somewhere and cry.

It didn’t take long for Lex, Jeannie, Amanda and Anna Leigh to return to the hospital room. The cheery atmosphere of flowers and balloons was more than Jeannie could handle, and she leaned forward in her chair and sobbed.

Amanda, holding the baby, bit her lip to keep from joining her sister. She allowed her grandmother to guide her to a nearby chair, where she sat down and began to rock Lorrie.

Lex was torn. She wanted to go to Amanda, but seeing Jeannie in such a vulnerable state broke her heart. With Anna Leigh’s help, it didn’t take long for them to get Jeannie back into her bed. Trying to be of some comfort, Lex sat on the edge of the bed. Jeannie immediately reached for her with her one good arm, and Lex pulled the crying woman close. She gently rocked the grieving Jeannie, who clung to her as if her life depended on it.

The door opened. Michael stepped in, followed by Jeannie’s doctor and a nurse. The doctor had been present at the services, and he thought that his patient would do better after a tranquilizer. "Mrs. Rivers, I’ve prescribed something to help you rest."

"Nooo," Jeannie wailed, clinging tighter to Lex.

"I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good," Dr. Webster explained, nodding to the nurse.

Lex turned to block their access to Jeannie with her own body. "Is drugging her into oblivion absolutely necessary? Can’t you damned people just let the woman alone to grieve?" She held Jeannie’s head to her chest, trying to keep her calm.

"I think that as her physician I know what’s best for Mrs. Rivers. Now if you’ll just move out of the way–"

"Back off," Lex snapped. She’d had all she could stand of the pompous doctor. "If you don’t want that shot to become an enema, I’d suggest you both get out of here."

Dr. Webster turned to look at Anna Leigh, who had one hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at his expression. "Did you hear her threaten me?"

"Actually," Anna Leigh chortled, "I’d think it was more of a promise, than a threat." She got herself under control and began to lead the doctor from the room. "Please, let our family take care of Jeannie. She just needs a little time, not more medication."

"All right. I’ll send a nurse back in to check on her later. If she’s still hysterical, I’m going to have to sedate her." He left, followed by his nurse, who was grinning.

Anna Leigh turned back around to face the women on the bed. "Lexington, that wasn’t nice."

"But it was well-deserved," Amanda added. "I never have liked that man’s attitude."

Jeannie pulled back from Lex’s grasp, her shoulders shaking, but she was no longer crying. "Enema?" she asked slowly, then bursting into laughter. "Dat was a good un’."

"Well, he was a jackass," Lex defended herself, glad to see Jeannie in better spirits. She knew it wasn’t the end of the tears, but she was happy to see some healing begin. When Jeannie tried to lean back, Lex helped her lie back on the bed. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. I jus’ wan’ some ‘ime awone," Jeannie admitted. "You, ‘nigh’?"

Lex nodded, combing the hair out of Jeannie’s face with her fingers. "Sure. We’ll come back tonight." She leaned down and kissed her sister-in-law’s forehead. "Have them call if you want us back sooner."

"’kay." Jeannie closed her eyes, exhausted by the emotional ordeal.

When Lex pulled the rental car onto their street, she noticed a black limousine parked in front of Jeannie’s house. She turned to Anna Leigh, who was in the seat beside her. "Do you have any idea what that’s about?"

"No, I surely don’t," Anna Leigh answered. She turned slightly to speak to Amanda, who was in the back, next to the baby’s car seat. "Mandy? Do you know anything about a limousine?"

Amanda shook her head. "Nope."

They stayed silent until Lex pulled into the driveway. Not long after, Michael and Jacob drove in beside them.

Lex had already gotten out of the car, and was on her way up to the house, where a man and woman stood on the steps. Both middle-aged, the man was dressed in an expensive black suit, while the woman wore a gray linen skirt and matching top. "Excuse me, can we help you with something?" she asked them.

The man walked over to her, the woman trailing behind. "Who the hell are you?"

"Hello, Harrison, Veronica. I wasn’t expecting you for a few days," Michael said, moving past Lex and holding out his hand. "I’d like for you to meet my daughter-in-law, Lexington Walters. Lex, this is Harrison and Veronica Rivers, Frank’s parents."

Lex offered her hand, surprised when she was ignored. "I’m sorry for your loss, Mr.–"

"Daughter-in-law? How’s that possible?" Harrison boomed. He looked back at Amanda, who held Lorrie. "You can’t mean? That’s ludicrous, Cauble." He put his hands on his hips. "Where have you been, anyway? We’ve just come from the airport, and expected for someone to be here."

Michael took a step back, confused by the man’s ire. He and Harrison Rivers weren’t friends, but they had always been at least civil to each other. "I’m sorry about that, Harrison. We were at the hospital chapel, attending the service for Frank. Had we known you were on the way, we’d have postponed it so that you could–"

"What the hell do you mean, Frank’s service? And why at the hospital?"

Jacob moved to stand behind his son. "Mr. Rivers, Jeannie wasn’t well enough to travel to a large service, so we had a small gathering at the chapel, where she would be able to be there. As a matter of fact, the urn–"

"Now wait just a goddamned minute! Did you say urn?" Harrison leaned into Michael’s face. "You had my son cremated? Who the hell made that decision?"

"It was Jeannie’s decision, Harrison. After all, she was his wife," Michael explained, getting more angry by the moment. "Not like you seemed to care, traipsing all over Europe."

Harrison glared at his in-law. Realizing he couldn’t change what had already happened, he nodded. "All right. Where’s the urn, now?"

"In Jeannie’s hospital room. She wanted it with her."

"What? Is that some sort of sick joke?" Harrison made a point of glaring at Amanda. "One of your daughters is a queer, and the other one’s some sort of necrophiliac?" He was about to say something more, when Jacob reached for his arm.

"Mr. Rivers, please. I think we all need to calm down." Jacob grasped the angry man’s forearm.

Harrison jerked his arm away, almost causing Jacob to fall. "This is none of your concern, old man!"

Michael lunged for Harrison. "Hey!" He felt arms grab him from behind, and he struggled wildly to break free. But when elbow connected with something solid, he was quickly released.

"Ugh," Lex groaned, falling back away from the melee. She thought she was helping keep Michael out of trouble, until his elbow slammed into her nose, causing it to bleed. She landed on her rear, a few feet away.

"You son of a bitch!" Michael yelled. He was about to punch the larger man in the face, when they were both hit with a stream of water.

Anna Leigh trained the hose on her son. "If you’re going to act like children, then perhaps it’s best we treat you that way," she yelled over their shouts. Once she was convinced that the would-be fight was over, she turned off the hose.

"Are you all right, Lex?" Amanda knelt beside her wife, who was trying to control her bleeding nose. She would have tried to help, but she was still holding Lorrie, who slept through the entire scene.

Michael turned and saw Lex sitting on the ground. "Oh, no. Not again." He ignored a sputtering Harrison, and joined Amanda. "I’m sorry, Lex. I guess that’s two you owe me now, isn’t it?" He referred to the time that he punched Lex in the face, thinking that she had brought injury to Amanda while they were visiting in California. He pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed it to his daughter-in-law. "Is it broken?"

"I don’t think so. Just caught me at the right angle." Lex accepted the handkerchief and held it to her face. "If you keep this up, I’ll start to think you don’t like me," she joked. She looked over his shoulder at Anna Leigh. "Nice shot with the garden hose."

"Thank you." Anna Leigh swatted Michael on the arm. "Take Mr. Rivers inside, and the two of you get dried off. I’ll expect you to be a good host."

"Yes, ma’am." Michael trudged back to the house, gesturing for the Frank’s parents to follow him.

"And as for you two," Anna Leigh told the two women, "Mandy, give me the baby, and then take Lexington upstairs to get cleaned up. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks, but you really need to get that shirt soaking before the stain sets." She referred to Lex’s pale gray top, which was now liberally stained with blood.

Amanda did as she was told, then helped Lex to her feet. "Yes, ma’am." They both saluted the older woman and hiked into the house.

"Ow!"

"Hold still, you big baby." Amanda grabbed Lex’s chin to keep her head from moving away. "I thought you said it didn’t hurt?" They were in the master bathroom, where she stood over Lex, who sat on the edge of the bathtub.

Lex tried to twist out of her lover’s grasp. "It didn’t, until you started scrubbing it so damned hard." She reached out and took hold of Amanda’s hands. "What are you so pissed off about? It wasn’t my fault."

"I know that. And I’m not pissed off, I’m just trying–" Amanda stopped. She had been scrubbing the blood from Lex’s face harder than necessary. "I’m sorry." She leaned over and placed a light kiss on the tip of her wife’s nose. "Forgive me?"

Pulling Amanda’s hands to her lips, Lex kissed them. "Nothing to forgive. But you want to tell me what’s got your britches all in a twist?"

Amanda laughed. Sometimes the little things that Lex said were just too cute. "Frank’s dad."

"We’ve heard worse from folks before. Why now?"

"He’s always been a bit pompous, but he’s never been actually mean, before." Amanda started to open the snaps on Lex’s western shirt. "He usually just said hello, and then went along and took care of his business. Not go out of his way to be hurtful."

Lex sat quietly while Amanda removed her shirt, and watched as she placed it in the sink to soak. "Maybe it’s because he’s hurting, too. The man just lost his only son, then flew halfway across the world, only to find out the funeral was over." She gingerly touched her nose and was thankful it wasn’t broken.

"Maybe." Amanda picked up the tee shirt she had brought in from the bedroom. "Arms up."

Although she was more than capable of dressing herself, Lex allowed Amanda to slip the shirt over her head and pull it down her body. She knew that her lover needed something to do while she talked, or she’d get even more upset. Once the shirt was on to Amanda’s satisfaction, Lex stood up. "Thanks, love."

"You’re welcome." Amanda felt a little ridiculous for her earlier behavior, but was heartened when she was enveloped in a strong hug. "Can we just stay like this forever?"

"I wish." But with a final squeeze, Lex pulled away. She bent her head forward and captured Amanda’s lips, prolonging the kiss as long as possible. When they at last broke apart, she held one of her lover’s hands and led her through the bedroom and into the hallway. "But I think we better get downstairs, just in case your grandmother needs to break out the garden hose again."

Hearing voices, they followed the sound into the formal living room. There they found the Rivers’ sharing a loveseat, with Harrison wearing a towel around his neck, and his suit and tie missing. At a right angle to the loveseat, Michael sat in a matching chair, similarly clad.

"I understand that, Harrison, believe me. But that’s still no reason to go off like you did." Michael noticed the two women standing in the doorway, and he stood up. "Lex, Amanda. Come in and sit down."

Amanda led the way, but made it a point to not look at Harrison as she and Lex sat on the leather sofa directly across from their guests. "Thanks, Daddy. I’m sorry it took us so long."

"That’s fine, sweetheart." Michael waited until Lex was seated before he addressed her. "How’s the nose? Should I be expecting a lawsuit?"

Lex laughed, even though the motion caused her face to ache. "Not this time, Michael. But if I were you, I’d be careful the next time you let me saddle your horse."

Jacob and Anna Leigh entered the room at that moment, each carrying a tray. His had the coffee carafe and mugs, while hers held what appeared to be small sandwiches. "That sounds like a good trade off," Jacob teased, placing his tray on the wide coffee table in front of their guests. He winked at Lex. "Just make sure you take pictures when my son slides off the horse, and I’ll be happy."

"Dad!" Michael shrugged his shoulders at Harrison and his wife. "Honestly, she’d never do anything like that." He turned back to Lex. "Would you?"

"Of course not, Michael." Lex accepted a cup of coffee from Jacob, nodding her thanks. "That could be dangerous for my horses." But her smile showed she was joking, and she looked across the room to make eye contact with the Rivers’. Lex was determined not to let Harrison get away with his obnoxious attitude, if only to put him in his place after he upset Amanda. "Mr. Rivers, my wife tells me that you’re an attorney. What area of law do you specialize in?"

Harrison almost spit out the sandwich he had taken a bite of. "Your, ah, well. My firm handles corporate litigation, Ms. Walters. Did I understand correctly, that you’re a farmer?"

"Rancher, actually. We have a modest spread outside of Austin," Lex informed him, taking hold of Amanda’s hand and pulling it into her lap.

Anna Leigh knew what Lex was doing. And even though she enjoyed watching the pompous man squirm, she didn’t want a repeat of what happened outside earlier. "Veronica, that’s a lovely outfit you’re wearing. You must tell me where you got it."

"Oh, this?" The meek woman brushed her hands down the linen suit. "There’s this quaint little shop right off Rodeo Drive, and–"

"For God’s sake, woman. No one really gives a damn where you shop," Harrison complained. "We have more important issues to discuss. Like our granddaughter."

Michael leaned forward. He had a pretty good idea what Harrison was about to say, but was not prepared for the words that left the attorney’s mouth.

"I’m sure your daughter will be leaving the hospital soon, since there’s not much else they can do for her. Am I correct?" At Michael’s nod, Harrison continued, "Have you decided which nursing home you’ll have Jean placed in?"

"What? Why?" Michael asked, completely confused.

"Well, you all have lives back in Texas, and I’m sure you need to get back to them. It’s obvious that in her present condition, Jean cannot stay in this house. It’ll be much easier for us to take care of our granddaughter if her mother is placed in a home nearby."

Amanda didn’t like where the conversation was going, and she really didn’t care for the tone in Harrison’s voice. "And what makes you think that you’ll be taking care of Lorrie?"

He looked at her as if she were an idiot. "You don’t think your sister can, do you? We’re the only family that baby has here that’s capable of taking care of her."

"I hate to break this to you, Mr. Rivers, but Amanda and I are legally responsible for Lorrie's well-being, at least until Jeannie gets back on her feet." Lex released Amanda’s hand, and placed her arm across her lover’s shoulders. "We’re her god-parents."

"What? Just exactly what kind of idiot would do that?" Harrison yelled, his face turning red.

"Your son," Michael explained. "He and Jeannie took care of all the paperwork months ago, once they found out she was expecting. They knew that Lex and Amanda would give their child all the love and protection she needed, should anything happen to them."

Harrison stood up, pulling his wife up with him. "We’ll just see about that. There’s no way in hell I plan on letting a grandchild of mine be raised by the likes of them! Come along, Veronica." He practically dragged her behind as he stormed from the room.

"Thank you for having us. I’m sorry," Veronica whispered to Anna Leigh, right before the front door closed behind them.

Michael stood up and removed the towel from around his neck. "That went well, didn’t it?" When he didn’t get an answer from anyone else in the room, Michael tossed the towel in the chair he just recently vacated. "I’m sorry you had to listen to Harrison’s bullshit. The man has obviously got his priorities out of whack." His in-law’s words haunted Michael. It wasn’t that long ago that I would have been agreeing with him. Am I that much better than he is, just because I’ve finally had my eyes opened? "If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some arrangements to make, so that we can bring Jeannie home."

"Speaking of arrangements, I think we need to talk about where Jeannie will be staying." Lex had her own ideas, but she wanted to give Jeannie’s family a chance to talk about all the options. "I don’t think she should be put into a nursing home, just because of her condition."

Jacob traded glances with his wife. "We talked about that in the kitchen, and we agree with you, Lex. We think that she’d be better off with family. I suppose we could have the downstairs living room at our home renovated into a bedroom."

"You could, or we could have the office cleared out in the ranch house, and turn it into a bedroom. It wouldn’t take as much work, and–"

"And I could take a leave of absence from the real estate office, and take care of her," Amanda finished. Her guilt over being jealous of Jeannie’s new baby made her want to do something to help.

Lex turned to look at her wife. "We can also hire a nurse, and a physical therapist. Jeannie’s going to need more than what we can give her, you know."

"Maybe. But I think she’d feel a lot better with her family taking care of her, than some stranger." Amanda didn’t know why her partner was being so stubborn about this. Didn’t she understand why Amanda had to take care of her sister? It was as if Lex was determined to undermine her attempt at penance.

Standing up, Lex dusted off her slacks, even though there was nothing on them. She knew there was no sense in arguing with Amanda over this. They’d have plenty of time later to do that. "If it’s okay with you, I’ll call Martha and have her start clearing out the ranch office," she asked the older couple. "Unless you’d like me to have her organize the revamping of your living room."

"No, Lex. I think that the ranch would be a better place for Jeannie. She seems to have bonded with you during this time, and being closer to you might be just the thing for her. That is, if you don’t mind," Jacob admitted. "It would take longer to change our living room into a bedroom for her, than we have time for, I’m afraid."

"All right, then. I’ll just go upstairs and get my cell phone, and let you know what she says." Hurt by her partner’s attitude, Lex left the room, leaving a quizzical Amanda behind.

"Is it just me, or did she just practically ignore my offer of taking care of Jeannie?" Amanda asked her grandparents, who sat across from her on the loveseat. For some reason, she thought about what Ellie had said about Lex. "She lords over you like some kind of–" No, she doesn’t. She’s just concerned about Jeannie, and is trying to help the family out any way she can. I should be grateful that Lex is so caring.

The upset look on Amanda’s face caused Anna Leigh to clear her throat. "Ahem. Mandy? Is everything all right?"

"What? Oh, right." Amanda straightened up in her seat and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I’m sorry. I guess I was just thinking about what Lex had said. I don’t know why she seemed so dead set against me taking care of my own sister. I guess she’s afraid that if I do, I won’t have enough time for her."

"I don’t think that’s the case at all, Peanut." Jacob took both of Anna Leigh’s hands in his and held them close. "Being a nurse for someone full-time, even if you love them dearly, can take a lot out of a person. I wasn’t as incapacitated after my auto accident as Jeannie is now, yet your poor grandmother nearly killed herself by taking care of me. I believe that Lex is just afraid that you’ll do the same thing, and is trying to prevent that."

"Oh." Amanda had the decency to be embarrassed by her uncharitable thoughts. "I didn’t think of it that way, Grandpa." Guess I have an apology to make. She was about to get up and go find Lex, when she heard the baby’s cries. "Sounds like someone is ready for a meal." She stood and started out of the room. "I’ll take care of Lorrie, if you two want to sit and relax for a bit."

Anna Leigh snuggled closer to her husband. "We have the room to ourselves for a change, handsome. Got any ideas?"

"I’ve got several, but most of them would embarrass the kids," Jacob murmured, leaning over and covering her lips with his.

Chapter 13

Tired of swinging the mop over the impeccably clean floors, Terence locked it away in the janitorial closet. He knew that Liz wanted him to keep an eye on her daughter’s hospital room, but he was afraid that someone would start to notice if he kept cleaning the floor nearby. On his way back from the closet, he thought he heard a sound, and stopped outside of a door. He heard the sound again, and opened the door and peered inside.

The woman lying on the bed seemed to be trying to write. There was a notepad on the rollaway table in front of her, but it kept sliding away every time she put her pen on the page. She cried out in frustration, then threw the pen she was using to the corner of the room.

Terence felt sorry for the woman. She obviously was partially paralyzed, given the way she moved. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he stepped into the room. "Excuse me, miss?"

Jeannie turned her head and glared at the interruption. "Go ‘way," she slurred.

"I’m sorry, it’s just that I heard you, and wanted to make sure you were okay." Terence took a few more steps into the room, but stayed far enough away that he wouldn’t frighten the woman. Liz never told me her daughter was so beautiful. I can’t believe the way she spoke about her, like she didn’t matter anymore just because she was ill. "Is there something I can do to help you?"

"No." Feeling bad because of her inability to speak clearly, Jeannie didn’t want to talk any more than was necessary, especially to someone she didn’t know.

With a few more steps, Terence moved around the bed and pick up the pen. "Are you sure? I mean, if you need something written, I’ll be glad to help you."

Jeannie shook her head the best she could. She watched as he carefully placed the pen on top of the paper. His kindness to a virtual stranger surprised her, but she was unable to articulate her appreciation.

"Well, if there’s nothing I can do for you, I guess I’ll be going." Terence picked up the call button, and placed it in the hand he saw throw the pen. "If you need anything, just buzz the nurse. That’s what they get paid for." With a wink, he slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Outside the door, Terence heard voices coming down the hall. He hurried the other direction, until he was safely in the emergency stairwell. "I can’t do this." He sunk to the top step and buried his head in his hands. "Liz is a lunatic, and I’ve been helping her ruin the lives of good people. Lord knows what she’s going to do to that lovely woman in there, just because she doesn’t fit into her plans." The lure of money no longer held any interest to him. He lifted his head and took a deep breath. It was bad enough that the young woman he just saw was partially paralyzed, but knowing that she’d just lost her husband and her own mother didn’t care, made Terence realize that he’d been on the wrong side all along. "I’ve got to get away from her, and I have to try and make things right."

Moving Jeannie and Lorrie back to the ranch in Texas wasn’t quite as difficult as Lex had thought it would be. The only problem had been a vicious argument between Michael and Frank’s parents, who accused them all of trying to steal their only grandchild away. Showing more diplomacy than anyone suspected, Lex promised the Rivers’ that they would have ample opportunity to visit the infant, and left them an open invitation to come out to the ranch any time they wanted to. That seemed to appease them, and the rest of the trip went off uneventfully.

By the time they reached Somerville, the family learned that Martha had done her usual flawless planning. Lex’s office was now a small bedroom, complete with an electric hospital bed, a recliner to be used as a visitor’s chair and a remote-controlled television descending from the ceiling in one corner of the room. The office desk had been relegated to the front corner of the den near the windows, and the computer and telephone jacks had been professionally moved.

Martha, who spoke to Lex before the rancher left California, also removed part of the sitting area from the master bedroom and replaced it with a miniature nursery, putting the extra furniture in storage. She had left one of the chairs and a table with a lamp, so that when Lorrie needed feeding in the middle of the night, there would be a comfortable place to take care of her. Martha and Lex had agreed that Amanda would most likely balk at putting the baby in a separate room, since she rarely relinquished control of Lorrie’s care.

That’s something that we’re going to have to talk about. Lex stood on the front porch next to Martha, while the ambulance attendants wheeled Jeannie into the ranch house. Amanda was already upstairs, ostensibly to put Lorrie down for a nap, but Lex thought that she just wanted to be alone with the baby. Michael was in Jeannie’s room, and Jacob and Anna Leigh had just arrived, and were getting out of their vehicle.

"You look like you have the world’s troubles on your shoulders, Lexie. Is there something you’d like to talk about?" Martha couldn’t help but notice the distance between Lex and Amanda since they returned, not to mention the dark circles underneath the eyes of the woman next to her.

The smile that Lex forced onto her face never reached those eyes. "To tell you the truth, I’m not too sure where to start." Lex nodded a greeting at Jacob and Anna Leigh, who passed them on the porch and went into the house. "I’m worried about Jeannie. She won’t let the urn with Frank’s ashes out of her sight. Do you think that’s normal?"

Martha put her arm around Lex’s waist, and then the two of them looked off into the distance. The winter rye was already up, and the blanket of green in the wide field was a beautiful sight to behold. "Normal? No. Understandable, yes." She paused for a moment to gather the words that she thought Lex needed to hear. "Grief does strange things to folks, Lexie. You probably don’t remember, but after your mama passed away, your father wouldn’t let me change their bed linens. In the mornings, when I would come in to make the bed, I could tell by the way it was mussed he slept on her side, hugging her pillow. Then, over a month later, he made me box up anything and everything that had to do with Mrs. Walters and store it away."

"Really?" Lex tried to remember, but her memories were vague. "The only thing I can remember is being angry at her for leaving, and then thinking that Dad put all her pictures and other things away to punish me for thinking like that." The old familiar hurt was coming back, something that she still couldn’t fight. Lex rubbed her tired eyes with one hand. Enough of that. Dredging up the past isn’t going to help things now. "Were you able to hire a nurse? I know Amanda said that she wanted to take of Jeannie herself, but I think she’s going to have her hands full with the baby."

Understanding the non sequitur, Martha said, "I sure did." She had the appearance of someone who was extremely proud of themselves. "I talked to Doc Anderson, and he suggested that I call the hospital. They gave me the name and number of a nurse who had recently retired, although she’s only about my age."

Lex turned to face the housekeeper. "Are you hinting that you’d like to retire? Because if you are, I’ve…ow!" She rubbed her arm where Martha pinched her. "What?"

"For such a smart woman, you can be as dense as a forest sometimes. No, I’m not about to retire and let this beautiful house fall down. I have all the respect in the world for Amanda, but I also know that you wouldn’t know what to do without me," Martha huffed. "What I meant was, she was a little young to be retired. I’ve had her out to the house, and she’ll gladly take the guest room and live out here full time until Jeannie’s condition has improved. Then she’ll move back to town."

"That is good news. When does she start?"

"I told her next week. With all that’s happened, I thought that Jeannie would need a little time to get settled, before meeting someone new."

Lex pulled Martha into a hug. "Thank you for taking care of all of this for us." She kissed the older woman on the cheek. "You’re right, you know."

"About what?"

"We’d definitely not know what to do without you."

The knock on her hotel room door caused Liz to look up from her magazine. She was reclined on the bed, her legs daintily crossed, and not a wrinkle on the expensive slacks suit she was wearing. When the knock sounded a second time, she took off her reading glasses and set them on the nightstand. With a final grumble about hotel security, she stood and crossed the room to answer the door. "Terence. What do you mean by disturbing me at this time of the night?"

He checked his watch. Two o’clock in the afternoon? What’s up with her? "I’m sorry, Liz, but I thought you might want to know—"

"You fool." She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him into her room, slamming the door behind them. "What have I told you about being discreet?"

Terence struggled out of her grasp. "Like you’ve been? Spending God knows how much a day on this room and all its perks?" The slap on his face wasn’t expected, but he wasn’t surprised, either. He backed away from Liz. "That wasn’t necessary."

"Perhaps." Liz ignored his outraged look as she crossed the room to the bar and poured herself a drink from a crystal decanter. "Now that you’ve disturbed me, what is it that you want?" She sipped the caramel-colored liquid, enjoying how it burned down her throat.

"It’s about your daughter."

"Amanda? What has that worthless clod done with my baby this time?" Her calm demeanor broken, Liz’s face turned red. "If she’s hurt her in any way, I’ll—"

Afraid that she might throw the glass in her hand, Terence hurried over and took the drink from Liz. He placed it back on the bar, and attempted to lead her to a chair. "No, not her. Your other daughter. They’ve taken her from the hospital."

"Who has?" Liz’s voice rose in pitch. "Where is she?"

"The family took her back to Texas. At least that’s what the nurse on duty told me this morning, when I happened by her empty room." Terence decided that he needed a drink and was almost to the bar when he felt something hit him in the back of his head. He turned around and picked up the magazine that Liz had tossed at him. "What is your problem?"

"This morning? Why wasn’t I notified? My granddaughter. What about her? I need details, you worthless idiot!" She pushed by Terence on her way back to the bar, where she picked up her glass and drained it in one swallow.

Terence poured himself a similar drink, and tossed it back quickly. "Aren’t you concerned about your daughter?"

"Who cares about her? She’s ruined, and worth nothing to me now. But, the baby. Yes, the baby." Liz filled her glass again, and moved to the window to look outside. "I can raise her in my own image, just as I wanted to do with my girls. But that spineless husband of mine kept interfering." With her back to Terence, her voice became softer. "We’ll just see about who raises that child."

