For disclaimers, please see part 1.

Love’s Journey

Part IV

Chapter 13

The next evening, Elizabeth followed Amanda out to the ranch, parking her white Saturn rental car behind her daughter’s Mustang. Lex stood on the front porch and watched the two women walk towards the house. She fought off the unease that washed over her when she spied Amanda’s mother. The rancher noticed with relief that the older woman wore dark slacks and a red silk shirt, not the business suit from her dream. That helps, she thought wryly as she smiled and waved back at her friend.

Elizabeth’s knee-length fur coat was unbuttoned, and she enjoyed the cold wind that whipped around her. The drive out to the ranch hadn’t been that long, but the breeze was a welcome change from the stifling heat of her car’s interior. She followed her daughter across the well-kept yard, glancing discreetly at the large home they were walking toward. Goodness…it’s much bigger than I expected. She observed the silent figure standing on the front porch and squared her shoulders. Staking out her territory, is she? Well, Miss-Big-And-Tough, I don’t scare so easily. This is one fight I plan to win.

Lex did her best to ignore the glare that she received from her lover, knowing that she was in trouble for standing outside without a jacket on. Her fever had broken early that morning, and despite a lingering tightness in her chest, she was feeling much better. At least I put my boots on – she should be satisfied with that. Since she’d promised Amanda that she’d try to be friendly, Lex held her hand out to the woman climbing the steps. "Welcome to the Rocking W Ranch, Mrs. Cauble." Lex watched with amusement as Elizabeth considered her outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Ms. Walters." Elizabeth slowly accepted the offered hand in a firm grasp and gave it a shake. I wonder how long she can be civil, before her lack of breeding comes to the fore? This may be more fun than I thought.

The rancher’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Please, call me Lexington, or Lex." She cleared her throat and released the older woman’s hand. "I’m glad you could make it."

Amanda stepped around Lex and gently grasped her mother’s arm. "Come inside, Mother." She escorted Elizabeth into the house, although her parting shot was aimed at the tall form beside the door. "None of us need to be out in this cold any longer than necessary."

"Ouch," Lex grimaced as she followed the two into the house. She closed the door behind her and watched as Amanda led their guest into the sitting room. I think that the temperature just went down twenty degrees in the house. Gonna be a fun evening. She quietly cleared her throat and fought the urge to sneeze.

Martha stepped out of the kitchen and waved Lex over to her. "I take it our guest has arrived?" she asked quietly. After Amanda had related the rancher’s nightmare to her, the housekeeper had tried to put Lex’s mind at ease, telling her there was no way she’d allow them to host such an important guest alone.

Lex nodded. "Yes, ma’am. Amanda took her into the sitting room." She peeked into the kitchen. "Where’s Grandpa?" He had promised her that morning that he’d be glad to be a part of the evening’s dinner party, especially after hearing of Lex’s bad dream. I didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved when Amanda told the entire household about the nightmare I’d had. Guess things just work out, sometimes. Lex was glad that her dream had been completely wrong so far, and that Elizabeth seemed to be behaving herself.

"He ran back upstairs to change. I think he wants to make a good impression tonight." Martha regarded the woman next to her. "How are you doing, Lexie? You still look a little pale." She didn’t believe for a moment that the younger woman was feeling any better.

"I’m okay. Just a little tired from lying around most of the day." Lex looked into the kitchen again. The table appeared to be set to perfection with the good china, and a beautiful white lace tablecloth completed the look. "The table looks really nice…Where did you get the covering for it?"

The older woman patted Lex on the side. "Your grandfather suggested that we use it. It was packed away upstairs in the storage room. Mrs. Edwards gave it to your mother as a wedding gift, and your father packed it away after she passed on." She looked up into the quiet face above her. "I knew about it, but after all these years, I’d forgotten. I’m sorry, honey."

Lex wrapped an arm around the housekeeper’s shoulders. "No need to apologize, Mada. I think there’s a lot of stuff upstairs we need to go through pretty soon." She kissed the older woman on the temple. "I’d really like your help, when we do. You could probably tell me a lot about the stuff that’s up there."

"I’d be glad to, honey." Martha returned the hug and then stepped back. "Now go see to our guest. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour."

"Yes, ma’am." Lex grinned and hurried back down the hallway. She stood outside the doorway to the sitting room for just a moment. C’mon, Lexington. It was just a dream. She’s not crazy enough to do something like that – get over it. She took a deep breath and stepped into the room. "Sorry about that. I wanted to go and check on the dinner."

Elizabeth was sitting on the loveseat near the front window, and turned to face Lex. "I see. Are you cooking tonight?" The look on her face showed just what she thought of such an idea. "Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t look like you know your way around a kitchen."

"Mother!" Amanda scolded from her chair nearby, "that was uncalled for!"

Lex raised a hand and smiled. "It’s all right, sweetheart." She turned her attention to their guest. "You’re right, Mrs. Cauble. Martha won’t let me near the stove – she says that we don’t have enough insurance on the house."

"Really? Is Martha your cook?" Elizabeth leaned forward slightly, hoping for ammunition in her battle for her daughter.

"Not exactly." Lex didn’t want this woman to look down at Martha, and she knew she would if she thought the housekeeper was some sort of domestic help. "Martha is the woman who raised me after my own mother died. She’s about the only family I’ve had."

The older woman nodded. "Of course. So, she lives here and takes care of you? How…interesting."

