Chapter 17 2 страница

Lex knew it was pointless to argue with Martha, once her mind was made up. "Yes, ma’am. I’ll be back in a few minutes." She kissed the graying head. "I love you, Mada." Her eyes held a few unshed tears, but she smiled.

Martha fought back her own tears. "I love you too, sweetie." She pushed the tall woman towards the hallway. "Now go say goodnight, so I can tuck you into bed."

Lex had started to leave, but turned back around. "You wouldn’t!" Seeing the ingenuous smile on the older woman’s face, she shook her head. "You would." She sighed as she turned and started down the hallway. "I should know better by now," Lex mumbled, as she walked away.

Chapter 18

The drive to the ranch was too quiet, Anna Leigh decided. She turned around in her seat and smiled at the two women behind her. "My offer still stands, Lexington. It’s not like I use it that much, anyway."

"That’s really nice of you, but I wouldn’t feel right." Lex was sitting on the right side of the Suburban, with Amanda’s injured leg propped across her lap. She knew she was being ridiculous. Anna Leigh had offered the use of her Cadillac until Lex could find a new vehicle, but the rancher was nervous about getting back behind the wheel again. Maybe if I start with my old Jeep, it won’t be so bad. While Amanda was in the hospital, Lex allowed everyone else to ferry her around. She hadn’t even been back to the ranch yet. I hope they didn’t have any trouble getting everything set up.

Jacob drove slowly on the winding road, mindful of his cargo. The day had turned out cold, but sunny, and up ahead they could see where the truck had been forced from the road. Dark tire marks covered the two-lane blacktop, showing just how far the struggle had gone.

"Could you stop for a moment, please?" Amanda had watched the different emotions cross her partner’s face. She decided that the sooner they got past this, the better off they both would be. Martha told me that Lex wouldn’t even drive between the hospital and the hotel. I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but it’s going to stop. She reached over for her friend’s hand and squeezed it tightly. "Looks a lot different in the daylight, doesn’t it?"

The rancher nodded. "Yeah, it sure does." She struggled to keep herself from trembling. I almost got you killed here, Amanda. How can you be so calm?

"My goodness," Anna Leigh exclaimed, seeing the earth torn up along the side of the road. She could see where the truck had begun to spin in the mud, and where it slid down the embankment and into the trees. Other tracks were evident, presumably from the emergency vehicles that arrived later. She looked back at her granddaughter and shook her head. "You must have been terrified."

Amanda appeared thoughtful for a long moment. "It was frightening. But I had faith that Lex would get us through it, and she did."

Lex’s head snapped around to face her lover. "Like hell I did! You were almost killed, Amanda – don’t make me out to be some sort of hero." Her eyes lowered to the leg in her lap. "Look what I did to you."

"No!" The younger woman put her hand under Lex’s chin, and forced eye contact. "Honey, if it wasn’t for your driving skills, we’d probably both be dead. Don’t do this to yourself, Lex. Life is too short for us to go around beating ourselves up over everything." Amanda leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "I love you. Let it go, please?"

"I’ll try," Lex agreed, clearing her throat. She ran her fingertips down the soft cheek inches from her own. In a voice hoarse with emotion, she murmured, "I love you, Amanda." Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Lex looked toward the front seats. "Well? Are we gonna go on to the house, or sit here all day and watch the leaves fall?" She sat back in her seat and grinned at the wink she received from Jacob through the rear view mirror.

"You got it, kiddo!" He exchanged grins with his wife and continued on to the ranch.

When the Suburban pulled up to the front of the house, Amanda noticed a ramp had been built over the front steps. It was made of wood, and a fresh coat of paint caused it to stand out. "Lex? What did…?"

"I made a few phone calls," Lex explained as she climbed out of the vehicle. She ran around to the back of the Suburban and pulled out the wheelchair that she had rented for her friend.

