by Carrie Carr
“Not exactly.” Lex looked at her feet. After a moment of silence, she glanced back up into the questioning eyes before her. “I keep wearing the same couple of pair because they’re comfortable. It drives Martha crazy.”
“You’re so bad.” Amanda stepped back and pulled several pairs of jeans off the pole, as well as one pair of khakis. “Here, hold these.” She shuffled through the hanging shirts, then stopped. “Hey, where did you get this?” she asked, running her hand across the soft material. “Doesn’t look like something you’d wear chasing cattle.”
Lex touched the fabric with tentative fingertips. “Oh. I forgot I had that shirt.”
“This is perfect. It’ll go great with these.” Amanda pulled a pair of pants from the rack, and handed them to Lex. She wandered to the back of the closet to grab a pair of shiny boots, and as an afterthought snatched a pair of scuffed Nike’s from a nearby shelf, holding the sneakers in the air. “I didn’t know you owned anything like these.”
“Smartass.” Lex scowled at her. She held the items in her hands aloft, and asked, “Are all of these clothes really necessary? We’re gonna be there what, four or five days at the most?”
“Absolutely. And you should consider yourself lucky that I’m really packing light.” Amanda stepped past Lex and back into the bedroom. “Do you have a bathing suit?”
Lex grabbed a suitcase from one of the high shelves in the closet. “Yeah, somewhere. But I haven’t worn it since high school. Why?”
Amanda helped Lex carry the clothes and suitcase over to the bed. “My folks have a really nice hot tub. I thought it might be fun to try it out with you.”
“A hot tub, eh?” Lex stepped up behind her lover, until her body was in complete contact with Amanda’s. Moving Amanda’s hair to one side, Lex started placing small kisses on her neck. “I don’t think your family would approve of what I could do with you in a hot tub.” She felt the woman in front of her tremble slightly.
Amanda’s knees weakened. “I really don’t, care…mmm…” She raised an arm behind her head, taking a handful of thick dark hair in her fist and enjoying the sensation of lips nibbling on her throat. “…what my family thinks. Ahh…” When Lex’s hands worked their way underneath the front of her shirt, all her other thoughts faded.
“Ahem.” Martha stood at the doorway, with her hands on her hips and an almost stern expression on her face. “You two are never going to get packed at this rate.”
Lex turned around and pulled Amanda in front of her. “And this would be a bad thing?”
“Don’t get sassy with me, Lexie. I can still take you over my knee.” Martha stepped into the room, and moved toward the couple.
“Watch it, lady, or I’ll sic my bodyguard on you,” Lex threatened, right before she ducked behind a blushing Amanda.
“Hey, don’t get me involved here.”
Martha gestured at the way Lex had her arms wrapped around Amanda. “Looks to me like you’re already pretty much involved, Amanda.”
“She’s got you there,” Lex murmured in Amanda’s ear while she tickled her on the stomach.
Amanda slapped her hands. One more touch from her lover, and she’d toss Lex on the bed, whether Martha was there or not. “Stop that.”
With her libido in almost as bad shape as her lover’s, Lex decided enough was enough. She propped her chin on Amanda’s shoulder. “Is there something we can do for you, Martha?”
“Actually, I came up here to tell you Dr. Anderson called in your prescription of tranquilizers for your flight. He said you can pick them up in the morning on your way to the airport.”
“Thanks, Martha, but I’m going to try and do without them.”
Martha was uncertain as to whether that was such a good idea. “Are you certain you want to do that?”
Lex released her hold on Amanda and sat on the bed, then ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. “Yeah. I don’t want to be drugged out when I meet Amanda’s family.”
“Honey,” Amanda sat down next to her and grasped her hand. “I don’t want you to put yourself through hell just because of them.” She stroked Lex’s arm with her free hand. “Believe me, they’re really not worth it.”
Martha sat down on the other side of Lex. “Okay, what about this?” She ran one hand across Lex’s back. “Why don’t you take the medication with you and then you’ll have it, just in case?”
Lex opened her mouth to argue.