Amanda jumped to her feet. "She actually has her own house, back behind this one. Martha runs the house for Lex, so that she’s free to take care of the bigger demands of the ranch. I really don’t like what you’re insinuating, Mother." She started towards the loveseat, but was intercepted in the center of the room by Lex.

"Hold on there, love." The rancher wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and pulled her close. "Calm down."

Elizabeth stood up. "Really, Amanda. You need to learn to control yourself." She brushed nonexistent wrinkles from her slacks and sighed. "I need to freshen up. Is there…?"

Lex turned and pointed towards the door. "Past the stairway on the right. Do you want me to show you the way?"

"That’s quite all right. I travel all over the world, I think I can find your lavatory." Elizabeth left the room with an authoritative air.

"Okay, now that she’s gone…What’s up with you?" Lex looked down into Amanda’s face, which was still flushed with anger.

Amanda buried her face in her lover’s shirt and sighed. "I guess I’m just a little defensive when it comes to you." She looked up into concerned blue eyes. "Every word out of her mouth sounded like a dig against you, Lex. I won’t stand by and let her get away with that."

The tall woman walked over to the loveseat and sat down, pulling Amanda down into her lap. "Sshh." Lex stroked the blonde head for a few moments until she felt the body she was holding relax. "She just seemed a bit curious to me, sweetheart. Maybe you’re just a little sensitive where she’s concerned."

"No…" Amanda shook her head, "before you came into the room, every little thing she said was just one step away from being nasty. She’s trying to ruin how I see you…but it’s not going to work."

"Of course not," Lex agreed. "What was that you said about her insinuating something?"

The blonde sighed. "She had said earlier, that the only reason you have me here is because you wanted someone to wait on you hand and foot – that you’re the type who uses people for their own twisted purposes, and then dumps them." Amanda turned her head so that she was looking directly into Lex’s eyes. "I asked her where she got such a ridiculous idea. She said it’s what she saw when we were in California."

Lex laughed. "I think she saw what she wanted to, sweetheart. But you’ve gotta admit, we were pretty inseparable. She’s probably just jealous." She hugged the smaller woman to her, then stood up. "C’mon…let’s go wait for her in the kitchen."

"Okay." Amanda ran her hands through her hair to comb it and then shook her head. "I’ll try not to rip her head off at the dinner table…but it’s not going to be easy."

Elizabeth joined them in the kitchen a few minutes later. The older woman stood in the doorway with a superior air as she watched her daughter puttering around the stove. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Lex, who was standing next to the small blonde. "Ahem." Her gaze took in a small, slightly overweight woman next to the tall rancher.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Cauble. I didn’t see you standing there." Actually she had, but Lex enjoyed the look of consternation that crossed Elizabeth’s face. She put her arm around Martha and led her over to where the glaring woman was standing. "This is my mom, Martha Rollins." Lex grinned at the surprised smile that spread over the housekeeper’s face. "Martha, I’d like you to meet Amanda’s mother, Elizabeth Cauble."

My, my…she looks like she’s swallowed a horse apple, the housekeeper observed. She held out her hand and smiled. "It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Amanda’s a very welcome part of our family, and I’m so glad that you could join us tonight."

Elizabeth gave the woman her best ‘social’ smile. "Yes. Thank you for having me here on such short notice." She smirked slightly. "Lexington tells me that you raised her. You must be so proud of what she’s become." A dirty, perverted cowhand that seduces naïve young girls…every mother’s dream.

"I certainly am." Martha smiled up at the dark-haired woman, and then looked towards the stove to see Amanda frown. This woman certainly has a burr under her saddle blanket…and poor Amanda looks like she’s about to explode. "Lexie has worked very hard to make this ranch something that we can all be proud of. I’ve never seen it so prosperous, and I’ve been here twenty-five years."

Amanda had been on the verge of interrupting her mother’s catty comments until she heard Martha’s words. She relaxed her grip on the spoon that she was using to stir the simmering pot, and took a deep breath to calm herself. I think that Mother has finally met her match. Martha sure won’t take any flak from her, and Lex seems to be actually enjoying herself. Very weird.

"Why don’t you two ladies sit down, and I’ll bring you each a glass of wine?" Lex steered Martha to the table and pulled out a chair for her. She waited until the housekeeper was settled and then went to the refrigerator for the bottle of wine. "I’m not real sure how good this stuff is, but my grandfather claims it’ll be perfect for tonight."

"You’re being too modest, honey," a deep voice boomed from the doorway. "You’ve got a wonderful eye for wine." Travis stepped into the kitchen wearing dark slacks and a multi-colored sweater which accentuated his sparkling blue eyes. His thick silver hair and recently grown mustache had been neatly trimmed, and he looked much younger than his seventy-nine years. He met his granddaughter halfway across the kitchen and hugged her gently. "You look a lot better this evening, Lexie."

She returned his embrace and laughed. "Thanks, Grandpa. You’re looking pretty sharp yourself." She pulled back and gestured with one arm towards the table. "Let me make the introductions. Mrs. Elizabeth Cauble, I’d like for you to meet my grandfather, Travis Edwards."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Cauble." Travis bowed slightly and gently shook Elizabeth’s outstretched hand. "I can see where Amanda gets her beauty."

Elizabeth found herself doing something very out of character. She blushed like a schoolgirl. "You’re too kind, Mr. Edwards," she demurred. "And please, call me Elizabeth."

