by Carrie Carr
Unaware she had an audience, Lex spun on her heel, walked to the bathroom, and closed the door behind her.
Okay. Let’s just think about this for a minute. Amanda struggled to remember the events of the night before. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the king-sized bed, wondering where Lex was. "I must have fallen asleep." She looked at the closed bathroom door. "Although, that doesn’t explain why she was in bed, totally naked." She bit her lower lip. "Maybe she didn’t know I was here." Just my luck I was out like a light!
The bathroom door opened and Lex stepped out. "I’m awake," Amanda said quietly.
Lex sat on the edge of the bed. "Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you."
"No, not at all." Amanda had trouble meeting Lex’s eyes. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to crash here. I had another bad dream and couldn’t sleep, so I came in here, but you were gone." She gave Lex a questioning glance. "Where were you?"
"I had a bout of insomnia, so I went down to the barn."
"Oh. Anyway, I guess I conked out waiting for you. Didn’t mean to take over your bed like this."
Lex patted Amanda on the leg. "Hey, no problem. I was so tired when I came in, I just took a quick shower and fell into bed."
Amanda covered the hand on her leg with one of her own. "What time did you get in? I know it was pretty late when I wandered in here."
Lex stood up. "It wasn’t that late. Probably right after you came in." She pulled on Amanda’s hand. "Come on. Why don’t you get up and dress, and I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast."
Amanda went up on her knees on the edge of the bed. She linked her hands behind Lex’s neck and pulled her close. "I’ve got a better idea."
Lex quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t complain as Amanda took her time exploring her mouth. She found her hands drifting to Amanda’s hips, pulling her closer with one hand while the other moved down to find the hem of Amanda’s nightshirt.
"Ahem."
They broke apart quickly, each shooting an embarrassed look at the housekeeper who stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. Lex found her voice first. "Good morning, Martha."
"Obviously," the heavyset woman retorted, causing Amanda’s blush to deepen.
"It’s, umm, not what it looks like, exactly," Amanda stammered as she tried to explain.
"Right." Martha turned to leave. "You were just checking to make sure that Lexie had no toothpaste residue in her mouth while Lexie was making sure that your nightshirt still fit." She paused for a few seconds while she enjoyed their reaction. "I just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready. I’m sure you’ve both worked up an appetite." She shook her head, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Then she leaned against the wall and tried to keep from bursting into laughter at the "deer in the headlights" look that both girls had given her.
Amanda fell back on the bed laughing. "Oh, God. She’s not going to let us live this down, is she?"
Lex put her hands on her hips, never feeling more cheerful. "Nope." She once again offered Amanda a hand. "Come on, let’s go face the music." Then, wondering if Amanda was feeling any discomfort, she asked, "Does that bother you?"
Amanda stood up, wrapped an arm around Lex’s waist and, with a show of bravado that she didn’t quite feel, said, "Nope. And I hope it doesn’t bother Martha too much either, because I’m not planning on stopping anytime soon."
THE ONLY SOUND at the table was when silverware touched a plate. Amanda was still too embarrassed to speak, and Lex was tired from being up most of the night. Martha bit her tongue to restrain herself because their uneasiness tickled her to no end. "Okay, would you two please relax? I’m sorry I teased you, but I just couldn’t resist." She glanced over at Amanda, who gazed back shyly. Then, not being able to refrain from adding one more jibe, she said, "I know not much was going on because Lexie was completely dressed." Amanda choked on her water.
"Huh?" Lex asked, coming back to the conversation with a start. "What did I do?" Amanda, however, turned an even deeper shade of red, and Lex pounded her on the back until her coughing subsided.
"What’s the matter?" Martha asked. "Are you not feeling well? You seem to be somewhere else, Lexie."
"No, I’m fine." Lex took a large drink of coffee. She hoped the caffeine kicked in soon, or else the day would be longer than she could handle.
Amanda stopped coughing long enough to take a bite of her food. "Actually, I think someone’s just tired. She told me she was having trouble getting to sleep last night."
