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Chapter 15




"Where have you been? I was about to send out a search party to look for you," Amanda joked to Lex, as the taller woman sat down next to her at the table. Her left cheekbone bore a red welt, and Amanda reached up to touch it gently. "What happened to you?"

Lex smiled a greeting to the others at the table, then turned her attention back to her partner. "I’ll tell you about it later, all right?" She noticed Janna and grinned. "Hey there. Glad to see that you could make it tonight." They had talked earlier in the week about meeting up at the dance, but the older woman had seemed less than enthusiastic about attending.

"Thanks. My father set me up with someone, but it didn’t work out." Janna was worried about how much she should tell the rancher. He must have found out somehow that I’m doing the books for the ranch, I can’t see any other reason why he’d insist on taking me. "A good friend of his wanted to meet me here tonight."

Amanda turned away from Lex to focus on Janna. "Really? Is it someone we know?"

Janna nodded and then locked eyes with Lex. "Your brother, Hubert."

"That son-of-a-bitch!" Lex slammed her hand on the table and jumped up. "He’ll do anything to get his filthy hands on my bank account!" A light touch on her arm caused the rancher to sit back down. "I’m sorry, Janna. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded." She gave the concerned faces around the table a contrite look. "I’m sorry about blowing up like that. It’s just that he always seems to hit a nerve with me."

Jacob waved her off. "No need to apologize, Lex. We understand the problems that you’ve had with your brother." He smiled slightly when he felt his wife squeeze his thigh in agreement.

"No, that’s all right. I’m really sorry about all this. I never knew his last name, so I didn’t think anything about it." Janna felt ashamed that she caused the rancher such upset. "I would have never even agreed to meet him here, had I known who he was. But don’t worry…we never got around to discussing my work. And even if we had, I would have never divulged any information to him." She looked down at the paper tablecloth, and began to tear away at the damp spot underneath her cup of punch with her fingernail. A light touch on her hand caused her to look up.

"Janna, no one blames you for Hubert’s duplicity. We’ve all been witnesses to the man’s shady dealings, and understand completely." Anna Leigh squeezed the younger woman’s hand and smiled. "So if I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it so much. He’ll get what he deserves, sooner or later."

Lex nodded her agreement. "She’s right. I’ve had to put up with my brother’s one-track mind for years, and he just seems to be getting worse. Don’t worry about him." She looked at her watch and smiled. "If you folks will excuse us, I’ve got to show Amanda something." Lex stood up and grabbed her lover’s hand to pull her away from the table.

"You do? Umm…sure!" Amanda waved to the table and allowed herself to be gently dragged from the crowded room. "Lex…where are we going?"

"Hold on." The rancher put off answering the question as she grabbed their coats from where they hung on the wall. She helped Amanda with her coat, exited the hall, then continued her trek through the parking lot.

Amanda frowned until she realized that Lex was dragging her towards the center of town. "What…?"

"Sshh! Just c’mon!" Lex helped her lover step over a knee-high, steel-cabled fence. She led Amanda along until they were standing in the middle of the large gazebo that was centered in the town square. The tall woman checked her watch again, and turned slightly towards the west. She pulled Amanda’s back close to her and stood quietly, both of them looking off into the dark night. Lex had one arm wrapped around her lover and the other pointing out into the darkness. "Watch right over there," she whispered.

Suddenly a loud blast was heard from the direction in which Lex was pointing. The night sky lit up, as fireworks were shot into the air. Car horns went off, and they could hear voices yelling into the night, as the clock struck midnight.

Amanda felt tears of awe in her eyes as a soft voice whispered into her ear. "Happy New Year, my love."

The smaller woman spun around in Lex’s arms and covered the rancher’s chilled mouth with her lips. She threaded her fingers in the dark hair and pulled the strong body closer. When they finally broke apart long enough to breathe, Amanda sighed and leaned into her partner’s chest. "It certainly is," she agreed belatedly.

Lex chuckled, quite proud of herself. "Did you like it?" Unable to resist, she placed a soft kiss on Amanda’s forehead.

"Like what?" the younger woman asked dreamily. She then realized what the question was. "Oh! Yes, I did. And the fireworks were nice, too," Amanda teased, snuggling even closer. Remembering something, she looked up into shaded blue eyes. "Are you going to tell me what happened to your cheek? It looks like someone hit you." She reached up and gently traced the aforementioned body part with her fingertips.

"Umm…yeah. Someone did." Lex took a deep breath, stalling for time while she figured out a way to tell Amanda what had transpired earlier.

The younger woman cupped Lex’s face in her hands. "Who? Tell me, so I can go straighten them out right now!" She could feel the anger begin to take over. "I mean it, Lex. No one lays a hand on you and gets away with it!"

The rancher reached up and covered the smaller hands on her face with her own. "Take it easy, love. It’s all right." She pulled one of Amanda’s hands to her lips and kissed it gently. "I kinda lost my cool, and probably deserved it."

"I don’t think so. Who was it?"

"Uh, well…I ran into your mother, and went off on her about the drunks, intimating that she was somehow connected to that incident. I think she took exception to that, and slapped me. It didn’t even hurt, really." Lex felt an almost tangible ache when Amanda pulled away from her. Now you’ve done it, Lexington. How often can you insult her family and get away with it?

The blonde walked over and braced her hands on the gazebo’s railing. "My mother slapped you?" She looked off into the late night darkness, trying to sort out her feelings. A burning anger began to simmer in her stomach. "That bitch! I’ve got a few things to say to her!"

Okay, I guess that means she’s not mad at me after all. Lex stepped forward and put her hands on Amanda’s shoulders. "Sweetheart, calm down." She waited patiently until her lover turned around and looked at her. "Let it go, love. She’s not worth it."

"But you are." Amanda looked up into the one face that she never wanted to see hurt. "You are worth anything and everything to me. Did Mother admit to sending those men after us?"

"No. But she did make it pretty clear that she’d do whatever it takes to break us up." The tall woman released a heavy breath, the vapor visible in the cold evening air. "I’m sorry, Amanda. I’m afraid I didn’t handle it very well."

Amanda stepped forward and snuggled in her lover’s arms. "If she’s still breathing, then you handled it a lot better than I would have." She leaned up and kissed Lex on the chin. "I love you, Lexington Walters. And no one, including my mother, can ever change that."

"I love you, too," Lex returned quietly. "I’m just sorry you’re having to go through all of this because of me." Her lips were quickly covered with a cool finger.