He’s laying it on a bit thick, but I think it’s working. Maybe she’ll back off and leave Amanda alone if she’s busy flirting with Grandpa. Lex felt a cold chill run down her back. Ugh! I’m gonna owe him big time for this one! She exchanged amused glances with Amanda as she moved over to the stove to help. "We about ready to get this show on the road?" she whispered. It had been Amanda’s idea for the two of them to serve, which left Martha free to enjoy the dinner. The younger woman didn’t want to give her mother any more ammunition to make the evening miserable, so it was decided much earlier that Martha would not have anything to do with household chores tonight.

"Yep. The pasta’s strained, the sauce is ready, and the bread will be out of the oven in about a minute." Amanda playfully bumped her lover with a hip. "Think you can handle the salad? It’s in the fridge."

Lex stepped behind Amanda and leaned over to place her lips next to the blonde’s ear. "I think I can handle more than the salad, sweetheart." She placed a soft kiss on the ear and stepped back. "I’ll prove it to you, later."

Amanda fought to keep standing, as her knees almost buckled beneath her. "I’ll get you for that," she growled quietly.

"I’m counting on it," Lex winked, and quickly removed the salad from the refrigerator.

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

The dinner went better than Lex could have imagined, although she thought that she was going to have to tranquilize Amanda on more than one occasion. The younger woman took exception to almost every word that left her mother’s mouth, no matter how innocent it sounded. Travis continued to bewitch their guest with his southern charm, and Martha had even gotten into the spirit of the evening and presided over the meal as if she were the lady of the manor. After a couple of hours of small talk, the night was drawing to a close, and Elizabeth had regretfully announced that she had to get back to her hotel.

"I want to thank you again for such a lovely evening," Elizabeth extended her hand to Martha, who along with Travis had escorted her to the front door. Amanda had gone upstairs some time earlier, citing a terrible headache.

Martha smiled warmly and shook her hand. "It was entirely our pleasure, Elizabeth. I’m just sorry that Amanda’s not here to tell you goodbye." She allowed the other woman to open the door.

"Yes. We had a wonderful time, too," Travis smiled at the two women. "It’s so nice to have finally met you, my dear." He reached forward and pulled the blushing woman’s hand to his lips. "Please don’t be a stranger. How long do you plan to be in Somerville? We’d love to have you out again."

Elizabeth smiled sadly as she pulled her hand back delicately. "I’m not certain. It really depends on my daughter. I’d love to spend more time with her, but not if it makes Mandy feel uncomfortable." She took both of Martha’s hands in her own and squeezed. "I appreciate you making me feel so welcome, Martha. If I don’t see you again before I leave, I want you to know how much your hospitality means to me. You have an open invitation if you’re ever in Los Angeles, so that I can return the favor." She turned quickly and hurried from the porch, fighting the freezing wind until she could get to her car.

The housekeeper sighed and closed the door. "That went pretty well, I think," she quipped to the handsome man nearby. "I don’t believe I would have made it without your help, Travis. Thank you."

"My dear Martha," he draped one long arm around her shoulders and guided her back towards the kitchen, "it was entirely my pleasure. We’re all family here, and there’s no place I’d rather be." They passed the staircase and paused for a moment.

"I hope Lexie can calm Amanda down. She certainly was in a state, wasn’t she?" Martha looked up at the handsome older man. "C’mon…I think I still have some of that coffee cake left over from breakfast. What say we have a quick snack?"

Travis laughed, but allowed her to lead him into the kitchen. "That sounds like a marvelous idea. But if you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to have to start jogging in the mornings to make up for it," he teased.

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

Lex watched the younger woman pace back and forth around the bedroom. She had been trying to calm Amanda ever since they had gotten upstairs. "Sweetheart. I thought the dinner went really well. I mean, at least no blood was spilled, or anything." She hoped that joking about her own misgivings would help. Her throat was sore, and she felt a definite chill as her fever came back.

"She was just playing with us, Lex." Amanda spun around and stomped over to the dresser. "Don’t tell me you fell for her sweet and innocent act!" She pulled open a drawer, glanced down, and slammed it shut. What am I looking for?

"Well…she did seem pretty nice tonight. Maybe she just wants to have a better relationship with you." Lex stood up and crossed the room, stopping directly behind her lover. "Don’t get me wrong, love. I’ll never forgive her for whatever role she played in your poisoning, but it seems like she has honestly missed you." She reached out and placed one hand gently on Amanda’s back. "Part of me can’t blame her for wanting to protect you, since I feel the same way."

Amanda spun around and snuggled into the rancher’s arms. She shook her head as she buried her face in the denim shirt. "No. You don’t know her like I do, Lex. She’s up to something, I just know it." She looked up into her lover’s concerned face. "I’m worried about what she may do. The last time they tried to poison you…what if…?"

Lex caressed the worried face below her. "Sshhh…nothing’s going to happen to me, sweetheart. She may be a bit crazy, but your mother isn’t stupid. If something happened to me now, she’d be the main suspect. We know that, and she knows that." She leaned down and placed a light kiss on Amanda’s forehead.

"That won’t stop her from plotting, you know," Amanda murmured. She swayed slightly as warm lips continued to kiss her face.