The younger woman was in a cast that was up over her knee, and she was told to keep her leg elevated for the next couple of weeks. Amanda allowed Jacob to help her from the vehicle and place her in the chair. "Thanks, Grandpa." She looked back at Lex, who started pushing the chair up the ramp. "Umm, honey? How are we going to make it up the stairs?" She was charmed by the smug grin on her partner’s face. She’s definitely up to something.

"We’re not."

The front door opened and Martha stepped out onto the porch. "Welcome home, Amanda!" She bent down and kissed the blonde’s cheek. "With you home, maybe I’ll finally see more of Lexie," she whispered.

"What do you mean? Hasn’t she…?" Amanda looked up at the housekeeper in confusion. No wonder Lex was able to be up at the hospital so much of the time – she never left! Her broken leg had to stay in traction for over a week, so that the doctor could make sure no infection set in. Since Lex had been released the fourth day after the accident, she had been at the hospital almost constantly. Amanda would fall asleep to the soothing voice of her lover talking, and awake the next morning to Lex’s blue eyes gazing down fondly on her.

Lex pushed the chair through the door, and stopped outside of the den. "You about ready to lie down, sweetheart?"

Amanda turned around as best she could and gave the tall woman a questioning glance. "Uh, yeah. I am kinda tired. But how are we going to get upstairs?"

"Like I said," the rancher pushed the chair through the den door. "We’re not." Instead of the leather sofa and loveseat that usually occupied the den, the large four-poster bed from the master bedroom stood to one side of the room. "You can even watch TV while you’re lying down," Lex explained. "I had some of the guys from the bunkhouse move the bedroom downstairs." She wheeled Amanda over to the bed and set the brakes on the chair. "All out, first floor – bedroom and housewares."

"You’re a nut."

The rancher nodded. "Yup. Now c’mon, get your cute little rear into this bed." She partially carried Amanda to the bed, trying to ignore the twinge in her shoulder from the strain. "It’s past time for your pain pill, anyway."

Anna Leigh and Jacob stood in the doorway, watching in amusement as Lex pampered their granddaughter. "Do you want to take bets on how long Lexington’s going to get away with all this?" she quietly asked her husband.

"Two…three days, tops," he joked. "I don’t remember this room having a door on it." Jacob pulled the bifold door partially closed. "Pretty nice, though."

Lex turned around and smiled at the couple. "I figured that being right off the front door, we’d need some sort of privacy," she explained. "The doorway was too wide for a normal door, so Roy did the next best thing."

"He fussed over it for almost two days," Martha related, bringing in a tray laden with mugs. "Anyone for hot chocolate?"

Jacob relieved her of the tray and set it down on a nearby table. "Wonderful idea, dear lady!" He looked around and realized that someone was missing. "Where’s Travis?"

Martha frowned. "He went upstairs earlier. I figured he’d be down here by now." She turned to the rancher.

"I’ll go check on him," Lex volunteered, before the housekeeper could say anything. She kissed Amanda on the forehead. "Be right back."

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

Her long legs ate up the distance of the long staircase, and Lex quickly found herself in front of the guest room door, which was closed. She reached up and lightly knocked on the wood, waiting patiently for an answer. "Grandpa?" When there was no response, she rapped her knuckles against the frame a bit louder. Worried now, Lex slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

Travis was lying on the bed, his eyes closed. Although a quilt covered his tall frame, she could see that his hands were across his stomach, and no movement could be seen.

"Grandpa?" She continued into the room, fear and worry seeping into her voice. "C’mon, handsome. Everyone is downstairs." Lex stood by the bed with a puzzled frown. She reached down to his head, her hand shaking slightly.

His eyes popped open with a shock, as his granddaughter pulled the headset away from his ear. "Lexie! You scared me half to death!" Travis sat up and pulled the thin device from his head. "I didn’t know you were home."

Her heart slowly resumed its normal rhythm. "Scared you? I thought for a minute you were…" Lex couldn’t even voice the thought out loud.