"Because of my mother, not because of you. Don’t take the blame for her warped sense of ideals. I certainly don’t, not anymore." Amanda replaced her finger with her lips for a long moment. "Thanks to you, I don’t let my mother dictate my life any longer." She looked down at their closely entwined bodies. "Now, let’s go back inside before we freeze like this."

Lex grinned. "And the problem with that would be?" But she pulled away and started back toward the Ladies Auxiliary, leading Amanda along with their joined hands.

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

Anna Leigh turned to her husband as the young women bid them goodnight and made their way through the Auxiliary building. They were the last people at their table, since the others had made their excuses earlier. "I’m worried about this entire mess, my love." She watched across the room as Lex embraced Martha and fended off the housekeeper’s questioning. "I’ve never liked Elizabeth, but I tolerated her because she was Michael’s wife. Do you really think that she could be behind all the trouble the girls have had tonight?"

"I don’t know, dearest." He smiled in remembrance at his wife’s outrage when they found out exactly what had happened to Lex and Amanda earlier that evening. Charlie’s deputy had stopped by the table after the young women had left, and reported that he was unable to find the men that had attempted to assault the rancher. After Lex and their granddaughter returned from their jaunt outside, she sat both women down and demanded to hear the details firsthand.

"They what?" Anna Leigh had gasped in horror. "And no one stopped them?" She couldn’t believe that three men could accost them right outside the Knights of Columbus Hall, and no one would lift a finger to help.

Amanda reached over and squeezed her grandmother’s hand in reassurance. "No one else was outside, Gramma. Everyone was inside dancing. We just stepped out at the wrong time."

Jacob looked over at Lex, who had an amused smile on her face. "What’s so funny, Lex? You could have been seriously hurt."

"Nah. I was more concerned about Amanda, but I shouldn’t have been." She winked at her lover, who lowered her face in embarrassment. "Isn’t that right, Rocky?" She wrapped her arm around Amanda and pulled her close.

Anna Leigh looked from one to the other, completely confused. "Rocky? What on earth happened, Mandy?"

The younger woman raised her head and sighed. "One of the guys was holding me back, and the other two looked like they were about to attack Lex." She felt the arm around her tighten in support. "So, I, umm…disabled the guy holding me, and that gave Lex enough of a distraction so that we could get away."

Anna Leigh still looked a bit confused. "Disabled? What did you…?"

"She hit him where it hurt the most," Lex added helpfully, smirking at the pained look on the faces of the men sitting at the table.

Charlie and Martha had joined the Caubles after the younger women had gone outside to see the fireworks. Charlie had been quiet up to that point, but even he had to shake his head and groan. "Remind me never to get you mad, Amanda."

"We’ve got to do something, Jacob. I won’t stand by and let that woman ruin Mandy’s happiness." Anna Leigh watched Lex and Amanda leave the building. "Maybe we should have insisted that the girls come home with us instead of driving all the way out to the ranch. Lexington was looking so pale and worn out."

Jacob pulled his wife close and kissed the top of her head. "I know, my love. I’m worried too. But I think Mandy wanted to get her home so that she could take care of her. We’ll just have to be ready to offer our support where we can. I think I’m going to give Charlie a call tomorrow, and see if there’s something we can do to help."

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

"That girl’s going to be the death of me yet," Martha lamented to her fiancé as they watched Lex and Amanda leave the building. "She should never have left the house this evening, as sick as she is."

Charlie shook his head and put his arm around her. "Probably not. But you know as well as I do, when Lex gets something into her head, nothing’s gonna stop her. And she wanted to bring Amanda to this dance tonight."

Martha sighed and nodded. "I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, though." She snuggled into his embrace. "Do you think that Amanda’s mother will cause them any more trouble? I’d like to hunt that woman down and tear into her good for slapping my Lexie like that."

"So would I, sweetheart. I’ve got a couple of deputies keeping an eye on her, just to see if she will lead us to the men that harassed the girls earlier. Hopefully she’ll make a mistake, and we can lock her up." He led Martha over to an empty table and gently pushed her into a chair. "Do you want me to take you home, or…?"

"I don’t know. I guess I should have gotten a ride from Lexie, to save you the trouble." Martha hated for Charlie to be out on the winding country roads this late. "Didn’t you tell me that the Wades were still out of town?"

He nodded. "Yep. They won’t be back until some time next week. She’s visiting with her sister and enjoying the nice warm weather in Florida." Charlie noticed the smug look on Martha’s face. "What are you thinking, honey?"

She ran her hand down his arm, until their fingers were intertwined. "I’m thinking, that there’s no sense in us driving all the way back out to my place tonight when you’ve got a perfectly nice house here in town." Martha looked up into the sheriff’s eyes. "How about we leave the dancing to the younger folks, and go snuggle up in front of the fire with a good movie?"

"Sounds like a great idea to me, sweetheart." Charlie helped her back to her feet and grinned. "I was gonna offer, but didn’t want to ruin your reputation by asking you to stay the night with me."

Martha slapped at his arm playfully. "Charlie Bristol! "What reputation? I’ve been seen with you for years. It’s probably already shot to heck!" She laughed as he wrapped an arm around her and led her through the thinning crowd.

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

"Give me a break, Barbara. I’ve already promised that it wouldn’t happen again. What else do you want from me?" Hubert had finally caught up with the bank teller and had her cornered in the hallway just off the kitchen of the Auxiliary. "You know you like what I’ve got, baby. Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll prove it to you."

She shook her head. "No!" Barbara tried to push by him, but was stopped by his hand.

Hubert leaned in closer. "Why not, babe? You were sure hot enough for me earlier." He couldn’t believe this. The way things are going, I’m not even gonna get laid tonight! Damn women!

"I saw you talking to that tall blonde woman, earlier. What’s the matter? Did she turn you down?" Barbara sneered. "Maybe she heard what a washout in bed you were, huh?"

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!" He slapped her hard across the face, then grabbed her shoulders. "You don’t know what you’re talking about!" Hubert had begun to shake her when a hand grasped his arm. He turned around to glare at the intruder. "What?"

"Why don’t you let the lady go, Hubert?" Ice blue eyes pinned his venomously.

"What the hell do you want? I thought…"

Janna laughed humorlessly. "That’s what you get for thinking. Now back off before I do something that you’ll be sorry for." She glanced over his shoulder at the other woman, who had a look on her face that she couldn’t quite identify--fear, and something else.

