by Carrie Carr
"That's great." Once Amanda sat next to her, Lex stretched her arm across the top of the sofa behind her. "I've got a wild gelding I'm working on right now. Maybe I should turn him over to you."
Rebecca blushed. "I don't know how good of an idea that would be. Training a colt is easy, but a grown horse is another matter."
Amanda lightly swatted Lex on the leg. "Behave. Rebecca, Lex told me that you're a barrel racer."
"That's true. Although I'm teaching more than I'm competing these days. My horse is getting older, and I just don't have the heart to ride another one in competition."
"I can certainly understand that. I don't know what I'll do when my stallion, Thunder, gets too old." Lex sighed at the thought.
"Don't worry, honey," Amanda leaned closer. "When it's time, I'll make sure to put you out to the same pasture."
Shelby laughed at Lex's expression. "She's got your number."
The sound of laughter and barking came trailing down the hall, before the guilty trio arrived in the den. "Mommy," Melanie squealed. "Lorrie's chasing me!"
Freckles followed her happily, barking and snapping at her heels.
"Come back here, Mel! I'm gonna thump you!" Lorrie stopped when she saw the two extra adults in the den. "Oh. Hi. Mommy, did you see what Mel did?"
Amanda stood and gave both girls what Lex described as her "mommy glare." She was almost knocked over when Melanie raced over and wrapped her arms around her legs. "What on earth is going on?" When Freckles continued to jump around frantically, Amanda snapped her fingers and pointed to the dog bed by the fireplace.
Immediately chastised, Freckles went to her bed and lay down.
"She--" Lorrie started.
"I was just--" Melanie countered at the same moment.
Amanda pointed to the office. "Both of you. In there. Now." She gave their guests a 'what can you do' look. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to referee."
Lex waited until the office door closed before chuckling. "And that, I'm afraid, was the wrecking crew. Also known as our daughters, Lorrie and Melanie."
"They're adorable, Lex." When Shelby stiffened beside her, Rebecca took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "As much as I love children, I'm afraid I would never have the patience to be a parent."
"Well, it's taken some getting used to, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world."
The office door opened, and two penitent children came out, followed by Amanda.
Lorrie held her sister's hand and stood in front of Rebecca and Shelby. "Hi. I'm sorry for being rude." She looked at Amanda, who nodded. "My name's Lorraine Walters, but you can call me Lorrie." She tugged on Melanie's hand.
"I'm Melanie Walters, and I'm sorry too. We wasn't raised to be wild heathens." Melanie's big blue eyes were filled with remorseful tears.
Rebecca leaned forward. "It's nice to meet you both. I'm Rebecca, and this is Shelby."
Lorrie's eyes grew big. "You're the rodeo riders!"
Shelby blushed and shook her head. "I used to ride, but Rebecca here is a barrel racer."
"Wow." Lorrie sat on the coffee table in front of them. "Is it fun?"
"It can be. But it's a lot of hard work, too. Do you ride?" Rebecca asked.
Lorrie nodded, then remembered her manners. "Yes, ma'am. I have a horse called Mine, but she doesn't go around barrels or anything. Maybe after dinner, I could show you?"
Melanie, already bored of the conversation, crawled into Lex's lap. When Amanda sat beside them, she moved to sit between her parents.
"Sure, Lorrie. That would be fun." Rebecca smiled at the girl. "I was about your age when I started getting interested in horses. But if you want to know something really exciting, you should ask Shelby about riding bulls."
"Wow," Lorrie mused, looking at Shelby with new respect. "You rode bulls?"
Shelby gave her partner a dirty look, but answered Lorrie. "I did, for a few years, until I retired."
"Were you scared?"
"It could be scary at times." When Lorrie's face shone with hero worship, Shelby continued, "It's also extremely dangerous, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't do it." She saw Freckles come over and nudge Lorrie's knee. "Um, has your dog always had pink stripes?"
Melanie slipped off the couch and started to carefully sneak away.
Lex snapped her fingers. "Freckles, come." When the excited dog hopped into her lap, Lex started to laugh. "Pink marker. Looks like someone was playing connect the dots. Thank god we only have washable markers around here."
