by Carrie Carr
Once Jacob and Anna Leigh had driven off, Amanda walked back over to the 4x4. She opened the passenger door slowly, so as not to startle the woman sleeping inside. “Lex? Honey, it’s time to wake up.” Amanda tenderly brushed the hair away from Lex’s eyes, which slowly opened at her touch. “Hey there.”
Lex looked around, somewhat disoriented. She cleared her throat, before attempting to speak. “Hi.” After blinking a couple of times, she finally recognized where they were and wiped a shaky hand across her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop off like that.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Amanda unclipped Lex’s seat belt. “Do you think you can make it into the house?”
Rolling her eyes, Lex sat up and swung her legs out of the truck. “Relax, I’m fine. Just a little drugged up.”
Amanda took a step back, but stayed within arms’ reach. “Okay. Well, I’m staying right here, just in case.” Her tone dared the other woman to argue with her. She saw how woozy Lex was.
“Waste of time.” Lex slid out of the truck, but her legs buckled as soon as she put her weight on them. “Whoa!”
Amanda jumped forward and caught Lex before she fell. She wrapped an arm around her partner’s waist and struggled to slam the truck door. “Teach you to not listen to me.” She started toward the house slowly, grumbling all the while. “Of all the stubborn, pig-headed, obstinate things—”
“It’s not my fault,” Lex complained, but never released her grip on Amanda. “I just wasn’t awake yet.” The battle lost, Lex allowed Amanda to guide her into the house and up the stairs.
Walking into the bedroom that they shared, Amanda led Lex to the bed. She pulled the comforter back and pushed Lex down gently. Silently, Amanda lifted her lover’s feet up, removed her boots, and began to unsnap Lex’s jeans.
The silence was beginning to bother her, so Lex attempted to joke to ease the tension. “If you wanted to get me into bed, all you had to do was say so.” Reaching down to help with her jeans, she was startled when her hands were batted away. “What?”
Amanda tugged the jeans down the long legs, then folded them neatly and placed them on a nearby chair. “Hush.” She rooted out a soft cotton nightshirt from Lex’s suitcase and draped it over the bemused woman. After lifting the covers over Lex, Amanda went into the adjoining bathroom and brought out a glass of water. On her return, she stopped by her purse to grab the prescription bottles. “Here, take these. I’m going to go downstairs and get you something to eat.”
Puzzled, Lex did as she was told, then set the glass down on the bedside table. “Okay. Are you mad at me?”
Stopping at the doorway, Amanda realized how it must seem to the other woman. “No honey, I’m not.” She walked back to the bed and sat next to Lex. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to get you settled before you fell asleep again.” She brought a hand up and caressed her lover’s cheek before standing up. Amanda bent down and kissed Lex on the top of the head. “I’ll be right back, so try and behave yourself for a few minutes.”
Lex realized she wasn’t going to win any arguments today, so she decided not to even try. “Yes ma’am. Could you do me a favor and bring the bank papers with you? I’d really like to start looking them over.”
“Sure, if you promise to get some rest first.” Amanda countered, standing at the doorway. “I’ll even help you if you want.”
Lex leaned back against the pillows. “It’s a deal.” She felt another wave of lethargy wash over her. What in the hell did they give me? I feel like I could sleep for a week. She closed her eyes and didn’t even notice when Amanda slipped from the room.
SOME TIME LATER, Amanda sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee, when Jacob and Anna Leigh returned from the dealership.
Jacob sat down next to her, his strong face etched with concern. He didn’t see Lex anywhere and found it hard to believe that the two women, who had been practically inseparable since they arrived, would be apart. “Peanut, is everything okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, sure, Grandpa.” With everything that had happened so far, Amanda’s day was shaping up to be less than stellar. “It’s just been one of those days. Mother called while you were gone.”
Anna Leigh sat down on the other side of her granddaughter. “Oh? Is there anything wrong?”
