Finding Lexi

by AJ Attard

  “You do look nice,” Nora said with a small, conspiratorial smile as she sliced a generous piece of pie and shifted it expertly onto a waiting plate.

  “What do you think, Kiddo?” She asked as Jake gratefully took the plate Nora offered and moved to sit in his seat next to Clyde.

  He pushed a big forkful of peach pie into his mouth and tried smiling around it. He mumbled something unintelligible out around the mouthful of succulent peaches and crisp crust, all the while nodding his head enthusiastically.

  “I’ll take that for a yes,” Lexi laughed before coming over to kiss the top of her son’s head. The sound of Luke’s truck on the gravel outside slid into the open windows and four heads popped up.

  “Have a good time, Mom,” Jake said, wrapping one arm around her waist where she stood next to his chair, “It’s about time you did,” he whispered to her in a voice barely audible against the sounds of the evening.

  “Thanks, Sweetheart,” Lexi said softly in return, smoothing a patch of his hair lingeringly, “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, suddenly finding it hard to go. Luke’s knock reverberated on the screen door and Jake looked up at her and grinned.

  “Yeah you will,” he said just before stuffing another forkful of pie into his mouth, “if you ever leave.”

  Leix ruffled the hair she had just smoothed playfully and rolled her eyes, “Come on in, Luke,” she called over Twinkie’s enthusiastic barking.

  The screen door opened wide to the dusk, disappearing against the porch railing with a lazy screech of its hinges. Luke stepped into the kitchen, pulling his hat off his head as he did so and wiping his boots on the mat. Lexi felt her cheeks grow hot and she desperately hoped they were not as searingly red as they felt.

  “Good evening, All,” Luke said in his slow, soft, velvet drawl as he came through the door.

  “Evening, Luke,” came the chorused reply warmly.

  “Pie, Luke?” Nora asked, holding a plate up, her pie server dangling dangerously over the freshly cut pie.

  “I would love to,” Luke said with a slow grin, “but I’ll have to take a rain check. Lexi and I have somewhere to be,” he informed them all, though his eyes looked only at Lexi, “I’d love some next time though,” he promised, finally breaking his stare and smiling rather sheepishly at Nora.

  “Anytime,” she told him before she returned to cutting herself a slice.

  “Shall we?” Luke asked Lexi, stepping back to open the door for her and press his hat back onto his head.

  Lexi smiled and nodded, curls slipping haphazardly from the chignon she had twirled her hair into.

  "Goodnight," she said to her family, bending over to drop a kiss on Jake's head, "Be good, okay?" she said again feeling a twinge of guilt for leaving him.

  "Of course," he answered with an exasperated tone and an eye roll that he quickly followed with a grin so his mother knew he was just joking.

  "Okay," she said, rolling her own eyes and heading for the door Luke held open, "See you all later," she called over her shoulder with a wave before stepping out the door.

  "Have fun!" Nora told them grinning mischievously at Luke as he too waved and headed out the door, "We won't wait up," she muttered under breath as the door clicked shut behind them.

  ***

  “You look beautiful, Lex,” Luke told her, gallantly swinging the door of his truck open. He had obviously just cleaned it, a fact not lost on her despite the fine layer of gravel dust from the driveway that lay atop the freshly washed sheen.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, suddenly feeling a bit shy, especially since he had used a nickname she hadn’t heard in years as comfortably as if he said it everyday, the sound of the words slipping effortlessly off his lips.

  “My pleasure,” He said, tipping his hat slightly before shutting the door softly behind her and walking around the front of the truck. Lexi watched him walk, knowing his step as surely as she knew her own, surprised at how much she remembered, as well as at how much she knew. It was the same step but a bit older; stiffness was starting to nibble at the edge of the previous nimbleness, the effortlessness of youth requiring a bit more effort now.

  Luke climbed into the truck with a bit of a wince that he tried to hide. Lexi looked at him questioningly and he gave her a sheepish smile in response.

  “I had a bit of a, um, accident today,” he said, shifting in his seat and turning the key, the big engine roaring to life with a formidable rumble.

  “Accident?” Lexi proded him, as she waited patiently for him to tell her more, watching him with a look that held a mixture of skepticism and amusement.

  He nodded and took a deep breath, “Okay,” he said with mock exasperation, as if she had tortured the answer out of him, “That three year old paint I bought threw me today,” he grumbled abashedly, “Your grandpa told me that damn thing was more trouble than he was worth when he was two, but did I listen? No. I liked his spirit and his color, and I bought him anyway. That horse has been nothing but trouble ever since,” Luke frowned in consternation, sighing as they reached the end of the drive.

  “You like him,” Lexi observed, smiling to herself and turning her gaze to sweep over the vast, open landscape.

  “Your grandpa?” Luke asked, “Yeah, I like him,” Luke confirmed, allowing the big engine to run as they headed back toward his place and away from town.

  “I meant the horse,” Lexi laughed, “I know you like Grandpa,” she told him, “You’re about as bad as Jake following him around. You like that horse.”

