by Carrie Carr
Amanda removed her hand. "At least let me help you." She grabbed the other side of the bale that Lex had her hands on, and together they pulled it into the truck. "See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?"
Lex hated to admit it, but Amanda really was a big help, and she didn’t think her ribs would appreciate her tossing the bales around like she usually did. "No, but you may be singing a different tune by the time we get finished today."
Amanda glowered at Lex and crossed her arms, taking a defiant stance. "I’m a lot stronger than I look, you know." Then she reached for another bundle of hay.
Lex stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just don’t want you to hurt yourself." She looked a little lost. "I really do appreciate all the help. I don’t think I could do it by myself today."
Amanda patted the hand resting on her shoulder, instantly feeling regret for her sudden flare of temper. "I’m sorry, too. I guess I’ve spent so long trying to prove myself, that being defensive about my size is second nature to me. In my whole life, only my grandparents have ever believed in me." She turned and gestured in the direction of the remaining bales of hay. "So, are we going to stand here chatting all day, or get those animals fed?"
"Feed the animals. Yes ma'am." Lex gratefully gave up the argument and helped Amanda drag the bale down to the bed of the truck.
A couple of hours later, after they unloaded the last of the hay, the rain started up again in earnest. Both hurried back into the truck, each heaving a great sigh of relief to finally be out of the weather. Lex leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. "How much longer can this damned rain last?" She wasn’t going to tell Amanda, but her ribs were really beginning to bother her.
Amanda pushed the hood off her head. "I know what you mean. I keep expecting to see the animals begin pairing up."
"Yeah, and at this rate, we may want to book passage for ourselves." Lex turned her head and opened her eyes. "Thanks again for all the help. I’d probably still be piling hay in the truck if you weren’t here."
"Well, I thought I’d better begin to earn my keep somehow. What’s next on the program?" Hopefully lunch figures in pretty soon. I’m starving. Amanda absentmindedly plucked a piece of straw from her coat and started to chew on the end of it.
Lex raised an eyebrow at her. "Well," she drawled, "I was going to suggest lunch, but I didn’t know if you were hungry or not." Nodding her head at the hay that Amanda was munching on, she added, "I guess I'd better get you something to eat before the rest of the livestock have to do without." She smirked when Amanda blushed. "Guess that’s a yes." Lex leaned forward and started the truck.
AFTER THEY RINSED off their boots outside, Lex and Amanda came in through the mudroom to hang up their soggy coats. As they stepped into the kitchen, the housekeeper turned around with an agitated expression on her face.
Puzzled by the anger she could feel emanating from the housekeeper and hoping it wasn’t directed at them, Amanda offered, "We cleaned our feet. We didn't track in mud, Martha. Honest."
Martha softened her expression for a moment and then said, "I’m so glad you’re back, Lexie. Your brother called, and he’s in some sort of tizzy. He wants you to give him a call as soon as possible. Didn’t even ask how you were, just demanded that you call."
Lex clenched her jaw in order to keep her opinion of Hubert to herself. The last time he’d visited the ranch, he barged into her office, sat at her desk, and demanded that Martha "fetch" him a cup of coffee. When it wasn't to his liking, he yelled at the housekeeper until Lex happened into the house and jerked him to his feet. She threatened to snap his head off, and Martha had to pull her away from him to keep Lex from making good on her threat. They hadn't seen Hubert since. "Was he rude to you again, Martha?"
Martha shook her head. "No, he wasn’t. I think you scared him out of all good sense the last time." She noticed that Amanda seemed a little bewildered. "Come on, dear. Help me set the table for lunch."
"Sure. Just let me go upstairs and clean up a little." Amanda hurried out of the kitchen, still not sure what had just transpired.
Lex waited until Amanda left before continuing the conversation. "Did Hubert give you any clue as to why he called?"
Martha sat down on a nearby stool. "Yes. I just didn’t want to get into it while Amanda was here." She paused to gather her thoughts. "He said his old friend Rick called him and told him Amanda would be staying out here for a while. Apparently, Mrs. Cauble had called Rick to let him know Amanda wouldn’t be at work for a week or so." She could see Lex visibly tremble in an attempt to control her anger.
