by Carrie Carr
"Well, actually no, I don’t. Guess it’s like my security blanket. My dad gave it to me right before he left." Lex paused in thought. "Makes me feel like he’s here with me, watching."
Amanda buttoned the coat closed. "How long has it been since you’ve spoken to him?" She looked up and saw a fleeting sadness in Lex’s eyes.
The rancher took a deep breath, then released it slowly. "’Bout a year, I guess. He called asking for some money, said the circuit was pretty tough." She let her gaze turn inward for a long moment. "Haven’t heard from him since, so I guess things are going better for him." She shook her head, not wanting to share her negative thoughts with Amanda. "Anyway, guess I’d better go check on the horses." She pulled the other woman into her arms. "See you in a little bit." Leaning down, Lex slowly captured Amanda’s lips, feeling her arms wrap tightly around her neck.
"Hurry back," Amanda whispered when they finally broke apart. Thunder interrupted her, followed by a nearby flash of lightning. She ran a loving hand across Lex’s jaw. "Be careful."
Lex leaned into the caress, closing her eyes. She took a shuddering breath then looked down into the pools of light that were Amanda’s eyes. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Amanda placed a kiss on Lex’s lips. She deepened the kiss, pouring her heart and soul into the connection. When she stepped back, she could see the same emotion in her lover’s face.
Lex opened the door and stepped out. "I’ve got a key, so go ahead and lock the door." She started down the steps. "I’ll be back in about an hour or so. I just want to look around and make sure everything is okay."
Amanda stood at the open doorway. "Don’t be too long, or I’ll come out after you." She winked at her lover. "I know of several better activities than messing around with a bunch of horses."
Lex bit her bottom lip. "Hmm. Hold that thought. I may have a surprise for you later." She tipped her hat and started for the barn.
LEX MADE A short check of the horses, then moved quickly into the maintenance barn. The Mustang looked just like she had left it. She slipped off her coat and hat, then stepped into the greasy coveralls that she had left hanging by the door.
An hour later, Lex was certain that the car suffered no serious damage due to the flood. She put a couple of gallons of gas in the tank then sat down in the drivers’ seat to turn the key. The engine grumbled, then finally sputtered to life. "Yes!" she yelled aloud, pumping a hand into the air in triumph. Leaving the engine running, Lex walked over to the telephone that was hanging on the wall.
Two rings later, Martha answered. "Walters’ residence, Martha speaking."
Feeling mischievous, Lex lowered her voice. "Hey, baby, you sound hot. What are you wearing?" She had to cover the mouthpiece with her hand to muffle her laughter.
Martha recognized the voice immediately. "Oooh. You sound absolutely marvelous. What are you wearing?"
Lex lost it. Laughing hard, she replied, "Greasy overalls, baby."
Martha laughed as well. "Hmm, a little too kinky for me, I think. But let me ask my friend in the other room. I think she’s into nut cases like you."
"Wait! Don’t get Amanda just yet. I need you to do me a favor. Ask her to look out through the window in the sitting room. I want to show her something."
"Got it running, did you?" Martha knew how much Amanda treasured the classic car. "She’s going to fall to pieces, you know that, right?"
"That’s okay. I’ll pick them up." Lex stripped the coveralls off, using one hand. "I should be up there in about five minutes, okay?"
"Okay, Lexie. I’ll make sure she’s ready." Martha hung up the phone and went in search of the young woman.
WHILE LEX WAS busy getting the Mustang in running condition, Amanda had gone into the office to call her grandparents.
She greeted the deep voice that answered the phone. "Hello, Grandpa Jake."
"Hey there, Peanut. How’s everything going?"
"Great. How are you feeling? Is your leg still bothering you?" Amanda asked. She remembered how badly Jacob would limp, barely able to walk on his newly healed leg.
"Not bad at all now, sweetheart. I’ll be back on the jogging track in no time." He was about to say something else when another voice broke in on the conversation.