Hubert released his hold on Barbara, and turned to face Janna. She was almost as tall as he was, and her lack of fear made him uncomfortable. "Yeah? Like what? You gonna tell your daddy on me?"

"Worse." She leaned in close and had to clench her hands to keep from pounding on him. "I’ll kick your ass, THEN I’ll tell my daddy." Go ahead, you jackass. Give me an excuse. When she had seen him chase the other woman into the hallway, Janna knew that something was up. Now I’m glad that I followed him.

He laughed. "Right. Like a broad can hurt me." Hubert saw Barbara attempt to leave and reached back to stop her. "I ain’t finished with you yet, babe. Stay put."

Barbara whimpered, but did as she was told. She covered her sore face with one hand, and did her best to blend into the woodwork of the wall. "No…"

"Go home, Hubert. Maybe you could buy yourself a dirty magazine on the way and occupy yourself for the rest of the evening," Janna taunted. She moved sideways just as he swung at her. "C’mon…you can do better than that."

"You bitch!" he bellowed, as he charged the laughing woman.

She stuck her leg out and tripped him, causing Hubert to slam headfirst into the wall.

He moaned and rolled over onto his back. "Bitch," he growled. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

"Oops." Janna glanced over at Barbara, who gave her a tentative smile.

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

Heavy drizzle had begun to fall after the midnight festivities, which was the main reason the rancher had given for wanting to leave early. The drive home was quiet, since Martha had decided to stay at the dance with Charlie, and Travis had been invited to spend the night in town at a friend’s house. Amanda watched her lover closely. Lex had begun coughing again after they watched the fireworks, and the younger woman could tell that her fever was back as well.

"I really had a nice time tonight, Lex," Amanda enthused. "The fireworks were a real treat. Do they do that every year?"

Lex smiled and nodded. "Sure do." She reached over and grasped the younger woman’s hand. "I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I did too." She cleared her throat and sniffled. "Sorry to take you away so early."

Amanda squeezed her hand. "Don’t be. All that dancing wore me out. Besides, Gramma and Grandpa would have stayed up all night visiting if we hadn’t left when we did. We could have spent the night with them, if you didn’t want to make the drive home."

"Nah. They’ve got a pretty full house right now, and I’ll sleep better in our bed." Amanda’s uncle and his partner were staying at the Caubles, since they had to take an early flight out the next morning. Lex had enjoyed visiting with them, but she was really looking forward to snuggling up with Amanda in their large bed at home. I wonder if we can get away with spending the entire day in bed? She fought back a sneeze, then coughed. Damn. This is getting REAL tiresome.

"You’re probably right. And if we’re at home, Martha can help me make sure you stay in bed." The younger woman watched as a thoughtful look cross her friend’s face.

Lex glanced at her with an evil grin. "Sweetheart, you won’t need Martha’s help to keep me in bed." She almost laughed when she saw the blush cover her lover’s face. Quickly turning her eyes back to the road, she tried to appear innocent.

Amanda shook her head and covered her face with one hand. "Oh, boy. I can’t believe I left myself open like that." She heard Lex sniffle again, and sighed. Maybe I should have kept her in town tonight and called Dr. Anderson. That quack that examined her before didn’t help at all. Stealing another glance, she noted that her partner’s face had grown pensive. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?"

"You looked really out of it there for a minute. What’s going on?"

The rancher bit her lower lip in thought. "I was just thinking about Ronnie. Do you think he’s happy out at the ranch?" The placement of the young man had been worrying Lex for several weeks now. She was afraid that he wasn’t getting enough attention, and had an idea on how to remedy that problem.

Her friend squeezed her hand again. "He’s very happy, Lex. Who wouldn’t love living at the ranch? I know I do." Amanda cocked her head and looked carefully at the older woman. "What’s up?"

"I’ve been thinking for a while about his situation, and how to make his home with us more permanent." Lex sighed. "I don’t know what Martha would think, though."

"I’m sure Martha would support whatever idea you had, honey. You’re already his legal guardian. Are you wanting to do something different?"

Lex shook her head. "No, not exactly. I mean, yes." She took her hand away from Amanda’s and rubbed her face. "You know that it would be nearly impossible for me to get custody of Ronnie. He’s seems so happy with Martha, and I know she adores him."

Amanda nodded, finally understanding where the conversation was going. "And you think that he’d be better off with Martha, than with the men at the bunkhouse, don’t you?" She reached over and squeezed Lex’s thigh in support. "Have you mentioned this to her?"

"No. I wanted to run it by you first, to see if I was barking up the wrong tree."

"I think it’s a wonderful idea. And I also think that maybe Martha has been thinking the same thing. She keeps finding things for him to do around the house, probably to keep him occupied and away from the ranch hands." She could feel the heat emanating from Lex through the rancher’s jeans, and studied the shadowed face.

"Really?" Blue eyes caught hers for a moment, then quickly went back to studying the road ahead. "I know she’s about to get married, and will have Charlie to take care of. But I was kinda hoping that she’d like to have another kid around to pamper, too." Lex blinked and used one hand to rub her eyes. "She seems the most happy when she can do that."

"Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?" Amanda asked. She suddenly realized that Lex was still wearing her heavy duster, even though the temperature inside the truck had to be over eighty degrees. She was half tempted to take off her own jacket, but didn’t want to unbuckle her seat belt. So she unbuttoned it and left it open.

The rancher turned her eyes from the road for a moment. "Nah. We should be home in another ten or fifteen minutes, anyway." She cleared her throat and reached for the cold cup of coffee she had picked up before they left the town. "Ugh! This stuff is even nastier than when I first bought it."

Amanda reached over and touched the tall woman’s shoulder. "I warned you about that, when you decided to buy it."

"I couldn’t help it. I’m so damned worn out, I needed something to keep me awake."

The younger woman traced her hand down the strong arm and squeezed. "You should have told me, Lex. I could have driven home if you were that tired." She struggled to see through the windshield, since the wiper blades were having trouble keeping up with the precipitation. It looks like a bit of snow mixed in with the rain. Nasty.

Lex shook her head. "It’s all right. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even think about it." She turned her head for a moment to smile at her lover. "Guess I’m still not used to having someone to help me out. I’ll try to do better in the future, okay?" She squinted as bright lights from the rear view mirror assaulted her vision, and reached up to adjust the glass to compensate.

"What’s the matter, honey?" Amanda tried to turn around in her seat to see behind them.

