by Carrie Carr
"Different way?"
"Yeah. You know, as boyfriend and girlfriend. That doesn't mean they don't like you anymore, but they want to spend time together as a couple."
Lorrie put her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her upraised hand. "You think Al likes Jerry that way? Eww."
Lex laughed. "I know, kiddo. But you can't choose who to love. It just happens."
"Love? Momma, that's really gross. I liked it better when I thought they didn't like me."
The back door opened and Melanie raced into the kitchen. "We're back!" She got into the chair on the other side of Lex and stood on her knees. "Mada was there, and she said you'd better behave, or she'll take a spoon to you, Momma."
Amanda came in with Eddie, who struggled out of her grasp. "Melanie, go put your backpack where it belongs."
She kissed Lex on the cheek. "I see you two are enjoying a snack."
"Momma! Up!" Eddie demanded of Lex.
Lex looked down at him. "What was that?"
"Pease?" he asked, adding his most charming grin.
"I thought so." Lex raised him to her lap. She caught Lorrie's eye. "Okay?"
Lorrie nodded and finished her milk. "May I be excused? I need to go check on Snow."
"Leelee." Eddie reached for his sister when she stood. He swatted Lex's shoulder in an attempt to get Lorrie's attention. "Leelee!"
After rinsing her glass and placing it in the dishwasher, Lorrie stopped long enough to ruffle Eddie's hair. "I'll be back in a bit."
She patted her leg, and Freckles vacated her post beneath the table to prance behind her as they left the kitchen.
"Can I have cookies, too?" Melanie asked. When Amanda gave her a no-nonsense look, she amended her words. "May I? Please?"
"Mmm." Eddie reached for the plate that Lex had passed toward Melanie. "Mine."
Amanda filled two glasses with milk, and Eddie's sippy cup with the same. She took Eddie from Lex and put him in his high chair, along with a toddler cookie and his cup. "Enjoy." She gave Melanie her milk and sat in the chair Lorrie had vacated. "How are you holding up, Lex?"
"Great." Lex frowned as Eddie tipped his cup enough to get milk on the tray, then smeared his cookie across it. "Ugh."
Eddie picked up the cookie and chewed on the soggy end. "Yum, yum, yum."
Melanie laughed at his antics and dipped her cookie in the top of her milk. She bit off the end. "Eddie's right. It's good."
"Don't encourage him." Lex touched the tip of Melanie's nose. "Like he needs the encouragement."
Amanda nibbled on her own cookie. "We won't mention who taught everyone how to dip their cookies in milk."
"Kids have to learn skills." Lex covered her mouth with a paper napkin and coughed. Once she was able to breathe again, she wadded up the napkin and held it in her fist. "This is driving me nuts."
"Honey, Rodney explained that the cough would take the longest to get over. I'm surprised you're even well enough to come downstairs."
Lex didn't want to tell her that halfway down the stairs, she had thought about turning around and going back. Amanda had spent enough time worrying as it was. "Nothing to it."
Amanda shook her head and glanced at Melanie. "Do you have any homework tonight?"
"I have spelling words to practice." Melanie turned to Lex. "Will you help me with them, Momma?"
"Sure. We'll work on them after dinner."
Melanie shoved a full cookie into her mouth. She chewed as fast as she dared, wanting to go upstairs and play. She tried to drink the last of her milk, only to have it spill from her lips and go down the front of her shirt. After she swallowed, she looked at her parents. "Can, I mean, may I be excused?"
Lex covered her mouth to keep from laughing as Amanda tried to appear stern. "You have to go upstairs and rinse the milk off that shirt, before it dries. Maybe next time you won't be in such a hurry."
Amanda pointed to her wife. "Not one word."
"Thank you!" Melanie moved quickly. She rinsed her glass and placed it in the dishwasher before she hustled out of the kitchen.
Amanda sighed but couldn't help laughing at Melanie, who seemed to have a never-ending supply of energy. "I wish I could understand Lorrie as well as I do Mel."
"Melanie's an open book," Lex agreed. "And I'm sure we'll figure Lorrie out by the time she's twenty."
