Please see part 1 for disclaimers.

Strength of the Heart

Part III

Chapter 9

The nervous man gently shook the bouquet of flowers he was holding, killing time while he waited for someone to answer the door. He looked down at his khaki slacks and berated himself. Maybe I shouldn't have brought flowers. What if she’s allergic? I should have gotten roses instead of the wildflower mix. Maybe I should have worn a tie. She’ll probably think I’m not taking it seriously. What if…his internal argument was halted in mid-conditional when the door opened and a lovely, slightly overweight woman wearing dark jeans and a pale green cotton blouse smiled brightly at him.

Lois opened the door wider and stepped back. "Michael. Please come in." Her shoulder-length brown hair bounced slightly as she led him into the living room of the neat, but modest home. "Why don’t you have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

He started to sit down, but remembered what he was holding and thrust the bouquet in front of his body. "Umm, these are for you." Michael watched as Lois took the bouquet from him and inhaled deeply of their scent.

She smiled happily, her dark eyes twinkling. "Thank you! What a thoughtful thing for you to do. I haven’t been given flowers in years." She pointed him to a chair and laughed. "Oh, my. I can’t get over it. Flowers! Let me just go put these in water. I’ll be right back." Rushing from the room, she continued to rave about his thoughtfulness. "I just love wildflowers, they’re so colorful."

Michael chuckled as he sat down. Well, I guess that worked out okay. And she’s dressed pretty casually, too. Now I don’t feel so bad. I’ve never seen someone get so excited over such a little thing. When she stepped back into the room, he stood up and smiled. "I’m glad you liked them. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure if you would."

The decorator sat down next to him and laughed. "Not like flowers? Goodness!" She patted Michael on the knee. "They really are lovely, thank you. Do you have any preferences for what you’d like to do tonight?"

"Ah, not really. I’m still learning my way around. I’m afraid that Somerville has changed quite a bit from when I grew up here." Michael turned so that he could focus more on the smiling woman. When was the last time a woman asked me what I wanted to do? Now I begin to see what I’ve been missing for so many years. "I was hoping you had a few good ideas."

"Do you like to dance? There’s a quiet little bar off the town square that has a pretty good deejay after six."

Nodding his agreement, Michael stood up. "That sounds like fun. Although I hope you are wearing steel-toed shoes. I haven’t danced in I don’t know how long."

"Me either! So I guess we’ll just have to wing it, don’t you agree?" Lois stood up also, her bright smile infectious. She led him to the door, but turned back before exiting. "Don’t think me too forward, but I’d like to buy you dinner tonight." When Michael opened his mouth to argue, she held up one hand. "Please? Consider it a payment for helping me decide on which wallpaper to hand in the guestrooms. It would have taken me hours to finally get Lexington to decide – if I could have found her at all."

"Well, since you put it that way, I don’t see how I can refuse." Michael stepped outside with her and waited as Lois locked the door. "But only if you let me at least buy the drinks."

"It’s a deal," Lois agreed, sighing happily as he opened the car door for her. Handsome, comes from a wonderful family, and a gentleman to boot. The woman that let him get away should be locked up. She had no way of knowing just how accurate her assessment was.

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

Amanda stepped out of the living room with a concerned look on her face. The young woman had spent the last half-hour trying to track down her errant partner, with no luck. She had decided to take the rest of the day off from work so that she could sit in on the meeting with the private investigator, and wanted to let Lex know where she was. So lost was she in her thoughts, Amanda almost knocked down her grandmother in the front entryway. "Oh! I’m sorry, Gramma. I didn’t see you there."

"That’s quite all right, dear. You look troubled – is something the matter?" Anna Leigh put an arm around the younger woman’s waist and guided her to the kitchen. "Sit down and tell me what’s bothering you."

"I’m worried about Lex. She’s not at home, and according to Martha, she hasn’t even been out to the ranch today. I’ve called around, but no one’s seen her." Amanda glanced up at the clock on the wall. "It’s almost six o’clock – where on earth could she be?"

Sitting down next to her granddaughter, Anna Leigh placed her hand on Amanda’s arm. "Did she give you any idea what she was going to do today?"

"No, not really. I guess I just assumed that she’d spend time on the construction of the house while I went to work." She looked down at the tablecloth. "I kinda forgot to mention to Lex that I had a doctor’s appointment today. She’s going to be furious with me when she finds out."

Anna Leigh shook her head and sighed. "Mandy, you can’t keep something like that from Lexington. She loves you, and deserves to know these things."

"I know. But I was afraid that if she knew, she’d want to come with me. And you know how antsy she gets at the doctor’s office. I just didn’t want her to suffer through that because of me."

Travis walked into the kitchen and spotted the women at the table. "Hello, ladies." He saw the look on Amanda’s face and sat down on the other side of her. "What’s the matter, honey? Were you able to reach Lexie and ask her to come over for dinner?"

Amanda shook her head. "No. She doesn’t answer her cell phone, and I can’t seem to find her anywhere. She’s not at home, and she hasn’t been at the ranch today, either. I don’t know what to think."

"Maybe she had some errands to run in town. Did she say anything to you this morning?" He exchanged glances with Anna Leigh, who shrugged her shoulders. "You girls didn’t have a spat or anything, did you?"

"No, of course not." Although, now that she thought about it, maybe she had said something that upset her lover before they had gone their separate ways. Amanda thought back to the early morning, when they were both getting ready for the day. Actually, Lex was getting ready, and I sat around in my bathrobe and enjoyed the view.

"The black-handled one?" the blonde asked. She was stretched out on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Not wanting Lex to know about her doctor’s appointment, she decided not to get dressed until the rancher was out of the house. Wearing sweats would be a dead giveaway that I’m not going to work, that’s for sure. As she took another sip of her coffee, Amanda couldn’t help but notice that something was bothering her friend.

"I’m fine, love. And I’ve got a lot of things that need to be done. I can’t just…" Lex paused, thinking about her partner’s request. Haven’t I worried her enough lately? What’s the harm in taking one day off? "Okay."

"Amanda? Are you all right?"

She was broken out of her reverie by Travis’ concerned voice. "Huh?" Lex gave up way too easily this morning. I should have gotten her to stay home longer and then tried to get her to open up about what was bothering her. "Oh, yes. I’m sorry about that."

"What’s going on in that cute little head of yours, Mandy? Is there something we can do to help you?" Anna Leigh had a pretty good idea what, or whom, her granddaughter’s mind was on, but wanted to make sure that the young woman knew that her family was there if she needed them.

"Not at the moment, Gramma. But as soon as I know something, I’ll let you know." Amanda stood up and left the room, determined to find Lex and have a long talk with her.

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

Janna stood up from the table, placing one hand on the back of her chair to keep balanced. "I’ll be back in a minute. You wanna order another one?" she asked, pointing to the empty pitcher. They had been at the small bar all day, alternating between playing pool and polishing off containers of beer. "I gotta…" She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb towards the restrooms.

"Sure. I’ll take care of it," Lex assured her, grinning as her friend slowly made her way to the back of the room. They had matched each other drink for drink, and the rancher was hard-pressed to remember just how many pitchers of beer they had consumed. She waved at the waitress, who had come on duty in the last hour.

The young blonde woman her way through the tall tables, balancing her tray on one ample hip. She was about Amanda’s age and height, but was easily forty or so pounds heavier. "Hiya, hon. You gals need another round?"

"Yep." Lex pulled a ten-dollar bill from her wallet and tossed it on the tray. "Keep the change."

"Oooh. I sure will." She hurried away, intent on keeping a good customer happy.

Lex rubbed her face as she tried to sort out her feelings. Jeez, Lexington, getting drunk isn’t gonna help matters any. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t summon up the desire to stop. I’ll worry about it later – one night out isn’t gonna hurt me. Before she could dwell too deeply on these thoughts, Janna returned to the table.

"Didya get another one?" she asked, climbing into her chair with a bit of difficulty. "Did someone change chairs on me? This one seems taller."

"No. I figure you’re just a bit drunker, is all." Lex winked at the waitress who poured them each a fresh mug and then set the pitcher on the table. "Thanks."

The young blonde nodded. "No problem, hon. But I’m afraid this is your last one, unless you can tell the bartender who your designated driver is. He’s afraid you two have had enough."

Lex stood unsteadily. "That’s bullshit! He can’t do that."

"Hang on. Let me go talk to him, okay?" Janna knew that her friend was on a short fuse, and silently cursed herself for allowing their drinking to go so far. "I’ll be back in a minute." She stood up and slowly staggered towards the bar.

"Stupid jerk, trying to tell us what we can do. Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?" Lex dropped back to her chair, trying to muster a glare to send in the direction of the bartender. "Jackass." She didn’t notice when someone walked over to her table and sat down, until he began to speak.

"Hey there." The young man that slid into Janna’s chair pulled out a cigarette and lit it, studying the rancher as if she were dessert. "Don’t think I’ve seen you in here before, babe."

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

Michael opened the door for Lois, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the hazy atmosphere of the bar. "I had no idea this place was here," he commented loudly, trying to be heard over the loud beat of a dance tune.

"I hate to admit this, but I’ve been here several times. It’s fun, but I don’t have to worry about being bothered if I want to be left alone," Lois explained, squeezing through the jumble of chairs to find a table near the bar. When her date pulled out her chair for her, the decorator smiled. "Thank you, Michael. I’d forgotten what it was like to be around a gentleman."

"You’re welcome, Lois. Would you like for me to get you a drink?" He leaned closer to her so that he could whisper in her ear. "My father would tan my hide if I wasn’t. A gentleman, that is."

She laughed and lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "God, I love a man with a sense of humor!" Checking her watch, Lois sighed. "It’s a bit late, but I’d love a rum and coke."

"Great! I’ll be right back." He tapped the table once and stepped through the crowd.

Having been disappointed in the dating scene before, Lois was enjoying the evening thoroughly. There’s got to be a catch – no man can be this perfect. She heard a bit of yelling at the back of the club, but directed her attention to the bar. He’s just so darned sweet.

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

"What did you call me?" Lex sputtered, glaring across the table at the kid. "I know you didn’t say what I thought you did."

He held out his hands. "Don’t get your panties in a bunch, sweet thing. I just noticed you and your friend from across the room, and thought you could use some company."

"What!?" Lex knocked over the empty pitcher when she jumped to her feet. "Get lost, kid. I don’t feel like messing with you."

"C’mon, sugar. You just need the right man to make you forget all your troubles." He twisted in his chair and looked behind him, giving his friends who were standing at the bar a thumbs up. "Let’s go outside where we can have a bit more…privacy."

Lex stormed around the table and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling the arrogant man to his feet. "Get the fuck out of my sight, before I embarrass you in front of your buddies."

He tried to fight off her grip. "What are you, some sort of dyke?"

"That’s exactly what I am, Boy Scout. Now back off before I get mad." Lex shoved him backwards, causing the young man to knock over another table.

"Hey!" Two burly men barely got out of the way before their table collapsed. "Watch it!"

The rancher was about to yell something back to them when another man stepped in front of her. "Get out of my way, buddy – or you’re next." Squinting in the dim light, she recognized him as Amanda’s father. Shit.

