Chapter 7 3 страница

Lex heard Amanda’s whispered plea. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst. I’m sorry love… I really don’t want you to see this.

The bull snorted and lowered his head, until his nose almost touched the ground. He brought his head up and butted Lex in the stomach, pushing her back slightly.

"Huh?" The rancher opened her eyes and looked at the bull, who bumped her again gently. "I’ll be damn…" She reached up and scratched the animal between the eyes.

She’s PETTING him? Amanda released the breath she had been holding and leaned forward onto the steering wheel. A thump on the hood caused her head to pop back up. "Good lord."

Lex had walked back over to the jeep, the bull following behind her like a fifteen hundred-pound puppy. "Umm…look what followed me home." She gave the blonde an embarrassed grin. "Can I keep him?"

Chapter 9

"So…Lex ends up walking all the way back to Mr. Braxton’s farm, because the bull kept trying to follow her," Amanda related with a chuckle. She had been pressed into telling the story of yesterday’s adventure with the love struck animal, much to her partner’s embarrassment. After the huge Christmas dinner, everyone had migrated from the large table in the sitting room to the den. Amanda was snuggled into the rancher’s arms, Lex having dropped to the floor by the fireplace in mock misery.

Lex shook her head. "It wasn’t half as dramatic as Amanda tells it," she reassured Martha who had a very worried expression on her face. "Mr. Braxton told us that his granddaughter had raised the bull from a bottle – that’s why he was so friendly." She propped her chin on her lover’s shoulder and took in the shocked looks from around the room. "He wasn’t even full grown yet – just a baby, really."

"Trouble just seems to find you," Martha sighed. She leaned back against Charlie, who was sharing space with her on the loveseat. The sheriff’s arms squeezed her gently and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Amanda giggled. The arms around her tightened in warning, which caused her to giggle louder.

"My sister is a perfect example of that," Jeannie agreed. "She’s been getting into trouble since she was old enough to walk." Her husband chuckled, but refrained from adding any comments.

Anna Leigh laughed at the indignant look on her granddaughter’s face. "That’s a fact, for sure!"

"Gramma!" Amanda squeaked.

"It’s true, honey, and you know it." Jacob smiled at the young woman apologetically. "Our summers were always full of excitement with you around." He looked around the room at the indulgent smiles. "She had this knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Lex raised her head. "Oh, really? Care to elaborate on that, Grandpa Jake?" An elbow to her ribs caused the amused woman to grunt. "What?"

"I’m going to get you for that, Slim," Amanda murmured. She looked down at their entwined hands, and suddenly forgot what she was angry about. The antique ring on her left hand glittered brightly.

It was Jeannie’s turn to giggle. "Maybe we should tell Lex about the time that Mandy ran away from home." The rest of her family moaned in remembrance.

"That wasn’t my fault!" The blonde exclaimed. "It could have happened to anyone!"

"Uh-huh." Jeannie looked at Anna Leigh, who shook her head and grinned. "Let me see. She was about…" She looked upward, as if in deep thought. "Ten or eleven, I think. We were here, for some sort of family reunion or something…"

Michael cleared his throat. He had been quietly enjoying the conversation, but decided it was time to join in. "I believe that it was for Mom and Dad’s anniversary, wasn’t it?" He looked at his parents for confirmation.

"Thirty-fifth." Jacob related proudly, pulling his wife closer and kissing the side of her head gently.

The younger woman nodded. "Right! Okay, where was I?" She ignored her sister’s outraged look. "Anyway, Mother and Mandy had gotten into an argument, although I can’t remember now what it was about."

Amanda sighed. "She was angry that I had been climbing the tree in the back yard – kept telling me it wasn’t ladylike." A snicker from behind her caused the young woman to turn around slightly. "Watch it."

"Sorry," Lex whispered. "But you were a kid. How can she get on to you about something like that?" She was amazed at how well Amanda grew up, considering her family background. Guess I have Jacob and Anna Leigh to thank for that. They’ve definitely been a great influence on her.