"I’ll second that, Mandy. Your grandfather has been chasing me all over the house." Anna Leigh’s voice was filled with happiness at her husband’s quick recuperation. "How’s Lexington feeling?"
"Much better, Gramma. She’s gone out to check the horses right now." She took a deep breath. Although her grandparent’s already gave her their blessing, she knew what a big step she was about to take. "Once everything gets back to normal, I’d like to invite her home for dinner, if that’s okay with both of you."
"Does this mean what I hope it means?" Anna Leigh asked.
"Yes, I think it does, Gramma. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else before." Amanda paused for a moment, trying to convey her seriousness. "I love her."
Jacob was the first to speak. "Wonderful! I’ve always liked her, especially after the way she took care of my Anna Leigh during that whole escapade with the Taylor house."
"Oh really? Guess I’ll have to get her to tell me all about that, huh?" Amanda enjoyed her grandfather’s exuberance. "Anyway, I just wanted to call and let you know that the bridge work should be finished sometime tomorrow. I’ll probably be home in the next day or so." Cutting off any other questions, she continued, "I told Lex I wanted to stay out here for another week or so, until she’s healed up from this past week’s activities. I want to pick up a few things and see both of you."
They spent the next half-hour talking about inconsequential things, with Amanda promising to bring her rancher to dinner in the next couple of days. They sound almost as thrilled about all of this as I am. I wonder if that’s possible? I wonder what my own parents will think? Uh, no. I don’t think I want to know right now. Her grandparents had always been very supportive of how she lived her life, even when her parents couldn’t seem to comprehend that she preferred the company of women to men. She always felt more loved and happy during her childhood summers, spending them with the two most important people in her life. Jacob and Anna Leigh had treated her as their own child, with all the love and support she had been missing at home.
Amanda hung up the phone with a bittersweet pang in her chest. Her grandfather’s recent accident had reminded her of their mortality, and she always became a little sad after these types of thoughts. Stop it. She repeated her grandmother’s mantra, which kept her sane during those long nights at the hospital. Don’t dwell on the bad things, just think about all the good things.
Amanda was still drifting in her thoughts when the phone rang. Martha must have picked it up immediately because it only rang one time. A few minutes later, the housekeeper bustled into the room.
"There you are. I’m sure glad I found you. Lexie has a surprise for you and wants you to look out the front window." Martha took Amanda’s arm and led her into the sitting room.
The room was delicate, Amanda noticed. Queen Anne furniture surrounded a baby grand piano that stood proudly in one corner. The large bay window had delicate lace curtains, and soft watercolor paintings graced the room. "Martha, it’s beautiful," she whispered, looking around the room in awe.
A sad look crossed Martha’s face. "This was Mrs. Walters’ favorite room. I remember when she used to sit at the piano and play for little Lexie." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Lexie used to sit in here for hours, practicing. She was really good at it, too, until her daddy told her it was useless to play the piano when she should spend her time learning how to run a ranch." Taking a deep breath to bring herself back to the present, Martha continued, "She still comes in here every once in a while and plays. I think it relaxes her."
"Lex plays the piano?" Amanda was surprised. The rancher didn’t seem like the type to spend time with something that had to be done indoors.
"Oh, yes." Martha’s face took on an
angry tint. "But that no-good father of hers teased her until she quit." She was about to comment further when a honk outside the house interrupted her.
Amanda rushed to the window, then gasped. "Oh, my." She hurried out of the room and through the front door before Martha could say another word.
Martha peeked through the window to see a light blue Mustang sitting in the front circular drive. "Well, I’ll be," she muttered, before shaking her head and going back to the kitchen.
AMANDA STOOD ON the front porch, tears streaming down her face. Lex stepped out of the vehicle and stood on the driver’s side, door still open. Amanda walked slowly down the steps, unable to say a word.
All the sleepless nights were suddenly worth the effort when Lex watched the emotions that crossed her lover’s face. She barely had time to brace herself before Amanda wrapped her body around Lex and squeezed with all her might.