"Good lord, I hope it's sooner than that. She was so quiet on the drive home today. I just don't know what to do with her."
Amanda reached across and cupped Lex's cheek. "You look exhausted. I think we need to get you upstairs. We can talk more about this later."
Lex stood and pushed her chair toward the table. She put an arm around Amanda's waist and kissed her temple. "Lorrie's feeling the age old third-wheel syndrome. Her two closest friends have hooked up and she's feeling left behind."
"Her two?" Amanda stopped at the foot of the stairs. "Allison and Jerry? You're kidding me."
"Nope. We discussed it before you came in. She thought something was wrong with her, since they were leaving her out of their plans." Lex began the slow ascent toward their room, glad to have Amanda's arm to keep her steady. "I explained to her that they weren't mad at her, but needed some time for just the two of them."
Amanda tightened her grip as she felt Lex tremble. "How'd she take that?"
Lex's laugh turned into a cough. She paused at the door to their bedroom and leaned against the frame. "She thought it was gross, and liked it better when she thought they hated her."
Trying not to pant as she crossed to the bed, Lex sat on the edge to catch her breath. "Damn."
"Honey, it's just going to take time."
Amanda sat beside Lex and carefully leaned against her. "I know it's rough on you, but I'm kind of enjoying spending all this extra time together."
"Yeah, that is a bonus." Lex turned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Thanks for taking such good care of me, even when I'm a grump."
Amanda put her arms around Lex's neck and looked into her eyes. "You're cute, even grumpy."
She kissed her on the nose, giggling when Lex countered by nibbling on her chin. "Better get your strength back soon, Slim. I've got plans for you."
Lex leaned back, bringing Amanda with her. "Lucky me."
Chapter Fourteen
THE SMALL HOUSE'S illumination was a beacon in the night to Shelby, who parked her truck close to the front steps. She shut off the engine and took a deep breath, trying to get up the energy for the short walk inside.
She was met at the door by Rebecca, who wore a pale green robe atop her nightgown.
"It's after ten," Rebecca mentioned unnecessarily. She removed Shelby's hat and hung it on the coat tree by the door. "Are you all right?"
"Darlin', I honestly don't know." Following her partner the few feet to the sofa, she dropped onto her usual spot. "I don't know how Lex has done this all her life."
Rebecca ran her fingers through Shelby's hair. "That's probably how. She's had plenty of practice at it." She kissed Shelby on the cheek. "You were just kind of thrown into the deep end all at once. I'm so proud of you."
Shelby leaned into the touch and closed her eyes. "Thanks. But I feel like I'm chasin' my tail most of the time, with no chance to catch it."
"Sssh. You're doing fine. Did you get dinner?"
Shelby laughed at the question. "Dinner, dessert, and two big glasses of iced tea. Martha wouldn't let me go back to work until I finished everything on my plate." She patted her flat stomach. "No wonder Lex runs non-stop. Eatin' like that every day would turn a body heavy in no time."
"I think you're safe." Snuggled up against Shelby, Rebecca sighed. "Unlike me."
Her voluptuous figure was quite different from Shelby's thin form.
"Hey, now, darlin'. Don't be talkin' smack about my girl. I think you're perfect."
Shelby turned her head and kissed Rebecca on the forehead, then met Rebecca halfway and kissed her lips.
After a leisurely few minutes of getting re
acquainted, Rebecca pulled away. "Would you like to take this to the bedroom?"
"That's the best offer I've had all day." Shelby grinned as she was hoisted off the sofa. "I need to get cleaned up. I think I have half the barn on me."
Rebecca lightly swatted her on the rear. "How about I help you? I can always get those hard to reach places."
Shelby tugged on the bow that held her lover's robe closed. "This night just gets better and better."
AFTER SHE STARED at the clock for more than an hour, Lex gave up trying to sleep. It was close to midnight, but her brain wouldn't shut off. She stifled a cough with her hand and headed downstairs.
The office light burned her eyes for a moment, but soon Lex was able to blink away the discomfort. She settled behind her desk and booted up her laptop, a recent Valentine's Day present from her wife. Although she was becoming stronger every day, she tired far too easily. The laptop was Amanda's way of helping Lex pass the time while she was ill.