"Lex, hold on." Michael had seen the commotion from the bar and hurried over, worried about his daughter’s partner. He reached over and touched her arm, which she easily batted away.

"Go ‘way, Michael. This has nothing to do with you." She looked around for the man who had bothered her, but he seemed to have disappeared in the smoky room. "Damn."

Janna stepped up next to Michael and looked at her friend. "You okay, Lex?" She had unsuccessfully tried to get another pitcher of beer from the bartender, and was now trying to figure out how to break the news to the obviously pissed off woman.

"I’m fine." Lex glared down at the man in front of her. "Go back to where you came from. Everything’s just fine, here."

"No." Michael studied the tall woman carefully. She’s drunk. He looked at Janna, who was leaning unsteadily against the table. And her friend’s in worse shape. I need to get them both home before something else happens to them. He was about to say something else when he was roughly shoved aside.

"Get out of my way, old man. This bitch owes my friend an apology." A large man practically threw Michael to the floor, which caused Lex’s eyes to narrow.

The rancher leaned down and helped Michael to his feet, then turned and glared at the intruder. "I think you’re the one who needs to apologize, asshole. That’s my future father-in-law you just knocked down."

The burly man looked around the room. He was several inches taller than Lex and easily outweighed her by fifty pounds. "Where’s your boyfriend, then?"

"My girlfriend is probably at home by now, wondering where I am." Lex started to shove by him, but was stopped when his hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Girlfriend? You’re a lesbo?"

Lex couldn’t help it, she laughed. "Yeah. Probably because of guys like you." She shook off his hand and started to leave.

"You bitch!" The large man spun her back around and punched Lex in the face. "People like you ought to…" He stopped talking when her foot met his groin. Falling to the floor, he gasped in pain.

"Asshole." Lex sniffled and wiped at her face, surprised when she felt blood on her hand. Shit. Amanda’s gonna kill me. Looking around, she realized that Michael had disappeared. Great. Now I’ve pissed her dad off, too. She looked over at Janna, who had held off the man’s two friends without much trouble. "You about ready to get out of here? I need to get home."

Janna pulled a few napkins off another table and handed them to her friend. "Yeah. I think we’d better call a cab, though. Neither one of us is in any shape to drive."

"Yeah, I think you’re right." Lex held the napkins under her nose, trying to stem the flow of blood. "Jackass got in a lucky shot."

When he realized that Lex was all right, Michael had hurried across the room to where he had left Lois. "I’m sorry I was gone for so long," he apologized.

"That’s all right, Michael. Was that Lexington over there?"

"I’m afraid so. She and her friend are a bit, umm, drunk. Would you mind very much if I took them home?" Although he was having a good time with Lois tonight, Michael’s first concern was getting Lex home safely.

Lois shook her head. "Of course not! As a matter of fact, let me help you. I can follow you in your car, so you can drive hers. That way you don’t have to get a ride back." She gathered up her purse and stood up. "I think they’re trying to leave. We’d better hurry."

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

Amanda had just hung up the phone when it rang, causing her to jump. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey. I was just looking for you." Michael breathed a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you’d be over there."

"What’s up, Daddy?"

He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. "Umm…why don’t you come to your house, and we can discuss it more when you get here. I had to bring Lex home."

Concerned, Amanda stood up. "Had to bring her home? My God, what happened? Is Lex all right?" Her panicked voice alerted Anna Leigh, who hurried into the room.

"Calm down, honey. I think she’ll be just fine. I found her and Janna at Mickey’s. They just had a little too much beer." Michael looked over at Lex, who was sprawled out on the sofa with her head tilted back, dozing. Her nose had finally quit bleeding, but she sported a nice bruise above her lip, which bore a small split from the man’s knuckles.

"You think she’s going to be okay? That’s it. I’m on my way right now. Thanks for calling, Daddy." Amanda hung up the phone before Michael could say another word. She looked up at her grandmother. "That was Daddy. He found Lex and brought her home."

"Found her? Where was she?" The older woman followed her granddaughter out of the room, watching as Amanda gathered up her things to leave. "What’s going on, Mandy?"

Stopping at the front door, Amanda turned around. "She was in the bar off of the town square, drinking beer with Janna. I don’t know exactly what’s up with her, Gramma, but something’s got to be wrong, if Daddy had to bring her home. I’ll call you when I find out, okay?"

Anna Leigh nodded, pulling Amanda close for a hug. "Please do. And if you need me to do anything for you, just let me know. I love you, Mandy."

"I love you too, Gramma. Thanks." She raced down the front steps, in a hurry to get home.

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

Michael had filled a plastic bag with ice and forced Lex to put it on her face. After the initial argument, she had quietly surrendered to his firm request and was now sitting on the sofa with her head resting on the back cushions, her eyes closed. He had driven the huge truck to the house, while Lois had volunteered to use his car to take Janna home. She promised to come and pick him up when she was through, although it would take her quite a while to get back. He knew that the young accountant lived out of town with her grandfather on the property neighboring Lex’s ranch, and realized he had a long wait ahead of him. The sound of a car door slamming caused him to smile. She made good time.

The front door opened and Amanda raced into the house. "Daddy?" She saw her partner’s still form sitting on the sofa, but was blocked from going over to her when Michael stepped in front of her.

"Sshh." He reached over and touched his daughter’s arm. "I just got her settled down a few minutes ago. Let’s go into the kitchen to talk."

"Okay." Allowing him to lead her, Amanda held her tongue until they were in the other room. "What happened? Was that blood on her shirt?"

Sitting down, Michael released a heavy breath. "Yes. She got into a little altercation at a bar this evening." He waited until Amanda sat down beside him before continuing. "Lex was there with her friend, Janna, and looked like they had been there for most of the day. Some guy came over and started something, and when she didn’t agree with him, he popped her in the nose. It looks a lot worse than it is, believe me."

"She got into a bar fight?"

"It really wasn’t her fault – I was there and saw the whole thing."

Amanda shook her head, confused. "You were there?" She braced her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands. "Lord. It just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?" Now that she knew that her lover was all right, the fear she had felt initially had turned into a weary resignation.

"Amanda, please. She probably wouldn’t have even done anything, if that guy hadn’t shoved me. I feel a bit responsible."

"What?" Amanda’s head popped up and she looked at her father incredulously. "Who shoved you?"

Oops. Now I’ve done it. "Umm, well. Lois and I had gone in for a drink, and I saw Lex arguing with some guy. Since I didn’t want her to get into any trouble, I went over to see if I could help. Well, this guy had friends, and one of them shoved me so that he could get up into Lex’s face." He chuckled. "He was huge, but she never batted an eye – told him he owed me an apology."

The blonde nodded. "That sounds like her, all right. Then what?"

"Uh, let me think a minute. Oh, yeah. He called her a…" Here Michael flushed. "A dyke, and she said that it was because of men like him. That pissed him off, and he punched her in the face. Gave her a nose bleed, nothing serious."

"Okay, that explains the blood on her shirt. What happened next?" Now that she realized that Lex was not seriously hurt, Amanda was curious about the rest of the evening. "Did she fight back?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, you bet. Brought him to his knees with one swift kick. I went back over to where Lois was, and we decided to give Lex and Janna a ride home."

"Lois. Oh, your date! How did that go, anyway?" Amanda smiled at her father’s sudden embarrassment.

"She’s a really sweet woman. As a matter of fact, she should be here soon with my car. I’d like for you to meet her."

Amanda smiled. "I’d like that, too. I’m sorry your evening was ruined, though. I’m going to have to have a little talk with Lex."

Michael touched her arm. "Not on my account, please. We had a great evening. Something like this just reinforced what I thought about Lois – she’s got a beautiful heart. I can’t wait to get to know her better."

"I’m really glad, Daddy. So, tell me about this lady." Amanda leaned forward and smiled as her father blushed again. He’s like a teenager with his first crush. That’s so sweet. "C’mon, let’s hear it."

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

Amanda closed the front door with an exhausted sigh. "She was really sweet, but I’m glad they’re gone. I’m pooped." She glanced over at the sofa, where her partner was still stretched out, her face covered with the towel that Michael had wrapped around the bag full of ice. Lex hadn’t moved all evening, and Amanda was beginning to think that the quiet woman had passed out from too much alcohol. I’ll get her to bed in a minute. I need to call Gramma before it gets to be too late. She decided to go into the bedroom to make the call, so as not to disturb Lex.

She dialed her grandparents’ number and waited for someone to pick up. All the while, Amanda’s mind raced with thoughts of her troubled lover. She’d known Lex long enough to understand how deeply affected she could be by the disappointments and losses in her life, yet how incapable her friend was of dealing with the deep emotions that she felt.

"Gramma? I’m fine. Yes…Lex is fine. She’s resting in the living room." Amanda let out a deep breath while she listened to her grandmother express her concern for the two women.

"Really, Gramma. I know you love Lex too, and I understand how worried you are for the both of us, but…" She could hear the distress in the older woman’s voice. Amanda knew that her grandmother had come to love Lex as if she were her own grandchild. But she also knew that Anna Leigh was even more concerned about the possible toll that her lover’s troubles were taking on her.

"No, wait. Please listen to me. I know you’re worried that this is too much for me. But so does Lex. That’s the point, don’t you see?"

Lex pulled the towel-wrapped bag from her face. She could hear Amanda’s earnest words coming from the bedroom, and she quietly got up and approached the partially opened door. She was still half afraid to come face to face with the woman she loved more than life…afraid of what Amanda must be thinking of her. She was startled by the young woman’s words and couldn’t help but continue to eavesdrop on her lover’s conversation.

"Think about how you and Grandpa felt when you were estranged from Daddy. Lex just got her grandfather back. She has only one living member of her immediate family, and he loathes her very existence. She’s also lost her home – we’ve lost our home," Amanda corrected. "One more thing: even though Rawson wanted to die the way he did, I can tell that Lex is eaten up with guilt over the circumstances. And, although I know it’s wrong to feel this way, I can’t help but be angry with him for choosing to die in the manner he did. She spent her whole life feeling like she failed her father somehow – for years he left Lex to wonder what she did that made her so unlovable to him. Then he did this. This time he left her wondering if she could have done more, should have done more, or if anything she did do contributed to him leaving her again."

A tear tracked its way down Lex’s cheek as the truth of Amanda’s words pierced her heart.

"She’s hurting, Gramma. Lex is in so much pain, and she doesn’t know what to do. Can you imagine how worried she is? How scared she has to be?" Amanda listened for a moment as Anna Leigh compassionately agreed with her assessment.

Amanda had been pacing as she talked with her grandmother. "I’d bet even money that she is worried about me leaving her, too." The heaviness in her heart caused Amanda to drop wearily onto Lex’s side of the bed. As she laid her head down and breathed in the scent of her lover’s hair that lingered on the pillow, she continued. "All I want to do is wrap my love around Lex like a protective gauze so that nothing can touch her anymore. But I can’t do that. No matter how much I love her, I can’t take away the pain in her heart."