"Ahem." Jeannie glared at the couple, and then flipped her auburn hair back over her shoulder. "Excuse me…I’m trying to tell a story here."

Lex chuckled. "Sorry ‘bout that, Jeannie. Go ahead." She raised one hand from where it was tucked against her partner and waved at the other woman in a shooing motion. "We’ll behave. For now," she finished in a quiet whisper, just loud enough for Amanda to hear, and cause her partner to giggle again.

"Thank you," Jeannie nodded regally. She ignored the roomful of chuckles and snickers, and continued her story. "Mandy was so upset with Mother, she decided to run away from home. So she packed up a paper sack with some things and took off through the back gate. No one realized that she had left, so she had several hours head start on the rest of us."

Travis had been listening intently. "Where on earth would a young girl run off to in Somerville? There’s not that many places to go." He looked over at Amanda, who looked as if she wanted to hide. This looks like it’s going to get good.

Michael shook his head. "Amanda was always resourceful as a child – she seemed to find the darndest things to get into." He looked to his oldest daughter to continue the story.

"That’s the darn truth, Daddy." Jeannie went back into storyteller mode. "I’m not sure how she found it, but Mandy ended up down at the train yard. She must have decided to play hobo, because she jumped into one of the empty cars fell asleep."

"Oh, no." Martha’s eyes widened at the scene in her head. "It wasn’t attached to a train, was it?"

Jeannie nodded. "It sure was. I guess they didn’t have many problems with people stowing away, because no one ever checked the cars for stowaways. Mandy was completely exhausted and didn’t wake up until the train stopped. She must have really raised a fuss - one of the men who was working on one of the cars found her falling apart."

"I wasn’t falling apart," Amanda countered. "I was just a little bit scared, that’s all." She smiled ruefully. "How was I supposed to know that the darn thing would end up in Houston?"

Charlie laughed. "Good grief! That’s quite a trip." He tightened his grip on Martha and looked over at Amanda. "What did you do?"

"I…umm…cried for my daddy," Amanda murmured, embarrassed. "But the guy who found me was really nice, and he took me into their office to call my family." She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the number to Gramma’s house, but they did call the local police and got hold of them that way."

Ronnie looked over at Michael. "I bet she was in a wad of trouble, wasn’t she?" He knew that if he had pulled a stunt like that, his father would have probably beaten him within an inch of his life. At least he’s in prison now. I’d hate for him to show up here sometime and cause trouble. A secretive smile crossed the young man’s face. Maybe he and Matt will become roomies – that would be funny.

"That’s putting it mildly," Michael agreed. He looked over at his parents in partial shame. "I’m afraid that I didn’t handle the whole thing very well."

After driving for almost two hours, the entire family was on edge. Elizabeth had refused to come, stating that she had more important things to do than chase down her errant child. She had even suggested that they ask the authorities to put Amanda on the next bus northwest, to teach the young girl a lesson. Michael, tired of arguing with his wife, accepted his parent’s offer of a ride to the large city to pick Amanda up. By the time they arrived at the train yard, he was livid.

The office to the freight train company was small, and through the window, they could see Amanda sitting beside an old oak desk, curled up in a chair that had lost most of its stuffing years ago. She had one of her old dolls pulled up to her chest, and she appeared to be asleep. Michael opened the door and stood for a moment, battling with himself over whether to pull the young girl up and into his arms, or give her a good spanking. "Amanda."

Green eyes, puffy from crying, opened in confusion. "Daddy?" Amanda practically leaped from the chair and into her father’s embrace. She tucked her head into his neck and began to cry again. "I’m sorry, Daddy."

The executive flinched as the denim-covered legs wrapped around his waist. He could smell grease, and knew that his expensive suit would be forever ruined by his daughter’s filthy embrace. "Shhh…it’s all right, honey. We’ve come to take you home."

"That’s right, Peanut," Jacob added quietly. He stepped up beside them and patted Amanda on the back gently. "You sure gave us a scare."