Martha didn’t buy that excuse for an instant and had a pretty good idea why Lex looked so worn out. She glared at the exhausted woman, who gave her an answering shrug. "Uh-huh. So does that mean you’re going to take it easy today?"
Lex shook her head. "Nope. I need to start working on the bridge. We’re going to run out of supplies pretty soon."
"Lexie, we have enough things to get by on for at least another week, maybe two," Martha exclaimed. "I really don’t think you should be messing around with that old bridge. It may not be very stable."
Amanda agreed. "She’s right. There’s no telling what kind of shape it’s actually in. Can’t you wait until the creek slows down?" She smiled brightly at them both. "I’m certainly not in any hurry to leave."
"I’m not trying to get rid of you, either," Lex said. "But I would like to have that bridge usable by the end of the week, and I don’t know what the extent of the damage is."
"Okay, but I’ll go with you."
Lex started to argue, but couldn’t get past Amanda’s beautiful eyes. "Sure. I’d appreciate the company."
Martha’s jaw nearly hit the table. She knew Lex had feelings for Amanda but never expected her to go down without at least a token fight. The gleam in the amused housekeeper’s eyes said more than words ever could.
Lex noticed the look on Martha’s face. "What?" she asked. The exhaustion was making her irritable. "Something wrong?"
"Nope. Just peachy, dear."
Amanda laughed, nearly inhaling her juice.
Lex glared at her. "You too? Do I have food on my face or something?" Anger colored her tone. What the hell is their problem?
Martha joined Amanda in her merriment, and covered her mouth with one hand. "I’m sorry." She stifled a giggle. "But I just can’t help it!" She burst out laughing again, even though Lex’s face darkened.
Amanda placed a hand on Lex’s arm. "Hey. I’m sorry. I’m not sure why I’m laughing. Maybe Martha’s good humor is contagious."
Martha was busy wiping the tears from her eyes. "Oh Lexie, you’re just so cute when you get a little flustered. It reminds me of when you were about twelve, and your daddy wouldn’t let you go out of town with all the hands to the auction."
This little memory brought Lex back to her senses. "Yeah. I didn’t know that young girls didn’t stay overnight with a group of grown men. I was so angry." She gave the other women an apologetic look. "Sorry about losing my temper." Lex rubbed her eyes. "Must not be quite awake yet."
Martha stood up and stepped behind Lex, rubbing her shoulders. "Honey, don’t worry about it." She carried their plates to the sink. "Are you going to get started on the bridge right away?"
Lex nodded, then stood up and brought her dishes to the sink as well. "Uh-huh. I thought I would load up the truck with lumber right after feeding the stock, so I—" She paused when Amanda cleared her throat. "I mean we, probably won’t be back until dinner."
The housekeeper turned away from the sink. "After you get finished with the feeding, come back to the house first. I’ll have a nice lunch packed for you both."
Lex thought about brushing her off, but considered the woman who was going with her. Even though she didn’t always worry about lunch, there was no reason to make Amanda suffer. That, and not putting up an argument, would keep Martha off balance enough for a little fun. "That would be great, Martha. I’d really appreciate it." Lex loved the expression on Martha’s face.
Amanda felt sorry for Martha, who d
idn’t have a snappy comeback for a change. "So would I. Do you need any help putting lunch together?"
The housekeeper scoffed. "No dear, you would be more help if you could keep an eye on Grumpy over there." She ignored Lex’s outraged look. "Try and keep her out of trouble, if you can."
Lex threw up her hands in disgust. "Okay. I can take a hint. Come on, Amanda. Let’s go take care of the stock." She stomped out of the kitchen.
Amanda exchanged amused glances with Martha before following the perturbed woman out of the room.
A FEW HOURS later, as Lex drove the old truck back to the barn, she glanced at Amanda who had picked up on her moodiness. Amanda had been uncharacteristically silent for the entire morning. Lex brushed her fingers against Amanda’s cheek. "Hey."
Amanda looked away from the window, where she had been studying the passing terrain. "Hmm?"
