by Carrie Carr
Lex kissed each girl and whispered more apologies before she allowed them to leave. She stood on her knees with tears trailing down her face. "I can't believe I did that."
"Oh, honey." Amanda helped Lex up. "Those two would try the patience of Job. I've snapped at them a few times, myself."
"I made them cry," Lex said. "I yelled, cursed and told them to shut up." She wiped her face with her hand and leaned heavily against Amanda. "I'm a horrible parent."
Amanda shook her head and chuckled. "Honey, if we were considered bad parents every time we made one of them cry, we'd have been locked up a long time ago. Don't sweat it. I guarantee that by tomorrow, they'll have forgotten all about it." She held Lex close. "Your back's killing you, isn't it?"
"Yeah. But that's no excuse."
"Uh-huh. And when was the last time you took anything for it?" Amanda asked, as they slowly walked out of the room together.
Lex limped along beside her. "I don't remember."
"Right. And you were watching the girls without any medicinal aid? Honey, that's crazy." Amanda patted Lex on the hip. "Let's go upstairs and get you ready for bed. The girls are so rambunctious because of the pie they had earlier. I'll ask Hubert and Ramona to play with them when they come home. Might as well enjoy the built-in babysitting while we can."
"You're evil." Lex kissed the top of Amanda's head. "One of the many reasons I married you."
LORRIE STACKED SEVERAL game boxes on the kitchen table. "I really like my new room color, Uncle Hubert. Thanks for helping us paint the other day."
"Sure. It was fun, wasn't it, Ramona?"
Ramona nodded. "I enjoyed it, too."
"Uncle Hubert, how come you don't live here no more?" Melanie asked. They were gathered around the kitchen table, with several games stacked to one side.
Hubert looked at Ramona. "Uh, well, I had some business in Oklahoma, and when I met Ramona, I decided to make it my home."
"But you lived here for a long time, too, right?" Melanie asked.
"That's right. Why?"
Melanie got off her chair and proceeded to crawl into Hubert's lap. "I think you're nice. Were you sad when you moved away from home?"
"Uh--"
"I don't want to ever live away from home. I love Momma, Mommy and Lorrie. And Eddie."
Lorrie opened a game box and set out the pieces. "When you grow up and get married, you'll have to live somewhere else. That's what grownups do. Right, Uncle Hubert?"
"Usually, yes." Hubert smiled at Ramona when Melanie snuggled closer and put her arms around his neck.
"But Momma said that this is the only house she's ever lived in. Did you live here, too?" Lorrie asked.
Hubert nodded. "When I was younger, yes I did. But after I graduated from high school, I went away for college, and then moved into my own place."
"Aunt Ramona, do you live with your family?" Melanie asked.
"We're in the same city as my father, but I live with your Uncle Hubert." Ramona helped Lorrie set up the Sorry game. She accepted the green game piece and placed it on the board. "Thank you."
Lorrie grinned at her. "You said you liked the green one, right?"
"I did."
"Cool." Lorrie passed out colored game-pieces to everyone. "Uncle Hubert, how come Momma never told us about you? We didn't even know she had a brother, until Eddie came to live with us."
Hubert's smile faded, as he remembered past events. "I wasn't a very nice person, Lorrie. I'm sure your moms didn't talk about me because they're too nice to say bad things about people."
Ramona put her hand on his shoulder for support. "The important thing is that now we're all together, and happy. Right?"
"Yeah," Hubert said, his voice gruff with emotion.
Lorrie still had questions. "Do you like kids, Uncle Hubert?"
"Sure."
"Then how come you didn't want Eddie? Was he bad?"
Hubert scooted away from the table and held out his free arm to Lorrie. "Come here, sweetheart. Let's talk about this."
Lorrie quickly moved from her chair to his lap. "Okay."
"Remember when I told you I wasn't a very nice guy? Well, I'll always worry that I'll be that guy again. And I loved Eddie so much that I wanted him to have the best home he could. I knew that your parents would raise him right, giving him all the love in the world." He kissed each girl on the forehead. "Besides, he needed big sisters to take care of him. Who's better than you two?"