The rancher moved closer to the door. Peeking in, she saw Amanda lying on the bed, clutching the telephone receiver in one hand and her pillow in the other. Tears were streaming down the blonde woman’s face.

"Gramma, Lex is afraid that there will be one final thing that will be too much for me, and then I’ll leave her, too. She knows that I love her, that I need her. Still, there’s a part of her that is so afraid that something will happen, and I’ll abandon her like everyone else has. She’s in such a dark place right now – and she can’t find her way out."

Lex slid down the wall she had been leaning on and collapsed in a tearful heap. Every word that Amanda had spoken was true. That was how she felt. That was what scared her – that the one woman that had so completely taken ownership of her heart would blame her for everything and leave. I couldn’t take that. She buried her face in her arms and silently wept.

"Yes, I’ve tried to reassure her. But words alone aren’t enough. Lex has to see that I’m here to stay. I’ll always be here. And hopefully, she’ll find her way back to me. All I can do is to be here for her and let my love light the way back."

The bedroom door opened completely, revealing the tall, extremely distressed woman. Amanda gazed into eyes that were full of sadness and regret. "I need to go, Gramma. Lex needs me." Hanging up the phone, she sat up and held out her arms to her friend.

Lex crossed the room to climb onto the bed and snuggled into the waiting woman’s embrace. "It hurts…I hurt."

"I know, baby. I know." Amanda continued to hold and caress Lex, whispering words of love, comfort, and forever into the woman’s ear until, finally, they both drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 10

Morning came and as Lex awoke, she came to the realization that large amounts of beer coupled with heavy doses of tears added up to one gigantic headache. She slowly cracked open her aching eyes and looked around the room. During the night she had completely wrapped herself around Amanda, and it took her several moments to disentangle their bodies and slip from the bed. The blonde stirred, but quickly nestled into Lex’s pillow and stilled.

Lex staggered to the bathroom and quietly closed the door. After relieving herself, she stood at the sink and washed her hands. Looking up into the mirror, the face that stared back at her was that of a stranger. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the dark circles beneath them only highlighted her gaunt appearance. A dark bruise shadowed her upper lip, and Lex hissed as she gingerly touched the now-closed split below the bruise. Beautiful, Lexington. It’s a wonder Amanda didn’t kick you out of the house. What the hell were you thinking? Just how many times will she forgive you for acting like a complete ass? The fear of losing the person she loved more than anything caused tears to well up in her eyes. She dropped to her knees on the tile floor and wrapped her arms around her body, her breath coming out in strangled sobs. Oh, God. I’m losing it. I can’t…

Amanda woke up when she realized that she was alone in bed. Glancing over at the digital clock, she sat up in bed and saw the light leaking out from under the bathroom door. Climbing out of bed, she tiptoed quietly to the door, listening to see if Lex was okay. When she heard what sounded like crying Amanda pushed open the door and felt her heart break.

The rancher was huddled up in one corner with knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them. Her face was buried in her arms and her entire body shook with the silent sobs as she cried. She never heard the door open, but glanced up when she felt Amanda’s presence. Lex sniffled a few times and wiped at her eyes as if to hide what she was feeling. She struggled to stand up, and was helped to her feet by her lover. "Thanks," she rasped, her throat raw from the crying jag. "Wha…what are you doing up? It’s still early."

"I missed you, " Amanda whispered gently, fearing that one wrong word from her would cause her vulnerable partner to bolt. She reached for a washcloth and dampened it, turning Lex to her and then wiping at her face. "This looks like it hurts," she commented, dabbing lightly at the split lip.

"Not really," Lex assured her. "But my head feels like it’s about to explode." Not to mention the pain in my heart. She could see the exhaustion that Amanda wore like a blanket, and knew that she was to blame. I’ve hurt her by the way I’ve acted. But I swear, I don’t know what to do to make it up to her. Maybe she’d be better off without having to always worry about me. The thought of leaving Amanda, even for her own good, caused Lex to close her eyes. I don’t think I can handle much more right now. She gripped the edge of the counter to keep from falling.

Amanda saw her lover waver slightly. "That’s it. Back to bed for you." She took Lex’s arm and pulled her to the bedroom.

Following silently, the dark-haired woman prayed to herself that once they were in bed, Amanda wouldn’t want to talk. I really don’t think I can tell her what she wants to hear right now. Something is broken inside of me, and I don’t know how to fix it. She lay shakily down on the bed, closing her eyes so that she couldn’t see her friend’s face. I’ve disappointed her. I know that. She deserves so much better than that. When the younger woman covered her up with the comforter, Lex forced a smile to her face. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime, love." Amanda sat down on the edge of the bed and reached over to stroke the exhausted woman’s face. "Do you need to talk?"

"No. I…I can’t, Amanda. Please." Lex shook her head and fought back the panic and tears. "I know we should, but I just can’t. Not right now."

"Ssssh." She continued to gently touch Lex’s face, trying to reassure her lover that she understood. "Just rest, baby. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise you that." Amanda leaned down and gave Lex a loving kiss. She stayed next to her friend until the rancher fell into a deep sleep. With a heavy sigh, Amanda regretfully stood up and left the bedroom, afraid that if she stayed she’d fall back asleep herself. And I need to call Gramma and see how she’s doing.

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

Anna Leigh hung up the phone and went in search of her husband. She had just finished talking to Amanda, and her concern for her granddaughter was warring with her love for Lexington. Both women held deep places in her heart, but her first priority was to the young woman that she had practically raised as her own. She knew about the rough time that Lex went through when she was younger. As a matter of fact, the entire town knew about the rancher’s partial breakdown several years before. The woman that Lex had taken into her home unceremoniously dumped her, breaking her young heart. The drinking, the fighting – I don’t want Mandy to see her like that. But I’m afraid that’s exactly where she’s heading.

Travis stood at the top of the stairs, watching as a very upset Anna Leigh stepped into the living room. I wonder what’s going on? I hope the girls are okay. He hurried down the stairway, but paused outside of the room. It’s probably none of my business.

"Hello, beautiful," Jacob greeted, then caught the look on his wife’s face. "What’s the matter, love? Has something happened?" He stood up from his seat at the desk and met her in the middle of the room. When she wordlessly wrapped her arms around him, his heart began to pound. "Anna Leigh? What’s wrong?"

She buried her face in his shirt, allowing the aftershave that Jacob wore to calm her frazzled nerves. "I’m so worried about Mandy," Anna Leigh murmured.

"Why? Was that her on the phone? What’s going on?"

"You remember last night, when she didn’t know where Lexington was? Well, Michael called here and told Mandy that he had found Lexington and brought her home." Anna Leigh didn’t argue when Jacob led her to the nearby loveseat and sat down, pulling her onto his lap.

Jacob rubbed her back gently, trying to calm the woman he loved. "Okay, so Michael took Lex home." He paused for a moment as he realized the implications. "Oh, no. Do you think…?"

Anna Leigh nodded. "That’s what I’m afraid of. What if she goes on another binge, like she did a few years ago? That would just about kill Mandy."

"A binge? What the hell are you talking about?" Travis had heard enough of the conversation from his position in the hallway to upset him. "Are you saying that Lexie is in trouble?" He stepped into the room and sat across from his friends. "I’m sorry to have been eavesdropping on your conversation, but I saw Anna Leigh rush in here and I was worried about her."

"That’s quite all right, Travis." Anna Leigh turned slightly so that she could look him directly in the eyes. "I keep forgetting that you missed that part of Lexington’s life – I’m sorry."

Travis shook his head. "What exactly are you talking about? What part of her life?"

"My dear friend, let’s go into the living room where we can all be more comfortable. We have a bit of history to share with you, and I’m afraid it’s not very pleasant." Jacob helped his wife stand and motioned for Travis to lead the way. "But maybe it will help you realize why we’re not just concerned for Lex, but for how all of this could affect Amanda, as well."

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

Travis wiped at the tears in his eyes. Dear lord, poor Lexie has been through a lot. I can understand their concern now. He leaned forward and covered his face with one hand, trying to sort his feelings. Lainey, my love – how could we not have been here for her through all of this? Although in Lester’s defense, he probably knew nothing about it, either. So many wasted years. A light touch on his shoulder caused the grieving man to raise his head up in alarm.

"Travis, I’m sorry that we were the bearers of such awful news. But we wanted you to know why you overheard us saying the things you did. We love Lexington as if she were our own, you know." Anna Leigh hated to see their friend in so much anguish.

"I know. And I appreciate you helping me to understand more about my granddaughter. It just tears me up inside, knowing that she went through all of that alone."

Jacob stood up and crossed the room. "She wasn’t completely alone, Travis. I think Martha did a fine job with Lex – look how well she turned out." He stood next to his wife and put an arm around her shoulder. "She’s a fine young woman, my friend. You should be proud."

The still seated man nodded. "I am, believe me. I just wish we had been there to support her when she needed us." He sighed. "And now you think that Lexie is reverting back to her old ways? I just don’t see it, myself."

"We don’t actually think that way, Travis. We’re just very concerned. She’s been under an inordinate amount of stress lately, and did have to be driven home from bars in two separate instances in the past few days." Anna Leigh sat on one arm of the chair that Travis was sitting in. "All that we’re saying is that we want to help Lexington any way we can."

"You’ve talked to Amanda. What does she say about all of this?" Travis found it hard to believe that Lex would lose that much control so quickly. I know she’s upset and hurting right now, but I just refuse to believe that she’d throw away everything she’s worked so hard for just because things are a little rough for her right now. The Lexie I know is much stronger than that.

"Mandy insists that everything is okay. But I’m afraid that her love for Lexington is blinding her to the situation." Anna Leigh stood up. "I don’t normally like to pry into other people’s business, but I think we need to help the girls through this rough time." The phone rang, and she watched as her husband walked over and picked it up.

"Hello?" He listened for a moment and smiled. "Peanut, we were just thinking about you. No, everything’s okay here. How’s Lex?"

Travis watched as his friend’s smile slowly faded. I think I just may take a little drive. I want to see for myself how my granddaughter is feeling. He stood up and walked over to the doorway, looking back at the two people who had become family to him. As much as I love Jacob and Anna Leigh, I can’t just sit here and wait to find out second hand what’s going on.

"Good. She needs the rest. Is there anything we can do for either of you?" Jacob felt his wife move to stand next to him, and he shook his head at her questioning glance. "All right, then. Give her our love when she wakes up, okay? And if you need anything at all, just give us a call. We love you, sweetheart. Take care of yourself, too." He hung up the phone and looked up, just as Travis left the room. "I wonder where he’s going?"

Anna Leigh followed his gaze to the empty doorway. "Maybe he just needs some time alone to absorb what we told him, love. Hearing about Lexington’s youth had to be hard on Travis." Hearing the front door close, she shrugged sadly. "Or maybe not I suppose he’s gone to see her, now. So much for the time alone idea."

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

The sound of a car door slamming jarred Amanda from her trance-like state. She had been sitting on the living room sofa wracking her brain for some way to help her friend, but kept coming up empty. She knew from past experience that Lex would balk at any attempts to help her cope with the problems she was having. The rancher was a proud woman, and thanks to the way her father treated her, she felt that showing any kind of emotion was a weakness. Amanda stood up as a quiet knock came from the front door. I wonder who that could be at this time of the day? The sun had only been up for a short while, yet the concerned woman was too keyed up to go back to bed.