"Some damned fool behind us has his high beams on. Which doesn’t do a bit of good in this weather." Lex frowned as the vehicle behind them edged closer. What appeared to be a large flatbed truck was now so close that she couldn’t see their lights. "Idiot. These roads are too narrow and twisted to be driving that close."

Amanda gasped as they were bumped from behind. "Are they crazy?" She reached up and grabbed the handle over her head. Another strong bump caused the truck to swerve slightly. "Lex!"

The rancher stepped on the accelerator, opening up the distance between them and the vehicle behind. "Hang on, Amanda. I don’t think…"

Suddenly the big truck was beside them, fighting for space on the tiny two-lane road. A bright spotlight flooded the interior of Lex’s truck, making it impossible for her to see the road in front of her. The other driver swerved his truck into their lane, almost knocking the green Ram pickup off the shoulder.

The road had been built up high, and the sides sloped down severely to protect the road from excess water runoff. The truck’s tires were fighting for purchase in the muddy grass, and they were dangerously close to slipping down toward the tree-lined fence several yards away. "Oh my God!" Amanda screamed, as she looked through her window at the side of the road which slanted off sharply.

"Damn!" Lex fought the steering wheel as they were sideswiped again. The wet roads hampered her control even more, and she felt the truck slide sideways as they were hit again. "Brace yourself! We might end up…" She was interrupted when her side window was shattered. A heavy brick sailed into the cab of the truck, bringing a shower of glass and rain. Lex almost screamed in pain as it bounced off her right forearm. Voices screamed obscenities through the broken window. She blinked rapidly to try and get the debris from her eyes, and took a moment to raise her right hand and shakily wipe at her face.

Amanda did scream, as another strong blow from the other truck caused them to pitch off the road. The battered green truck began to slide sideways down the steep embankment, the wheels unable to attain any traction. Their momentum caused the vehicle to break into a sharp spin, and the last thing she saw was the airbag as the truck slammed through the fence and into the trees below.

Chapter 16

The first thing she realized when she woke up was how cold it was. The second, was that her face felt stiff and somewhat sticky. She tried to wipe at her face, but the pain in her arm stopped her from moving. "God…what happened?" Pieces of memory hit her hard, and she looked across the dark cab of the truck at her companion, who was completely still. "Honey? Can you hear me?" Tears sprang to her eyes when she didn’t receive an answer. She glanced outside, and noticed that the rain had thankfully stopped. Unsure of how long she had been unconscious, she tried again to move. "Aaah! Not smart," she chastised herself quietly. Her leg seemed to be stuck in the crumpled mess under the dash, and her arm was pinned between her body and the door. Blinking a few times to clear her head, she decided that the sticky feeling was blood, and that the airbag had smashed her nose.

Broken glass covered them both, and ice appeared to be forming on what was left of the windshield. A tree branch was lodged through the grill of the truck, no doubt the reason that the vehicle was dark and not running. No sounds were evident around them, except for the sound of water dripping. I HOPE it’s water, the conscious woman worried. She tried again to disentangle herself, only causing more pain. Another look at her lover made her almost cry out in anguish. I’ve got to get loose, and check on her. What if she’s…NO! I’m NOT going to think like that. I can’t.

The other figure moaned slightly, but didn’t stir. Bits of glass and what looked like leaves were in her hair, and her entire body was wet from the rain.

"C’mon, love. Wake up and look at me with those gorgeous eyes. I can’t reach you, and I need to know that you’re okay." She hated hearing the tremble in her voice, but couldn’t help herself. "Please…"

No response from the woman across from her, just silence.

A sudden tiredness washed over her, making her eyelids droop. No…I need to stay awake. She reached across the seat as far as she could, her fingertips inches away from making contact with her lover. Maybe if I rest for just a minute, then I can get loose. She closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her.

Sometime later, Amanda reawakened as a light rain began to fall into the cab of the truck. She was able to raise her left arm slowly, and brought it to her face to wipe the moisture from her eyes. She blinked several times and looked around. The water that was dripping from the top of the window had begun to form icicles and she trembled in response. We’ve got to get out of here, before we freeze to death. She looked over at Lex, who was still slumped over the steering wheel. "Lex, please wake up. I need your help." Amanda’s head and body ached, but she knew that she had to stay awake and try to rouse her companion. "Lex!" Her voice sounded eerily loud in the darkness.

"Ugh." The tall woman groaned loudly. "’manda?" she rasped, still not moving. "Are you hurt?"

Amanda felt like crying, she was so happy to hear Lex’s voice. "I think so. I can’t move my arm, and my leg is pinned under the dash." She stretched as far as she could, but still couldn’t reach the rancher. "How about you?"

"I don’t know. I can’t seem to feel much at the moment." The older woman’s voice was beginning to fade. "We need to call for help. The cell phone is in the glove compartment," she finished quietly, as she lost consciousness once again.

"No! Lex, wake up!" Amanda felt like crying. She looked in front of her and tried to pry open the glove compartment with her one free hand. The dash had crumpled so badly, that it was stuck closed. "Great." Okay, I need to think. The injured woman turned her head as far as she could, trying to see the road from where they were. If I can’t see the road, then chances are, anyone on the road can’t see us. And with this being New Year’s Day, no one’s going to be driving by anyway.

The momentum of the crash had buried the truck deep in the trees, and the passenger side was severely crushed. Amanda knew that she wouldn’t be able to work herself free without some help, but she was afraid that Lex was more seriously injured than she appeared. She told me that she couldn’t feel anything. Which could mean because of the cold, shock, or…"Stop it this instant, Mandy Cauble! No sense in borrowing trouble," she argued out loud. "I must be losing my mind, talking to myself."

"Amanda?" Lex’s voice broke slightly, but sounded stronger than before. "Who are you talking to?" She shifted and slowly turned her head towards her lover. "Damn, that hurts."

"Oh, God, Lex! I’m so glad that you’re awake." Amanda watched as the dark head lifted from the steering wheel and tried to see her. Blood covered the rancher’s face from her nose and a large gash on her forehead. The airbag must have hit her pretty hard, too. "Honey, maybe you shouldn’t be moving around. You could have serious injuries." And that head wound looks like it’s still bleeding. Just how long have we been here, anyway?

Lex reached up with her right hand to touch her face. "I must look like hell," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. "How are you, sweetheart? Does anything appear to be broken?" She reached across the cab blindly, and was gratified to feel Amanda’s hand grip hers strongly.