"You could be right," Lex agreed, as she led Amanda over to the bed. Time for a little diversion, I think. She nibbled on a convenient earlobe and whispered, "But there’s not much we can do about it tonight. Why don’t you let me fix you a hot bath, then I’ll give you a nice, long massage."

Long fingers began to slowly unbutton Amanda’s blouse, causing the silk garment to fall quickly to the floor. "Mmm…" The blonde leaned her head back as Lex continued to place gentle nips along her throat. She felt herself being pushed onto her back as her lover carefully peeled her jeans down her hips and off her legs. Warm hands traced fiery paths across Amanda’s bare skin, causing her to writhe and moan softly. "Lex…"

Lex continued her diversion by caressing the smooth skin beneath hers in long, generous strokes. "Close your eyes, love. Just relax and enjoy the ride," she whispered, right before she bent her head and sucked gently on tender flesh.

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

"Are you sure you’re up to this?" Amanda questioned her lover. "I’d be just as happy spending New Year’s Eve at home with you." She looked in the mirror at Lex, who was brushing her hair and trying to appear alert. She had dark circles under her blue eyes, and Amanda suspected that the older woman was still fighting off a fever.

The rancher nodded, then tossed the brush onto the counter. "I’m sure. I promised your family that we’d meet them there, and your grandmother owes me a dance." She stepped forward and placed her hands on Amanda’s shoulders. "Have I told you how beautiful you look this evening?" she whispered in a nearby ear.

Amanda wore the same outfit she had worn a couple of months before at her parents’ house in Los Angeles. The black denim skirt and shimmering green blouse complimented her figure, and the heart-shaped necklace rested perfectly in the hollow of her throat. She looked up and covered Lex’s hands with her own. "You have. Thank you."

"Good. Because I’d hate for one second to pass by that you didn’t know how absolutely thankful I am that you’re here with me." Lex ran her hands down Amanda’s arms until she could link them together across the younger woman’s stomach. She pulled her lover towards her and squeezed. "I never want to take you for granted. You mean too much to me."

"Oh, Lex." Amanda turned around so that she could look up into her partner’s face. "I feel the same way." She raised her hands and clasped them behind Lex’s neck, pulling the older woman’s head down gently. "And I’ve never felt anything from you but love," she whispered, as she leaned up and covered Lex’s mouth with her own.

A knock at the bedroom door caused them both to groan and pull apart slowly. "This better be important," Lex growled. She regretfully stepped out of the bathroom and opened the bedroom door. "Oh, hi."

Travis stood in the doorway with a large smile on his face. "Good evening, Lexie. Martha sent me up to see if you girls were about ready." He was wearing new denim jeans and a light blue button-down shirt, and even sported a pair of scuffed cowboy boots.

"We’re ready." Lex held open the door. "Come on in, Grandpa. I’ve just got to hunt down my boots."

Amanda stepped out of the bathroom. "They’re under the bed," she announced helpfully. "Hi, Grandpa Travis. You sure look spiffy tonight." She waited until Lex got down on her hands and knees to look under the bed, and swatted the rancher on the rear.

"Hey!" Lex cried. "Watch it, Blondie." She stood up with the boots in one hand. "You really don’t want to start something now, do you?"

The blonde quickly hid behind Travis. "Umm…no." She put her arms around him and grinned. "I’m protected."

Lex walked slowly towards the pair. "Uh-huh." She dropped the boots and continued her advance. "Is that true, Grandpa? Would you protect her from me?"

"Lexington Marie! Quit horsing around and finish getting dressed!" Martha scolded from the doorway. "And leave your poor grandfather alone." She stepped into the room and placed her hands on her hips. "Don’t make me take a spoon to your backside, young lady!"

Amanda giggled and released her hold on Travis. "That’ll teach you to pick on me." She stepped away from the smiling man and stuck her tongue out at the tall woman.

"Oh, really?" Lex took two quick steps and grabbed Amanda, picking her up and spinning her around.

"Aaaah! Lex! Put me down!" the younger woman wailed, wrapping her arms around Lex’s neck. "Martha, make her stop!"

The housekeeper shook her head. "Kids."

Travis held out his arm in a courtly fashion. "Shall we wait for them downstairs, Martha?"

"I do believe we shall," Martha agreed, taking his arm and allowing Travis to escort her from the room.

Chapter 14

The New Year’s Eve dance was being held at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The large open floor plan was perfect to use as a dance floor, and several civic groups worked together for days before the big event to make certain everything went smoothly. Next door to the Hall was the Ladies’ Auxiliary, which also opened up to serve refreshments and have chairs available for those who wanted to just sit down and visit.

Lex parked the truck in the Auxiliary parking lot, since she knew that Travis would rather meet up with old friends than dance. "Here we are, everyone." She looked at Martha in the back seat. "I wonder when we’ll see your…" A knock at the driver’s side window caused Lex to jump. "Damn you, Charlie," she grumbled. She watched as he opened Martha’s door for her.

"Hi there, beautiful. I was wondering when you were gonna get here." Charlie helped the housekeeper out of the truck and ignored the nasty look he was given by Lex. "I could have just picked you up at the house, you know."

Martha laughed. "There was no sense in you driving all the way to the ranch. Lexie didn’t mind an extra passenger for the ride in."

"That’s right," Lex agreed, as she climbed out of the truck. "We’d have been here sooner, but everyone was having too much fun picking on me."