Amanda opened the door to the distressed face of Lex’s grandfather. "Grandpa Travis? What are you doing here?" Remembering her manners, she pulled the door open wider. "I’m sorry. Please come in and have a seat."

"Thank you, honey." Travis sat down on the comfortable sofa and patted the empty space beside him. "Join me?"

"Sure." The young woman sat down next to him and turned so that she could see his face. "Lex is resting right now, but…"

He raised his hand to stop her. "That’s quite all right. I’d really like to talk to you, if you have a few minutes."

"Okay. Is there something I can help you with?" Amanda tucked one leg underneath her and tried to smile.

"Relax, sweetheart. I’m just concerned about a few things that I heard today. Your grandparents are very worried about you and Lex. They’re afraid she’s reverting back to her old ways of coping with problems."

Amanda sat up straight and her eyes narrowed. "What? What exactly did they tell you?"

Travis reached over and touched her arm, relieved when Amanda took the opportunity and captured his hand in hers. "They explained to me what happened when that woman left her a few years ago." His eyes clouded with unshed tears. "I just wish that we had known about it. Melanie and I would have been here for her in a heartbeat."

"I’m sure that she realizes that. But why, after all these years, did they tell you about that time of her life?"

"I think that Jacob and Anna Leigh are afraid that Lexie is going down that same path. They’re worried that she’s following the same pattern, especially since your father had to bring her home from a bar last night." Travis looked into the young woman’s eyes. "To tell you the truth, I’m a little afraid of that same thing, myself. But I wanted to check with you and Lexie before jumping to any conclusions."

The green eyes hardened. "I wish that they would have done the same thing, before upsetting you."

"Hold on, Amanda. It’s not like that at all." Travis tried to make her see the situation from the other side. "They both love Lexie as if she were their own grandchild. I can’t really blame them for wanting to protect and take care of both of you."

"We’re both adults, Travis."

Hearing the missing ‘Grandpa’ from Amanda, he nodded in understanding. "Yes, you are. But you have to see it from their perspective, honey. They knew of Lexie’s past history, and when your father had to bring her home…"

"He brought her home because she and Janna both had too much to drink. They had been playing pool, and didn’t realize how much beer they had gone through." Amanda released a heavy sigh. "It’s nothing like before, honest."

"I believe you, honey." Travis smiled in relief. "I imagine she’ll have one heck of a hangover this morning, though. She’s not used to drinking – at least not anymore."

Amanda returned his smile. "She’s already been up this morning, and you’re right. But I’m hoping that more sleep will help." She scooted a bit closer to the older man and lowered her voice. "She’s hurting, Grandpa Travis. All that mess with Rawson, and now with Hubert, is tearing her apart." Her smile faded as she thought about the pain her lover was in. "I don’t know what to do for her. Maybe if we were able to get away from everything for a few days, it would help. I just don’t know."

Travis nodded, and pulled her into his arms. "Don’t you worry about a thing, Amanda. I’ll help you anyway I can. We’ll help her get through this." He finally allowed his tears to fall as he embraced the younger woman, feeling her tears dampen his shirt. Help us, Lainey. We need you, he implored the spirit of his departed wife. Lexie needs you.

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

After the long talk with Amanda, Travis decided to make a few inquiries around town to see what he could do to help. He had spoken to several people, and had gotten even more ideas and opinions. I’ve never seen a town with so many busybodies. You’d think that people would have better things to do than gossip about everyone else. Seeing the sheriff’s cruiser parked out in front of the diner, he pulled his new silver Volvo into a parking space nearby.

Charlie sat at the last stool by the counter, setting his coffee mug down and glancing up as the front door opened. "Travis. What brings you out at this time of day?" He always dropped into the diner around ten in the morning for coffee, mostly to show an official presence and keep the riff-raff away. Although Somerville was a small town, it still had some of the same problems as larger cities. Charlie was determined to keep the crime to a minimum, and the rest of his department shared his persistence.

"Actually, I was looking for you." Travis sat on the stood beside Charlie. "Do you have a minute?" he asked a bit more quietly. "It’s about Lexie."

"For you, I always have a minute. What’s the problem?"

Travis looked around to make certain no one was trying to listen in to their conversation. The last thing the girls need is everyone in town knowing their business. Satisfied that they were being left alone, he shook his head. "I’m not real sure how to say this without sounding like I’m trying to poke my nose in someone else’s business. But, I was wondering if you had any ideas on where we could send Lex and Amanda for a few days to get them away from everything." He leaned closer and whispered under his breath, "Lexie’s not doing too well. I think that she needs a couple of days to regroup."

The sheriff nodded. "I was afraid of that. She hasn’t been herself since Rawson came back. Martha’s wanted to move the girls out to our place so she could keep a closer eye them, but I don’t think that’s the answer." He leaned back and looked around the diner for a moment. "It would have to be someplace close, because you know we’d never get Lex to take a real vacation while the ranch house is being rebuilt." His eyes sparkled with an idea. "Let me check into something, and I’ll give you a call later today. I think I have a solution."

"Excellent!" Travis stood up and patted his friend on the back. "I owe you one, Charlie."

"You don’t owe me anything, Travis." Charlie stood up and shook the taller man’s hand. "We’re family." As he watched Travis leave, the sheriff couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to explain this to his wife. If she finds out that Lex isn’t one hundred percent, she’ll race over there and drive both girls crazy.

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

Amanda sat at her desk, staring down at the same sheet of paper for what seemed like the tenth time. Rubbing her eyes, she pushed the paper away and looked out the window of her office, unable to concentrate on anything except thoughts of her lover. Lex had stubbornly refused to spend the day at home, citing several deliveries scheduled at the ranch house for today. Although Amanda couldn’t fault her logic, a stronger part of her wanted to keep the emotionally fragile woman tucked into bed for the entire day. She nearly jumped out of her chair when her phone buzzed. "Yes?"

"I’m sorry to bother you, Amanda. But there’s someone here to see you."

"Thank you, Wanda. Ask them to come on in." She pushed her chair back and stood up to greet her visitor." When the door opened, her open expression turned into a large smile. "Daddy!" Racing around the desk, Amanda wrapped her arms around the grinning man’s neck and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"

After he had returned his daughter’s hug, Michael stepped back and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his coat pocket. "I thought I’d see if you would like to celebrate with me." He handed the bit of parchment to her.

"What…?" Amanda wrinkled her brow as she opened the paper and began to read. Scanning the print quickly, she looked up in confusion. "Your divorce is final? I thought you’d be stuck fighting for years."

"Normally, I probably would have. But with the charges filed against Elizabeth and the fact that she’s serving time in a criminal mental hospital, things got moved up. So," he held his hands out to his sides, "you’re looking at a free man."

"That’s great, Daddy." Her enthusiasm was forced, but Amanda tried to smile brightly. "I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this."

Michael studied his daughter’s face carefully. "What’s wrong, sweetheart?"

She shook her head and sighed. "I don’t know." Amanda sat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk, waiting until her father took the other one. "I know she did some awful things, and goodness knows she wasn’t much of a mother to me growing up, but I guess it’s just a little hard to realize that the two of you won’t be together anymore." Seeing Michael open his mouth to say something, Amanda raised one hand to silence him. "No, wait. You deserve to be happy. We both know that Mother can’t give you what you deserve. I guess it’s just a bit of the child in me, wanting my family to stay together." She paused for a moment then shook her head ruefully. "Although now that I think about it, we never really were a family together, were we?"

Reaching across, Michael grasped his daughter’s hand. "I don’t suppose we were, honey." He ached for the years that he’d wasted, ignoring everything in his quest for money and power. Now I finally have what’s important. "You had a pretty rotten childhood, didn’t you, Amanda?" To his surprise, she laughed.

"Not at all, Daddy. I have so many happy memories, it would take years to tell them all."

"I guess Mom and Dad did all right by you, huh?" Although he was relieved, the former executive felt regret at the thought that he probably hadn’t contributed to his children’s happiness.

Amanda nodded. "Gramma and Grandpa were wonderful. Would you like to hear about one of my favorite memories?"

Not trusting himself to speak, Michael could only nod.

"I guess I was about four, or maybe five. I’m not sure why, but you had just bought this really nice briefcase, and were sitting at your desk cleaning it out."

"You came into my office, carrying a coloring book and crayons,’ Michael remembered, smiling. "Clomping around in a pair of your mother’s Italian shoes and one of her best silk blouses."

She laughed again. "Boy, was she mad about that. But I wanted to look good enough to go to work with you, and my Pooh jammies weren’t quite it." Amanda smiled wistfully. "When I kept dropping my ‘work,’ you pulled me up into your lap and put everything into your old briefcase."

Michael nodded. "I was just going to toss that old thing out, anyway. But it seemed to have made you happy." He shook his head. "I figured it would end up in the bottom of a toy box within a week and then get thrown away."

"Not exactly," the young woman disagreed. "I kept it a bit longer than that."

"Really?"

Amanda took a deep breath, releasing it as a sad smile crossed her face. "It was ruined when my car was washed into the creek last September." Laughing at herself, she wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. Unable to look her father in the eye, she focused her gaze on a picture of her and her lover that was sitting on the bookshelf behind her desk. "Lex must have thought I was crazy, crying over an old beat up satchel like that. She spent days trying to clean it up and fix it, but it was beyond repair."

"I had no idea," Michael whispered. "I really blew it, didn’t I?" Referring to his inattention throughout the years. "It’s a wonder you’re even speaking to me."

Turning her head, Amanda watched in disbelief as tears began to fall from her father’s eyes. "Oh, Daddy." She slipped out of her chair to kneel next to him. "I love you." She sniffled as he brought their linked hands up and kissed her knuckles. "We’re together now, that’s the important thing."

"Thank you, sweetheart. You have no idea how much your love means to me." Michael pulled her up and wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter. "I love you too, Amanda. And I swear that I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you."

"You already have," she whispered, burying her face in his shirt.

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

Lex walked through the entire house, checking every detail until she was satisfied with the end result. She had spoken to McCormick’s delivery manager earlier, and told them to start bringing out the household furniture first thing in the morning. I can’t wait to move back into our own home. She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that she almost ran into one of the contractors in the hallway. "Oh, sorry."

He glared at her, still smarting from their last meeting. Talk to me like I’m some sort of idiot, will you? "We just finished the installation of the new intercom system. I thought you might want to check it out." Not waiting for an answer, the angry man stomped off to the office.

"Wonder what bug he’s got up his ass?" Lex murmured, shrugging and following behind. Once in the office, she walked over to where the main intercom box was built into the wall. "Where are the other ones?"

"One in the kitchen, one in each bedroom, and we placed one in the horse barn, per your instructions."

"What about Martha’s house? Does she have one, as well?" Lex pressed one of the buttons and frowned. "Is it hooked up, yet?"