She checked her email and then pulled up a favorite game. The squalling birds that destroyed whatever she aimed at had hooked her from the beginning. Lex lost herself in the game for an hour before she closed it and logged on to the program she had come downstairs to check.
With both she and Roy incapacitated, Lex had to lean heavily on Shelby's assistance. The ex-rodeo rider worked hard and never complained but Lex realized she had become overwhelmed trying to keep everything running smoothly. She wrote a few lines on a notepad. "I'll call Roy in the morning and see if he's up to a visit. Maybe the three of us can figure out some way to keep Shelby from working herself into the ground," she muttered to herself.
"What are you doing up?" Amanda asked from the doorway.
Lex looked up and couldn't help but smile. Her wife was adorably tousled with her short hair sticking up in every direction. She wore a long T-shirt, and, from the way the lamp from the living room backlit her body, nothing else. "Uh."
"Well?" Amanda put her hands on her hips, causing the shirt to rise to a near X-rated level.
Unable to speak, Lex shook her head. She started to cough, which brought Amanda into the office.
"Honey, are you getting sick again?" Amanda rubbed Lex's back until she was able to breathe.
"No," Lex gasped. "I'm fine." She spun the chair around and pulled Amanda into her lap. "I'm feeling a lot better."
Amanda linked her hands behind Lex's head. "You are, huh?"
"Yep."
Leaning in close, until they were breathing the same air, Amanda whispered to her. "Then maybe we should go back to bed." She gave her wife a light peck on the lips.
"Yeah," Lex agreed, breathlessly.
"And," Amanda nipped her chin. "Get some sleep."
Lex blinked and pulled back. "What?"
"Honey, you're still weak from your illness."
Amanda turned and pointed to the laptop, which still had an accounting program open. "And I know you're driving yourself nuts, not being able to do much right now. Don't think you've fooled me, rancher. I notice when the program has been updated."
"Damn."
Amanda laughed. "Good try, though." She caressed Lex's cheek. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"
"I was just trying to find a better way to run things, until Roy and I are back on our feet. Shelby's doing a great job, but there's only one of her."
"What about the other guys? Some of them have been here forever. Surely they can handle more responsibility."
Lex closed her eyes and leaned her head against Amanda. "Chet has been here the longest. He's a great guy and does okay at handling instructions."
"But he's not the best at thinking things through," Amanda finished for her. "How about Jack? He seems pretty sharp."
"He's not interested. Says he enjoys being stress-free."
"That's kind of selfish of him."
Lex shook her head. "He's a recovering alcoholic, sweetheart. He really doesn't want the added stress."
"Oh."
"Tomorrow, I'm going to take Shelby with me to see Roy. Maybe we can come up with some solutions."
Amanda opened her mouth to argue, but stopped when Lex's finger touched her lips.
"I'll ask Shelby to drive, and we won't stay long. I promise." Lex replaced her finger with her lips, leaving a soft kiss behind. "But I can't just sit around the house forever, Amanda. And I can't leave poor Shelby hanging in the breeze, either."
"All right." Amanda slid off Lex's lap and adjusted her nightshirt. "In that case, shut down your laptop and let's go to bed."
Lex quickly exited the program. "I thought you'd never ask."
"To sleep," Amanda stressed, as they left the office.
"I'm sure we'll get to sleep sometime." Lex patted her on the rear.
THE SUN WAS barely above the horizon when Rebecca left the barn. She grinned as the back door to their home opened and her lover appeared. "Good morning, sleepy head."
Shelby tipped her hat back on her head. "You cheated."
"No, I made an executive decision." Rebecca kissed Shelby and patted her side. "I turned off the alarm clock because you needed the sleep. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of our horses before work."
"Executive decision, eh?" Shelby put her arms on Rebecca's hips and pulled her closer. "And I have no say in the matter?"
Rebecca melded her body into her partner's. "Nope."
They stood together silently, no words needed, as the rest of the world woke around them. Finally, Shelby kissed Rebecca one more time. "I need to get goin', darlin'."