"Amanda works for Rick?" Lex's voice was barely above a whisper. She fought the feeling of betrayal that started to take over her emotions, wondering if Amanda was trying to take advantage of her somehow. She thought about how easily she had already begun to care about the young woman, and the idea that it was all to serve a purpose made her feel raw and exposed.
"Yes. Didn’t she…oh. That’s right. You were asleep when we talked about that last night. Seems like Ricky thought it would be fun to send Amanda out here on a wild goose chase saying that ‘L. Walters’ was tired of ranching and wanted to sell the place. When she found out what he'd done, she was pretty upset."
That explains a lot of things. "Okay, that makes sense. I’ll deal with him later." She could have been killed because of him. What a rotten bastard! Lex took deep cleansing breaths to calm down. Relieved that her fears about Amanda were groundless, she was furious with Rick for attempting to use the young realtor for his own sick amusement, especially since the two women had hit it off so well. Remembering Martha’s irritation, she shifted her attention to the source of her housekeeper’s aggravation. "So, what’s Hubert’s problem?"
Martha was almost afraid to say what Hubert told her. But she had never lied to Lex and wasn’t about to begin now. "He said he didn’t want a repeat of the Linda fiasco." She waited for the eruption. But it didn’t happen. When Martha looked into Lex’s eyes, she saw quiet defeat there. Oh, no. Please don’t give up, Lexie. That’s what he wants.
"Okay. Thanks Martha. I’ll just go give him a call and get it over with." Lex left the room and walked to her office.
Amanda met her in the hallway. "Hey, ’bout ready for some lunch?"
Lex looked pale and drawn, and her words came out soberly and low. "I’m really not all that hungry right now. You and Martha go ahead. I’ve got to call my brother back." She resumed her trek down the long hallway, leaving Amanda to stare after her.
Amanda continued to the kitchen, where Martha was busy at the stove. "Martha? Is Lex all right?" Amanda picked up three plates and some silverware. "I just met her in the hall and she wasn’t looking too well."
"I don't think she is. That older brother of hers has always been a thorn in Lexie's side. He resents the fact that Mr. Walters put her in charge of the ranch instead of him, since he’s seven years older than she is. And he is always trying to guilt her into doing whatever he wants."
In another part of the house, Lex closed the office door behind her and paced near her desk for a few moments. Might as well get this over with. She sat down behind the heavy oak desk and dialed the number for the house in town. She had signed over her half of it to Hubert, with the stipulation that he'd move completely out of the ranch house.
It took several years, but Lex remodeled the ranch by using money from the trust fund her mother had left for her. Her favorite addition was the cottage she had built for Martha just off the main house. The housekeeper had refused to take the newly remodeled guest room, so Lex trumped her by deeding her the cottage and the land surrounding it.
Lex tapped a beat on the desk as she waited for Hubert to pick up the phone. On the fourth ring, he finally answered.
"Hubert Walters." His voice had an annoying nasal tone to it, which became worse whenever he complained, which was most of the time.
"Yeah, Hubert. This is Lex. You wanted to talk to me?" Restle
ss, she picked up the letter opener from the desk and cleaned her fingernails while she listened.
"’Bout damn time you called. Or did your ‘maid’ forget to give you my message?" He knew her weakness where Martha was concerned and wasn't above exploiting it to irritate Lex.
"Yeah, Martha gave me the message some time ago," she lied, "but I was busy." Two can play this game, Hube ol’ boy.
"Busy? Doing what? Playing with your new little ‘friend’? That’s what I was calling about. I don’t want you dragging our family name through the mud, like you did before."
"Shut up, you bastard."
Hubert sniggered humorlessly. "What was the little trollop’s name? Lulu? No. Loretta? Nah. Oh, yeah, Linda. That was her name, wasn’t it?"
"You know what her name was, Hubert. She dumped you, didn’t she?" Lex couldn’t help but bait him in return.