Amanda walked around the truck and wrapped an arm around her friend. "Poor baby. You’re so mistreated." She exchanged glances with the others. "Brrr! Let’s get inside before we turn into ice sculptures!"

"Good idea. Lexie shouldn’t be out in the cold, anyway," Martha agreed. She led the way as the entire group started towards the Auxiliary building, where loud music and laughter floated out the open doors.

The expensive car’s windows were steamed up as the happy group walked by. No one noticed who was inside, as they were talking excitedly amongst themselves.

"Oh, Hubert…" The blonde woman snuggled closer. "You’re so strong," she whispered in ecstasy.

He quickly unbuttoned her shirt. "You ain’t seen nuthin’, yet, sweet pea." He worked feverishly on the buckle to her belt, as the excited woman stretched across the tiny back seat of the expensive sports car. "Come to Daddy, sugar pie."

Lex stood in the doorway of the Ladies Auxiliary until her eyes adjusted to the bright light. Damn, there’s a lot of people here. She felt her grandfather’s hand on her shoulder. "Hmm?"

"I see a couple of folks that I haven’t talked to in ages," he murmured in her ear. "You kids go have some fun, and I’ll catch up with you later." A quick kiss on her forehead, and his tall frame blended into the crowd.

A gentle hand on her arm brought Lex out of her musings. "Looks like Grandpa Travis is in good hands," Amanda quipped, seeing the older man being embraced by several people his age. She looked up into her lover’s face and saw a momentary sadness. "Are you okay, honey?"

The dark head bent down and Lex looked into Amanda’s eyes. "Yeah. Just thinking." She looked back over at her grandfather, and at the people that had quickly surrounded him. His face was lit up with happiness, and he was already being herded toward a table full of friends that welcomed him with boisterous laughter.

"About what?" Amanda steered her partner back away from the doorway to a quieter spot in the corner of the huge room. She raised one hand to Lex’s face to bring her attention back to her. "Talk to me, Lex. What’s going on in that head of yours?"

Lex sighed. "I thought I was doing him a favor, bringing him out to the ranch." She indicated where Travis was sitting, laughing at something one of the other men had said. "But look at him, Amanda. He’s having a great time. Maybe he needs to be here in town, with his friends, instead of cooped up with me out in the middle of nowhere."

Amanda grasped Lex’s hand and brought it to her face, kissing the knuckles gently. "Has he said anything to you to indicate that he’s unhappy?" When the older woman didn’t answer, she shook her head. "No, of course not. Honey, he seems happy at the ranch. But if you want, we can talk to him later, and see if he’d like to have a place here in town, okay?" Amanda stood on her tiptoes and kissed Lex on the cheek. Realizing where they were, she quickly looked around, relieved that no attention was on them. "Now, c’mon. Let’s go see if we can find my grandparents and harass them for a while."

She’s right, Lexington. No sense in borrowing trouble. Lex smiled down at her partner. "Yes, dear." She wrapped an arm around Amanda’s shoulders and started to lead her from the building. "Let’s go check out the dance. They’re probably in there." Before they could get through the doorway, a blonde woman stormed in.

"Why don’t you go back to your car, and see if you can finish on your own? God knows you weren’t getting anywhere with me," she complained to the person behind her. "Now I remember why I quit going out with you."

Hubert followed closely behind. "C’mon, Barbara. It must have just been too cold out there, that’s all. Gimme another chance." He tried to grab her arm, but bumped into someone instead. "Get out of my…Damn! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hello, Hube. Having woman troubles?" Lex teased. She had a pretty good idea what was going on. I thought I recognized his car out in the parking lot. "Maybe you should get that checked out."

"Bitch." He pushed by his sister in search of Barbara. "I’ll take care of you later."

Lex laughed. "I doubt it, Hube. But have fun trying." She looked down at Amanda. "What?"

"That wasn’t nice, Lex. Funny, but not nice." She grabbed Lex’s arm and began to pull her through the doors. "Let’s go find Gramma, before you get into trouble." Amanda led her partner across the sidewalk to the open doors of the Hall. Loud music assaulted their ears before they even stepped inside. "Good lord. We’re going to go deaf in here," she grumbled.

"What?" Lex joked, only to have an elbow dig into her ribs. "You have no sense of humor, Amanda." She shook her head and followed her lover into the loud building.

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

Janna kept her eyes on the front door as she sipped her punch. She had staked out a nice spot near the back wall to watch the action, and was waiting patiently for some sign of her date. The tall woman was not looking forward to spending the evening with Hubert, no matter how handsome he was. Doesn’t do a thing for me. When she saw him chase an upset woman into the room, she smiled. There’s my out. Janna frowned when she saw him exchange heated words with Lex. I wonder what that’s…aw, hell. Now I know why he looked so familiar. And why he was suddenly so interested in me. What an ass.

Hubert made his way across the room until he was standing in front of Janna. "Hello there. What’s happening?" He tried to appear casual, but his disheveled appearance only made him look comical.

"Your shirt tail is out," Janna deadpanned. "And your fly is unzipped." She set her cup of punch down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?" He looked down and frowned. "Shit." Hubert quickly tucked in his shirt and zipped his pants. "So…you been waiting long?" He brushed his dark hair back with one hand and straightened his jacket.

She raised an eyebrow at his attempt at being debonair. "Long enough to see you at the front door." A wicked smile flitted across her face, then quickly disappeared. Let’s see how he gets out of this one. This could be fun.