Amanda sniffled and pulled her head back to look around. "Where’s Mother?" She tried to wipe at her face with her sleeve, but Jacob stopped her by handing his granddaughter a handkerchief.

"She’s back at the house, dearest." Anna Leigh stepped forward and held out her hands. She could see the look of disgust as it crossed her son’s face. I wish he would quit worrying so much about appearances, and think about the horror his daughter has just gone through. "Come with me, Mandy. We’ll go into the ladies room and get you cleaned up a bit." The child quickly jumped into her arms and hugged her tight.

Michael watched as his mother carried his daughter to the facilities on the other side of the office. He looked back at his father and sighed. "I don’t know who I’m more angry with, Elizabeth or Amanda. I want to turn both of them over my knee." He brushed at the grease stains on his jacket. This is never going to come out. Oh, well…at least she’s safe.

"Now son, don’t do anything drastic." The older man put his arm around his son’s shoulders and led him outside. "Yes, she deserves to be punished for running away. But remember, she’s just a child, and she’s been through an awful scare." He watched as Anna Leigh stepped out of the small building. Amanda still had a death grip on his wife’s neck, and her small legs were wound tightly around the petite woman’s waist. His heart broke at the sobs still emanating from the child.

"So have we." Michael brushed his father’s arm from his shoulders and stalked towards the pair descending the rickety stairs. "Amanda Lorraine…you are in some serious trouble, young lady." He ignored his mother’s look and pulled the child from her arms. "Stop that crying, and come on. We’ll talk on the way to the car." Michael grabbed Amanda’s hand and partially dragged her back to his mother’s Lincoln Town car. "I can’t believe you pulled such an irresponsible stunt! Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?" He swatted the young girl on the rear with his open hand, hard. "I ought to send you to a private school, where you won’t get into any trouble!"

Amanda began to cry harder, holding one hand behind her to protect her pained bottom. "No, Daddy! Please! I’ll be good!" Another strong swat and she stumbled forward, the hard graveled ground shredding the skin on her palms. "Please, Daddy…stop!" She held her hands to her chest, sobbing.

"That’s quite enough, Michael." Anna Leigh brushed by her son to scoop the almost screaming child into her arms. "Get in the car."

Michael felt his blood boil. How dare she tell me how to discipline my own daughter! He stepped forward to take Amanda away from his mother when a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Son, don’t even think about it." Jacob’s normally friendly demeanor turned into ice. "You can sit in the front of the car with me, while your mother takes care of Amanda."

"Yes, sir." The executive knew when he had lost. He stopped for a moment and thought about what he had almost done. His fear of what could have happened to Amanda had caused him to hurt his daughter. I should just be thankful that she’s safe. He shook his head and climbed into the car.

Michael felt the shame of his actions slam back into him, as if the incident had happened yesterday. I can’t believe how I treated her then. And yet, she still loves me. He looked up into Amanda’s eyes. "I’m sorry, honey," he whispered. Her green eyes showed nothing but love and compassion.

"Hey! How about some cobbler?" Martha jumped up from her place next to Charlie and rubbed her hands together. "I’ve even got some homemade vanilla ice cream to put on top of it." She led everyone from the room, except for Michael, Amanda and Lex.

The rancher stood behind Amanda, who had quickly crossed the room to stand face to face with Michael. She placed her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Do you…?"

"Yeah. I’ll be right there, love," Amanda whispered, gently dismissing her partner. Lex nodded and left the room quietly. "Daddy…"

"Wait…hear me out, okay?" Michael held up his hand. "I’ve done a lot of things in my life I’m not very proud of. Most of them have to do with the way I raised my children." He saw the tears begin to fill Amanda’s eyes. "But, throughout it all, I’ve loved you. I guess I just didn’t show it too well. Forgive me?"

Amanda took another step forward and wrapped her arms around him. "There’s nothing to forgive, Daddy. I’ve always loved you, too." She felt his arms circle her and leaned into the embrace. "I’ve never felt anything but love from you. We’ve had our differences in the past, but I’d like to think that we can move on from here." After a few moments, both had calmed down and stepped back. "Want to join me for some cobbler and ice cream?" Amanda winked at her father.