Amanda shook her head. “No, she called to see how Grandpa was feeling, and to find out why I haven’t called her for so long. I told her that everything was great, and that you’d gone to pick up your new car.” Now came the hard part. “Mother says since I’m ‘not needed’ here anymore, she wants me to come back to Los Angeles and help her with the gallery.”
Jacob put a strong arm around Amanda’s shoulders. “Help with the gallery? She rarely spends any time there, herself, these days.” He looked at his wife. “I wonder what she’s up to now?”
“Maybe she just misses you, Mandy.” Anna Leigh tried to be tactful. The fact was, Elizabeth Cauble only seemed interested in her children when she needed something from them. To her, there were things much more important, like traveling to Europe, handling her many business dealings, and looking good at community functions. “Did she give you any other reason for wanting you to come back?”
Amanda ran her hand through her dark blonde hair in agitation. “Not really. She did say she and Dad were about to go out of the country again. But she usually leaves Jeannie in charge of the gallery, so I don’t know why she wants me there.” Her older sister had rarely come to visit, spending most of her time traveling, much to Jacob and Anna Leigh’s dismay. Amanda wiped a tear from her eye. “I told her I wanted to stay here permanently, because I’ve found someone I truly care about, and I’m happy for the first time in a very long time.”
Anna Leigh squeezed her hand. “What did Elizabeth say about that?”
“She said I was too young to know what I wanted, and that this was probably just a ‘phase’ I’m going through.” Amanda sat up straighter and gave her grandmother a resolved look. “It’s not a phase, Gramma. I’ve never felt anything more right in my entire life. And I’m not giving this up.”
Jacob pulled her close. “We’re both behind you one hundred percent.” He shared a look with his wife. “Funny thing is, I think your grandmother was told the same thing when we first started dating.”
Wealthy and about halfway spoiled, Anna Leigh Winston literally ran into Jacob one summer at the lake. He was nineteen and worked for the maintenance manager, while she was there with her well-to-do family. The seventeen-year old Anna had knocked the lanky youth to the ground, scattering the wood he carried, and the moment her green eyes met his blue ones, it was love at first sight. They spent the entire summer together, and while she thought he was there as a guest, he never realized she was part of one of the rich families who took over the lake in the summer.
At the end of the summer, when Jacob removed his grandmother’s silver ring that he wore on his pinkie and proposed, Anna couldn’t have been happier. Unfortunately, her family didn’t see it the same way and forbade them to have any more contact with each other.
“She was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen,” Jacob related to his granddaughter. “Her father didn’t think I was good enough, and so, to keep us apart, he put Anna on a ship to Europe, knowing I didn’t have the money to follow. But I ruined that, didn’t I, my love?”
Anna Leigh laughed. “I’d forgotten all about that.” She looked down at the small silver band on her right hand. Seeing Amanda’s questioning look, she explained, “My family was considered to be in the upper echelon of Austin society at that time. Father thought your grandfather was ‘beneath my station,’ and he even went so far as to send me to Paris for one summer. I had been there for six miserable weeks when a certain young gentleman showed up on my doorstep.”
“Grandpa?” Amanda whispered, mesmerized by the story. “How did—” She looked at her grandfather, who had a slight blush on his face, much to the delight of his wife.
“Well, since Jacob didn’t have
the kind of money needed for passage, he worked his way across on a ship. I believe it was a cattle ship, wasn’t it dear?”
Jacob finally laughed. “Oh yes. I shoveled sh…er, by-product for almost five weeks. Talk about an adventure.” Seeing the delighted smile on his granddaughter’s face, he knew they had successfully sidetracked her from her previous depression. “To this day, I can’t even look at a bag of fertilizer without traumatic flashbacks.”
A scratchy voice spoke up from the doorway. “Guess that means you won’t be out to visit the ranch anytime soon, huh?”
“Lex, what are you doing up?” Amanda rose from her chair at the table and hurried to her lover. “You should be in bed.”
The tired woman allowed herself to be steered to the table and guided into a chair. “I feel much better now, especially since I’ve finally got all that medication out of my system. But remind me to get even with Laura the next time I see her.”