"I tried to tell you," Lorrie said.
Amanda closed her eyes and silently counted to five. "Melanie Leigh Walters! Get back here!"
Chapter Nine
THE BLACK LIMOUSINE drove slowly past the park, its smoky windows blocking out the noise of children playing. One of the occupants, a middle-aged woman, sighed and stared longingly at the playground.
"What's your problem, Veronica?" her husband asked. He chewed on the unlit cigar that hung from his mouth and shifted so he could look through her window. "Well?"
She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Nothing, Harrison."
"It must be something for you to carry on like that."
Reluctantly turning away from the view, Veronica Rivers gave her husband her full attention. "I can't help but think what might have been."
Harrison jerked the cigar from his mouth. "For god's sake, woman. Our son has been dead for ten years. Why on earth are you crying about it now? You can't keep dwelling on the past."
"I know. But, still, it's so difficult, listening to our friends talk about their grandchildren. They always have photographs, videos, plays and ballgames. Every year, it gets harder and harder, knowing that somewhere in Texas we have a grandchild. It's even worse now, since we're not traveling as much as we did before. Why haven't we talked to Jeannie about seeing Frank's daughter?" She turned toward the window once again. "I always liked Jeannie. She made our son so happy."
"We never saw her because they hauled Jeannie and our granddaughter to some god-forsaken place." Harrison tossed the soggy cigar onto a tray and took a fresh one from his breast pocket. He used a gold cigar cutter and snipped away the end. Within moments, a thick cloud of smoke hovered above them. "I don't know how Cauble stands it, his own daughter turning out that way."
Veronica casually covered her nose and mouth with her handkerchief. "They seemed nice enough to me."
He spit a tiny piece of tobacco onto the floor. "Bullshit. They're nothing but deviants, and they influenced Cauble to allow them to take our daughter-in-law and granddaughter halfway across the damned country. For all we know, they placed Jeannie in some sort of institution and spent all her money. God knows Frank left her well-off."
"I don't think--"
"Enough! Whining about the past won't bring Frank back," Harrison said. His expression softened when he saw the total look of defeat on his wife's face. "But perhaps I can hire someone to look into where our granddaughter is, and go from there."
She laid her hand on his leg. "Thank you, Harrison. Maybe she can come visit us for summer vacation. She's old enough."
Harrison covered his wife's hand with his own. For all his bluster and bravado, he truly loved her. "She certainly is. I'll call my investigator when we get home."
THE COLD NOVEMBER wind brought tears to Lex's eyes, as she cautiously moved closer to the spooked horse. She blinked to clear her vision, not wanting to make any sudden moves. "Easy, now," she murmured, holding her hands out away from her sides. She had a lead rope dangling from her left shoulder in the hopes of catching the gelding.
Lorrie sat quietly on the top of the corral. Her legs jiggled impatiently, but she knew better than to disturb Lex while she was working. She held a bag that contained gauze pads and ointment, for whenever her mother caught the horse. Her legs stilled as it reared, causing Lex to take a step back. "Momma!"
Lex turned her head and winked at her. "It's okay, Lorrie." She turned her attention back
to the horse, confident in her abilities.
The restless animal huffed at her. It shook its head and kicked its rear legs into the air in an attempt to warn her away.
"Sssh." Lex got close enough to grab the halter, but didn't move. She stared the horse down, waiting until it calmed before reaching out and scratching the gelding's damp neck. "Easy." She grinned as the horse leaned into her touch. "That's it. Good fella."
Not far away, the back door of the house slammed, as Melanie raced across the yard. She was unable to open the gate on the fence, so she climbed over. It didn't take her long to get to the corral. "Lorrie, help me up." When her sister ignored her, she stomped her foot. "Lorrie!"
The high-pitched voice startled the horse. It reared and unintentionally knocked Lex over with its front hooves. She landed hard on her back, stunned.
"Momma!" Lorrie started to jump into the corral, until she saw her mother roll out of the way of the horse.
"Stay back," Lex ordered. She climbed to her feet and gingerly walked to where her daughters were. Rubbing her chest with one hand, she took off her hat and wiped her forehead. "Melanie, what have I told you about yelling around the animals?"
