Love's Journey

by Carrie Carr

  The housekeeper hurried over and put an arm around his shoulders. "I'm glad you came in. Sit at the table, and I'll fix you a plate."

  Ronnie sat across from Lex, but had trouble making eye contact with her. He was glad when Martha set a plate in front of him. "Thank you, ma'am. Umm--Lester said to tell you he's about done, and to let him know when you're ready." Ronnie quickly began eating the food.

  "Did you help with the stock this morning, Ronnie?" Lex asked him, as she worked on clearing her plate. "Not that I don't appreciate it, 'cause I do. But what made you think about doing it?"

  "Lester told me to," he answered between mouthfuls of food. "He said I should at least take care of the horses in the barn, and maybe hang around afterward to help with the hay." Ronnie stared at Martha with adoration. "He also told me Martha would appreciate it, so here I am." The housekeeper had filled the void created in his life when his mother left him and his brother years before. He would do anything she asked of him, and he usually could be found around the main house looking for chores to do.

  Lex watched the way Martha treated Ronnie. Guess she misses having someone to mother. An idea was forming in her mind, but she wanted to run it by Amanda before telling anyone else. "Well, I'm glad you did, Ronnie." She caught the look on the housekeeper's face. "You'll be here tomorrow, won't you?"

  Ronnie hastily swallowed. "Tomorrow? Sure. I'll be glad to take care of the horses again."

  "No." Lex drained her coffee cup and set it back. "Well--I mean you can take care of the horses, too." She waited for Amanda to help.

  "I think Lex means for you to be here for Christmas dinner. We're going to have lots of snacks all day, and I believe she'll have the football games going in the den. My family will be here too, so you can hear all of Frank's old football stories." Amanda remembered how the teenager had followed her brother-in-law around at Thanksgiving with hero worship in his eyes. She knew Frank was bringing Ronnie an autographed jersey for Christmas, but he swore her to secrecy. Not even Lex knew about it.

  Lex stood and carried her plate to the sink. "Right. You have to help me cheer for the Cowboys. I think Frank is rooting for the other team just to aggravate me. Meet me here for breakfast, and you and I will take care of the stock afterward."

  "Sure!" Ronnie had felt intimidated by Lex until he got to know her better. She wasn't old enough to be a mother figure, so he considered her the big sister he never had.

  Ronnie studied his plate with a secret smile as Lex and Amanda left the kitchen. Matt was so wrong. She's a wonderful person, and so's her girlfriend. They're not perverts, at all. He took in the kitchen atmosphere happily. For the first time in my life, I finally have a home.

  SOME TIME LATER, Martha was busily rolling out piecrust when the phone rang while Ronnie was writing a book report at the kitchen table. "Ronnie? Could you--?"

  He jumped out of his chair and grabbed the phone before she could finish her sentence. "Rocking W Ranch, Ronnie speaking."

  "Who is this? Let me speak to Lex, right now!" the voice on the other end of the phone demanded.

  "Umm--I'm sorry, but she's out checking the fence. Can I take a message?" He grabbed a notepad and pen.

  "No!" The man paused for a moment and reconsidered. "Yeah. You can tell her she can't hide from me forever, and I will get what's mine." The connection was severed when the phone on the other end was slammed down.

  "Who was on the phone, dear?" Martha wiped her hands clean and stepped over to where the teenager was standing, dumbstruck. "What's wrong?"

  Ronnie hung up the phone and shook his head. "I'm not sure. It was some nasty guy. He said something about telling Lex she couldn't hide from him, and he'd get what's his. Strange."

  Martha rubbed her hand over his shoulder in a comforting manner. "That must have been her brother, Hubert. I'm afraid he's not a very nice person."

  "That was Hubert? Lex told me about him. He makes even my brother look good." Ronnie turned around to face her. "Why doesn't he like her? She's a nice person." He knew why his brother hated the rancher. Lex had not only foiled Matt's attempt to steal her cattle, but had also helped capture him after he broke into the ranch house. Ronnie smiled in secret pleasure when he thought about the beating Lex had given his older brother the previous month.

  "I don't know, honey. He's been like that for as long as I've known him. I'm afraid it's just his nature." She rubbed her hands together. "Why don't you let me fix you some milk and cookies? You've been working on your report nonstop ever since the girls left."