"Sure, honey. Sounds good to me." Michael followed his daughter, thinking to himself just how lucky a man he was. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, sweetheart…I promise.

***************

A heavy pounding from downstairs awakened Lex from a sound sleep. "Huh? What the hell…?" She sat up in bed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. The groggy rancher spared a glance at her lover who had been unceremoniously dumped from her comfortable spot when Lex had practically sprang out of bed.

"Lex? What’s going on?" Amanda murmured, rubbing her eyes like a sleepy child. She stretched and sat up also. "Is that someone at the front door?" The loud noise continued while Lex crawled out of bed and slipped on her boxer shorts and tee shirt.

"Yeah, sounds like it." The older woman glanced over at the alarm clock next to the bed. "This had better be good to get me up at two-thirty in the damn morning."Although I have a pretty good idea who it is, the worthless ass.

"Let me get dressed, and I’ll go with you." Amanda started to get out of bed, but stopped when her lover raised a hand.

The rancher shook her head. "Nah, it’s probably nothing. You just keep my place warm." She started towards the closed door when a voice from the hallway caused her to smile.

"Lexie? Are you awake?" Travis’ concerned voice could be heard beyond the door. "What is that awful noise?"

Lex opened the door and bit back a grin. Her grandfather’s normally neat hair was standing up in every direction. Looks like he’s been sleeping a lot better since he moved in here. "I don’t know, Grandpa. I think it’s just someone at the front door." She stood beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Why don’t you go back to bed, and I’ll take care of it." Stifling a yawn, Lex walked past Travis and started down the stairs. A moment later, two bodies were right behind her. "C’mon, y’all…I think I can answer the door by myself."

Travis patted her on the back. "I’m sure you can, honey. But I’m really curious as to who would be out here this time of night." He continued to follow the tall woman down the stairs, Amanda right behind him.

As they neared the door, Lex could hear muffled curses from outside. "Gee, what a surprise," she grumbled under her breath as she opened the door. "Merry Christmas, Hubert."

"Kiss my ass, Lex!" The big man pushed his way past his sister and spun around to face her, oblivious to the two people standing at the foot of the stairs. "What the hell is this?" He shook his fist in her face, almost cutting her with the wadded up piece of paper he held.

"Looks like a piece of paper to me, Hube." Lex graced her brother with a smirk, enjoying taunting the older man. She never saw him reach for her.

The enraged man grabbed Lex’s shoulders and shoved her up against the closed door. Hubert leaned in so close that she could smell the tequila on his breath. "I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance, little sister. You’ve been a thorn in my side my entire life!" He shifted his hold so that his left arm was against her throat and he could pull back his right fist.

Taken by surprise, Lex reached up with both hands to try and pry his arm from her windpipe. He had her off balance, and the startled woman was hard pressed to keep her footing. She could feel herself getting dizzy from lack of oxygen, and spots began to fill her vision. Damn…

"Not so fast, son." Travis had stepped behind his grandson and grabbed his poised hand. "I think you’ve caused enough trouble for one lifetime, don’t you think?"Dear god, I want to tear into him!

"Who the hell do you think you are? Back off, old man!" Hubert released his hold on Lex, and spun around to confront the man holding his arm. "YOU!?"

Amanda rushed over to where Lex was now kneeling, gasping for breath and rubbing her aching throat. "God, Lex…are you okay?" The blonde dropped to her knees and put an arm around her partner’s shoulders. She could feel Lex fighting to draw air back into her lungs.

"Yeah," her lover croaked. "Just caught me off guard. Help me up, will ya?"

Travis loosened his grip on the bigger man’s hand and stepped back a pace before he took a swing at his grandson. He gets more like Rawson every day. What a shame. "Hello, Hubert. It’s been a while." He looked over at Lex, who was being helped to her feet by Amanda. "Are you okay, honey?"