"I can’t believe this. I thought it was lost forever," Amanda murmured, her faced tucked securely in Lex’s shoulder. "Was this what you were doing all those nights?"
Lex buried her face in Amanda’s hair. "Yeah. Surprised?" She sighed in contentment when Amanda squeezed tighter. The slight pain it caused her ribs was quickly forgotten. "It’s got a small dent on the left rear panel, and the upholstery needs to be cleaned, but other than that I think it’s okay." She pulled away, momentarily, to reach into the back seat. "I found this on the front floorboard." She handed over a purse and an old leather briefcase, dotted with dirt, but reasonably intact. "I didn’t look at anything, but I laid everything out on a workbench to dry."
Amanda looked at the items, then back at Lex. She grabbed her lover around the neck, kissing her soundly. "Thank you." She couldn’t begin to explain the emotions thrumming through her and began to cry. "You have no idea what this means to me."
Lex held her close, kissing the top of her head. "I have a pretty good idea. I know that you and your grandfather found this car and rebuilt it together, yet you never complained when you thought it was gone."
Amanda stepped back, looking Lex directly in the eyes. "The car is very important to me, that’s true. But as long as I was alive, I knew things always have a way of working themselves out. My grandparents taught me that." She framed the face above her with her hands. "And as long as I have you, nothing else matters." Amanda leaned up and placed a kiss on Lex’s chin.
Lex closed the car door, and led Amanda back to the house. "I’m just glad you dropped into my life." She opened the front door, then handed Amanda the keys to the car. "Here. You can drive us into town tomorrow."
Chapter Fifteen
THE TWO WOMEN sat in front of a roaring fire in the den. Lex was ensconced in a chair, and had Amanda sprawled in her lap. They had been snuggling for well over an hour, and neither one seemed to be in any hurry to move.
"Are you sure I’m not hurting you?" Amanda asked. As comfortable as she was, the last thing she wanted to do was to bring any discomfort to the woman she loved.
"You’ve got to be kidding." Lex nibbled on a convenient ear. "I’ve never felt better." She was about to get a little more serious about it when Martha walked into the room.
"Excuse me, Lexie, but I’ve gotten dinner ready, if you can tear yourself away from what you’re doing." She worked hard to keep the smirk off her face. "If not, I guess I can just throw it out."
Amanda practically jumped out of Lex’s lap. "Wait! You wouldn’t throw out perfectly good food, would you?" She seemed horrified by the thought.
Lex rolled her eyes and stood up as well. "Pul-lease. This is the same woman who would save my plate and make me finish it later when I was growing up. She never throws food away."
Martha slapped at her as she walked through the door. "That’s only because you would barely stand still long enough to eat. Then come back an hour later whining about being hungry."
She made sure both women were seated at the table before joining them while Lex faked an innocent look. It didn’t take very long for the three of them to pass around the platters of food, filling their plates quickly.
"I’ve been meaning to ask you Martha, when do you find time to cook all these wonderful meals?" Amanda asked, enjoying her food with gusto.
"It’s not really that big of a deal, Amanda, and it doesn’t take that long at all." Never one to be afraid of storms, even Martha jumped when thunder rumbled a little too close by.
Lex looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. "I swear, I’d almost welcome a drought after this past week." Another crack of thunder shook the house.
Amanda scooted her chair closer to Lex’s. "Sounds like it’s getting closer."
"It’s only weather. There’s nothing to be worried about." Lex wrapped her arm around Amanda’s shoulders and pulled her close. Then she quieted, and listened carefully. "Did you hear something?"
Martha looked at her quizzically. "I hear another storm approaching, why?" She listened as well, but couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.
"Shh," Lex warned. She stood up from the table and walked over to the kitchen window. "Something isn’t right out there."
Suddenly, there was another crash of thunder and the lights went off in the house.