"Yeah? So?"

"Who was the woman, Hubert? Or did you forget that we were meeting here tonight?" Janna did her best to keep an angry look on her face.

He looked around a bit, then shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, her. That was my sister. She’s a pain in the ass, but…"

Janna shook her head. "No, not Lex. I know her. Who was the woman that ran into the building right before you did? She didn’t seem too happy with you."

"Uh…well…" Hubert looked down at the floor, and then at the decorations over her shoulder. "That was Barbara. We used to go out some." He stood up straight and puffed out his chest. "She was upset because I didn’t bring her to the dance. I’m considered quite a catch around here, you know."

"I see. And the reason she was partially undressed was…?" She almost laughed at the look on his face. Squirm, you pathetic bastard. I remember hearing from Lex and Amanda just what an ass you really are. They just never mentioned you by name.

Hubert cleared his throat. "Okay. Now you know. I was trying to save the poor woman some embarrassment, but I guess I can tell you." He leaned forward and rested his hand on the wall behind her until they were almost breathing the same air. "She practically jumped me in the parking lot. The woman is a nymphomaniac. I fought her off the best I could, but it wasn’t easy."

The amused woman couldn’t hold it back anymore, she laughed. "Fought her off, huh? Then how do you explain that you were chasing her into the building?"

"Umm…well…I was…" He backed off a step and looked completely flustered.

"Never mind." Janna pushed by him in disgust. "I don’t know how you and my father can be such good friends. You’re such a pig!" Her parting shot was loud enough for several of the people nearby to overhear, and they looked at Hubert curiously.

He glared at the faces staring at him. "What the hell are you looking at? Mind your own damn business!" Hubert took a deep breath and went in search of Barbara. Hell…maybe I can salvage this night after all. I knew I wasn’t gonna get any out of Ted’s little girl. Might as well get me some before the year is out.

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

Lex had picked a small part of the dance floor well away from the crowd, and she was slowly swaying to the music with Amanda nestled close. Not many paid any attention to the couple, since everyone was too busy having fun themselves. The few narrow-minded people that even looked as if they wanted to say something were quickly shut up by a nasty look from the tall woman. She looked down at the woman snuggled close to her. "Having fun, sweetheart?"

"Mmm-hmm." Amanda nodded, then looked up to see her lover’s face. "I really am. Thanks for suggesting this, Lex. I know you’re not feeling too well, but…"

"No buts. I’m feeling fine, and I thought we should do something special for our first New Year’s Eve together." Lex leaned in even closer. "Although I have a few ideas about how we can celebrate at home, later," she finished in a sexy whisper.

Amanda trembled slightly. "Oh, boy. That sounds good to me," she responded. Lex’s voice was even deeper due to her cold, and it was all Amanda could do to keep from attacking her partner right there on the dance floor. "Umm…it’s kinda warm in here. You wanna stop and get something to drink?" Maybe go swimming in the punch bowl? Whew…what she can do to me with just a few words.

The rancher laughed, but steered her lover off the dance floor. "Sure. I’m feeling a bit warm myself. How about we go back over to the Auxiliary building, and see what kind of munchies they have?" She gently pushed through the crowd, her sights set on the front door.

"Good idea. I worked up an appetite with all that dancing," Amanda yelled at the tall back, not relinquishing her hold on Lex’s hand. As they stepped out the door into the cold night air, Amanda was grabbed from behind and her hand was jerked out of Lex’s. "Hey!"

Lex spun around and was shoved in the back, her unseen assailant manhandling her around to the back of the building. Three men stood in the semi-darkness, one of them holding Amanda by the upper arms. "What the hell’s this all about?" Lex asked, as she blinked several times to get used to the darkness.

"Let go of me!" Amanda yelled, as she twisted and turned to break the man’s hold.

"We don’t like your type around here," one of the men growled. "It ain’t natural."

The rancher started forward, but a hand to her chest pushed her back. "What’s not natural? Two people dancing?" Lex took a deep breath and frowned. "You’re drunk. Why don’t you climb back into your bottle and leave folks alone?" She kept a close eye on the man holding onto Amanda. Careful, Bubba…I’ll tear you apart if anything happens to her.

The man who had spoken to her shoved Lex hard against the back of the building. "Shut up!" He was several inches taller, and at least fifty pounds heavier than she. "Some of us were talkin’, and decided you should be taught a lesson." He and the man next to him moved towards Lex.

"Aaaah! You little bitch!" The man holding Amanda fell to the ground, both hands clasping his crotch. The small woman stepped away quickly, her hands held up in a defensive gesture.

The distraction was all Lex needed, as she kicked one man in the crotch and punched the other one in the throat. "C’mon!" She reached for Amanda and led her back around to the other side of the building, where several people had stepped out for some fresh air.

"Hold on there, ladies…oh! Sorry, Lex." A man in a light-colored cowboy hat and a sheriff’s office jacket grabbed the rancher. "What’s the hurry?"

Amanda pointed to where they had come from. "Some men…" she puffed, her breath coming out in steamy puffs, "tried to…" She gratefully leaned into Lex’s body for support.

"I’m glad to see you, Jeremy. Some rowdy drunks took exception to us dancing," Lex explained. She looked down at her lover. "Why don’t you go inside, and I’ll just…"

"I don’t think so," Amanda stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest to protect herself from the cold. "I’m not going anywhere without you."

