For disclaimers, see part 1.

Hope's Path

Part V

Chapter 20

Lex opened the door and poked her head inside. Amanda was sitting up in the bed with her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. She looks a lot better…and she’s so cute when she’s trying to get her way…I can never tell her no.

"Just stay one more night, Mandy. The doctor wouldn’t ask if he didn’t have a good reason." Anna Leigh was sitting on the edge of the bed. "For goodness sake! You were in Intensive Care last night, AND on a respirator! Give your body a chance to get over this, please?" Where on earth does this child get her stubborn streak? She glanced over at her husband’s smiling face. Oh, yes…NOW I remember she smiled to herself.

"But I feel fine, Gramma. I just want to go home." And snuggle up with a certain rancher. The young woman sighed in defeat. She heard the door squeak and looked up with a smile. "Hi, stranger."

"Hey, sweetheart." Lex walked into the room slowly. I feel like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson, and lost…every bone in my body aches. "What seems to be the problem here?" She looked over and saw an empty bed near Amanda’s. Another bed? I bet that’s Martha’s surprise…sneaky, she grinned inwardly.

Jacob met her halfway across the room and escorted the tall woman over to the spare bed. "Have a seat, honey. You look like you’re about to fall over." He put his arm around Lex and felt her lean into him.

Amanda studied her friend carefully. She looks worse than I feel…maybe a good night’s rest wouldn’t hurt either of us. She looked up at her grandmother’s understanding face. "Guess one more night can’t hurt." She winked at the older woman. You win this one, Gramma. But only because I think that Lex needs the rest more than I do.

Anna Leigh smiled at her granddaughter. "Thank you, dear." She looked over at her husband as he gently helped Lex to the other bed. "Why don’t we let these two girls get a little rest and come back after lunch?"

"Good idea." Jacob bent down and picked up the tall woman’s feet and swung them up onto the bed. He started to pull off her boots when Lex stopped him.

"Jake…umm…Grandpa? You don’t have to do that. There’s nothing wrong with me." She smiled at the older man, who continued to work with her feet.

He removed the boots and sat them quietly under the bed. "Nothing other than you’re still recovering from a major injury, honey. Now just lie back and get some rest. You BOTH could use it." He covered Lex with a blanket and patted her leg. "Stubborn kid." He started towards the door shaking his head.

Lex heard Amanda giggle. She turned her head and rolled her eyes. "Don’t encourage him, sweetheart." She smiled at Anna Leigh. "Could you make sure that Charlie and Martha get a little rest today? I’m really worried about them."

"I’ll be glad to, dear." Anna Leigh joined her husband on the other side of the room. "You two girls take it easy, and we’ll see you this evening, okay?"

"Okay." Amanda smiled at the couple. "Thank Martha and Jeannie for me, will you? They’ve been really great." She nodded her head in Lex’s direction. This way I KNOW she’ll get some rest.

Anna Leigh nodded. "I will. Please rest, Mandy." She grinned at Lex who was sitting up in her bed with her arms crossed and a disgusted look on her face. "Take care, Lexington." She followed her husband out of the room and closed the door quietly.

"You are so cute when you pout." Amanda giggled. "But I think that you lost this fight." She frowned as Lex climbed out of bed. "What are you doing?"

Lex crawled under the bed. "This isn’t gonna work." She struggled for a moment then stood up with a triumphant grin on her face. "There!" Amanda’s eyes widened as Lex slowly rolled the bed close to hers. When they were side by side, the rancher winked and crawled back under the bed to re-lock the wheels. "Much better." She climbed back up on the mattress and opened her covers towards her friend. "Care to join me?"

"Sure!" Amanda pulled her sheet and blanket loose on that side and scooted closer. She curled up next to her lover and sighed happily. "Mmm…perfect."

"Yeah." Lex murmured as her arms automatically wrapped around the younger woman. She buried her face in the blonde hair and closed her eyes. She felt her throat thicken with emotion. "God…I love you so much, Amanda."

Amanda could feel Lex struggle to control her emotions. With her head on the older woman’s chest, she could hear the pounding heartbeat and Lex’s breathing hitch as she fought the urge to cry. "I love you too, Lex." She squeezed the rancher tighter. "It’s okay, honey. I’m fine now."

Lex took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "That was too close…I almost lost you." She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from crying. Don’t you dare cry Lexington. She’s been through enough without having to worry about you too.

"Nah…you can’t get rid of me that easily." Amanda turned her head so that Lex would look at her. "You found me and I followed you home. And I’m not leaving you." She smiled. "That’s what happens when you feed a stray, you know. They never leave."

The rancher laughed. "So that’s all I had to do?" She hugged Amanda to her tightly. "Guess I’d better stock up on groceries, then." She fought off a yawn. "Damn…I can’t believe I’m so tired."

"I don’t know why…" Amanda played with the buttons on Lex’s shirt. "Dr. Barnes told me that I had a private ‘nurse’ all night last night," she teased. "I doubt that has anything to do with you being exhausted." She unbuttoned the shirt and slipped her hand inside. When she found only smooth skin, she paused. "I think that you forgot to put something on, honey."

"Nah…Martha didn’t bring me one." Lex mumbled as her eyes closed.

The blonde’s eyes widened. "Didn’t bring you one? What did you wear to the hospital?"

One blue eye opened. "Umm…" Lex bit her lower lip. "I was in a hurry," she tried to explain. "And it was the middle of the night, you know."

"Uh-huh." Amanda ran her hand down to Lex’s stomach and patted it gently. "Just exactly what WERE you wearing?"

"My…" she grumbled under her breath. God…how embarrassing…

A light tickle on the rancher’s ribs caused her to jump slightly. "What? I didn’t quite get that," Amanda teased. My god…she’s actually blushing!

Lex sighed heavily. Busted. My reputation is shot. She’ll never let me live this down. Oh, well…at least she’ll get a good laugh out of it. "My boxer shorts and tee shirt."

"Oh, lord. Not the ones you wore yesterday afternoon when we took our nap?" Amanda winced and then began to giggle.

"Yeah…the Grinch ones." Lex closed her eyes. Just kill me now…

Amanda buried her face in her friend’s chest and laughed. "You ran around all over the hospital in your Grinch jammies and tee shirt?" Her laughter wound down and she looked up at her sheepish lover. "Is that ALL you were wearing?"

Damn…"Like I said, I was in a hurry." Lex met the green eyes nervously. "I really didn’t think about what I was wearing."

"You could have caught pneumonia, Lex. It’s cold and nasty out there." Amanda raised a hand and touched the rancher’s face gently. "Wait…you said Martha brought you some clothes? Why didn’t my grandparents think about…"

Lex covered Amanda’s mouth with her hand. "Your grandmother brought some stuff with us…I just didn’t think about putting it on. And then Martha got here…I swear, I thought she was gonna pull a wooden spoon out of her pocket and whip me right there in the waiting room!" She saw the younger woman smile from behind her hand. "It’s not funny. Those two practically ganged up on me!" She removed her hand when a small tongue licked it. "Yuck!"

"Poor baby…remind me to thank them later." Amanda teased. She saw that Lex was fighting sleep, and losing. "But for now, can you just hold me while we sleep? I’m a little tired, too." Not really a lie…although I feel a lot better than she probably does.

"Sure, sweetheart. C’mere." Lex snuggled down on the bed and pulled her friend with her. "How’s that?"

Amanda tangled her legs up with the longer ones of the rancher. "Perfect." She leaned up and kissed Lex on the jaw. "Sleep well, love."

"Mmm…" Lex murmured, already well on her way to sleep.

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

Charlie opened the door to their hotel room and allowed Martha to enter before him. He followed behind her and closed the door. "That sure was a good lunch," he commented as he took off his boots and gunbelt, hanging the leather over a nearby chair.

"It certainly was." Martha sat down on the bed and removed her shoes. "Ohhh…that feels so good." She smiled at her fiancé’ when he dropped down beside her and pulled her legs onto his lap. He began a gentle massage on her feet and calves. She moaned in appreciation.

"You like that, huh?" Charlie teased as the housekeeper fell back on the bed with a relaxed sigh.

Martha threw one arm over her eyes. "Mmmhmmm…." She stretched out and exhaled heavily. "Have I told you lately what wonderful hands you have?"

He laughed, but continued his ministrations. "As a matter of fact…" Charlie tickled the bottom of her foot. "I believe you mentioned something about that just last night."

"Oh, YOU!" Martha kicked at him playfully. She sat up and pulled his cowboy hat off his head, putting it on with a sneaky grin. "Do you think that I’d make a good sheriff?"

"Sure! Want me to teach you the proper way to frisk someone?" Charlie crawled toward his intended victim.

She squealed and began to scoot backwards. "Charlie Bristol, you’d better not!"

The ringing of the bedside phone interrupted the sheriff’s retort. He changed direction and picked up the receiver. "Hello? This is Sheriff Bristol."

"Charlie! I’ve been looking all over for you!" Robert Campbell sounded almost out of breath.

"What’s wrong? Were you able to find Mark Garrett?" Charlie felt Martha crawl up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. He patted her hands lovingly.

The young prosecutor sighed. "You could say that – we tracked him to England. One of our guys is on the next plane out to make a positive identification."