"I’m not sure. I’m kinda stuck."

"What do you mean, stuck?" Lex questioned. She tried to raise her left arm, but the pain radiating from her shoulder changed her mind. "Damn!" That’s just dandy. Possible broken nose, my shoulder feels dislocated, and between the headache and the pain in my back, we could be in some serious trouble here.She dropped her head back down onto the steering wheel and tried to keep from crying out.

Amanda felt the hand in hers tighten. "What is it?" Even in the semi-darkness, she could tell that her lover was in a lot of pain. "Lex?"

"Yeah?" She fought to control her breathing, willing the pain into the back of her mind. After a moment, the worst had subsided, and she was able to concentrate again on their situation. "Sorry about that." Lex turned her head, but still couldn’t see through her eyes. Damn busted nose – I’ll have to wait ‘til the swelling goes down before my eyes will be of any use. "How are you stuck, Amanda? You’ll have to describe to me what you’re talking about."

Unable to see the exact state of her partner’s face, Amanda couldn’t see that Lex’s eyes were swollen shut. Maybe her head injury is worse than we both realize, if she can’t see. A gust of wind blew more rain and debris into the cab, causing Amanda to tremble violently. "Mm…m…my leg is s...st...stuck, and s...so’s my arm."

"Stuck? How bad is it?" Lex squeezed the younger woman’s hand tightly. She thought for a moment. "Can you open your door?"

"I don’t think so. Th…there’s a huge tree right outside it." Amanda tried to keep her teeth from chattering. Neither one of us can last very long out in the open like this. "I tried to get to the phone, but the d…damned dash is all crushed in." She felt tears of frustration welling in her eyes. Pull it together, Mandy! Lex needs you! "S…s…sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me," she apologized quietly.

Lex squeezed her hand again. "You’re doing great, sweetheart. I’m going to let go for a minute, and try to unlock my seatbelt, okay?" Accomplishing that, Lex heaved a sigh of relief. "All done. Now I’m going to try and slide over to you, so we can figure out how we’re going to get out of here."

Amanda shook her head, then realized that the other woman couldn’t see her. "I don’t think I’m going anywhere, Lex. I can’t pull my leg out from under the dash. When I try to move, it hurts too badly."

"Okay, love. It’s going to be all right. Just tell me where you hurt." Lex leaned towards Amanda, ignoring the pain the movement caused.

"Umm…well. My leg, of c…course." Her teeth continued to clatter together. "And my arm. B…b…but that could just be ‘cause it’s stuck, too." Amanda watched as Lex slowly stretched out across the seats, using her good arm to pull herself closer. "Maybe if I can get unbuckled, I could help you." She reached out and brushed her fingers through the damp dark hair, dislodging several shards of glass. "We’re a mess, aren’t we?"

The rancher chuckled. "Yeah." She stopped when her head ended up in Amanda’s lap. "You want to help me find the glove compartment? Maybe between the two of us, we can get it open." The pain in her back and shoulder was coming back full force, and Lex didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to stay conscious. She felt Amanda’s hand run down her face and over her right arm, until their hands were locked together.

"Between the two of us, we can accomplish anything," the blonde murmured quietly. "Let’s see about getting ourselves out of this mess, huh?" She pulled their hands up to her face and kissed Lex’s knuckles. "I love you."

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

The ringing phone woke him from a sound sleep. He rolled over toward the nightstand and grabbed it, glancing at the alarm clock as he did so. Four o’clock in the morning? God save me from holidays. "This is Sheriff Bristol, can I help you?"

"I’m sorry to bother you, Sheriff," the woman’s voice on the other end of the phone apologized. "This is Tina, the night dispatcher."

"Go ahead, Tina. What’s going on?" Charlie sat up and ran a hand through his hair. A gentle touch on his back told him that Martha was awake, too.

Tina cleared her throat. "I just got a call from Lexington, and it seems they’ve been in an accident." She tried to put him at ease. "I’ve got several units on the way, with a tow truck and an ambulance."

Charlie felt the blood rush from his face. "Where is she?" He turned and looked at Martha, worry etched in his features. "Do we have any details, yet?"

"No, sir. I just finished dispatching everyone out on it, and I wanted to let you know. She umm…didn’t sound too good, Sheriff." Tina recalled the conversation in her mind.

"Sheriff’s office, this is Tina. How may I help you?" She answered the phone as she always did, quickly and professionally. The static on the other end of the line almost caused her to hang up, but she waited for a moment to make certain. "I’m sorry, is someone there?"

"This is Lexington Walters. My truck was…off the road, and…trapped inside. We need some help."

Tina sat up immediately. She knew that the sheriff treated the Walters woman like his own daughter, and she didn’t want to make any mistakes. "Okay, Lex. Can you tell me where you are?"

"We’re a couple miles…from the turnoff to our ranch…off the road…trees." The phone continued to break up, and the voice sounded weaker.

"Are there any injuries? Can you…?" Another voice took over the phone, interrupting her questioning.

"I’m sorry, this is Amanda Cauble. We’re both…and we need…Please! We’ve been…hours." Her voice was strong, but near panic. "Hurry."

Tina tried to keep the young woman on the phone, but the connection was lost. She immediately notified the deputy on duty, as well as several others. She also contacted the fire department and the ambulance service. The next call was the one she wasn’t looking forward to.

"You’ve done a fine job, Tina. What is the location of the accident?" Charlie was already up and almost finished dressing. He listened to the directions, and quickly hung up the phone.

Martha felt an uneasiness in her stomach. "What happened?"

He rushed back over to the bed and sat down next to her. "Honey, there’s been an accident. Lex and Amanda’s truck went off the road, and they called in asking for some help." He took Martha’s hand in his. "I’m on my way out there now, to see what’s going on."

"I’m going with you," she said, struggling to get off the bed.

"No, sweetheart." Charlie’s heart broke at the look on his fiancée’s face. "I need you to call the Caubles for me, and then I’ll have a man pick you up here and bring you to the hospital."

Martha shook her head. "I need to be with my little Lexie. She needs me!" Tears of frustration began to fall from her eyes. "Don’t make me beg you, Charlie. I have to be there."

Charlie reached up with one hand and wiped the tears from her face. "Martha, listen to me. It’s an accident. We don’t know how serious it is. Why don’t I call the Caubles while you get dressed. I’ll drop you off at their house on the way, then you can help keep them calm." He knew that if Martha were charged with taking care of someone else, she’d forget her own pain.