Jacob chuckled. “She’s pretty good at that, I remember.” His concern for his granddaughter’s companion caused him to turn serious. “You really should be in bed resting, Lex. You still look pretty pale.”
“No, I hate lying in bed. It makes me feel like I’m sick or something.” Lex raised a hand to stop Amanda before she could add anything. “I really feel fine. Besides, I’ve got some paperwork to start looking over.”
Amanda realized she would not win this round. “Okay, but only for a little while. Then you’re going to get some more rest— or else.” She shook a warning finger at Lex, who seemed amused by her protectiveness.
“Or else what?” Lex smirked. She glanced over at Jacob, who was trying not to laugh.
Watch out, my young friend. Our little Amanda’s a lot tougher than she looks. Jacob met his wife’s eyes, which were also dancing with merriment.
Amanda placed her hand on Lex’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “Or else I’ll call Martha and tell her you’re not taking care of yourself.” She loved the scowl that replaced the cocky smile on Lex’s face. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to haul you back out to the ranch for a little TLC.”
“You wouldn’t,” Lex sputtered. It annoyed her to no end how quickly Amanda and Martha had joined forces against her, at least in her mind. Even though they only wanted what was best for her, she hated being treated like a recalcitrant child, first by the housekeeper, and now by her lover. And seeing Jacob and Anna Leigh both fighting to keep from laughing out loud, she knew when she’d been beaten. “You would, wouldn’t you? All right. You win, for now, anyway.”
Trying to stop the battle, Anna Leigh decided on another tact. “Lexington, you are quite welcome to use our office for your work. The desk is more than large enough to spread everything out on, I believe.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Cauble, uh, I mean Anna Leigh.” That’s going to take some getting used to, I think. “I really appreciate you allowing me to stay here while I get some business taken care of, especially since my brother and I are not getting along very well right now, and I couldn’t very well stay at his house.” Yeah, that’s an understatement.
“Come on.” Amanda grabbed Lex’s hand and helped her to her feet. “I’ll show you where the office is, and help you get settled.” She smiled at her grandparents as she tugged her friend out of the room.
AMANDA LED THE way through the house, bringing Lex into a spacious room off the main hall. Expansive bay windows with flower-patterned curtains brightened the room, which had a large antique cherry wood desk sitting in front of the windows, and several oversized chairs in complementary colors that were scattered around the room.
“This is where Gramma keeps track of things at the real estate office, even though she officially retired a couple of years ago.” Amanda showed Lex the state-of-the-art computer occupying one whole side of the desk. “She keeps after me to take over for her, but until recently, I really didn’t have any good reason to live here permanently.” The smile she gave her companion told of Amanda’s change of heart. “Let’s relax for a minute before you get too engrossed in paperwork.” She guided Lex to a sofa, then dropped beside her with a sigh.
Lex watched as Amanda nervously played with their clasped hands, and a small tremor of fear ran through her. Something’s bothering her, but what? Bite the bullet time, I think. “Amanda?” Lex used her free hand to caress Amanda’s cheek, until they were looking eye to eye. “What’s the matter?” Seeing a small sparkle of tears in the eyes so close to hers, a lump formed in Lex’s throat. “You know you can tell me, right?”
“I know, it’s just that, well, my mother called today.” Amanda struggled to put her feelings into words. “I’m twenty-three years old, and yet every time I talk to her, I feel like I’m sixteen again.” She felt the reassuring grip on her hand tighten slightly. “She wants me to come back to Los Angeles and work in her art gallery.”
Lex stiffened. “And,” she had to clear her throat, “what do you want?” Although her heart was pounding, she tried to appear calm for her lover’s sake. She realized that Amanda must have noticed, because she scooted closer until she was almost sitting in Lex’s lap.