Lorrie turned to Ramona. "Didn't you want babies?"
"Oh, sweetie. I love children, especially the ones living in this house," Ramona said, a little sad. "But your Uncle Hubert and I are too old. It wouldn't be fair to the child to have parents who couldn't do everything with them. Don't you agree?"
"I guess. But you'll come and visit us and Eddie a lot, won't you?"
Ramona looked at Hubert, whose eyes glistened with lost opportunities. "You'll get tired of seeing us, we'll be here so often," she promised.
ELLIE YAWNED AS she walked down the quiet hallway. She had agreed to work late this Thursday morning to help out a coworker, but the slow-moving clock made her regret her kindness. She saw a solitary figure in the waiting room and thought her tired eyes were deceiving her. "Amanda?"
Amanda's head lifted, and a wan smile crossed her face. "Ellie? What are you doing here this time of morning?"
"Splitting a shift with a coworker. Why are you here? Is it Lex?"
"We got a call last night from the orthopedic surgeon. He wanted Lex to get the MRI done before coming into his office on Monday. So, here we are." Amanda lowered her head and brushed her fingers through her hair. "I managed to get Hubert and Ramona to stay home and help Martha get the girls off to school. But I'm really glad to see a friendly face."
Ellie sat next to Amanda and put her arm around her in a comforting gesture. "I'm glad I came this way for my break. How long has Lex been in there?"
"Seems like hours." Amanda checked her watch. "About forty-five minutes, though. I just hope she's not going crazy in there."
"She should be okay. This hospital has an open-bore MRI, so it's not as claustrophobic. I've talked to patients who said it's not bad at all."
Amanda sighed. "I hope so. She's really not taking this whole thing very well."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever known Lex to sit still for very long? She's been, as she put it, 'under house arrest,' since she returned from Oklahoma. As much as she loves the kids, they're really starting to get on her nerves."
Ellie gave her a one-armed hug. "Hang in there. It's going to get better. Has she made any progress at all?"
"Not much. Her leg and back are still causing her a lot of pain, even with lying around all the time. What if they end up having to do surgery? It scares me to death to think about that."
"Let me talk to some of the surgeons around here, and see what's involved if it comes to that. Don't start worrying about it until you have to. I know that's easier said than done, but you'll be better off." Ellie checked her watch. "I'm going to call the charge nurse and see if I can wait here with you. Be right back."
Amanda caught Ellie's arm. "You don't have to. I don't want you to get into any trouble."
"It's no trouble. Besides, I don't really care for the attitudes in this place. I plan on job hunting again as soon as I can." Ellie hurried down the hall to the nearest phone.
Before Amanda could respond, the double doors at the end of the hall swung open and Lex came out on her crutches. Amanda jumped up and met her halfway. "How did it go?"
"Okay. Can we get out of here?" Lex leaned heavily on the crutches, a defeated look on her face.
"Sure, love. Let me run tell Ellie."
Lex perked up a little. "Ellie was here?"
"Yes. She saw me waiting and was going to sit with me until you got here." Amanda noticed movement down the hall. "Here she comes."
Ellie joined them, carrying a denim jacket. "Hey, cuz. I thought you'd be in there longer." She
patted Lex gently on the shoulder. "You guys up for breakfast? I got cut loose early."
"Sounds good to me. Amanda? What about you?" Lex asked, suddenly much more animated.
"Sure." Amanda picked up their coats from a waiting room chair and followed them down the hall.
Once they were outside, Ellie pointed to a far-away parking lot. "I'm over there, so I guess I'll meet you someplace. Any ideas?"
Amanda tugged on the arm of Ellie's jacket. "How about you get in and ride with us? We can take you over to your car, and discuss breakfast options on the way."
"Might as well do as she says, El. I know from experience how pointless it is to try and argue with my better half," Lex teased.
"All right. I didn't feel like a hike in this cold wind, anyway." Ellie flipped the collar up on her denim jacket and shivered.
Amanda stuck her tongue out at Lex, but led the way to where she had parked her vehicle. "Is there someplace nearby to eat? Or should we just head back to Somerville?"