She nodded. "You’re right. They’re going to need me." And I’m going to need them. Dear Lord, please watch over my little girl. Both of them. She quickly climbed off the bed and hurriedly dressed.

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

The sheriff’s cruiser skidded to a stop on the wet pavement, and he was out of the car before the engine died. He looked around at the scene before him: firemen were milling about, trekking back and forth from the road down the steep embankment. Several of them were carrying equipment with them, while others set up emergency floodlights so that they could see in the misty darkness. Charlie grabbed one of the men as he made his way towards the accident. "Has the ambulance already left?"

The man turned around and shook his head. "No, it hasn’t gotten here yet, Sheriff. Seems that Troy did a bit too much celebrating, so one of your men is driving it out here."

"Where’s Troy’s brother? I thought they both owned the damned thing." He continued to walk towards the center of activity, trying to ignore the fear of seeing the familiar green truck wedged in the surrounding trees.

"He’s out of town. But don’t worry. We’re still trying to get the victims from the vehicle, so we don’t need it yet anyway. They’re wedged in those trees so tightly, I’m not sure how we’re going to get them out of there." He saw another fireman wave, and he waved back. "If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get down there."

Charlie was about to say something, when another man stepped in front of him. "Jeremy! What the hell’s going on around here? Have we made contact with Lex and Amanda? Are they all right?"

"Hold on, Sheriff." Jeremy held up a hand to forestall anymore questions. "Richard’s down there now, keeping them company. They’ve got some injuries, but we can’t tell just how severe they are at the moment. Amanda’s in quite a bit of pain, and I’m afraid that Lex is unconscious." He put a companionable arm around the older man and led him further down the slope. "I’ve got them attaching a winch cable to the back of the truck, and we’re gonna try to pull them out of the trees."

"What’s taking so damned long? We should have had them out of there and halfway to town by now!" Charlie slid, and would have fallen, if the younger man hadn’t had an arm around him.

Jeremy slipped a bit as well. "We’re having a lot of trouble because of the mud, and the location of the truck. Amanda was able to give us some details about what happened." He looked Charlie in the eye. "It wasn’t an accident. They were forced off the road by a large truck. I’ve already got men looking for it." He stopped them several yards from the wrecked vehicle. "Are you sure you want to go down there?"

The sheriff nodded. "I have to, Jeremy. Let me know when you’re ready with the winch, all right?" He clapped the young man on the shoulder and slipped down towards the driver’s side of the truck. Stepping around a couple of firemen, Charlie was able to see into the cab of the vehicle. A deputy waved at him from the other side and left, giving the sheriff a little bit of privacy. He peeked in the window and saw Lex’s still form lying across the seats, her head in Amanda’s lap. Rescue workers were using chain saws to remove the worst of the mangled trees, so he had to speak up to be heard. "Amanda!"

"Charlie?" The blonde head raised up and smiled in relief. "I’m sure glad to see you." She was covered in a fireman’s coat, and her hand continued to stroke the dark head on her lap.

"We should have you out of here any time now, sweetheart. How are you doing?" He couldn’t see much of Lex, as the still woman was covered in an emergency blanket.

A fireman apologetically interrupted. "I’m sorry, Sheriff. But we’re about to try and pull them out of the trees. You’ll have to stand back."

Charlie nodded. "Okay, thanks." He gave Amanda a confident smile. "See? I told you. Just sit tight, honey. I’ll see you in a couple of minutes."

She nodded tiredly. "Okay." Amanda leaned down as far as she could and whispered, "We’re almost out of here, love. Just a few more minutes, okay?" Her tears tracked down her face and landed in the dark hair. "Just a few more minutes."

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

He paced back and forth in the waiting room, ignoring the pleas of the others around him. His well-cut hair was in disarray, and his shirt appeared to be buttoned inside out. "What the hell is taking them so damned long? They were brought in over an hour ago!" A firm hand on his arm caused the frantic man to stop and turn around. The hazel eyes across from him were filled with understanding, and worry.

"Please, Michael. Try to calm down. All you’re doing is upsetting your parents." Morris had never gotten along with his brother-in-law, but he hoped that they could mend their differences and at least be friendly. Upon hearing of the accident, he and his partner Kevin had cancelled their flight out immediately, and they both rode to the hospital with the Caubles.

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m starting to like this guy. He’s certainly been good to my folks. "You’re right, Morris, thanks." Michael allowed the younger man to lead him over to a nearby chair. He looked around the small waiting room. His parents were seated next to the door, with Martha on the other side of Anna Leigh. Both women were talking quietly between themselves, and the sheriff stood vigil at the doorway, gazing unseeingly down the open hallway. Kevin and a recently arrived Travis were sitting near the windows. The big man had a supportive hand on his friend’s back, trying to comfort him.

Jacob looked up and gave his son a tired smile. He squeezed his wife’s shoulder and stood up to stretch. "Why don’t we go get everyone some coffee, son? It’s probably going to be a while before we hear anything."

"I don’t know, Dad. I’d rather…" The younger man’s refusal died on his lips. He looks like he wants to talk about something. "Sure. I could use a bit of a walk, anyway." Michael followed his father from the room, wondering to himself what was on the older man’s mind.

They had walked all the way to the vending machines at the end of the long hall in complete silence. Unable to wait any longer, Michael stopped Jacob. "What’s on your mind? I don’t think that it’s coffee."

"You’re right. It wasn’t. But I wanted to get you out of that room before you drove everyone crazy." Jacob put his hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. "We’re all concerned, son. But pacing around and throwing a fit isn’t going to help the girls." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. "Let’s get the coffee, and then we’ll go back and wait. Calmly," he added with a smile.

"Yes, sir." Michael started feeding the machine money, when Charlie walked up behind them, carrying a cardboard box.

"Thought you fellas might need a hand with carrying that back," he offered. "Travis wanted to go and make a few phone calls, so I thought I’d join you."

Jacob nodded. "Good idea, Charlie. I didn’t think about how we were going to bring it all back." He took a cup from his son and placed it in the box.

The three men quickly gathered up enough drinks for everyone, and started back to the waiting room. Jacob carried the box, while Michael and Charlie teased him about his imitation of a waiter.

The room was deathly quiet when the three men walked in. At first, Jacob feared that the doctor had come in during their absence with bad news. Everyone’s attention was riveted to the center of the room, where Morris was arguing quietly with a small-stature woman.