"I'm sorry, Momma. I just wanted to get up like Lorrie." Melanie's lower lip quivered and tears welled up in her eyes. "I never get to sit up high."
"Are you okay?" Lorrie said. "That looked like it hurt."
Lex climbed through the slats of the corral. "Nah. Scared me more than hurt me," she said. "Why don't you two go see what Mada's up to?
She's been back from church long enough to bake some cookies." Lex never felt bad about sending the kids to Martha's. Sunday after church service was one of the best times to get something tasty. She knew there were always fresh goodies available.
"But who's gonna help you with the horse?" Lorrie asked, while she climbed off the corral. "You said you needed someone to hold the medicine."
Lex removed her gloves and put her hand on Lorrie's shoulder. "How about you help me once you're out of school next week? Maybe by then I'll have him settled down enough." She stopped and knelt in front of both girls. "I want you two to be very careful around that horse, okay? I need your help to make sure no one gets in there and gets hurt."
Both girls solemnly nodded. "Yes, ma'am," they echoed together. Giggles broke out when Lex tickled their stomachs.
"Good." She took the bag of medical supplies from Lorrie and gave them each a kiss. "Now hurry over to Mada's, before your Grandpa Charlie eats all the good stuff."
With more laughter, two sets of feet took off toward the cozy cottage that Martha and Charlie called home.
Lex slowly stood and rubbed her chest. "Amanda's going to kill me if I come home with any more bruises." She headed for the house, trying not to limp.
The back door opened before Lex made it up the steps. Amanda stood in the threshold with her hands on her hips. "What did you do?"
"What makes you think I did anything?" Lex asked. She stopped in front of Amanda and kissed her on the nose.
"Let's see. Could it be the fact that you're covered in dirt? Or maybe the way you're walking like an old woman." Amanda lightly touched Lex's pale, blue shirt. "Or maybe it's the hoof prints on your chest that are a dead giveaway."
Lex lowered her head and glanced at where Amanda's hands rested. "Hoof prints?" she couldn't help but grin when those same hands began to unbutton her shirt. "Uh, sweetheart?"
"Hmm?"
"As much as I'm enjoying the attention, do you think we could take this inside? I'm starting to feel a bit of a draft."
Amanda gently ran her fingers over the upside-down, u-shaped blemishes. Red and scraped, they would most likely be ugly bruises by morning. "Let's go upstairs and get you into the tub. You can tell me what happened while you soak." She peeked around Lex. "Where are the girls?"
"Martha's." A diabolical grin covered Lex's face. "Probably having a nice, long snack."
"Oooh." Amanda wore a matching smile. "They usually fall asleep after one of Martha's snacks, don't they?" Cake, cookies or pie and a large glass of milk were almost always guaranteed to bring on the need for a nap.
"Yep."
Amanda tugged on Lex's open shirt. "Good. We'll get you cleaned up, and then have a nap of our own."
WITH AN EXHAUSTED sigh, Michael Cauble loaded the last of his equipment into the back of the black Ford Explorer. He checked his watch, relieved to see he'd get home at a reasonable hour. The wedding he had photographed hadn't taken as long as he'd expected, so he was glad he'd get to see his wife before dark. A glance in the rearview mirror reflected his weariness. His reddish-brown hair was mussed, and there were dark circles beneath his hazel eyes.
The drive home seemed to drag on forever, and by the time he pulled into his driveway, he could barely keep his eyes open. Michael hit the remote for the garage door and drove inside, so he wouldn't have to unload his gear. Before he could get out of the SUV, the inner door to the house opened.
A dark brown head poked out, and Lois watched from the doorway as her husband sat silently in the SUV, unmoving. When he didn't get out of the Explorer, she came and tapped on the window. "Honey? Are you okay?"
Michael raised his head and gave her what he hoped was a decent smile. He got out and kissed Lois on the lips. "Hey, beautiful."
She brushed her fingers across his cheek. "Are you all right?"
"It's been a long day," he said, putting his arm around her waist as they walked into the house. "I've never seen so many bratty kids in my life."
"Poor baby. Are you hungry?"