He shook his head. "I just finished wiring it, and haven’t had the time to flip the breaker switch. It’ll work. And as for the servants quarters, we didn’t put one there because you didn’t tell me to."

Lex spun around and glowered at the contractor. "She’s not a servant!" she growled, grabbing the difficult man by the front of his shirt. "You need to walk your lazy ass over there and ask Martha what she wants. If she needs an intercom, then by God you’ll wire her house for a fucking intercom, you got me?" She shoved him away and stormed from the room.

"Hateful bitch. Maybe she needs another fat lip." He gathered up his tools, intent on leaving the house before he went after the owner with a hammer. She can just get someone else to wire the housekeeper’s house. I’m sure as hell not gonna do it.

Halfway to the barn, Lex noticed the rear door of Martha’s Explorer open, with no one in sight. Still fuming, she changed her course and was almost to the vehicle when the housekeeper stepped out of the small home and beat her to the truck.

"Hello, Lexie! I didn’t know you were here." Martha stepped up to the tall woman and then gasped. "Good lord, child! What on earth happened to your poor face?" She reached up and tenderly stroked the strong jaw, noticing Lex’s upset. "What’s the matter, honey?"

"I’m fine, Mada. Just had another argument with the damned contractor. I swear that man couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the directions were printed on the heel." She ran her hand through her hair in an effort to calm down.

Martha stifled a laugh, fearing that it would not be well received at this moment. "Come on into the house, young lady. I’ve got an apple cobbler that just came out of the oven a little while ago, and you can get first dibs before Charlie gets home." She pulled her frustrated charge into the house. "And while you’re here, you can tell me who punched you in the face. I need to know who I’m gonna take a spatula to." Her threat got the desired effect, as Lex laughed and allowed herself to be escorted into the neat home like a small child.

Chapter 11

"If you’ll just have a seat, we’ll get started as soon as the other party arrives," the middle-aged lawyer advised, as he directed Lex and Amanda to a pair of leather chairs across the desk from him. He lowered his overweight frame into an expensively upholstered office chair and picked up his glasses from the desk.

Amanda turned and looked at her partner. Lex had come home from Martha’s last night quieter than usual. This morning she seemed to be just going through the motions, and Amanda was afraid the older woman was close to the breaking point. Before they left the house, they had received a phone call from Melvin Taft, Lex’s lawyer. He told them that another judge had rescinded the restraining order against Hubert, and that it looked as if he would be the one hearing the case two weeks hence. The rancher was livid, but Amanda was able to calm her down enough to get them here for the reading of the will. She was about to reach over and say something, when the door opened and a tall man slowly entered.

"Dook me vorever do vind dis blace," he grumbled. His mouth was still swollen, and he was having trouble speaking due to his missing front teeth.

Lex stood up and grinned. "Glad to see you could make it, brother." She stepped behind Amanda’s chair. "Here, take my chair. You look like you could use it." Even in the mood she was in, it took all her considerable control not to laugh at the pathetic man.

Hubert’s face was still covered with motley bruises, and the dark smudges under his eyes attested to the broken nose he had received. His stitches had been removed the day before, but the tiny red lines on his face still appeared painful. "Puck you," he growled, dropping painfully into the chair.

"Heh. Are you inviting me to a hockey game, Hube?" Lex teased. She was immediately swatted on the arm by Amanda, who also gave her a warning glance. Ruin all my fun. Maybe I can buy him some soup, later. She chuckled at the thought. His birthday is next week – I could always send him an embroidered bib.

The lawyer cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes. Now that we’re all here, let’s get started. I’m sure you all have better things to do."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Benton. We do appreciate you holding off on this until we could all be here," Lex told him, placing her hands on Amanda’s shoulders.

"No problem, young lady." The attorney opened up a folder and began to flip through the papers. "I have all of Rawson’s legal papers, here. But I don’t suppose we need to go through all of them, do we?"

Hubert shifted in his chair. "Can we ged on wid id? I’be god a docdor’s ‘boindmend."

The lawyer bit back a grin and nodded. "Of course." He looked down at the open folder and took a deep breath. "This is the last Will and Testament of one Rawson Lee Walters, which was updated one week preceding his death."

"Whad? Ond week?" Hubert leaned forward angrily. "You’be god do be kidding!"

"Shut up, Hubert…Let the man do his job, and you can whine afterwards." Lex stepped around Amanda’s chair and towered over her brother. "Don’t make me toss you out of here," she growled.

Amanda reached out and pulled her lover back. "Honey, please." Waiting until Lex complied, she smiled at the attorney. "We’re sorry, Mr. Benton. Please continue."

"Thank you, dear." He frowned at the papers in front of him. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Here we are. As I was saying, the will was updated shortly before Mr. Walters’ passing. It states that all his belongings, including his saddle and, umm, other tack, go to his daughter, Lexington Walters." He looked up at the dark-haired woman. "He also states that his entire savings, which I show here consisted of two-hundred and forty-three dollars and seventy-nine cents, go to you as well, dear."

"Whad aboud duh wanch?" Hubert asked, looking somewhat smug. Here it comes…finally! So nice of my sister to rebuild the house for me.

Mr. Belton shook his head. "What about it, Mr. Walters? According to these other papers, your father signed it over to your sister years ago. She’s had complete ownership for quite some time."

"Buh-shit! Dad wanch ids mine! He pwobised id do me before he wefd." He stood up and pointed at Lex. "She wad onwy in charge dil he came back."

"I’m sorry, young man. All the papers are in order – your sister is the rightful and sole owner of the Rocking W Ranch. It was legally granted to her when she turned twenty-five." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a crisp one-dollar bill. "I’m afraid all that was left for you was this." He tried to hand the money to the angry man, but it was shoved back into his face.

"Puck!" Hubert stormed from the office, kicking his chair over in his rush to leave.

Lex shook her head. "I’m sorry, Mr. Benton. My brother has always been short on manners." She reached across the desk and shook the man’s hand. "Thank you again for your time." She turned to pull Amanda to her feet, but was stopped by the attorney.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Ms. Walters…Lexington," the older man was holding a sealed envelope in one hand. "When I met with your father to update his will, he gave me this. I was to give it to you when we were alone." Benton smiled at the young blonde by Lex’s side. "But, I don’t think he’d mind the company we’re in now."

"Thank you," Lex murmured, taking the envelope and slipping it into her shirt pocket. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to get her emotions back under control. "Let me know if there’s any other fees that my father might have forgotten about." She reached down and righted the chair that Hubert had knocked over in his tantrum. "C’mon, Amanda…let’s go. We can have lunch and then go to the ranch to meet the furniture people."

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

Frantically searching the parking lot, Hubert almost cried in relief when he saw the vehicle he was so desperately seeking. He parked near the front entrance of the building and rushed inside, hoping to see the man he was looking for. On the third aisle he searched, he found a man stocking the shelves with feminine products. "Hey!"

Jeez…now what? Rick turned around and saw a tall man walking quickly towards him. Who the hell…Hubert? "What the hell happened to you, guy? Your little sister finally kick your ass?" he teased.

"Shud ub!" The angry man growled, grabbing Rick by the front of his apron. "Dubid dock boy."

Rick grabbed Hubert’s hands and shoved them away from his body. "Back off, asshole. You really can’t be calling anyone names, considering the way you sound." Looking around to make certain no one had seen them, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the shelf. "I’m sure you didn’t come in here to show off your makeover, Hubert. What do you want?"

"I need do see dat guy, duh one you send do me, member?" The tall man was perspiring heavily. "I godda dalk do him. Duh number I 'ad for 'imb is disconnecded."

"Shut up, you idiot!" Rick surged forward and grabbed the other man’s arm. "C’mon. Let’s go out back where we can talk." He led Hubert through the store and out through the back dock doors. He glanced around to make certain they were alone. "Okay. Why do you need to contact Bobby? I told you to just pay him off and leave him the hell alone. The guy’s a psycho."

Hubert sighed. "I vigured he was juzdt a 'ired idiod – didn’t know he was such a duff guy." He rubbed at his injured ribs. "'e was gonna dake care of a broblem vor me. But dere’s been a change in pland."

"Jeez…you treated Bobby like hired help, and he beat the shit out of you, right?" Realizing why the thug would beat Hubert, Rick shook his head at the other man’s stupidity. "You stiffed him, didn’t you?"

"Id’s nod like dad," Hubert whined. "He didn’d vinish duh job."

Rick groaned. "You stupid fucker! He’ll probably come after me, next!" He ran his hands through his hair and began to pace. "I’m the one who sent you to him…he’s gonna blame me."

"Id need do see him," Hubert almost begged. "Before he duz zomeding, and wandz mbore mboney."

"What would he be trying to do?"

"Umm."

The ex-realtor grabbed Hubert’s shirt and pulled him close. "What?"

Hubert pushed him away. "Idz nod my vauld," he grumbled. "I wad duppode do ged duh wanch."

"Ah, shit. You sent him after your sister? You stupid asshole." Rick put his hands in his pockets and began to pace again. "Lemme think. Because if he does something, and you don’t have the money, he’s gonna come after me!"

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

Amanda studied the silent profile beside her as Lex pulled the truck out of the attorney’s parking lot. She tried to think of a gentle way to ease into the question that she wanted to ask. "You didn’t seem too surprised by the reading," she noted quietly.

"I wasn’t."

Okay. That worked well. Let’s go for three words, this time. "Umm…can I ask you something?"

The rancher turned her head and looked at Amanda with a slight smile on her face. "Anything." She looked back at the road, waiting to see what the question would be.

"When he said that your father had signed the ranch over to you years ago, did you know about that? I thought that you had only signed an agreement to manage the ranch until he returned." Yeah, the agreement with the stupid little ‘co-habitaton’ clause in it, that almost lost you the ranch last year. I wish we had known then that it was no longer valid. It would have sure saved Lex a lot of heartache.

"I didn’t learn of the other papers until recently," Lex admitted. "Mr. Benton called me the other day and said that he had found a safe deposit box in my father’s name at the bank. There was a notarized document in there that deeded over the entire ranch to me on my twenty-fifth birthday, as long as the ranch was prosperous." Wish I had known about it sooner – it would have certainly gotten Hubert off my back a long time ago. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it, but it was that day you worked late. I had forgotten all about it until he mentioned it this morning."

The blonde reached over and squeezed Lex’s forearm. "There’s nothing to apologize for, love. You don’t have to tell me every little thing that goes on in your life – you’re allowed to have privacy, you know."

A slight chuckle from the woman driving. "That’s not true."

"What? Of course it is. I don’t…"

"Shhh." Lex put her finger to her lips and shook her head, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her. She looked in her rear-view mirror and flipped on her right turn signal, pulling the truck into a nearby parking lot. Once the vehicle had stopped, she unbuckled her seat belt and turned to face Amanda. "You are the most important person in my life, Amanda. I have no secrets from you." Lex looked down at their hands, which were clasped together. She looked back up into her lover’s eyes. "Even with everything that’s happened, this has been the best eight months of my life. I never thought…"Her voice broke. Tears tracked silently down Lex’s cheeks and she bowed her head.