"…you shouldn’t be here," he finished angrily.

"I have as much right to be here as you do. Probably more, you little freak!" she snapped. Hearing a commotion at the door, she turned around and gave an insincere smile. "Isn’t this lovely. Room service."

Jacob stepped around his son, who had stopped dead in his tracks. "Hello, Elizabeth. I’m surprised to see you here."

She raised one hand up to study her fingernails. "You shouldn’t be. It was MY daughter that was brought in earlier." She finally acknowledged her husband’s presence. "Well, Michael. Did you take time out from your tinkering with your little cameras to drop by? Or did your mommy bring you?"

"You BITCH!" Michael shouted, as he charged forward and wrapped his hands around Elizabeth’s throat. "I should have killed you when I caught you in bed with the pool boy!" He was about to throw her to the floor when Kevin grabbed him from behind.

"Let her go, Mike. She’s not worth it." The big man wrapped one arm around Michael’s chest and the other around his waist. He stepped back slowly, never releasing his grip.

Elizabeth watched her husband relax in the arms of her brother’s lover. She rubbed at her throat and smiled. "Isn’t that quaint. The next thing you’ll be telling me is that you’re one of ‘them,’ too," she taunted.

Michael stepped out of Kevin’s grasp and straightened his clothes. "It would certainly be better than living with the likes of you," he spat. "But no, I’m not. Not that it would matter any." He combed his hand through his hair, visibly calming down. "You have some nerve, showing up here."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, looking around the room. "Amanda is my daughter, too."

Charlie stepped forward. "Where were you a little after midnight, Mrs. Cauble?"

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Are you trying to insinuate something, Sheriff? You don’t actually think I had anything to do with my daughter’s accident?"

Before he could answer, a nurse walked into the room and looked around. "Are there any family members here for Walters?"

Martha jumped up. "I’m her mother," she answered worriedly. She felt Charlie’s comforting presence behind her immediately. "How is my Lexie?"

"If you’ll come with me, please. The doctor would like to speak to you," the nurse requested. She quickly led them both out of the room without another word.

Elizabeth watched as they left the room. "How dare they talk to them first!" She started to storm from the room, when Michael grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"I’m going to find the doctor and give him a piece of my mind." She jerked her arm out of his grasp, and glared at her husband.

Anna Leigh jumped in between the arguing people "You will sit yourself down this instant, or I’ll personally toss you out of this hospital!. We’re all concerned about Mandy. But I’ve had enough of your superior attitude and ridiculous remarks. So just sit down and shut up!" She privately enjoyed the look of fear that crossed the younger woman’s face.

Jacob put his hands on his wife’s shoulders and directed her to a chair. "C’mere, my love. Don’t let her get to you." He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Remind me never to make you angry," he teased quietly, trying to lighten her mood.

Anna Leigh smiled as she leaned into his embrace. "And don’t you forget it, mister."

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

They were led down several hallways to a closed door where a man in surgical scrubs stood. He gave the couple a tired smile and held out his hand. "I’m Dr. Phillips," he said in a deep voice. The doctor appeared to be about the same age as they were, and he wasn’t much taller than Martha. "Are you the parents?"

"We certainly are," Charlie acknowledged, returning the man’s handshake. "How is our girl?"

"She’s still unconscious, but her condition is stable. We’ve reset her broken nose, and re-aligned her dislocated shoulder. She has quite a few stitches in her forehead, but the wound was clean, so there should be very little scarring." Dr. Phillips rubbed his hand over his face. "The force of trauma to her head has me a bit worried, but once she regains consciousness we should know more."

Martha felt tears burn her eyes, but refused to let them fall. "Can we see her?"

He nodded. "Certainly. But she won’t know that you’re here. Why don’t you come back later this afternoon?"

"I can’t go anywhere without seeing my Lexie, first," Martha forced out. She turned and looked at Charlie. "Why don’t I sit with her for a while, and you go hunt down Travis? I’m sure he’d like to know how she is."

Charlie nodded. "I sure will, sweetheart." He kissed her on the top of her head and smiled at the doctor. "Thank you, Dr. Phillips." The sheriff left quickly and started back down the hallway in search of Travis.

Dr. Phillips held open the door for Martha, and allowed her to pass before him. She stood just inside the doorway, the sight in the room almost her undoing. Lex lay in the bed, her head wrapped in gauze. Her nose had been splinted and taped, and her eyes were swollen with dark bruises beneath them. She was hooked up to a heart monitor, and the intravenous drip had been taped to the top of her right hand. Her left arm was pillowed against her chest and had been strapped down to prevent any unnecessary movement.

"Oh, my poor baby," Martha murmured, walking up to the bed and lightly stroking Lex’s right arm. She turned back and looked at the doctor, who was still standing in the doorway. "She will be all right, won’t she?"

He nodded. "I’m sure she’ll be just fine, ma’am." Dr. Phillips smiled once more, and then left the older woman to herself.

Martha sat down in the chair next to the bed, her eyes not straying from the still form on the bed. "I’m right here, honey," she whispered, "and I’m not going anywhere, okay?" She kept a firm grasp on Lex’s forearm and swallowed back her tears. "Why don’t I tell you about some of my thoughts about the wedding? Some of the women from the Ladies Auxiliary had some wonderful ideas."

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

"NO! I’m not going anywhere until I see her!" She tried to cross her arms over her chest, but a splint hampered her right arm. So she did the best that she could, and glared at the kindly woman trying to give her a shot.

The nurse gave an exasperated sigh. "We’ve got to get your ready for surgery, young lady. That leg of yours won’t heal properly without it." She started forward with the needle again. "Now just behave yourself, and I’ll go try to find out how your friend is."

Amanda shook her head. "You’re not sticking me with that until I can see for myself that Lex is all right." She looked up hopefully as the door opened, and a man dressed in hospital scrubs stepped into the room. "Finally! Now maybe I can get some answers." The initial pain medication they had given Amanda for her leg was wearing off, and the pain was beginning to come back full force. She was relieved when the attending physician had explained to her that her arm was just severely bruised, and that the splint could be removed in a few days. Her leg, however, was another problem. The compound fracture of her lower leg was so severe that they wanted to rush her into surgery, so that they could pin the tibia back together.

"What seems to be the problem, Miss Cauble? We need to prep you for surgery so that we can take care of your leg." The doctor had heard her argue with the nurse, and mentally shook his head at the young woman’s stubbornness. "As soon as we get you ready to go, we can give you a few minutes with your family."