Ellie thanked the cab driver then turned and stared at the house she had grown up in. With the plain stucco exterior and red tiled roof, it looked like just about any other house on the block. They had moved there after her mother married her stepfather, so it was the only home she could really remember. She supposed that she had been happy growing up. Anthony treated her like his own, and even after William was born, doted on his daughter. But still, Ellie felt that there was something missing from her life. And after the trip to Texas, she knew what it was. The family that she had found was more than she could have expected, and even her cranky cousin couldn’t change the way she felt. This isn’t home anymore. Rolling her shoulders to relieve the tightness, Ellie walked up the steps and back into her mother’s house, perhaps for the last time. She was just glad she had stayed in a motel and rested up, before making the final leg of her journey.

"Tony, is that you?" a voice called from the rear of the house. "I thought you said that you’d be late. I haven’t—" Naomi Gordon almost dropped the plate she had been drying when she saw who stood in her living room. "Well. The prodigal returns."

The biting comment stung, but Ellie tried to ignore it. "Hi, Mom."

Naomi glared at her daughter, then turned and walked back into the kitchen. She didn’t wait for Ellie to follow her, because she knew her daughter. As expected, Ellie was only a few steps behind her. "Is that all you have to say? ‘Hi, Mom’? I get only one phone call from you the entire time you’re gone, and you show up in my house and ‘hi, Mom,’ me? I ought to kick you out of here, like I did before." She referred to when her daughter turned twenty-one, and was struggling through college. Naomi, tired of supporting both children, asked her daughter to leave. Only when Ellie was thirty-two and lost her job, did Naomi allow her back into the house.

"Actually, that’s one of the things I came back to talk to you about." Not certain how her mother would react, she stood by the kitchen entryway, far out of the woman’s reach. "I’ve decided to move to Texas. I’ve just come back to get my things."

"Your things? Are you talking about those ratty old clothes and other junk? I threw them out when I didn’t hear from you." Life’s disappointments had worn Naomi down, and she took out her frustrations on anyone and everyone within her grasp. Losing the only man she ever loved, she only married Anthony because he wanted a family, and she had a daughter. He hadn’t even cared whose child she was, and Naomi had always considered Anthony weak because of it. She turned away from the sink and met her daughter’s angry eyes. "I decided to turn your room into a sewing room, and your junk was just in my way."

Ellie fought the urge to knock some sense into her mother. "You didn’t throw away my books, too, did you? I need those." Her hands dropped to her sides, and she clenched her fists. "Please tell me you at least saved my textbooks." Although it had taken her longer than most, Ellie had finished college when she was twenty-eight, and had a good job, until she had been laid off. Now in-between jobs, she hoped the market was better in Texas.

"Your father did. We had a big fight over it, as a matter of fact." Bored with the conversation, Naomi returned to washing dishes. That was another fight she had with her husband. He wanted to buy a dishwasher, but she refused, because a machine couldn’t clean like her own hands could, at least in her mind. "He went through the trash and put your junk in the garage, not that I care."

Thank you, Dad. Ellie was going to miss her stepfather. He was the only reason she stayed around as long as she had. Maybe I can talk him into coming to Texas to visit. I bet he’d like the ranch, and my grandfather. "I guess that this is goodbye then."

"I doubt it. You’ll come running back home in no time, mark my words. But don’t think I’ll be taking you back into my house again. I’ve done my job raising you." Smug in her assumption, Naomi did her best to ignore her daughter, and returned to her household chores.

Even though she should have been used to her mother’s attitude, the words still hurt. As she made her way to the garage, Ellie couldn’t help her parting shot. "Oh, by the way mother. I thought you should know that I’m gay." The gasp and the sound of a dropped dish breaking on the floor gave Ellie some wicked sense of satisfaction. "That felt better than I thought it would."

She took her time in the garage, going through the boxes of things that were labeled with her name. When the door from the house opened, Ellie was surprised to see her stepfather. "Dad? It’s early for you, isn’t it?"

"Your mother called me at work, and demanded that I take an early lunch and come home." Anthony met his daughter halfway, and they embraced in the cluttered garage. "Is what she said true?"

"Which part? About me leaving, or my being gay?"

"Either, I guess. Or both." He led her over to his "sitting area," by the workbench, where he had a small television and two lawn chairs, so that he could enjoy sports without his wife’s constant griping. Anthony reached under the workbench and opened a tiny refrigerator. "Want a beer?"

Ellie sat down and leaned back in the chair. "That would be great. Especially after talking with Mom."

They sat for several minutes, neither one of them speaking, sipping from the cans of beer. Ellie studied her stepfather’s profile in the dim light of the garage. At fifty-seven, his blonde surfer looks and perpetual tan made him a handsome man. Not realizing she spoke aloud, Ellie asked, "Why have you stayed married to her for so long?"

"Your mom?" Anthony looked down at his feet and couldn’t stop the smile that broke out on his face. "Because, from that first moment I saw her, I was in love. And, no matter what she does or says, I can’t help but love her, still. Your mother was devastated by your father’s death, El. The only reason she went on living, was because she had you to take care of."

"And she throws that little fact in my face, every chance she gets," Ellie mumbled. For as long as she could remember, her mother would complain about having to raise children, when she’d much rather have been doing something, anything, else.

Anthony touched her shoulder. "Please, try to understand, sweetheart. Naomi was just a girl when she became pregnant with you. Her own parents disowned her, and threw her out of their house. And when you father was killed, well, it was more than she could take. I’m not condoning her behavior toward you, El. But we’re all adults now. Let the hurt stay in the past, where it belongs."

It would take more than a few words to heal the gash in Ellie’s heart, where her mother continued to get in little digs every chance she got. But with a new life waiting for her in Texas, she knew that it would be a perfect opportunity to let her mother dwell in the tiny box of hate that she’d lived in for so many years. "I’ll try. But that’s a lot of years of pain." But she knew that if she were ever going to live her own life, she’d have to do just that. Ellie wasn’t sure why she was being so open with her dad. Maybe it’s the beer. I haven’t eaten anything lately. "She hates me for sure, now."

"Are you talking about you being gay?"

"Yeah. I’m sure her church has a lot of things to say about that." Ellie finished her beer, and crumpled the can. She accepted another from Anthony with a nod of her head. "Thanks. I can’t believe that you’re out here, talking to me."

He took a small sip of his beer. "Why? You’re my daughter, aren’t you?" Although not of blood, he loved her as much as if she were his own. The young woman across from him had always made Anthony proud, and he was glad that they were able to finally talk, without any interference from Naomi. Anthony leaned back in his chair, holding the beer between his hands on his stomach. "To tell you the truth, I was wondering when you’d figure it out."

"What?"

"El, I’m not stupid, and I’m certainly not blind. I’ve lived in California my entire life, and went to college here. I know a gay or lesbian when I see one." He turned his head so that he could look at his daughter. "Are you okay with it?"

The conversation was getting too weird for Ellie. She quickly drained her beer, then threw the can into the recycling bin nearby. "I’m not sure, Dad. I really just figured it out in the last couple of days." Nothing like a crush on a woman to wake up the hormones. I feel like such an idiot. I hope that Amanda can forgive me. She stood and gestured to the stack of boxes. "If I give you an address, would you mind having these shipped to Texas for me?"

"Of course, El. I’ll be glad to." Anthony followed suit, but left his half-empty can on the workbench. "Most of your clothes are in a suitcase in my closet. Let’s go inside and get them."

"They are? Mom said she threw them out." Ellie embraced her stepfather. "Thanks, Dad."

When they pulled apart, Anthony reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. "You’re welcome, El. Just remember, that I’ll always be here for you, no matter what."

She accepted the envelope and looked inside. "This looks like a lot of money. I can’t take this." Ellie tried to hand it back to her father.

"Sure you can. It’s yours, anyway." Anthony pushed the money to Ellie again. "Let’s just say it’s an advance on your inheritance, before you mother can spend it on her church."

Ellie fought back tears at her stepfather’s generosity. As long as she could remember, Anthony had been like this. Kind and charitable, he was the opposite of his wife. "I’ll pay you back, I promise."

"Just enjoy your life, El. That’s all I ask."

When they walked into the house, they were met by Naomi, who stood in the kitchen with her arms crossed over her chest. "It’s about time you two got back in here. What were you doing out there for so long?"

"Getting drunk," Ellie sniped. She sighed. "I’m sorry, Mom. I was just going through my things."

"You were never this disrespectful before, Eleanor. I think those people corrupted you."

Ellie moved past her mother and into the living room. Wanting to hurt her mother as much as she’s been hurt, she turned around. "Actually, I’m more myself now, than I ever was. They’ve shown me nothing but love and acceptance, something that’s always been lacking in your house. And you want to know the sad thing? My grandfather sends his love to you, too."

"I have no use for those people. They made no effort to find me after William was killed," Naomi ground out, ignoring her husband’s hand on her arm. "I was left alone, with a child to raise. Do you have any idea how hard that was?"

"Of course I do, Mom. You’ve never let me forget it. And as for being left alone, it’s not their fault. They didn’t even know you existed, much less that you were pregnant with their son’s child. Do you know how hard that was on Grandpa Travis when I showed up at his door? You've blamed them, and me, my entire life, when you were the only one that had all the information." Ellie started to say more, but another round of her mother's version of martyrdom wasn't going to get her to where she needed to be. Ellie wearily shook her head and sighed. Then she went into her parent’s bedroom and took the suitcase that her father had packed for her from the closet. "Thanks again, Dad." Her eyes softened when she saw the regret and love on her stepfather's face. She took one last look at her mother, straightened her posture, and turned defiantly away from her mother's accusing eyes.

When Ellie started for the front door, her mother twisted out of Anthony’s grasp. "If you go back to that Gomorra, don’t you dare come back." When her daughter ignored her, she yelled, "Where do you think you’re going?"

"Home." Ellie walked out of the house, and out of her mother’s life. She knew that she’d never come back, and her only regret was that she’d probably never see her father again.

After only two days, Jeannie was getting used to the ranch. Although she enjoyed Martha’s company, she lived for when Lex took time off during the day to come and visit. The sound of boots on the hardwood floor signaled her sister-in-law’s arrival, and Jeannie wished that she had a mirror so that she could see how she looked, before Lex came into the room. Feeling a presence at the door, she turned her head, and broke into a lopsided smile.

"Now isn’t that a beautiful sight?" Lex walked in and sat on the edge of Jeannie’s bed. She removed her black western hat and tossed it in the chair next to them. "How are you feeling?"

"Pine," Jeannie managed. She held out her hand, and was happy when Lex accepted it. "You?"

Lex squeezed Jeannie’s hand. She’d have to admit, that the several trips a day that she made into the house were worth it. The bedridden woman had really made remarkable progress, and she hoped that she had a little bit to do with it. "Tired, but okay. We’re filling the barn with hay, and I don’t remember it being this much work before." It also felt good to talk to someone about her day. Amanda was so busy with the baby, they barely spoke two words to each other, and Lex was beginning to feel the loss. But she felt that the baby needed Amanda more than she did, so she kept quiet about her feelings. "As a matter of fact, I’ve got a contractor coming out tomorrow, and he’s going to pour a concrete walkway between here, the barns, and Martha’s house. I thought you might want to get out of the house sometime."

"Wealy?" Although half of her face was misshapen, it couldn’t disguise the joy on Jeannie’s face.

"Really." Getting the reaction she was hoping for, Lex was proud of her decision. She had been meaning to have some sort of sidewalk poured to Martha’s house a long time ago, but never gotten around to it. Jeannie’s condition pushed her along, and she was glad. "We got a call from your new nurse this morning. She asked if she could come out to meet you, before she started work. Would that be all right with you?"

Jeannie nodded. She was nervous about the nurse, but didn’t want Martha to wear herself out taking care of her. "Wiwl ew?"

It took Lex a moment to figure out what Jeannie meant. "Do you want me to be here too?" When Jeannie nodded, Lex smiled. "Of course I will. I need to make sure she’s up to standards, don’t I?"

They were interrupted when Martha came and knocked on the open door. "Lexie, I didn’t even hear you come in."

"Guess I’m getting better at sneaking around."

"Quit being such a smarty-pants. You’re going to corrupt Jeannie," Martha warned. But she was glad to see the happy look on Jeannie’s face. "We have a guest in the den. Would you two mind if I showed him in?"

Lex looked at Jeannie, who nodded. "All right. Bring ‘em on." She was going to move over to the chair, but her hand was held in Jeannie’s strong grip.

"Jeannie, my girl!" A slightly built, redheaded man rushed by Martha, his arms open wide.

The housekeeper prudently left the scene, almost laughing at Lex’s expression. She couldn’t wait to hear what Lex had to say about Morris’ sudden arrival.

Morris nudged Lex out of his way, and took her place on the bed. Morris Kingston was Jeannie and Amanda’s uncle on their mother’s side. He and his partner Kevin lived in Boston, and had been out to the ranch before. His enthusiastic greeting drew a frown from Lex, who pulled him away from Jeannie.

"Let her breathe, Morris. You’re going to smother her with your scrawny self." Lex pulled him back and shook his hand. "It’s good to see you, though."

He released her hand and threw his arms around the startled rancher. "Come here, you. Don’t you be trying that macho stuff with me, Lex." He looked over Lex’s shoulder at his niece, who was fighting back her laughter. "Is she still doing that ‘too tough for my spurs’ crap?"

"Hey!" Lex pulled free and glared at Morris. "I can kick your butt, you know." She looked at the doorway. "Is Kevin here?" Morris’ partner was a large man, who intimidated even Lex. It didn’t matter that he was almost as gentle as his lover was gregarious. His size made a lot of people nervous.

"No, I’m afraid not." Morris sat down next to Jeannie again. "But he sends his love." He looked at Lex, with whom he had developed a playful relationship the last time he had visited. "I’ve brought my bags, and I plan to move right in and take care of my niece. I even brought some of my favorite books to read to her."

Lex crossed her arms over her chest. "You’re moving in? Says who?"

"Now, Lex. Don’t give me that attitude. You know perfectly well you need me here."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like a need another hole in my head."

"Don’t tempt me, tough stuff." Morris leaned over to Jeannie, then stage-whispered, "I think that someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

Jeannie laughed, a sound that was music to Lex’s ears. If he can keep her happy, then he can stay forever, as far as I’m concerned. "It looks like you’re in fairly capable hands, Jeannie, so I’m going to get back to work. That barn won’t fill itself with hay." Lex gathered up her hat and placed it on her head. "Behave yourself, Morris. Kevin’s not here to protect you this time."

He wriggled his fingers at Lex. "But Amanda and Martha are, so I’m not afraid." He stuck his tongue out, eliciting another chuckle from Jeannie. "Now, get out of here so I can spend some quality time with my niece."

"Smart ass," Lex mumbled, leaving the room. But she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

Getting off the plane, Ellie weighed her options. She could book the next available flight back to Texas, or, she could do what she really wanted. After a brief uncertainty, the small-framed woman hoisted her duffel bag over her shoulder and pushed through the heavy crowd.

Ellie struggled through another moment of indecision once she reached her destination. Before she rapped her knuckles on the faded wooden door, she looked around her. The trendy apartment complex had never been much to look at from the outside, but since her last visit almost eight years prior, it had definitely fallen into a state of disrepair. Steeling herself for another disappointment, she knocked.

It wasn’t long before the door opened, and a young man with blonde, spiked hair answered the door. The several piercings in his eyebrows and nose couldn’t belay the fact that he was handsome, and the torn blue tee shirt and multicolored board shorts he wore looked good on him. He stared at the woman standing in his doorway for a long moment, then smiled. "El?"

"Hey there, snotface." The old familiar nickname came unbidden to Ellie’s lips, and she hoped that her coming hadn’t been a mistake. The last time she saw her brother, harsh words that she had regretted almost from the moment they left her mouth were spoken, and they hadn’t spoken since.

He pulled her into the apartment, then hugged Ellie as if his life depended on it. "Damn, sis. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see someone in my life." William Gordon continued to rock with his sister in his arms, then he pulled back and looked at her closely. "Where’s your Bible? I thought you and Mom didn’t leave home without them."

"I guess I probably deserved that one." Ellie dropped her duffel and reached up to touch her brother’s eyebrow. "Just how many holes do you have in your head?"

His bright eyes sparkled. "No more than you need, probably." Billy hugged her again, then brought Ellie into his living room. The furniture, while not new, was in good taste, much different than the outside of the building led one to believe. A black leather sofa and chairs were surrounded by chrome and glass tables, and the focal point of the room was a state of the art sound system and video center. He waited until Ellie sat on one end of the sofa, and then took the other. "What brings you to, I think you called it, ‘the bastions of hell’? Did you get so bored in San Diego that you had to travel all the way to L.A.?"

"No, Billy. Nothing like that." Ellie stared down at her denim-covered knee, and picked at a loose thread. "I just came by to tell you that I’m moving."

"Really? Did your transfer to the Southern Baptist Convention go through?"

The retort hurt, and Ellie bit down a scathing reply. When she and her mother last visited Billy, they were shocked at his appearance, and the fact that he quit his job as a manager of a restaurant to open a surfboard shop with his best friend. It was bad enough that he’d moved away from where they influence his decisions, but when they found out his best friend was a woman, and that they lived together "in sin", it was more than the two self-righteous women could stand. "I’m sorry, Billy. For then, and for all the other times." Raising her head, Ellie wanted to take back the last fifteen years, time she spent under her mother’s wing, and wished that she could just wave a magic wand and remove the hurt and pain she caused the man beside her.

He must have heard the remorse in her voice, because Billy let the shield of anger that he used to protect himself fall, and sighed. "Peggy left last year. I’m sure that would make you and Mom very happy." They had warned him that not being married would cause his "friend" to leave whenever she wanted, and he’d only be hurt in the long run.

"No, it doesn’t. At least it doesn’t make me happy." Looking around the clean room, Ellie spoke very quietly. "At least you had the guts to face up to Mom, and live your own life. I’m so damned proud of you, little brother. Prouder than you’ll probably ever realize."

Billy leaned over and peered into his sister’s eyes. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" He fell back when she used her hand to push him away.

"Wise guy." She took a deep breath, and prayed that what she was about to say wouldn’t get her thrown out. "I found my father’s family, Billy. Or, I guess you could say, my family." His nod gave her the courage to go on. "My grandfather is about the nicest guy you’d ever meet. And my cousin," she paused, thinking about Lex. The woman absolutely infuriated her, but she thought that was more because of how Amanda felt about her, than Lex’s personality or actions. "My cousin owns a ranch, if you can believe that. She’s tall, dark, and extremely full of herself." Here Ellie grinned. "But she’s also loyal and loving."

"Sounds like a great lady." Intrigued by the look on his sister’s face, Billy tapped her on the leg. "And?"

"What do you mean, and?"

"Come on, El. Don’t forget I’ve known you forever. What else aren’t you telling me?"

"She’s gay." Ellie retreated to the farthest point of the sofa, afraid of her brother’s reaction. "Lex lives on the ranch, with her partner, Amanda." When her brother was silent for too long, Ellie stood up. "Aren’t you going to say anything? I just told you that my cousin is a lesbian."

Billy met his sister’s eyes, a small smile forming on his lips. "What am I supposed to say, El? I think the important thing here is, how do you feel about it?"

"What?"

"I bet that threw your little world into a tailspin, didn’t it? You and Mom, always preaching against something, whether it was marriage before sex, say no to drugs, or may all the queers rot in hell." He jumped to his feet also. "Actually, the reason that Peggy left was because I asked her to. I found her shooting up in the kitchen one morning. Nothing I said or did mattered to her, because she had her drugs." Billy walked over to the entertainment center and picked up a framed photograph. The two people smiling back at him were covered seaweed and sand, and couldn’t have looked happier. "She wouldn’t stop, El. I found out that her boyfriend was also her supplier, and when I confronted her with it, she moved in with him."

Ellie stepped up behind Billy and put her arms around him. "I’m sorry."

He put the frame back where it came from and turned around. "So, I did the marriage before sex, and said no to drugs. And now you’re telling me that your cousin is gay? That’s pretty funny."

"Want to hear something even funnier?"

"I could use a good laugh about now." Billy fingered the rings in his eyebrow. "Think I’d look good with purple hair?"

"Maybe. How ‘bout me?" Ellie waited until she had his full attention. "Think I look good as a lesbian?"

Chapter 14

Bulldozers shoved loads of dirt and upturned trees, while two suited men stood by and watched. Billings chewed on his cigar and gestured to the continuing construction. "Just how long is this supposed to take? We’re so far behind schedule now, that we’ve already lost millions of dollars."

"I’m sorry, sir. Things just haven’t gone our way. There was a problem with the permits, and then with the zoning. It cost more than I expected."

"I’m not asking for excuses, Wilson. I’m expecting results. This could be the deal that gets me, I mean, us, the recognition in the organization that we deserve." The ring of his cell phone cut off any other ravings that Billings had. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the device. "Billings here."

Wilson watched as his boss’ face lost all color. This isn’t good.

"No, sir. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we anticipated. I’m sure that if we’re given a little bit more time, we can pick up the adjacent land that we need. Yes, I understand that. You’re right, sir. This area just screams for a resort. No, I don’t. The land south of here is perfect, but—" Billings closed his phone. "I’m sure you guessed who that was."

"Yes, Mr. Billings. I have a pretty good idea." Only the head of the organization could instill such fear into a man such as Billings. Andrew felt his own blood run cold at what could have caused the reaction.

Billings looked around, until he was certain that all the construction workers were out of earshot. "We need that land. No later than next week."

"I don’t see how, sir. That woman doesn’t want to sell. And, to tell you the truth, she scares me a little." Andrew hated the admission, but there was something about the fire in the rancher’s eyes that disturbed him.

"Bullshit! She’s a woman, you twit." Billings spit a soggy chunk of cigar between Andrew’s shoes. "If she won’t sell, then maybe her next of kin will. Get on it, or we’ll be contacting your next of kin." he flicked what was left of the cold tobacco at his assistant and stomped away.

Amanda sat in the dark den, the solitude almost more than she could handle. Earlier, Morris had found her upstairs and "commandeered" his grandniece, leaving with Amanda with nothing to do. She debated with herself about barging into her sister's room and taking Lorrie back, but immediately felt guilty at her thoughts. Hearing someone come up onto the front porch, she got up to see who it could be. Opening the door, she was surprised to see a sheepish Michael.

"Hello, sweetheart. I thought I'd stop by and see how everything was going." When he saw the sad expression on Amanda’s face, Michael moved into the entry and enveloped her in a hug. "What’s the matter?"

"It’s stupid." The loss that Amanda felt any time Lorrie wasn’t in her arms was something that she was ashamed of, and certainly didn’t want to try and explain it to her father. "I thought that you had a full day scheduled."

Michael had an idea as to his daughter’s problem, especially seeing her without the baby. But, he accepted the subject change amicably as the two of them moved into the den and got comfortable on the sofa. "I was supposed to, but they called and asked to have it rescheduled for next week." He was retained by the Somerville school district to take the children’s individual pictures, but a last minute field trip caused them to cancel. "Is that your uncle’s voice I hear?"

"Yes. Morris showed up earlier today, and now he’s in Jeannie’s room with Lorrie." Amanda’s tone spoke volumes of her opinion on the matter. "So, I guess now I have the afternoon free."

"Excellent! I had come out to see how your sister was doing, but I think that can wait. How about taking a ride with me?" Although Michael had gotten better at riding, he promised Lex that he wouldn’t go out alone, and he was itching to get back into the saddle.

Having become an accomplished horsewoman herself in the past year, Amanda understood her father’s excitement where riding was concerned. "That’s the best offer I’ve had all day." She stood and gestured to her simple skirt and top. "Just let me go get changed."

A short time later, Amanda was back downstairs, and the pair was about to leave the house, when the phone rang. After the third ring it silenced, and Martha came downstairs in search of Amanda.

"Hello, Michael. It’s nice to see you here." Martha then turned to Amanda. "I’m sorry to bother you, but you have a call from some bank in Los Angeles. I thought you might want to take it."

"Thanks, Martha." Amanda kissed the older woman on the cheek before going over to sit at the desk in the corner of the den. She picked up the line on the phone that was flashing. "Hello? This is Amanda. Really? No, I…yes. Thank you. Of course, I understand." She placed the handset back on the cradle and turned the chair around. "They’ve decided to launch an investigation into my missing funds. I wonder why now, instead of when we were there."

"That’s wonderful." Martha had been privy to the entire incident. "And they didn’t mention why?"

Amanda shook her head. "He didn’t say, only that he was sorry about the earlier misunderstanding."

"Excuse me." Michael looked first at his daughter and then at Martha. "What is this about ‘missing funds’?"

The two women exchanged looks, then Amanda took the lead. "I’ll explain while we’re riding, if that’s okay. I really need to get out of the house for a while." She watched as her father thought about arguing, then resigned himself to waiting. "Thanks, Daddy."

"Don’t thank me just yet, young lady. I’m not giving up, just postponing the inevitable."

Once they were out on the trail, Michael turned a bit sideways in his saddle so that he could easily see Amanda’s face as she rode beside him. "I think I’ve been more than patient, Amanda. Would you kindly explain to me these so-called ‘missing funds’?" He listened patiently as she related all the recent goings on.

After swearing her father to secrecy, Amanda also recounted Lex’s problems, and how it all seemed to happen close to the same time. "So, now you know. But please, don’t let Lex find out that I told you. She’s upset enough."

"Don’t worry, I’ll keep quiet." Michael’s sharp business mind raced, while he tried to appear nonchalant about the matter.

The horses plodded along quietly for a time, their presence not even disturbing the birds or other animals along the path. Finally, Michael spoke again. "If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that this sounded like something your mother might pull."

"I hate to admit it, but I thought so too. I suppose it’s a good thing she’s locked up in that hospital." Amanda hated feeling that way about her mother, but she slept better at night knowing that Elizabeth could do no harm where she was.

Lex returned from unloading hay, only to find Morris and the baby with Jeannie, and Amanda nowhere to be found. She couldn’t find Martha either, and was about to head upstairs for a shower when there was a knock at the front door. Looking down at her dusty and hay-covered appearance, Lex cursed and went to see who it could be. She was taken aback by a small man in an expensive suit, wearing dark shade and chewing on an unlit cigar. "Yes?"

"You Lexington Walters?"

"That’s right." Already Lex had formed an intense dislike for the toad-like man. "And you are?"

He pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and wiped at his perspiring head, even though the outside temperature was moderate. "My name’s not important, but my business with you is. Do you have someplace we can speak privately?"

Lex sighed. She didn’t have the time, or the inclination to play games. Hot and dirty, all she wanted was a shower, and then maybe a little one-on-one time with her partner, if she could find her. Stepping out onto the porch and closing the front door behind her, Lex leaned against the doorframe. "So, talk."

Wilson was right. This bitch is obnoxious. If we didn’t need that land so bad, I’d love to teach her a few manners. Billings had decided to make a visit to the rancher himself, since his associate was too much of a weakling to handle the job to his satisfaction. He removed a checkbook from his interior jacket pocket. "Let me get right to the point then. I’ve come about the property you recently acquired, and am prepared to pay you twenty percent over what you invested. That’s quite an offer, don’t you think?"