"I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass this morning." Lex floundered on unfamiliar ground. She was completely out of her element and wasn’t sure how to make things right. Before Amanda could open her mouth to speak, Lex’s upraised hand halted her. "No. I’m tired and cranky, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you." She looked at Amanda with an obvious feeling of remorse. "And to top it all off, I have got to go back to the house and beg Martha’s forgiveness. She’s gonna make me pay big time, let me tell you."
"Yeah, well, I don’t think you’ll have to work too hard. She’s pretty sweet." Amanda reached over and latched onto Lex’s spare hand, tangling their fingers. "And you really don’t owe me an apology. I can see how tired you are."
"That doesn’t excuse my behavior. Martha would be the first one to tell you that she raised me better than that. I would probably be in jail or dead if she hadn’t straightened me out years ago." Lex parked the truck behind the hay barn, where a large pile of boards was stacked. "You want to help me load some stuff up?"
"Wouldn’t miss it." Amanda put her gloves back on and hopped out of the truck. She waited until Lex stepped out from the other side, and then walked to the back of the vehicle to meet her. Lex pulled Amanda into a hug. They stood there holding each other, reveling in the warmth and closeness blossoming between them.
They finally stepped apart. Amanda cleared her throat, which was choked with emotion from the way Lex had caressed her while they embraced. "Is there any special size or type of these things you want us to load?"
Lex removed her coat and stepped over to the neat, waist-high stack of lumber. Still feeling a little shaky from the intensity of her feelings, she tried to get her mind back on what they were supposed to be doing. "I figure we could take a little bit of everything, so we don’t have to make extra trips." She opened a door that led into the back of the barn. "Let me get some tools, and then we’ll pile some of this stuff into the truck, okay?"
Amanda opened the tailgate and sat down, swinging her legs back and forth. "Works for me. I’ll just keep ol’ rusty blue here company."
"What did you call my truck?" Lex asked, mock outrage in her tone. She turned away from the door with her hands on her hips.
"Umm, ol’ rusty blue?"
Lex stalked back to the truck, and stepped neatly in between the swinging legs. She put her hands on Amanda’s hips, and pulled her closer. "Rusty blue, huh?"
Amanda leaned back on her hands and offered, "Don’t forget old—" She was about to continue when her lips were covered by Lex’s. Amanda took the initiative and deepened the kiss, wrapping her legs tightly around Lex’s hips, and bringing her closer with a strong need.
Minutes later Lex broke off the kiss and cleared her throat. "Great name for the truck." She stepped back to untangle herself from the beautiful woman in front of her. "I’ll just go get the, umm, tools now." She stumbled into the barn and leaned against the wall. "Tools. Gotta find the—damn! That woman can kiss!"
LEX PARKED THE truck several yards from the bridge, afraid of getting too close in case the structure wasn’t stable or the edge of the creek crumbled. She stepped out of the vehicle, watching as Amanda, with a strange look on her face, did the same. Alarmed, Lex walked around to the passenger’s side of the truck, and reached out to Amanda. "Are you—" Before she could finish her question, she found her arms full of a crying woman.
"Oh, God." Amanda latched onto Lex and sobbed.
"Shh." Lex gently rubbed her back. "You’re okay." She gently rocked Amanda, not knowing what to do or say.
Amanda buried her face in Lex’s chest, sniffling. "S—s— sorry. I guess seeing all this in the daylight brought it all back." She looked up into her friend’s concerned eyes. "I could have been killed."
"Yeah, but you weren’t. Everything turned out okay." Lex attempted to soothe her with her voice as she raised a hand to the tear-stained face, wiping under Amanda’s brimming eyes. "Do you want to go back to the house?"
Amanda swallowed hard and shook her head. "No. I’m all right. Just had one heck of a wicked flashback, that’s all." She hugged Lex. "Thanks." She released a shaky breath and stepped back, wiping her face with her hands. "Let’s get started, shall we?"
"Are you sure? I can always come back later if you’re uncomfortable." Lex took a step forward and captured one of Amanda’s hands. Bringing it to her lips, she kissed it tenderly. "I don’t like to see you hurting."
