Love's Journey

by Carrie Carr

  Amanda was in a leg cast that went above her knee, and she had to keep her leg elevated for the next few weeks. She allowed Jacob to help her from the vehicle and place her in the chair. "Thanks." Her attention went back to Lex, who started pushing the chair up the ramp. "Umm, honey? Since you're in no shape to carry me, how are we going to make it up the stairs?" She was charmed by the smug grin on her partner's face.

  "We're not."

  The front door opened and Martha stepped out onto the porch. "Welcome home, Amanda." She bent over and kissed her cheek. "With you here, maybe I'll finally see more of Lexie," she whispered.

  "What do you mean? Hasn't she--" Her broken leg had to stay in traction for over a week, so the doctor could make sure no infection set in. Following Lex's release the fourth day after the accident, she had been at the hospital almost constantly. Amanda would fall asleep to the soothing voice of her lover talking, and awake the next morning to Lex's eyes gazing fondly on her.

  Lex pushed the chair through the door and stopped outside of the den. "You about ready to get comfortable, sweetheart?"

  Amanda turned around as best she could and gave Lex a questioning glance. "Uh, yeah, I am kind of tired. But how are we going to get upstairs?"

  "Like I said," Lex pushed the chair through the door of the den, "we're not." Instead of the leather sofa and loveseat that usually occupied the space, the large four-poster bed from the master bedroom stood on one side of the room. "You can even watch TV while you're lying down," Lex explained. "I had some of the guys from the bunkhouse move the bedroom downstairs." She wheeled Amanda over to the bed and set the brakes on the chair. "All out, first floor -- bedroom and housewares."

  "You're a nut."

  "Yup. Now come on, get your cute little rear into this bed." She partially carried Amanda to the bed, trying to ignore the twinge in her shoulder from the strain. "It's past time for your pain pill, anyway."

  Anna Leigh and Jacob stood in the doorway, watching in amusement as Lex pampered their granddaughter. "Do you want to take bets on how long Lexington's going to get away with all this?" she quietly asked her husband.

  "Two, three days, tops," he added. "Nice setup, though."

  Lex turned around. "Thanks. I think Roy and the guys did a great job getting everything down here, don't you?"

  The ranch hands had taken all of the extra den furniture upstairs and placed it in the storage room. Martha had them take the boxes of Victoria's things over to her house and put them in the guest bedroom. She was going to help Lex go through them later, but didn't see any reason in bothering her with the details now.

  "He fussed over it for almost two days," Martha related, bringing in a tray laden with mugs. "Anyone for hot chocolate?"

  Jacob relieved her of the tray and set it on a nearby table. "Wonderful idea, dear lady." He realized someone was missing. "Where's Travis?"

  Martha frowned. "He went upstairs earlier. I figured he'd be here by now." She turned to Lex.

  "I'll go check on him," Lex volunteered, before the housekeeper could say anything. She kissed Amanda on the forehead. "Be right back."

  HER STRONG LEGS ate up the length of the long staircase, and Lex quickly found herself in front of the closed guest room door. She lightly knocked on the wood, waiting patiently for an answer. "Grandpa?" When there was no response, she rapped her knuckles against the frame a bit louder. Worried now, Lex slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

  Travis was lying on the bed, his eyes closed. Although a quilt covered most of his tall frame, she could see his hands were across his stomach.

  "Grandpa?" She continued into the room, fear and worry seeping into her voice. "Come on, handsome. Everyone is downstairs." Lex stood by the bed with a puzzled frown. She reached to his head, her hand shaking slightly.

  His eyes popped open with shock, as his granddaughter pulled the headset away from his ear. "Lexie? You scared me half to death." Travis pulled the thin device from his head. "I didn't know you were home."

  Her heart slowly resumed its normal rhythm. "Scared you? I thought for a minute you were--" Lex couldn't even voice the thought.

  "Heavens, no." Travis laughed. "I was just listening to some music and relaxing. I'm afraid I nearly drove poor Martha to distraction in the kitchen earlier while we were waiting for you to come home. So I decided to give her a break and come up here." He stood and wrapped his arms around the disconcerted woman. "I'm sorry I worried you, sweetheart."

  Lex returned the hug with a heavy sigh. "No, I'm sorry. Guess my nerves are a bit on edge." She pulled back slightly. "The downstairs looks great. Amanda sure was surprised."

  Travis led her from the room, his arm never leaving his granddaughter's shoulder. "I'll bet. Martha sounded like a field general, making sure everything was in the right place. I don't think the men will ever be quite the same."

  "I'm sure you had nothing to do with it, right?"

  "Not me. I'm just an old man. Not much I could have done." He flinched as her elbow hit a particularly ticklish spot on his ribs.

  Lex laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no. You're not going to make me believe that. Martha told me on the phone this morning she couldn't have done it without you."

  Travis felt like the little kid whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar. "She tends to exaggerate, don't you think?" he asked, continuing to downplay his contribution. "Well, we're here. Let me go say hello." He was through the door before his granddaughter could say another word.

  "That sneak. I'll get him." Lex followed her grandfather into the room.

  AMANDA SNUGGLED DEEPER into her lover's arms. "That was fun." It had been several hours since her grandparents had left, and the fire had burned to embers. Although it was early in the evening, they were lying in the large bed, both content to enjoy the peace and quiet.

  "Yeah." Lex buried her face in Amanda's hair and inhaled her scent. "But this is better. I've missed this."

