by Carrie Carr
“I can’t speak for Amanda, but I would love to be there when you give the ax to that worthless son of a…goat.” Looking at her partner’s back, she decided to share an anecdote with Anna Leigh to show the older woman just how gutsy her new manager was. “Did Amanda tell you she had a run-in with him yesterday? He probably has a nice little bruise to show for it, too.”
“Really? What happened?”
Amanda groaned. Her escapade with Rick was the last thing she wanted her grandmother to hear. “I couldn’t help it. He started mouthing off, and I just lost my temper.” Amanda placed
the pancakes on plates and brought them to the table.
“And?” Anna Leigh drew out the word, expectantly.
“I slapped him.” Embarrassed at her loss of control, Amanda sat down next her lover. You are in so much trouble when we’re alone, Lex. I can’t believe we’re sitting here discussing this.
Lex snorted. “More like knocked him silly. He nearly fell over.”
“Good Lord, Mandy! That man is huge. He could have seriously hurt you,” her grandmother scolded.
Amanda made it a point to look over at Lex. All right, Miss Tough Stuff. Two can play this game. “I wasn’t worried. Lex got into his face and nearly made him wet his pants.” They all burst into laughter at that thought. “But please, Gramma, wait until we get there before you do anything. I really don’t trust him.”
“Certainly, dearest. That would work out better, anyway. Jacob has been going stir crazy, so he’s decided to work in his shop for a little while, and he’s gone now to get supplies. He’s just so glad to be able to drive himself around again.”
“I can sympathize, since I nearly drove Martha crazy when I broke my leg a couple of years ago.” Lex recalled the incident with humor, although at the time she had been ready to gnaw the cast off so that she could become more mobile again.
“How did—” Amanda shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know.”
Anna Leigh gave Lex a sympathetic look. “Wasn’t that when you rolled your truck during that nasty ice storm?”
“Yes, ma’am. That whole mess is the reason Martha insisted that I start carrying a cell phone. She gets pretty upset when I forget to take it.” Like the night I went to check the fence in a thunderstorm. Well, at least that worked out. Seeing Amanda’s questioning look, she shrugged. “It happened on a Friday afternoon, and they didn’t find me until Saturday night.”
“I remember. I swear, she almost called out the National Guard.” Anna Leigh turned to explain to Amanda, “Martha called everyone on the Historical Committee and had nearly every able-bodied man in the county combing every inch of the roads between here and the ranch.”
Horrified, Amanda touched Lex’s arm in an attempt to connect with her lover. “Dear God, that must have been horrible for you.”
“It really wasn’t that bad. I don’t remember much about it.” Lex tried to appear nonchalant.
Anna Leigh slapped Lex on her other arm. “That’s because you were unconscious for most of it, silly.” When she heard the news, Anna had been surprised that the rancher survived the ordeal. She didn’t know if she herself had that kind of strength. Then she remembered nursing Jacob through his own injuries. I suppose we all have that strength, somewhere. I just hope these two don’t ever have to find out.
“See? I told you it wasn’t that bad.” Lex stood up and put her plate in the dishwasher. When she was done, she leaned back against the counter and asked Amanda, “Are you about ready? I’d like to get my business with the bank done as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, I’m done.” Amanda put her dishes away, then kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “See you at the office around one o’clock, Gramma?”
“That will be perfect. You two try and stay out of trouble until then, if that’s possible.” When both women rolled their eyes, she couldn’t help but add, “I know it’s a lot to ask, but—” Their laughter as they left was the best sound Anna Leigh had heard in a long while. She loved seeing her granddaughter so happy, and if it also made a certain young rancher more content, Anna was all for it.
AS THE COLD from the bank’s air conditioner caused goose bumps to break out along Amanda’s arm, Mr. Collins sat across the desk from them, sweating profusely.
Lex sat ramrod straight in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. She was tired of the banker’s pitiful excuses, and she silently glared at him, daring him to contradict what she had already told him.