"Damn!" Lex groped around in the darkness. She reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a flashlight. "Amanda? Martha? You two okay?" She aimed the beam of light onto the table, highlighting two pale faces. Walking over to the frightened women, Lex squatted down between them. "I don’t like the feel of this." She saw her lover tremble slightly. Grasping Amanda’s hand, Lex squeezed it to offer some sort of comfort. "Hey, it’s okay. Probably just the storm."
Amanda knew Lex was only saying that to make her feel better. She didn’t like the feel of things either, and was afraid they were in serious trouble. "Yeah, sure." She looked over at Martha, who had a concerned look on her face as well. Amanda was about to reassure the housekeeper when the sound of breaking glass assaulted their ears.
Lex jumped up, looking at Martha. "You two get into the storm cellar, I’ll go check it out." She was about to go to the back door, when two sets of hands caught her from behind.
"Are you crazy? Come down into the cellar with us," Martha begged, suddenly afraid of the unknown. "I’ve got the portable radio here in my apron, we’ll call Charlie."
"She’s right. If it’s those thieves, they have guns, and you don’t. Please don’t do this," Amanda pleaded quietly, knowing in her heart that Lex couldn’t and wouldn’t do as she asked.
Lex kissed her lover on the lips. "Go with Martha. I’ve got to check this out." She turned to look at Martha. "Go to the cellar, please." She stared at the older woman for a very long moment. "Call Charlie and tell him to come in through the back door." She walked over and grabbed a nearby skillet. "You always said I was dangerous in the kitchen."
Martha nodded bleakly and grabbed Amanda by the arm. "Come on, Amanda. The cellar is very well hidden and we’ll be safer there." She looked up at the woman she had raised from a small child. "Join us soon, okay?"
Lex set the skillet down and scooted the table off to one side so that Martha could move the rug underneath and open a trap door. "You two go on in, I’ll cover your tracks." She leaned over and gave Martha a hug. "I’ll see you in a little bit."
Martha nodded, then stepped down into the dark passage. "You’d better." She continued down until she reached the bottom. There she picked up a lantern and lit it with a book of matches kept nearby for just such an occasion. "Thank the good Lord I clean this place up on a weekly basis."
With tears of worry running down her face, Amanda looked at Lex. "I’d rather stay with you." She leaned into the hand that caressed her face. "I don’t think I can stay anywhere without you."
Lex pulled her close for a deep kiss. "I need you to take care of Martha for me." She jumped as the back door was kicked opened, and the sound of splintered wood and glass echoed in the quiet house. "Hurry. I’ll see you soon. I love you," she whispered, then sent Amanda down the sta
irs and closed the trap door behind her.
The rancher rearranged the rug and placed the table back over it, careful not to block the door in case Martha and Amanda needed to escape. She dusted off her hands and started for the doorway, armed with only a flashlight and a cast iron frying pan. Lex could hear voices in the hall, so she raised her makeshift weapon and stood with her back flat against the wall.
"Shut up, damn it," a deep voice barked low, just inside the house. "They know we’re here now."
A younger voice broke though the silence. "Why do we have to do this, Matt? Wouldn’t it be easier to just steal a car or something?"
"Because I don’t like being made a fool of, and that damn woman did just that," Matt snapped, as he walked carefully down the hall. "You still with us, Darrell?"
"Yeah, I’m here. Why, I don’t know." He cocked the rifle, making sure a round was in the chamber.
Lex leaned closer to the wall, hearing the three men move closer and closer to the kitchen doorway. She closed her eyes to gather her courage, and sent a silent prayer to keep Martha and Amanda safe, should she fail.
AMANDA WATCHED WITH a sense of dread as the trapdoor closed, then turned to look around the small room. The lantern’s flickering light painted the walls, which were covered with open shelves filled with canned goods and other items.
Martha sat with a heavy sigh on a wooden bench that ran down the middle of the room and patted a spot next to her.
"Come over here, Amanda." She pulled the small radio from her apron pocket as Amanda sat down beside her. "Charlie? Do you read me?" Her whispered voice sounded horribly loud in the gloom.
A small burst of static answered before a faint voice replied, "Martha? Read you loud and clear. What’s up?"