  “Why wouldn’t I follow Clyde around?” Luke demanded, “He’s been like a dad to me.”

  “I didn’t say you shouldn’t,” Lexi corrected him sassily, swinging her gaze to meet his challengingly and shaking a finger at him, “He is a great guy. Follow him around all you want. What I’m saying is I know you like him, but when I made the comment I was referring to the horse. A point that you conveniently ignored.”

  Luke frowned at her and began to scowl, his full cheeks beginning to twist in his annoyance; but just as suddenly as the expression came it was gone, and he shrugged his big shoulders and nodded.

  “You’re right,” he said, casting her a sideways glance, “there’s no point in me denying it,” he told her begrudgingly, “I do. I love that damn horse. He’s always in trouble, he’s smarter by half than is good for him, or me, but I love him. He’s got spirit and character, and if he threw me a hundred times I would still keep him.”

  Lexi nodded, satisfied but not smug, “I would imagine so,” she responded again letting her eyes drift out over the rise and fall of the surrounding hills as twilight began its descent upon the land, shifting the softly rolling mounds from solid masses to whispering shadows of shape, “I would think that’s why Grandpa didn’t buy the horse himself,” she said into the gathering darkness, “He was always good about seeing that kind of thing.”

  Luke looked like a light bulb had just gone on over his head and a half smile crept over his face as he nodded in comprehension, “He let me have him,” he said, more to himself than her, “He was going to buy him and he let me have him.”

  “He always did like a troublesome horse too,” Lexi smiled, “Just like you,” she added with a wink.

  “And you,” Luke reminded her, “I don’t believe I ever saw you ride anything that wasn’t planning on trying to unseat you, or worse, in some way, shape, or form.”

  Lexi laughed out loud, the sound filling the truck with melodic lightness, like crystals clinking in the sunlight, “True,” she admitted through her mirth, “Very, very true. It’s more fun that way though, isn’t it?” She asked, grinning playfully at him.

  “I think so,” he agreed without hesitation, smiling in the darkness at her before turning his attention back to the road and slowing the speed of the truck.

  Suddenly his grin shifted, his brows furrowing over his eyes, his mouth becoming a firm line. Lexi cocked her head sideways and followed the direction of his stare.

&nbs
p; Just down the road and only now coming into view was a truck on the side of the road, its tail lights reflecting vividly red, like rubies in the palm of your hand, in the bright, white glow of the oncoming headlights. Luke slowed even more, he didn’t know the truck and was hesitant to pull over with Lexi with him, but didn’t want to leave someone stranded either.

  The hood of the truck was thrown up and a big man starting to soften with age, appeared from beneath it as they passed. Lexi let out a little gasp, as her eyes grew round as recognition dawned in them.

  “Mr. Whilbur,” Lexi said, motioning for Luke to pull over. Luke nodded but frowned; disconcerted that Lexi would know someone in town he did not.

  Lexi pushed open her door and stepped down from the truck, thankful that she had worn boots with her dress as she picked her way across the uneven gravel on the shoulder of the road to the big man wiping his hands.

  “Mr. Whilbur, are you alright?” She asked, suddenly slowing her pace subconsciously, giving Luke time to catch up with her. Luke fell into step beside her, his big shoulder pressing into hers as they walked, his hand protectively on the small of her back. Unlike with Peter she didn’t attempt escape but instead kept her pace, allowing the two of them to move in unison.

  “Well if it isn’t Lexi Majors,” The big man said with a half amused smile on his subtlety aging face, “You’re the last person I thought I would run into tonight,” he admitted, crossing the distance between them with an ambling step.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, offering a semi-cleaned hand to Luke. Luke held out his hand as well, but his eyes held none of the warmth Lexi was accustomed to, instead carrying a glint of wariness, “I’m Paul Whilbur,” he said, giving Luke’s hand a firm shake.

  “Luke Henderson,” Luke responded, careful to slip his arm a little further around Lexi’s waist. They were in the middle of nowhere really, on a back road of a small town and Luke couldn’t help but wonder what means of business had drawn the man before him out this far.

  “Nice to meet you, Luke,” Paul Whilbur answered, not unaware of Luke’s appraising gaze.

  Luke nodded his assent and then asked, “What seems to be the trouble Mr. Whilbur?” His tone was unflinching and even, his expression unreadable as he spoke.

  “Please call me Paul,” the big man said, turning back to his truck and peering into the engine well, “I can’t tell if my alternator is bad or my battery or if its just a glitch in the electrical system,” he said sighing in exasperation at the engine that radiated heat back to him in response, “I hate these new fangled cars,” he admitted with a shake of his balding head, “I miss the days when an engine was simple. It ran good, did its job, and anyone could fix it. It was a truck that’s all. This thing has more electronics than an airplane for heaven’s sake!” He said with a frown.

  Luke moved forward to look into the big, eerily quiet engine, taking Lexi with him as he moved, his arm still firmly around her waist. Now Lexi did wiggle free, stepping up on the bumper to lean in and take a better look at the truck’s insides.