"It would be, if I were interested in selling." Lex pushed her back hat farther back onto her head. "Why the sudden interest in a piece of land? It’s mostly trees, scrub brush, and creek. Not really worth farming or ranching."

"Then I’m doing you a favor by offering to take it off your hands, aren’t I?"

"Nope. You’re just annoying me, and keeping me from a nice long shower." She reached for the doorknob, but her progress was halted when the man grabbed her arm.

"Listen to me, lady. I’m only making this offer once."

Jerking her arm free, Lex glared at him. "Good. Then I’ll only have to turn you down once." She stepped closer, until there was very little space between them. "If you touch me again, I’ll rip your arm off and shove it up your ass."

"Don’t you dare threaten me, woman. Take what we’re offering, or you won’t like the consequences." Billings took the cigar from his mouth and used it to point at Lex. "I’m not someone you want to mess with."

"That makes two of us." Lex grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and shoved him off the porch. "Get off my land, before I shoot you as a trespasser."

Billings backed to his car, never taking his eyes off the rancher. "You’ve just made a very big mistake, Walters." He got into the luxurious rental and then drove away, the car kicking up gravel and dust in its wake.

Lex took a final look and then went into the house. She assumed he was working for someone else, and wasn’t too worried. She hated pushy brokers, and couldn’t understand the appeal of the property that she wasn’t certain she was going to keep.

That evening, the house finally quieted down after a boisterous dinner, of which Morris was the main attraction. He kept the entire family entertained by his stories, and even insisted that Jeannie be brought out in her wheelchair to join everyone for coffee afterward.

Although shy at first, Jeannie soon laughed along with the rest as her uncle related his attempts at getting his partner Kevin to go to the doctor. The quiet man had received a sprain during a playful day at the park, when he tripped over a Pekinese while flying a kite. He was so embarrassed at how he had gotten the injury, he refused to get medical treatment. Kevin would most likely be thankful for not having to hear Morris’ retelling of the tale, or at least that’s what Morris led the family to believe.

Now that everyone had settled down for bed, Amanda stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. Lorrie must have become fussy while she showered, because Lex was stretched out on the bed with the infant snuggled on her chest. The sight almost brought tears to Amanda’s eyes, and she stood in the doorway, not wanting to break the spell. For a moment, she imagined that the child her lover held was theirs, and knew more than anything that was what she wanted, even though she knew that Lex wasn’t ready for such a drastic change in their life.

Lex heard the door open, and turned her head to make eye contact with her partner. "Did you have a good shower?"

Shaken from her reverie, Amanda tried to push down the hurt her previous thoughts had brought. "I sure did. At least I won’t have to worry about you making me sleep on the sofa tonight."

"Nah, I’d never do that." Lorrie was asleep, so Lex carefully extended one arm out to her partner. "You’ve always been real good about letting me stay, no matter what."

The comment drew Amanda out of her sad mood, and she moved across the room to sit on the edge of the bed. "I have, huh? Are you saying that you’ve come to bed, less than clean?"

"More times than I care to admit." Although her attention was focused on Amanda, Lex continued to run one hand gently down Lorrie’s back, soothing not only the sleeping infant, but herself. "Did you have a good ride with your dad today?" Lex had been downstairs in the kitchen bothering Martha, when the two returned. They had come in hugging and laughing, and Lex had been a bit jealous that it wasn’t her with Amanda, instead of Michael.

"We sure did. That reminds me, the bank in LA called back this afternoon. They’ve had a change of heart, and plan on doing a full investigation into what happened."

Lex couldn’t help but grin. "Imagine that." She had spent hours on the phone, both in California and back home, complaining and threatening to not only the bank president, but several different people in the chain of command. I guess something finally worked.

Scooting closer to her lover, Amanda brushed her hand down Lex’s face. "What’s that look supposed to mean?"

"Hmm?"

"You don’t seem very surprised by the news, that’s all."

"Oh." Come clean, or dance around the subject? "I, uh, kind of made a few phone calls in the last few days. That’s all." The look on Amanda’s face wasn’t what Lex had been expecting.

"You what?" Amanda snapped off sharply, causing Lorrie, along with Lex, to flinch. "What did you do? Threaten someone?"

The baby started to cry, and Lex sat up and began to bounce her gently. "Ssh. It’s okay, little one." She raised her face to meet Amanda’s angry visage. "Not so loud, Amanda. You’re upsetting the baby."

Amanda rose to her feet and paced around the room. "It’s okay that I’m upset, but you don’t want me to upset the baby, is that it?" When Lex didn’t answer, her pace quickened, and her voice rose. "Dammit, Lex. I’m not some helpless little thing, you know. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my own problems!" When there was a light knock on the bedroom door, she stomped over and opened it. "What?"

"I, um, heard the baby cry, and wanted to make sure you were okay," Morris babbled. He could hear Amanda’s voice from the end of the hall, where his room was, and thought that maybe the couple needed some assistance. Morris looked past his niece, to see Lex sitting on the bed with a crying Lorrie in her hands, and a confused look on her face. "Maybe the baby needs changing. How about I take her to my room for a bit?"

"Thanks, Morris." Lex crossed the room and handed Lorrie to him. "I really appreciate it." She turned to say something to Amanda, but her lover had already gone into the bathroom and slammed the door. "I’ll be back for her in a few minutes."

He kissed the baby’s head. "Take your time. I think that little miss Lorrie and I need to go raid the refrigerator, and see what Martha left for snacks." Morris winked at the upset rancher, and took off with Lorrie.

Lex had barely closed the bedroom door again before Amanda stormed from the bathroom. "You’re always butting into my business, Lex. ‘Poor little Amanda’ can’t do anything without her macho lover stepping in. Do you honestly think I couldn’t have handled this?"

"Amanda, wait. It’s not like that at all. I just—"

"You just wanted to ride in to the rescue, like you always do," Amanda snapped. Months of disappointments and days of stress had finally caught up to her. "Goddamn it! Let me live my life!" She stomped to the window and looked outside. "All my life, someone has tried to protect me. Well, it doesn’t always work, does it?"

Lex stepped up quietly behind Amanda, afraid to touch her. "I—"

Spinning around, Amanda was poised for a battle. "First, my father, then my grandfather. When I got older, I thought, ‘Finally! Now I’ll be in charge of my own life.’ Then Frank came along when I was in high school, and he was even more protective than the two of them together." Her chest heaved from the exertion of her tantrum and Amanda used both hands to push Lex in the chest, away from her. "He left me! Who’s next? Grandpa? My father?" Her anger dissipated and then Amanda collapsed into her partner’s arms, as her voice cracked and she started to sob. "You?"

Relief flowed through Lex as she held Amanda. She had been worried when her lover didn’t grieve for Frank as she thought she would. They stood in front of the window, Lex never loosening her grasp, while Amanda let her emotions pour out.

Sometime later, Morris tiptoed down the hall, and put his ear up to the master bedroom door. Not hearing anything, he tapped on it quietly, then opened it. He could see Lex propped up on the bed, with Amanda by her side, resting. Nodding his acknowledgment of the rancher’s mouthed, "Thank you," he placed the sleeping Lorrie back in her crib, and then silently left the room.

A tiny squeak awakened Lex, and she had to look around the room for a moment before she realized that it came from the crib. Moving quietly so as not to wake Amanda, she slid out of bed and made her way over to where Lorrie was fussing. "Hey there, lil’ bit." Finding out that the baby’s diaper needed changing, she handled the chore without thinking, and picked Lorrie up to kiss her on the cheek. "I bet you’re hungry, too." She took the squirming infant downstairs, hoping that Amanda would stay asleep.

Downstairs, Lex kept up a running commentary while she prepared Lorrie’s formula. Since Jeannie had been comatose after the baby’s birth, the doctor had given her shots to dry up her breast milk, not knowing when she’d awaken. Now, it was easier on everyone to feed Lorrie with a bottle, and didn’t put as much of a strain on Jeannie. She had already helped with the nightly feedings often, not wanting Amanda to have to be up all night long, when they were both more than capable of handling the duties.

Lex sat at the kitchen table, telling Lorrie about her day while the baby fed. "And then that idiot tossed the bale of hay right out the upper window. The damned, I mean, the darned thing nearly hit me." She looked down into the gray-green eyes. "You’re going to be as pretty as your mama, Lorrie. Must be something about those Cauble women."

"Thanks."

The voice from the doorway startled Lex, and she looked up sheepishly to see Amanda smiling at her. "I was trying not to wake you."

"You didn’t." Amanda moved into the room and stood by Lex, running her fingers through her lover’s hair. "I rolled over, and the bed was cold. That’s what woke me up." She knelt down and looked into Lex’s eyes. "I was afraid that I had scared you off."

"No chance of that, love." Lex stretched over until she could place her lips on Amanda’s cheek. "Someone was wet and hungry, and I didn’t see any sense in bothering you." Seeing that Lorrie was finished with her formula, Lex lifted her up and helped the infant to burp, then cradled her in her arms. "Want to go back to bed?"

Amanda stood up and stretched. She thought about asking for Lorrie, but didn’t want Lex to think that she didn’t trust her. "That sounds great. I’m exhausted." Amanda was about to leave the kitchen when Lex offered her the baby.

"Here. I think she misses you." Lex hadn’t missed the look on her partner’s face, and understood that Lorrie was a connection to Frank that Amanda needed at the moment. She just hoped that Jeannie would feel the same, and soon. So far, she hadn’t expressed any desire to try and bond with her daughter, and that worried Lex.

"Thanks." Amanda took Lorrie and kissed Lex, then the baby. She left the kitchen with her lover right behind her, feeling better with every step.

Once upstairs, Amanda was about to put Lorrie in her crib when Lex touched her shoulder. "Let’s put her in bed with us tonight. It’s late, and I’m exhausted. I don’t want to miss hearing her if she wakes up again." Not completely a true statement, but Lex hoped that Amanda wouldn’t call her on it.

"Sure." Amanda didn’t feel like calling Lex on the little lie. She thought it was incredibly sweet that her partner wanted to make her more comfortable, and had no problem being surrounded by those that she loved.

It wasn’t long before Amanda and Lorrie were sound asleep, while Lex lay looking at the ceiling in the dark room. She could feel her lover’s hand on her arm, as well as the small bundle that slept between them. The evening had shaken her more than she had realized, Lex knew. Amanda’s meltdown wasn’t expected, but she was glad in a way that they were pretty much alone when it happened. Although I’m going to owe Morris, big time. The baby stirred slightly, and Lex rolled over onto her side to watch Lorrie sleep. The sight made her feel something that she never thought she’d feel – maternal. She could almost believe that the three of them were a family, and suddenly Lex knew exactly what she wanted. Now all she had to do was tell Amanda.

Chapter 15

Parking her car behind a pale blue Mustang, Natalie Haverly stared at the two-story house before she got out of her vehicle. She hoped that her new employers hadn't checked her references too well, since she had been forced to "retire" from the hospital. The private job was exactly what she needed to pad her resume, and Natalie was determined to make a good impression.

After she knocked on the front door, Natalie had barely been able to look around the expansive porch when the door opened when a woman holding a fussy infant greeted her.

"You must be Ms. Haverly. Please, come in." Amanda stepped back to allow the nurse to enter the house. She was impressed by the woman's neat appearance, from her short blonde hair to her two-piece blue slacks suit. Amanda lightly rubbed Lorrie's back, who continued to cry. "I'm sorry, but I was on my way upstairs to change her when you knocked."

Natalie smiled in understanding. "Please, call me Natalie. And there's really no need to apologize, Ms…?"

"Oh! Forgive my manners. I'm Amanda, and this sweet little girl is Lorrie." Amanda began the trek through the hallway to the stairs. "If you'd like, we can talk on the way, and I can give you a mini-tour of the house at the same time."

"That would be fine. I'll bring my bags in later, if that's all right." On their way to the steps, Natalie couldn't help but notice the ring on Amanda's hand. "That's quite a lovely ring you have. Are you married?"

Amanda pointed to the wall opposite the stairs, at the framed photograph of her and Lex on their wedding day, another gift from her father. "Lex and I have been together for a year, but our ceremony was only about five months ago." She led the way to the second floor, not seeing the look of shock that crossed the nurse's face. At the top of the stairway, Amanda gestured to the nearest room. "Let us know if this room is to your liking, Natalie. It has a private bath, and if there's anything you might need, Lex and I are right across the hall." She walked into the master bedroom and placed Lorrie in the crib to change her. "I hope that being this close to the baby won't disturb you," she continued, still oblivious to Natalie's wide eyes as the nurse continued to look around.

For her part, Natalie had never been so close to one of "those people," and especially never expected to board within steps of where their "unnatural acts" were committed. That Bristol woman neglected to mention there were queers here. She tried to clamp down on the fear and disgust that raced through her. Hearing a faint knock on the opened door, Natalie turned around to see a smiling man. He was dressed in light gray slacks, and a red and white stripped polo shirt, and his red hair was cut extremely short on the sides, and slightly long on top.

"Well, hello there." Morris went to Natalie and held out a hand, palm down. "I'm Morris Kingston, Amanda's uncle." He, like everyone else in the house, had been expecting the nurse's arrival, and wanted to make her feel at home. "Welcome to the madhouse." As their hands linked, he placed his other hand on top of hers. "Don't let my niece scare you with her stories about me. Most of them aren't true." Morris winked and then breezed past Natalie to see if Amanda needed any help.

Natalie fought the urge to wipe her hands on her slacks. Just how many of these people are there? One of the reasons she had "retired" from the hospital, was her intolerance to anyone not like herself. She had been caught making caustic comments about a gay co-worker, and her dislike for her Hispanic supervisor had been the final nail in the coffin. The hospital board had given her the option to leave on her own, or they'd handle it in a more public manner.

While Amanda showed the nurse around upstairs, Lex came in to visit Jeannie. She had been overseeing the design of the new walkways, and was pleased by the contractor's attention to detail. Lex removed her hat and tossed it in the guest chair when she came into Jeannie's room, and took her usual place on the edge of the bed. "Good morning, beautiful."

Jeannie leaned into the kiss that Lex placed on her head. "Monin'." She blushed under the attention, but enjoyed every minute of it. No wonder Mandy walks around with that goofy grin on her face all the time. I would too, if I lived with someone like Lex. My sister's just lucky that I like men, or I'd give her some serious competition. The thought of men brought back visions of her late husband, and Jeannie closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. Will I ever not miss him?

Lex saw the change in Jeannie's demeanor, and had a good idea what she was thinking about. Honoring her sister-in-law's privacy, she decided a change of subject was in order. "I saw a strange car out in the drive. Have you met your new nurse yet?" When Jeannie shook her head, Lex patted her on the leg. "That's okay by me. It just means that I get you to myself for a bit."

"Aw, Wex."

The rancher ignored her sister-in-law's embarrassment. "You know, it's still nice outside. Would you like to spend a little time on the front porch with me?" At Jeannie's nod, Lex scooped her up out of the bed and placed Jeannie in the wheelchair that was parked near the recliner. As she wheeled Jeannie from the room, she stopped in the den. "I've been thinking about putting a pool table in here, that is if Amanda would let me. What do you think?"

"Poowl?"

"Yeah. You know, right over there." Lex pointed to a space near the fireplace. "I think it would look pretty good in that spot."

"Why?"

Lex knelt down so that Jeannie could see her face. "I want a rematch from our last game. You cheated, you know." She referred to the first time Amanda took her to California, and Jeannie and Frank took them out to play pool and have fun. Lex bet Jeannie that she couldn't be distracted, and she soon found out she was wrong.

The lopsided smile on Jeannie's face never faltered. "You hooudn' have huch a pinchable butt."

"Oh, yeah?" Pushing the chair out onto the front porch, Lex leaned down to whisper into the other woman's ear. "Don't let my wife hear you talk like that. We'll both get in trouble." Lex enjoyed hearing Jeannie laugh, and hoped that the new nurse would be able to keep her spirits up as well.

Slamming the door behind him, Billings stomped into his hotel room. Although the door had been clearly marked as "No Smoking," he proceeded to light his cigar as he paced. Before he was able to get even one full drag of the tobacco, his cell phone rang. "What? Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir." He listened for over a full minute as the voice on the other end of the phone yelled. "You're absolutely right, sir. It won't happen again." At his superior's question, he swallowed hard, not wanting to share the next bit of information. "No, sir. I couldn't get her to sell. She's a very nasty woman, and even manhandled me." He continued to try and explain how their plans were going well, except for not being able to buy the last piece of property they needed.

Andrew Wilson came up to the hotel room that he shared with his boss. He couldn't understand why, with as much money as their employer threw around, they had to share a room in a one-star establishment. He could hear his boss' voice through the door, and opened it quietly. He noticed the desperate way Billings' spoke into the cellular phone, and knew that it wasn't a pleasant call.

"Yes, sir. Of course. I agree, whatever it takes." Billings looked up and saw his associate, and frantically waved him into the room. "Do you want me to…you're right." The smile he gave Wilson was not a friendly one. "He wants to talk to you."

Shit. Wilson accepted the phone, then turned away from Billings. "H…hello? Yes, sir. This is Wilson."

Billings enjoyed watching his younger colleague squirm for a change. Better him than me.

"Yes, sir. But are you sure that's really necessary?" Wilson paled. "Maybe if we just explain…no. And you want me to? But what about Billings? No sir, I'm not questioning your authority." He started to walk around the room nervously. "Of course, sir. Yes, I understand." He handed the phone back to Billings. "He wants to talk to you again." Pushing past the heavier man, Wilson proceeded into the restroom and shut the door behind him.

"Sir? Yes, I'll see to it." Closing the phone, he almost laughed out loud when he heard the retching that came from behind the bathroom door. Amateur. Serves him right.

Lex wheeled Jeannie into her room, both of them laughing. She'd forgotten what a wicked sense of humor her sister-in-law had. "Back to your room, madam. As promised," Lex intoned regally, stopping the chair just inside the office door. "Oh, hi."

"I was wondering where you two had gotten off to." Amanda was standing at the window, holding a relaxed Lorrie, while another woman sat in the recliner. "Ms. Natalie Haverly, I'd like for you to meet my sister, Jeannie Rivers, and my partner, Lex Walters." She gestured to the nurse, who had stood. "Natalie is the live-in nurse that Martha hired."

The venomous look on the caregiver's face caused Jeannie to recoil. She knew that it wasn't aimed at her, but it made her extremely uneasy. "Hi."

"Mrs. Rivers." Natalie stood up, ignoring Lex's outstretched hand. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine." She turned back to Amanda. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to get my bags, and get settled in, before I get started."

Confused, Amanda could only nod. "Of course. Lex, would you-"

"No, that's quite all right. I can find my way out, and back to my room." Natalie brushed by Lex, who turned and watched her leave.

"That woman's got a burr under her blanket about something." Lex pushed Jeannie back over to the bed, and knelt beside her to set the brakes. "Are you okay?"

Jeannie gave a short nod. She hoped that the new nurse was just tired, or nervous, and not what she feared. "Tiwerd."

Getting her arms under the small woman, it took little effort for Lex to pick up Jeannie and place her back in the bed. "I'm sorry, Jeannie. I shouldn't have kept you out there so long." She pulled the covers up around Jeannie's waist, and was about to step back when her hand was grasped.

"No, it wa' pun."

Amanda moved around the foot of the bed and sat between Jeannie and where Lex was standing. "Did you get the same vibe as I did?" When her sister nodded, Amanda turned back to her lover. "I don't think Natalie likes 'our kind', very much."

"Our kind? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lex looked back and forth between the two sisters. "What did I miss?"

Handing the baby to Lex, Amanda stood up and walked to the door, then closed it. "Gays. She about swallowed her tongue when Uncle Morris introduced himself to her."

Lex looked down at the baby in her hands, then up at Jeannie. Seeing an interest there, she reclined so that the baby was more on the bed than in her arms. "With all due respect, sweetheart, Morris could do that to just about anyone." She cared deeply for Amanda's uncle, but the man was extremely boisterous. "He does take some getting used to."

"I suppose that's possible, but did you notice how she ignored you when I made introductions?" Amanda was not to be deterred, and she could see by Jeannie's face that she wasn't alone in her assumptions.

"Maybe she just wanted to focus on Jeannie, since that's who she's here to help." Lex didn't like to make snap judgments about anyone, especially someone they were trusting to aid in Jeannie's recovery.

Amanda threw up her hands. "Come on, Lex. Surely you're not that blind. The woman is a homophobe." The lack of sleep from taking care of the baby all the time was beginning to wear on her, and her patience was worn thin.

Being on the receiving end of judgmental people for most of her life, Lex refused to accept what Amanda was saying, at least not without some proof. She didn't feel too comfortable around the new hire either, but she wasn't the one the woman was here to help. "Let's just give her a chance, all right? What could it hurt?"

"I guess." Amanda walked to the bed and sat next to her partner, so that they could both see Jeannie and the baby. "So, what kind of things did the two of you get into today?"

"Get in to things? What makes you say that?" Trying to look outraged but failing miserably, Lex tipped back so that she was against Amanda. "Actually, we just spent some time out on the front porch, didn't we, Jeannie?" Her words were ignored, and she couldn't have been happier about it.

Jeannie was watching Lorrie, who had closed her eyes and dozed off once she was placed next to her mother. She didn't hear the conversation around her, and couldn't help but notice the infant's features. I think she's got Frank's eyes. At least they look like the same shape. And her nose! The only comfort she could take was that he had been able to see his daughter before he was taken away from them so suddenly. Don't worry, my love. She'll never forget who her father was, I can promise you that. The earlier activities had tired her more than she wanted to admit, and Jeannie struggled to hold back a yawn.

Hearing the front door slam, Lex stood up. "I think I'll go ahead and make sure Ms. Haverty has everything she needs. Maybe she's just shy." She kissed Amanda, straightened, then bent again, making the next kiss last longer. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Glad that her sister was focused on the baby, Amanda brushed the back of one hand across Lex's cheek. "Come in early tonight?"

"Definitely." After another quick buss, Lex gathered up her hat and then sauntered out the door, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

Natalie shifted the strap of her small bag on her shoulder, and almost gasped out in surprise when Lex met her in the hallway. The woman made her extremely nervous. She wasn't sure if it was the way she dressed; the denim jeans hugged her curves better than they should, and the gray tee shirt accentuated her broad shoulders and slender hips. Maybe it was the bedraggled black hat that she wore, which was pulled low over her eyes. All Natalie understood was that had she known about the amount of "those people" that lived in the house, she would have never taken the job.

"Ms. Haverty, would you like me to help you up to your room?" Lex could tell that the bags were more than the nurse could handle, and she was determined to make the woman as comfortable as possible.

"No!" At her curt reply, Natalie could see the confusion on her employer's face, but she didn't care. "I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself," she snapped, hoisting the bag's strap higher on her shoulder.

Lex wasn't as convinced, so she quietly followed behind the nurse, until they reached the foot of the steps. The woman was teetering from one foot to the other, and the heavy suitcase she dragged behind her looked almost as big as she was. I'm not going to let her stubborn pride cause her to tumble head first down our stairs. I'll just stay back, and catch her if she needs me to. She didn't know how soon her silent offer would be accepted, as Natalie only made it halfway up the landing before she lost her balance, and began to tumble backward.

Back in the converted office, Amanda wanted to pick Lorrie up and hold her, but she wasn't about to disturb the quiet balance. For the first time since Jeannie had regained consciousness, she showed a genuine interest in her baby. The peaceful moment was shattered when they both heard a scream come from somewhere else in the house. Getting quickly to her feet, Amanda was torn between checking out the noise, and staying with her sister. "Will you be all right while I see what that was?"

"'kay." Jeannie hated that she was confined to the bed, because her curiosity was getting the best of her, as well. But it did make her feel better that Amanda was confident in her enough to leave the baby. She watched her sister leave, and wished again that she was more mobile.

Rounding the door in the den, Amanda was shocked at what she saw. In the middle of the floor beneath the stairs, was a jumble of arms, legs and luggage.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Natalie demanded, her voice shrill and hard. She was slapping Lex in the head with her purse, even though she was lying on top of the hapless rancher. "Pervert!"

Amanda hurried over to save her partner. She reached for the nurse, and was almost knocked to the floor when the woman turned her ire on her. Fending off a violent swing, Amanda yelled, "Watch it!"

"Dammit, lady, calm down." Lex held one arm over her head in a defensive gesture, while she tried to scoot out from under Natalie. "It's not my fault you fell."

Even though she straddled Lex's hips, Natalie continued to attack. "I know you grabbed me in an inappropriate manner, you sick woman." Her arms were tiring, and the purse she swung moved in a slower arc. "You've been looking at me funny ever since I showed up." One of her blows finally landed, and nearly knocked Lex senseless.

"That's it!" Amanda, tired of the game, got a handful of Natalie's hair and pulled the hysterical woman away from her lover. Once the woman was a few feet away, she knelt and started checking Lex for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

Lex raised on her elbows and shook her head to clear it. "I don't think so. We didn't fall that far." She looked past Amanda to Natalie, who had stood and was adjusting her clothes. "How about you, Ms. Haverly? Anything broken?"

The nurse glared at the two women on the floor. "Just my sensibilities, I believe." She stepped to where they were and picked up her bags, causing Lex to flinch. "I don't think this is going to work out very well."

"Really? Whatever gave you that idea?" Lex asked dryly. Tired of the woman's attitude, she decided to tweak the nurse, at least a little. "What's the matter? Did you enjoy lying on me more than you care to admit?"

Natalie's eyes grew round, and her face flushed darkly. "Why, I never!"

"Maybe you should, you might like it." Lex ignored the look her lover gave her. "But, I think you're right, Ms. Haverly. I'm sorry we wasted your day." She got a morbid satisfaction over the gasp of shock that came from the nurse's mouth. "If you'll tell me where to send it, I'll be glad to give you a day's pay for your trouble."

"No, thank you." Natalie walked to the door, trying to maintain her dignity. "Good day." She left the house without looking back.

"Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow? We really haven't had much time together." Between his job and sleeping in late, Billy had not seen as much of his sister as he had wanted. Once he had gotten over his shock at Ellie's announcement, he found the whole thing incredibly funny. He was stretched out on one end of the sofa, with a can of beer balanced on his stomach and an empty pizza box on the center of the coffee table. His sister was in a similar position at the opposite end a few feet away.

Ellie plucked a dropped slice of pepperoni from her shirt and popped it into her mouth. "I'd really like to get back and mend some fences." Slightly drunk herself, she giggled at her terminology. "Mend fences. Get it?"

"That's bad." Once Ellie's mirth had died down, Billy changed the subject. "You keep telling me all about this 'Amanda' person, El. But what's your cousin like? You've hardly mentioned her." His sister's crush on the woman was evident, and Billy hoped that when she got her heart broken, it would heal quickly.

Giving the question serious thought, Ellie finished off her beer, then belched. What would be the best way to describe the person who seemed to take Amanda's love for granted? She still thought that Lex wasn't good enough for Amanda, but wasn't about to get into that with her brother. "Well, for starters, she's about your age, although she seems older than me most of the time." Ellie couldn't get over how serious her cousin was. She assumed it was because of the huge responsibility of running the ranch, but she thought that Lex needed to lighten up. A lot. "She has dark hair which looks kind of reddish in the sunlight, and her eyes are such a deep blue, they're almost purple."