“Shh, she’s right.” Amanda stopped her. “And,” she linked her arm with Lex’s. “We both might need sedatives around my family. They tend to be a little high strung.”
“Oh, so that’s where you get it, huh?” Lex teased. “Ow!” She rubbed her shoulder where Amanda poked her.
“Serves you right, Lexie.” Martha stood up. “You girls going to be ready for lunch soon?”
Lex scowled. “Lunch? We just had breakfast. Just how much do you plan on making us eat?” Lex mumbled, then found herself pushed back onto the bed. “What?” she asked the two retreating figures.
AFTER LUNCH, LEX packed up the truck and then she and Amanda prepared to leave the ranch. Standing on the front porch, Martha tearfully hugged each woman.
“Now you girls try and stay out of trouble.” She had just embraced Amanda, and stepped back to look into the shining eyes of the younger woman. “Take care of her.”
Amanda pulled the housekeeper into another hug. “I will, I promise,” she whispered into the Martha’s ear, then kissed her on the cheek.
Lex rolled her eyes at how the other two were carrying on. “It’s not for that long. I’ll call you as soon as our plane lands, don’t worry.” Seeing the tears on Martha’s face, she pulled the older woman into a fierce embrace of her own. “Are you gonna be okay out here by yourself while I’m gone?”
“Heavens, yes. I thought I’d get those new curtains made for my house while you are away.” She stepped back and gave them both a shy look. “And I thought it would be nice to have Charlie out for dinner a few nights this week. I know he must get tired of the food at the boarding house.”
Lex winked at Amanda, then gave Martha a no-nonsense stare. “Maybe I should stop by the boarding house later tonight and find out what his intentions are.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Martha yelped, not seeing Amanda quickly cover her mouth to hide a grin. “Lexington Marie! How could you even think about—” The housekeeper paused, hearing the slight giggle behind her. Seeing Amanda trying to control her laughter, she turned back in time to catch Lex grinning widely. “Oh, you!”
Laughing, Lex brought Martha back into another hug. “Sorry, Martha. I just couldn’t resist.” She left a kiss on the older woman’s forehead. “Charlie is like a second father to me. I hope you two will have some wonderful dinners while I’m gone.” She leaned down and whispered into Martha’s ear. “I love you, you know. Try and behave yourself until I get back.” She left another kiss, this one on a wrinkled cheek, and then stood up straight. “This isn’t getting us any closer to town. I’ll also carry the cell phone, so just call me if you need anything.”
Martha practically pushed her off the porch. “Stop worrying. I’m a grown woman, Lexie. Now go on, and have a good time.”
Amanda followed Lex down the steps. “Well, I can’t guarantee fun, but I know for a fact it won’t be boring.”
Lex opened the passenger’s side door for Amanda, then helped her into the truck. “Guess I’ll have to invest in one of those little steps for the truck,” she teased her friend, before closing the door. “See you in a few days, Martha.” Lex waved at the housekeeper as she crossed to the driver’s side of the vehicle. Through the rearview mirror, she watched Martha wave at them until they were out of sight of the house. Releasing a heavy sigh, she turned her attention back to the road.
“Lex?” Amanda placed a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”
Blinking, Lex turned back to her companion. “Yeah, I’m all right.”
Not to be deterred, Amanda
let her hand drift down the forearm until she was able to intertwine their fingers. “Sure you are. Now tell me what’s bothering you.”
Lex pulled their joined hands to her lips, and kissed Amanda’s knuckles. “I don’t like the idea of Martha staying out at the ranch for so long all alone. Especially with Hubert acting like such an ass.”
“From what I’ve seen, I don’t think she’ll be alone, sweetheart.”
“You think so?” Lex turned slightly, and gave Amanda a more genuine smile. “I sure hope so. He’s been trying to get her to marry him for almost as long as I can remember.” Turning her eyes back to the road, she sobered. “I know she loves him, but she seems determined to stay with me.”