  “Do you have a light?” She asked, peering at both of them expectantly, the early whispers of night falling softly about her, erasing the lines that suggested at her age and giving her a freshness that comes with the first tendrils of evenings.

  Paul shook his head and held up his cell phone, “This is all I have,” he said apologetically, “and a light is about all it’s good for since I don’t get any service out here.”

  “I have a light in my truck,” Luke said although he made no motion to retrieve it, instead allowing the look of concern he wore to burrow deeper into his brow.

  “Would you get it for me please?” Lexi asked, trying to keep the annoyance she felt from creeping into her voice.

  Luke nodded and turned on his heel, moving off with fierce determination and covering the distance between vehicles in merely a few strides. Lexi shook her head a bit before squinting into the dark cavity of the engine in an attempt to see anything.

  “Did you check the fuses?” She asked as Luke returned with a flashlight and shone its powerful bright beam onto the engine.

  “I did,” Paul answered, leaning against the truck, his forearms resting easily on the metal edge, “None of them were popped,” he said matter-of-factly and with a shake of his head, “These damn new fangled trucks,” he muttered.

  Luke frowned again to himself. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that Paul Whilbur did not belong out here. He had the build of a rancher. He was a big man, his frame filled out with muscle that was actually used, however was now a bit softer with age, and he didn’t walk, talk, or dress like one. He had on fairly new ostrich boots that shimmered proudly when the light graced their sheen, along with freshly starched jeans and a designer shirt bearing a name on the label Luke had heard his ex-wife mention a time or two when he hadn’t really been listening. The fact that Lexi knew this guy didn’t help the situation either and before Luke could stop himself the words came shooting out of his mouth.

  “So how do you two know each other?” He asked, steadying Lexi in a reflex motion as she stepped down from the bumper of the truck and wiped her hands together in an attempt to brush off the dust from the engine.

  “I met Mr. Whilbur when we stopped at Monteque’s last night,” Lexi explained, her interest piqued by the strange tone in Luke’s voice.

  “Please, call me Paul,” the big man interjected with a warm smile.

  “Paul,” Lexi nodded in acceptance and returned the smile.

  “I run the collegiate rodeo for this district,” Paul explained to Luke, watching the other man before him thoughtfully, “Monteque invited me down to make a bid for hosting one of our big events. A bid which he won incidentally,” he said with a shrug.

  “He mentioned it,” Lexi admitted fighting hard not to roll her eyes at the memory of Monteque boasting delightedly the day Red had dragged her down the arena.

  “He did?” Paul inquired quietly, “When did he do that may I ask?”

  Luke picked up on the curiosity in Paul’s tone and swung his gaze immediately to meet Paul’s, “It was the day before yesterday,” Luke answered without missing a beat.

  “Really?” Paul asked, a look of mild disbelief crossing his face as he leaned against the truck and crossed his arms in front of his chest, “Are you sure?” He probed, not unfriendly, just insistent, determined.

  “Beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Luke responded almost fiercely. Lexi could feel the tension in him like a horse itching to be let lose to run, “Why?” Luke asked, the edge in his voice unmistakable.

  “Well,” Paul answered slowly as if they had all the time in the world, “I just told him today that he had been approved to host it.”

  Chapter 17

  “Why would he lie?” Lexi wondered out loud as they rolled slowly down the moonlit back road. The wheels rolled lazily into and out of every bump in the road, adding a harmony to the symphony of sound that emanated from the night.

  They had just left Paul Whilbur, truck running and pointed back toward town. Lexi had somehow, by a combination of tinkering and jiggling wires, got the electronics working again and the truck had suddenly roared to life, utterly surprising all of them. Paul thanked her profusely, told her he would call sometime in the next week regarding show jumping, and waved them a brief farewell before heading off toward town.

  “Why wouldn’t he?” Luke snorted, “He lies all the time, why would this be any different?” he huffed before his voice took on a different tone altogether, “What I would really like to know is what Mr. Paul Whilbur was doing out in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing out here but ranches and Monteque’s is out the other way. What’s he doing out here?”

  They lapsed into silence, with the question hanging heavy between them for a moment. Finally Lexi shrugged and shook her head.

  “Maybe he just got lost,” she said, “it’s easily done out here if you’re not familiar with the roads. He could have just been tryin
g to take a short cut and took a right instead of a left. It happens,” she hypothesized, her mind turning over Luke’s question still, even as she spoke to answer it.

  “I don’t believe that,” Luke retorted, “and neither do you but as I have other plans for the night I’m willing to let it go, at least for now.”

  Lexi smiled, “In that case,” she answered, relieved to be changing the subject regardless of the fact that a chill of foreboding shimmied down her frame, “do you mind telling me where we’re going?” She asked, making her voice cheerful and pushing her worried thoughts to the back of her mind.

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Luke grinned as he turned the truck down another side road and expertly guided it down a path just wide enough for the vehicle to fit through. Scrub brush and low hung trees bordered what barely passed for a road and some reached out to brush casually against the sides of the truck.