Charlie released a large breath of relief. "That’s great. Do you think he’ll give us much trouble?"

"Ah…no. I don’t think he’ll be any trouble at all. He’s dead." Robert reported.

"Dead? What on earth happened?" The sheriff reached into his shirt pocket for his notepad and pen.

Robert shuffled through some papers for the information. "The investigators on the scene said he was standing on a street corner when he somehow got in the way of a bus. They think that he may have been pushed, but no one saw anything. The bus driver complained that he was the third person this month who ‘jumped’ in front of her bus." He tried to keep from laughing. "It took three men to keep her from kicking the body in anger. Little brunette thing, they said. Wouldn’t think she had the strength."

The sheriff snorted. "Good lord. Well, I guess there goes our best chance of proving who is behind this whole mess. What else could go wrong?"

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

The agitated man rushed up to the nurse’s station and looked around. He appeared to have slept in his expensive clothes, and he seemed out of place in the community hospital. His handsome face had a two-day growth of beard and his reddish brown hair was in disarray. "Excuse me." He addressed the women that were bent over some papers on the back desk.

The two nurses turned around. The older one smiled and stepped closer to speak. "Yes sir? Is there something I can help you with?"

"I’m looking for my daughter. She was in Intensive Care, but the nurse there said that she had been moved to this floor." When Michael had first been told that Amanda was no longer in Intensive Care, he panicked. He had thought the worst until the woman had assured him that his daughter had improved and was resting comfortably in a private room.

"What’s her name?" the nurse asked. "I’ll see if I can find her for you."

Michael sighed in relief. "Amanda Lorraine Cauble." He watched as she scanned a clipboard carefully.

"Hmm…let’s see…Solomon…Davies…ah! Here she is…Cauble!" She looked up at him and smiled. "Room four-sixteen. Right down the hall and to your left." She pointed down the corridor. "But I’m afraid visiting hours aren’t for another forty-five minutes. She’s probably resting right now."

"Oh…okay." He smiled sincerely at the nurse. "Thank you for all your help. I’ll just go grab some coffee and find a place to sit down for a bit."

The younger nurse looked at the rumpled man in sympathy. "There’s a lounge just down the hall from her room. I think there’s even a couch to lie down on if you want."

He returned her smile. "Great…I need to clean up a bit anyway. Wouldn’t want to scare her." Michael winked and turned to leave. "Thank you again, ladies." He waved at them as he walked down the hallway.

Sometime later Michael stood outside the door. Room four-sixteen. He glanced down at his watch. Only about fifteen minutes early…I don’t see what it would hurt to just peek in and check on her. He ran his hand over his clean-shaven face. Cleaning up killed about half an hour. At least I look more presentable now. The executive wiped his damp palms on his pant legs. This is ridiculous. She’s my daughter. Why am I so damn nervous? He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

The late afternoon sun dropped rays of fading light across the two people snuggled together in one of the two hospital beds. Amanda had a tight grip on Lex, who was nestled face-first in the smaller woman’s chest. Michael bit off the yell of disgust before it could leave his mouth. Don’t screw this up again, dumbass…it shouldn’t matter who she’s with, as long as she’s happy. He was about to step into the room when a strong hand grasped his shoulder and pulled him back into the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob Cauble looked down on his son in anger. "Don’t you dare disturb them!" He grabbed the younger man’s sleeve and shook him.

"Dad? Wait! I can explain!" Michael covered his father’s hand with his own and squeezed gently. "I’ve got a lot to tell you…and to ask of you." He looked up into blue eyes that were filled with anger. "Please? Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Anna Leigh put her arm around her husband’s waist and pulled him back. "Darling…let’s get out of the hallway and listen to what Michael has to say." She smiled at her son. "You look tired, honey." She offered her free hand to him and was surprised when he grasped it.

Michael almost broke down when he saw the look in his mother’s eyes. I’ve hurt them both so much…I hope that they can forgive me. "I’ve never felt better in my life, actually." He smiled at Anna Leigh.

"Okay…let’s go into the waiting room…I think it’s empty right now." Jacob loved his son, but was disappointed in how he had turned out. I failed him, somehow. "C’mon…let’s go someplace a little more private." He pulled the younger man to him and hugged him. "It’s great to see you again, son."

"Thanks, Dad. I’ve really got a lot to tell you." Michael stepped in between his parents and allowed them to lead him down the corridor.

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

Lex woke up when the sun began to shine in her face. God…what time is it? She blinked several times and slowly raised her head. Her partner was still sound asleep and had a tiny smile on her face. The rancher moaned when she tried to sit up. Stupid, Lexington…sleeping in that position. Her back was still aching from the previous day’s activities, and she had trouble stretching out.

"What’s wrong?" Green eyes blinked open and peered upward. Amanda ran her hands down Lex’s chest.

"Umm…" Lex slowly pulled away and rolled over onto her back. "Nothing’s wrong." When Amanda gave her a look, she turned her head and smiled. "I slept in the wrong position and my back’s a little stiff."

Amanda turned onto her side and propped her head up on one hand. She studied her friend carefully. "Since we’re already here, why don’t you have someone check it out? Nothing wrong with getting a second opinion."

The rancher shook her head. "I’m okay…really." She reached over and caressed the younger woman’s face tenderly. "Dr. A told me that it would take several weeks for the bruising to heal completely. It’s just something that I have to live with right now."

"I just hate seeing you hurt." Amanda leaned into the touch. "Do you think that we can just spend the next few days lounging around in bed? I’d really like to give you the chance to actually get over all of this."

Lex started to argue, but the sweet look on her lover’s face halted her objections. She never asks me for anything. What would it hurt? "Okay."

"I know that you have a lot to do at the ranch, and…" The blonde continued to babble.

"It’s okay, sweetheart." Lex smiled at her friend’s nervousness.

Amanda didn’t seem to hear her. "You’ve got to make sure that the fence is finished, and check the cattle in the winter pasture, and…" A sudden finger over her lips stopped any more words from escaping.

"As you were so quick to point out to me recently, I pay the men at the ranch very well to handle those things." Lex sat up and leaned forward to look directly into the beautiful face across from her. "And to be stuck in bed with you for a couple of days? I think that I can handle the hardship." She replaced her finger with her lips and kissed Amanda tenderly.

"Mmm…" Amanda tangled her fingers in the dark hair and pulled the older woman closer. She rolled slightly until she way lying partially on top of Lex, then reached under the rancher’s shirt to explore.

"Ahem." A discreet throat clearing from the doorway caused the blonde to pause. "Don’t you two ever get enough?" Jeannie teased with a large grin on her face.

Amanda broke away from her ministrations regretfully. She turned around and slowly scooted back to her own bed. "No, we don’t." She winked at Frank as he fought to control his laughter. "Are you jealous?"

Jeannie walked over to Lex’s bed and sat down. "Of course not!" She edged closer until she was almost sitting in the rancher’s lap. "But…" she leaned close to the dark-haired woman. "I certainly wouldn’t turn Slim down if she ever got lonely."

"Give me a break!" Amanda laughed. "She’s got MUCH better taste than that!"

"Now wait a minute!" Frank walked over and sat on Amanda’s bed. "What does that say about me?" He looked over at Lex for help.

"Oh, no…don’t get me in the middle of this mess." Lex sat up and waved her hands around. "I’ll get into trouble no matter what I say."

Frank laughed. "With these two, I STAY in trouble." He reached over and gave the blonde’s leg a light squeeze. "How are you feeling, Small Stuff?"

"I feel great. Do you think that you can sneak me out of here tonight?" Amanda covered his hand with hers. "I’d be eternally grateful."

The big man shook his head. "And I’d be eternally dead – your grandparents would kill me!"

"We certainly would!" Anna Leigh exclaimed from the doorway. She stood just inside the room with her hands on her hips. "You already promised me that you would stay the night, so I don’t want to hear any arguments." She walked over until she was closer to her granddaughter’s bed. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Amanda reached out with one hand to the older woman. When Anna Leigh grasped it, she pulled her grandmother closer. "I’m feeling much better, Gramma." She looked towards the closed door. "Where’s Grandpa?"

Anna Leigh smiled. "He’s talking with someone, Mandy. Do you think that you’re up to another guest?" She glanced at the others in the room. I don’t know if I should ask everyone to leave, or not.

"Sure. Can I have a couple of minutes to make myself a little more presentable?" Amanda ran her fingers through her hair. "I must look horrible."

Lex saw the look on the older woman’s face and slowly climbed out of her bed. "You’re always beautiful, Amanda." She kissed her lover on the top of the head and then slipped on her boots. "But I’ll just run down to the gift shop and grab you a couple of things."

"I’ll go with you." Frank could see the unspoken request on Anna Leigh’s face. He patted Amanda’s leg and jumped off the bed. "I need to stretch my legs anyway. See you in a few minutes, Lil’ Bit." He hurried out after Lex.

Jeannie looked around. "I think I’d better go supervise…no telling what kind of trouble those two will get into without me." She stood up and patted her sister’s arm. "I’ll be back in a minute, okay?" She left the room quickly.

The young woman on the bed watched them leave. She gave Anna Leigh a confused look. "What’s up, Gramma? You practically chased them all out of here." When her grandmother sat down beside her, she began to panic. "Is Grandpa okay? What’s going on?"