"No, not the physical stuff." Billy couldn't keep the lecherous grin from his face. "But then again, she sounds pretty hot." He got off the sofa and padded barefoot into the kitchen. "Want another beer?" he hollered. Not waiting for an answer, he brought two more cans out and handed one to his sister, before resuming his reclining position. "So, are you sure that this hottie cousin of yours is gay? Maybe she just hasn't met the right guy."

Ellie drained her beer, put the empty can on the coffee table, and then popped the top on the new one. Her cousin wasn't some swaggering butch, but it was very evident in how Lex carried herself that she was more than comfortable in her sexuality. "Trust me, little brother, there's not a guy alive that could change Lex. Besides, like I told you before, she's happy with Amanda." She hated to admit it, even to herself, but Ellie felt very plain compared to Lex. Between her mousy brown hair and slight build, she knew that she was no match where looks were concerned.

"Well, you can't blame me for thinking it." He tipped the can to his lips and took several deep swallows. "Will you come back and visit? I'd hate to think that I'd never see you again."

"Of course I will. And, planes go both ways, you know."

Billy shrugged. "Maybe." Then he brightened, and sat up a bit straighter. "Want to go out and pick up a couple of chicks? I promise not to give you leftovers."

"Leftovers? Give me a break. I'd probably have to get two, and share." Ellie kicked at her brother, who kicked back in response. "And no, we're not going anywhere. I can't even remember how many beers I've had."

"I guess you're right." He fingered the rings in his eyebrow. "You never said anything about how I looked. Didn't you notice?"

Ellie sat up a little shakily, and made a point of staring at Billy's face. "Of course I noticed. But I didn't say anything, because I knew you expected me to. But now that you mention it, you do look a little different." She found herself on her back, with her brother leaning over her. "Hey, get off, you big ape." When he started tickling her ribs, she squirmed. "Stop it, snotface!"

"Different? That's all you can say?" Billy continued to tickle his sister. Once the air had been cleared, they easily reverted back to the old camaraderie they had when they were much younger.

"Yeah," Ellie forced out between gales of laughter. "Did you cut your hair?"

"Watch out, prickly butt." Billy used to tease his sister with the name when she'd do something to make him mad. The nickname would upset her, and their mother, mainly because it hit too close to home. Now he used it just to see what would happen. "I'll take you downtown and get you a tattoo."

Finally able to kick her brother off, Ellie sat up and straightened her shirt. "You wouldn't dare."

Billy's wicked smirk was the only answer he gave.

Snuggled up behind Amanda, Lex slept much later than usual. As per her wife's request, she had "come back to the house" early last night, and after a quick dinner, the two of them retired upstairs. Sated and relaxed, she didn't hear the back door to the house slam, or the racing boots that hit the stairs. The pounding on their door did wake her up, and Lex rolled over and grabbed her sleep shirt from the floor. "Come in."

"Lex! I think-" Ronnie paused, suddenly realizing where he was. His face turned scarlet, and he turned to face away from the bed. "You need to get down to the stables, quick. I think that new filly is sick or something."

"All right. Give me a second, and I'll be right there." She wasn't worried about Ronnie turning around, so she swung the covers from her legs and climbed out of bed.

The commotion finally caused Amanda to stir. "What's the matter?" she asked, partially sitting up and rubbing her eyes, before she realized that Ronnie was standing in the door. Her nightgown was lying across the room, so she pulled the sheets up over her breasts.

Ronnie heard the rustling on the bed, and was afraid he was going to hyperventilate. "I'll meet you downstairs." He was out of the room before either woman could say another word.

"He's so cute." Amanda watched Lex dress. "Did I hear him say something about the stables?"

"Yeah. Evidently the horse that we just trained is sick. Probably just colicky, or something. But I'd better check it out." Lex had put Ronnie in charge of the stables, and more than once his vigilance had kept a problem from getting out of control, and she had never regretted the decision. "I'll see you for breakfast in a bit." She met Amanda halfway and shared a long, heart-pounding kiss. "Whoa."

Amanda grinned. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have breakfast in bed?" Before she could be answered, a soft squeak was heard from the crib.

"No, but I'm thinking that someone else is ready for breakfast. I love you." Lex kissed Amanda again before leaving the room in a hurry.

Ronnie stood at the foot of the stairs, still embarrassed. "I'm sorry about bothering you this morning." He took his work at the ranch seriously, and didn't want her to think he couldn't handle it. "But I wasn't too sure what to do."

"Don't worry about it." Hoping to ease the boy's discomfort, Lex put one arm around his shoulders while they moved to the back door. Once outside, the cool morning made her wish that she'd put on more than just a tee shirt with her jeans and boots. She quickened her pace, wanting to be out of the chill sooner. It wasn't long before they were inside the barn, and without even looking, Lex knew something was seriously wrong. Looking into the stall, the filly was on her side, with her head away from the front. She wasn't moving, and Lex knew without a doubt she was dead. "Did you go inside?"

"No, ma'am. I saw her lying there, and went right up to get you."

Lex nodded. "Good man." She unhitched the stable door. "Would you mind going back up to the house, and ask Martha to call the vet? She's got the number by the phone."

"Okay. Then do you want me to come back here?" Ronnie didn't mention to Lex that he could have just called from the barn. He figured that she had a reason for what she said, and he wasn't about to question it.

"Yeah. Call the bunkhouse while you're there, and have the men come down and we'll move the rest of the horses up there." She knelt by the filly and ran her hand across the animal's neck. "I want them all in separate stalls until we find out what caused this."

Ronnie's eyes widened. "She's dead, isn't she?" He felt the weight of responsibility weigh heavily on his shoulders. "Maybe I should have stayed with her, and just called you from here." My first real work on the ranch, and I screwed it up. Lex is never going to trust me again.

Turning her head at the catch in his voice, Lex realized what Ronnie must have been thinking. "You did exactly the right thing, son. She's been dead for at least a few hours that I can tell. There wasn't anything you could have done different."

"Yes, ma'am." He raced from the barn, still upset.

Lex continued to study the dead animal for any traces of what may have caused her to die. The filly's head was partially covered by the straw that covered the bottom of the stall, so she gently brushed it away, only to pull her hand back in surprise. A wire was pulled taut around the dead animal's throat, just under the jaw and behind the ears. She could see a narrow band of blood beneath the wire, and that the horse's tongue was swollen and hanging out of its mouth. "Sonofabitch." The sound of the phone on the stable wall ringing startled Lex, and she got to her feet and crossed the building to answer it. "Hello?"

Martha's exasperated tone came through the line. "Lexie, I was trying to get Dr. Hernandez on the phone, when this other call came in. The man says it's important, and he won't take no for an answer."

"That's okay. Put him through, and I'll see what he wants. Probably just an overly obnoxious salesman." Even Lex didn't believe what she said, and she waited patiently while Martha conferenced the two lines. "This is Lex Walters."

A gravelly voice spoke, so low that Lex had to strain to hear. "How's business?"

"Who the hell is this?"

"It's a shame about that little horse. But that's how things are in the ranching business, isn't it, Walters? You just never know what's going to happen."

Her suspicions confirmed, Lex turned to face the door, to keep an eye out for Ronnie's return. "Now you listen to me, you bastard. I don't know why-"

He laughed, an eerie sound that was anything but friendly. "You know exactly why. You've got something we want. I'll even give you what you paid for the property."

"Go to hell." Lex slammed the phone down so hard, it almost knocked the receiver off the wall. She honestly didn't even want the land anymore, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let someone extort her for it. "Asshole."

Chapter 16

Ellie watched Los Angeles grow smaller through the window, and couldn't help but sigh. She hated that she had spent so many years estranged from her younger brother, who turned out to be a lot better person than she ever hoped to be. Although his clothing, hair and appearance weren't quite what she had expected, Ellie was proud of the man Billy had become. She looked down at her own clothes. Her jeans and gray tee shirt were old but clean, and the white sneakers on her feet were scuffed and could stand to be replaced. The first thing she'd have to do once she was back in Somerville is ask her grandfather or Amanda where she could buy some decent clothes. I need to get a job, and I'll never be hired dressed like this. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life sponging off her family, no matter what her mother said.

Before Billy had taken her to the airport, Ellie tried once again to reason with her mother. The short argument had hurt, especially when Naomi insinuated that the only reason Ellie was going back to Texas is so that she wouldn't have to go back to work. Even Billy's voice on the line couldn't calm Naomi, and Ellie boarded the plane with the fear that she'd never see her family again.

She thought about what kind of employment she might be able to get in Somerville, since she didn't think there would be very many job openings in her line of work. Waiting tables was out, since she had never been very coordinated and could never remember what anyone's order was. She had spent an entire summer mowing yards to help put herself through school, but the thought of doing that again at her age wasn't exactly heartening. "I could always see if Lex had any openings out at the ranch that I can handle." But the thought of asking her hard-nosed cousin for a job was even more humiliating than listening to her mother rant about her failures.

The plane touched down before Ellie could make any type of decision, and she was leaving the terminal when a man not much taller than she stopped her. "Excuse me, Miss Gordon?" He was dressed casually in khaki slacks and a white short-sleeved shirt, but there was something familiar about him.

"Yes?"

"I'm Mr. Edwards' driver. He sent me inside for you." The man reached up to tip his hat, before realizing he wasn't wearing one. "Sorry. I'm not quite used to the new 'uniform'."

Ellie smiled. "My grandfather is here? How did he know I'd be coming in today?" She was about to adjust her duffel bag over her shoulder when the driver took it from her grasp.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Miss. But if you'll follow me, I'll lead you out to the car." The chauffeur wove his way through the crowd like an expert, pausing ever so often to make certain he didn't lose his charge. Once outside, he stopped at a white limousine with tinted windows, and opened the trunk for Ellie's bag. Before she could get to the door, he was there, holding it open for her.

Not used to the star treatment, Ellie almost shrunk back. "Um, thanks." She peered inside of the vehicle, then climbed in quickly when she saw the smiling visage of her grandfather in the back seat. "Hi!"

"Hello, there." Travis patted the spot next to him. "Better get in here, before Thomas tosses you in." He laughed at the nervous look Ellie gave the driver, before she hastily climbed in. "Don't worry, Ellie. I was just kidding."

"You can never be too sure these days," she muttered, slightly embarrassed. It was going to take some getting used to, having a family that actually had a sense of humor. She embraced her grandfather, happy to see him. "Not that I'm complaining, but how did you know I was coming in today?"

Travis leaned back in the seat. "A very nice young gentleman by the name of Billy called me early this morning." He didn't want to tell his granddaughter about the entire conversation, especially the part where Billy wanted to make clear that he would be on the next plane to Texas if he learned of anyone hurting his sister, either physically or emotionally. Once that had been said, the two had found a lot in common, and settled down for a long talk about families. "He thought I'd like to be here to meet you, and he was right." Travis watched as several emotions flickered across Ellie's face. "Why didn't you call and tell me yourself?"

"I guess I didn't want to bother you." How else could Ellie explain her reasoning? She didn't know her grandfather well enough, and the last thing she wanted to do was wear out her welcome in the only home she had. Her mother had seen to that.

"The only way you could bother me would be to not let me do things for you. We're family, and that's what family does." Travis didn't know what had transpired in California, but he could tell that the young woman sitting beside him had been through a rough time. "Why don't I get you up to speed on what's been going on here, and then we'll get you settled down at the house."

Suddenly feeling very weary, Ellie leaned until she felt her grandfather's arm across her shoulders. "That sounds like the best offer I've had in a long time, Grandpa." She closed her eyes and concentrated on his soothing voice, saddened by the events that she'd recently missed.

Lex stood next to Charlie as her men hauled off the remains of the dead filly. The moment that she had gotten off the phone with the mystery man, she went to the cottage and asked the sheriff to follow her over to the stables. He was shocked at what she told him, but took very precise notes the entire time. "This was such a waste, Charlie. What kind of sick bastard would kill a horse, just to try and scare someone into selling land? It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"It rarely does. I've been in this job for a lot of years, and I still can't figure out human nature."

"Well, I can guarantee if I find one of those assholes, he's going to wish he'd never heard of me." It took everything that Lex had to control her anger at the loss of such a promising young animal. "Why did they single out her? She was in one of the middle stalls." The rancher was just very thankful that her favorite horse, Thunder, was at the vet's. The thrown shoe had indicated a more serious problem with the hoof, and so she'd had one of her men load the horse in a trailer and take him in to be checked out.

Charlie slid his hat back on his head. "Why do these crazy fools do anything? Maybe they saw you riding her, and thought she was yours."

"Maybe. But I haven't ridden her but the one time, when I went over to check-" the new property. Those bastards must have seen me! "Damn."

"What?"

Lex turned to face Charlie. "She's the one I was on when I heard those explosions. They probably had men out in the woods, and one of them saw me." Now she was really mad. "The sons of bitches knew I was hurt, and just left me there."

"Are you sure? You haven't had her out around the house?" The death of the horse took on an entirely different meaning for Charlie, now. It was more of a personal threat to Lex, than a warning.

"No. Just the once." Lex came to the same conclusion. "Do you think we're in danger out here?"

As much as he hated to admit it, the sheriff feared the worst. "I think you ought to think about a security system for the house. Especially with Jeannie and the baby here." The first thing Charlie wanted to do was have several deputies stay around the clock, but he knew he couldn't explain the cost of manpower to the city council.

The thought of having someone that close to the house doing harm made Lex feel physically ill. "Hell, Charlie, we don't even lock our doors out here." Then she considered what might have happened if Ronnie had walked in on the scene. "It's just for a lousy piece of land, for God's sake. Do you think they'd actually hurt any of us?"

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm going home and getting into an argument with my wife."

"An argument?"

"Oh, yeah. Can you imagine what Martha's going to say when I tell her I don't want her walking back and forth alone until this is resolved? She's going to bend my ear, but good." Charlie patted Lex on the shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this, honey. I'm not going to let these people get away with what they've done."

Lex pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips in an attempt to ward off an impending headache. "Thanks, Charlie. Now I get to do the same thing, but with Amanda." She tried to give him a smile. "I think you have the easier end of the deal."

In Jeannie's room, the baby was snuggled up against her mother, while Amanda talked of inconsequential things. They both had heard of the commotion down at the barn, but all that they'd been told was that the newest horse was dead. For the moment, Amanda could only imagine the anguish her partner was going through, and wanted to be with her to lend support.

"Mandy?"

"Hmm?"

Jeannie took a deep breath, and pictured what she wanted to say, since it was a lot harder for her to be understood. "Go to Wex. W'ill be otay."

"That's not necessary," a tired voice spoke from the doorway. "I'm right here." Lex walked in and was relieved when Amanda jumped into her arms. I needed this so badly.

Amanda stepped back and looked into her lover's eyes. She could see weariness, but something else was there, too. "Are you all right? We heard about the horse down at the barn."

"Yeah. There's just a few things I need to tell you." Sitting on the bed, Lex waiting until Amanda was next to her. "The new filly was killed."

Even though Jeannie's eyes widened, Amanda was the one to speak. "Killed? How?"

Lex took hold of one of her lover's hands, gaining strength from her grip. "They tried to make it look like she was strangled, but the vet thinks she was injected with a drug."

"Wait a minute." Amanda released her hold and stood up, shaking her head. "Why on earth would someone kill one of your horses? What's going on here, Lex?"

Standing up also, Lex nodded to Jeannie, then escorted Amanda out of the room before she awakened Lorrie. "It's kind of a long story."

"So? I don't see us in any hurry here." Amanda put her hands on her hips and glared at her lover. "This isn't more of the 'let's protect Amanda' bullshit, is it?"

"No." Lex looked down at the floor. The conversation wasn't going as she had planned, but the way things had gone lately, she shouldn't have expected anything less. Her partner had been so engrossed in taking care of Lorrie that she had neglected just about everything else, including their relationship. Lex took part of the blame for that, since she was so busy on the ranch. We've got to make more time for each other. I'm not letting this get away from us. She rubbed her face with her hands, unable to articulate what was necessary to make Amanda understand her.

Ashamed of her outburst, Amanda saw how her words had affected Lex. She doesn't deserve this. I'm beginning to sound like my mother.

"I'm sorry." Both spoke at once, and both smiled bashfully at each other.

"Let's get a bit more comfortable, and you can tell me what's going on," Amanda offered, leading Lex to the sofa.

The olive branch extended, Lex gladly accepted it and followed. She was happily surprised when Amanda not only sat next to her, but also wrapped both arms around one of hers and snuggled close. Lex leaned over and kissed her lover's temple. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Amanda kissed the shoulder she was up against, feeling better already. "Now, you said that the filly was poisoned? Do you know who, or why?"

"I have a pretty good idea of both. I've been getting 'offers' from a couple of men to sell the property that I just bought, and they won't drop it."

Amanda nodded. "Okay. So is Charlie going to arrest them?" She turned her head so that she could see Lex's face. "What?"

"I'm sure he would, if I had any proof. But right now, it's just my word against theirs." Now came the hard part. "While I was over at Charlie's, I called an alarm company. They're sending someone out in a little bit to see about installing a security system."

"Why?"

Lex glanced down into her wife's eyes, hoping that she'd never lose the trust she saw there. "Because if they were able to get into the stable that easily, I don't want to take a chance on them doing that in either of the houses."

"You're really scared, aren't you?" Amanda had seen Lex worried, mad, upset, happy, and a lot of things, but never like she was now. "This thing really has you rattled."

"Of course I'm scared!" Lex pulled away and stood up, then whirled to face the sofa and her partner. "I have a house full of people to take care of, and if I thought it would do any good, I'd ask you and Morris to take Jeannie to town and stay with your grandparents, until this thing is resolved." She held up her hand when Amanda opened her mouth to speak. "But since I know you won't do that, then I'd feel better about taking a few extra precautions to keep us safe. All of us."

Amanda bit her tongue to prevent herself from going off on Lex. She understood exactly what Lex meant, and wanted to support her, not go off on her own tangent. Holding out her arms, she beckoned her lover to her. "Come back and sit down, honey. Let's work this out together."

When the limousine hit the outskirts of Somerville, Ellie recognized some of the landmarks. "We're not too far from the ranch, are we?"

"No, I don't think so. Would you rather go there, first?" Travis was pleased. He had hoped that his two grandchildren would be able to get along, if not be actual friends.

"I think so. I have a few things to clear up there, and I'd feel better getting it done as soon as possible."

Travis nodded. He picked up the phone and told Thomas about the detour, and then sat back to enjoy the ride. It wasn't too long before the long white car pulled up in front of the ranch house, near two vans bearing the logo of a well-known alarm company. Travis accepted Thomas' help from the limousine and looked around. "I wonder what's going on here?" He waited until Ellie was beside him before making his way up the steps to the front porch. Before he reached the door, it opened and Martha greeted them both.

"Welcome back, Ellie," she gushed, enveloping the surprised woman in a fierce hug. "It's good to have you home."

Home? I wonder where that came from? Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she returned the embrace. "Thank you."

Waiting until the two women broke apart, Travis gestured to the trucks. "What's with the security? Has something happened?"

The housekeeper led them inside and closed the door. "When does something not happen around here? Why don't you let me pour you each a cup of coffee, and I'll bring you up to speed."

After their "debriefing", Travis couldn't help but shake his head. "That nurse sounds like a complete nutcase."

"I feel responsible," Martha lamented. "After all, I was the one who did the initial interview. She never once let on she was prejudiced."

Ellie spoke up. "Then you certainly can't take the blame, Martha. I'm sure neither Lex or Amanda feels that way." Even though she and her cousin hadn't gotten along, Ellie knew deep down inside that Lex was a decent person. It was the only way she could reconcile the fact that Amanda fell in love with her.

"She's right. Don't beat yourself up over what's already past." For a moment Travis was quiet, then he chuckled. "Although I would have paid good money to see the woman on top of poor Lex, lying at the foot of the stairs."

Not speaking out loud, Ellie had thought the same thing. Seeing anyone whacking Lex would be entertaining.

"It was pretty funny," a new voice piped in. Amanda stood in the doorway, holding Lorrie. "I think the best part was when the nurse realized where she was, and couldn't get off Lex fast enough." She headed to the table and sat down between Travis and Martha.

Travis reached out and was rewarded by Amanda handing the infant to him. "She already grown so much." He took his eyes off Lorrie momentarily. "How's Jeannie?" Not wanting to be a bother, Travis had only been out once to visit, but resolved to make up for that.

"She seems to be doing better, although she's still having a rough time." Amanda was impressed with how her sister was coping. She didn't think she'd be able to go on at all if she lost Lex, no matter how much support her family was willing to give her.

Understanding completely, Travis handed the baby back to Amanda and stood up. "Do you think it would be all right if I went in to see her? I may have some insight." Since his wife passed away just recently, Travis knew all too well the pain of losing someone so dear.

"I think she'd like that a lot." Amanda watched as he and Martha left the room, then turned to smile at Ellie, who had been quiet since she came into the room. "Welcome back."

For her part, Ellie couldn't get over the vision Amanda was with the infant in her arms. Already a perfect woman in her eyes, seeing her ideal as a maternal figure only enhanced her view of Amanda. "Thanks." She was even more surprised when Amanda leaned forward and pulled her into a one-armed hug. The sunshine fresh smell of woman and child caused Ellie to close her eyes and dream for a moment they were a family, and her arms went around Amanda's neck to return the embrace.

"I'd like a panic button in each bedroom, and one in the kitchen," Lex said from the hall by the back door. She had given the four men with her a quick tour of the houses and barns, and had been told that they'd have the installation done in record time. Just missing her grandfather's exit, she turned to walk into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Amanda and Ellie in each other's arms. "Ahem."

Ellie pulled away and hurried to her feet. "Lex." She watched Amanda's face, but didn't see anything but a friendly smile. Her own guilty thoughts made her nervous, as did the unreadable expression on her cousin's face. "I was just, um, well-"

Lex turned to the men with her. "Do you need anything else to get started?" When she was assured they didn't, Lex brought her attention back to the women in the kitchen. She walked slowly past Amanda and the baby until she was within an arm's length of her cousin. "So, what was it that I was seeing here?"

"We, I mean, I-" Ellie continued to stammer as Lex towered over her. Oh, God. She's figured it all out, and is going to kick my ass. I knew I should have stayed in California. She closed her eyes as Lex drew nearer. What happened next was something she never would have predicted.

"Welcome back, cousin." Lex put her arms around Ellie's trembling body and brought her close. Frank's death had given her a certain sense of her own mortality, and she was determined to try and make a go of her family, no matter how hard it might be. "I hope you stay longer, this time," she whispered.

Opening her eyes, Ellie saw something she had never seen before: Lex's face in a smile. The expression made the serious woman look younger and more beautiful, and suddenly Ellie saw what Amanda must have seen in her cousin to fall in love with her. "Thanks." She pulled away and took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you, when you have a chance."

"Sure."

Amanda stood up. "I need to take Lorrie upstairs and change her, anyway." She kissed Lex on the cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Lex stared after her lover. When Ellie cleared her throat, she tried to keep a blush from her face. "Sorry about that. You said that you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah. Is there someplace that we can go where we won't be interrupted?" As much as Ellie enjoyed the rest of the family, she wanted to get some things out in the open between them, without any interference. "If you've got the time, that is."

"How about we take a walk? There's less chance of anyone bothering us that way." Lex smiled at Ellie. "If you're not afraid to be alone with me."

Ellie shook her head. "I think we're past that, aren't we?"

"I think so, too." Lex led the way out of the kitchen and through the back door, wondering what revelations the rest of the day might bring.

The quiet tapping of the keyboard was the only sound that could be heard in the room, and the noise was beginning to get on Elizabeth's nerves. "Do you have to make that infernal racket?" Earlier citing a headache, she was lying on the bed with a damp cloth covering her eyes and the lights turned down low.

"I'm sorry, but you wanted me to finish this research for you, and I can't do that without typing." Sitting at a desk on the other side of the room, Terence wasn't really sorry. But the last thing he wanted to do was antagonize Liz, who had become increasingly unstable since they returned to Austin.

"Very well. But at least try to not make as much noise. My head is splitting."

Mine would be too, if I'd drank as much Scotch as she had on the plane. She's probably got a hangover that would fell a moose. With an evil glint in his eye, Terence purposely thumped the keys on his laptop harder. Take that, you hateful bitch. He was still upset over their earlier conversation, where Liz demanded that he find a way to get her youngest daughter and grandchild away from "that woman". When he asked about her oldest, she sneered and told him in no uncertain terms that Jeannie was worthless to her now, and that he was to forget about her.

Liz moaned and waved one hand in the air. "Terence, be a dear and order some room service. I'm not going to feel like going out tonight for dinner."

"All right. What would you like? Some soup, maybe?"

She sat up and removed the washcloth from her face. "Are you out of your mind? I can't eat that. Have them bring up something light - perhaps a filet mignon. I'm not well." She was about to lie back again when a thought struck her. "Oh, and don't forget the champagne. That should help with the headache." Her order given, Liz reclined and covered her eyes again.

No shit. If I'd had any idea just how "not well" she was, I'd have never helped the crazy bitch get out of the hospital. Terence reached for the phone and placed the order, adding a sandwich and coffee for himself. His stomach had been upset for several days as well, but for entirely different reasons. Meeting Jeannie had given him insight into what was really happening, and put a face on the innocent people that Liz was trying to hurt. On the plane ride back, he decided to himself that he'd do what he could to change things, and hopefully make amends. He just hoped that he could finish what he wanted to do and get away before Liz found out.

Elizabeth peeked from underneath the cloth on her eyes. She wasn't stupid. Terence's attitude had done a complete turnaround right before they left California, and she was almost certain she knew what caused it. Even though he wasn't aware, she noticed the look of distaste he gave her whenever they spoke about Jeannie. I don't know what his problem is. That girl is completely worthless to me now. She also knew that "research" alone couldn't explain the amount of typing he was doing.

Feeling as if he were being watched, Terence paused and looked over his shoulder. Liz hadn't moved, and the cloth was still covering her eyes. He remonstrated himself over his paranoia, and went back to his work.

That's right, little man. Keep your eyes on your back. There's no telling when you might find a knife there. Elizabeth closed her eyes once again, making a mental note to call her local "friend" as soon as she was alone.

The autumn afternoon sun beat down on them both, and Ellie wished that she'd left her denim jacket inside. Part of her realized that her discomfort stemmed not only from the weather, but from the amount of alcohol she had consumed the evening before. Ellie had never been much of a drinker, although the thought of something cold to drink before she faced her cousin sounded pretty good to her at the moment. Looking around, she couldn't help but notice the new concrete walkways that linked the main house with Martha's, as well as with the stables. "What's up with all this?"

"It's been something I'd been meaning to do for a long time, actually. But with Jeannie confined to a wheelchair for the moment, I thought it would be easier for her to get around." Lex studied the ground beneath their feet as they walked. "It's not right for her to be cooped up inside all the time. I just wanted to give her a bit more freedom."

"That's really nice of you."