"I know." Rebecca squeezed then released her. "I'm off today, so as soon as I get things finished around here, I thought I'd run and see how Amanda's doing."
"She'll like that, I imagine." Shelby adjusted her hat and backed away, slowly. "Maybe I'll see you for lunch."
"Maybe so." Rebecca blew her a kiss and watched as the old truck lumbered out of the drive.
AMANDA CLOSED THE back door and hung up her coat. Although she enjoyed the time with her children, she felt a guilty pleasure at seeing them off to school. At the sound of voices, she stepped into the kitchen. She touched Lex's shoulder and waved to their guest on her way to the coffee pot. "Good morning, Shelby."
"Good mornin', Amanda. Rebecca said she'd be here in a little while, if that's all right with you."
"Mommy!" Eddie wailed from his high chair. He swatted the tray, which was covered with oatmeal.
"Sounds wonderful. Hello, handsome." Amanda poured herself a mug and kissed her son on the head, quickly sidestepping his grimy hand. She sat beside her wife, who stopped feeding Eddie. "What are your plans today, besides talking to Roy?"
Lex placed Eddie's spoon in the bowl in front of her. "Not much." She gave Shelby a look, which Amanda caught.
"Uh huh." Amanda stared at Shelby, until the other woman decided her coffee cup was very interesting. "Lex?"
"Mmm?"
Amanda turned in her chair. "What's going on?"
"What makes you--" Lex stopped at the serious glare she received. She rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous gesture that showed up any time she was caught doing something she shouldn't. "I'm going to ride with Shelby for a while today. In the truck," she added hurriedly.
"Tuck," Eddie parroted. He grinned at the adults, who were all too busy to look at him.
"I see." Amanda got up and walked to the sink. She stared out the window.
"Tuck!"
Shelby quickly swallowed the last of her coffee. "I'll run check the horses in the barn," she announced, leaving the kitchen as quickly as possible.
Shelby made her exit and Lex wiped Eddie's face. He fussed until she gave him his spoon, which he immediately stuffed into his mouth. "That's right, buddy. Truck."
She moved to stand behind Amanda and rested her hands on her wife's hips. "I was going to tell you as soon as you got back from the bus stop."
Amanda turned and leaned against the counter. She did a slow perusal of Lex's face. The dark circles from her illnes
s were gone, although she was still too pale as far as Amanda was concerned. She held out her hands and waited until Lex held them. "Will you promise me something?"
"Anything."
"I mean it, Lex. You have to promise not to wear yourself out."
Her lips twitched, but Lex was able to keep a serious look on her face. "I promise."
Amanda brushed her hands along Lex's arms. "Don't get out in the cool air too much, please?"
"I won't."
"I really don't like this. You were so sick."
Lex kissed her on the forehead. "I don't want you to worry. If we run across anything that needs handling, we'll radio the boys and have them take care of it." She lowered her voice and looked directly into Amanda's eyes. "Sweetheart, being in the hospital scared me, too. I don't plan on going back."
"It was more than a little stay. You were in intensive care, fighting for every breath. I don't want that to happen again."
"It won't. I swear I'll be extra careful."
Amanda rested her cheek against Lex's chest. She could hear the strong heartbeat, almost feeling it in her own body. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Momma!" Eddie cried, whacking his spoon on the tray. "Momma!"
Lex laughed and unbuckled him from the chair. "I love you, too, Eddie. C'mere, piggy."
REBECCA WAS ON her way out the door when her cell phone rang. She fished it out of her purse as she walked toward her car. "Hello? Oh. Hi, Mr. Carson. I wasn't scheduled to work today, was I?"
"No, Rebecca. But I do need to talk to you."
She got into the car and lowered the driver's window. "Okay. Do you need me to come in?"
"Not exactly, no." The store owner sounded tired and defeated. "Rebecca, I hope you understand that this is no reflection on you. But, as I'm sure you're aware, business has been very slow lately. And--"
"Oh, my God. Are you firing me, Mr. Carson?"
He was quiet for a moment. "Uh, well."
"You are!" Rebecca accused.
"No!" Mr. Carson softened his voice. "I'm cutting everyone's hours, Rebecca. It's either that, or layoffs."