"Heavens, no!" Travis laughed. "I was just listening to some music and relaxing. I’m afraid I nearly drove poor Martha to distraction in the kitchen earlier, while we were waiting for you to come home. So I decided to give her a break and come up here." He stood up and wrapped his arms around the agitated woman. "I’m sorry I worried you, sweetheart."

Lex returned the hug with a heavy sigh. "No, I’m sorry, Grandpa. Guess my nerves are a bit on edge, that’s all." She pulled back slightly and grinned. "The downstairs ‘bedroom’ looks great. Amanda sure was surprised."

Travis led her from the room, his arm never leaving his granddaughter’s shoulder. "I’ll bet. Martha sounded like a field general, making sure everything was in the right place. I don’t think the men will ever be quite the same," he joked.

"I’m sure you had nothing to do with it, right?"

"Not me. I’m just an old man. Not much I could have done." He flinched as her elbow hit a particularly ticklish spot on his ribs.

The tall woman laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no. You’re not going to make me believe that. Martha told me on the phone this morning, that she couldn’t have done it without you."

Travis felt like the little kid whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. "She tends to exaggerate, don’t you think?" He stopped near the den door. "Well, we’re here. Let’s go say hello." The older man was through the door before his granddaughter could say another word.

"That sneak! I’ll get him for that." Lex grinned and followed her grandfather into the room.

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

Amanda snuggled deeper into her lover’s arms. "That was fun." It had been several hours since her grandparents had left, and the fire had burned down to embers. Although it was still early in the evening, they were lying in the large bed, both content to just enjoy the peace and quiet.

"Yeah," Lex agreed. She buried her face into the blonde hair and took a deep breath. "But this is better," she sighed happily. "I’ve really missed this," the rancher quietly admitted.

"I have too." Amanda was lying on her back – or more truthfully, on Lex’s front. They had found that it was more comfortable to have the rancher propped up against the headboard, and the younger woman sitting between her outstretched legs, leaning back. "Which reminds me. Martha made a comment about not seeing much of you lately." She craned her head to see her partner’s face. "What was that all about?"

Lex swallowed nervously and had trouble meeting Amanda’s gaze. "Umm…" Gentle fingertips pulled her face down.

Amanda stroked the strong jaw beneath her hand. "Honey…don’t tell me you’ve spent all this time in town?"

"Well, I…"

"Lex! It’s been almost two weeks since the accident. Why?" Amanda finally caught the rancher’s eyes. "Please, talk to me."

The older woman sighed. "Do you really think I could have left you in the hospital alone? What if our positions had been reversed?"

"We’re not talking about me, love."

"But we are, don’t you see?" Lex squirmed around until they were sitting face to face. "You are the most important thing in my life, Amanda. There’s no way in hell that I could have been that far away from you." She looked down at the bedspread. "It took all I had to leave the hospital long enough to shower and change clothes."

Amanda cupped her lover’s face with her hands and forced her to look up. "Oh, honey." Her heart broke at the tears that formed in the blue eyes. No wonder she looks so worn out. The only sleep she’s gotten is when I’d catch her dozing in the chair across from my bed.

Lex wiped angrily at her eyes and took a deep breath to collect herself. Idiot! Now you’re upsetting her. "I really did try to lie down a couple of times," she protested. "But every time I’d close my eyes, I’d see you lying alone in the hospital."

Pretty hard to argue with that, since I’d probably do the same. Time to change the subject, I think. "Well, we’re home together now. That’s the important thing, right?" Amanda saw relief flood Lex’s face.

"Right." Happy that the subject was closed, Lex yawned and snuggled back down in the bed. "Goodnight, sweetheart." She kissed the top of Amanda’s head and closed her eyes.

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

She slammed her hand down on the table, causing the silverware to jangle. "This is completely unacceptable!" Elizabeth looked around the restaurant, relieved that no one noticed her little outburst. "My daughter could have been killed!" They were having dinner at the steak house, feeling secure because their table was situated near the back of the restaurant, and partially hidden by plants.