He sighed. "I don't think I have the energy to eat anything. Maybe I'll just take a shower and go to bed."
Lois touched his forehead. "Are you coming down with something? I could call Rodney. I'm sure he wouldn't mind--"
"I'm just tired, Lois. A shower should perk me right up." He shuffled toward the bedroom, leaving his worried wife behind.
SHE WAITED UNTIL he was in the bedroom, before she went to the living room and picked up the phone. "Hello, Anna Leigh? This is Lois."
"Well, good evening, dearest. It's so nice to hear from you. How is everything?"
Lois bit her lip while she considered her answer. "To tell you the truth, I'm worried about Michael. He hasn't been himself, lately."
"So, you've noticed, as well? Jacob mentioned something at dinner this evening. I was going to call you tomorrow. He said that Michael looked pale this morning, when he stopped by on his way to his studio."
"He still is," Lois said. "Pale, I mean. And he's been so tired. Tonight, he refused dinner." She shook her head. "I just don't know, Anna Leigh. Even after a good night's sleep, he looks completely worn out."
Anna Leigh sighed. "He needs to go see Rodney."
"Good luck with that one," Lois muttered. "He about bit my head off when I suggested it."
"He did, did he? Well, we'll just see about that. I'll call Rodney right now. I'm sure he'll--"
"No, wait. As much as I'd love to have him checked out, I don't think he'd appreciate being bothered tonight." Lois paused and listened to see if Michael had left the shower, but there was still no sound coming from the bedroom. "I'll call you in the morning, and we can go from there."
"That's fine, Lois. But, please, let me know if you need anything, no matter what time it is. Try and have a good evening, dearest. I'm sure everything will work out fine."
"I hope so. Goodnight." Lois put the phone away and went to the bedroom. "Oh, Michael."
Michael was stretched out across the bed on his stomach, still in his clothes. He had one shoe off and one shoe on.
Lois touched his shoulder. "Honey, wake up."
He groaned and rolled onto his back. "Hmm?"
"You need to get undressed," Lois gently chided. She removed his remaining shoe, while Michael fumbled with his tie.
"Stupid thing," he growled, unable to undo the knot.
Lois pushed his hands away. "Quit fussing and let me help."
"I can d
o it."
She kissed his forehead. "I know you can. But I can do it," she pulled the tie away from his collar, "much faster."
"Showoff." His smile belied the gruff tone. "Thanks."
Within a few minutes, Lois had Michael undressed and under the bedcovers. Before she could turn out the light on her nightstand, he was snoring softly. "Goodnight, my darling." She kissed his cheek and soon joined him in slumber.
THE LIGHTS IN the bedroom were dim as Lex stepped out of the bathroom. She towel-dried her hair with one hand while she searched through a dresser drawer with the other. After she found the sleep shirt she was looking for, she turned and noticed what her wife was doing.
Amanda was propped on her side of the bed, a laptop balanced on her legs. Her fingers typed away furiously and she was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn't notice Lex until she sat on the bed. "Oh, hi, honey."
"Hi. Whatcha doin'?"
"Updating my blog." Amanda squinted at the screen, frowned, and went back to typing.
Lex stretched across the bed until she could see what Amanda was working on. "Your what?"
"Blog."
"Oh. Thought you said you were plating a frog." Lex grinned. "Didn't know exactly why you'd need a laptop to play with a frog, though."
Her head tilted, Amanda didn't pay any attention to what Lex was saying. "Mmm-hmm."
With a sigh, Lex got comfortable. "So, what exactly is your blog about?" When she didn't get an answer, she started touching the edge of Amanda's ear, which always got a response. "A blog about a dog, wrestling a frog, in a bog. Maybe they took a break on a log, because of the fog," she teased.
Amanda stopped what she was typing and turned to look at Lex. "What did you say?"
"Um, don't ask me to repeat it, because I don't think I can."
"Nut. That's what you get for reading Melanie's Dr. Seuss books." Amanda brushed her fingertips along Lex's cheek. "Give me another minute or two to finish this up, okay?"
Lex kissed the fingers. "Sure." She quietly watched Amanda type, secretly enjoying the look of intense concentration.