Bringing their linked hands to her face, Amanda rubbed Lex’s palm against her cheek. "I think it was just shock. I’m okay now." She kissed the inside of Lex’s wrist before releasing it. "Thanks. Let’s go see what the bridge looks like. It’s not going to repair itself." She shaded her eyes to gaze downstream for any sign of her car. Not seeing it, Amanda assumed it was miles away by now.
Lex shook her head in wonder. "You are an amazing woman, Amanda Cauble."
Shortly thereafter, they stood at the road where it met the bridge, staring down at the rapidly moving water. Lex took a few more steps forward, until she was directly on the edge of the old wooden structure and able to peer down at the shattered boards. She sat down on the edge, swinging her feet below her.
"Lex? Do you really think you should be that close? What if the edge breaks off?" Amanda took a few tentative steps forward then stopped. One of them falling in would be more than enough, and she didn’t feel like tempting fate.
Lex looked over her shoulder and without really thinking, said, "Then I guess I’ll be going for a swim, huh?" She winked and swung her long body down, disappearing from sight.
"Lex!" Amanda screamed, as she ran for the bridge. Before she could get to the edge, a pair of hands appeared, followed by a dark hat-covered head.
"What?" Lex pulled herself back up on the bridge. She saw the panic in Amanda’s eyes and cursed herself. Idiot! She just got calmed down, and you go and scare the hell out of her. What are you using for brains? Lex scrambled to her feet and crossed to Amanda, pulling the shaking woman into her arms. "I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry Amanda. That was stupid of me." She kissed the top of Amanda’s head.
Amanda accepted the hug, then stepped back and slapped Lex on the arm. "You could have warned me before you went jumping off the end. I thought you fell!" She grabbed a handful of the rancher’s jacket and pulled, hard. "Don’t you ever do anything like that again, do you hear me?"
"I hear you. I didn’t mean to scare you." Lex looked into her eyes, almost losing herself completely. "Forgive me?" Her voice trembled from uncertainty. Would serve me right if she wouldn’t.
Amanda raised one hand and caressed Lex’s cheek. "Oh, Lex. You don’t have to ask for my forgiveness. You just scared me, that’s all." She placed a kiss on Lex’s chin.
Lex couldn’t believe how quickly Amanda was ready to forgive her. She hugged her and said, "I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I promise." Then she led Amanda away from the bridge and back to the truck. "If you don’t mind helping me dig out some of this lumber, we’ll get started, okay?"
THE NEXT FEW hours were spent reinforcing the remaining patch of bridge on their side of the creek. Lex was pleased to fin
d very little structural damage, other than the eight feet missing from the center of the bridge. She decided it would be easier to build a walkway to the other side first, and then worry about driving across later.
She tirelessly sawed and hammered for hours, only stopping when Amanda insisted they have lunch. Her green tee shirt was darkened with perspiration, though the slight breeze stirring around them was cool. Lex stood up from where she had finished with another board and pulled her hat from her head. She looked up at the sky and wiped her sweaty forehead on her shoulder. Realizing there wasn’t much daylight left, Lex decided to call it a day. She turned to Amanda, who was picking up the leftover pieces of lumber and tossing them into the truck, as she had been doing most of the day. "You about ready to go back to the house?"
Amanda leaned back against the truck. "Oh, yeah. I think my sore spots have aches, now." She gestured around the area. "I’ve kept things pretty well picked up, so you just say the word, and I’ll be ready to leave."
Lex tossed the hammer into the back of the truck. "Consider the word given." She stepped back to where she had been working and picked up the odd assortment of tools. Carrying them back over to where Amanda stood, she tossed them after the hammer and then opened the passenger side door of the vehicle. "Shall we?" she asked with a bow.
Amanda gave her a somewhat stiff curtsy then climbed into the truck. "Why, thank you ever so much. And here I thought chivalry was dead."
Lex tipped her hat as she closed the door. "Nope. Just dead tired." She crossed to the driver’s side and tumbled in. "Let’s go home."