"I’m sorry, honey. It’s just that our ‘guest’ was a little afraid of the reception he might get. So I thought it would be best if it was just us here." Anna Leigh combed through Amanda’s hair with her fingers. "You look fine, Mandy. Can I go ahead and bring him in?"

"Umm…okay." Amanda smiled nervously as the older woman crossed the room and opened the door. "Daddy?" She blinked as tears suddenly formed in her eyes.

Michael stepped into the room, unsure of himself. "Hello, Amanda." He almost cried when his youngest daughter opened her arms wide. "I’m so sorry, baby," he murmured as he hurried across the room and pulled her into his arms. "Please forgive me," he whispered into her hair.

Amanda could feel her father’s tears as they began to trail across her cheek. "Oh, Daddy…" she cried in relief as part of her world righted after so many years. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Michael pulled back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. He gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I’m so sorry for the way I’ve acted." He sniffled as Amanda used her hands to dry his face. "I’ve just had a long talk with Mom and Dad. I’d like to stay here in Texas for a while and get reacquainted, if you’ll have me."

"Have you?" Amanda looked up into his eyes. "That’s all I’ve ever wanted." She glanced over his shoulder when she heard a light knock.

The door opened slightly and a dark head popped in. "Oh." Lex saw Amanda wrapped in her father’s arms. "I’m sorry…I’ll come back later." She dropped a plastic bag just inside the room. "Here’s some things for you, Amanda."

"Wait!" Amanda looked at Michael. Please, Daddy…try.

Michael turned around and looked at the young woman standing in the door. I still think that my little girl could do better. He thought about the scene in Los Angeles. But then again, she’s got more money than I do now. And I’ve learned the hard way that money isn’t everything. Oh, well… "Yes, please. Come in, Ms. Walters. I think I owe you an apology."

Lex walked toward the bed warily. "You do?" She stepped back a little when he rose to his feet.

"I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to like you, but I do want to apologize for my earlier behavior." Michael held out his hand. "It’s apparent to me that you love my daughter, and that she loves you. So for her sake, I want to try and get along with you." He felt the strong grip as the rancher shook his hand.

"Sounds fair enough to me, Mr. Cauble." Lex glanced over his shoulder and saw Amanda smile. I’d try to get along with Satan himself if it would put that look on her face.

He looked closely at the tall woman’s face, and saw it soften as she met his daughter’s eyes. Mom and Dad think the world of this woman…guess being a little nice can’t hurt. "Might as well call me Michael, since we’re going to be seeing each other some."

She looked down at him and grinned. "All right, Michael…" She saw her lover’s plaintive look. "Most folks call me Lex…at least that’s what they call me to my face." She winked and smiled broadly.

Nice smile…now I think I know what my daughter sees in her. Michael returned her smile. "Lex…it’s going to be real interesting getting to know you, I think."

"Hey! Remember me?" Amanda waved her hands wildly. "Hello?"

Michael turned around and smiled at his daughter. Thank god for my parents…they’ve done an excellent job with her and Jeannie. I couldn’t ask for two more wonderful daughters. "What’s the matter, sweetheart? Feeling a little left out?" He sat back down on the bed and grasped her hand.

Amanda stuck out her bottom lip. "No…I’m fine…just a little ignored." She saw the look on Lex’s face and almost laughed out loud. "What?"

"You are a brat." Lex walked back to the other side of the room and picked up the plastic bag. "And after I bought you all of this…stuff." She brought the bag over and dropped it on the other side of the bed. "Now, if you two will excuse me…I’m going to go mug someone for a cup of coffee." The rancher ruffled Amanda’s hair and started for the door.

"Thank you, honey." Amanda enjoyed the view as Lex walked away from her. Definitely got to get her to rest and eat more…those pants are a little baggy.

Lex stopped in the doorway and turned. "Anytime, sweetheart. I’ll be back in a few minutes…give you two some time to talk."

"I really appreciate that, Lex." Michael nodded in her direction. "Thank you."

"No problem." Lex waved and closed the door behind her as she left the room. She had only taken a few steps when the two policemen from the night before caught her in the hallway. Great…just what I don’t need. Backwater Vice.

Sergeant Byers held out his hand to stop the tall woman. "Ms. Walters. Can we have a moment of your time?"

She glared at him. "Sergeant…I really don’t think that this is a good time. I’m tired, sore, and there’s a cup of coffee in the cafeteria with my name on it." She started to walk around him when the shorter detective grabbed her arm.

"You don’t understand, Walters. That wasn’t a request." He felt the muscles in her arm tighten right before she shook his hand away. "You can either talk to us now, or I’ll be more than happy to handcuff your sorry ass and drag you down to our office." Oh, please…give me an excuse to slam you face first onto the floor, you cocky bitch.

"Let go of me, Officer." Lex purposely didn’t use his title. "Or I’ll sue you for harassment AND false arrest." She jerked her arm away from him and stepped closer so that he had to strain his neck to look into her face.

Byers grabbed the detective’s shoulder and pulled him back. "Dammit, Barry! Back off!" He glared after his partner when the man raised his hands and stormed down the hallway. The sergeant gave Lex an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry about that, Ms. Walters. He’s been under a lot of stress lately."

Lex nodded. "Haven’t we all? What the hell have I done to him, anyway?"

"It’s not you, exactly. His wife just recently left him." The sergeant hoped that she’d understand, and not sign a complaint against the man he’d worked with for almost ten years.

"Yeah? Sounds like she got smart, if you ask me." The rancher was fed up with the stocky man’s attitude. "Find herself a better guy?"

Byers ducked his head. "No…a better woman." He looked up into her widened eyes. "Just don’t hold this against him, okay? He’s normally a really good guy."

She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it that you need from me, Sergeant? I really do need to get some coffee and maybe a little bite to eat." Lex refused to discuss the detective any further. Serves him right…hope she bagged a beauty.

"I understand. How about if I buy you that cup of coffee, and we talk in the cafeteria? I really do need to get some information from you." He waved his arm in front of them.

"Sure. But I need to get back soon to check on my friend, all right?" Lex accepted his offer and began to walk down the hallway. She stepped into the cafeteria and saw the detective brooding at a far table. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and walked over to sit by the sullen officer. When he looked up with a sneer, Lex raised her hands in defense. "Don’t look at me like that…you’re the ones who want to talk." She pulled out a chair and sat across from Weingart.

"Thanks again, Ms. Walters." Sergeant Byers sat next to his partner and opened a manila folder. "We just finished going over some information that had been forwarded to us from your sheriff’s department, and wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Okay…but I don’t know how much help I will be." Lex leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Should I call my lawyer?"

Detective Weingart stood up and leaned over the table. "Don’t give us any attitude, Walters…you’re in no position to be a smartass."

"Sit down, Barry." The sergeant grabbed the shorter man’s shoulder and pulled him back to his seat. He gave Lex an apologetic smile. "I will try to make this as short as possible, Ms. Walters. I know you’ve been through quite a bit lately."

Lex nodded. "Thanks. I’ll try to help you anyway I can." She glared at the detective. I don’t care what Grumpy’s problem is, but he’s about to get an attitude adjustment, Walters-Style.

Sergeant Byers consulted the papers in front of him. "All right. As I was saying, the sheriff’s department has dug up some very relevant information. They sent it to us, in hopes that we can relate it to Miss Cauble’s poisoning."

They did? Charlie hasn’t notified me yet…Lex tried to appear unconcerned. "Really? What does that have to do with me? I haven’t heard anything."

"I’m not surprised. Civilians aren’t usually very high up on our need-to-know list," Weingart grumbled. A well-placed kick to his leg shut the detective up. He frowned at the other man. I can’t believe he’s letting her get away with that attitude.

"Ms. Walters, from what Sheriff Bristol had told us last night, you’ve had some problems with Miss Cauble’s family, correct?" the blonde man questioned carefully.

"What do you mean by problems? Her parents don’t care much for me, but I get along just fine with everyone else." The rancher watched as Byers continued to take notes.

He looked up seriously. "Do you think that her father is capable of hiring someone to do you harm?"

Lex closed her eyes and thought for a moment about the man that she had met in California.

Michael Cauble shook his head to clear it. He pushed the tall woman backwards again, happy to see that he was at least able to do some damage to her before his daughter interfered. "Get out of my house… you’re not welcome here." He muttered, secretly hoping that the tall woman would try and retaliate. Then maybe Amanda would see her as I do…damned arrogant piece of trash.

"Gladly." Lex pushed by him and wiped her bloody mouth and chin with the back of her hand. She started for the door, trying to control her anger. Narrow-minded bastard… if he wasn’t Amanda’s father, I would… her thoughts ended there as she felt a small hand touch her arm.

She opened her eyes again and sighed. Oh, yeah…he was more than capable. Her mind then compared that scene with the man now sitting in Amanda’s hospital room. "I’m not sure…I suppose that if he were mad or upset enough, maybe." She looked at the sergeant carefully. "What makes you ask that?"

"They found where Matt Sterling had been staying." The detective answered her. "He had received several calls from a number in California and the prosecutor’s office traced them to a private office number in Los Angeles." He took the folder and passed a sheet of paper across the table. "The office was listed as Cau-King Enterprises, which is the name of the company that Michael Cauble is the CEO of."