Lex shook her head. "I don’t know why I even try, sometimes." She looked at the deputy, who had an amused smile on his face. "Don’t start with me. I’m good friends with your mother." Not that they ran in the same circles, but Mrs. Richards did serve on the Historical Committee. It was a good bluff.

He held out his hands in a defensive manner. "I didn’t say anything. Umm…you want to show me where the trouble was?" He started for the back of the building.

"Sure. They’re probably gone by now, though." Lex followed him, with Amanda close behind her.

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

"Are you girls okay?" Charlie asked breathlessly. He had seen where Lex and Amanda were visiting with the younger woman’s grandparents, and rushed over to the table to check on them. The sheriff tipped his hat to the other occupants of the table. "Oh, excuse me folks. Anna Leigh…Jacob. How are you folks this evening?"

Anna Leigh smiled at the flustered lawman. "We’re doing just fine, Charlie. Why don’t you sit down and join us?" She looked around for his fiancée. "Where’s Martha? Isn’t she with you?"

He sat down at the table and released a heavy sigh. "Yes, ma’am, she is. She’s over at Mrs. Clark’s table, talking about wedding stuff. I had to run for my life," he joked.

"Why were you asking if the girls are okay?" Jacob asked, looking from Charlie to Amanda quizzically. "Did something happen that we don’t know about?"

Lex saw the panic in her lover’s eyes. Oops. "It wasn’t that much, really. Just a couple of drunks took exception to us dancing, that’s all."

"Uh-huh. And what exactly did these drunks do?" Anna Leigh asked. She looked closely at the two younger women, trying to see any bruises or scratches. "You two look okay to me."

"We’re just fine, Gramma," Amanda assured her. "Lex and I changed their attitudes, didn’t we, honey?" She reached over and squeezed the rancher’s hand. Don’t scare them, Lex. Please.

Looking at the faces around the table, Lex smiled. "We sure did. Nothing to it, especially when Amanda is involved." The grip on her arm tightened, and she gave her partner a confused look. "What?"

Amanda smiled sweetly, and glanced down at the older woman’s knuckles. They were still a bit red where Lex had punched one of the men. "Especially when I am involved? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Umm…"

"Now, Peanut," Jacob saw the frustration on Lex’s face. "I’m sure she didn’t mean anything bad. Did you, Lex?"

Lex shook her head. "Yes, sir. I mean, no sir. I mean…" She covered Amanda’s hand with her own, and turned her attention back to her lover. "Sweetheart, I meant that you seem to always think clearly, and get us out of any trouble." She looked around the table with a self-effacing smile. "Unlike me, who charges into all sorts of things without thinking them through." Like now. "That’s what I meant."

"Uh-huh." Amanda enjoyed watching her normally taciturn partner try to talk her way out of trouble. Deciding that Lex had squirmed enough, she smiled. "Okay, I’ll let you off the hook for that one, Slim." She saw the older woman’s eyes focus on something across the room. "What is it?"

"I’m not sure," Lex murmured. "I thought I saw someone I knew." She stood up and placed a quick kiss on Amanda’s head. "I think I’ll go over and take a look, if you don’t mind."

The blonde looked up and nodded. "Sure. Do you want me to go with you?"

"Nah. You stay here and visit, and I’ll be right back, okay?" Lex wasn’t sure of whom she had seen, but she didn’t want to entangle Amanda in what could possibly be a nasty fight.

"You want some company, Lex? I need to get back to Martha, and I’d like to have a word or two with you on the way." Charlie stood up and put his hat back on.

The tall woman nodded. "Sure, Uncle Charlie. C’mon." Lex gave one last wave to the table and followed him through the crowd. "Okay, what’s up?" she asked as soon as they were out of range.

He turned to look at her. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Jeremy told me about what happened earlier. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But by the time we got there, the guys were gone. Funny thing is, I didn’t recognize any of them. I thought I knew most of the people in this town." Lex pulled the lawman over to a quieter spot so that they could talk without yelling. "Something didn’t feel right about the whole confrontation, Charlie. It was almost as if they were out to get me, personally. And I thought I saw Amanda’s mother in here a few minutes ago."

The sheriff rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "Do you think that she could have had something to do with it?" he asked. "Why would she have a few drunks try to beat you up? Doesn’t seem like her style."

Lex sighed. "No, it doesn’t. But I’ve lived in this area my entire life, and never made a secret of who I am. I’ve gotten a few dirty looks, and even some nasty words flung my way, but no one has ever tried something like tonight. It seems just a little too coincidental to me." She looked over his shoulder at the people around them. "Hell, Charlie. I grew up with these people. You can't tell me that they’re just now getting upset at the fact that I’m gay."

Charlie put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I’ll tell you what. You just point her out to me, and I’ll try to keep an eye on Amanda’s mother tonight. Maybe she’ll hook up with those fellas again, and I can arrest them."

"No. She’s too smart for that. You go take care of Martha, and I’ll see if I can find Mrs. Cauble and have a little chat with her." Lex narrowed her eyes. "If she does one thing to hurt Amanda, I’ll make her regret ever coming to Somerville." She started to walk away, but was stopped by the hold Charlie had on her shoulder.

"Don’t do something you’ll be sorry for later, honey." He looked into the stormy blue eyes and squeezed her shoulder again. "She’s not worth it."