Ellie quickly climbed in the back and closed her door. "Honestly, I haven't bothered looking around here for anything. I usually just go to work and back. Drop me off at my car, and I'll meet you at the diner in Somerville."
Once Lex was settled, Amanda started the vehicle. "Sounds like a plan." She followed Ellie's directions, and they were soon parked beside the silver Corolla. "Don't you have a warmer coat?"
"I've never needed one, since I'm rarely outside. I've got a blanket I keep in the car to cover my legs, so I don't freeze before the heater warms up. I'll be fine." Ellie got out of the SUV. "See you in a few." She closed the door and unlocked her car, waving once she was inside.
Lex looked at Amanda. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Definitely. At least we know what to get little miss stubborn for Christmas." Amanda waited until Ellie drove away, then followed her. "Not like that's a surprise."
"What do you mean?"
Amanda laughed. "Stubborn runs in the family." She kept her eyes on Ellie's car and was surprised by the small pinch on the leg she received. "Hey."
"Runs in the family, huh?" Lex asked. She tapped her chin, as if in deep thought. "You know, I do believe you're right. And it started about twelve years ago."
Without taking her eyes off the road, Amanda delivered a perfect slap to Lex's arm. "Smartass."
THE BOOTH SEAT was lumpy, the coffee like mud, and her breakfast plate was chipped. Lex ignored the pain she was in and enjoyed the old diner, as well as the two women with her. She looked closely at Ellie. "Hey, El?"
Ellie looked up from her own breakfast. "Yeah?"
"Did you do something different with your hair?" Lex squinted. "A haircut, or something?"
"Um." Ellie looked embarrassed. "Yeah. I got it cut and a little color added to it yesterday. Does it look okay?"
Lex nodded. "Looks great. Doesn't it, Amanda?"
Amanda stifled a laugh. "Sure does. Is there any reason you got your hair done, Ellie?"
"No! I mean, not really. I just felt like a change." Ellie wiped her mouth with her napkin. "I need to run to the restroom. Be right back." She slid out of the booth and left in a hurry.
"What's up with her?" Lex asked.
Amanda took a sip of her coffee. "Has she talked to you about her new neighbors?"
"Only the day you two came back from finding the place. Is there something else?"
"One of the roommates is a woman. They met last week when Ellie went over for the house inspection." Amanda put her hand on Lex's. "I think Ellie likes her, but I don't want you to tease her about it, okay? I think I did that enough when I found out."
Lex's lower lip stuck out. "You're no fun."
"Promise to behave?"
"Only for a little while. Then, all promises are off." Lex watched as Ellie came from the restroom. "This isn't going to be easy."
Amanda patted her thigh. "Shhh."
Ellie sat and gave Lex a funny look. "What?"
"What, what?" Lex answered.
"You look like you're up to something," Ellie accused.
Lex shook her head. "Nope."
Ellie turned to Amanda, who had trouble looking her in the eye. "You didn't."
"What?"
"You told her."
Amanda tried her best to look innocent. "Told who, what?"
"Her. About Kyle."
Lex looked from Amanda to Ellie. "Kyle? Who's he?"
Ellie sighed. "It's okay. Kyle's the woman who lives next door. I met her last week."
"Oh." Lex shrugged. "Is she cute?"
"No, I mean, yes, I, uh." Ellie bit her lip. "She's different, but in a good kind of way." Her face turned pink. "She's really nice."
"Ah. I see." Lex speared a piece of sausage and popped it into her mouth. "What does she do?"
Ellie began to fiddle with her coffee, swirling a spoon around the half-empty mug. "She's a mechanic, who also likes to restore old cars in her spare time. She doesn't like to go out much, and her roommates are always teasing her about that."
"Sounds okay to me." Lex put her fork down. "How old is she?"
Ellie stared at her own plate. "I'm not sure, but I think she's in her early thirties. She doesn't seem that old."
Although tempted to tease Ellie, Lex decided to play it safe. "Sounds like a good thing, having a mechanic that lives next door. Especially with that old car you drive."
Relieved that the conversation was heading toward a different topic, Ellie nodded. "My car's fine. It's just temperamental, that's all."