  "That sounds like a great idea." He went over to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. "Can I ask you a question, Martha?"

  The housekeeper turned from where she was filling a plate with sweets. "Sure. Ask away."

  He carried his milk to the table and sat. "I was kind of hoping, if no one would mind," Ronnie picked a cookie from the plate Martha set in front of him. "I mean, it is Christmas, after all, and--"

  "What is it, dear?"

  "It's just--well, no matter what he's done, Matt's my brother, and I'd like to see him."

  The request was something Martha had been expecting. She had become quite fond of the teenager in the short amount of time he had been living at the ranch. Family was important to him, even though he hadn't had much of a family life. Until now, anyway. "You want to visit your brother, do you?" He reminds me of Louis. Lex's younger brother was Ronnie's age when he had been killed in a boating accident, and Martha harbored guilt over the fact she hadn't been at the ranch when it happened.

  "Yes, ma'am. I just want to let Matt know he's not alone for the holiday." He smiled slightly. "It doesn't have to be on Christmas Day. Maybe on Sunday?"

  "I'm sure Lexie will be glad to drive you in. We'll ask her when she gets back." Martha walked over to look out the large window over the sink. "I hope they get back soon. It looks like it could get nasty out there."

  AMANDA STUDIED THE strong profile across from her. They had been driving around for almost two hours, yet Lex hadn't uttered more than a sentence or two. She turned her attention through the windshield to the gathering clouds. The forecast for the evening called for a chance of rain, possibly mixed with sleet by tomorrow. Not a white Christmas, but at least it's cold. It's more than I can say for the holidays I spent in California. "Hey." She grasped Lex's arm.

  "Hmm?"

  "What's up? Is there anything I can do to help?" Amanda waited until Lex's eyes locked with hers. "You seem preoccupied."

  "Sorry. I was just going over some stuff in my head. But I would like to talk to you about it." Lex raised her hand from where it rested on the gearshift and dropped it to squeeze Amanda's leg. "Martha is attached to Ronnie, isn't she?"

  What's going on in that head of hers? Amanda covered the strong hand on her leg with her own. "I think so. Does it bother you?"

  "Nah. I was just thinking out loud." She slowed the jeep in order to navigate several deep ruts in the road. "I thought I told those guys to get this damned thing graded after the big rains we've had recently. Going to have to kick some butts when they get back Sunday." Lex sighed and shook her head. "Martha's a lot better with him than some of those guys down at the bunkhouse, don't you think?"

  "Well--yes. Although they've all been nice to me. But I think Ronnie needs a woman's influence right now." Amanda had to release Lex's hand to brace against the dash when the jeep suddenly lurched. "Are you sure this is supposed to be a road?"

  "I'm sure." Lex downshifted and used all of her strength to fight the steering wheel. "Hang on. I'm going to take a little detour and try to find an easier way around this mess." The road ahead was nothing more than deep muddy ruts, and even the jeep would be hard-pressed to navigate it safely. She steered the old jeep through a break in the roadside brush. Several low-lying branches slapped at the windshield, and Lex barely avoided an overturned tree as she guided the vehicle along. "Aw, shit." She slammed on the brakes as a large, angry-looking animal glared back at them from a short distance away.


  Amanda leaned forward and peered through the windshield. "What is that?" The animal was almost as large as the jeep, its dark hide shining menacingly in the afternoon gloom.

  "Brahma bull," Lex supplied helpfully. "And since we don't own any, the fence is broken somewhere." She eyed the bull that was glaring at her in return. "Probably belongs to old man Braxton. His ranch is next to ours, and he never takes care of his part of the damned fence." Lex put the jeep in reverse and tried to back away. The tires spun ineffectually in the slick mud, and the whining noise caused the bull to lower his massive head and shake it from side to side. She turned in her seat and looked through the back window, trying to see what was holding the vehicle in place.

  "Umm--honey?" Amanda's eyes widened as the animal pawed the ground. She automatically leaned back in her seat. "Lex?"

  The jeep continued to rock back and forth, as Lex held the accelerator down and released it. "Damn! I might have to put something under the tires before we can--" A strong grip on her arm stopped her in mid-sentence. "What?" She turned around and saw what was causing Amanda's nervousness.

