Beyond Always (Lex and Amanda Series)

by Carrie Carr

  "Can I get you anything, darlin'?" Shelby asked quietly.

  Rebecca shook her head.

  Shelby glanced around the waiting room. "This is crazy. You could be bleedin' to death and no one seems to give a damn."

  "I told you it wasn't that serious. Even the nurse thought so. Can we just go home?"

  "I'd feel better if a doctor said it was okay. Who knows if that nurse even knew what she was talking about?"

  "Shelby!" Rebecca looked around to see if anyone had overheard her. "She told us we'd be seen in order of importance. I'm sure they're just very busy."

  "It's bullshit." Shelby stood and paced in front of her lover. The emergency bay doors swung open and a man was wheeled in on a stretcher. His hair was bright green and the matching paint on his face was smeared.

  "Jus' slow down, guys. I ain't inna hurry." He began to sing an off-key, R-rated version of Danny Boy.

  Rebecca covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing out loud. "I'd forgotten today was Saint Patrick's Day. We used to have to dress up in green tops and jeans at Carson's."

  "He's obviously celebrated enough for all of us. There's got to be someone who can look at your arm. Hold on, I'll be right back." Shelby walked to the nurse's station and held a quiet conversation with the woman behind the counter.

  RON BRISTOL SNAPPED off his rubber gloves and took a wide berth around the blindfolded mare. He stepped through the corral slats and ended up beside Lex. "The gray is malnourished, but otherwise in decent shape."

  "And the chestnut?" Lex walked beside him to the open tailgate of his truck, which held a large bucket of antiseptic water.

  "I'm not sure." Ron stuck his hands in the bucket and vigorously scrubbed up to his elbows. "I'd like to have Dr. Hernandez look at her before I say anything."

  Lex handed him a towel. "Come on, Ron. This is me you're talking to, not some clueless city kid. That spot on her leg is an infected bite, isn't it?"

  He dried his hands and arms then tossed the towel into the bed of the truck. "It might be, yes."

  Lex nodded and thought about the implications. "Rabies?" The horse showed signs of the disease, especially the slight foam at its mouth.

  "Possibly."

  "Damn it, Ron!"

  He held up his hands. "Honestly, Lex. I don't know for sure. We have no way of knowing without a test, and you know what that entails."

  She knew all too well. The suspected animal had to be euthanized and its entire head sent to the Texas Department of State Health Services laboratory in Austin, where they could run the test. Anyone who had unprotected contact would have to start treatment. "Damn!"

  "Hey, I swear I told you all I know."

  "No, it's not that." Lex took out her cell phone and thumbed through her contact list. She put the phone to her ear and tapped her foot. "Come on, answer the damned phone. Hey, Shelby. This is...damned voice mail."

  She listened to the prerecorded message and waited for the beep. "Shelby, this is Lex. Call me as soon as you get this message, it's urgent. Uh, bye."

  She placed the phone in its holster. "The chestnut took a pretty good bite out of Rebecca's arm earlier today. Shelby took her into town to get it checked out."

  "Lex, she needs to start treatment, just in case," Ron emphasized.

  "No shit!" Lex stopped to take a deep breath then released it slowly. "I'm sorry. It's just that--"

  He put his hand on her arm. "You're worried about her. For good reason. You wore your gloves when you handled the horse, right?"

  "Yeah. Uh, Ron?"

  "What?"

  "It can't be transmitted through blood, can it?"

  Ron shook his head. "No, just saliva. Why?"

  "I bandaged Rebecca's arm. Had her blood on my hands." Lex looked at her hands, as if to see the blood still there. "Poor thing tried to be brave, but I could tell it hurt like hell."

  He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture he had picked up from Lex. "If you were close, it's theoretically possible that you took in her breath, which could pass along the saliva. Dang it, Lex. I can't be one hundred-percent certain you're safe, providing the horse has been infected."

  "Yeah, I figured that much. Let me call Rodney and see if he has time to start the injections. I need to reach Rebecca and Shelby, too. Maybe they can run by his office before they come home."

  She took out her phone and stared at it. "Damn it, Shelby. Call me!"

  WHEN HER NAME was called, Rebecca almost knocked Shelby out of her chair when she jumped up. "Sorry."

  "That's all right." Shelby stood and began to follow her.