Amanda pulled one hand from her friend’s grasp, reaching over and gently lifting the strong chin. "Hey…" She searched the troubled face and smiled. "I wouldn’t change a thing since I’ve met you. Well, maybe having my mother locked up sooner, so we’d still have a house," she admitted.

"The house isn’t that important," Lex argued. "Everything in it can be replaced."

"But what about your mother’s things? I feel so bad that they were lost forever."

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "It was mostly clothes, and a few letters, sweetheart. Anything of real value is at Grandpa Travis’ house – my father boxed almost everything up and sent it to him not long after she died. Dad told me that he couldn’t stand the constant reminders of her in the house." She captured the small hand that was stroking her cheek. "I would have never made it through all of this without you. Every time that I felt like giving up, I could look into your eyes and have the strength to go on." Lex leaned closer and framed Amanda’s face with her hands. "Thank you, my love – for being my anchor." She covered the younger woman’s lips with her own for a long, sweet moment. Feeling Amanda’s fingers tangle in her hair, Lex deepened the kiss.

They pulled apart a few minutes later, both breathing heavily. Foreheads touching, both women were loath to break the contact. "Wow." Amanda could still feel the tingles racing through her body. "If that’s a thank you, remind me to keep doing things for you," she gasped, smiling at the answering chuckle.

"Oh, yeah," Lex agreed. "Wait ‘til later – then I’ll really show you my gratitude." When the other woman quickly pulled away, she frowned. "What?"

"What are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Amanda ordered, fastening her seat belt and running her fingers through her hair.

Laughing, Lex shook her head. "Your wish is my command, milady." She buckled up and started the truck.

After they had driven a few minutes, Amanda pointed to a parking lot. "Do you mind pulling in there?" she asked. "I almost forgot. We need a couple of things."

Lex nodded. "Sure. Is it something we absolutely need? I thought you were in a hurry to get home and have," she winked, "lunch." She remembered the envelope in her pocket, but decided that it could wait until later – or maybe even the next day. I’m not going to let anything ruin our day, today.

"I am. But I also know how you get if you don’t get your morning coffee, Slim," Amanda teased. "And I have this…urge…for whipped cream and strawberries. But, if you’d rather wait…"

"Uh, no. We’re definitely stopping." The older woman parked the truck and quickly jumped from the vehicle. She raced around and opened the passenger door, practically dragging Amanda out. "Well? C’mon, blondie…we’ve still got a hot date for lunch."

Amanda laughed as she allowed her lover to lead her into the supermarket. "Slow down, honey. Not all of us have long legs."

They walked through the store hand-in-hand, stopped periodically by people they knew. After fending off the well-intentioned condolences of yet another person, the rancher shook her head. "Maybe I should have stayed in the truck," she grumbled. When her partner stopped to stare down the aisle of feminine products, Lex frowned. "I thought your period wasn’t due for another week or so. Do you need…?"

"Oh, my God. I can’t believe it."

Alarmed, Lex quickly put her hands on Amanda’s shoulders. "What’s the matter? Are you all right?"

Not hearing her lover’s question, the blonde woman pointed down the aisle and began to giggle. "This is just too good."

At the end of the aisle, a large man dressed in faded jeans and the signature red apron of the supermarket was placing boxes of feminine hygiene products on the shelf. Only his profile was visible, but Lex would have recognized him anywhere. "Ooh." She brushed by Amanda and proceeded quietly down the aisle. "Looks like you’ve finally found your true calling," the tall woman directed to the man.

Shit. Like this day wasn’t bad enough. I hope they didn’t see Hubert leaving. "Piss off, Kentucky," Rick growled, not even bothering to turn around.

"Now is that any way to talk to a customer?" she asked, reaching around him and grabbing a box. "You had this upside down," Lex commented, righting the box of douche with a chuckle. "The big print goes on the top."

Rick spun around and jabbed his finger in her chest. "Back off, bitch. Or I won’t be held responsible for what happens."

"Rick! What a surprise." Amanda gently eased between the two of them. "I didn’t realize you were working here." She backed up a few steps, casually pushing Lex away from him.

"Uh, yeah. My nephew works here, and asked if I’d give them a hand until I decide which job offer to accept." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared over Amanda’s shoulder. "You should keep your dog on a leash, sweet thing. No telling who she might bite."

She could feel her control slipping, and wanted nothing more than to pound the obnoxious man into the tile floor. Only Amanda’s hand on her chest kept the angry woman from following through on her thoughts. Lex tried to reach him, but Amanda held her back. That didn't keep her from cautioning him, "Shut your damned mouth!"

He smirked at the rancher’s temper, which only infuriated the woman more. "What’s the matter, Kentucky? Killing your old man not enough for you? You gotta go after innocent people now?" Hoping to goad Lex into doing something stupid, he was surprised at the reaction he got…from Amanda.

The small blonde turned around and poked him in the chest with one finger, her green eyes blazing. "You listen to me, you pathetic excuse for a man. I kicked your rear end once, and I’ll gladly do it again, if you don’t shut up." Amanda continued to poke him, forcing Rick against the shelves. "So." Poke. "Back." Poke. "Off." Poke. "Or." Poke. "Else!"

"Get out of here," he growled, although it was more like a whimper. "I don’t have time to mess with the two of you." Rick turned his back and began to stock the shelves again, his hands shaking.

Amanda turned and grinned at her partner, who just shook her head. "What?" She linked her arm through Lex’s and directed the tall woman to the coffee aisle.

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

Charlie opened the door and ushered his guests into the house. "It’s good to see all of you," he greeted. "Come on in." Once everyone was comfortably seated in the living room, he helped Martha bring in a tray with coffee and cookies. "Sorry about the short notice, folks."

"That’s quite all right, Charlie. But you just sounded so mysterious on the phone. What exactly is this all about?" Anna Leigh accepted a steaming mug of coffee from the sheriff. "Thank you."

Martha helped to pass out the coffee, and then placed the plates of cookies on several small tables within easy reach. "Charlie told me that Travis was worried about the girls, especially Lexie." She nodded to the older man. "And to tell you the truth, I am too. I agree that the best thing for them would to get away from everything for a few days. But, it would certainly have to be close by, because neither one of them would leave their commitments here for very long."

"You’re right," Travis agreed. "I was hoping that someone may have an idea, because frankly, I’m stumped." He looked over at Martha, who had a proud smirk on her face. "What?"

"Does Amanda like to fish?" she asked Jacob and Anna Leigh.

Jacob turned a questioning glance at his wife, who shrugged. "I’m not sure. She’s never mentioned it." He looked at the housekeeper. "Why?"

"Well, a friend of mine in town owns a little cabin on the lake. She had actually offered the use of it to Charlie and me after we were married, but we went on that wonderful cruise instead." Martha winked at the other couple. "It was a tough choice, cruise or drive out to the lake – but I think we made the right decision. Anyway," she sighed, "Betty said she never uses the place since her husband died a few years ago. It’s rather secluded off one of the coves. I called her last night, and she said that the girls were more than welcome to it."

Travis rubbed his hands together happily. "That’s great! Do we need to get out there first and do some cleaning up? How is it stocked for provisions? Is there…?" He stopped when Martha held up her hand.

"Hold on there, Travis. I’ve already got folks volunteering, if we decide to do this."

Everyone in the room laughed, breaking the tense atmosphere. "This is a wonderful idea, Martha. But how on earth are we going to get Lexington to agree to it? It’s not going to be easy."

The housekeeper laughed. "My girl’s stubborn, that’s for sure. But, there is one weakness she has, and I’m not above exploiting it to take care of her."

"Amanda!" Five voices called out at once. The room erupted into laughter once again.

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

"What?" The blonde turned away from the window, her green eyes slightly unfocused.

"I’ve called your name a couple of times. Is anything wrong?" Lex reached across the seat and touched the younger woman on the arm. "You seem a bit preoccupied." They had finished a nice quiet lunch at the house and were now driving out to the ranch.

Amanda sighed. "Not preoccupied, exactly. Just…" She raised her other hand and then dropped it back onto her lap. "I don’t know. Guess I’m still trying to reconcile the idea that my parents are no longer married."

Ah. She finally talks about it. Good. The rancher didn’t release her hold on her friend’s arm as she turned the truck off the main pavement and onto their private road. "How’s your dad taking the whole thing?"

"He’s thrilled. I really can’t blame him, but it’s a weird feeling. I always thought that they were meant to be together, like us." Amanda shook her head. "Well, nothing like us. But I never really thought about one without thinking of the other, you know?"

"I know," Lex commiserated. She was unsure of what tack to take to help Amanda express what she was feeling, and was secretly happy when her friend continued to talk.

"Now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever saw them touch each other." Amanda looked down at her arm, where Lex’s hand was gently stroking the skin. She smiled and raised her hand to grasp her lover’s. "How can a person survive without touching, without love? I don’t know how my father did it for all those years."

Lex shook her head. "I’m not sure, but I think he may have just shut his emotions out. He sure seemed to be all business when we went out to get your stuff last year." Of course, living with the Ice Bitch would screw anybody up. I can’t believe that old broad gave birth to someone as sweet as Amanda.

Amanda saw the look on her friend’s face and squeezed the tall woman’s hand. "I know. And it’s not that I don’t understand, it’s just a bit difficult to wrap my mind around right now. I’ll be fine." She gasped as they pulled up to the house. "Wow. It looks great."

"Yeah. I had them keep the design basically the same, just added brick to the bottom floor. We should be able to move back in this next week, if you want." Lex stopped the truck and turned to face Amanda. "I know it’s been easier for you, staying in town. And…" Her mouth was covered by a small hand.

"Hush. This is our home, Lex. I’d move back in this instant if we could." She opened her door. "You ready to give me a quick tour before the furniture arrives? I’d like to see the inside with only the two of us."

The rancher smiled, then hurried out of the truck and helped her lover from the vehicle. "I was gonna put all the furniture in first, but I wanted you to tell them where everything goes." Lex led Amanda up the steps to the front door. "Hold on."

"What?" Amanda almost squealed when she was picked up and cradled like a baby. "Lex, you nut! Put me down!" She struggled half-heartedly, then gave up and wrapped her arms around the dark-haired woman’s neck. "You are so sweet."

"Nah." Lex gently kicked open the door and carried Amanda across the threshold. "Just didn’t want you to trip and sue me," she teased, setting the smaller woman back on her feet.

Amanda slapped Lex on the arm. "You are such a brat. Good thing I love you so much." She wrapped one arm around her lover’s waist. "Well? You going to show off this place, or what? I’d like to see what all the paint samples and wallpaper swatches we picked out look like." She had been surprised when Lex had left the decorating ideas up to her and Martha. The rancher had hired Mrs. Compton to handle all the work, and had steadfastly refused to become involved in choosing any of the interior colors or patterns. She had told the woman to speak to Amanda or the housekeeper about it all, and to not bother asking her for any input.

"Sure. Want to start upstairs?" Lex grabbed the younger woman’s hand and began to lead her up the staircase. "It’s gonna be weird," she commented halfway up, tapping one step with her booted foot, "not having this board squeak." Shaking her head, she laughed. "I wonder what Grandpa’s room looks like. Mrs. Compton had two different patterns picked out – I hope she didn’t go with the fru-fruey one."