“I…I…swear to you, Ms. Walters,” he stammered, wiping his forehead with an already damp handkerchief, “I honestly don’t see how this could have happened.” His face got redder by the minute, and Amanda was afraid the poor man was on the verge of passing out or having a stroke. And her lover’s present attitude wasn’t helping matters.
“Are you doubting my word, Mr. Collins?” Lex asked quietly. Her intense eyes bored into the bank president’s face, though all she wanted to do was yell and scream about his employees’ obvious lack of training.
“No,” he practically shouted. When he realized his raised voice irritated the woman across from him even more, he softened his tone. “I mean, of course not. But our policy on any withdrawal is to get a visual identification. Especially with such large amounts.”
Lex leaned forward in her chair. “Then,” she paused, lowering her voice, “unless my brother has changed drastically—” Lex looked down at her own body, “I suggest that one of your employees is either not following policy or is in on his little scheme.” She glanced back up, catching the sweating banker staring at her breasts.
“M…m…m…Ms. W…ww…Walters.” He flushed scarlet and pulled his collar away from his throat. “I can assure you we will be investigating this matter thoroughly. And these papers,” Collins held up several documents, “will insure that only you—” He looked at one page somewhat puzzled, “and Miss Cauble here,” not hearing Amanda’s gasp of surprise, “will be the only people who have access to this account.”
Lex nodded and stood. “That’s fine. But if anything happens to this account,” she gave him an icy stare, “I will hold you personally responsible.” Lex got a certain amount of enjoyment out of seeing the banker’s face suddenly pale. “Have a good day, Mr. Collins.” Lex gestured for Amanda to precede her through the office door.
After Amanda signed the necessary papers, Lex ushered her out of the bank and back to the truck. Amanda didn't say a word as Lex helped her into the passenger seat and closed the door after her.
Getting in behind the wheel, Lex sighed. She looked over at her silent friend with concern. “Are you all right? You seem really quiet.”
Amanda turned away from the window, her voice laced with wonderment. “You didn’t tell me you were going to do that.”
“What?” Lex asked, puzzled. “Oh. That.” She met Amanda’s eyes with a hopeful look. “I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t really thinking. Does it bother you?”
“No. I mean, it’s not that. I was just really surprised, that’s all.” Amanda offered her hand to Lex. “But why put anyone else on the account, after all the trouble it’s already caused? And why me?”
“Because I know you would make sure Martha was taken care of if anything ever happened to me.”
“Please don’t talk like that! I don’t think I could survive if anything ever happened to you.” Amanda took a deep breath in order to keep herself from crying at the turn in the conversation. “If that’s what you’re worried about, why not put Martha’s name on it?”
Lex pulled Amanda’s hand up and held it to her cheek. “I’m afraid if I do, Hubert will somehow find out. But he’d never suspect that I would give authorization to someone I’ve only known for a short while.” Lex kissed the hand she held. “And because I’m totally in love with you and want to share all that I have.”
“You know that I have all I really need right here, right now, don’t you?” Amanda tenderly cupped her lover’s cheek. It took all she had to resist
the urge to crawl across the seats and wrap herself around Lex’s body. “I’ll try not to ever break this trust you have in me.” Breaking free of Lex’s grasp, Amanda sat back and buckled her seatbelt. “It’s almost time to meet Gramma at the office. Are you ready?” She knew this was neither the time nor the place for such a deep conversation, and could also see her companion had been made more than a little off balance by the whole thing.
Somewhat at a loss, Lex struggled for words. “Yeah. This ought to be fun, huh?” She backed the truck out of the parking space in front of the bank then drove to the real estate office. Part of her was looking forward to Rick finally getting his comeuppance, while an even bigger part of her just wanted to go somewhere and curl up with Amanda, and let the day go by.
LEX FOLLOWED AMANDA into the small building, ignoring the curious looks that passed her way. She was led into a brightly lit room with several partitioned cubicles and then was guided to a maroon fabric-covered office chair next to a cluttered desk.
“I would apologize for the mess and try to tell you it normally doesn’t look like this, but I refuse to lie.” Amanda sat down at her desk, wishing she had spent time cleaning it last week before she left.