  "He looks like he's about to come after us. He could hurt himself, couldn't he?" Amanda worried about what would happen to the animal if he tried to ram the jeep. She didn't realize that because of the direction the vehicle faced, the bull would most likely hit her side first.

  "If he's stupid enough to charge then he deserves to--Shit!" Lex realized where the bull was standing. "Amanda, unbuckle your seatbelt."

  Noticing her lover's concern, Amanda did as Lex asked. "What are you doing?"

  Lex had released her seatbelt and slowly opened her door. "I'm going to try to push us out of this damned mud, and I need you to scoot over here to drive."

  "Excuse me? Do you see that angry beast out there? And those horns?" Amanda pointed at the bull. It was shaking its head and pawing the ground. Each bony protrusion was about twelve inches long and dangerous enough to cause some real damage. "Are you out of your mind?" She moved over to the driver's side. "I don't think those horns are ornamental."

  "No, really?" Lex tapped the top of the jeep. "This thing is covered with canvas. Do you think we'd be safe if our friend decides to play?" She bent down to check the condition of the rear tire. "Damn." The wheel was buried almost halfway in the red mud. "This is going to take some digging."

  Amanda grabbed the arm of the heavy coat Lex was wearing. "Wait a minute! Why don't we just sit tight for a bit and see if he goes away?" The bull had quit stomping, and now stretched his head forward to sniff at the jeep.

  Lex shrugged out of her coat and tossed it in the back of the vehicle. "I don't trust those animals. Saw one climb the stands at a rodeo once, just for the hell of it." She grabbed the shovel she kept in the jeep for rebuilding fences. "Let me dig some of the mud out of the way and you pull the jeep forward when I say."

  "I don't like this, Lex." Amanda put the old vehicle in gear while keeping her eye on the bull. "He's looking at me kind of funny."

  "Maybe he thinks you're cute," Lex grunted, as she scraped the clay-like mud away from the wheel.

  Amanda rolled her eyes. "Very funny." She turned her head and leaned outside to watch Lex work, only to find with alarm that Lex was nowhere to be seen. "Lex!"

  "What?" A dark head peeked out from behind the jeep. "Are you okay?"

  "Don't scare me like that," Amanda chastised and leaned shakily back into the jeep.

  Lex edged her way back around to the driver side door. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was just gathering some loose brush to put under the tire." She started to put her hand on her partner's shoulder, but the mud caked around her fingers changed her mind. "I'm going to go to the front of the jeep. When I give the word, I want you to drop it into reverse and step on the gas."

  Amanda sat up. "What? Why the front of the jeep?" She had just assumed Lex would push from behind or maybe even from the left side door.

  Lex pointed toward where the bull was glaring from his position some twenty feet away. "Do you want to drive in his direction? If he starts heading this way, blow the horn to warn me. Then we'll think of something else."

  Amanda put the jeep in reverse and watched as Lex moved slowly around to the front of the jeep. "I don't like this," she muttered. "Stubborn, pig-headed lunatic. Playing hide and seek with El Diablo out there."

  Lex stood in front of the jeep. "You ready?" she mouthed. At Amanda's nod, Lex braced her hands against the hood. "Now!"

  Amanda stepped hard on the accelerator until the tires began to spin before taking hold. The jeep lurched suddenly, racing back several yards before ramming into a tree and coming to a stop. "Oh, no."

  Her support lost with the retreating vehicle, Lex fell face down onto the muddy ground. She slowly raised herself to her knees and shook her head to clear it. "Well--that worked." The sudden blare of the jeep's horn caused her to climb rapidly to her feet. She turned around and came almost nose to nose with the bull. "Oh, shit."

  "Oh, shit!" After the uncharacteristic words spilled from her mouth, Amanda jumped out of the jeep, brandishing the shovel Lex had used earlier. "I'm coming, Lex. Hold on!"

  "No!" Lex raised one arm behind her in warning to keep her lover away. She kept eye contact with the animal as it continued to edge closer to her. "Stay back, Amanda. Please," she finished in a near whisper. "Get back to the jeep."