“Why don’t we call Charlie tonight and talk to him? Maybe he’ll keep an eye on things while you’re gone.” Amanda was concerned at the look on Lex’s face. She’s going to make herself sick worrying about all of this. “I think she’s just worried about you being alone there at the ranch.” She gave the hand in hers a squeeze. “Although I don’t think that’s going to be a problem anymore.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah. Most definitely,” Amanda replied, love shining in her eyes.
Chapter Seven
ONCE THE TRUCK had made it safely back into town, Lex turned to Amanda, hoping that the request she was about to voice would be considered reasonable. “Would you mind too terribly much if we went straight over to the boarding house? I can’t concentrate on anything else until I know Martha has been taken care of. I promise it won’t take too long.”
Amanda squeezed the hand she had been holding throughout the entire drive. “Good idea. I’d feel a lot better too.”
Ten minutes later, they pulled onto a quiet residential street in one of the older sections of town. Large, two-storied, wood-framed homes populated the block, several of them sporting historical landmark signs in their front yards. Lex pulled the truck up to a house in the middle of the block which had a sheriff’s department car sitting in the driveway.
“Wow.” Amanda looked around as Lex helped her from the truck. “It’s beautiful!” She followed the rancher up the stone walkway to the front porch. “Charlie lives here?”
Lex stopped on the porch. “Yep. He lives here with Mrs. Wade and her son, David.” Seeing the unasked question in Amanda’s eyes, she continued. “Mr. Wade passed away about ten years ago, and Mrs. Wade needed a boarder to help make ends meet and to take care of things around the house. Charlie was living in a tiny efficiency apartment on the other side of town, away from the Sheriff’s Department. He’d been good friends with the Wades forever, so he jumped at the chance for a nice room and home-cooked meals.” Her short story finished, Lex knocked on the door.
Soon the door opened and a tall man about twenty-five opened the door. “Lex,” he bellowed, swinging the door inward and stepping out onto the porch. “It’s been way too long.” He scooped her up in a bear hug, swinging the poor rancher around in a circle.
“Dammit, Dave, put me down,” Lex yelled, wriggling unsuccessfully to get out of his grasp.
Placing Lex back on her feet, David grinned, his white teeth shining against his ebony skin. When he saw Amanda, his smile faded a little. “Uh-oh. I didn’t realize we had company.”
Lex stood off to the side, watching as Amanda’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Sorry about that, Dave.” She motioned Amanda forward with a wave of her hand. “This is Amanda Cauble. Amanda, this brute is David Wade.” She almost laughed at the chagrined look on his face.
“Oh, shi…uh, I mean, hello, Amanda. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out a large hand tentatively.
Amanda grasped his hand firmly. “It’s nice to meet you too, David. Have you known Lex very long?”
“Over half of my life, I think. And please call me Dave.” He ushered the two women into the house and into a spacious living room. “Have a seat, ladies. Can I get you something to drink?”
Lex waited until Amanda sat on one end of a navy blue loveseat, then positioned herself beside her. “Nah. We were hoping to chat with Charlie for a few minutes. Is he around?”
Dave leaned against the nearby sofa. “Yeah, I think he’s upstairs getting cleaned up. He should be down in a few minutes.” He was about to continue when an older, very petite woman walked into the room.
“Lexie Walters. I thought my old ears heard your voice. Get yourself over here right now,” she demanded, opening her arms.
Lex dutifully rose from the loveseat and crossed the room, bending low to embrace the older woman. “Mama Wade, you just keep looking younger and prettier every time I see you.”
Mrs. Wade slapped Lex on the arm. “Don’t be spreading your bull around me, Lexie. I’ve had to hear it for too many years to be believing it.”
Kissing the wrinkled cheek, Lex escorted the lady of the house to a wooden rocking chair. “I’m sorry it’s been so long, but it’s been pretty hectic at the ranch.”
Mrs. Wade slapped at her again. “You better quit treating me like some sort of senile invalid. I can still whip your fanny, young lady.” She noticed Amanda sitting quietly on the loveseat and pointed. “Is that your latest catch?”
“What?” Lex spun around in the middle of the room, stopped before she could finish walking back to her seat.
“Charlie told us how you fished a young lady out of the creek. We figured this must be her.” Dave explained, enjoying seeing Lex turn several shades of red.