Lex leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs at the ankles and resting her entwined hands on her stomach. “They say a cluttered desk is the sign of a busy mind. So, when do you find time to sleep?”
Amanda stopped her cleaning efforts, and wadded up a piece of paper. She threw it at her smirking friend. “Oh, you!”
Lex caught the paper in mid air and tossed it back only to have it hit Amanda on top of her head and then ricochet over the partition. “Oops!” Lex then tried to look innocent as a woman glared over the wall. She had short, sandy-blonde curls framing her round face and appeared to be a few years older than Lex. Her gray eyes flicked to the desk with a scowl.
Her demeanor instantly changed when she saw who was sitting at the desk. “Amanda. It’s about time you got back.” She disappeared, then reappeared a moment later in Amanda’s cubicle. In a flash, she had Amanda wrapped in a hug. “You look great.” When she finally noticed they weren’t alone, she gave Lex a tentative smile. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company.” She studied the seated woman from head to toe. From the expressive eyes, denim shirt, pressed jeans and worn but well cared-for boots, she had a pretty good idea who it was. “You must be Lexington. The whole office has been buzzing about you.”
“Really?” Lex stood and held out a hand. “You can call me Lex.”
The older woman smiled, more genuinely this time as she shook Lex’s hand. “Lord, my manners are horrible. I’m Wanda Skimmerly. It’s really nice to meet you.”
Amanda hated to break up the introductions, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. “What do you mean, the whole office is buzzing?”
“Well, when your grandmother called to say why you weren’t coming in for a while, she said something about how you were literally pulled from the jaws of death. That’s Janet talking, not me.” She looked at Lex. “She’s the one who spoke to Mrs. Cauble when she called.”
Lex laughed, then sat back down in her chair. “I’m afraid it wasn’t that exciting. I just helped Amanda out of the creek and then held her hostage until the bridge was rebuilt.”
Wanda shook her head. “Uh-huh, if you say so.” She could tell by Amanda’s demeanor that she had pretty much worn out her welcome. I should just leave these two lovebirds alone. Amanda can’t take her eyes off of Lex. Not that I blame her much for that. If I weren’t a married woman… “Well, I’ll let you get back to it, then. Nice to finally meet you, Lex.” As quickly as she had arrived, Wanda was gone.
Lex glanced over at her companion, who had a smirk on her face. “The ‘jaws of death’? Good grief! These people need to quit watching so many talk shows.”
Amanda was kept from answering by the buzzing phone on her desk. “Amanda Cauble.” She listened, and then broke into a wide smile. “Hi, Gramma. Sure. We’ll be right there.” She raised her eyebrows at Lex after she hung up the phone. “Show time.” Offering her hand to the reclining woman, Amanda pulled her lover out of the chair and led her out of the cubicle maze, and to the rear of the building.
When they walked into the manager’s office, Lex and Amanda noticed Anna Leigh was sitting behind the desk, while Rick lounged in a visitor’s chair with a sullen look on his face.
Hearing the door open, he turned and then jumped to his feet. “I should have known,” he sneered as Amanda walked by him to sit on the corner of the desk. “This is about yesterday, right? You went crying to grandma because I hurt your little feelings?” Not getting a response from Amanda, Rick turned to Lex, who casually leaned against the door with her arms folded across her chest. “She’s got you on a pretty short leash, eh, Kentucky?” His use of the old high school nickname was meant to taunt Lex, but she refused to rise to the bait. “Maybe you’ll do a few tricks for us, huh?”
Before Lex could reply, Anna Leigh spoke up. “That’s quite enough, Mr. Thompson. Now please have a seat.”
Lex wisely kept quiet. Personally, nothing would make her feel better than trying to see if Rick’s head would bounce off the desk that Anna Leigh sat behind, especially after his comments to Amanda. But from the look on Anna Leigh’s face, she figured his time working at Sunflower Realty was about to come to an end. I’m really gonna enjoy this. She could see the angry set to Amanda’s jaw and knew that it was on her behalf. It’s nice to have someone take up for me for a change. Wanting to ease the tense lines on her friend’s face, Lex winked and got a small smile in return. That’s better.