"Cau-King?" Lex looked down at the paper on the desk and then reached into her pocket. Of course…Cauble-Kingston. It’s the combination of his last name and Elizabeth’s. Damn. She wadded up the scrap of paper from her pocket and tossed it on the table. I wonder if he knew that I was one of the majority stockholders in his company. "Great."

Sergeant Byers stopped writing when the paper hit the table. "What?" He looked at his partner in confusion.

"I just sold my stock in that company, recently." Lex mumbled. "But I had no idea that it was his."

"How much stock are we talking about?" Weingart asked.

Lex frowned. "Umm…over forty percent. It had been my mother’s." And if the other stockholders bailed, that would just about ruin him.

The detective snorted. "Guess he figured it would be safer to get you out of the way. According to our records, Michael Cauble lost everything." He gave the dark-haired woman an obnoxious smile. "Bet your little ‘friend’ won’t be too happy with you when she finds out you ruined her father…" He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "But then again, she’ll probably dump you when she learns that her father nearly killed her while trying to get to you."

That’s right…he nearly killed his daughter trying to save his own rotten hide. Lex jumped up from the table in a rage. "That son of a bitch! He could have killed her!" She knocked her chair down as she raced from the cafeteria.

Chapter 21

The enraged woman stormed down the corridor, oblivious to everything around her. I should have never left him alone with Amanda…that son of a bitch nearly killed her! She brushed by a group of people that had just stepped out of the elevator.

"Lex! Where are you…?" Frank was nearly knocked down by the upset woman. He looked at his wife. "What’s bitten her on the butt?"

Jeannie grabbed his arm and began to drag him down the hallway. "I don’t know…but I think we’d better follow her."

Lex shoved open the door to Amanda’s room causing it to slam back against the wall loudly. Michael was sitting on Amanda’s bed with his arms around his daughter. Both appeared to be smiling. "CAUBLE! Get your slimy hands off of her!" She rushed into the room and grabbed the man by his shirtfront. "You don’t deserve to be anywhere near Amanda, you bastard!" She picked him up and shook him roughly.

"LEX! What are you doing?" Amanda tried to break the rancher’s hold on her father. "Have you lost your mind?" She frantically clawed at Lex’s hands. "Put my father down!"

"It’s the money, isn’t it? That’s all you’ve ever cared about." Lex tightened grasp on the flailing man’s shirt. "I ought to toss your sorry ass through that window, but I’d probably be arrested for littering."

Michael fought the iron grip on his shirt in vain. "What the hell are you talking about? What’s gotten into you?"

The rancher continued to shake him as she dragged the frantic man away from her lover. "The police traced the calls you made to Sterling…and they’ll probably connect you to the poisoning, too…" Lex slammed him into the wall. "Amanda almost DIED, you greedy son of a bitch!"

Jeannie and Frank burst into the room. "Daddy?" she yelled, as her husband rushed over to the older man’s aid. "What’s going on?"

"I don’t know!" Amanda was trying to pull the I.V. from her hand while she watched her lover continue to manhandle her father. "Frank, do something, please!"

"C’mon, Lex…let him go." The ex-football player wrapped an arm around the tall woman’s chest and pulled. "It’s bad form to kill the in-laws, no matter how much they might deserve it." And the way that he and Elizabeth have treated her, I don’t much blame the woman.

"I didn’t have anything to do with this!" Michael pleaded his case as Lex was forcibly pulled away. He rubbed his chest where her fists had dug into him. "Believe me, as much as I disliked you, I would NEVER put my daughter in any danger."

"Let go of me, dammit!" Lex strained to break away from the big man’s grasp. "I’m gonna kill him!" She kicked at the older man, trying to make some sort of contact. "Lying bastard!"

Amanda had finally given up on trying to work the intravenous needle loose gently. She ripped it from her hand and rushed over to stand between Lex and Michael. "Honey, please!" She reached up and touched the struggling woman’s cheek. "What’s going on?"

Lex stopped thrashing around and looked into the blonde’s eyes. Damn…I think I blew this one…"Let me go, Frank," she requested quietly. She’s never gonna forgive me…

He looked at Amanda, who nodded. With a heavy sigh, Frank released his hold on Lex. "You okay?" he whispered in the tall woman’s ear.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Lex glared at Michael. "You’ve got some nerve, showing your face around here." She calmed when she felt Amanda’s hands on her stomach. Lex studied Amanda with a sad look on her face. "The police traced calls from your father’s private office to Matt Sterling." Please understand what I’m trying to tell you…he almost killed you just to get to me.

"Is that true, Daddy?" Amanda turned around and looked at her father.

"NO! I swear that I had nothing to do with this entire mess! Someone else used my office while I was out of town." Michael looked back and forth between his two daughters. Jeannie stood skeptically off to one side with her arms crossed over her chest. Amanda was gently patting Lex on the stomach as she tried to calm the tall woman.

The rancher shook her head. "Yeah, right. Who else has access to your house? Are you trying to tell us that the butler did it?"

Jeannie began to laugh at the absurdity of Lex’s statement, then paused. The only other person who would be in his office is…"Mother?"

"No way!" Frank scoffed. "She’s a lady, a…"

"Cold-hearted, two-faced, money hungry manipulator," Michael finished quietly. "She practically admitted everything to me before I left."

Amanda looked at her father with a shocked look on her face. "I don’t believe it. Mother can be distant at times, but I don’t think that she would ever purposely hurt anyone."

Michael watched as Lex put her arm around his daughter to comfort her. "I can prove it! All we have to do is find Mark Garrett and ask him. He’s been working for her since I fired him several weeks ago."

"Won’t do you any good." Charlie stood in the doorway with Martha behind him. "What’s going on here? We could hear you folks all the way down the hall."

Lex pointed at Michael. I can’t believe he’s trying to shift the blame to his own wife. "Ask him! He seems to have all the damn answers!" She allowed Amanda to pull her back towards the bed and sit her down.

"Calm down, love. Let’s see if Charlie can make any sense out of this, okay?" Amanda

sat down next to the rancher and held her hands. I can’t believe that my mother could have anything to do with this. Why would she want Lex hurt…or killed?

The sheriff moved further into the room. "I hate to ask you this, Mr. Cauble…but do you have proof that you’ve been out of town for the past couple of weeks?"

Michael nodded. "I do…just not with me. But I can get my business expense receipts together in the next day or so." He paused momentarily. "Wait a minute. You said that Garrett couldn’t help? Let me talk to him. I bet I can get him to cooperate."

"I don’t think so. He’s dead," Charlie informed the executive. "We’ve got a man flying to England to bring back his body."

Dear god…I wonder if Elizabeth had anything to do with that? Michael shuddered. "How did he die?"

Charlie released Martha’s hand so that she could walk over to check on Lex and Amanda. The young blonde had tears in her eyes, and her companion was sitting with her head hanging down and her shoulders slumped. "He fell in front of a bus. Although witnesses said that he appeared to have been pushed."

"How horrible!" Amanda gasped quietly. She tried to give Martha a smile when the housekeeper put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Martha looked down at Amanda’s hands and noticed that the top one was bleeding. "Oh, honey…let me call a nurse." She pulled out a linen handkerchief and covered the wound. The older woman was about to reach for the call button on the bed when Amanda shook her head.

Detective Weingart stormed into the room all out of breath. "Walters! What’s the big idea, running off like that?" He looked around the room at all the people now staring at him. Shit…now what’s going on?

Lex stood up and faced the heavily breathing man. "Get out of here, Detective. This is a family matter." She was still upset and was on the verge of losing complete control. One wrong word out of you and I’ll gladly tear into your pathetic ass.

"I don’t think so!" He stepped up until he was directly in her face. "Give me an excuse, lady…"

Sergeant Byers stood in the doorway. "Barry!" He looked around the room. "I’m going to need everyone to leave, except the immediate family. We have a few questions to ask."

Michael shook his head. "No one will be talking to you without having our lawyers present, gentlemen." He glanced at Amanda, who was now standing behind Lex with one hand on the tall woman’s back. "My daughter is still recovering from her ordeal, so I’d appreciate it if you would come back at a later time."

"Your daughter? So you’re Michael Cauble?" Byers asked. At the older man’s nod, he took a step forward. "I have some questions for you, sir. If you’ll just come with me we’ll go somewhere that we won’t disturb your daughter."

Charlie saw the worried look on Amanda’s face. "Why don’t you fellows step out into the hallway with me, and I’ll update you on what’s going on." No sense in upsetting her any more than necessary…poor kid.

"Sheriff, you don’t have any authority here." Detective Weingart turned around to face the lawman. He’s related to that…woman, somehow. She called him Uncle back in the office. Probably just as twisted as she is. "WE’D appreciate it if you’d just mind your own business." A firm hand on his shoulder caused him to jump slightly.

"I’D appreciate it if you’d show Sheriff Bristol the respect he deserves," Lex murmured menacingly. Cocky little bastard. No one talks to Charlie like that!

Weingart spun back around. "That’s it!" He grabbed the tall woman’s right wrist and twisted her around, bending her arm painfully behind her back. "I’ve had it with your attitude, Walters!" He reached behind his back for his handcuffs.