"Calm down, Liz. I had nothing to do with the accident." He reached across the table and took hold of her shaking hands. "Do you honestly think I would stoop to something that poorly planned?"

"No, I suppose not." She glared at him. "You DO have a plan, don’t you? It’s even more imperative that I get my daughter away from that…woman. God only knows what could happen next."

The handsome man released her hands and leaned back in his chair. "Ranching can be a very dangerous business, you know. Just about anything could happen out in the middle of nowhere." He winked at his employer and smiled. "Don’t worry your pretty little head, Liz. I’m on it."

Elizabeth leaned across the table and pinned him with a nasty look. "Don’t you DARE be condescending to me!"

Raising his hands in a defensive manner, he shook his head. "No, no…I’d never do that. I just think that your time could be better spent, than worrying about that rancher. I’m handling the details as we speak." He reached into his back pocket for his wallet and dropped several bills on the table. "Let’s go back to my room, where we can discuss this more…freely."

"Good idea. The less we talk about it in public, the better." Elizabeth allowed him to pull her chair away from the table and escort her from the room.

At the next table, the eyes of two women widened as they realized what they had overheard. Barbara, whose back was to the now deserted table, leaned forward and whispered to her companion. "Oh, my God! Do you think they were talking about…?"

"I think so," Janna agreed. "I didn’t recognize either one of them, either. But the way that lady was talking, she’d have to be Amanda’s mother, wouldn’t she?"

Barbara turned around in her seat, and casually glanced toward the exit. "Oh, yes! That’s definitely her – I remember her from the bank." She turned back around. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, we’re going to call and warn Lex." Janna tossed her napkin onto her plate and stood up. "I’m sorry about cutting dinner short," she apologized. "But we can always go somewhere else, later."

"That’s fine with me," the smaller woman agreed, rising from her chair. "Do you want to go back to my place to call Lex, and then have some coffee?"

Janna smiled as she dropped money onto the table. "Sounds good to me. C’mon." She placed her hand lightly on the other woman’s back, protectively escorting her from the room.

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

The cold wind cut through his thin coat as the man cautiously navigated the old bridge. He tightened his hold on the collar, wishing again that he had thought further ahead. His boots slipped on the damp wood, and he nearly dropped what he was carrying. Thankful for the thick gloves on his hands, he wished again that he had waited until early morning. Too damned cold to be out in this mess, he thought to himself. I’d much rather be sitting in front of a nice warm fire.

He proceeded on his way, staying just to the side of the dirt road. Didn’t realize it was so damned far to the house. The strap over his shoulder slipped, and he pulled it back up. This better be worth it. After another fifteen minutes, the ranch house came into view. No lights were visible from inside, and the only light at all was from atop a tall pole at the back of the house. He walked to the back of the home, careful to keep out of the light.

Seeing the two large structures down behind the main house, the chilled man decided to spend the remainder of the night out of the elements. Tomorrow morning will come soon enough, he thought as he opened the door to the barn. Warmth hit him in the face and he smiled. This is more like it. No sense in being uncomfortable until then.

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

Janna hung up the phone and sighed. She had just called the hotel that Lex had been staying in, and was told by the night clerk that the rancher had checked out early that morning. "They must have taken Amanda home today," she told Barbara, who was sitting on the sofa, and watched as her friend tried to stay calm. "I don’t know whether I should call the ranch now, or wait until the morning."

"It is getting late," Barbara admitted. "But that man had said that he already had something working, didn’t he?" She patted the empty spot next to her and smiled. "Why don’t you come over here and sit down, so we can talk about it?" They had been with each other almost every day for the past couple of weeks, and she was determined to move their relationship to the next level.

"Ah…okay." Janna crossed the room and sat next to the smiling brunette. "What?"

Barbara shook her head. "Nothing." She reached over and placed her hand on the blonde’s thigh, which was bouncing nervously. "It’s after eleven o’clock already. Why don’t we try calling them first thing in the morning? If Amanda just got out of the hospital, she’ll probably need all the rest she can get."