Lex nodded. "Just ducky." She cleared her throat and glared at her brother. "This is becoming a habit with you, Hubert. What the hell are you doing out here this time of night? Can’t you visit during the daytime like a normal person?"

"Bitch." Hubert started forward but was stopped by a surprisingly strong hand on his shoulder. "Let go of me, you old fart – before I forget that we’re related and kick your ass."

"I really don’t think you want to try and do that, buddy." Kevin growled from the staircase. He was wearing only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, and in the dim light his normally open face was marred by anger. The muscles in his arms bulged as he gripped the banister to control his temper. Morris was standing behind him with an equally outraged look on his handsome face. They had heard the commotion and decided to come downstairs to investigate.

Hubert glared at the newcomers. "Who the hell are you?" Jesus…that guy’s huge!

"They’re family, Hubert. Now, you gonna tell me what your problem is this time, or do I have to try and guess?" Lex had regained her voice and flashed a grateful smile to the men on the stairs. I know I can handle him, but it’s nice to have some backup, just in case.

"Family? They look like a couple of…" The blonde cut off Hubert’s nasty retort.

"Why don’t we all go into the living room where it’s more comfortable?" Amanda offered, wrapping a protective arm around her lover’s waist. "It’s a bit chilly here in the hall." And Lex looks as if she’s about to remove Hubert’s head from his shoulders…although that could be an improvement.

Lex led the way, shaking her head when Hubert pushed past them to step into the den. "After you, brother dear," she murmured, her throat still aching from the abuse it had taken.

The angry man took off his coat and tossed it on the back of the sofa. "Why don’t you rustle up some coffee, sweet thing?" he sneered at Amanda. His bloodshot eyes raked over her scantily clad body. The brightly colored robe barely concealed the long tee shirt she wore. What a waste – all she needs is a good man to steer her on the right track. Hubert dropped down onto the nearby chair and glared at his sister. "You gonna tell me why you did it?"

"Back off, Hube. What was it that I was supposed to have done?" Lex was fighting herself, wanting to make the older man pay for his condescending remarks to her lover. Promise or not, if he keeps looking at Amanda like that, I’m gonna pull him out of that chair and kick his ass.

He wadded up the paper and threw it at the dark-haired woman. "Read for yourself."

"Is everything okay in here?" Morris asked, standing in the doorway. Kevin stood behind him, a proprietary hand on his shoulder.

Amanda smiled at her uncle. "Just fine. This is Lex’s brother, Hubert." She pointed to the large man sprawled out on the overstuffed chair.

Lex caught the balled up paper and opened it. A counter suit? Oops. Looks like Melvin has been working some overtime. "Couldn’t this have waited until the morning?"

"You rotten bitch," Hubert jumped up from his seat. "Are you trying to ruin our family’s reputation? This is bullshit, and you know it!"

She chuckled humorlessly. "What reputation? I think that you and Dad took care of that a long time ago." Lex stepped forward until she was nose to nose with her brother. "Now you listen to me. I want you out of this house, and off MY property in the next five minutes, or I’ll have your sorry ass thrown in jail for trespassing. You got that?"

Hubert’s face turned deep red, and he clinched his fists. "I’ll get you for this, Lex." He grabbed the coat that his sister shoved at him. The upset man stomped from the room, slamming the front door on his way out.

"Well, that was fun." The rancher walked over to the front window and watched as her brother’s expensive car raced from the front drive. What an ass. Lex turned away from the dark view when she felt a gentle touch on her back. She read the concern in Amanda’s eyes and smiled to reassure her. "He sure knows how to liven up a holiday, doesn’t he?"

Travis stepped up beside the two women, fury still clouding his handsome features. "That boy ought to be horse whipped," he grumbled, raising a hand and lightly tracing the angry red marks on his granddaughter’s throat.

"It’s okay, Grandpa." Lex captured his hand and squeezed it. "Doesn’t even hurt."