She focused on his face and willed her anger down. "She may not be, but Amanda sure as hell is. I won’t let anyone, or anything hurt her. Don’t ask me to stand by and let that happen, Uncle Charlie." Lex gently brushed his hand away and stepped back into the crowd before he could say anything else.

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

Her eyes searched the room, looking for something, or someone. She finally spotted a tableful of people, and slowly pushed her way through the crowd towards them. Once she made it to the table, she stopped and waited for them to notice her.

"Oh! I didn’t know you’d be here," Amanda said to the new arrival. "Won’t you sit down?"

"Thank you. I had been contemplating going home when I noticed you sitting here. I hope you don’t mind."

Jacob stood up and pulled out a chair. "Not at all, young lady. Have a seat."

Janna sat down, a little nervous at just showing up uninvited. "Thank you."

"Where are my manners?" Amanda blustered. "Janna, I’d like to introduce you to my grandparents, Anna Leigh and Jacob Cauble." She smiled at the woman who had just joined them. "Gramma, Grandpa…this is a good friend of ours, Janna Hotchiss. She’s helping us out with the books for the ranch."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Janna." Anna Leigh reached over and shook the newcomer’s hand. "Hotchiss. Aren’t you Ted’s daughter?"

"Yes, ma’am. I’m living out at my granddad’s right now, but I work in my dad’s office." Janna felt at ease at once.

Jacob reached over and patted her arm. "Wonderful! It’s great to meet a friend of our Mandy’s. Are you here alone, dear?"

She tensed a bit at the question. "Umm…well. I am, but I wasn’t supposed to be." Janna looked to Amanda for support.

"Is everything okay, Janna? You look a bit flustered," Amanda asked. She couldn’t quite figure out what was causing the older woman to turn such an interesting shade of red.

"Yeah, just peachy." Janna smiled at the expectant faces. "I was supposed to meet a friend of my dad’s here, but that didn’t work out too well."

Anna Leigh nodded. "That’s a shame. Are you all right, dear? Is there anything we can do?"

Janna smiled at the older woman. "I’m great. At least as long as you don’t mind me hanging around with you for a while."

"Not at all. Lex wandered off somewhere a few minutes ago, but hopefully she’ll be back soon." Amanda looked past their table at the throng of people, trying to catch a glimpse of her lover.

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

"Hello, Mrs. Cauble. Fancy seeing you here." Lex stepped into the older woman’s eyesight.

Elizabeth took a step back. "Oh! Well, Lexington, I had no idea that you’d be here this evening." She could feel the anger radiating from the younger woman, and it frightened her.

The tall woman leaned in closer. "Cut the bullshit, Elizabeth. Your little friends didn’t scare me." Lex took another step until they were almost breathing the same air. "Back off, and leave us alone. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Amanda – even take on the likes of you."

"As will I." Elizabeth pushed the rancher back with one finger. "Don’t think for a moment that you can get away with seducing my daughter. I will do everything in my power to tear her away from your perverted clutches – remember that."

"Big talk from someone who always hires muscle to do their dirty work," Lex growled. "Leave us alone, lady. You don’t want to make me angry."

The older woman laughed. "Please. Your pathetic attempts at toughness don’t frighten me in the least. I was picking my teeth with the likes of you before you were potty-trained."

Lex took a deep breath to control herself. "Lady, you have no idea how good it would feel to knock you into next week. But for some strange reason, Amanda still loves you. So I’ll do my best to abide by her wishes."

Elizabeth’s reaction came swiftly and the sharp crack of a slap resounded.

"Don’t threaten me, you two-bit cow chaser. Leave my daughter alone, or you will be sorry!" Elizabeth walked away, leaving Lex to hold her cheek where the blow had landed.

Oh, boy. I think things just got a lot more interesting, Lex thought to herself, as she watched Elizabeth retreat into the crowd.

Chapter 15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I don’t think so. Who was it?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hmm?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I’m not sure. I’m kinda stuck."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Where do you think you’re going?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why?"

"She was worried about you, sweetheart. No one told her where you were, or how you were doing. I’m afraid she gave the staff a hard time." Martha brushed her fingers against Lex’s cheek again. "How are you feeling? You had us all a bit worried, honey." She used her free hand to brush the tears away from her own face.

Lex tried to shift around on the bed. "Hurts like hell, Mada." She sat still and listened. "What’s wrong? Why are you crying?" She reached out with her right hand until she felt the housekeeper’s arm. "Don’t cry. I’m okay, see?" Lex started coughing, which brought renewed pain to her aching shoulder and head. "Damn."

Martha pushed the call button on the bed. "Take it easy, honey. I’ll get the nurse in here to give you something, okay?"

"No…not ‘til I can see Amanda." Lex frowned. "Or can at least hear her," she amended hoarsely. The rancher let her head fall lightly against her pillow, and sighed. "Thanks for being here, Mada."

"No place else I’d be, baby. Now you stay still, and we’ll wait for Amanda together, all right?"

Lex nodded. "Yeah." She felt sleep pulling at her. "Wake me when they bring her in?"

The housekeeper swallowed the ache at seeing the young woman so vulnerable. "I sure will. Rest for now." She continued to stroke the pale cheek with her hand.

"’kay. Thanks, Mada. I love you." The last words were barely a whisper, as the dark haired woman dozed off.

"I love you too, my precious girl." Martha leaned down and kissed the warm cheek, then sat back to wait.

To be concluded in part 5