"You’re probably right. Maybe I’ll stop by the ranch on the way home, and see if anyone’s up." Janna tried to stand up, but the other woman’s hand held her in place. "What?"

Charmed by the nervousness in the bookkeeper’s tone, Barbara squeezed the leg she still held. "It’s really late, and the storm is getting worse. Why don’t you stay here tonight?"

Janna flinched. "Umm…well…I’d really feel better if I checked on them."

"I’ve got a perfectly good guest room, Janna. There’s no sense in you driving all the way out there this time of night, is there? It’s late, it’s dark, and you can’t possibly do anything right now, anyway." She leaned forward slightly until they were inches apart. "I promise that’s all I’m thinking about," Barbara smiled, "for now."

"Well…umm…" Feeling the heat in her face, Janna took a deep breath. "If you’re sure it wouldn’t be any trouble." She’s right. If I go storming out there, all I’ll end up doing is scaring them all to death. It would be a lot better if I just called them early in the morning.

Barbara reached out with her free hand and ran her fingers through Janna’s short blonde hair. "Trust me. The only trouble I’m going to have is staying in my own room tonight." She leaned forward and kissed Janna lightly on the lips.

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

Amanda woke up to an empty bed. She glanced over at the nightstand, and saw by the clock that it was after midnight. Blinking several times to adjust her vision, she finally spotted Lex standing beside the large windows, staring out through the half-drawn blinds. "Lex? Is everything okay?"

The rancher turned around and started back to the bed. "Yeah, I think so. I thought I heard something, but there’s nothing out there that I can see." She sat down next to her lover and brushed her fingers through the messy blonde hair. "Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn’t. At least, I don’t think you did." Amanda leaned into the touch and sighed. "Mmm…your hands are cold." She smiled and captured the hand as it tensed to pull away. "I didn’t say I didn’t like it." She brought Lex’s hand down and placed it inside her nightshirt, hearing the older woman gasp as she touched warm skin.

"Tease." But Lex allowed her fingers to roam, causing her partner to inhale sharply in return.

The blonde head nodded. "Only when you’re involved, honey." Amanda jumped as the long digits found a particularly sensitive spot. "Oooh…umm…" She squirmed slightly and exhaled. "Whoa."

Lex grinned and continued her exploration. "Like that?"

"Uh-huh." Amanda felt her shirt being lifted over her head. "Ahhh…I think your hand is warm, now," she mumbled.

"Maybe. But I need to warm up the other one, too," Lex countered, as she removed the shirt and began to blaze a trail of kisses down the younger woman’s body. "Are you cold, sweetheart?"

Amanda shook her head, but couldn’t answer. She tangled her hands in the dark hair and guided Lex to more sensitive areas. God, I’ve missed this, was her last coherent thought as the tall woman continued to attack her senses and lovingly worship her body.

Some time later, Amanda was curled on her side, snuggled up to Lex’s warm body. They had placed a thick pillow between her knees, so that her good leg wouldn’t lie across the rough cast. She ran a playful fingertip across the perspiring woman’s stomach, causing her to flinch. "I thought you said you weren’t ticklish?"

"I’m not. You just surprised me, that’s all." Lex continued to comb her fingers through the blonde’s damp hair. Another poke from her companion, and she grunted. "Hey! Cut that out."

"You’re such a big baby," Amanda teased. She raised her head and kissed the bare skin that her head was resting on. "But I’ll stop, for now." She dropped her head and lay quietly for a moment, thinking. "You said earlier that something woke you up?"

Lex nodded. "Yeah, I thought I heard something. But when I looked outside, I didn’t see anything. Guess I’m getting paranoid in my old age."

The younger woman giggled. "Oh, yeah…you’re practically ancient," she quipped. "But I don’t think you’re paranoid, Lex. I’m sure something woke you." Amanda sat up. "Maybe we should call Charlie."

