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Chapter 3 5 страница




"I sure will, Your Honor. Thank you." Lex stood up and held out her hand. She smiled at the firm handshake she received, before the judge stepped down and left the room.

"This isn’t over, you arrogant bitch! I’ll get what’s rightfully mine, one way or the other!" Hubert grabbed Lex’s arm as she walked by his table to leave.

The bailiff started over, but Lex waved him off. I don’t want to get any innocent people hurt, here. "Let go of me, Hubert. I’m not in the mood to kick your ass this morning." She grabbed his hand and bent his fingers back painfully. But then again, Hubert is anything but innocent! Ass!

He pulled his hand away with a muttered curse. "I shoulda finished you off years ago – then I wouldn’t have this damn problem."

"You talk real brave, Hubert. But then again, you never did have any balls, did you? Back off, big brother. I still have the paperwork from the bank." Lex wouldn’t feel right to turn in her only living brother for embezzling ranch funds, but he didn’t have to know that. She pushed by him and left the courtroom, almost flinching at the hatred that was aimed at her back from Hubert.

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

"I’m really glad that you agreed to join us for Christmas. Amanda is going to be so surprised." Lex almost laughed out loud when she thought of the look that would be on her lover’s face. This is going to be priceless! I can’t wait to see her face!

The man sitting next to her did laugh. "When I got your letter, I almost fell out of my chair! I haven’t seen her in so long, and as much as I hate to admit it – she’s always been my favorite." He looked at the passing scenery with interest. "You really live out in the boonies, don’t you?"

Lex looked around, then shrugged. "I guess. Never really thought about it much."

"I didn’t mean anything by it, Lex. Just surprised that Amanda is living so far away from everything." He reached over tentatively and touched her arm. "Is she happy?"

"I hope so," Lex murmured. "I think she is." She thought about his earlier comment. "Why does it surprise you that Amanda lives out here with me?"

He bit his lip in contemplation. "Well, it’s not because of you, but more of where you live. She’s always been the type who needs a lot of people around. I was rather shocked to hear that she left Los Angeles for Somerville." He saw the concern race across the tall woman’s face. "But, maybe she doesn’t need the big city anymore."

Blue eyes met his for a moment, then turned back towards the road. "Why do you say that?"

"Because, just from what little I heard earlier today, she’s finally got a real home." He took a nervous breath when the truck came upon the old covered bridge.So…this is it, huh? "Can we stop here, just for a moment? I’d really like to see something." Even after they told me about it, I still need to see where it happened, to make it real in my mind. Poor Amanda – what she must have gone through.

"Sure." Lex shrugged. She pulled the large vehicle to a stop just before it reached the wooden structure.

He opened his door and jumped out, hurrying to the edge of the creek. "Oh, my god." The water was running fairly steadily from the earlier rain, and it reached over halfway up the banks. A strong hand on his shoulder caused him to jump. "This is where…?" he asked the somber figure beside him.

Lex nodded. "Yeah." She pointed upstream. "A big tree came barreling down the creek, and took out the center of the bridge." She swung her arm around the opposite way, towards the far bank. "I was over there, repairing some downed fence, when I saw her headlights. The car was dumped in the water, and ended up down there." Lex put her hands in the pockets of her duster and exhaled heavily. "I pulled her out, then took her back to my house." She watched as the older man shivered from a strong blast of cold wind. "C’mon…I don’t want to get blamed for you getting pneumonia."

"Okay." He followed her back to the truck. "Thanks for humoring me." Once they were inside, he grabbed her hand. "And thank you for what you did for Amanda. She means a lot to me, even though we haven’t had much contact in the past few years."

"You’re welcome. Although I think she’s the one who’s saved me," Lex finished quietly. She started up the truck and drove over the bridge, deep in thought.

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

Amanda was sitting in the den, laughing over another humorous story from Travis. "And she didn’t get in trouble for that?" she asked, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. They had sat down to relax after getting the Christmas decorations out of the storage room. Martha had decided to wait until Lex returned from town, before she started with the decorations, so that the family would all be together.

"No. I had the hardest time trying to discipline the little thing. She’d do something that she knew was wrong, and then look up at me with those big blue eyes. I’d melt every time." Travis leaned back in the chair by the fireplace and shook his head. "Lanie was always getting on me about that, too." He smiled when the young woman jumped to her feet suddenly.

"Lex is back!" She raced over to the front window and peeked out. "Darn! She pulled the truck around to the side, already." Amanda heard a chuckle and turned around.

Travis had a large grin on his face. "Go on…meet her at the front door, honey."

She blushed, but nodded. "Thanks, I will!" Amanda made her way to the front door quickly. She heard bootsteps on the porch, and swung open the door widely. "Hi! I’m so glad to see…" her greeting died on her lips when she saw who was standing in front of her lover. "Uncle Morris?"

"In the flesh, Cutiepie!" Morris stepped forward and embraced his niece happily. "Merry Christmas!"


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