  The nurse at the door gave Shelby a dirty look. "Are you family?"

  "I am. Problem?" Shelby put her hand on the door. "After you."

  With a disgusted snort, the nurse stepped in front of Rebecca. "Follow me, please." She walked purposefully down the hall and stopped in front of an open door. "Miss Starrett, if you'd take a seat on the table, we'll get your vitals."

  Shelby followed them in and stood in the far corner of the tiny room. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. It took a lot of self-control for her not to drag the nurse away from her partner when she accidentally bumped Rebecca's injured arm and caused her to cry out at the sharp pain.

  The nurse murmured an apology before she wrote on the chart. She patted Rebecca once on the knee. "The doctor should be in shortly."

  Once they were alone, Shelby pushed off from the wall to stand beside Rebecca.

  "Hang in there, darlin'." She put her arm around Rebecca's shoulder and held her the best she could. It broke her heart to feel the warm tears on her shirt and the silent sobs that came from the woman she loved. "Sssh. It's gonna be okay." She kissed the top of Rebecca's head and rested her cheek against her hair.

  The door opened. A middle-aged woman, dressed in faded green scrubs and a wrinkled lab coat stepped in. Her short, salt-and-pepper hair curled behind her ears and was in disarray. She adjusted her black-framed glasses and looked at the chart. "Miss Starrett?"

  Rebecca raised her head away from Shelby and wiped her face with her good hand. "Yes, that's me."

  "I'm Dr. Kale." She held out her hand to Shelby, who gave it a firm shake.

  "Shelby Fisher. I'm Rebecca's partner."

  Dr. Kale set the chart on a rolling cart. She moved to the sink and washed her hands, dried them and then pulled on a pair of disposable gloves. She stepped close to Rebecca and held out her hands. "May I?"

  Rebecca held out her injured arm and bit her lip in anticipation.

  "So, horse bite, huh?" Dr. Kale gently unwrapped the gauze from the injury. Once it was exposed, she nodded. "Nicely cleaned. I don't believe stitches are necessary, but we'll need to start you on antibiotics, just to be safe."

  "Okay." Rebecca looked up at Shelby, who rubbed gentle circles on her back. "See? I told you it wasn't that bad."

  Dr. Kale laughed. "I didn't say that. It's good that you came in, if only for the antibiotics. Animal bites are the world's worst at getting infected."

  Shelby gave her lover a wink. "That's what I said, doc. Thanks for backing me up."

  Fifteen minutes later, Shelby escorted Rebecca from the hospital, with two prescriptions in hand. "I liked that doctor. She was all right."

  "That's because she couldn't take her eyes off you."

  Shelby stumbled. "What?" She stopped and looked at her lover. "You're crazy."

  "Maybe. But it's true. Dr. Kale spent more time looking at you than at my arm." Rebecca giggled before Shelby opened her door. "Not that I can blame her. You are cute."

  "Hush." Shelby swatted her on the rear. She was uncomfortable with the thought of the doctor being attracted to her, but was grateful for the painkilling shot Dr. Kale had given Rebecca before they left the exam room. She hurried around the truck and climbed in behind the wheel. On the seat between them was her cell phone, which had a rapidly blinking red light in one corner.

  Rebecca rested her head against the back of the seat a
nd closed her eyes. "Could we drive through somewhere and get a burger, or something? I'm starving."

  "Sure. We need to call and let Lex know we're on the way, though. She's probably bored to death out at our place." She picked up her phone and looked at the screen. "Missed a call from her."

  "Maybe it's about the horses."

  Shelby listened to her voice mail. "Huh." She hit the speed dial for Lex. "Hey, Boss. Sorry about missing your call, but..." her voice trailed off as she listened. "Damn it. Is he sure?" She looked at Rebecca and felt an ache in her chest. "Yeah. Thanks. Um, what's the address?"

  Rebecca opened her eyes and turned her head toward Shelby. "What's up?"

  "Okay, I appreciate it, Lex. We'll see you in a bit." Shelby tossed her phone onto the seat. "The vet checked out the horses."

  "Are they going to be okay?"

  "The gray and the filly are all right, but the chestnut might not be." Shelby turned in her seat to face her. "That bad spot on her leg might be an infected animal bite, and she's showing possible signs of rabies."