Amanda stepped forward and reached for him when she saw the look of pain on Lex’s face. "Stop it, please! You’re hurting her!"

Sergeant Byers sighed and grabbed his partner’s arm. "Let her go, Barry…let’s see what Sheriff Bristol has to tell us."

Michael Cauble moved towards them. "I won’t let you question me without my lawyer, but I can at least give you a little bit of information. I think I have a thing or two to add."

"She assaulted me, Kent. I have every right to book her!" The detective objected, but pushed Lex away roughly.

Frank laughed. "Buddy, I’ve seen Lex in action. Believe me, if she HAD assaulted you, I can guarantee that you wouldn’t be standing there."

When everyone in the room laughed, Byers tried to keep the grin off of his face. "Umm… right." He motioned for the other man to join him. "C’mon, Barry…let’s listen to what these gentlemen have to say." He looked over at Lex, who was cradling her right arm against her chest. "Ms. Walters, if you want to lodge a complaint against my partner, I’ll be glad to give you my captain’s phone number."

Lex felt Amanda’s arm around her tighten. "No…I was out of line." She looked at the detective. "Sorry about that, Detective."

"Yeah." Weingart followed his partner out of the room. "Whatever."

"Are you all right?" Amanda stood in front of Lex and looked up into her face. She raised her hand to touch the rancher’s cheek.

"I’m okay." Lex covered Amanda’s hand with her own. She frowned when she felt something wet and sticky. When she looked at her fingers, Lex saw that they were covered in with blood. "My god, Amanda….your hand!"

The blonde woman tried to pull her hand away. "It’s fine. I just had a fight with the I.V. and lost." She smiled at her friend.

Lex looked at her sadly. "My fault." She pulled Amanda back over to the bed.

Jeannie looked at Frank. "I think we need to go see where Gramma and Grandpa are," she hinted. They both realized that Amanda and Lex needed a little time alone.

"Right." Frank took his wife by the hand and quietly led her from the room.

The rancher sat down next to her friend and accepted Martha's handkerchief to staunch the bleeding. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She leaned down and kissed the makeshift bandage.

Martha patted Amanda's shoulder gently. "I called the nurse, honey." She bent down until she could look Lex in the eye. "And don't you start blaming yourself for anything, Lexie." She lightly grasped the dark-haired woman's chin to keep her from looking away. "Thank you for taking up for Charlie. You've always done me proud."

A middle-aged nurse wheeled a small cart into the room. She parked the vehicle next to the bed and shook her head at the three women. "Young lady," she addressed Amanda while checking out her hand. "We put those needles in for a reason, you know." She turned to talk to Martha. "Are you her mother?"

"No, she's mine." Lex offered with a grin. She enjoyed the happy smile on the older woman's face. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no…no problem at all." The nurse finished putting an adhesive bandage on Amanda's hand. "Dr. Barnes just called the nurses station. He said that if Miss Cauble was feeling up to it, her family could take her home." She winked at Martha. "Personally, I think he's doing it in self-defense. We haven't had this much excitement around here in ages." She finished cleaning up her mess and began to roll the cart away. "He'll be by in a bit to sign you out, honey."

Michael and Charlie stepped back into the room, parting to allow the nurse to leave. They wore matching grim looks on their faces. The sheriff put one hand on the younger man's shoulder and spoke quietly to him.

Amanda noticed the look on her father's face. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Your mother is gone." He sat down on the opposite bed. "She must have packed up right after I left."

The sheriff walked over to Martha and put his arm around her. "According to the household staff, all of her clothes and jewelry are gone, too. I don't think that she's planning on coming back."

Lex stood up. Time to eat a little crow. She walked around the bed to where Michael was sitting. "Mr. Cauble…." She stopped when he raised a hand and stood up.

"Lex, I don't appreciate being tossed around like a rag doll." He looked up into her eyes, which were filled with genuine regret. "Especially from someone that I'm trying to get along with."

"Daddy…" Amanda interrupted.

He waved his hand impatiently. "Just a minute, Amanda." Michael stepped closer to Lex and watched as she fought the urge to step back. "But I DO appreciate your protectiveness of my daughter." Michael smiled at the tall woman. "Guess we're about even in the shoving department, huh?"

Lex wisely kept her mouth shut to give Amanda a chance to handle her father. The fuming rancher knew that if she said anything, it would only hurt the woman she loved – so she concentrated on controlling her breathing. Stay calm, Lexington…let Amanda take care of him. She took a deep breath and released it as she felt the younger woman’s hand pat her gently on the arm.

Amanda felt Lex stiffen behind her and the hands on her hips tightened slightly. "Is it too much for me to ask that you and Mother act civil tonight? If not, Lex and I can go out for dinner, then fly out first thing in the morning." She asked in a calm voice, halfway hoping his answer would be negative. Please…give me a reason to get out of here.

Damn…she’s really grown up in the past year, hasn’t she? Michael mused to himself, vaguely proud. All right. I’ll play her little game. "Of course, dear. We just got off on the wrong foot, didn’t we, Lex?" He reached forward and offered his hand to the dark-haired woman. "No hard feelings?"

"You still owe me a busted lip, too. I believe I manhandled you on more than one occasion when you were in California." Michael raised his chin in an exaggerated manner. "Do you want to take it now?"

The rancher shook her head. "Nah. If it's okay with you, I'll just take a raincheck." She offered him her hand. "I'm really sorry about earlier, Mr. Cauble."

Michael accepted her hand and shook it. "Michael, remember?"

"Mandy! We just passed the doctor in the hallway…he said that all of your tests came back negative and we can take you home now." Anna Leigh breezed into the room carrying a small bag. "We picked you up a few things so that you wouldn't have to wear your nightgown home."

Jacob followed behind her, smiling. "That's right, Peanut. Your grandmother made the ultimate sacrifice and went shopping, just for you." He dodged his wife's playful swat. "We saw Jeannie and Frank in the hallway…they told us that we missed all the excitement." He glanced at Lex and Michael. "Is everything okay in here?"

Lex nodded. "Other than me almost killing your son, everything's just peachy." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm afraid that I kinda lost my temper…again." She accepted Amanda's outstretched hand and sat down next to her friend.

"The police thought that Daddy had something to do with what's been happening lately. They told Lex, and she…" Amanda began to explain.

"Charged in here like a maniac," the rancher finished helpfully.

Michael laughed. "Just remind me to try and stay on your good side, Lex." He rubbed his chest with one hand. "I'd really hate to be on the receiving end of your temper again."

"I'm really sorry about that." Lex apologized again. "Did I hurt you?"

"Only my pride." He looked at the other men in the room. "Why don't we sneak out of here and let Amanda get dressed? I'll buy everyone a cup of coffee." He smiled. "If I could borrow a few dollars from someone, since I…umm…seem to be a little strapped for money at the moment."

Jacob chuckled and wrapped an arm around his son. "No problem there, son. C’mon." He led the younger man out of the room.

"Free coffee? Now that sounds like something I can handle." Frank kissed his wife’s forehead and made a hasty exit.

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

"Are you sure you don’t want to go upstairs and rest? It’s after eleven o’clock," Lex asked the small woman who was wrapped tightly around her. They were snuggled together on the sofa in Jacob and Anna Leigh’s den, quietly watching the dying flames from the fireplace. Everyone else had made their excuses earlier and the two women were the only ones left downstairs.

Amanda shook her head. "No…I’m so tired of lying in bed. This is very comfortable, believe me." She buried her face deeper into Lex’s chest. "Do you think too many people would be upset if we just went home tomorrow? I want to sleep in our own bed, and get away from my helpful family." If Gramma wouldn’t have practically dragged Jeannie and Dad from here earlier, I think I would have gone off the deep end. "Lord knows I love my sister, but she can be such a pain in the butt at times."

Lex laughed. "I thought your Gramma was gonna have to hog tie her to get her out of the room." Although the thought HAD crossed my mind. Trouble is, she would have probably enjoyed it. "And if you want to go home tomorrow, that’s where we’re going. I don’t care what anyone else thinks." She paused for a moment in thought. "Umm…do you want to invite your father out to the ranch? We have plenty of room."

"No…not yet." Amanda looked up at her friend. I know how uncomfortable that would be for you, my love…and I don’t want to put you through any more than I already have. "But I really appreciate you asking, honey." She reached up with one hand and brushed the dark hair out of Lex’s eyes. She looks exhausted. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Lex closed her eyes when Amanda began to caress her cheek gently. "Been a long couple of days, though." She leaned into the touch and had to fight back a sudden onslaught of memories. I almost lost all of this…her…oh, god…. Tears began to fall freely from her closed eyes as Lex remembered the events of the past couple of days.

The younger woman saw the wetness trail down her lover’s face. "Oh, Lex…" Amanda crawled up the rancher’s body until she could look directly into her eyes, which opened at her entreaty. "Honey…it’s okay." She felt the strong arms wrap around her tightly.

The dark head bent until it was buried in Amanda’s hair. Lex began to sob quietly, unable to stop. "God…" she gasped in between breaths. "I can’t…"

"Shhh…I’ve got you. It’s all right, baby." Amanda held her lover close. What do you do when the strongest person you know falls apart? I’m at a complete loss here… She began to slowly rock back and forth, running her hands up and down Lex’s back. "I’m here…"

"I’m sorry," Lex whispered as she fought to control her emotions. Stop it, you damn fool. She’s been through enough without having to baby-sit you. She pulled back slightly and sniffled. The touch of Amanda’s hands on her face was nearly her undoing.