"Uh-huh. Sure." Lex waved to the waitress, Francine, for coffee refills.
Francine immediately arrived with a full pot of coffee. "Hey, ladies. How's the kids?" she asked, as she refilled everyone's cup.
"They're doing great," Amanda said. "Growing too fast, though."
"Ain't that always the way," Francine said. "Y'all take care, you hear?"
Lex nodded. "Thanks, Francine. You, too." Once the waitress was out of range, she turned to Ellie. "Now, what were you saying?"
"I was going to ask if you two would mind coming over to the old house, and see if there's any furniture that you want. Otherwise, I thought I'd see if Jeannie and Rodney wanted it."
Amanda stirred sweetener and creamer into her coffee. "You don't want it?"
"Only a few things. My bedroom furniture, the kitchen table, and maybe one of the sofas. I want to get a few new things, too." Ellie looked at Lex. "Is that okay?"
"You're asking me? Ellie, it's your house and your stuff. Of course it's okay."
Ellie rubbed one of her eyes and took a cleansing breath. "I thought you might want some of Grandpa's furniture."
"Ellie," Lex reached across the table and covered her cousin's hand with hers, "you gave me the greatest thing in the world when you passed along that quilt. Besides, if Jeannie and Rodney have the furniture, it's still in the family, right?"
"Right." Ellie squeezed Lex's hand. "Whatever they don't want, let's donate. Are you okay with that?"
"Yep." Lex winked. "Now, tell us more about this Kyle person. I want to know if I need to go have a talk with her."
Ellie's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare."
"It'll be good practice for when our girls get older. Gotta see what her intentions toward you are, right?"
"B, bu, but, Lex, you--"
Lex laughed. "No more secrets from me, right?"
Ellie growled and threw a piece of toast at Lex, who caught it and took a bite.
"Thanks. I was still hungry."
Amanda shook her head and covered her face, as the two women laughed loud enough to draw attention to their booth. "I can't take you two anywhere."
"Sure you can," Lex helpfully answered. "As long as you don't mind having a little fun, right, El?"
"Right." Ellie wiped her mouth and put her napkin on her plate.
Chapter Nineteen
LEX ANGRILY SLAMMED her door after she got into the SUV. "We had to pay how much to hear that shit? Hell, I could have save
d us money, time and aggravation by staying at home."
It was mid-afternoon on Monday and Lex's mood was not helped by the hour and a half doctor's visit. "I tried telling that quack that my leg doesn't hurt anymore, so I don't understand why he insisted on twisting me like a demented pretzel."
"Honey, please. No one was happier than me when you woke up yesterday pain-free. But we already had the appointment and didn't have time to cancel." Amanda bit her lip to keep from smiling at Lex's pout. "Besides, wasn't it worth it to hear that you're going to be okay without surgery?"
Lex sighed, but didn't comment. She glared through the windshield, focusing on nothing in particular.
Amanda started the engine and backed out of the parking space. "I know you want to go back to work, but another couple of weeks of taking it easy won't kill you."
"Hrumph."
"Is there really that much to do around the ranch right now?"
Lex turned her head toward Amanda. "That's not the point."
Fed up with Lex's attitude, Amanda slammed her hands down on the steering wheel. "That's exactly the point! You've got well-trained men working for you, and the only problem is your damned stubborn pride." So mad she could barely think, Amanda immediately parked in the nearest lot. Once the Expedition stopped, she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned toward Lex. "I know it's been hard for you, being cooped up in the house. But do you have any idea what the alternative would have been? I've researched it, so I do. And the last thing I wanted to do was see you having surgery on your back."
"Amanda--"
"Shut up." Amanda took a deep breath. "When that horse kicked you, it could have been so much worse. Paralysis, to start with. Did you hear me?" Amanda's voice continued to rise. "Paralysis! And if that damned beast had hit you higher, it could have fucking killed you! And you're upset because you have to rest for a few weeks? Get over it."
Lex blinked a few times. It had been a long time since she'd seen Amanda so angry. "Um, sweetheart?"
"What?" Amanda yelled.
"I'm sorry."