The two men standing by the sofa looked at each other and shrugged. Neither one of them knew what to say after that little scene. The veterinarian cleared his throat. "Why don’t we all go back upstairs and try to get some sleep?" Morris suggested to the group. "As much as I enjoy everyone’s company, three o’clock in the morning is a bit early."

Lex fought back a yawn. "Sounds good to me. Although I really should stay up and get all the books organized before Monday." While over at the Braxton farm, Lex had listened to the old man brag about his granddaughter. She had recently moved back to the farm with him after living in Wisconsin working as an accountant for her mother’s company for the past few years. She had tired of the snow and ice, and decided to move back to Texas where her father lived. For the time being she was helping out in her father’s office, but wanted to start building her own clientele so she could work independently.

"That’s right. Mr. Braxton’s granddaughter is coming out Monday morning, isn’t she?" Amanda was glad that they were handing over the books to a professional.Lex was getting too stressed trying to manage the books AND the ranch, and I’ve been too busy at the office to help out much.

Travis put his arm around Lex and steered her towards the door. "You can work on all that stuff later. For now, why don’t you go upstairs get some rest? I heard from Lester last night, and he said all the ranch hands were back – so they’ll take care of the stock today."

"Well…I…" Lex shook her head. "There’s quite a bit to do around here today, Grandpa. I can’t expect them to do all my work for me." She leaned into his strong body as a wave of fatigue washed over her. And I need to go down to the bunkhouse and talk to the guys about not getting the roads graded before they left. Somebody’s in trouble for that one.

"That’s what you pay them for, isn’t it? Lexie, you’ve got to quit working yourself into the ground. You’ve got a ranch full of men who are more than capable of doing the work, or you wouldn’t have them around. Let them do their job, sweetheart." He turned slightly and winked at Amanda, who was having a quiet conversation with her uncle. The young woman smiled and waved discreetly in his direction. Travis continued to lead Lex from the room, pulling her closer and talking quietly in her ear. "You’ve finally found someone to share your life. I think that Amanda deserves more of your attention, don’t you?"

Lex closed her eyes momentarily. "She deserves everything I could give her. It’s just that I don’t want to get lazy. And that would be easy to do if I let the guys do all the work around here." She opened her eyes and realized that they were standing by her bedroom door. How did he do that? I don’t even remember walking up the stairs.

Travis laughed at the look on her face. "See? You are tired." He brushed the hair away from her eyes and smiled. "You could never be lazy, honey. I have a feeling that’s more of Rawson talking than you. God knows, that man thought he was the only person in the world who ever worked for a living."

"Thanks, Grandpa." Lex leaned in as he kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "I’m really glad you’re here."

"Me too, Lexie. Now go back to bed, and I’ll see you later, okay?" The older man placed another gentle kiss on her head and then walked back towards his own room.

Amanda met Travis in the hall. "Is everything okay?"

He nodded. "Just fine, honey. Just had to talk some sense into my stubborn grandchild. I don’t know where she gets it from," he teased. "You’re looking a bit tired, yourself. I’ll see you in the morning." Travis accepted the young woman’s hug with a smile. "Or maybe afternoon."

"That sounds like a great idea – I’ll see if I can keep her in bed…" Amanda blushed when she realized how that sounded. "I mean, I’ll try to make sure that Lex gets some rest. Goodnight." She waved at the chuckling man and quickly escaped to her own bedroom.

Chapter 10

"So, would you be more comfortable working in our office here at the ranch, or at your office in town?" Lex asked the woman sitting across from her. "It doesn’t matter that much to me, as long as you can make some sense out of the whole mess." They had spent the better part of the morning in the den discussing everything from accounting to grandparents.

The older woman chuckled. "You’d be amazed at some of the bookwork I’ve seen since I’ve been back. I think my father has given me all of his worst clients, hoping that I can do something with them." Janna Hotchiss ruffled one hand through her short blonde hair. She was almost five years older than Lex, and almost as tall. Her blue eyes were several shades lighter, and her face seemed years younger because of her open smile. "If you don’t mind, I think it would be easier for me to work at my granddad’s house, that way I’m close by if I have any questions."