She acted as if she hadn’t even heard him. "I’m not going anywhere until I know how Lex is!" Amanda felt tears of frustration burn her eyes and decided to change tactics. "Please? She’s the most important person in the world to me, and no one will tell me anything!"

"Let me see what I can find out, okay? In the meantime, please let my nurse take care of you." He stepped away from the bed, then turned back around. "Your family is waiting to see you. Let me show some of them in, and then I’ll be back with some information on your friend, all right?"

"Thank you, doctor." Amanda resigned herself to the nurse’s ministrations, and leaned back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Stupid leg. If it didn’t hurt so darned bad, I’d search the hospital myself! I may have to, anyway.

The doctor showed Michael into the room, with Anna Leigh behind her son. Jacob stayed outside with Elizabeth, to make sure that she wouldn’t barge in and upset Amanda. The pair stood inside the doorway until the nurse had finished with Amanda, then stepped forward quietly. "Hi, sweetheart," Michael whispered. He reached out and combed her hair back from her face. "You sure gave us quite a scare."

Amanda reached up and wrapped her good arm around his neck, pulling her father down close to her. "Oh, Daddy!" She began to cry into his neck.

"Sshh. It’s okay, baby. I’m here." He sat down on the bed next to her and held Amanda gently.

Anna Leigh reached over and stroked the tousled blonde head. "Thank the good Lord that you’re going to be okay, Mandy," she murmured quietly.

The young woman pulled away from her father and composed herself. "Have you heard anything about Lex? They won’t tell me a thing." She smiled through her tears as her grandmother wiped her face with a handkerchief. "Thanks."

"They came and got Martha right before they told us about you," Michael supplied. "But we haven’t heard any news, as of yet." He looked down at his daughter. Her right lower leg was wrapped in gauze and encased in an air splint. "They’re telling us you’re going to need surgery for your leg, but in time it should heal up as good as new. I’m just glad that you’re going to be okay. From the sound of it, you got really lucky." He looked back up into her eyes. "Your mother is outside. She wants to…"

"Hasn’t she done enough?" Amanda asked forcefully. "We could have been killed!" She looked over her father’s shoulder at Anna Leigh. "I don’t want to see her."

The older woman nodded. "I’ll be more than happy to tell her, Mandy." She watched as her granddaughter’s eyes began to close. "You just worry about getting better, and we’ll take care of everything."

"Thanks, Gramma." Amanda fought to keep her eyes open. "Please find Lex for me," she pleaded. "I have to know…"

Michael eased her back gently. "We will, honey. I’ll be back in just a minute, okay?" At his daughter’s slight nod, he allowed his mother to take his place on the bed and stepped from the room.

"It’s about time you got out here! I demand to see my daughter!" Elizabeth pushed by Jacob roughly, intent on barging into the room. Kevin, who had been standing quietly by, stopped her progress.

"You’re not going anywhere, Mrs. Cauble." He held onto her arm and refused to let go.

Her face darkened with rage. "Get your hands off me, you filthy pervert!" She glared at her husband. "Tell him to let me go, at once!"

"I’m not going to do that, Elizabeth. You’re going to have to leave." Michael enjoyed watching his wife’s face turn an ugly shade of purple. Maybe she’ll have a stroke, and give us all a break. "Amanda doesn’t want to see you, so you might as well go on back to your hotel."

"Doesn’t want to see me? Of course she does! I’m her mother!" She looked up as a couple of hospital security officers started towards the group. "Gentlemen, I could use your assistance, please."

One of the guards nodded. "Yes, ma’am." He traded looks with Kevin, who slowly released his hold on the irate woman. "If you’ll just come with me, we’ll show you the way out."

"What!? Do you have any idea who I am?" she shrieked, as two of the men flanked her and began to lead her away.

"Yes, ma’am. You’re someone who’s dangerously close to going to jail, if you don’t quiet down," the officer stated calmly. They continued down the hallway, her voice rising as she tried to talk her way out of trouble.

Morris watched them leave, an amused look on his face. "God, I wish I had a video camera for that!" He sighed, then turned his attention back to his brother-in-law. "How’s Mandy?"

"She’s okay. They had just sedated her when we went in, so she’s a bit out of it right now," Michael reported. "Has anyone heard any word on Lex?"

Jacob shook his head. "Charlie was looking for Travis earlier, but he didn’t have any information for us."

"Well, we’d better find out soon. Amanda’s refusing to go into surgery until she finds out something. And knowing my daughter, she’ll do just that." Michael shook his head at the young woman’s stubborn streak. "She’s driving the nurses nuts."

"Sounds like our girl," Jacob chuckled. "Let’s go see what we can find out, so she’ll let the doctors do their work."

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

Lex became aware of a gentle touch on her arm. "Amanda?" she croaked, her throat dry. She tried to open her eyes and panicked when she couldn’t see. "Amanda!"

"Ssssh, honey. Everything’s okay. Just stay still and quiet." Martha leaned forward and brushed her fingertips against the young woman’s cheek. The fever that Lex had been fighting all week was back in full force, heightened by her exposure to the elements.

"Mada?" Lex whispered, turning her head slightly. She tried again to open her eyes. "Where’s Amanda?" A cool touch at her lips caused her to open her mouth slightly, as the housekeeper gave her a chip of ice.

Martha continued to feed Lex tiny bites of ice. "Shhh. Save your strength. Amanda’s going to be just fine. Her leg was broken in the accident, so they’ve got her up in surgery right now taking care of it."

The injured woman tried to sit up. "Accident? Surgery? I’ve got to…"

"You’ve got to lie back, and take it easy. Anna Leigh has already arranged for you two to share a room, once Amanda’s out of recovery." She chuckled and shook her head. "Let me tell you, Lexie. That girl is a spitfire."

"What did she do?" Lex asked. Memories of the accident flooded her mind. She was having trouble breathing through her nose, then remembered that it had been smashed in the wreck. God, I hate broken noses. Her head felt as if it were about to explode, and she knew it would be a day or so before the swelling around her eyes went down enough for her to see. Could have been a lot worse, though. "How badly was Amanda hurt?"

The housekeeper pulled the hospital bedding up around the young woman’s chest. "Just the broken leg, and a bruised arm. They were trying to get her ready to go into surgery, but she threw a fit and refused to let the nurses any


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