  "Oh, my God." Rebecca looked at her arm. "Does that mean that I--" she choked on the words. "I could have rabies?"

  Shelby scooted across the bench seat and put her arm around her. "You may have been exposed, yeah. And since we don't know for sure, it's a good idea to go ahead and start the treatments. Just in case."

  Rebecca started to cry. "I'm scared, Shelby. I don't know if I can handle this."

  "You're not alone, darlin'. I'll be with you every step of the way." Shelby kissed the side of her head. "You're gonna be just fine, I promise.

  We're heading to Amanda's brother-in-law, Dr. Crews. He's expecting us."

  AMANDA PARKED IN her usual spot beside the house. Lex's truck was gone, which normally wouldn't surprise her, but her wife had planned to spend a quiet day at home with Eddie and Mel. "I wonder where she is?"

  "Hmm?" Lorrie looked up from the scrapbook in her lap. "Where's Momma's truck?"

  "Your guess is as good as mine. Let's see if Mada knows."

  Lorrie tucked the book into her backpack. "Cool. I want to show her these albums." She climbed out and was on her way down the walk before Amanda could open her own door.

  Amanda rolled her eyes and followed at a more leisurely pace. The cottage door opened when Lorrie hit the bottom step and Martha waved to Amanda. "Hi."

  "Hello, there." Martha accepted a one-armed hug from Lorrie. "Did you have a nice time, sweetie?"

  "Yes, ma'am. Aunt Jeannie had all sorts of cool things, and I even got to see a football game that my father played in. It was really awesome." Lorrie turned to Amanda, who had joined them on the porch. "And their wedding pictures were funny, too," she added with a giggle.

  Amanda touched the tip of her nose. "Watch it. Remember what I said."

  The threat of having a similar haircut was a good one, and Lorrie bit her lip, although her eyes still twinkled with mischief.

  "Do you have any idea where Lex and the kids are? I thought they were staying home today."

  Martha ushered them into her home. "Eddie and Mel are helping their Pawpaw with a jigsaw puzzle in the kitchen, and Lexie is at Shelby and Rebecca's." She patted Lorrie on the back. "There's fresh chocolate chip cookies, if you'd care to join them."

  "Thanks, Mada." Lorrie headed that direction, and left the two women alone in the living room.

  Amanda pursed her lips. "Did Lex pawn off the kids on you? She made such a big deal out of spending time with them today."

  "No. She took them with her, but sent them back with Helen and Roy when she found out she'd be there a while. And you know we love having them here, so hush."

  "Oh." Amanda followed her to the sofa and sat on the opposite end from Martha. "Helen and Roy were there, too? What on earth was going on? Is everyone all right?"

  Martha sat back. "Something about some stray horses, according to Helen. One of the horses nipped a chunk out of Rebecca's arm, so Shelby took her to town while Lexie stayed to keep an eye on the critters. Why she stayed, I don't know."

  "You know how she is. I'm surprised she hasn't brought them home with her. I should call and check on Rebecca. I hope she's okay." Amanda tapped the arm of the sofa.

  "Hon, why don't you run on and keep Lexie company? The kids are fine with us."

  Amanda hopped off the couch. "Are you sure? I feel like we take advantage of you." At Martha's laugh, she shrugged. "Well, I do."

  "That's just plain silly. You know we love the kids. They're already growing so fast, we don't get to see them as much as we used to. Before we know it, Lorrie and Melanie will be off to college and little Eddie will be chasing girls."

  "Good grief, don't say that! The girls are too independent already." Amanda ducked and kissed the older woman's cheek. "Thanks. I'll call and let you know how late we'll be."

  Martha waved her away. "Nonsense. We'll make up the guest bed for the girls, and Eddie can sleep with us if it gets too late. Go on, now."

  "All right. But call me if--"

  "Amanda."

  "Yes, ma'am." That tone always meant business, so Amanda sighed. "Tell the kids I'll see them later. I don't want to upset Eddie by seeing him and leaving again so quickly." The glare she received caused Amanda to laugh and hurry from the house.

  AMANDA WAS HALFWAY to her SUV when Lorrie's voice stopped her.

  "Mom, wait!"

  Amanda turned to see her oldest jogging to catch up. "Honey, you don't have to go. We're probably going to be stuck at Shelby and Rebecca's for a while."