Lex cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading. "She's family." She stopped in her tracks and turned to face Ellie. "And so are you. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot."

The apology was something that Ellie hadn't expected, and she stood for a moment in surprise. She's apologizing to me? What's going on here? "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about, Lex. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was for being such a self-righteous jerk when we first met." She waited until her words registered and then said, "Not to mention, I found out that we have more in common than I first thought."

"Oh?"

"Uh, yeah." Now it was Ellie's turn to be embarrassed. "Here I am, thirty-six years old, and I finally figure out that I'm gay. The chip on my shoulder came from a lifetime of denial. I guess I was upset with you, because you seemed so open and comfortable with yourself."

Whoa. I never saw that one coming. Lex held out her hand and smiled. "How about we start over, then? Hi, cousin. Welcome to the family."

Ellie took the hand and pulled Lex into a hug. "Thanks, cousin." She didn't know if she was more relieved at Lex's apparent acceptance of her, or that she was able to finally get it all off her chest. Feeling the arms around her tighten, she decided it didn't matter.

Chapter 17

As they walked back to the house, Ellie remembered something from earlier. She didn't know quite how Lex would take it, but feeling that their relationship was headed in the right direction, she decided to give it a try. "Lex?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you tried to hire anyone else to help with Amanda's sister?"

Lex stayed quiet for several minutes, while they continued their trek along the newly poured walkway. She watched as two of the alarm installers carried wireless equipment to Martha and Charlie's house, feeling a bit of relief that by the time they went to bed tonight, both houses would be protected. Ellie's question had caught her slightly off guard. "Not yet. I don't want to put Jeannie through any more stress than is necessary, and bringing in a new person every day would probably do just that." Her steps never faltered, but she turned to look Ellie in the face. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you mind introducing me to her? I mean, we're practically family, aren't we?"

"Sure. I've got some work to do inside, so maybe you can spend some time with Amanda and Jeannie."

Just hearing Amanda's name caused Ellie's heart to beat faster. Knowing that it was pointless, she still couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of spending more time with the woman of her dreams. Not wanting to harm the newly formed bond she had with Lex, Ellie tried to keep a neutral look on her face. "That would be great."

Still not all that comfortable with the woman walking beside her, Lex tried to make polite conversation. "Are you planning on staying around for a while? Or is this just a visit?" After they climbed the steps to the porch, she held the back door open for Ellie to precede her. She took her cousin's silence wrong. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Actually, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about. I'd like to help out around here, if you'd let me."

Lex stopped in the hallway, not sure if she'd heard correctly. "You want to work on the ranch?" She couldn't help but compare Ellie to herself. Older, smaller, and never looking like she'd worked outside a day in her life, Ellie just didn't seem like the type that would be comfortable throwing bales of hay or cleaning out stables. "Just exactly what is it you want to do?"

Embarrassed by Lex's thorough perusal, Ellie blushed. "Not what you're thinking, I'm sure." At Lex's confused look, she continued, "In San Diego, I worked for a couple of years as a nurse's assistant. I was just thinking that if Amanda's sister was okay with it, that I could help take over some of the care for her."

"A nurse's assistant? Why not a nurse?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Lex wanted to take them back. She could see that the subject was a touchy one for Ellie. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that."

"No, that's okay. You just reminded me of my mother, for a second." Ellie smiled to take the sting out of her words. "She always complained about me not going to nursing school, even though I didn't have the grades for it. And since I've had to work full-time to get myself through college, it's taken me longer." She looked down at the floor. "A few years ago, I thought I fell in love, and quit to help put him through law school. As soon as he passed the bar, he found someone else. So, I'm running behind on my education."

Having had her heart shattered by love before, Lex knew what Ellie was talking about. She put her hand on her cousin's arm in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry."

Ellie closed her eyes for a moment. "It was a long time ago, at least it feels like it now." She opened her eyes and looked into Lex's face. "Of course, now I know that he wouldn't have been able to make me very happy in the long run, would he? So, I guess it was all for the best."

"Maybe." Seeing the lost look in the other woman's eyes, Lex pulled Ellie into a hug. "You're with family, now. So if there's anything we can do to help you with your studies, let us know."

"Thanks, Lex." For the first time in a very long time, Ellie felt truly at home. And it felt good.

The noisy diner hadn't been his first choice for a meal, but Billings wanted to stay in town until he was able to finish some business. He watched as a man in a dark business suit opened the front glass door to the establishment and stepped inside to look around. Rolling his eyes at his associate's inability to blend in, Billings raised his hand slightly to get Wilson's attention. He had removed his own tie and jacket and left them in his car, not wanting to stand out too much in the small town. "Where the hell have you been?" he whispered roughly.

"Sorry. I got lost." Realizing how he looked, Anthony loosened his tie and waved to the waitress. "Excuse me, but can I get a cup of coffee?" At her nod, he returned his attention to Billings. "What's the big deal? I'm only about five minutes late."

"The big deal is that our boss has been on my ass all morning. I talked to that damned rancher earlier, and she-"

"Here you go, hon," the buxomed waitress placed a cup of coffee in front of Anthony. Her platinum blonde hair was in disarray, and her makeup was smeared, but she was still a lovely woman. "Would you like something to eat?"

Anthony smiled at her friendly tone. "What do you recommend?" He hadn't had any intentions of eating here, but she was too nice to send away.

"I'd recommend the steakhouse across town," she whispered conspiratorially. "Or a sandwich, if you really want to eat here. Just stay away from the fried foods."

"I think I'll stick with the coffee." Anthony noticed her nametag. "Thank you, Francine."

Once the waitress had left the area, Billings thumped the table with his fist. "Are you through flirting yet? Or should I leave you alone with your little friend?"

"I was just being polite."

"Never mind." Billings looked around, then stood up. "Come on. I don't want to discuss business in here. There are too many ears around us." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill, more than twice what his tab came to, and tossed it on the table. He led the way out of the diner, with Wilson right behind him.

They went around the corner of the building to the parking lot and climbed into the rental car that Billings had been driving. Once they were safely inside, the older man took a cigar from the console and lit it, enjoying the flavor of the smoke as it rolled around his mouth. He turned to look at his companion, who was trying to wave the heavy smoke away from his face. "As I was saying inside, I called the rancher earlier."

"What exactly did you say to her?" Unable to stand the smell any longer, Anthony opened his door to let air into the car.

Billings couldn't keep the smug look from his face. "Oh, I may have mentioned how rough the ranching business was, and of course gave her my condolences on the death of one of her horses."

The sick feeling returned to Anthony's stomach. He knew that they had planned on doing something out at the woman's ranch, but he never figured them for killing animals. "You killed her horse?"

"I told you were had to do something, you idiot. She wouldn't listen to reason."

Anthony was afraid of the answer he'd get, but he had to ask. "And did it help?"

"No." Billings chewed on his cigar for a few minutes, thinking. He finally rolled down the driver's side window and spit a wad of the tobacco onto the ground outside, before turning back to face Anthony. "I thought I'd give her a while, then call her back. You know, let her think about it a while." Billings leaned across the seat and opened the glove box, where he had left his cell phone. He turned the device on, and hit the redial button.

After introducing Ellie to Jeannie, Lex left the small room, not comfortable with all the people so close. She knew that Amanda would be a good buffer between the two women, and only a tiny part of Lex wanted to stay behind and make certain Ellie kept her distance from her wife. Shaking her head at her own jealous thoughts, Lex crossed the den to the desk in the corner and sat down.

Between the new property and the expense of the state of the art alarm system, Lex felt the need to contact the bank and make an appointment to discuss her finances, or lack thereof. She flipped through the Rolodex until she found the number she was looking for, then dialed the phone. It took a minute or so of talking with clerks and waiting, but soon the voice of the bank president came on the line.

"Ms. Walters, what a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Mr. Collins was always over-solicitous, and his rapid breathing was a sure sign that he was nervous.

"I'm sure you're aware of my recent, umm, expenditure, Mr. Collins." Lex looked around the quiet den, glad that she was still alone. "I'd like to come in sometime tomorrow, if you have the time, and talk about getting a loan."

Collins was quiet, not certain if he'd heard her correctly. "A loan?"

"Yes. I'm sure it would only need to be short-term, but because of some recent developments that I don't want to get into over the phone, I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment."

"Oh." The heavy breathing continued, as the bank president weighed the options. "Of course, Ms. Walters. I'll be here all day tomorrow, so just come right in whenever it's convenient for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Collins, I appreciate it." Lex hung up the phone, hating the thought of borrowing money. She was about to push the chair away from the desk when the phone rang. Thinking it might be Mr. Collins calling back, she quickly picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Walters, have you had time to think some more about my offer?" The low, scratchy voice sounded threatening, even as quiet as it was.

I don't need this. Especially now, with Amanda and everyone right in the next room. "Look, asshole. I don't know who you think you are, or why you want that piece of land so bad, but you can take your money and shove it up your ass." She sounded a lot braver than she felt, and while she reached for a pencil on the desk, Lex was dismayed to see her other hand shake.

"Do you remember what I said about the dangers of ranching? That doesn't just mean the animals, you know. Living so far away from town isn't safe, lady. Anything could happen, to any one of the people in that house."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Just stating a fact." The voice became even quieter. "I'm tired of jacking around with you, Walters. If I hang up this phone, we'll get that land another way."

Lex took a deep breath, then released it. "Go to hell." She slammed down the phone, trying hard not to throw up. The longer she sat there, the madder she got. "I don't know who that son of a bitch thinks he is, threatening me like that." She got to her feet and stomped across the den, going into Jeannie's room.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked, seeing her partner go over to the door on the other side of the room. Even though the house had been completed gutted by the fire earlier in the year, the gun safe had suffered only minor damage. While the house was being rebuilt, Lex had replaced it and had the contractor hide it in a closet in the office.

"Just a precaution." Opening the door that hid the gun safe, Lex dialed the combination and opened the heavy steel door. She pulled out a rifle and checked the bolt, satisfied that it was loaded and ready to go. Putting the gun back into the safe, she repeated the procedure several more times, keeping the last rifle out before locking the safe and closing the door.

Amanda put her hand on Lex's arm to keep her from leaving the room. "A precaution? What kind of precaution includes guns?" She looked from Jeannie to Ellie, her own heart starting to pound as her lover remained silent. "Lex? Tell me what's going on."

Not wanting to frighten Amanda, Lex was unsure of what to tell her, so she kept quiet. She allowed the rifle to rest against her shoulder as she left the room, her mind struggling to come up with a way to protect her family, should anything happen. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't stop, knowing that Amanda would follow her.

Once they were upstairs and in the master bedroom, making certain that the safety was on, Lex placed the rifle under her side of the bed. She got up from the floor and looked into her wife's stormy eyes, knowing that she was about to hear it for leaving the office without an explanation. "Before you say anything, let me-"

"Oh, so now you want to talk?" Amanda put her hands on her hips and glared at Lex. "You couldn't have the decency to tell me downstairs?"

"Amanda, please." Lex sat on the bed and lowered her head, waiting for the rest of the explosion. The silence she received surprised her, and she looked up to see tears tracking down Amanda's face. "Hey."

Wiping at her face, Amanda stayed a few steps away from Lex. "It hurts that you don't trust me enough to confide in me, Lex. I thought we were partners." Tired of the distance between them, she finally sat next to her wife, but refused to look at her. "I know we've been having difficulties lately, and I know they've mostly been my fault."

"No, sweetheart. It's not-"Lex was silenced by Amanda's hand on her leg. She felt her fear dissipate, leaving behind a heavy weariness. When the hand found hers and squeezed, the weariness was replaced by hope.

"We've got a lot of things to clear up, don't we?"

They did, but Lex didn't know if she could handle going through them at the moment. All she wanted to do was curl up somewhere with Amanda and let the world pass them by, at least for a few days. Lex was tired of everything that had happened, and had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that it wasn't over.

Downstairs, Ellie wasn't too sure what had transpired between Lex and Amanda, but the fussing of the baby brought her back to where she was. Not wanting to just snatch Lorrie from her mother, she asked, "May I?" At Jeannie's slight nod, Ellie picked up the crying infant. "Someone needs a change." She looked around until she saw the changing table tucked away in the corner of the room. Once Lorrie's needs had been met, Ellie was about to place her back next to her mother when Jeannie shook her head.

"Oo ol' 'er." The moment the words left Jeannie's mouth, her face turned red. She was tired of sounding so ridiculous, and was afraid to look up into Ellie's face, for fear of seeing either ridicule or pity.

Ellie rocked the baby in her arms. "You're such a beautiful little girl." She could tell that Jeannie was upset, and wanted to try and ease her fears, so she decided to talk to Lorrie, hoping that Jeannie would listen. "When I was about seven, there was a playground about a block from our house. I'd go there with my friends, and spend the day swinging, using the slide, and all sorts of fun things." She glanced out of the corner of her eye, and could see that she had Jeannie's undivided attention. "One day, I was pushing my best friend Rhonda in the swing. The seats were made from this heavy plastic, and were suspended by thick chains, so I was pushing as hard as I could to get her high into the air." Ellie stopped the story, reliving the moment.

"Wha' 'appene'?"

"Rhonda jumped while at the highest point, and the swing came back and smashed me right in the face." Ellie couldn't remember all of the details, but she did remember the blood and the pain from the broken jaw. "I spent the next two years undergoing reconstructive surgery, not to mention having to learn to talk all over again." She looked Jeannie directly in the eyes. "The more you speak, the better you'll be at it. I'm a nurse's assistant, not a licensed speech therapist, but I can get some books on speech therapy and help you, if you'd like."

"Weally? Bu' why?" Jeannie didn't know why this woman, whom she had just met, would want to help her.

That was the question of the day. Why, indeed? At first, Ellie wanted to help around the house in order to have an excuse to stay, so that she could be near Amanda, and get to know Lex a little better. But when she met Jeannie, she knew that she wanted to help this woman get as much of her life back as possible. "You're family." Ellie knew that wasn't a good enough answer by the look on Jeannie's face. "I like you, Jeannie. You're a good person, and you've tolerated my grumpy cousin." She looked down at Amanda's sister, finally able to see the resemblance. But what she felt with Jeannie was protective, and hoped that they'd be able to build a good relationship. "But even if we weren't family, I'd like to be your friend."

Jeannie held out her hand, glad when it was accepted. "I'd wike dat too."

After that evening's meal, both households settled down into their own quiet routines. Martha, Charlie and Ronnie went back to the cottage, while the occupants of the main house decided to call it an early night and retire. Morris, who had spent the day in town helping Michael in his photography studio, dragged in after the meal and went directly to bed, swearing that animals were much easier to work with than people.

In the darkened den, Lex sat quietly thinking about the earlier phone call, while Amanda and Lorrie bade Jeannie goodnight. She knew that the man who called her was behind the death of the filly, but couldn't understand what was so important about that one parcel of land. The thought that she should just give in rankled her, but keeping the people she loved safe was her top priority. "Maybe I'm just being stubborn."

"That's usually a given," Amanda agreed, standing beside the sofa. She had heard Lex's quiet words as she stepped out of Jeannie's room, and couldn't help but answer. "What are you being stubborn about this time?"

"The new property." Lex looked up and could barely make out Amanda's outline, but was comforted by her presence. "Maybe I should just sell it."

Amanda could hear the defeat in her wife's tone, and it concerned her. "Why don't we go upstairs, and talk about it there? I think we've all had a long day." She waited until Lex stood up before she started out of the den, then turned when she heard the alarm keypad at the front door beep. Her lover bolted the door and turned around sheepishly.

"Just checking." Satisfied that the alarm was set and the house was secure, Lex followed Amanda upstairs. She couldn't remember the last time she had worried about locking the doors, and the thought saddened her.

With Lorrie asleep in her crib, it didn't take long for Lex and Amanda to get ready for bed. After turning off the lights, they snuggled up together in silence. The glow of the alarm keypad next to the door reminded Lex again of the recent troubles, and she couldn't contain a heavy sigh.

"I know I'm the last person that should be asking this, but do you want to talk about it?" Amanda feared the worst when Lex was quiet for a long time. She felt that it would serve her right if her partner didn't want to confide in her, especially with the way Amanda jumped all over her lately when asked that very same question. She almost didn't hear the softly spoken response.

"I think I've really screwed up, this time." Lex continued to look up at the stilled ceiling fan over the bed, which she could barely make out in the room.

Amanda rolled over onto her side, glad for the small amount of light that came from a nightlight near Lorrie's crib, which brought out Lex's profile in the otherwise darkened room. "Just what is it that you've supposedly done?"

Lex brought both of her hands up and linked them behind her head. "I didn't take them seriously."

"Who?"

"The guys who keep wanting to buy the new property." Lex turned her head so that she could see Amanda. "What if someone gets hurt, just because I'm being stubborn? We've already lost a horse to those assholes, even if I can't prove it."

Reaching across the space, Amanda caressed her wife's cheek. "Don't blame yourself for what someone else has done. You can't bend to the whims of others, just because they may threaten you."

"I just don't want anyone to get hurt. There are so many people here that are depending on me to keep them safe."

Amanda snuggled closer and kissed Lex's chin. "I think you're doing a fine job of that, love."

Tired of her morbid thoughts, Lex pulled Amanda into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks." She closed her eyes, the love being offered giving her peace like nothing else could.

It seemed like Lex had just closed her eyes when the alarm started to sound. She sat up in bed and glanced at the clock on the nightstand, seeing that it was after three in the morning. Swinging her legs out from under the covers, she stepped into her jeans and hurried over to the keypad by the door, punching in several numbers to silence the alarm.

"What is it?" asked Amanda, who sat up and rubbed at her eyes sleepily. She had turned on the lamp on her side of the bed when the alarm started to sound.

"One of the downstairs windows has been tripped," Lex answered, walking back over to the bed and bringing the rifle out from under it. Clad only in her nightshirt and jeans, she started for the door. "Lock up behind me, Amanda. I'll be back as soon as I check this out."

"But-" Amanda's argument was silenced by the door being closed. She was about to get up when the telephone rang. "Hello? Oh. Hi, Martha." Amanda looked over at the crib, where Lorrie continued to sleep. "No, Lex said it was one of the windows downstairs, and she's gone to check on it. Okay, thanks." She hung up the phone, glad to know that Charlie would be joining Lex in checking out the house.

When the alarm company tried to get Lex to sign a multi-year deal for monitoring, she couldn't help but laugh at them. With the county sheriff living less that fifty yards away, she assured them that they didn't need any other help. The alarm was wired so that if it was tripped at one house, the other house would know about it.

Lex had just closed the door to the master bedroom when she almost ran into Ellie and Morris. "What are you two doing?"

"I heard the alarm, and was going downstairs to check on Jeannie," Ellie admitted, looking rumpled in a tee shirt that hung to her knees. "Where's Amanda?"

"She's in our room with Lorrie." Lex looked to Morris. "How about you?"

"I just didn't want to be by myself," he admitted. "Maybe we should all be with Jeannie."

"Fine. Follow me downstairs, but stay behind me. Once I've checked the den and Jeannie's room, y'all can stay in there with the door locked, okay?" Lex started down the stairway, almost jumping out of her skin when Morris grabbed the back of her nightshirt.

The three made it through the hallway and into the den, where Lex checked all the windows carefully. She stepped into the refurbished office, and could see the terror on her sister in law's face. "It's okay, Jeannie. Probably just a false alarm." Lex closed the blinds on the window, and turned on the light. "I've brought you some company, while I check outside, okay?"

Jeannie nodded, and almost laughed at the way her uncle hung on Lex's shirt. She looked up as Ellie sat on the bed next to her.

"I hope you don't mind, but I didn't want to be alone," Ellie murmured. "Do you mind if I stay here for a while?"

"Dat's pine wi' me."

"Great." Ellie nodded to Lex, who had to pry Morris' hand away from her. "Close this door, and wait until you hear from me. It shouldn't take but a few minutes to check the outside of the house."

After checking the downstairs windows, Lex turned off the alarm and opened the back door. The cool night air chased the cobwebs from her mind, and she tiptoed off the porch and began to walk around the house to check for any unwanted visitors. She was almost to the edge of the house when she heard soft footfalls, and readied her gun. "Hold it!"

"Dammit, Lex! Put the gun down," Charlie yelled. His hands shook as he quickly lowered his revolver. The thought that he had almost shot someone he loved scared him to death, but not as much as it seemed to have scared Lex, who dropped to her knees.

"Oh, God." Placing the gun on the ground, Lex wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock back and forth. "Not again." Her mind flashed back to when she was a teenager, and one of her friends was killed in a hunting accident. She could smell the blood again, and when she closed her eyes, it was Charlie, not her friend, lying in front of her.

Charlie stood nearby, unsure of what to do. He had never seen Lex in such a state. Putting his gun in the holster clipped to his belt, he knelt beside her. "Lex? Honey, it's okay." He put his arm around her shoulders and helped Lex to her feet. "Let's go back inside. It was just a false alarm."

Unable to get past what she almost did, Lex allowed Charlie to lead her into the house. She didn't even realize when he pushed her down into a chair in the kitchen, and was unaware of the footsteps that signaled someone else's arrival. As Lex began to shiver, a soft quilt was placed around her shoulders.

After clicking the safety on the rifle, Charlie leaned it up in the far corner of the kitchen. He was about to go look for everyone else, when Amanda stepped into the room. She had a quilt wrapped around her, but seeing her lover's pale face caused her to hurriedly drape it around Lex, instead. "What happened?"

Charlie had the good sense to look embarrassed. "We met at the corner of the porch, behind the kitchen; both of us pointing our guns. When I yelled at Lex, she dropped to the ground and went quiet on me."

"You almost shot her?" Amanda tried to control herself, but her voice rose. "Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No! I don't think either one of us would have pulled the trigger, without knowing who we were shooting at. She just," Charlie waved at a still silent Lex, "shut down. I've never seen her like that before."

Amanda brought her arm around Lex's shoulder and leaned in close. "Lex? Honey, it's all right. No one was hurt." She continued to talk in low tones for several minutes, trying to get through to her partner.

"Get them out," Lex rasped.

Shocked by the raw tone, Amanda was afraid of what Lex was asking. "What?"

Lex turned her head to face Charlie, who was shocked by the anguish he could see in her eyes. "I want every damned gun out of this house, tonight. Right now." She had to hold her hands together, in order to keep them from shaking. "Please."

"Of course, Lex. I'll take care of it." Charlie nodded to Amanda, then quickly left the kitchen.

"I could have killed him, you know." Lex's voice was quiet, but steadier than it had been. "That was too damned close."

Amanda covered Lex's hands with her own. "But you didn't. Everything turned out okay."

Leaning her head into Amanda's shoulder, Lex closed her eyes. "I flashed back to when I was fourteen, and Lawrence was killed in that hunting accident. Except I saw Charlie lying there, not him." She shook her head. "Never again, Amanda. I won't let that happen again."

"I know you won't, love." Amanda pulled Lex close, giving silent thanks for everyone's safety.

Dawn brought with it a somber morning, as the household readied itself for another day. Lex spent extra time at her desk, gathering up the necessary papers to take to the bank. Amanda stood nearby, a frown on her face. She had tried for over an hour to dissuade her partner from leaving the house, especially after what had transpired the evening before. "If you won't listen to reason, then at least let me go with you."

"And who's going to take care of Lorrie?" Lex tucked the remaining papers in a folder and stood up. "I'm fine, Amanda. Really." But she wasn't, and she knew it. After they had gone back to bed, Lex had lain there quietly, afraid to close her eyes and see what her imagination wrought. It would take a lot longer than she wanted to let on to get over that scene.

Seeing the haunted look behind Lex's eyes, Amanda didn't believe a word of what she said. All she wanted to do was take her hurting wife into her arms and never let her go. "We can both go with you."

Lex shook her head. "I'm not going to be gone that long, sweetheart. Just to the bank, then back to the house. Shouldn't take more than an hour or so." She stepped closer and put her hands on Amanda's hips. "Surely you can do without me for that long."

"Smartass." Raising her hands, Amanda linked them behind Lex's neck and pulled her head down for a long kiss. She felt her body tugged closer, until there wasn't any space between them, as Lex deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily. "Kiss me like that again, and you're definitely not going anywhere, Slim."

"Oh, yeah?"

Amanda gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Yeah." She brushed her hands down the front of Lex's dark gray cotton shirt, loving the feel of the material and the woman beneath it. "An hour or so, huh?"

"Yup." Lex gasped as the wandering hands cupped her breasts. "You're not playing fair, Amanda."

"Who says I'm playing?" Taking a step back, Amanda winked. "Don't be gone too long, honey. I've got plans for you this afternoon."

"Plans. Yeah." Nodding to herself, Lex started out of the room when she heard Amanda calling her name. "Huh?"

Taking pity on her flustered wife, Amanda handed Lex the envelope she had left on the desk. "You're forgetting something, love."

"Right." Lex took the papers and leaned over to give Amanda a quick kiss on the cheek. "Back in a flash." She started out the door, then turned back around. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Amanda countered. She followed Lex out onto the front porch and watched as her partner made her way into her truck. "Be safe," she whispered, waving as the truck disappeared down the road and out of sight.

Chapter 18

Jeannie heard the muted voices in the den, then the closing of the front door as Lex left for the morning. She didn't know all the details from the night before, but after Charlie came in and gathered up the remaining guns, she actually felt more secure. The thought of sleeping that close to those things made me nervous. Another thing that worried her was the appearance of her sister in law. Lex looked as if she hadn't slept at all, and even Jeannie could see the slight tremor in the usually sure hands of the woman she had come to depend on for her quiet strength. A light knock on the door brought her out of her musings, and her mood brightened when Ellie stepped into the room, carrying Lorrie. "Hi."

"Good morning. Someone told me that they missed their mommy, so I thought I'd better listen." Ellie placed the infant next to her mother, pleased when Jeannie automatically brought her good arm around to cradle Lorrie. Her own sudden attachment to Lorrie was a surprise. Ellie had never been around infants in a personal setting, so she was completely shocked when she felt almost maternal around Lorrie. When Amanda knocked on her bedroom door earlier in the morning and asked if she'd take care of the baby, Ellie couldn't refuse. Now here she was, with probably the same goofy look on her face as she'd seen on everyone else when they were in the room with the smallest member of the family.

"'danks." Jeannie looked down at her daughter, getting lost for a moment in her eyes. Oh, Frank. Our daughter is going to be beautiful. I just wish you could be here to see her.

Ellie watched as Jeannie bonded with her daughter, and it made her think about her own mother. She wondered what she had done wrong in her life to break that precious link. Unlike Billy, she had followed her mother's examples, strictly adhering to the rules and conditions set forth from Naomi. And look where it got me. Ostracized, and thousands of miles away from home. Ellie felt the familiar hurt blossoming inside and turned away from the touching scene. "I'll be right back." She stepped out of the room and almost ran into Amanda, who was on her way in. "Excuse me."

"Are you all right?" Amanda put her hand out and caught Ellie's arm as she tried to walk by. "Ellie?"

"Please, just let me go." The last thing Ellie wanted was for Amanda to see her this way. She tried to at least keep from facing her cousin's wife, not wanting her pity. "Jeannie's holding the baby, so you might want to go in and visit."