Fru-fruey? Oh, boy. I did forget to tell her which room was which. I’m toast. "Think he’ll mind daffodils?" Amanda asked as they walked to the end of the hall. "Maybe we can use it as an excuse to get him into the large guest room."

"Good luck. He kept saying he’s happier in the back of the house." Lex opened the door to the rear guestroom and peeked cautiously around it. "Oh, good. We’re safe." She stepped into the room and held out her arms. "Well, what do you think?"

The room was larger than before and had light ash paneling covering the lower half of the walls. The upper half was covered with cream-colored wallpaper that held a very faint, yet masculine, design. There were two other doors, and Lex walked over and opened one. "Thought he should have a private bathroom," she mentioned nonchalantly. "Think we’ll be able to get him out of your grandparent’s house?" She closed the bathroom door and looked into the walk in closet. Nice.

"I’m not sure. He and Grandpa seem to have become best buddies. But maybe if we promise to bring him back to play, he’ll go for it." Amanda was eyeing the room, already deciding where the furniture would go. "Shall we go check out the rest of the house?"

"Sure. But let me warn you, the mud room is no more." Lex started to leave the room, when she stopped by a hand grabbing her belt. "Hey!"

Amanda turned Lex around to look her in the eyes. "What do you mean, the mud room is no more? What happened to it?"

The tall woman shrugged. "It really wasn’t that necessary, since the wraparound porch goes all the way around the house, now. Why?" Lex could see that her friend was upset at the revelation, and couldn’t understand the reason behind it.

"I have fond memories of that room," the blonde sighed. "It was the first place I got a good look at you," she admitted sheepishly.

"Ah," Lex laughed, taking Amanda’s hand and pulling her down the hallway. "Well, it makes a much better dining room. But, if you’re real nice, we can make some memories in there, too."

Chapter 12

After a short discussion with one of the men from the delivery truck, Lex found herself on the front porch of the ranch house, waiting patiently while the men unloaded the truck. The first piece of furniture was a long oak dresser, which was partially covered with a quilted blanket to protect it during the trip. The rancher eyed the piece suspiciously and tapped one of the men on the shoulder. "Hold up there. We didn’t order anything shaped like that." Not that I’d mind. I think I like the size of this one better than the one we had to settle for. It’s a foot longer, at least.

Trying to hide his grin, the first man nodded at his partner and they gently set the piece down. He reached into his back pocket and unfolded a piece of paper. "This was signed by a Ms. Cauble," he informed the tall woman.

"Are you sure?" Lex questioned. At his nod, she sighed. "Can you hold on for a second? Let me go get Ms. Cauble so we can see about straightening this out." She jogged into the house and looked around. Where did she run off to? "Amanda?" Lex called, "Could you come here? We’ve got a slight problem."

A blonde head peeked out from around the kitchen doorway. She was smiling, but looked guilty. "Umm, okay." Amanda disappeared back into the kitchen for a moment and then stepped into the hallway. "What’s up?" When she saw her partner begin to walk toward her, she hurried to meet Lex halfway.

"The delivery guys are trying to bring in furniture different from what we picked out. They say their orders were signed by Ms. Cauble."

"Really? Imagine that." Amanda tried to keep a patently guilty look off her face. "Why don’t we go out there and see what this is all about?" she asked, a little too loudly.

The dark-haired woman looked at her friend quizzically, but shrugged and followed behind her. "Okay." She was so intent on the problem at hand, she didn’t hear the footsteps tapping lightly at their heels.

Amanda smiled at the two men waiting patiently for them. "Hi. Sorry about the confusion. Would it be too much trouble to uncover this so that we can take a look at it, before you have to haul it up the stairs?"

"No, not at all," one man agreed. He untied the rope that held the quilt over the dresser and pulled the fabric away.

"Th…that’s our initials," Lex stammered. The heavy oak not only bore intricate carved designs, but the two doors that flanked the six wide drawers showed an elegant ‘L’ and ‘A’ twined together.

Laughter from behind the two women caused Lex to spin around. Standing just inside the doorway, Jacob and Anna Leigh were both smiling broadly. Beside them, a proud Travis grinned also. "Lexington, your powers of deduction never ceased to amaze me," Anna Leigh teased, stepping forward and patting the speechless woman on the back.

"How did…?" Lex reached over and touched the furniture gently. "It’s beautiful," she murmured. Raising her head, she looked back at Jacob. "You did this?"

"Well, Travis and I did. We thought that…" Jacob’s explanation was cut short by an armful of rancher.

Lex pulled the surprised man into a firm hug. "Thanks, Grandpa Jacob. This means more to me than you’ll ever know," she choked out. She released him after a long moment, then pulled her grandfather into her embrace. "I didn’t know you did carpentry, Grandpa."

Travis enthusiastically returned her hug. "Let’s just say I’ve developed a great respect for the people who do," he admitted. He turned and looked at Amanda, who had just finished hugging her grandparents. "What do you think about it, sweetheart?"

"I think it’s incredibly thoughtful, as well as beautiful." She watched as the men picked up the dresser and began to take it into the house. "Let me just show them which room it goes into, and I’ll be right back." Amanda placed a quick kiss on Travis’ cheek before chasing after the deliverymen.

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

The sun was fighting a losing battle with the darkness as the furniture truck lumbered slowly away from the ranch house. Lex stood on the west edge of the wraparound porch, enjoying the familiar sights and smells, while the others could be heard laughing in the den. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Home. Soft footfalls behind her caused the rancher to smile to herself. I was wondering how long it would take her. She always seems to know.

"Beautiful," Amanda murmured reverently, as the sun lost its fight and escaped behind the hills in the distance. The oranges and reds of the skyline turned purple and gray as the crickets began their song. She stepped up beside her lover and covered the strong hand that was braced against the top rail of the porch.

Lex turned to face the young woman beside her. "You certainly are," she agreed with a smile. "Thought you’d be inside with everyone, enjoying the champagne that Grandpa brought."

The younger woman shook her head. "I like the company out here even better." She sighed happily as she was enveloped in Lex’s arms. "Oh, yeah. This is nice." Amanda felt something crinkle against her cheek and leaned back to look up into her friend’s face. "What’s this?" She asked, poking lightly on the tall woman’s breast pocket.

"If you don’t know by now, we must not be doing something right," Lex teased. She pulled back far enough to reach into her shirt pocket and pull out a folded envelope. "I’d forgotten all about this." Seeing her father’s familiar handwriting on the outside, she swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "Guess I might as well see what it’s all about, huh?"

"You don’t have to do this right now, Lex. Maybe tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest." Amanda wasn’t certain what was in the sealed letter, but she worried about the effect it would have on her lover. "Why not come back in the house with everyone? You can hear Gramma tell embarrassing stories about me."

The tall woman shook her head. "Actually, I was gonna go down to the barn and check the horses. Save me a place inside? It won’t take me that long."

Amanda nodded. "Sure." She reached up and caressed Lex’s cheek. "Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?"

"Nah. Go back inside and enjoy yourself. I’ll be back in a few minutes." Lex leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Amanda’s lips. "See you in a bit." She winked and then vaulted over the railing onto the dirt below.

Lex stepped into the quiet barn and closed the door behind her. She grabbed a brush from the wall and walked over to Thunder’s stall. "Hey there, fella. I’ve missed you." The horse nickered softly and nuzzled her chest, causing the rancher to chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ve missed me too."

She spent the next fifteen minutes brushing the dark stallion until his coat shone. Putting the brush away, Lex sat down on a nearby bale of hay and pulled the folded envelope out of her shirt pocket. "Guess I’ve put this off long enough," she mumbled to no one in particular. With a shaky hand, she tore the top open and pulled out several sheets of stationery. The expensive letterhead bore the name of the attorney, and Lex realized that her father must have borrowed it from Mr. Benton right before she took him out of the hospital.

Lexington,

Lex carefully folded the pages and slipped them back into the heavy envelope. She wiped at her eyes and looked at the ceiling. "I love you too, Dad." Emotionally drained, Lex fell back against the hay and closed her eyes. I never thought I’d say this, but he’s right. I need to focus more on what I’ve got, instead of what I’ve lost. So lost was she in her thoughts, she never heard the barn door open, or a figure slip stealthily inside. "Guess I’d better get back up to the house and give Amanda that hug."

"That’s one of the best ideas you’ve had all day," the blonde agreed, sitting down next to the prone woman. Amanda reached over and brushed the hair away from Lex’s eyes. "Are you okay? It’s been a while, and I was beginning to worry about you."

"Yeah, I’m doing good. Just finished reading the note that my father left me." Lex handed the envelope to her friend and nodded. "Go ahead – he mentions you in it." As she watched Amanda read the letter, Lex had time to get her emotions under control. Don’t you worry, Dad – I’m gonna take real good care of her for the rest of our lives. She smiled as she studied the younger woman. Maybe even longer than that.

Amanda finished the letter and looked up at her partner. "That was beautiful, Lex. I think he’s finally at peace, now." She took a long moment to examine Lex’s face. I think you are too, love. She sent a silent word of thanks to the deceased man. Thank you, Rawson. I know it wasn’t easy, but I’m forever thankful for your insight.

The rancher nodded. "I think he is, too. I have a feeling he and my mother are smiling down on us right now." Lex sat up and leaned forward. "Let’s give them something to see." She pulled the smaller woman down with her and kissed her lovingly, feeling her world steady for the first time in months.

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

Anna Leigh pulled the comforter over slightly. "I think that’s about even." She had volunteered to help Martha put the new sheets on the bed, in case Lex and Amanda wanted to spend the night in the house. "Are you sure they’ll like it?"

"They’d better, since they’re the ones who picked it out. Amanda had left them over at my house to surprise Lexie with, and I took the liberty of washing everything so it would be ready." Martha fluffed the pillow on her side of the bed and stepped back, eyeing their handiwork critically. "I think this looks perfect, don’t you?"

"It sure does," Jacob admitted from his position by the door. "I’m halfway tempted to drive back into town and bring all their belongings back tonight." He was met halfway across the room by his wife, who happily snuggled into his arms. "Speaking of the girls, has anyone seen them lately?"

Martha followed the couple out of the room and closed the door behind them. She noticed Travis standing at the other end of the hallway staring into another room. "I think Lexie went down to the barn, and Amanda followed her." Inclining her head to the solitary figure, she gently pushed the couple. "Why don’t you two see what that husband of mine is up to? I think he was puttering around in the kitchen, the last time I saw him."

"Ah. Good idea. We’ll see you downstairs, Martha." Jacob winked and led his wife down the stairs, whispering in her ear.

Travis heard the light footsteps come up behind him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the large bedroom. "Did you know they were going to do this?" he asked. The room had a definite masculine feel, and somehow after the furniture had been brought in, one lone picture had been placed on the nightstand beside the bed. Tears sprang to his eyes as he recognized one of the last pictures taken with his wife and granddaughter.