"Oh, yeah. But that’s okay, ’cause she played for the other team. Was she good in the sack, Lex?"
Creak. Lex looked at the stainless steel letter opener she had just bent in half with one hand. "I couldn't complain, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you Hube?"
Hubert knew he had pushed his sister just about as far as he dared. "Okay, okay. Look. I just don’t want your hormones to get you into trouble again."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Lex slammed the bent letter opener onto the desk and stood up, looking around the room for something to throw.
"Rick told me she’s a cutie, but she must be like you, ’cause she wouldn’t even go out with him."
"Why do men think that if a woman isn't interested in them, she has to be gay? In Rick's case, all it proves is that she has good taste."
Her brother wasn’t so easily dissuaded. "Rick knows what he’s talkin’ about, Lex. The little queer won’t even socialize with anyone from the office. Just spends all her time with those two old farts."
Lex saw red. "Now you listen to me, you son of a bitch. You will not speak of her or the Cauble’s that way. They’re good folks. A lot better than that scum you run around with." She paused to let her words sink in. "And, if I hear of you even thinking badly of any of them, I will make you regret the day you were born. You got that?" She slammed down the phone before he could reply. Lex suddenly felt the walls closing in on her. Gotta get out of here for a while. She stomped down the hallway and out through the rear door.
MARTHA AND AMANDA sat together in silence at the table and ate their lunch. Lex was conspicuously absent, although they could hear her raised voice through the house from time to time. Hearing footsteps down the hallway, they looked up and saw a glimpse of a fleeting figure right before the back door slammed. Both women jumped up from the table and hurried over to the window just in time to see Lex practically run through the yard. She went into the barn and came out a few moments later astride a black stallion. Horse and rider quickly disappeared into a countryside obscured by the steadily falling rain.
"He must have really upset her. She never rides Thunder unless she’s going to ride really hard." Martha stepped away from the window. "Let’s get these dishes cleaned up, and then we’ll sit and visit for a spell. She’ll probably go check the fence by the creek again."
Amanda allowed Martha to lead her away from the window, but her thoughts went out to the woman out in the elements. She could almost feel Lex's raw emotions.
LEX AND THUNDER rode hard for thirty minutes, until she could feel him begin to tire. "Old boy, I’m gonna have to get you out more often if you're already winded." She also felt the need to slow down due to her own body’s complaints as well. They rode through the winter rye fields, and then through the stand of trees she and Amanda had walked through last night. She pulled the horse to a stop before they got to the road, not wanting to risk injuring either one of them in the mud.
Looking at the felled tree and partially flipped Jeep, Lex was surprised they weren’t both seriously injured. The Jeep leaned precariously on three wheels, the tree sitting almost on top of it. Lex used her knees to guide Thunder back to the creek, deciding she might as well see what kind of damage was done to the bridge.
The old bridge was not in as bad shape as Lex had feared. Only the middle section was gone, and it wouldn't take long to repair. She looked downstream and saw the tail of the little Mustang sticking up out of the water. With Amanda's story the evening before still fresh in her mind, an idea formed that lit up Lex’s face. She turned Thunder around and headed back for the house. "Come on, fella. I've got some planning to do."
"AND THEN SHE hands me this piece of paper and says, ‘Happy Birthday, Martha.’ I tell you, I was never so surprised in my life. She even had me pick out everything to decorate it with. It sure was a big change from that little room off the kitchen." Martha wiped her eyes. She had just explained how Lex surprised her with the deed to her little cottage, where they now sat drinking coffee. Martha thought it was the best place to wait for Lex since they could sit in her living room and see the main house and barn through the picture window.
Amanda and Martha had spent the afternoon getting to know each other better. Amanda told her about her grandparents and some of her more favorite stories from her childhood, including the summer they found her car. That sparked a small burst of tears when she thought that it was probably miles downstream by now. Martha related several humorous stories about Lex, and how hard it was to raise a girl on a ranch full of men. She also told of the sad young girl who never fit in at home or at school, how she slowly closed herself off from the pain of being different, and the loneliness of running a ranch.