Not to be deterred, Amanda refused to let go. "I will, in a bit." She used the grip she had on Ellie and led her to the sofa and sat down, then turned to face the other woman. "Are you still having problems with Lex? Because if that's it, I can talk to her."

"No, we're good." The concern in Amanda's voice brought a lump to Ellie's throat. She had already resigned herself to only being family in Amanda's eyes, but the warm hand on her skin was hard to ignore. She swallowed hard then turned, seeing compassion and mistaking it for something else, and deciding to throw caution to the wind. "Amanda, I need to tell you something."

Lex walked along the sidewalk, noticing how the leaves were beginning to fall from the Bradford flowering pear trees that lined the main street in Somerville. She remembered the flack a few years previously when the city council had opposed planting them, until several private groups came forward with the money. The hardy plants grew quickly and were drought and heat tolerant, and brightened up the entire downtown area. Finally in front of the bank, she took a moment to watch a pair of sparrows fight over a crumb of something, before both of them took flight and hid in the nearest tree. Nervously brushing her hands down the front of her neatly pressed jeans, she entered the building, where she was met by Mr. Collins.

"Ms. Walters, welcome. It's a pleasure to see you again," the bank president huffed. Even though it was early in the day, he had removed his jacket and sweat rings could be seen under his arms. He held out his hand and after a enthusiastic shake, led Lex into his office, closing the door behind them. "Please, have a seat."

Taking the chair closest to the door, Lex leaned forward. "I'd like to thank you again for seeing me on such short notice, Mr. Collins. I know you're a busy man."

He waved a pudgy hand in the air. "I'm never too busy for you. Now, you mentioned something yesterday about needing a short-term loan?"

"Yes." Lex opened the envelope that she had brought with her and handed several papers across the desk. "As you can see, I've had a few unexpected expenditures come up recently, and with winter coming, I don't want to run short."

Collins picked up his glasses and put them on, reading over the documents that Lex had provided. "I see." Reading further, his eyes widened and he looked up. "You're willing to mortgage the land you just acquired? But it's worth several times what you're asking for."

Lex nodded. "Exactly. But the stock we'll be selling in the spring will more than cover the loan, so there shouldn't be a problem. I just wanted to give the bank a good offer."

"It's more than a good offer, Ms. Walters. Are you sure about this?" Although he would have probably given her a loan on her signature alone, Collins wasn't one to turn down a good business opportunity.

"Completely." Lex felt the butterflies in her stomach settle while she watched the bank president get on the phone and talk to one of his clerks, who was to get the paperwork ready. A timid knock on the door caused her to turn around, and she couldn't help but smile at the woman bearing a tray with coffee and sweet rolls. "Hi, Barbara."

"Good morning, Lex. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Barbara put the tray down on the desk and stole a glance at Collins, who was still on the phone. "How's Amanda? Please tell her how sorry I am about all that's happened lately." Barbara heard through the bank grapevine about Jeannie's stroke and Frank's death, but didn't want to just show up at the ranch uninvited.

"She's doing as well as she can, thank you. I'll tell her you asked about her." The woman standing before her looked tired. "How are you doing? Is Janna keeping you out too late?"

Barbara checked to see if Collins was listening, but he was still busy on the telephone. "Uh, no. Janna moved back north a month ago to take care of her family."

Damn. Open mouth and insert foot, Lexington. No wonder she looks so ragged out. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay." Barbara jumped as the bank president hung up his phone. "I've got to go." She left the office before Lex could say another word.

Collins stood up and gestured toward the door. "If you'll just follow me, we'll get those papers signed so that you can be on your way, Ms. Walters."

"Amanda, I need to tell you something." Ellie took Amanda's hands in hers. With her heartbeat pounding in her ears she scooted closer. "Do you remember when I first came here?"

Not too sure where the conversation was heading, Amanda nodded. "I do. Why?"

"The first moment I saw you, I was so confused. All my life, I'd been taught that you had to lead a certain life, and anything else was morally wrong." Looking down at their hands, Ellie whispered, "But meeting you, someone who was obviously a good person, threw all that off kilter. Years and years of listening to my mother, who was, to me, as close to a saint as I'd ever meet went flying out the window."

"A saint?"

Ellie looked up, her face wearing an embarrassed grin. "Yeah. I'd heard all my life how she sacrificed everything to raise me, alone, until my step dad came along. So, not knowing any better, I thought she was right." She sighed. "And up until I came here, I continued to think that way." She wasn't about to go into how she followed Naomi around, spouting Scriptures and damning everyone who didn't think their way, including Billy. Of how her eyes were finally opened when she had been laid off, and her mother refused to help her. No, those things would stay in the past, just as she hoped that the woman sitting next to her would be a part of her future. Ellie brushed a strand of hair away from Amanda's face. "You have no idea how incredibly wonderful you are, do you?"

"Me?" Amanda scoffed. "I don't think so."

"Yes, you." Releasing her grip, Ellie stood up and stepped away from the sofa. "I see you, everyday, taking care of the people in this house without complaint. And it seems like you never get any thanks for it." Before Amanda could protest, she held up one hand. "No, really. My cousin has no idea the things you've sacrificed for her, does she? I've been watching, and I know."

Amanda stood up also. "It's not like that at all, Ellie. We've compromised, not sacrificed. If you're talking about living out here, it was my idea. I love the peace and quiet the ranch offers, and the short drive to town is perfect to help me unwind when I get off work."

"And what about having a family? Is that one of your compromises, too?" Ellie moved closer, until they were almost touching. "Don't you want children?"

The question hit Amanda in one of her most vulnerable spots, and she felt her composure slip. "Of course I do. And when the time is right, I'm sure Lex and I will talk about it."

"But you already know how she feels about kids, don't you?" Hating to see the hurt she put in Amanda's eyes, Ellie ran one of her hands down the other woman's arm. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"But it's true. Lex doesn't want kids." Leaning in closer, Amanda allowed herself to be pulled into Ellie's arms, accepting the comfort she so desperately needed.

Lex walked out of the bank, feeling better than she had in weeks. She now had no worries that the ranch would survive the coming winter, and felt more confident in her ability to take care of the family. As she headed back to where she had parked her truck, she noticed a familiar figure watching her from across the street. When they made eye contact, the man darted into the closest alley. "That little bastard." Looking both ways, Lex waited until it was clear before she jogged across the street, intent on having a "visit" with her watcher.

She was halfway down the length of the alley when she heard something behind her. Before Lex could turn around, she felt a poke in the back, causing her to stop.

"I think we need to talk, Ms. Walters."

Holding her hands up even with her shoulders, Lex turned around slowly. "Wilson, wasn't it?" She nodded at the gun he pointed at her. "Is that really necessary?"

"You've made it that way." He gestured with the gun. "Let's go back a little farther. I'd hate for someone to disturb our little chat." Never taking his eyes off Lex, Wilson waited until she passed a trash dumpster, and motioned for her to put her back against the wall of a building. "That should be far enough."

"What's this all about?" Lex could feel the rough brick scratching through her shirt and the sensation somehow calmed her. She thought that if she could just keep him talking, that somehow she'd be able to get out of the alley alive.

Anthony glanced around, assuring himself they were still alone. "Don't play stupid with me. You know what we want."

"Why? I'll admit it's a nice patch of land, but you don't look like the ranching type." Lex lowered her hands and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

"It's one of the last pieces we need for the resort, and believe me, my employer will do whatever it takes to get it."

Lex pushed off against the wall, which caused Wilson to pull the hammer back on the revolver he was pointing. "Resort?" Seeing the gun shake in his hand, she held up her own hands again. "Whoa. Easy there."

"I've got a check in my pocket. Sell the property to me, and we can forget this little incident ever happened." Anthony was beginning to perspire now, and he could feel his stomach begin to knot up.

"I can't."

Anthony frowned and stepped closer. "You can't? Dammit, lady, we're not playing around here. If we can't get the property from you, we'll get it from your heirs." He aimed the gun at her chest. "And if not from them, then we'll get it from their heirs." He didn't want to shoot her, but it was either the rancher, or him. And Anthony Wilson hadn't gotten as far as he had without a strong sense of self-preservation.

"You don't want to do this." Lex spoke quietly, and held out one hand. She sensed that the man before her wasn't a killer. "Give me the gun, before someone gets hurt." As Lex reached for the gun, she saw Wilson's finger tighten on the trigger. The loud report from the gun echoed through the alley, and the birds that had been nesting in nearby trees flew away in a panic.

The silence in the room was broken only by the sound of rapid keystrokes, as the man sitting at the dilapidated desk hurried to complete a personal challenge. Terence spied the red digital numbers from the clock across the room, and took a calming breath. He assumed he had at least another couple of hours before he was to meet Liz for lunch, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Liz's increasingly bizarre behavior was only one of the reasons for Terence's change of heart. Fearing what would happen to someone as "delicate" as himself in prison, he didn't want to get caught, and some of the things that Liz was doing would bring on both their captures.

Coming face to face with one of the people that their actions had damaged, also had a profound effect on his conscience. Hearing Liz constantly complain about how her eldest daughter was "ruined" and of no use to her, helped him realize that the woman was completely gone, and again he questioned his role in getting her released from the mental hospital. He hoped that what he did today would help in relieving at least a part of that guilt.

Terence knew that he couldn't return all the money that he had taken from the Walters woman, but he was determined to do the best that he could. Using the email addresses he had from the original documents, he wrote Liz's youngest daughter and Walters, explaining what had happened. He also added a heartfelt apology for his part in the schemes, and in his writing assured them they would never hear from him again. After clicking the "send" key, Terence felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.

He enjoyed the freeing of his conscience for several minutes, then went back to work removing all traces from his laptop of what he had done. The last thing he needed was for Liz to start snooping around and find out that he had turned against her. Hearing a knock, he closed the lid of the computer and went to the door, wishing it had a peephole. "Who is it?"

"This is the manager. I'm sorry to bother you sir, but we've had a severe water leak in the room next to yours, and we need to come in and check your lavatory."

Terence unlocked the door and was shoved back several feet by a hulk of a man, whose hairy fists grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him into the wall. "Hey! Look, buddy, I think you've made a mistake." His worry turned to abject terror when a small woman stepped inside and closed the door. "Liz?"

"What have you been up to, Terence?" she asked sweetly.

"I don't know what you mean," he stammered, watching as she walked around the room, picking up different things and placing them back down. "I was going to meet you for lunch, as we planned. I never expected to see you here."

Elizabeth was standing at the desk and put her hand on the computer, then pulled it away. "It's still warm; imagine that." She picked up the laptop and threw it across the room, where it slammed against the far wall and fell behind the bed. "Don't play games with me." She nodded to her cohort, and he slammed one hand hard into Terence's stomach.

Gagging at the bile rising in his throat, Terence struggled to catch his breath. "No," he sputtered, just as another beefy hand smashed into his ribcage, where he felt the distinct snap of bone. Black spots swam before his eyes as he was jerked to his feet again. "Please, Liz," he addressed the woman coming toward him. "Don't."

"My dear boy, you've become a liability to me." Elizabeth patted Terence on the cheek, much as she would a child. "Especially with your stupid conscience showing up." She turned and headed for the door. "Clean this mess up for me, would you, Eddie? I've got a long vacation to plan, thanks to our friend here."

"Yes, ma'am," the thug confirmed. His grin showed several missing teeth, and he waited until the door closed behind the petite woman before he removed a gun from beneath his jacket.

Time seemed to stand still for Ellie, who was enjoying holding Amanda in her arms. They stood in the middle of the den, Amanda softly crying while the older woman comforted her by running one hand over her hair. "Sssh. It's okay," Ellie murmured. She used her other hand to lightly rub Amanda's back, hoping that her touch would help soothe some of the hurt away.

For Amanda, it felt good to finally be able to release some of her pent-up emotions. She didn't know why having a family was so important to her, but hearing Lex's negative thoughts time and time again on the subject was more than she could stand. She took a deep breath to try and get herself back in control, and pulled back so that she could look Ellie in the eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem," Ellie whispered, her voice husky. She watched as Amanda moistened her lips, and her heart began to race. This is it. "Amanda, I-" Ellie leaned forward and closed her eyes.

At the exact moment, Charlie burst into the room, with Martha close behind. "Amanda, I'm afraid there's been a problem in town." The sheriff stopped and looked at the two women. I didn't see what I thought I did…or did I?

When Charlie interrupted them, Ellie quickly stepped away from Amanda, who had a confused look on her face. Damn!

Amanda stepped out of Ellie's embrace, not too sure what had just transpired between them. Was she about to…no. We had cleared all that up. Then she remembered that they weren't the only two people in the room, and that Charlie had said something to her. She turned toward him. "What did you say?" She saw Martha's tear-stained face behind the sheriff, and Amanda felt as if her heart had jumped into her throat. "What kind of problem?"

"I don't have many details yet, but there's been a shooting in town. They've taken Lex to the hospital." Even as he tried to keep a professional air, the lawman's voice shook with emotion. "I'm on my way in now, and thought you'd like a ride." He held out a hand to Amanda, who rushed into his arms.

Ellie tried to keep the disgusted look from her face. Although she had recently reconciled with her cousin, she couldn't help but be angry that even when Lex wasn't here, she interfered with Ellie's attempts to profess her true feelings to Amanda.

The sound of Lorrie's cry from Jeannie's room reminded Amanda of other responsibilities. "The baby. Who's going to take care of her?"

"I'll stay," Ellie offered. She felt that she'd just be in the way when they got to town, and did want to help. And she didn't like the look she was getting from Martha, who had witnessed the same scene as Charlie.

Amanda turned and tried to offer a smile. "Thank you." She allowed Charlie and Martha to lead her from the room, hoping her legs wouldn't fail her.

Somerville wasn't a large town by any means, but since the local hospital served most of the county, it did boast a well-staffed emergency room. Usually they dealt with car accidents, broken bones, burns, and after hours stomach aches. So when they were alerted to two blood-covered individuals being brought in with the words "gunshot" and "lots of blood", the staff seemed even more alert.

The doors opened, and two gurneys wheeled inside. Being directed by one of the nurses, the attendants split up, placing the patients in two different rooms. "This one's lost a lot of blood! I can't find a pulse," the attending physician admitted when the bed rolled in. He began to bark out orders, which were muffled as the door closed.

Across the hall, another doctor was taking care of his own patient. "Can you hear me?" He noticed the glazed look in the victim's eyes, knowing it was most likely due to shock. Being extremely gentle, he pulled the blood-soaked shirt away from the patient's body.

While the doctors did their job, a young deputy came into the emergency room, his own uniform sporting large spots of blood. Barely out of college, Brett Shields took a job with the sheriff's office, hoping that the training would prepare him for a career someday as a big city police officer. But after what he had witnessed today, he wasn't so sure. He stepped up to the nurses station and waited until the head nurse turned around. "Excuse me, ma'am."

Slender and middle aged, the RN looked as if she'd seen it all. Her gray hair was cut short, and the glasses she wore reflected the florescent lights overhead. "Yes?"

"I'm here about the two people that were just brought in. Is there any word on their conditions?" He hoped to have something to report to the sheriff, who had radioed that he was on his way.

The nurse shook her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. The doctors are busy with them now, but if you'll just have a seat, I'll let you know as soon as I can."

"Thank you." Brett turned to go find a place to sit, then looked down at his hands, which had blood on them and were shaking. "God." Finding his way to the bathroom, the deputy scrubbed until his skin was red, swearing he'd never forget the scene, or the smell. He barely made it to the toilet, where he retched until the dry heaves made him dizzy.

The drive to town was the longest that Amanda could ever remember. She sat in the back seat of the sheriff's car, holding Martha's hand and trying to comfort the older woman, who was silently trying to comfort her. Several more radio reports came in as they drove, but none could give them any updates or details on exactly what had transpired in the alley across from the bank.

When the hospital came into view, Amanda unbuckled her seat belt, and had her door open before the car came to a complete stop. She was halfway to the emergency room doors before either Charlie or Martha could climb out of the vehicle.

Once inside, she looked around, trying to find someone who could help her. Several people were seated in chairs that lined the walls, some looking more in need of medical attention than others. A nurse about her own age walked by, and Amanda touched her arm. "Excuse me, I'm looking for some information about my partner."

The nurse stopped and studied the woman before her. "Your partner?"

Exasperated, Amanda tried to keep from slapping the woman. "Yes, my partner. Her name is Lexington Walters, and she was brought in just a little while ago."

"I'm afraid I can't give out any information at this time." The nurse started to leave, but the sudden grip on her arm stopped her forward motion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Please. I have to know where she is, and if she's okay."

Twisting out of Amanda's grasp, the nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to check with the admitting nurse. I honestly don't know anything." She hurried away, wanting to get back to pediatrics where she belonged.

Amanda felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Martha's concerned face. "I can't get anyone to help me."

"That's all right, hon. Charlie's going to talk to the head nurse. Being sheriff has its advantages, you know." Martha escorted Amanda to a relatively quiet spot in the waiting area, where they could watch as Charlie spoke to a woman at the nurse's station. While he was talking, a younger man in a deputy's uniform stepped up beside him and began to talk.

Noting the dark splotches on the deputy's uniform made Amanda lightheaded. She wondered if any of the blood belonged to Lex, and then felt sharp pains in her chest at the thought. Wrapping her arms about her chest, Amanda leaned forward until her head rested on her thighs. She didn't see Charlie turn and wave.

But Martha noticed, and she patted Amanda on the back. "Let's go see what's going on." She stood and helped Amanda to her feet, feeling relief at the smile on her husband's face. Everything must be all right, if he's grinning like that. One of these days, I'm going to move to Florida and retire, so I don't have to be around while that girl of mine takes years off my life. The things she gets into would drive anyone into an early grave. She gladly accepted a hug from Charlie. "She's okay?" Martha asked, as she watched Amanda being led into one of the treatment rooms.

"She's going to be fine," he assured her. "At least until she gets home and gets a piece of Ellie."

Martha looked up at her husband's face. "You saw that too, did you?"

"Uh-huh. Maybe someone should talk to Ellie, and see if she has a death wish."

"That might not be such a bad idea. They just now started getting along, and I'd hate for that to change, just because Ellie's got a hankering for what Lexie has." Martha hugged Charlie. "Why don't we go get some coffee, and you can tell me what happened to our girl today." They started down the hall, and Charlie began to explain to his wife the events as he knew them.

Amanda opened the treatment room door and stepped inside. She saw the still form on the narrow bed, covered to the chin with a sheet and heavy blanket. Unsure if her lover was awake, she kept her voice low. "Lex?"

Her brain still foggy, Lex wasn't sure if she had heard anything or not. She turned her head toward the sound, and saw what she thought was a vision. Opening her mouth to speak, Lex tried to form words, but couldn't seem to remember how. She frowned, confused.

"Honey, can you hear me?" Amanda moved closer. She looked around for a chair, and saw what was left of the shirt that Lex had worn that morning lying on a trashcan. It had been cut off her body, and was liberally soaked with blood, which confused Amanda. The doctor had told her that Lex had a few scrapes and bruises, a knot on the side of her head, and was suffering from shock. They planned on keeping her overnight for observation, but she was otherwise fine. Was he lying, or does he not know what he's doing?

Lex's frown disappeared, replaced by a slight smile. She's not a dream. It was hard to tell, since she'd had some strange ones every time she dozed off. She slipped her hand out from under the blanket and waited until Amanda took it. "Hey."

"Hi." Amanda sat next to her partner on the bed, holding their linked hands to her chest. She doubted if she'd ever be able to let go. "You gave us quite a scare, you know." She could still see traces of dried blood on Lex's neck and in her hair. "What happened?"

"To tell you the truth, I was pretty damned scared, too." Lex closed her eyes and could see the alley again. "It's all pretty blurry." She remembered seeing Anthony Wilson across the street from the bank, and of following him between the buildings, and then having a gun pointed at her. The more she struggled to think, the more it hurt. "I can't."

Amanda could tell it pained Lex, and tried to put her at ease. "It's okay. Just relax." She stroked Lex's hair, until her breathing smoothed out. A light knock on the door caused her to turn her head, and she smiled at Charlie and Martha when they stepped inside. "Hi," she whispered.

"How's she doing?" Charlie asked, while Martha went to the other side of the bed to see for herself.

Not releasing her hold, Amanda continued to speak quietly. "Her head hurts, and she's a little disoriented. She can't seem to remember much about what happened to her."

"From what the doctor told us outside, that's not too uncommon," Charlie tried to assure her. "But I'm hoping once the guy across the hall wakes up, he can shed a bit more light on things."

"What guy?" Martha asked, finally getting into the conversation. Once she assured herself that Lex was going to be okay, she wanted all the details to what had transpired.

Charlie backed away from the bed, beckoning them to follow. "The man who had the gun." He didn't want Lex to overhear, both to keep her calm, and to not taint her memory of the incident.

"He's here?" Amanda snapped, clenching her fists at her sides. "The son of a bitch who tried to shoot Lex is still nearby? Are you people crazy?"

"Calm down, Amanda. He's under guard." Charlie moved to block the door, so that Amanda couldn't go after the man. "Not to mention he nearly bled to death on the way to the hospital, so I doubt he's going anywhere, for a while."

Now that she knew that Lex was in no immediate danger, Amanda settled down. At least a bit. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the sheriff. "Good. Serves him right."

Martha's eyes widened. Never had she heard Amanda say anything even remotely negative about someone else, much less wish death on them. She stepped closer and began to rub a soothing pattern on the younger woman's back. "Do we have any idea what happened?"

"From what I've been told about the evidence at the scene, the two of them were in the alley across from the bank, and he had a gun. There was a struggle, he was shot in the leg, and Lex cracked her head on the building behind her. When the paramedics arrived, she was in shock, but was trying to stem the loss of blood for him. Otherwise, he'd have died."

"She should have let him," Amanda muttered, still shook up. She couldn't even imagine the terror that Lex went through, having a gun pointed at her like that. "Do we know why he had a gun? And why Lex?"

Charlie scratched the back of his neck. "Well, we're working on that." Truth was, with the check Wilson had in his coat pocket, he had a pretty good idea as to why. He just couldn't discuss everything about the case.

"Right." Amanda knew that look, and also knew that she wouldn't be getting any more information out of Charlie. "Do you think it would be okay if I stayed here tonight with Lex? I don't want her waking up alone."

Knowing that he'd been let off the hook, the sheriff nodded. "I don't see why not. Let me go talk to her doctor, and let them know."

"He's not a very good liar," Amanda commented to Martha.

Martha gave Amanda a one-armed hug. "Why do you think I married him? Well, besides the fact that he looks so cute in his uniform." She leaned in close to whisper, "Not to mention, how good he looks out of it."

"Eew." Amanda covered her ears. "I didn't need to get that visual, thank you very much." It was like thinking about her parents having sex. Amanda knew it happened, she just didn't want to know about it. But she was very thankful for the distraction, which allowed her emotions time to settle down after the morning's events. She kissed the older woman on the cheek and returned the hug.

Chapter 19

It wasn’t the weary ache in her bones that woke Lex, or the painful tempo in her head that matched her heartbeat. The last vestiges of an all too real nightmare were the culprit, and she struggled to regain her composure as she looked around. The room was unfamiliar and for a brief period of time she didn’t know where she was. Attempting to fight off the headache, Lex’s eyes searched the partially lit room for anything that could jog her memory. Lighting upon a sleeping figure curled up in a beat up padded chair, she couldn’t help but smile. A strangled cry from the restless form was all she needed to move into action. Sitting up, Lex ignored the sudden dizziness and swung her feet over the side of the bed, practically falling to her knees next to the chair. "Amanda, sweetheart. Wake up."

The soft plea caused Amanda to jerk upright, and her eyes flew open in alarm. Even in the dim light, she was able to easily make out the features of the woman beside her. Amanda raised one hand and shakily traced a pattern across Lex’s face. "You’re okay," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Yeah, I’m fine." Lex used the arms of Amanda’s chair to push herself into a standing position. The dizziness returned, which caused her to stumble back against the bed.

Amanda was up and reaching for Lex in an instant. "I don’t think so." With her help, Lex was back under the thin covers in no time, and only then did Amanda feel like she could relax. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm her own rapidly beating heart. "What were you doing out of bed?" Over and over again, she fiddled with the blanket, more to have something to do with her hands than anything else.

"I woke up and was worried about you." Not sure if it was the medication or the bump on her head, Lex suddenly felt extremely tired, and fought to keep her eyes open. "That chair can’t be very comfortable. Why don’t you just come up here with me?"

As much as she wanted to, Amanda didn’t know if that was a good idea. But when her partner scooted to the far edge of the bed and held out her hand, all Amanda’s arguments went flying out the window. She slipped off her shoes and crawled in beside Lex and brought her close, fearing if she held her too tightly that Lex would shatter.

"Love you." Comforted at last, Lex allowed herself to drift off into a dreamless slumber.

Amanda felt the body within her arms relax, and knew that Lex had fallen asleep. "I love you too," she whispered. Lying in the narrow bed, holding Lex’s head to her chest, her tears fell into the dark hair as she came to grips with what she had almost lost that day.

The man who had been in the alley with Lex had not yet regained consciousness, and Lex herself hadn’t been much help in clearing up the details. All she could remember was the struggle over the gun, then her head being slammed into the brick wall behind her. The paramedics on the scene reported that Lex was using her shirttail to try and stem the flow of blood from the man’s heavily bleeding leg, but she had been non-responsive to any verbal commands, and was suffering from shock.

Each time Charlie questioned Lex, he was able to get a few more answers, but Amanda had finally put a stop to his interrogation when Lex got upset and her headache became worse. Amanda knew it was only a temporary respite, but she vowed to protect her lover from anyone, including family, for as long as she could.

The deputy sat outside the closed door, stretching his arms over his head to keep from falling asleep. He hated having to work guard duty, especially on someone who was not only handcuffed to the bed, but was clearly in no shape to attempt to escape. Hearing quiet footfalls coming closer, he jumped to his feet, glad to see a friendly face. "Good evening, Nurse Duggan."

Slender, with short dark hair and eyes, the nurse held a Styrofoam cup, which she handed to him. "I thought a cup of coffee might help."

"Thank you, ma’am." Inhaling the strong aroma, Deputy Terry Mardsen thought he could easily fall in love — with the coffee. "Is it always this quiet around here?"

"To tell you the truth, this is the most exciting it’s been here in a while." She nodded toward the door. "I need to go in and check on my patient. Why don’t you take a quick break? I don’t think he’s going anywhere."

Deputy Mardsen looked around to see if they were alone, then glanced down at his watch. It was after three in the morning, and he knew the nurse was right. "Thanks. I think I’ll go see if there’s something good in the snack machine." He took another deep drink of coffee, then left the cup on his chair before moving stiffly down the hall.

It didn’t take long for Nurse Duggan to check on Anthony Wilson. She was about to leave the room when his eyes opened, and he reached out for her. "Well, hello there."

He tried to sit up, but was easily held down by the nurse. Turning his head, Wilson noticed that his hands were cuffed to the metal railings on the bed. "Wha–"

"Just stay calm, sir. Let me go get the doctor for you, and he can answer any questions, all right?" She hurried from the room, not even noticing that the deputy hadn’t returned to his post.