"I did. I had taken all of the old pictures from the storage room, and was going to put them in albums in chronological order. So when the house burned, everything was all safe and sound on my coffee table." She placed an arm around his waist and pulled Travis into the room. "I have the old box of your letters that Lester had kept, and that picture was inside. I had a couple of copies made, and when I gave Lexie hers, she asked if I would sneak up another one and put it in your room, here."

"That’s really sweet, Martha. Thank you." He sat down on the bed and picked up the picture. "I remember this trip to the zoo. Lexie was so full of questions, that day." Travis looked up into the concerned woman’s face. "But I’m not sure if I’m coming back out here to live, or not."

Martha dropped down next to the emotional man. "Why on earth not?"

He patted her leg gently. "They don’t need an old man underfoot out here. Their lives are just beginning, and I’d hate to be in the way." Travis shook his head. "Besides, there’s a nice little cottage for rent next to Jacob and Anna Leigh. Their neighbor needs to take in a boarder to make ends meet, and I’ve been seriously thinking about staying in town."

"Have you talked to Lexie about this? I don’t think she’s gonna be too happy about that."

Travis stood up and crossed the room to look through the window into the inky darkness. "They need their privacy – not some old man mucking up the works all the time."

This is so not like him. I wonder what’s going on inside that thick skull of his? "Travis." Martha waited until he turned around and looked at her. "You’ve gotten to know both the girls really well, haven’t you?" She stood up and started for the door. "Think about this, will you? Have you ever known either one of them to do, or say, something that they don’t mean? Look at this room very closely, my friend. If they didn’t want you to stay here, I doubt it would have looked like this." She smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Travis to his own thoughts.

Damn, but that woman is sneaky. Travis wiped a tear from his eye and sat back down on the bed, picking up the picture and studying it closely. What do you think, Lainey? Am I being a foolish old man? He closed his eyes and imagined his wife’s face. You’re right, as usual, my love. We have no idea how long we’re on this earth – I should make the most of it.

Downstairs, the rest of the group was in the kitchen sitting around the new table and drinking a carafe of coffee that Charlie and Jacob had brought from the sheriff’s house.

"So tell me again why they can’t move back in right now," Anna Leigh asked, shaking her head. "The house is finished, isn’t it?"

The sheriff nodded. "It sure is. But it has to pass inspection first, and that could take weeks." The look on his face told exactly what Charlie thought of that notion. "Stupid politicians." He was referring to the county commissioner’s office, where the inspector worked. Lex had upset the commissioner on more than one occasion when she sided against him on different projects through the Historical Committee, and the man had never forgotten it.

"Politics, huh?" Travis had followed Martha downstairs, and stood smiling in the doorway. He winked at the housekeeper, who took his brightened demeanor as a good sign. "You know, I’ve spent the majority of my life handling politicians," he admitted, taking a seat next to Anna Leigh. "Most of them don’t have a lot of sense, but with the right words, you can make them think that something is their idea."

"What do you have in mind, Travis?" Jacob enjoyed the gleam in his friend’s eye. I’m going to miss him at the house. But I think living with the girls is better for him.

The older man grinned. "Let’s just say, by the time the girls get back from their trip, they’ll be able to live here."

Hearing the back door close, mouths closed as well and all eyes turned to the doorway.

"What are y’all up to?" Lex asked, seeing the guilty looks. She frowned slightly until Martha stood up and walked over to her. "What?"

The housekeeper pulled several strands of hay out of Lex’s hair, then smiled broadly and did the same with the small woman standing next to her. "You two look like you’ve been having fun," she teased.

"Mada!" Lex blushed and lowered her eyes. "I can’t believe you said that," she whispered. A giggle from beside her caused the rancher’s head to turn. "Not you too."

Amanda patted her friend on the stomach and shook her head. "It’s not that bad, honey." She grimaced and reached under her shirt, removing more hay. "That sure itches, though."

The entire room broke out into laughter, causing both young women to grin. "You girls are adorable," Martha teased. She grabbed each woman by the arm and pulled her over to the table. "Come sit down, girls. We have a proposition for you."

Uh oh. I should have known not to let the bunch of them get together. I’m about halfway afraid of what they’ve come up with. Lex exchanged worried looks with Amanda as they were each pushed gently into a chair. "Should we be afraid?"

"Of course not, sweetheart. We’ve just got a little present for the two of you." Jacob looked at his wife, who in turn looked at Martha. "Well?"

"Sure, sure…look at me to get your fat out of the fire," the housekeeper teased. She sat back down in her chair and looked at the two younger women. "Before you say a word, Lexie, I want you to hear everything I have to say, all right? No interruptions."

Lex nodded. "Yes, ma’am." Now I’m really getting worried. What on earth are they up to?

Martha felt Charlie squeeze her hand and turned her head slightly to smile at her husband. "We all know what a rough time you girls have had lately, and have been trying to come up with a remedy." When Lex opened her mouth to speak, Martha held up a warning hand. "Hush, child. I’m not through." She looked at Amanda, who covered her own mouth to hide her smile. "You girls need a few days away from everything. No phones, no nosy relatives, and no noise."

"She’s right. A few days of peace and quiet will do you both some good," Anna Leigh added. "And forgive your nosy relatives," she winked at the housekeeper, "but I think we’ve found just the right place."

The dark-haired woman looked back and forth among the older people. "Can I say something, now?"

"As long as it’s not no, of course you can," Martha teased.

"I think it’s very nice of all of you to think about us like this," Lex began, trying to convey her thanks to everyone with a look, "but I don’t think it’s really necessary." A small foot connected with her leg under the table. "Ow!" She looked at Amanda, who had an innocent look on her face. "What did you do that for?"

Amanda smiled sweetly at her lover. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute, honey?" She stood up and held out a hand to Lex, who took it cautiously.

"Umm, sure." Lex stood up and looked around the table. "Be back in a minute, folks." She meekly allowed herself to be escorted from the kitchen. A few steps later, Lex found herself in the den. "What’s up?"

Amanda pushed Lex down onto the soft leather sofa and sat down on her lap. "They’ve got a point, you know." She wrapped her arms around her lover’s neck and looked deeply into the blue eyes. "A few days vacation wouldn’t hurt either one of us."

Lex shook her head. "I’ve got too much to do, Amanda. It’s a nice thought, but completely unnecessary." She studied the blonde’s face for a moment, noticing the shadows that lurked underneath Amanda’s green eyes. Maybe unnecessary for me, but what about her? Lex reached up and caressed the face across from hers. "You really want this, don’t you?"

Amanda nodded. "I think we both need it, love. Would it be so bad to be somewhere quiet with me for a few days?" I’d better call and cancel my physical therapy sessions for a while – thank goodness. Maybe I’ll feel better about them after a few days with Lex.

"No, of course not. If you want to go, let’s do it."

"Really? Just like that?" Amanda asked.

"Yep. I can think of a lot of things worse than you and me together, alone." Lex leaned forward and kissed the tip of her friend’s nose. "Shall we go back to the kitchen and give them the good news? I think we’ve left them in suspense long enough."

The younger woman regretfully stood up and sighed. "I suppose." She helped Lex to her feet and followed the tall woman out of the den.

"…just kidnap them and drag her out there, kicking and screaming," Travis offered. He saw a movement at the kitchen doorway and looked up. "Oh, hi. We were just talking about you."

"Sounds like it," Lex drawled, directing her lover to a chair. She stood behind Amanda and shook her head. "I really can’t believe you people," she muttered.

Martha jumped to her feet. "Now you wait just a doggoned minute, Lexie! There’s no call to be like that."

Lex laughed. "Gotcha." She backed away as Martha stepped around the table. "Now, Mada. Don’t do anything rash." The tall woman held her hands out in front of her and backed away slowly. "It was just a joke."

"Don’t you be sassin’ me, young lady. You’re not too old to take a spoon to, you know." She backed Lex up against the wall and pointed a finger in her face. "Just remember one thing, child…"

Eyes wide, Lex nodded slowly. "Whatever you say, Mada." She jumped as the housekeeper’s arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. "What?"

"You’re my little girl, Lexie. Ain’t nobody, or nothing gonna change that," Martha whispered in the tall woman’s ear. "And don’t you forget it." She smiled as she felt Lex’s long arms wrap around her and squeeze.

"Never." Lex swore quietly. "You’re the best mother I could have ever asked for. I love you."

The older woman pulled back slightly and looked up into Lex’s face. "I love you too, sweetheart." She reached up and brushed the dark hair away from the expressive blue eyes. "It’s getting late, though. Why don’t you girls go upstairs to bed, and we’ll tell you more about your little vacation tomorrow? Come over to the house for breakfast."

Lex nodded. "Yes, ma’am." She blinked when she realized what the other woman had said. "Upstairs?"

"That’s right. We got the bedroom all fixed up for you. Now get yourself upstairs and get some rest. No one has to know you stayed here tonight."

Charlie stood up. "Give me your keys, and I’ll move the truck around to the back. That way you won’t be disturbed." He winked as Lex tossed the keys. "Good girl."

"I’m going to go back on into town," Travis said, as he stood up from the table. "I’ve got a few things to do in the morning." He shared a secret smile with Jacob and Anna Leigh as he walked around the table and embraced Amanda. "You two get some rest, and I’ll talk with you again tomorrow, okay?"

Amanda nodded. "Okay, Grandpa Travis. Thanks again for everything," she whispered in his ear.

Travis kissed the top of her head and met Lex at the kitchen doorway. He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tightly. "I’ll see you again in the morning, honey. Try and get some rest."

"I will, Grandpa. Love you." Lex kissed his cheek and then buried her face in his shirt. "I can’t wait until we’re all out here together, again."

"Me either, kiddo. I love you too." He squeezed her again and then left the room.

The sound of chairs being pushed caused Lex to look up and see Anna Leigh and Jacob embrace Amanda. The older woman whispered something into the blonde’s ear, which caused her to blush. Anna Leigh laughed and patted her granddaughter on the cheek, before heading over to where Lex stood.

"Lexington, we’d love for you two to come over for dinner tomorrow night, if you’re not too busy." She wrapped an arm around the younger woman and smiled. "As a matter of fact, we’d love to have everyone over – it would be a perfect time to go over your trip."

Lex nodded. "Sure, if it’s okay with Amanda." She saw her lover nod, and smiled down at the older woman. "We’d love to, Gramma."

Jacob clapped his hands together. "Excellent! I’ve got some steaks that are just begging to be grilled. Tomorrow evening will be perfect." He kissed his granddaughter on the head. "See you tomorrow, Peanut. You take care of Lex, you hear?"

"I sure will, Grandpa. Thank you again for the beautiful furniture. It was perfect." She hugged the older man tight.

Anna Leigh laughed. "I swear, this is a longer goodbye than some old movie! Jacob, let’s leave these girls alone." She whispered a few parting words to Martha and then left the room, her husband trailing behind.

"Wow." Amanda stood in the kitchen, empty now except for her and Lex. "That was something, wasn’t it?"

"It sure was," Lex agreed. She took Amanda by the hand and led her up the staircase, stopping at the top and looking back down on the now-darkened hallway. "We’re home, Amanda."

To be continued in part 4