"My grandmother said Lex is about the sweetest person she’s ever met. That reminds me. How did she get involved in the historical society?" Amanda had been wondering about this since her talk with Anna Leigh last night.
"Actually, Lexie did it out of spite, at least at first. Hubert had been really nasty to all of us here at the ranch, and he decided he was going to become a big real estate developer. So, he picked out the old Taylor house to buy and level to the ground. I think he wanted to turn it into a shopping center or some such nonsense. Anyway, Lexie had gone into town to get the cast taken off her arm—"
"What?"
"Oh, she broke it instead of one of the horses," Martha said matter-of-factly, as she brushed some stray hair out of her eyes. "Where was I? Oh, yes. She was coming out of the doctor’s office and nearly tripped over your grandmother, who was hanging up a sign in the window. She was chairing a meeting of the historical society that evening to discuss the historical significance of Loren Taylor’s old house. Lex read the sign, asked Mrs. Cauble about the gathering, and ended up going. Afterwards, she decided that preserving the house was important from an historical standpoint, not just an excuse to get back at her brother. Now she tries to help out whenever they need her. You should see her in her boots and jeans at one of their little tea parties. I don’t know who has more fun, Lexie or the ladies. It’s really a sight to behold. She’s even hosted a couple out here, trying to get me interested."
Amanda giggled at the mental picture. She could just see the ladies in their matronly dresses and pearls, and Lex with her denim jeans and flannel shirt. "Oh, I bet that’s a riot. My grandmother invited me to their meetings before, but I was afraid I’d be the only one there under sixty. I wish I had taken her up on the invitation. Maybe I would have met you and Lex sooner."
"I don’t know. Sometimes things are just meant to happen a certain way." Martha peered through the window. "And I think we should get back to the main house. Lexie just took Thunder back into the barn, and I’d hate to not be at the house when she comes in." She stood and took her coffee cup into the kitchen with Amanda hot on her heels.
A short time later, Lex walked out of the barn and looked at the house. It had been over two hours since she stormed out of the house, and now she was nervous. As she walked, she berated herself for her childish actions. "Running out of the house like my tail was on fire. Real adult, Lexington. What will
Amanda think?" She slowly opened the back door and stepped inside. Hearing voices coming from the kitchen, Lex saw her chance to pass by unnoticed.
Martha and Amanda sat at the table drinking coffee and looked up when they heard footsteps in the hall. "Did you have a good ride, dear?" Martha asked. She stood up and walked over to the stove. "I kept your plate warm, just in case." She turned and looked at Lex, who had the most confused look on her face. I do so love keeping her off balance. "Now you go upstairs and get some dry clothes on, and I’ll have your lunch ready." When Lex opened her mouth to argue, Martha put her foot down. "Don’t argue with me, Lexington Marie. You’ve spent way too much time out in the elements the past couple of days, and I don’t want you adding pneumonia to your other ills." She shook a finger in her direction. "Now git!"
Lex looked over at Amanda, who had her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. She shook her head and turned and left the kitchen.
"Oh, Martha. You are absolutely vicious." Amanda was unable to hold back her mirth. "The look on her face—"
Martha resumed her seat at the table. "She really is like an overgrown child sometimes. I know she was expecting to get yelled at, so—" Martha shook her head. "She’s already whipped herself about storming off, and I know her brother can be such an ass." She picked the carafe from the center of the table and refilled their mugs. "Lexie is always tougher on herself than I ever have to be."
Minutes later they heard Lex’s footsteps on the stairs. Martha got up, moved over to the stove, and pulled a plate piled high with food from the oven. She sat it at the empty space at the table just as Lex walked in. "Sit down and eat. Don’t let your lunch get cold." As Lex silently took her place, Martha stopped and kissed the top of her head. "Now I expect you to eat every bite of that." Martha patted Lex on the shoulder and headed for the door. "I’ve got some chores to do, so I’ll see the two of you later." She gave Lex a backwards glance that dared the young rancher to disobey her and left through the doorway, humming to herself.