Around the corner, a pudgy, sweating man watched the goings on with great interest. He took the few steps needed to go inside the hospital room, locking the door behind him. "Hello, Wilson. Good to see you awake."

Wilson flinched at the sound of the voice. He started to reach for the call button, but Billings quickly used his gloved hand to move it out of reach.

"That’s no way to say hello, is it?" Billings went to the left side of the bed and reached into his jacket pocket and removed a syringe. "You fucked up, big time. I’ve been ordered to cut our losses and get the hell out of this hick town."

"But," Anthony had to clear his throat to continue. Hoarse from lack of use, he sounded as if he had swallowed rocks. "What about the land we already have? And the work that’s been done?"

Billings took the lid from the empty syringe and held it between his fingers. "We haven’t gotten much of the land cleared, so that’s not that big of a deal. They’ll sell it back to the idiots around here, and take a loss." He opened the plunger wide, then inserted it into the intravenous tube that was taped to Anthony’s hand. "What have you told the authorities, Wilson?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Anthony tried to reach the tube to pull it out of his hand, but couldn’t. "Let me go, and we can both get out of here, Mr. Billings." His voice continued to rise, until Billings grabbed a pillow with his free hand and held it over Wilson’s face.

"I can’t. You’d never make it past the door with that leg wound. Sorry about this, kid." Pushing the plunger, Billings watched as the bubble of air made its way through the IV, all the while holding the young man down with his other arm. "Survival of the smartest, boy. Rule number one."

He put the cap back on the syringe and stuffed in into his pocket, then took special care to straighten up the bed. "Too bad, kid. You had some promise. Just a few more things to handle." Unlocking the door, Billings sneaked out of the room and into the night.

The hallway was filled with doctors, nurses, and sheriff’s department personnel, all of whom chattered amongst themselves. Sheriff Bristol was in the hospital room with Nurse Duggan, who once again told her story.

"He woke up a little after three, and I immediately went in search of the doctor on call. As far as I could tell, Mr. Wilson didn’t appear to be in any discomfort." She watched as the sheriff studied the dead man’s wrists. "The chafing wasn’t there before I left, but thought that maybe he just tried to get loose before I came back."

Charlie nodded, and walked around the bed. "Maybe." He squatted and raised the blanket, then shook his head. "If a man is thrashing around enough to bruise his wrists, you’d think that the sheet and blankets would be worked free, wouldn’t you?" Standing up, he moved to the foot of the bed, once again lifting the blanket, seeing the sheet kicked loose. "Like this."

Well, I’ll be damned. The old country sheriff isn’t quite as slow as he acts. Nurse Duggan crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you saying he was murdered?"

"I’m not saying anything, until we get an autopsy performed." The idea that someone walked right into the room and killed Anthony Wilson brought a chill to Charlie’s spine. He pushed by the nurse, who was still in shock. "Excuse me. I have some things to take care of." Walking out of the room, he beckoned one of the nearby deputies. "I want this room blocked off after the body has been removed. No one in and no one out." He leaned in closer, so that they wouldn’t be overheard. "I also want a twenty-four hour guard on Lexington Walters, until I say differently. But be discreet. I don’t want to alarm her, or her family."

"Yes, sir." The deputy stepped away quickly, talking in undertones on his walkie-talkie.

Looking at his watch, Charlie decided that a visit upstairs would be in order. Maybe Lex is up to talking about things, now. At the very least, I need to pass along some things to Amanda. He headed for the elevator, more than just the dead man on his mind.

The lift’s doors opened, and Charlie took in the quiet activity on the floor as he made his way to Lex’s room. Just as he was about to lightly knock on the door, it opened and he stood face to face with Amanda, who held back a startled cry.

"Charlie! You scared me half to death." She looked behind her. Satisfied that Lex was still resting, Amanda pushed the sheriff back into the hall and closed the door. "She’s asleep." Her tone was slightly accusatory, almost daring him to try and get by her.

"I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to frighten you. Why don’t you let me buy you a cup of coffee?" He saw a deputy standing over by the nurse’s station, and gave him a slight nod. "I came to talk to you, not to Lex."

Amanda immediately felt bad for her attitude, but then realized what he had said. "Why? Is there something the matter?" She noticed the man that Charlie had acknowledged. "Wait a minute. What the hell is going on around here?"

"Let’s go somewhere quiet, so I can bring you up to speed."

Allowing herself to be led into an empty lounge, Amanda felt her apprehension grow. "Enough of the cloak and dagger routine. What’s happening? I saw one of your deputies out there. Is Lex in some sort of danger?"

"It’s just a precaution." Charlie took off his hat and sat on one end of a cot, suddenly feeling his age and wondering if he was getting too old for the stress of the job. "The man we found in the alley with Lex died a couple of hours ago."

"Oh." Amanda paced around the room, studying the pictures and posters that littered the walls. She turned to look at Charlie. "He was in pretty bad shape though, right?"

"That’s just it. He’d awakened, and the nurse went to get the doctor. When they got back to the room a few minutes later, the man was dead." Seeing the frightened look on Amanda’s face, he hurried to assure her. "It could have been anything, though. We’ll have to wait for the autopsy report to be sure."

Amanda crossed her arms over her chest, feeling chilled and sick to her stomach. "But you think he was killed, don’t you?" Her voice shook as she asked quietly, "When is this going to end?"

Getting to his feet and crossing the room, Charlie pulled the young woman into his arms. "I won’t let anything happen to her, I promise." Now if he could just make himself believe it, maybe they all had a chance.

The warmth of the sunlight on her face was a welcome relief from the confines of the hospital, and Lex closed her eyes in order to absorb as much as possible. Her head still felt as if it was about to explode, but the doctor had assured her it would lessen over the next few days, as would the nausea that made her keep one hand on the power window button. She could almost feel Amanda watching her, which caused a slight grin to form on her lips. "I’m fine."

"How did you know I was going to ask you that?" Although it was true, Amanda hated being so transparent. She kept flicking her eyesight between the road and Lex, afraid that they had released her partner from the hospital too soon. "I could have been about to comment on the weather, or something."

Lex started to laugh, but the pain in her head made her think better of it. "If you say so." She opened her eyes and faced Amanda. "Thanks for getting me out of there. I was about to go stir crazy. Besides, I’ve had worse before, and survived just fine without staying in a hospital."

"Maybe. But did that include having to face down some idiot with a gun?"

Damn. I hate it when she’s right. Lex exhaled heavily and resumed her partially reclined position in the seat. "Can we just drop it for now, please? There’s something else I want to do."

"What’s that?"

"Go up to where those guys were building their little ‘resort’."

Amanda nearly drove the truck off the road, and had to jerk the wheel quickly to keep them from going off into the side ditch. "Are you out of your mind?"

Lex held up one hand. "Hear me out, Amanda. If I’m right, then it’ll be as vacant as a ghost town up there."

"And if you’re not?"

"Then I hope you can make this truck haul ass in reverse," Lex responded, only half joking.

The churned up mud and bits of foliage clung to his feet, and more than once he slipped on the mess left by the construction equipment. As far as he could tell, he was the only person around, but the silence in the woods around him made him jumpy and nervous. He looked around at the wasted land, where trees were uprooted and everything else just appeared to be a nasty mess. The gravel that had been brought in for use as a temporary drive looked almost as bad, and he wondered if the area could be salvaged.

Car tires on the gravel caught his attention, and he quickly hid in the trees until he knew who was there. The familiarity of the vehicle caught him off guard. "They’re the last people I’d thought I’d see up here."

Once the truck had come to a complete stop, Lex unfastened her seatbelt. She pointed to the red SUV that was parked just off the gravel drive. "Whose car do you suppose that is?"

"I don’t know, but do you think it’s safe to find out?" Amanda’s belt was also unbuckled, since she wasn’t about to let Lex go anywhere without her. She was just about to suggest calling Charlie, when a movement from the woods seized her eye. "Look over there." A not-so-friendly face advanced on the truck, causing both women to cringe.

Lex tried to slide down in the seat, but the insistent tapping on the window told her she had been seen. She sat up and rolled down the window. "Hey, Charlie. What are you doing out here?"

"Me? What are the two of you doing? There’s no telling what you might have found." He leaned inside the window to look at Amanda. "I thought that at least you would have enough sense to stay away from here."

Amanda raised her hands away from the steering wheel. "Don’t blame me. I just figured it would be easier to drive her, than for her to take off on her own."

The old lawman laughed. "You’re probably right about that." He squeezed Lex’s arm. "There’s nothing to see here. Whoever those guys were, they’re long gone, now."

"Yeah. That’s what I was afraid of." Lex looked over at the red SUV again. "Where did you get those wheels? Something new at the sheriff’s office?"

"Hell, no! I knew that the roads out here were going to be nasty, so I borrowed it from one of the guys."

Lex blew out a low whistle. "Seems like you’re paying the ‘guys’ too much. Maybe I’m in the wrong business."

"Nah. His parents gave it to him when he graduated from college." Charlie could see the fatigue on Lex’s face. "While don’t you two go on home? I’ll do a bit more exploring, and tell you all about it tomorrow."

"That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day," Amanda agreed. She waited until both she and Lex were buckled up and then gave Charlie a tiny salute. "See you at dinner tonight, Sheriff."

He watched at the truck turned around and hurried down the graveled path, knowing it would likely be breakfast before he saw either woman again, if then.

Chapter 20

Amanda closed the front door behind her, glad to be home from work. She wanted to spend some quality time with her partner, knowing it was as much her fault as anyone’s for the distance between them lately. Even though a couple of weeks had passed since Lex’s close call, Amanda realized that nothing was more important to her than the woman she loved. She heard voices coming from Jeannie’s room, and walked through the den to investigate.

"Oo don’ unnedtand. ‘Did id ‘omedin’ I need to do." Jeannie was almost in tears, trying her best to convey her wishes. "Id’ll be much eadier, if I’m in down."

Ellie was heartbroken. "Is it something I’ve done? I thought we were getting along pretty well." She considered Jeannie a little sister, and didn’t want anything to hurt their budding relationship.

"No! I jus’ dink dat if I’m in a home, de rehab would be fasder, and I’d ged well sooner."

Amanda stepped through the door just as Jeannie finished her sentence. "Did I hear right? You want to leave us?" Her sister nodded before turning her head away, embarrassed.

"We’ve been going round and round on this subject all day. She wants to move into the nursing center in town, where she can get more rehabilitation. I told her that I didn’t mind driving her in every day, but she’s being stubborn." Ellie crossed her arms over her chest, obviously perturbed.

Jeannie turned back to face her sister. "Pwease, Mandy? Id’s de only way I’ll feel like I’m doin’ someding for myself."

Understanding the emotions behind the request, Amanda nodded. "I’ll call them in the morning for you, okay? We’ll see when we can get you in."

"Danks." Jeannie held out her stronger hand until Amanda grasped it. "Nod jus’ for dis, bud for everydin’ you’ve done for me. I wuv you."

"I love you, too." Amanda leaned over and kissed her sister’s brow. When she straightened up, she could see tears in Ellie’s eyes. "As for you," she pulled Ellie’s slight frame into a hug, "thanks for taking such good care of Jeannie. You’ve really become a vital part of our family." She turned and left the room, leaving a shocked Ellie behind.

Roger Jenson sat in the warm barn, thankful for the protection it gave. The evening brought with it a damp chill that had settled into his weary bones, and he feared he’d never be warm again.

His anger at his present situation had not abated, though. Since being fired from the Rocking W, he had traveled the area, searching and sometimes almost begging for work. The answer was the same everywhere. ‘Sorry, we’re not hiring right now.’

He knew better. That bitch Walters must have blackballed me. As Roger tried to make himself more comfortable in the dusty hay, his face contorted as his mood darkened further. "I’ll teach her. A broad that thinks she’s a man just needs a little persuading, that’s all." He rubbed at his crotch, then reached for the hunting knife that hung on his belt. "And if that doesn’t work, I’ll show her another way."

Lex looked through the trees at the setting sun, wishing she was already at the ranch house. Knowing it wasn’t too much farther to the barn, she coaxed Thunder to pick up the pace a little, until he was at a slow trot. The large animal kept up the pace for several minutes until he stumbled and finally stopped altogether.

"What’s the matter?" Lex climbed down from the saddle and saw that Thunder was favoring his front left hoof. She bent over and grabbed his leg just above the hoof and pulled, which caused Thunder to lift the appendage. Lex cursed when the shoe he wore dangled, held on by one nail. It hadn’t been that long since the farrier had been to the ranch to replace one of Thunder’s other shoes, and Lex was livid. "I don’t know why that son of a bitch didn’t check all of your hooves, but when I get back to the house, I intend to find out." She gently pulled on the shoe until the remaining nail released. "Looks like we’ll both be walking from here."

Standing at the back door, Amanda debated with herself. She thought about going upstairs to change her clothes first, but then again, she wanted to look good as part of her surprise. She looked down at the charcoal gray business suit she wore to the office that morning. The skirt was only an inch or two above the knee, but she knew what a thrill Lex got out of running her hands up and down Amanda’s stockings. Her mind made up, Amanda stepped out onto the back porch and hurried down the path toward the barn.

The cold wind almost took the door to the barn out of her hands, but she was able to get the leverage needed, which caused it to slam behind her. The still darkness of the barn unsettled her, yet she felt as if someone was watching her. "Lex?"

From his hiding space, Jenson smiled. Oh, this is even better than I had hoped. What better way to get back at the woman he despised, than by doing what he wanted with her girlfriend? He moved stealthily, not wanting to tip her off until he was ready.

Amanda was almost to the tack room door when she felt arms circle her waist. Thinking it was Lex, she was about to snap off a silly remark when she was roughly spun around. Her eyes widened in fear when she recognized Roger Jenson in the dim light. "What–" A leather glove roughly covered her mouth, causing her to bite her lip.

"Shut up, bitch," Roger snapped. He looked around the barn before shoving Amanda into the tack room. "This’ll do."

Oh, god. Amanda began to struggle, until his hand pulled away from her mouth and slapped her, hard. She blinked several times to clear the stars in her vision, which beat in time to her pounding heart.

"Don’t fucking fight me." He pulled his knife from its sheath and rested the blade along Amanda’s reddened cheek, where a bruise was already beginning to form. "I don’t want to cut that pretty face of yours," he whispered. When Amanda tried to turn her face away from his, he slapped her again, this time letting her fall to the floor.

Amanda screamed and tried to crawl away, but he was too fast for her. Before she knew what happened, she was lying on her back with one of his gloves stuffed in her mouth. She shook her head, pleading with her eyes.

Jenson enjoyed the feel of the woman writhing beneath him. Seeing the terror in her face was even better than he had expected. He placed his left forearm across her chest, just below her throat, and used the knife in his right hand to start slowly cutting away at the buttons on her silk top. "Fun, isn’t it?"

Feeling sick, Amanda closed her eyes and thought of Lex. He may touch my body, but he’ll never touch my soul. Oh, Lex, please help me!

"Damn, woman. You’re too pretty to be wasted on that broad. I bet all you need is a real man to teach you." Jenson put the knife in his left hand, and used his right hand to touch Amanda’s bra. "You sure are breathing hard. Bet you’re getting excited too, aren’t you?" He squeezed her breast roughly through the fabric. "I’ll get back to these, later. Got more," he rocked his hips into hers, "pressing matters, to attend to."

With the barn in sight, Lex heaved a sigh of relief. All she wanted to do now was put Thunder up, take a long hot bath, and go to bed. She hoped that Amanda was home, so that they could do two out of those three things together. She immediately picked up her pace.

After opening the barn door, she thought she heard scuffling coming from the tack room. Trying to be a quiet as she could, Lex dropped Thunder’s reins when she heard a muffled cry. She hurried inside, and what she saw from the doorway of the tack room almost made her sick. "You’re dead, you bastard!" She lunged forward, managing to knock the man off Amanda and into a bale of hay. Although they were about the same height, he outweighed her by thirty pounds or more.

Amanda, realizing Jenson was no longer on top of her, scooted into a sitting position and wrapped her suit jacket around herself. She pulled the dirty glove out of her mouth and closed her eyes, wanting to be anywhere but where she was.

Lex tried to get her hands around Jenson’s neck, but he landed a solid punch to her ribs that left her gasping. She returned his blow, by an uppercut to the man’s jaw.

"Is that the best you got, Walters? I think your little girlfriend’s tougher than you. At least she was at first." He edged around the room, rubbing his lower cheek. "Then again, she might have started liking it."

Her anger totally out of control, Lex roared and charged Jenson, causing them both to go flying over a row of saddles.

Jenson punched her in the face several times, satisfied to see blood appear. "You want to know something else? You may try to act like a man, but you fight like a girl." He used their close proximity slam his fist into her stomach, causing Lex to crumple. As her head dropped, he slammed his knee into her face, which brought Lex down in a silent heap. Confident that he had defeated her, Roger went back to where Amanda cowered and picked up his knife. "Isn’t that right, sweetheart? We were having a pretty good time before she came along and messed it up. Maybe we should finish what we started."

Amanda pulled the coat tighter and trembled, never opening her eyes. She tried to shrink back into the woodwork of the barn, but the feel of his rough hand on her cheek told her she wasn’t successful. "No," she whispered. She thought she had heard Lex’s voice, but maybe she had imagined it. Her jaw was grabbed roughly, forcing her to open her eyes and look at him.

"I said, we should finish what we’d started." Jenson was about to pull Amanda’s jacket from her body when he felt an arm wrap around his neck.

"You are finished." Lex dragged him away from her wife. After seeing the complete horror on Amanda’s face, she was more determined than ever to make the man pay.

Laughing, Jenson twisted in Lex’s grip and sliced at her with his knife. "I don’t think so, bitch. It’s payback time." He jabbed at her again, enjoying watching the woman try to dodge his advance. When Lex fell tripped on an overturned saddle and fell onto her back, Jenson stood over her and smiled. A voice from the doorway caused his head to turn, giving Lex the time she needed to get up and tackle him again.

"Hold it right there! Sheriff’s department," Charlie yelled, aiming his firearm at the pair that grappled along the hay-covered floor.

"You are dead, you son of a bitch! Do you hear me?" Lex screamed, her hands around Jenson’s throat. She slammed his head into the ground, time and time again, until he quit struggling. "Dead!"

"Lex, wait!" Charlie re-holstered his gun and rushed over to stop Lex from killing the unconscious man. When he had trouble prying her hands from around Jenson’s throat, he tried another tactic. "Check on Amanda. I’ll take care of this scum." His words had the desired effect, as Lex slowly released her grip and looked up at him.

"Amanda?" Her voice caught on the word, and she looked around the tack room, not seeing her partner anywhere. Lex stumbled to her feet and rushed out into the main part of the barn. She searched around frantically, until her eyes came upon Amanda, sitting below the intercom. "Oh, sweetheart."

Amanda looked up as she heard Lex’s strangled words. Even bruised and bloody, her partner had never looked better to her in her life. She held out her arms, and Lex fell into them. The two women were so emotionally spent that neither could speak.

A hulking deputy escorted Jenson from the barn, politely averting his eyes to the scene in the corner. He tipped his hat to Charlie before dragging the groggy prisoner to the squad car and forcing him into the back seat.

Martha knelt next to Lex, using a clean towel to try and clean the blood and dirt from her face. "I really think the both of you need to go to the hospital." She had been trying for the past half-hour, unsuccessfully, to talk some sense into the duo. Both were wrapped in quilts that Martha had brought to the barn. Amanda wasn’t letting go of Lex, who kept looking at Amanda as if she’d disappear if she turned her eyes away.

Distressed about the shaking body in her arms, Lex knew it would be best if a doctor checked out her partner. Amanda hadn’t uttered a word since Charlie had come into the barn, which worried her even more.

"Your beautiful face," Amanda finally whispered, looking at Lex. Several small cuts were still oozing blood, and her face was already sporting different shades of blue and purple.

"It’ll heal. I’m more worried about you." Lex reached over, but Amanda shrank away from her touch. The movement almost broke Lex’s heart. She started to pull away, when her hand was grabbed by Amanda’s, and her leather riding glove removed.

"I’m sorry, it’s just the smell of the gloves. He–" Remembering the smell, and the taste when Jenson forced the glove into her mouth made Amanda nauseous all over again.

Lex almost started crying at the pitiful tone in Amanda’s voice. "Don’t you dare apologize." She pulled Amanda close. "But maybe Martha’s right, and you should go get looked at by a doctor." She wanted to voice a question, but was terrified of the answer.

Amanda shook her head. "I’ll be okay. You got there in time to stop him. He never," she paused to get her emotions under control, "he wasn’t able to–"Amanda started to sob again. "I’ve never been so frightened in my life. When he started to, you know," she tightened her hold on Lex, "I decided to just close my eyes and think of you, hoping that you’d come to save me."

"I’m so sorry–"

"Don’t be. You came, and you did save me."

Lex turned away in shame. "Yeah, right. More like I got my assed kicked, and Charlie came in." She looked around the room until she saw the sheriff. "Charlie?"

He finished up with another one of the deputies and joined the three women in the corner of the barn. "Yes? Can I radio for an ambulance, now?"

"No, I think we’re all right. But I do have a question for you." Lex was glad that Charlie knelt beside them, but kept his distance from Amanda. She wasn’t sure how her lover would take any man’s presence at the moment.

"Okay." He tilted his hat back on his head and tried to put a smile on his face. "Shoot."

"How did you end up in the barn? Don’t get me wrong, I was never happier to see anyone in my entire life. But you never come out here."

Amanda cleared her throat. "While you were fighting with him," she couldn’t bring herself to say Jenson’s name, "I went to the intercom and called the main house. He had that knife, and I was so scared for you. I knew Charlie was there, because I heard him and Martha talking before I came out here to surprise you."

"Surprise me?"

"Mmm-hmm." Surrounded by those she loved, Amanda began to calm. "I thought it would be fun to be in the barn waiting for you when you got home. Stupid idea, huh?"

Lex kissed the top of Amanda’s head. "Not at all. I think it was very sweet." She looked around and saw that the barn was now vacant, except for the four of them. "Why don’t we head to the house and get cleaned up? I don’t know how much longer my old bones can handle being this close to the floor."

That last little comment elicited a small laugh from Amanda, who watched in concern as Lex allowed Charlie to help her up. She quickly got to her feet on her own, not wanting Lex to hurt herself by trying to aid her. Wrapping one arm around her wife’s hips, she guided them both from the barn. "Bath?"

"Sounds great. Together?"

"Is there any other way?" Amanda asked, causing Charlie to lose his footing when he overheard the conversation. "Trouble there, Sheriff?"

Charlie took his wife’s hand and led her away from the pair. "Nope. Not a bit. We’ll be in the, umm, kitchen, if you need us." They hurried away, Martha laughing at her husband’s antics.

Their bath taken, Lex and Amanda went to bed, neither bothering with nightclothes. Lex crawled under the sheets first and wasn’t surprised when Amanda slid in beside her. Lex wrapped both arms around her lover. "Is this okay?" Her voice almost echoed off the walls in the room, which was eerily quiet since Martha had insisted that Lorrie spend the night over at the cottage.

"Very." Amanda moved until she was on top of Lex, looking down into her face. "Make love with me?" she asked quietly. She could still feel his touch on her skin, and wanted something to erase the horrible memory. "Please?"

Lex raised a shaky hand and brushed the hair away from Amanda’s face. "Are you sure? Because if you need me to, I can just hold you."

"Don’t," Amanda took a deep breath, "don’t you want to touch me?"

"Of course! There’s never a day, a moment, when I don’t." Lex waited until she had Amanda’s full attention. "But I also never want to hurt you." The kiss she received effectively silenced Lex’s argument, and she lay there quietly and allowed Amanda to take the lead. Although the hands that traced patterns down her chest were incredibly gentle, Lex couldn’t help but gasp when Amanda hit a sensitive spot on her ribs.

Amanda stopped immediately. "Did I hurt you?"

"A little." Feeling the loss when Amanda’s hands disappeared, Lex caught them and put them back where they had been. "Not enough to stop, though."

Those few little words righted all that had been wrong in her world. Amanda realized with sudden clarity that although it would take her a long time to get over the evening’s events, just knowing how Lex felt about her made it easier to move on. "Thank you," Amanda whispered, kissing the hollow of Lex’s throat. She knew realistically neither one of them were in any shape to go any further, and rolled over to snuggle close in order to keep from hurting her wife. "Rain check?"

"Sure." Lex was gratified Amanda had changed her mind. Her whole body ached, and she honestly didn’t think it was in either one of their best interests at the moment. The soft snore coming from Amanda told Lex she had already fallen to sleep, but not even total exhaustion was enough to keep Lex from staying awake most of the night. She was afraid the living nightmare she had walked in on in the barn would cross over into her dreams, and she didn’t want to disturb Amanda. So she kept a quiet vigil until the sun crept into the bedroom the next morning.

"No! Don’t touch me," Amanda cried, slamming her elbow into Lex’s side. "Get away!"

Lex, who had just fallen asleep an hour or so before, jerked awake and looked around the room frantically. "Ow! What?" When she saw that Amanda was having a nightmare, she tried to wake her partner gently. All that got her was another had jab to the ribs, which sent Lex over the side of the bed and onto the floor. "Damn." Lex had just gotten back on the bed when the door to their room opened and a disheveled looking Ellie rushed inside.

Ellie didn’t even notice Lex’s nudity. "What the hell’s going on here?" She roughly tried to pull her cousin away from Amanda. When she saw the dark bruise on Amanda’s face, Ellie wanted nothing more than to strangle Lex. "Good god, what have you done to her?"

"I didn’t do anything to her." Lex struggled out of Ellie’s grip. "And it’s none of your business, anyway."

Between the noise and the movement around her, Amanda woke up. "Is there a reason the two of you are wrestling on the bed?"

"Ask her," both women answered at once.

Ellie finally took a good look at Lex and blushed. Not only was she nude, but her body was covered in bruises as well. "Have the two of you been fighting?"

The frank appraisal by her cousin made Lex uncomfortable, and she slid back under the covers. "No." She turned to look at Amanda. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a nasty nightmare." Amanda looked between Lex and Ellie. "I’m sorry to have awakened both of you."

"I was already awake, and just getting ready to go downstairs to see if Jeannie’s up, yet." Ellie stepped away from the bed, embarrassed by her previous actions. "Sorry about attacking you like that, Lex."

Lex couldn’t help but be impressed by her cousin’s change of heart recently. The Ellie she first met would have never apologized, and more than likely would have gotten a few good punches in before retreating. "That’s okay. I’m sure it did look pretty strange."

"Now that’s a first," Martha commented from the doorway. She had been downstairs handing Lorrie over to Jeannie when she heard the ruckus above them. "You’re both behaving this morning? I may just have to sit down before I faint." She crossed the room and sat next to Amanda. "How are you faring this morning?"

"Okay. I had a bad dream a few minutes ago, which caused this whole mess." Amanda was happy to feel Lex take her hand, and she squeezed back.

Ellie looked at the three women on the bed. "Is anyone going to tell me why Amanda and Lex look like they’ve gone three rounds in the ring and lost? I thought at first that–"

"I know what you thought," Lex interrupted. "And, believe me, I may be an asshole with a bad temper at times, but I’d die before I ever lay a hand on Amanda in anger. Remember that."