Anna Leigh stood up and walked around the desk. “Mr. Thompson. First, let me assure you this meeting has nothing to do with the events of yesterday. That was outside of this office, and I feel my granddaughter is more than capable of taking care of herself.” Seeing him relax, she continued, “However, it has been brought to my attention that as of late, you have been abusing your position.”
“Abusing, my ass,” he sputtered, ready to jump to his feet once again.
“Mr. Thompson.” Anna Leigh held out a hand to forestall his outburst. When he stayed where he was, she walked back over to the desk and returned to her seat. “I have had several complaints about your treatment of the employees of this office.” She pulled a stack of papers from her briefcase. “These are the complaints from this past week.” Handing the papers to Rick, Anna Leigh watched as he read over them.
“Harassment? Lewd comments? Intimidation?” He looked up at the older woman, his face reddening with anger. “What the hell is this? Some sort of goddamned witch hunt?”
Anna Leigh shook her head. “No, Mr. Thompson, it isn’t. And we’re not even going to go over what you did to Amanda last Friday.”
“What? I sent her on a call. It’s not my fault the little brat can’t read directions.”
Pulling a discolored paper from her purse, Amanda handed it to her grandmother, and spoke for the first time. “Funny. Even though it’s kind of water-stained, you can still make out the client’s name. ‘L. Walters,’ and in the space below are the directions, in your handwriting.”
Anna Leigh held on to the piece of paper and narrowed her eyes. “Mr. Thompson, as a woman who almost lost her granddaughter due to your petty games, I am furious. And, as the owner of a business who nearly lost a very valuable employee, I have no other recourse than to terminate your employment with this agency.”
“What?” Incensed, Rick jumped to his feet. Glaring at Amanda he yelled, “It’s all your fault. Things were just fine around here until you showed up.” He pointed his finger at Anna Leigh. “You old biddy. You’ve always looked down your nose at me. Well, I’m not gonna sit still for this.” He took a step toward the desk, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
“That’s far enough,” Lex informed him quietly.
“Get your damn hands off me, you meddling bitch!” Rick ducked his shoulder and slammed an elbow into Lex’s s
ide, causing her to grunt and fall to her knees, with her arms wrapped around herself in agony.
Then Rick turned a murderous gaze on Anna Leigh. “You’re next, old woman.”
Amanda saw Lex fall to the floor, and then everything around her slowed. Rick started for the desk, but his head suddenly snapped upward. His chin wore the perfect imprint of the bottom of Amanda’s shoe.
Amanda readied herself for another kick but Rick toppled, and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Lex was able to raise her head just in time to see Amanda knock Rick out. Still kneeling, she concentrated all her attention on staying conscious. Closing her eyes, she swallowed several times, fighting a wave of nausea brought on by the excruciating pain from her abused ribs, and the wound that Dr. Anderson had just recently reopened. This hurts worse than when that damned barn hit me. She focused on taking very small breaths, then felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Lex? Come on, love, look at me.” Amanda brushed the hair away from Lex’s bowed head, frightened by the loss of color on the normally tan features.
Anna Leigh was on the phone, calling the sheriff to come remove Rick from the office. “Mandy? Should I ask for an ambulance?” She was extremely concerned, because Lex hadn’t moved since she had dropped to the floor.
“Honey? Do you want to go to the hospital?” Amanda was still running her hand nervously through Lex’s hair.
“No,” Lex managed to get out, hoarsely. Finally able to look up, she gave a slight smile. “Just…let me…catch my breath.”
“Okay. Why don’t you let us help you up.” Amanda waved her grandmother over, and the two of them helped the pale woman into a nearby chair.
The sheriff and two deputies stepped into the room. Seeing the big man out cold on the floor, the sheriff raised his eyebrows. “Well.” He looked over at Lex. “Did you do this?”