"Nah. I’ll check around the house in the morning. It was probably a fox, or maybe a deer." Seeing her lover yawn, Lex pulled Amanda back down into her arms. "Let’s get some sleep, huh? We’ll worry about it tomorrow." But sleep was elusive for the exhausted woman, as she continued to worry about what trouble Amanda’s mother would create next.

Chapter 19

Lex stepped out into the cold morning and shivered. She navigated her steps carefully on the icy ground as she made her way to the barns. The frozen rain from the night before had left a nasty accumulation of ice, and more than once the rancher had to slow down to keep from falling. Damn nasty out here this morning. Maybe Amanda was right. She had left her partner in the cozy kitchen, comfortably ensconced in a padded chair, with her leg propped on another.

"I swear, Lex. You do these things just to drive me crazy, don’t you?" Amanda had been arguing with the tall woman for almost an hour, trying to keep Lex from leaving the house. "You have a bunkhouse full of able-bodied men, and yet you persist in trudging out in the nasty weather to check on your horses. Would it be so awful to stay inside and let them handle it?"

Lex sighed. "I’m a lot closer to the barns than they are, sweetheart. It would be ridiculous for me to ask them to try and drive up here, just so I don’t have to go outside." She set her coffee cup down on the kitchen counter. "You wouldn’t want me to risk their safety just for my comfort, would you?" She looked over at Martha, who shook her head. "What?"

"Honey, as much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with you on this one." The housekeeper made her way over to the table and sat down next to Amanda. "She’s right, you know. There’s no sense in any of the men risking themselves for the drive to the house when Lexie is perfectly able to check the barn."

Amanda nodded grudgingly. "I know. I just hate when she’s right," she whispered. "She’ll try and make a habit out of it."

"Nothing to worry about in that department," Lex teased, as she leaned down and gave the smaller woman a light kiss. "You’ll make sure of that." She started for the door, then turned around. "I’ll be back in about ten minutes. It’s too damned cold out there to play around." She winked and slipped from the room.

The rancher opened the door to the horse barn and quickly dashed inside. "Whew! That wind can take a person’s breath away!" she exclaimed to the animals, who leaned over their stalls and stared balefully at her. "Morning, everyone."

A shifting sound could be heard from the tack room, and Lex stopped in her tracks. What the…? Searching around for a weapon, she reached for the nearby pitchfork and held it out in front of her. "All right. Whoever’s in there, come on out."

There was no sound for a long moment, then the door began to open slowly. A slightly built man stepped into the doorway, holding something in his hands. A well-worn hat hid his face, and he was wearing an old denim jacket. "Put down the tool," he commanded in a no nonsense tone.

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

Martha poured herself another cup of coffee and was about to sit down when the phone rang. "It’s a bit early, isn’t it?" she grumbled as she picked up the phone. "Rocking W Ranch, Martha speaking."

"Hi, Ms. Rollins," Janna returned. "I hope it’s not too early."

"No, dear. Everyone’s up before the chickens around here," Martha joked. She exchanged wry glances with Amanda, who shook her head. "What can I do for you this morning?"

The bookkeeper sighed. "I really need to talk to Lex, ma’am. It’s rather important."

"Well, she’s gone down to the barn, honey. Do you want me to have her call you when she comes back?" At Amanda’s questioning glance, she shrugged. "Or would you like to talk to Amanda? She’s right here."

"Umm…well…yeah." Janna didn’t want to upset the younger woman, but she felt that she needed to warn them about the danger they might be in. "Thank you, Ms. Rollins. I’d really appreciate that."

The housekeeper stretched the phone cord to where Amanda was sitting. "Here, honey. It’s that nice young woman who’s working on the books for Lexie."

"Thanks, Martha." Amanda smiled at the housekeeper. "This is Amanda. What’s going on, Janna?"

"I’m really sorry to bother you this early in the morning, but I thought you ought to know," Janna jabbered nervously. "Barbara and I went out to eat last night, and…"

Amanda smiled broadly. "Oh, really? You’ve been seeing quite a bit of her, from what I’ve been told," she teased. "I’m sorry, go ahead."