Martha saw that Ellie looked like she was about to go on the defensive, and decided it was time to defuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Ellie, would you mind going down and keeping Jeannie company while I get breakfast on the table?"

"Sure." When she got to the door Ellie looked back at Amanda, who nodded to assure her everything was all right. "I’ll see everyone downstairs, I guess."

Amanda waited until she was certain the three of them were alone. "Thanks. I really didn’t feel like getting into everything right now."

"That’s quite all right, dear. You don’t have to tell anyone a thing more than you want, although I think Charlie might have some more questions for you both whenever you feel up to it."

Lex could feel her protective streak kick in. "Why? I thought we told him more than enough yesterday. I don’t want Amanda having to relive that nightmare." In truth, it was Lex that didn’t want to start thinking about the events of the evening before. Even she knew that they had been lucky that she showed up when she did.

Amanda tightened her grip on Lex’s hand. "It’s okay. I want to make sure he has everything he needs to put that creep away for a long time." She gave Martha a weak smile. "We’ll be down for breakfast in a little while so we can just answer everyone’s questions at the same time. No sense in going over it more than once."

"Are you sure?" Lex would rather keep Amanda in bed for the day, if only to protect her from everyone’s curiosity and good intentions.

"Yes."

Martha stood up. "Do you want me to call your family, and see if they’d like to come out?" At Amanda’s shy nod, she dusted her hands together. "Well, then. Looks like I’d better get busy fixing up a feast." Before stepping away from the bed, Martha leaned over and gave Amanda a light peck on the forehead. "You just come on down whenever you’re ready, and I’ll take care of everything."

Grateful for the mothering nature of the housekeeper, Amanda could barely keep her emotions in check. "Thanks, Martha."

Lex watched Martha close the door behind her as she left. "I’ve got to be the luckiest woman in the world."

"Why’s that?"

"Because not only was I raised by her, but I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Pretty good deal, if you ask me."

Amanda sighed and rolled over to snuggle into her lover’s arms. "Sounds like we both lucked out, then." She kissed the hollow of Lex’s throat. "Think we can sneak in a little nap before breakfast?"

"I don’t see why not." Lex pulled the covers up over them both. "I love you."

"Love you, too." Amanda’s voice trailed off as she fell asleep, content to have Lex protect her from the bad dreams.

Chapter 21

The next few days were rough on Amanda. As well-intentioned as her family was, their solicitousness was beginning to wear on her. Her grandmother insisted that she take a leave of absence from the real estate office, and her father made daily trips out to the ranch. The only one who seemed to be giving her any space at all was Lex, although Amanda feared that the ordeal had left its own scars on her wife. She would often wake in the middle of the night to find Lex sitting up holding Lorrie, quietly watching the bed where Amanda had been sleeping.

It was on one such night that Amanda stirred, and rolled over to face where Lex sat in the rocker with Lorrie. The nightlight next to the crib bathed them in a soft glow, showing how tenderly Lex took care of the baby. "Lex?"

The whispered plea brought Lex out of her musing, and she looked up to meet Amanda’s gaze. "Hey there," she murmured. "I was trying not to wake you."

"The cold bed woke me." Amanda sat upright and ran one hand through her hair. "I didn’t even hear her cry."

Lex glanced down at Lorrie, who had finished her bottle some time ago. She had been burped, but Lex couldn’t bring herself to put her to bed. "She gets hungry about the same time every night, so I’m usually prepared for her. I thought you needed your sleep."

"We agreed to take turns." Amanda got out from under the covers and padded over to Lex. "I think you’ve been doing more than your share lately."

"Well–"

Amanda took the sleeping infant and placed her in her crib. After she was certain that Lorrie was comfortable, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down into Lex’s tired features. "Are you ever going to tell me what’s the real reason you’re up all night, every night? And don’t even think about lying to me."

Lex couldn’t meet Amanda’s stare. "It’s just some stuff I’m trying to work out."

"I’d like to help, but you’ve got to trust in me enough to talk, so I can."

It’s not a matter of trust." Lex stood and walked to the windows, where she quietly watched the night sky for several minutes.

Amanda was afraid she had pushed Lex too far, when she heard her partner’s ragged whisper.

"I’ve failed you." Lex turned around, her eyes filled with tears. "Every time I close my eyes, I see what happened in the barn, and I’m so damned terrified that I’ll fail you again."

"You can’t think that way. Because if you can’t get past what happened, how am I supposed to?" Amanda knew she was in dangerous territory, but she had to get Lex to forgive herself, before her guilt tore them apart. She closed the distance between them until she could feel the warmth from Lex’s body. "I’m a grown woman who is perfectly capable of getting myself in and out of trouble, Lex. I didn’t fall in love with you because you took care of me, or saved me from danger." She put her hands on Lex’s hips and pulled her closer. "I fell in love with your beautiful heart." Amanda paused and grinned. "Not to mention that sexy smile and gorgeous body. Pretty much a perfect package."

"But–"

Amanda silenced Lex with a kiss. When she pulled back, she saw the look of surprise on Lex’s face. "Now, come back to bed and let me hold you, and we’ll work through all this stuff together, okay?"

"All right." Lex dutifully followed, her heart lighter than it had been in days.

Lex stood at the foot of the stairs, unsure of which direction she wanted to go. The tantalizing aroma that floated from the kitchen made her mind up for her, and she walked until she was just inside the doorway. "I don’t know what’s in that pot, but whatever it is, I’d be more than happy to clean it out for you."

Martha turned around and almost dropped her spoon. Lex stood with a clean cloth diaper on her shoulder, while the baby in her arms idly played with one of her long fingers. Her voice caught in her throat at the sight. "If I hadn’t seen it myself, I might not ever believed it."

"What? Do I have something on me?" Lex looked down at her plaid shirt. "Looks clean enough to me."

"Brat." Martha turned her attention back to the pot of stew she had simmering on the stove. "Sometimes I don’t know how Amanda puts up with you."

"Must be my natural charm." Lex looked down into Lorrie’s face before she sat down in a kitchen chair. "Isn’t that right, kiddo?"

Martha sighed. "Oh, yeah. Right." She continued to stir the stew. "Speaking of which, where is Amanda?"

"She’s in the den, researching the home care facility before she calls them. I swear, that woman is a whiz on the Internet. Ow!" Lex rescued a handful of her hair from Lorrie’s grasp. "Trust me, little one, you don’t want to see me bald."

"I think it would be funny," Martha injected.

Lex raised her head and glared at the housekeeper’s back. "We didn’t ask for a comment from the cheap seats."

Chuckling, Martha brought over a small bit of stew in a mug. "That will teach you to mouth off to me. Here, try this and see if it’s okay." She knew that Lex would be whining for a taste before lunch, so she decided to surprise her by offering the mug first. "So Jeannie’s still set on leaving us? I was hoping she’d change her mind."

"Me, too." Lex took a cautious sip of the hot stew. "Damn, woman."

"What? Too spicy? Not enough spice? Is there something missing?"

"It’s fantastic," Lex assured her. "Probably the best you’ve ever made. "As for Jeannie, I know what you mean. Amanda’s pretty upset about her leaving, too. That’s why she’s checking out the care center, hoping that there will be something wrong that we can use to keep Jeannie here." She finished what was left in the mug and held it out. "May I have some more, please?" Her attempt at a British accent was mangled by her Texas roots.

Martha shook her head. "You’ll have to wait until lunch time, just like everyone else." But secretly she was pleased that her stew was so well received. "How long do you think it’ll take Amanda to do her computer search? I want to know when to put the bread in the oven."

"I don’t know. She was also going to check her email, since Anna Leigh told her to stay away from the office for the next couple of weeks. I’m hoping she’ll be done in the next half hour, or so."

A yell from the den caused both women’s eyes to widen, and Lex was on her feet instantly. She raced from the kitchen, Lorrie still in her arms.

Amanda sat in the corner of the den, where they had set up the desk from Lex’s office and the computer. She had been online researching the care facility where Jeannie wanted to go, and found nothing but glowing recommendations for the hospice. Realizing they’d have to let Jeannie go, she decided to check her email before calling the facility to see if they had any openings. There were several emails from people she didn’t know, which didn’t ring any alarm bells. After all, she did run the real estate office, and was often getting letters, both good and bad, about either an employee or a property. The third email caused a very loud expletive to come from her mouth. It gave Amanda the web link to her bank in California, telling her to check her balance. While she waited for the site to upload, she continued to read the letter. In it the writer apologized for his part in the "temporary" loss of her money, then went on to explain, in detain, what had happened.

"What the hell’s going on in here?" Lex rushed into the room, doing her best not to frighten the baby in her arms. "Are you all right?"

Amanda was too busy looking at the computer screen to turn around. "Come here and see for yourself."

Lex stood behind Amanda and saw the amount of money in the bank account. "Isn’t that–"

"Yeah." Amanda opened up the screen of the email. "Now read this."

"Dear Ms. Cauble," Lex murmured, then read silently. Son of a bitch! "That’s great, sweetheart."

With tears in her eyes, Amanda could only nod. A sudden thought struck her. "I wonder." She closed out her email and quickly switched over to Lex’s. "Look. Here’s one from him to you, too."

"Go ahead and open it." Lex could feel her heart start to pound in anticipation. The email was similar to what had been sent to Amanda, with the request that Lex check her bank balance as well. At Amanda’s questioning glance, she nodded.

"Oh, my god. Was this what your stocks were worth?" Amanda asked, lightheaded from the amount.

Lex swallowed hard. "I don’t know. That’s why I had someone handling the investing. But I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again. Could you pull up the email, please? I didn’t read it all the way through."

Amanda gladly did as she was asked. She had also missed the last half of the letter, and gasped in shock at the revelation. "My mother? How did she get out of the mental institution? She wasn’t up for evaluation for another four months."

"I don’t know, but I bet ol’ Elizabeth is shitting herself over all this. You know how she hates to lose."

"Do you think we’re in any danger here? From her, I mean?" The last thing Amanda wanted was for her mother to come back and make their lives miserable, again. Like burning down the house wasn’t enough. She had to steal from both of us? "Family or not, If I ever see her again, I swear I’m going to punch her in the face."

Lex put her free hand on Amanda’s shoulder. "Whoa there. Let’s just tell Charlie about this, and have the law take care of her. I honestly don’t think she’s going to hang around here since all this went wrong for her." She looked down at the computer screen. "I’d sure like to shake that fellow’s hand, though. He took an awful risk going against your mother."

Amanda shook her head. "I don’t have a mother. That woman was just a vessel that brought two kids in the world." She covered Lex’s hand with one of her own. "I wouldn’t claim her for any amount of money, and I wouldn’t spit on her if she were on fire." She turned back around and closed out the computer programs and shut them down. "Let me call the care facility, and then we can tell the family about all that’s happened, okay?"

"Works for me." Lex stood where she was for a moment. "Mind if we keep you company?"

"I’d love it." Amanda stood momentarily and kissed her wife. When she was sure Lex had been thoroughly kissed, she placed her lips on Lorrie’s forehead. "Thank goodness you won’t have to worry about that woman, sweetie pie. We’ll make sure of that."

"Damn right." Lex winked at Amanda, then took a seat in a nearby chair to watch her lover. "Hurry up, now. The smell of Martha’s stew is driving me nuts."

It took almost a week, but the care center in town finally had a room available for Jeannie to move into. She watched as Amanda tearfully packed her meager belongings into a suitcase.

"We’re going to have to get you more clothes, Jeannie. I don’t want those people thinking we can’t afford to dress you." Amanda’s voice shook, and she turned her back so that her sister wouldn’t see her cry.

"I…habe…enob." Jeannie had been working hard with Ellie on her speaking, and she was privately proud of the progress she’d made in such a short time.

Amanda shook her head. I’d still like to buy you some nice things, if you’d let me." She placed the last item in the bag and zipped it closed. Unable to look at the urn that took up the space on the four-drawer filing cabinet, Amanda tried to think of a way to ask her sister about it. "What about–"

"I’be…en…tinkin’…bout…Fwank." Jeannie wished, at least for this one conversation, she could speak at a normal pace. "Where’s…Wex?"

Oh, boy. This is something I definitely didn’t want to bring Lex into, if I could help it. "I think she’s in the kitchen with Martha, having some coffee before heading over to the bunkhouse. Do you want me to go get her?"

"Pwease."

Amanda left the room, shaking from the emotional toll. What could she be thinking? Is she going to ask Lex to keep the urn here? Or maybe find some way to place it in her room at the hospice. God, I hope it’s not that. She stepped into the kitchen, feeling everyone’s eyes upon her. "Lex, Jeannie wants to see you. I think it’s about, umm, Frank."

Lex frowned. "Frank?" She looked to Martha for help, but the housekeeper just shrugged her shoulders. Ellie was conspicuously silent as well. "Okay." Lex stood up and handed Lorrie to Ellie before leaving the room. For some reason, Lex had trouble keeping her hands off the baby when she was in the house, a trait everyone but Amanda seemed to take notice of.

Jeannie looked up when Lex stepped into the room. She read the concern on her sister-in-law’s face, and held out her good hand to try and dispel Lex’s anxiousness. "I…need…your…elp."

"Name it." Lex took the offered hand and squatted next to the wheelchair that Jeannie was in.

"Fwank."

"Okay." Lex followed Jeannie’s gaze to the urn, and nodded. "Do you want the urn to stay here?"

"No."

Wonderful. I get to play Twenty Questions. "Do you want to take it with you? I’m not sure the care center will allow that."

"No." Jeannie exhaled heavily. "Could…ou…arry ‘em ear?"

What? Did she just ask– "You want him to be buried here on the ranch?"

Jeannie nodded tearfully. "Pwease?"

"Well, sure. If that’s what you want. Would it bother you if he was in my family cemetery? My dad’s parent’s are there, and my mother, father and brother, too."

"Dat ood e underuul." Jeannie pulled Lex’s hand to her lips and kissed it before rubbing it against her cheek. "Ou…oodent…ind?"

Lex brushed the hair away from Jeannie’s face in a tender gesture. "I’d be honored. He’s family, as are you."

"Tanks."

Amanda stood in the doorway of the room. "Is there something between you two that I should know about," she asked in a teasing fashion.

"Nah. I think you already know that I love your sister." Lex stood up and kissed Jeannie on the forehead. "Right?"

Jeannie blushed and giggled. Even as serious as the conversation had been, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She watched as Lex picked her sister up and spun her around.

"Lex, you idiot! Put me down!" Amanda instinctively locked her hands behind her wife’s head. "You’re going to hurt yourself." She couldn’t stop the wide grin that broke out on her face at Lex’s playful manner. "What’s got you so excited?"

"To tell you the truth, I don’t really know. But it feels so good to hold you, I don’t think I’ll ever stop." Lex kissed Amanda soundly.

When they didn’t show signs of stopping, Jeannie cleared her throat. "Get…a…woom."

Lex walked over and set Amanda on Jeannie’s bed. "Can we use yours?"

Both Amanda and Jeannie groaned at the thought. Amanda was the first to find her voice. "That’s just sick."

"Oh. Are you saying I should share?" Lex received the expected slap on the arm for her comment.

"Lexington Marie! You watch your dirty mouth." Martha stood in the doorway wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She had come to the room to tell everyone that lunch was ready, and had overhead Lex’s last two comments. Although she was secretly glad the three were in a playful mood, she had her own image to uphold. "You three get cleaned up and get to the kitchen, before I feed the stew to the stock."

Jeannie snickered, while Amanda fell back onto the bed, laughing loudly.

"Oh, shut up," Lex grumbled, as she released her hold on Amanda and left the room. Her attitude only spurred on the other women’s mirth, and she could hear their laughter all the way down the hall.

Chapter 22

It had only taken them two days to get everything ready for the funeral service, although it would be longer than that before a proper headstone could be made and erected. Lex had called in some favors, as did Charlie, and now all of them, with the exception of Jeannie, were standing in the Walters’ family graveyard.

The morning brought with it a heavy dew, and the dampness seeped deeply into Amanda’s bones. She had stood between Lex and her father across from the grave, with Ronnie and Travis on the other side of Lex. The minister’s words of sympathy and compassion caused Amanda to more than once find herself seeking solace in her partner’s arms. Jeannie, in front of the grave, sat in her wheelchair with Ellie behind her, flanked on either side by Anna Leigh and Jacob. Martha had volunteered to stay at the house with Lorrie, as they all decided that it was too cold and damp for the baby to be out. Amanda watched as Jeannie accepted the condolences of the clergyman, looking much stronger than Amanda felt. The man nodded to Anna Leigh and Jacob before taking his leave, knowing the family needed quiet time alone after the service.

Jeannie looked across the grave to where Amanda stood. She could tell her sister had trouble keeping herself together through the service, and knew that Amanda would have to come to grips on her own about Frank’s death. She believed she was lucky in that respect. Spending most of my days thinking about nothing else, certainly gave me to proper perspective. I know I have to get well so that I can raise my daughter and be a contributing part of my family. I hope Amanda finds the peace she so desperately needs.

Jacob leaned down to whisper in his granddaughter’s ear. "Do you need more time, or are you ready to go? It’s entirely up to you."

"I’m okay. But I would like to come back once the headstone’s in place, if that’s okay." Jeannie allowed her father to pick her up in his arms, and she snuggled against his chest. "Thanks. It’s a long walk back to the car for me."

Michael kissed her head. "Anytime, sweetheart. And I’ll be glad to bring you back out here, whenever you want. Just let me know." He could hear the others start to follow them back to where the cars were parked.

Although it wasn’t that far from the ranch house, Lex insisted that everyone drive due to the weather. She assured them that she wasn’t worried about the land being torn up from the vehicles, and in fact offered to bring over anyone that wanted to ride with her in the truck. Lex kept a firm grip on Amanda’s hand, hoping to keep them both grounded.

The ride back to the house was unnerving to Ronnie. He had never been around Lex or Amanda when they were both this quiet, and he looked over to Travis for a clue as to how to handle the situation.

Travis tried to assure Ronnie with a look, but wasn’t too sure how successful he had been. All he wanted more than anything, was to take away the pain Lex and Amanda were feeling, but knew they had to get through it on their own. He waited until the truck was parked beside the house before speaking. "Is there anything I can do to help around the house?"

"Why don’t you just come in for coffee," Amanda offered quietly. "Your company would be the best help in the world right now."

"Then that’s what I’ll do." Travis followed the threesome through the side door and into the kitchen. Seeing Martha trying to make coffee while holding a crying Lorrie, he quickly jumped into action. "Martha, do you want me to take the baby, or the coffee machine?"

The harried housekeeper gave him an exhausted smile. "If you’ll finish up the coffee, I’ll go check this little one’s britches. I’m sure that’s what she’s so upset about." She patted him on the arm as she left the room with the baby.

"Will do."

Lex watched as her grandfather made quick work of the coffee duties. He had the brew going before the others walked into the kitchen. "I didn’t know you knew how to make coffee."

"Do you think I made my servants do it for me?" Travis asked, thoroughly amused. "I’ll have you know I wasn’t always well-off, young lady. I had to work for many years to get to where I am today."

"My kitchen?" Lex teased.

Amanda stood from where she had been seated. "We just buried someone! I don’t think it’s the time to be so damned flippant." She rushed from the room, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Damn." Lex sighed and rubbed her face with one hand. "I screwed that up."

"I don’t think so. But it might be a good idea to go find her and calm her down," Travis advised.

Lex knew he was right, and hurried out of the room in search of Amanda. Hearing the front door slam, she figured that her wife went to sit on the front porch swing, one of Amanda’s favorite places to go and think. Lex walked down the hall and cautiously opened the door, peeking outside. "Can I talk to you?"

With her back to the door, Amanda didn’t indicate that she had even heard the entreaty. She continued to cry, but wasn’t surprised when Lex sat down beside her on the swing.

"I’m sorry."

Amanda continued to look down at her own lap, where her hands were clasped. Her hair fell around her face, and she was hoping that Lex couldn’t see how much she had been crying. She felt like a complete fool for making such a scene in the kitchen, and was thankful that the rest of the family hadn’t arrived yet to see her display of emotions.

"Please, Amanda. Would you look at me?" Lex felt like a first class jerk, and the longer Amanda went without acknowledging her, the worse she felt. "We all love and miss him, you know. It’s just that when I get nervous, I tend to release that pressure by being a smartass." Lex stood then squatted at Amanda’s feet, placing her hands on either side of her partner’s legs. "Can’t we talk about this?"

The pleading tone in Lex’s voice touched Amanda, but she still felt so bad about her own behavior she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, look up.

"Please forgive me?"

Amanda had no doubts that Lex would continue to beg until she acquiesced, and her guilt about hurting Lex outweighed the embarrassment of her actions in the kitchen. "There’s really nothing to forgive. I’m the one that acted like a jerk," Amanda whispered.

Lex felt her heartbeat slow back to its normal speed. Having Amanda upset with her was the last thing she ever wanted. "No, you’re grieving. There’s nothing wrong with that."

Amanda stood and helped Lex to her feet as well. She linked her arm with her wife’s and guided them both back into the house. "Thanks for coming out to get me."

"Anytime, sweetheart." Lex pulled Amanda closer and kissed the side of her head. "But I hope I don’t upset you again anytime soon. I love you, Amanda Cauble-Walters."

"I love you, too."

With everything back to semi-normal, Lex felt herself relax for the first time in days. She just hoped things held out, and they’d make it through the next obstacle.

Later that afternoon, Lex loaded up Anna Leigh and Jacob’s Suburban with all of Jeannie’s effects. She had wanted to drive Jeannie in herself, but Jeannie told her that there was no use in her making a special trip into town, when her grandparents were going, anyway. Although it made perfect sense, Lex still didn’t have to like the decision.

Amanda had gone shopping, and now Jeannie sported two larger suitcases full of things, much to her sister’s surprise. Jeannie tried to act upset, but the smile that kept breaking out on her face gave her away too many times. "Do you need any help with that?" Amanda asked Lex, as she stood next to Jeannie on the porch. "I’m sure we can get Martha to load all that for you, if it’s too much."

"Smartass." Lex loaded the large television and closed the back hatch. She took a deep breath and released it before talking to Jacob. "Now remember, you’re not supposed to touch a thing. I’ve given explicit instructions, and they’re getting paid extra to unload your truck and get everything into Jeannie’s room. All you’ll have to do is help her unpack her clothes."

"And we’ll be more than happy to do just that, Lexington," Anna Leigh assured her. "I can’t speak for my husband, but I’m not about to lift some of those boxes. I thought you were going to rupture something, yourself."

Lex couldn’t help but laugh. "I always complain when I work. Just ask Martha. But honestly, don’t you dare lift a finger, okay?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes, ma’am. We promise."

Anna Leigh watched as Jeannie held Lorrie, with Amanda and Ellie beside her. "Are the two of you going to be all right taking care of the baby until Jeannie is back on her feet? That’s a lot of responsibility you’re taking on."

"I know." Lex followed Anna Leigh’s line of sight and couldn’t help but smile at the scene. "We’ve been doing pretty well so far, and we’ve had Jeannie, too. So I think we’ll be okay. Besides, Ellie’s asked to stay here and offered to nanny for us during the day. And of course, we’ll be bringing the baby in to visit her mom several times a week."

Anna Leigh clapped her hands. "Excellent. You know, Ellie seems like a very sweet girl."

"You two seem to be getting along a lot better, that’s for sure," Jacob commented. "Did you call a truce?"

Lex laughed. "Something like that." She noticed the sad look on Ellie’s face, while the others on the porch were all smiles. "I guess it’s time to get this show on the road, though. You really want to have her all moved in before dinner time." She walked over to the porch, where everyone else was standing. "Miss Jeannie, would you mind if I gave you a lift to your chariot?" Lex asked, bowing deeply at the waist.

Unable to contain her mirth at her sister-in-law’s antics, Jeannie tittered. She allowed Amanda to lift Lorrie from her lap, and kissed the baby’s forehead. "Tanks."

"You’re welcome." Amanda did her best to keep from crying at the heart wrenching scene. "Remember, we’ll bring her in every other day, and if that’s not enough, give us a call, okay?"

"Otay." Jeannie waved her good hand to Lex. "I’m weady."

Lex reached down and plucked Jeannie from the wheelchair. "I figured for this trip, you’d get the personal touch."

Happy that Lex had thought enough to put her good side close to Lex’s body, Jeannie hooked her hand around Lex’s neck and leaned into the embrace. She understood why her sister was so taken with this woman. Never had she met anyone, her own husband included, that was as sensitive, loving or gentle than the woman that carried her now. She just hoped that Amanda cherished Lex, or she might be in for a fight. Wouldn’t that just freak out the folks! Jeannie chuckled, which caused Lex to almost drop her.

"What’s on your mind?"

"Nuthin’." No way was Jeannie going to share that little tidbit, ever.

Once the wheelchair and everyone was safely tucked away in the Suburban, Lex stood on the porch with Ellie, while Martha took Lorrie inside for her nap. Amanda gave last minute instructions to her grandparents in the vehicle and Lex turned to see tears in Ellie’s eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I don’t know what it is about those Cauble women that attracts me to them," Ellie admitted quietly. She had become very attached to Jeannie since they started working together, and it pained her that Jeannie felt the need to get better care than what she was giving.

Lex, who had heard the quiet query, put her arm around her cousin’s shoulders. "I don’t know the answer to that one, El. But, if it’s any consolation, I think you’ve got real good taste."

"Thanks." Ellie sighed and walked back into the house, her heart broken once again.

Amanda waved at the Suburban until it was out of sight, then joined Lex up on the porch. "That was harder than I thought it would be."

"I know."

Taking her wife’s hand, Amanda led them both over to the swing so they could sit. "It’s not going to take Jeannie that long to get better, you know. She’s already moving both legs and has limited use of her left hand, now."

"I know." Lex knew she sounded like a broken record, but she wanted to hear where Amanda was going with this.

"I don’t know how I’ll be able to let Lorrie go once Jeannie is ready for her," Amanda admitted quietly. "She’s already such a big part of me."

"Me, too." Lex looked off into the winter rye field that was starting to grow in front of the house. "But you never know. There’s really nothing for Jeannie in California anymore. Maybe she’ll decide to settle down in Somerville."

Amanda propped both elbows on her knees and placed her chin in her open palms. "That would be great, but–"

"And, I was hoping we could discuss giving Lorrie a little cousin, or two. It would be tough to be an only child in a family, don’t you think?"

It took Amanda a long moment to understand what Lex meant. When she finally figured it out, she almost whooped and jumped off the swing. "Are you sure about this, Lex? We’ve never really talked about having children of our own. I just assumed that you didn’t want any."

"If there’s anything these past few weeks have taught me, is that we can’t take one moment of life for granted. I thought I’d have all the time in the world to think about kids, but when that guy pointed his gun in my face, all I could think about was what wanted to do, and what I’d be leaving behind. You were born to be a mom, Amanda. I can see that, and I want to raise children with you, if you still want to."

Amanda couldn’t believe what she had just heard. It was as if Lex had read her mind. She leaned forward and kissed Lex. "I want this for us, too. You and me, having a family. I know that’s the way things should be.