Amanda wiped at the tears with her fingertips. When the blue eyes finally opened, they were red and puffy. "Hi there." She smiled at Lex tenderly.

Lex smiled back, although hers wavered slightly. "Hi." She blinked a couple of times and pulled in a deep breath. "Sorry about that."

"Please don’t apologize, honey." Amanda ran her hands gently down the long arms in an effort to comfort. "Do you realize how much it means to me when you let go like that?" She fought back tears of her own. "I know how hard it is for you to open up, Lex. And when you let me hold you, it means more to me than you’ll ever know." She leaned forward and lightly kissed Lex. "I love you…and that means I love all of you, emotional or not. So don’t ever feel that you have to hold back from me, all right?"

"Umm…okay." Lex smiled more sincerely this time. "It’s just that I spent a lot of years trying to be more like my dad. I didn’t think he’d respect me if I was a typical emotional female." She looked down for a moment. "Used to drive Martha absolutely crazy." Lex looked back up into the understanding eyes of her lover. "I love you, Amanda. Don’t ever think otherwise, okay?"

The blonde ran her hand down Lex’s cheek. "You’ve always told me that you love me. With your eyes, the way you touch me, and with the little things you do for me. Every day you express what’s in your heart with your words and your actions. I’ve never doubted your love for me." She hugged Lex. " Now, let’s go upstairs and discuss this a little more…." She kissed the rancher again, prolonging the contact. "In depth."

"Works for me." Lex stood up and brought the smaller woman with her. She made quick work of handling the fireplace by stirring the dying coals and then closing the glass doors. "You ready?"

"Yup." Amanda wrapped an arm around the tall woman and allowed Lex to lead her from the room.

Chapter 22

The following week passed uneventfully. Lex spent most of the time in the ranch house with Amanda but would disappear for an hour or so every day. When her friend asked about where she had been, the rancher was very secretive.

"I’m just looking for something." Lex answered as she knelt by Amanda’s chair. She thought about her foray into the storage room. The rancher had spent over an hour each day searching for a small box that she had packed up years ago.

She had been more than happy to stay in her own room after her father had left the ranch, and had purposely left the master bedroom just as he had left it. Just in case he decides to come back, she thought to herself. The ancient shade tree by her room had crashed into the ranch house; not only destroying her bedroom, but her older brother Hubert’s as well. The only room on that side of the house that was untouched was a small room used for storage. Rawson had stacked several boxes in there before he left, and they almost filled the tiny area.

On the large dresser were several photographs, one turned face down. Intrigued, she walked over for a closer look. The center picture was of her father and mother on their wedding day. The first one on the left was a rare photo of Hubert smiling. He looks like he was only five or six, Lex mused. Next to that one was another smaller frame, with a happy ten-year-old Louis mugging for the camera. The young woman fought her tears as she studied the picture. She took a deep breath and focused on the frame that was lying face down to the right of her parent’s picture. Lex lifted it and saw that it was of her when she was fourteen. She was sitting atop a bale of hay with a happy smile on her face. The picture was slightly off-center, and it leaned off to one side. I remember this one…Louis took it. He was so damn proud of that silly camera. She looked around the room sadly. Guess I know what Dad thought of me. It never occurred to her that Rawson couldn’t handle the resemblance between his daughter and his deceased wife. Anger welled up from deep inside the young woman. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. She took the picture and threw it across the room.

Within a few hours, Lex had packed up everything in the master bedroom. Her father must have already packed up his wife’s things, because the only thing belonging to Victoria that she had found was a small wooden jewelry box that had her mother’s name on it. When she opened it, Lex found two gold rings nestled inside. Realizing that it was her parent’s wedding rings, she quickly closed the box and packed it away with the rest of the stuff from the room. She had decided that since she ran the ranch, she would use the master bedroom herself. After all, I am in charge. Maybe Dad will come back and then he’ll realize that he was wrong about me. She stacked the boxes at the end of the hallway and would remodel the house to enlarge the storage room and add a guestroom for her father when he would visit.

She sighed happily as the younger woman ran her fingers through her dark hair. "Where’s Martha?" Lex asked as she looked around the empty kitchen. Now if I could just find that damn box…

"She ran back over to her house for something." Amanda wiped a smudge of dirt off an angular cheekbone. "Where have you been looking? Under the house?"

Lex grinned. "Nope. Been digging around in the storage room."

The blonde nodded. "Uh-huh. Would it make it easier if I joined you? I’d be glad to help."

"No!" Lex exclaimed, then patted Amanda’s leg. "What I mean is, there’s no sense in you getting all dusty too." She bit her lip in thought. "I’m sure I’ll find what I’m looking for soon. Don’t worry about it."

"Are you trying to be sneaky? Because you know I’ll figure it out." Amanda tapped the top of the dark head.

The rancher stood up and stretched. "Nah…not sneaky…" She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of juice. "I just didn’t think you’d be interested in getting all dirty." She started to drink from the container when Amanda gave her a warning look. "Oh, all right." Lex reached into a nearby cabinet and grabbed a glass.

Amanda stood up and took the juice from her lover. "Don’t let Martha catch you doing that…she’ll take a spatula to you." She poured the glass of juice and put the carton back into the refrigerator.

"Doing what?" Martha stood in the doorway and glared at the two women. "What are you up to, Lexie?"

"Up to? What makes you think that I’m up to anything?" Lex drained her juice and sat the empty glass back on the counter. "You always complained that I don’t drink enough juice…so I’m drinking juice." Her habits had changed quite a bit since Amanda moved to the ranch. Lex used to drink whatever was available; cans of soda or beer usually fell victim to her thirst, unless Martha actually handed her a glass of water or tea.

The housekeeper walked into the kitchen and shook her head. "You’re not drinking directly from the carton again, are you?" She swatted Lex on the rear. "What have I told you about that?"

Lex wrapped her arms around the older woman and hugged her. "That you’re glad that I’m drinking juice?" she ventured to guess.

"Brat." Martha pulled back far enough to tickle the tall woman’s ribs. "I really should…" The ringing of the phone stopped her in mid-sentence. She swatted Lex on the arm. "Saved by the bell."

"I’ll get it." Amanda laughed as she reached for the phone. "Rocking W Ranch, Amanda speaking." She saw the evil glint in Lex’s eyes and stuck her tongue out at her friend. She hates it when I answer the phone like that because she thinks that I sound like a secretary. "Just a moment, please." She handed the phone to Martha. "It’s for you."

Martha frowned slightly and accepted the phone. "This is Martha…" She listened for a few moments, then smiled. "Yes, that will be fine. Thank you." The housekeeper hung up the phone and looked Lex up and down.

"What?" Lex looked down her own body. "Is my fly open, or something?" She couldn’t see anything wrong with how she was dressed; her favorite blue jeans and ragged denim shirt. Looks okay to me. No buttons missing or anything. She took an inconspicuous sniff. Don’t smell bad, either.

"I want you to go upstairs and get cleaned up." Martha ordered. "I don’t know how you do it, Lexie. You get filthy even when you don’t leave the house." She raised her hands over her head in an exasperated manner. "Lord knows I’ve tried…" she muttered as she walked out of the kitchen.

Lex watched her leave. "What’s gotten into her?" She brushed her hands down the front of her ragged denim shirt. "I don’t look that bad, do I?" she asked Amanda who was leaning against the counter with her hand over her mouth.

"Don’t get me in the middle of this." Amanda walked up to the tall woman and looked at her. "Hmm…" She rubbed her chin with one hand and studied her friend. "You do look a little… umm…dusty." And for some reason, the dirtier she is, the better she looks. Whew! Getting a little warm in here.

"Dusty?" Lex reached out and grabbed Amanda and pulled her close. "I thought you liked it when I was a little…dusty," she murmured in the smaller woman’s ear.

Amanda wrapped her arms around Lex without any thought. "Umm…" she tilted her head back as soft lips began to nibble down her throat. "Oh, yeah…" Definitely getting warm!

"Lexie!" Martha barked from the doorway. "Upstairs…now!" She spun around and walked towards the laundry room.

The rancher jumped away from Amanda. "Damn! I swear that woman has eyes in the back of her head."

"I heard that!" Martha’s voice drifted down the hallway.

"Ooh…she’s good," Amanda chuckled. She grabbed Lex’s hand and pulled her towards the doorway. "C’mon…I’ll scrub your back for you."

"Cool." Lex followed dutifully. "You know, I think that’s where I’m the dustiest." She took a long look at her companion’s backside. "As a matter of fact, you look a little dusty yourself." She swatted Amanda on the rear end.

Amanda stopped in the hallway and spun around. "I’ll tell you what." She released Lex’s hand and took a couple of steps back. "If you catch me, you can ‘dust’ me off personally." She poked the rancher in the chest and took off up the stairs.

Lex stood at the foot of the stairs stunned. "You little brat," she laughed and raced up after the giggling blonde.