“I want,” Amanda pulled their linked hands up to her lips, “to stay here.” She kissed the hand in hers. “I want to tell my grandmother that I would be glad to run her office for her, and—” Amanda was unable to finish her thought, as she was pulled up into Lex’s arms, and her mouth was captured in a passionate kiss. She tangled her hands in Lex’s hair and pulled them even closer together. Amanda trembled as she felt Lex’s hands roam across her shoulders, mapping across her shirt with sweet urgency. Pulling away to look at Lex’s face, she whispered, “I just found you.” Seeing answering tears shine in those incredible eyes so near hers, she continued, “And I’m not ready to give you up. Not for my mother; not for anyone.”
Lex looked into Amanda’s face and saw a determination so fierce, it almost took her breath away. She really means this. Feeling her misgivings crumble beneath that gaze, Lex tried to think of words to convey what she was feeling in her heart. “I love you.” Those three little words felt woefully inadequate to Lex, when what she felt was so much more. But when she saw the answering smile break across Amanda’s face, she realized it was more than enough.
“I love you, too.” Amanda leaned forward to place a soothing kiss on Lex’s mouth. It was not the heated kiss of a moment before, but one affirming the commitment Amanda had made to Lex in her heart. The kind that lovers give to each other when all questions of belonging have been settled. Breaking off, she snuggled her face into the tan neck, happy to simply absorb the feeling of love that seemed to surround her.
They sat there quietly for a while, content just to hold one other, until a ringing phone made them both jump. The moment broken, Amanda slid off Lex’s lap and had just curled up next to her again when Anna Leigh came into the room.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mandy, but your father is on the phone, and he wants to talk to you.”
“Gramma, are you okay?” Amanda stood and walked over to her grandmother. “Did he say something to upset you?” She felt Lex come up behind her and place a hand on the small of her back, which comforted her somewhat.
“I’m fine, dearest.” Anna Leigh didn’t want to upset her granddaughter any more than the day already had. “God knows I love my son, but he can be so small-minded at times. I’ve often wondered where we went wrong with him.” But, in her heart, she did know. Her parents, trying to make up for losing their daughter to a “working man,” gave young Michael the best of everything, even when Jacob and Anna Leigh strenuously argued against it. His grandparents showered him with expensive clothes, fancy cars, and contributed to him deciding at an early age that money was the most important thing in the world, no matter how much his parents tried to tell him otherwise. And when his grandparents introduced him to a young socialite from a wealthy family, Michael immediately saw his opportunity and proposed. Anna Leigh often wondered how Amanda could have come from such a business-like
merger.
“Guess I’d better get this over with.” Amanda went to the desk and picked up the phone. “Hello, Daddy.” She listened for a few minutes, her normally cheerful demeanor becoming more clouded by the minute. Looking across the room, she saw Lex and her grandmother were in a deep discussion. Putting her hand over the mouthpiece, she whispered, “Lex.” No other words need be spoken. Her lover crossed the room quickly to take Amanda into her arms.
Looks like she’s in good hands, now. Anna Leigh left the room quietly, closing the door behind her.
“I know what Mother wants, but as I told her earlier today, I’m staying here in Somerville.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to her father’s tirade. “I’m a grown woman, Dad. I love you and Mother, but there’s nothing there for me anymore.” She took a deep breath as Lex pulled her tight, kissing her lightly on top of her head. “I’ve found someone I love very much, and I’m very happy here.” She leaned back into the strong arms that now supported her. “Yes, Gramma and Grandpa know about us. She’s staying here with us right now, as a matter of fact.” Amanda pulled the phone away from her ear as he father began to rant in earnest now. “No! She’s not like that. Gramma and Grandpa have accepted my choices, why can’t you?” Amanda felt the tears of frustration fall down her face. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Father.” She slowly placed the phone back on its base, then turned and tucked herself into the strong body behind her and began to cry. “Oh, God.”
Lex was at a loss. What can I say to her without sounding like a selfish fool? She leaned down and whispered into Amanda’s ear. “Shhh. It’s going to be alright, sweetheart.”
Amanda cried herself out, feeling a deep sense of loss. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me until I ‘come to my senses.’ He thinks that all you want is my money, and that you’re just using me.” She looked up, expecting to see anger. The emotion that greeted her was even more surprising.