  Amanda lowered the shovel and, against her better judgment, did as she was asked. She watched in horror as the huge beast shook his head and stepped right to where her partner stood. "God--no."

  Lex heard Amanda's whispered plea. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst. "I'm sorry love--I don't want you to see this." Her words were only a whisper.

  The bull snorted and lowered his head until his nose almost touched the ground. He brought his head up and butted Lex in the stomach, pushing her back slightly.

  "Huh?" Lex opened her eyes and was amazed when the bull gently bumped her again. "I'll be damned--" She scratched the animal between the eyes.

  She's petting him? Amanda slumped forward in relief. A thump on the hood caused her head to pop back up. "Good Lord."

  Lex had walked back over to the jeep, the bull walking behind her like a fifteen hundred-pound puppy. "Umm--look what followed me." She gave Amanda a silly grin. "Can I keep him?"

  Amanda rested her forehead against the steering wheel and closed her eyes. I'm definitely going to have to hurt her one of these days.

  LATER THAT EVENING, fresh from her shower, Lex stepped into the semi-dark bedroom. There were several lighted candles around the bed, and she could make out the form of her lover in the center of the room. "Wow," she remarked, "what's the occasion?"

  "Merry Christmas," Amanda whispered, stepping forward until she was bathed in the glow of the candlelight. The sheer nightgown she was wearing became see-through in the pale light, and she could hear her lover's breath catch. I thought this would get her attention.

  "Umm--" Tongue-tied, Lex walked slowly across the room drinking in the view until she was only a foot away from Amanda. "You look, oh--wow!" Lex raised a hand to touch the filmy fabric. "Is this my present?" she asked hopefully.

  Amanda laughed. "Not exactly, love." She grabbed Lex by the hand. "Why don't we go sit on the bed?"

  Lex nodded. "Bed's good." She allowed herself to be led back to where the candles glowed softly.

  Amanda fingered the colorful silk boxers that barely reached Lex's thighs. "I've always loved those on you." The navy blue material, decorated with tiny cartoon Tasmanian devils, and the red tee shirt provided accents for the blue in Lex's eyes. "I thought I could give you your present tonight, if that's okay."

  "Um, sure." Lex watched as Amanda raised a small gift-wrapped box, not quite as large as the palm of her hand. Taking the offering from her partner, she smiled and quickly tore into the package. The gold embossing on the red velvet jewelry box glittered in the candlelight. Lex opened the box slowly and gasped at what lay inside--a band of
white gold, surmounted by several diamonds that were outlined by thin yellow gold tracery. "God, Amanda--this must have cost you a fortune!"

  Amanda pulled the ring out of the box and held it to the light. "The cost is insignificant when measured against what you are worth to me, my love. I was going to get you a bigger one, but I wanted one you could wear while you are working around the ranch." She took Lex's hand in hers. "I love you, Lexington Marie Walters. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you. This ring is a token of my promise." She slipped the sparkling jewelry onto Lex's finger. "I'll put it on you again when we exchange our vows. Deal?"

  Lex continued to look at their hands, finding it difficult to speak. "D--deal." She leaned forward and kissed Amanda tenderly, pulling her into her arms.

  Chapter Nine

  "SO LEX ENDS up walking all the way to Mr. Braxton's farm, because the bull kept trying to follow her," Amanda related with a chuckle. She had been pressed into retelling the story of their adventure with the love struck animal, much to her partner's embarrassment. After the huge Christmas dinner, everyone migrated from the large table in the sitting room to the more comfortable seating in the den. Lex had dropped to the floor by the fireplace in mock misery. Amanda joined her on the floor and snuggled into her lover's arms.

  Lex shook her head. "It wasn't half as dramatic as Amanda tells it," she reassured Martha, who wore a very worried expression on her face. "Mr. Braxton told us his granddaughter raised the bull on a bottle. That's why he was so friendly." She propped her chin on Amanda's shoulder and took in the shocked looks around the room. "He wasn't even full grown yet. Just a baby."

  "Trouble just goes looking for you," Martha sighed. She leaned back against Charlie, who was sharing space with her on the loveseat. The sheriff squeezed her and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

  Amanda giggled at Martha's comment. The arms around her tightened in warning, and caused her to giggle more loudly.