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

Later that afternoon, Lex and Amanda were sitting in the den watching an old movie. Martha had just left for the kitchen to get popcorn and sodas after she had won a good-natured argument with the younger women. Lex wanted Martha to relax while they went for refreshments, but lost when the housekeeper stood up and tapped her on the nose.

"You two look too comfortable to disturb," she countered. "I want to check on the chili I have simmering on the stove anyway."

Lex tightened her grip on Amanda. The blonde was sitting between her outstretched legs on the sofa. "Stubborn old woman," she muttered.

The younger woman turned her head so that she could look Lex in the eyes. "Must be where you get it," she teased.

A knock at the front door interrupted whatever Lex was going to say. She touched the tip of Amanda’s nose with her fingertip. "I’ll get you later."

"Promise?" Amanda grinned.

"Lexie? Could you get that? I’m busy in the kitchen!" Martha yelled from the back of the house.

"Geez," Lex sighed. "I wish that she’d make up her mind. Stay put, get up…" She waited until Amanda climbed off the sofa and extended a hand to her. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Amanda pulled Lex up and looked at her. "Do you want me to get it?"

The tall woman shook her head. "Nah…" She started towards the front door. "But you’re more than welcome to come with me." Another knock caused her to frown. "Hold your horses, I’m coming!" Lex opened the door and stood face to face with a handsome older man. She had to look up to see his face. He seemed somewhat familiar but she couldn’t place where she had seen him before. "Umm…can I help you?"

"Lexington?" Tears filled his blue eyes as he studied the young woman across from him. He ran a shaky hand through his thick silver hair.

Amanda stepped around her friend and looked at the flustered man. Ooh…I bet I know who he is. The resemblance is uncanny! And he runs his hand through his hair just like Lex does when she’s nervous or upset. "Hi. My name’s Amanda…won’t you come in?" She patted Lex on the back in a comforting manner.

He smiled at the cute blonde woman. "Nice to meet you, Amanda. I’m…"

"My grandfather?" Lex asked quietly, finally making the connection. I thought he looked familiar.

"That’s right, honey." Travis Edwards nodded. He held out his hand cautiously. "It’s really good to see you, Lexington." God…she looks so much like Victoria, only taller and stronger.

Lex took his hand in hers and bit her lower lip in concentration. "Grandpa?" Sudden memories rushed back to her of this man from an earlier time in her life. Riding on his shoulders through a zoo laughing at his antics; eating ice cream cones by a quiet river as an elegant woman looked on fondly; and of waving goodbye to them both on the day that her mommy ‘went away’. He hasn’t changed much. Lex felt him pull her forward and she gratefully lunged into his strong arms.

Travis wrapped his shaky arms around his granddaughter in relief. "I’ve missed you so, Little One," he murmured into her ear. "I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, but I thought that you hated me."

She pulled back reluctantly from the embrace. "Hated you?" Lex took a deep breath and smiled. "I thought that you didn’t want to have anything to do with me, like my father." She looked around sheepishly. "Why don’t you come inside before we all freeze to death?" Lex wrapped an arm around her grandfather and led him into the house. She looked at the young blonde that stood just inside the doorway. "Amanda…this is my grandfather," she introduced them with a silly smile on her face.

"Ah…yes. We’ve met." Amanda smiled at the older man. "Mr. Edwards…come on in and I’ll get you some coffee." She was charmed by the childlike excitement exhibited by her partner. "Honey? Why don’t you take your grandfather into the den while I go check on Martha?"

Honey? Travis looked at both young women carefully. The love between them was easy to see. Ahh…so that’s it. Hmm…

Amanda cringed as Lex’s grandfather studied them both. Oh, rats! Guess I should have let him get to know her again before announcing our relationship like that. Lex is probably gonna kill me. "Umm…"

Lex put her free arm around Amanda’s shoulder when she saw the younger woman’s discomfort. "Why don’t we all three go into the den? I think Martha is doing just fine." Sneaky old woman…gonna have to get her back. I know she had something to do with this.

"Okay." Amanda allowed Lex to lead them both into the room. She leaned close to her lover and whispered, "But if you want some time alone to talk, just give me a sign."

"Not gonna happen, baby." Lex whispered back. She looked up into her grandfather’s face. "Are you okay with this? With us?" She thought that she’d better know now if he couldn’t handle their relationship.

Travis inspected the two women carefully. "I won’t lie to you, Lexington." He saw his granddaughter stiffen in reaction. "It’s going to take some getting used to because I still see you as an adorable four-year-old. ANYONE that you’re involved with is going to have to get used to me, as well." He held a hand out to Amanda. "I’d really like for you to consider me a part of your family too, Amanda."

Amanda took his hand and smiled warmly at Travis. "I’d like that, Mr. Edwards."

"You’d better call me either Grandpa, or Travis, young lady." He winked at Amanda.

"Okay, Grandpa," Amanda returned impishly. "I hope you don’t have plans for Christmas, because Lex and I expect our families to join us." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist in a big hug.

Lex laughed. "Give it up, Grandpa. She never loses and argument." She shook her head and led them both into the den.

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

"He’s so sweet," Amanda commented later to Lex as they got ready for bed. "Did you get him settled all right in the back guest room?"

"Yup. Thanks for talking him into staying the night. I really didn’t want him to drive back into town this late." Lex stood in the middle of the room as she took off her shirt. "I can’t believe that I have a living relative that actually wants something to do with me."

Amanda stood up from where she was perched on the end of the bed and crossed the room. "You’re kidding, right?" She wrapped her arms around the tall woman and snuggled her face into the rancher’s neck. "Any relative of yours would probably jump through hoops to be near you, honey. You’re just too darn adorable."

Lex sighed. "Yeah, right." She moved Amanda’s hair off her neck and began to nibble the smooth flesh. "Mmm…"

"Don’t change the subject, Lex. You’ve just got to…ahhh…" the blonde squirmed in Lex’s embrace when the rancher found a sensitive spot. "Oooh…"

"You were saying?" Lex whispered in the younger woman’s ear. She slipped her hands inside Amanda’s nightshirt and up the smooth back. Small hands worked into the back of her jeans and began to slide the denim down her slim hips.

"You really smell good," Amanda informed her lover. She ran her hands over the older woman’s chest and down her sides as she inhaled deeply.

"Uh-huh." Lex slipped the nightshirt over the blonde’s head. "I’ve never quite figured out your fascination with how I smell." She reached down and grasped the smaller woman’s rear and pulled her closer.

Amanda automatically raised her arms and locked her hands behind Lex’s neck. She tilted her head upward and felt her lips covered immediately. "Mmm…" She leaned into the kiss and almost squealed out loud when Lex tightened her grip and picked her up. "Lex! Put me down before you hurt yourself!" she ordered.

Lex chuckled and began trailing kisses down the younger woman’s throat. "Nope. Can’t let you get away." She began to walk slowly towards the bed, never stopping her exploration of Amanda’s neck with her lips.

"As if I’d want to." Amanda tilted her head back to allow the rancher better access. "I’m not going any…AAAAH!" She yelled when Lex tossed her onto the bed. "You scared me!"

"Did I?" Lex stood beside the bed with a devious grin.

"What are you thinking?" Amanda scooted back slightly. She almost screamed again as the tall form leapt towards her, arms outstretched.

Lex laughed as she jumped onto the bed and covered Amanda’s body with her own. "Gotcha!"

Amanda swatted ineffectually at the warm body over hers. "You are such a brat…" She thought for a moment and then blushed. "Oh, god. What if your grandfather heard us?" She covered her face with her hand.

"Let’s give him something worth hearing," Lex murmured as she began to work her way down Amanda’s body with kisses.

"I can’t believe that you’d…" Amanda paused when Lex found a sensitive spot and sucked gently. "Ooh…umm…" She arched her back in response.

The rancher chuckled again and continued her exploration. "You were saying?" She bit down gently with her teeth.

Amanda tangled her fingers in the dark hair. "Uh…I…oooh…" She closed her eyes and fell back to the bed to enjoy the sensations coursing through her body. "Oh, yeah…"

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

Early the next morning, Lex climbed out of bed and slipped on a pair of colorful boxers and a dark tee shirt. She looked down at the young woman who was still asleep and smiled. She looks so cute when she does that. As soon as Lex had gotten out of bed, Amanda rolled over and wrapped her arms around the rancher’s pillow. She shook her head and left the room quietly.

Maybe today will be the day that I find that damn box. She opened the storage room door and stepped inside. After she flipped on the light switch, Lex frowned. "I really need to clear more of this junk out of here." She waded through several stacks of boxes until she was in the back corner of the room. Lex opened up a large box and began sorting through it. Even with her height, she had to practically stand on her head to reach the bottom.

"Anything I can help you with, Little One?" Travis appeared directly behind the bent over young woman.

"Aaaah!" Startled, Lex fell headfirst into the box, splitting it down one side as she landed face down.

Travis quickly bent over and grabbed the prone woman’s hips. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He helped Lex to her feet and began trying to dust her off.

"I’m fine, Grandpa." Lex gently fought off his helping hands. "What are you doing up so early?" She realized how she must have looked to him and blushed.

"Early? It’s after six. I actually slept in." He noticed her discomfort. "What are you doing here in your jammies?" Travis couldn’t help but tease his granddaughter. She looks just like she did when she was four…always into something.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Umm…I’m looking for something."