“Where are your manners, girl?” the Mrs. Wade asked. “Or should I just refer to her as ‘the catch of the day’?”
Where’s a good rock to crawl under when you need one? Lex swore to herself that the old woman got more full of herself every time she saw her. “I’m sorry. Mama Wade, allow me to introduce you to Amanda Cauble. Amanda, this is Dave’s mother, Mrs. Ida Wade.”
Amanda stood and walked over to the chair. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Wade.” She held out her hand.
“Goodness,” Ida scoffed, standing up. “Come here.” She embraced a surprised Amanda in a hug, which was enthusiastically returned. “Call me Mama, honey. Everyone else does.”
She’s got to be one of the few adults I’ve ever found who is actually shorter than I am. “All right. Thanks, Mama Wade. Dave tells me you’ve known Lex for a long time?” Amanda hoped Mrs. Wade could tell her some interesting stories of her lover’s earlier life, since Lex rarely shared any information about that time.
“Goodness, yes. Ever since little Davey brought her home after school. Must have been fifteen years ago. Have a seat, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Lex stood. “C’mon, Dave. I think that’s our cue to leave. Want to show me how that work in the garage is coming along?” She pulled the poor man out of the room before he could respond.
Ida waited until the two left, then leaned back into her chair. “So, you want to know about the time your Lexie met my David? Let me see if I can remember it all.” She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. “When Davey was ten, he came home from school with blood all over his face. There were some older boys who took a liking to his backpack and tried to beat him up for it.”
“That’s horrible!”
“Isn’t it? Kids can be so mean. Anyway, he kept crying about helping someone who was hurt. It took me a bit to calm him down enough to understand what he was talking about.” She rocked in her chair, her eyes glazing over slightly as she remembered that earlier time. “We went several blocks, and he showed me this young girl who was lying under a tree. She must have been twelve or so, and she was unconscious.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. “Lex?”
“Yes, although we didn’t know her from Adam, at the time. She saw the boys stalking Davey and missed her bus so she could see what they were up to. When they attacked him, Lexie took them all on, getting a black eye and a pretty nasty gash on the back of her head for her trouble. We took her home and called the sheriff.”
“Charlie, right?” Amanda joined in. “I bet he was
upset.” As protective as he was of Lex now, she could just imagine his reaction to seeing a younger Lex in pain.
“Upset would be putting it mildly. I thought the poor man was going to cry. When Lexie woke up, she started crying and asking us not to tell Martha. She just knew she’d be in trouble when she got home.”
The thought of Lex being so young and scared upset Amanda, too. “Why would she be in trouble?”
“For fighting, of course. According to Charlie, that happened quite often.” Ida stood up and stretched. “But, she seems to have grown up all right. I think she’s a fine young woman.”
“So do I,” Amanda agreed, feeling even more proud of her lover than ever.
The look on Amanda’s face drew a smile from Ida. “After that, Lexie walked Davey home from school, then Charlie took her back to the ranch after his shift. Although I think the fresh-baked cookies had as much to do with it as anything else. She even made sure my David went to college, helped him get a scholarship and everything. Now he’s got a business degree and runs his own shop,” she finished proudly.
Dave and Lex stepped back into the room. “Aw, Mama,” he grumbled.
Lex moved across the room to sit next to Amanda. “Mama Wade been telling her tall tales again?” She couldn’t help but smile at the look of outrage on the older woman’s face.
“Hrumpph! I’ll give you tall tales, young lady.” Before Ida could continue her tirade, Charlie walked into the room.
“Well, well. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” The lawman took the chair nearest Ida. “Good evening, Ida. These kids giving you a hard time?”
Dave couldn’t let that comment pass. “She gives as good as she gets, you know that.” He bent down and kissed her gray head. “I’d love to stay and visit, but I’m expecting a late delivery at the store.” He gave a wave to the two women sitting on the loveseat. “Amanda, it was great meeting you. Don’t be a stranger around here. And Lex, you’d better start showing up over here a little more often—or else.”