  "That's all right." Lorrie tucked her hands into the front pockets of her jeans and walked in step with Amanda. "I really want to see Momma."

  "Why?"

  "Huh?"

  Amanda stopped by the Expedition. "Sweetie, I love you more than anything in the world, but I also love your Momma. And I--"

  "You're afraid I'll yell at her again?" Lorrie scuffed the toe of her sneaker along the front tire to etch the black surface with a lighter shade of dirt. "I was being stupid."

  "You think so?" Amanda stepped around to lean against the vehicle, a few feet away from her daughter. "Why did you do it, then?"

  "I dunno." When Amanda remained silent, Lorrie continued, "When you went to get lunch, Aunt Jeannie talked about when I was born. She said the stroke she had made her want to die, especially after my Dad was killed. And that she didn't even feel like my mom, ever."

  "She said that?"

  Lorrie continued to trace her foot in the dirt. "She said it was because she couldn't do anything for me, not even give me a bottle." She raised her head. "Was she really that sick?"

  The woman Lorrie knew now was perfectly healthy. It was hard to picture her helpless and unable to move.

  "Yes." Amanda rested her hand on Lorrie's shoulder as they both looked off into the distance. "I knew she was sad and upset, but I had no idea she felt so...lost. I should have been more supportive of her."

  "She said you'd feel that way, that's why she never told you." Lorrie turned and looked into Amanda's face. "It's okay, Mom. I didn't tell you to make you sad. Did you know that Aunt Jeannie had a crush on Momma?"

  Amanda blinked. "What?"

  "Back then, I mean. She said it was a silly crush, just because Momma was so nice to her."

  "Oh?" Amanda shook her head. "Um, no. We've never really talked much about that time. I knew that Lex would spend a lot of time with Jeannie. That's why we have paved walks from the house to the barn, and to Mada's. Jeannie was in a wheelchair and your Momma wanted to get her out of the house. So she had the walks poured."

  "No wonder Aunt Jeannie liked her."

  Amanda bumped her with her hip. "She still likes her, goofy." They both laughed, but Amanda sobered quickly. "Did Jeannie tell you what else your Momma did?"

  "Ma'am?"

  "Although Momma was completely swamped with running the ranch, she'd stop whatever she was doing and come in for lunch. She'd feed you and bring you in to visit with Jeannie."

  Lo
rrie didn't appear convinced. "Every day?"

  Sometimes, the girl was more like Lex than anyone else. The skeptical tilt to her head mirrored that of Lex, when she felt as if someone was trying to put something over on her. "Every day she could, yes. And when you'd wake in the middle of the night, she was the one who would get up with you."

  "Really?"

  "Yes, really. She'd rock you, walk with you and sing to you. Whatever it took to get you back to sleep."

  Lorrie visibly relaxed. "Yeah, I remember sitting in her lap and her reading to me." She rested against the SUV. "Can we go see Momma? Please?"

  AFTER AN ARGUMENT with Ron, Lex found herself on the road to town. She knew she needed to start the treatment shots that would protect her against the rabies virus but she didn't want to go without talking with her wife. Unfortunately, Lex's cell phone battery was dead. And her charger was in the truck that Helen and Roy had taken home and Ron's was on his office desk. He promised to wait for the arrival of the sheriff, who Lex had contacted before her phone died. Jeremy would have to decide what to do with the strays before they were reunited with their rightful owner or enough time had passed so they could be auctioned.

  She turned on the radio, not surprised to find it on an easy listening station. She often teased Roy about his taste in music, which leaned more toward soft rock and light jazz while her satellite radio was tuned to country. She hit one of the preset buttons and laughed as a Disney tune came through the speakers. "He's as bad as I am."

  After another push, she found a station that played pop music from the eighties. "Good enough."

  Lex hummed along softly to the music and enjoyed the scenic drive. The trees sported fresh leaves and the new grass beside the road grew in near-fluorescent matching green. Soon, she would have the men check out the other pastures to see if they had enough grazing so the cattle could be moved.

  She soon crossed into the Somerville city limits. It didn't take long to get to Rodney's office. When she arrived, she was surprised to see a familiar Ford Expedition in the lot. "Crap. What's Amanda doing here?"

  Lex had barely gotten out of the truck when Amanda met her.