He looked at the disarray around them. "I can see that, Lexington. What exactly ARE you looking for?"

"A small box that I packed away around nine years ago," Lex sighed. "But even if I find it, I’m afraid that it won’t be what I’m expecting." She sat down on the dusty floor in disgust.

"Oookay." Travis drew out the word and sat down next to his granddaughter. "What’s so important about this box anyway?" He patted her on the leg. "If you describe it to me, I’ll be more than happy to help you look for it."

Lex looked up at the older man’s sincere face. "Well, it was a small wooden jewelry box that belonged to my mother." She saw a brief flash of pain cross Travis’ features. "I’m sorry, Grandpa. I know this has got to be hard for you." She reached over and grasped his hand. "You don’t have to help. I’ll find it soon enough."

Travis shook his head. "No, I’d really like to help you, honey. Is there something special that’s supposed to be in the box?"

"If I remember correctly, it had her wedding ring in it," Lex explained.

He thought for a moment. Oh… "Amanda means a lot to you, doesn’t she?" He smiled to himself. She’s so cute when she blushes like that.

Damn…he’s a pretty sharp old guy. "She means everything to me, Grandpa. Although I took her for granted until I almost lost her last week." Lex looked down at their hands. "I want to give her something to let her know how special she is to me." She looked back up into his eyes. "Hell…I can buy her anything, Grandpa. But something that I’ve learned about Amanda is how sentimental she is; money means nothing to her. She’d probably treasure a rusted bottle cap if I gave it to her. That’s why I was thinking about mother’s ring."

"I don’t think giving her your mother’s ring is such a good idea," Travis uttered quietly.

"Why? I thought that you liked her too." Lex sat up and tried to pull her hand away from his.

Travis smiled gently and held her hand more tightly. "I do…very much, as a matter of fact."

"Then why…?"

"She deserves better than a cheap stainless steel band," he muttered angrily.

Lex’s jaw dropped. "What? Stainless steel? I thought that they wore gold?" I knew Dad was cheap, but…

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Your father bought stainless steel bands and had them dipped in a gold-tone alloy. Turned Victoria’s finger green after the first year when most of the gold color wore off. She finally took it off and put it away right before you were born, because she was afraid that it could have hurt you when you were a baby."

"Damn." Lex fell back against the wall in defeat. "There goes that idea, then." She propped her chin on her bent knee. "Guess I’ll just try to find something nice for her in town."

"Funny you should talk about rings, Little One." He released her hand and reached into his pocket. Travis pulled out a small black velvet box and handed it to Lex. "Your grandmother’s greatest wish was that I’d be able to reconcile with you." He wiped at a tear that escaped from his eye. "It was one of the last things she had said to me before she passed away."

Lex accepted the small box reverently. "I really wish that we hadn’t wasted all those years apart," she whispered. "I would have really liked to have known you both when I was growing up. All I ever really wanted was to have a real family." She blinked as several tears dropped from her eyes while she studied the package in her hand. "What’s in this?"

Travis put an arm around Lex and pulled her closer to him. "Open it, honey."

"All right." Lex lifted the lid and gasped in surprise. "Wow." Nestled atop dark blue satin sat a shimmering silver ring. It had a large square diamond in the center, with sparkling clear-cut sapphires on either side. "That’s beautiful."

"It belonged to my great-great grandmother. Each generation it has been passed along as a wedding ring, except for Victoria. Your father refused to allow her to wear it. I gave it to my Melanie on our wedding day, and she had always wanted you to have it." Travis looked at the ring fondly. "Do you think that Amanda would like it? I know that your grandmother would be thrilled to keep it in the family."

She stared at the ring for a long moment. "She didn’t even know me." Lex looked up into Travis’ face. "Do you honestly think that she would have liked me? I’m not what you’d call normal."

The older man looked at her sadly. "Honey…she loved you. We’ve kept tabs on you all these years, you know." He winked at Lex. "Lester has kept us up to date on just about everything you’ve done. He and I grew up together."

"Really? You and Lester are friends?" Lex tried to reconcile this distinguished gentleman with the rough cowhand. "You’ve got to be kidding me. You two are nothing alike."

"He became cook on this ranch because I wanted someone close by to keep an eye on Victoria. I’m sorry to say this, honey…but I’ve never liked or trusted your father." Travis ran a hand across Lex’s face. "I was afraid he was after your mother for her money. It wasn’t until after she died that I realized that in his own way, he really did love her."

Lex wiped at her face with her hand. "Do you really think so?" She thought back to all the time she had spent with her father. He never once told me he loved me. I didn’t think he was even capable of such an emotion. She shook her head mentally. But I guess the same could have been said about me, until Amanda came along.

Travis nodded. "I know he did, Little One. He fell completely apart at the funeral." He reached over and wiped at the young woman’s face with his fingertips. "Why don’t you go get cleaned up? We can talk more later, sweetheart."

"That’s probably a good idea, Grandpa. Amanda will probably be awake anytime now." Lex leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"I couldn’t give up on you any more than I could give up on myself, Lexington." Travis stood up and pulled her up with him. "I’ll see you downstairs later for breakfast, all right?"

She wrapped her arms around Travis and hugged him tight. "You sure will. Thanks for everything, Grandpa." Lex kissed his cheek again and practically ran from the room.

He watched her leave with a large smile on his face. "Well, Melanie," he addressed his deceased wife quietly, "looks like we’ve got a granddaughter again."

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

Amanda wrinkled her nose when a light touch ran down her face. Another feather-like sensation caused one green eye to open slowly. "Lex?" She blinked both eyes open and studied the woman leaning over her. "What’s going on?"

"Good morning." Lex leaned down and gave Amanda a long, sensual kiss. "Did you sleep well?"

"I always do, when I’m with you," Amanda answered. She reached up and fingered the dark hair, which was damp. "Did you just get out of the shower?"

Lex grinned. "Yup. I was kinda dirty, so I thought I’d better clean up." She ran a gentle fingertip down Amanda’s cheek. "Talked with Grandpa for a few minutes this morning."

The younger woman squirmed to a more upright position on the bed. "Really? What did you talk about?"

"Quite a bit, actually." Lex rolled over to lie on her side, facing Amanda. She propped her head up with one hand. "I was in the storage room and he came in and scared the daylights out of me. I landed face first in one of the big boxes in the corner."

Amanda giggled. "Bet that was a sight." She mirrored the older woman’s posture and ran her free hand down Lex’s arm. "You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?"

"Nope. But I bet I looked funny with my butt sticking up out of that damn box. Grandpa pulled me out and then we sat down and talked for a bit." Lex captured the small hand and brought it to her lips. "We even talked about you." Don’t chicken out, Lexington. That’s a perfect opening, now use it!

"Me? What did…?" Amanda asked, then blushed. "He’s okay with us, isn’t he?" He certainly seemed okay last night. Unless he thought about it during the night and changed his mind.

Lex rolled over and crawled off the bed and stepped into the bathroom. "Hold on a minute." She walked back into the room carrying something in her hand and dropped to one knee on Amanda’s side of the bed. "I told Grandpa how much you meant to me, Amanda. He asked me what I was doing in the storage room, and I explained that I was looking for something that I packed away years ago."

Amanda sat up and faced the kneeling rancher. "What was that, honey?" She could feel Lex’s nervousness as if it were a tangible thing. When the older woman held out her hand, the blonde automatically accepted it.

"When I first took over the master bedroom, I packed up all of my folks’ things and put them in storage. The one thing I wanted to give to you, I haven’t been able to find." Lex kissed Amanda’s hand. "I wanted to give you something to show you how much you mean to me."

"Oh, baby…you don’t have to give me anything." Amanda curled her hand around Lex’s cheek. "You show me all the time how you feel."

Lex nodded. "I try to. But I wanted to give you more than just words, or actions. I want you to have a symbol of my love for you. That’s why I was looking for my mother’s wedding ring." She bent forward and placed her head on the younger woman’s lap. "I’ve already given you my promise to love you forever, Amanda…I just want to give you a token of that promise." She looked up with tears in her eyes. "It took almost losing you to realize just how precious you are to me…I can’t allow one more day to go by and not show you how I feel."

She looked down at Lex and at the remembered pain in those blue eyes. When Lex took her left hand and kissed it again, Amanda almost cried. "Oh, sweetheart…"

"I couldn’t find mother’s ring. But Grandpa gave me something that I think is more fitting." Lex opened the box that she had hidden behind her back and pulled the ring out. "This ring belonged to my great-great-great grandmother. Grandpa said that it was passed down from generation to generation as a wedding present." She slipped the jewel-encrusted band on Amanda’s finger and kissed the small hand again. "I would be truly honored if you would wear this ring and accept my promise to love you forever, Amanda Lorraine Cauble." Lex waited to see what the younger woman’s response would be.

"Lex…" Amanda looked closely at the ring. "My god, it’s incredible." She choked back a sob of happiness. "I’ll cherish it as I do you." She reached out and pulled Lex to her in a strong embrace. "Always and forever, Lexington Marie Walters."

The dark-haired woman sealed the pledge with a tender kiss. She pulled back slightly to look into the green eyes full of unshed tears. "Always and forever, my love."

The End