  "I have, too." Amanda was lying on her back -- or more precisely, on Lex's front. They had found it was more comfortable to have Lex propped against the headboard, with Amanda sitting between her outstretched legs, leaning back. "Which reminds me. Martha made a comment about not seeing much of you lately." She craned her neck to see her partner's face. "What was all about?"

  Lex swallowed nervously and had trouble meeting Amanda's gaze. "Umm." Gentle fingertips pulled her face.

  Amanda stroked the strong jaw beneath her hand. "Don't tell me you've spent all this time in town."

  "Well, I--"

  "Lex. It's been almost two weeks since the accident. Why?" Amanda finally caught her gaze. "Please, talk to me."

  "Do you think I could have left you in the hospital alone? What if our positions had been reversed?"

  "We're not talking about me, love."

  "But we are, don't you see?" Lex squirmed around until they were sitting face to face. "You are the most important thing in my life, Amanda. There's no way in hell I could have been far away from you." She patted the bedspread. "It took all I had to leave the hospital long enough to shower and change clothes."

  Amanda cupped her lover's face with her hands and forced her to look up. "Oh, Lex." Her heart broke at the tears that formed in the blue eyes. No wonder she looks so worn out. The only sleep she's gotten is when I'd catch her dozing in the chair across from my bed.

  Lex wiped uselessly at the tears in her eyes. "I did try to lie down a couple of times," she protested. "But every time I'd close my eyes, I'd see you lying alone in the hospital."

  Hard to argue with that, since I'd probably do the same. Time to change the subject, I think. "Well, we're home together now. That's the important thing, right?" Amanda saw relief flood Lex's face.

  "Right." Happy the subject was closed, Lex yawned and snuggled back in the bed. "Goodnight, sweetheart." She kissed the top of Amanda's head and closed her eyes.

  SHE SLAMMED HER hand on the table, causing the silverware to jangle. "This is completely unacceptable!" Elizabeth glanc
ed around the restaurant, relieved no one had noticed her little outburst. "My daughter could have been killed." They were having dinner at the steak house, feeling secure because their table was situated near the back of the restaurant and partially hidden by plants.

  "Calm down, Liz. I had nothing to do with the accident." He took hold of her shaking hands. "Do you honestly think I would stoop to something so poorly planned?"

  "No, I suppose not." She glared at him. "You do have a plan, don't you? It's become even more imperative I get my daughter away from that woman. God only knows what could happen next."

  The handsome man released her hands and leaned back in his chair. "Ranching can be a very dangerous business, you know. Just about anything could happen out in the middle of nowhere." He winked at his employer. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Liz. I'm on it."

  Elizabeth leaned across the table and pinned him with a nasty look. "Don't you dare take a condescending tone with me."

  Raising his hands in a defensive manner, he shook his head. "No, no. I'd never do that. I just think your time could be better spent elsewhere than in worrying about that rancher. I'm handling the details as we speak." He searched in his back pocket for his wallet and dropped several bills on the table. "Let's go back to my room, where we can discuss this more, ah, freely."

  "Good idea. The less we talk about it in public, the better." Elizabeth allowed him to pull her chair away from the table and escort her from the room.

  At the next table, the eyes of two women widened as they realized what they had overheard. Barbara, whose back was to the table, leaned forward and whispered to her companion. "Oh, my God, do you think they were talking about--"

  "I think so," Janna agreed. "I didn't recognize either one of them, either. But the way that lady was talking, she'd have to be Amanda's mother, wouldn't she?"

  Barbara turned around in her seat and casually glanced toward the exit. "Oh, yes. It's definitely her. I remember her from the bank." She turned back around. "What are we going to do?"

  "Well, for starters, we're going to call and warn Lex." Janna tossed her napkin onto her plate and stood up. "I'm sorry about cutting dinner short. We can always go somewhere else, later."

  "That's fine with me." Barbara rose from her chair. "Do you want to go back to my place to call Lex, and have some coffee?"

  Janna dropped money onto the table. "Sounds good to me. Come on." She placed her hand lightly on the other woman's back, escorting her from the room.

  THE COLD WIND cut through his thin coat as the man cautiously navigated the old bridge. He tightened his grasp on the collar, wishing again he had thought farther ahead. His boots slipped on the damp wood, and he nearly dropped what he was carrying. Thankful for the thick gloves on his hands, he wished again he had waited until early morning. Too blasted cold to be out in this mess, he thought to himself. I'd much rather be sitting in front of a nice warm fire.

  He proceeded on his way, staying to the side of the dirt road. Didn't realize it was so damned far to the house. The strap over his shoulder slipped, and he pulled it back up. This better be worth it. After another fifteen minutes, the ranch house came into view. No lights were visible from inside. The only light at all coming from atop a tall pole at the back of the house. He walked to the back of the home, careful to keep out of the light.

  Seeing the two large structures behind the main house, the chilled man decided to spend the remainder of the night out of the elements. Tomorrow morning will come soon enough, he thought as he opened the door to the barn. Warmth hit him in the face. This is more like it. No sense in being uncomfortable.

  JANNA HUNG UP the phone. She had called the hotel Lex had been staying in, and was told by the night clerk that she had checked out early that morning. "They must have taken Amanda home today," she told Barbara, who was sitting on the sofa, and watched as she tried to stay calm. "I don't know whether I should call the ranch now, or wait until the morning."

  "It is getting late," Barbara admitted, "but he said he already had something working, didn't he?" She patted the empty spot next to her. "Why don't you come over here and sit, so we can talk about it?" They had been with each other almost every day for the past week, and she was determined to move their relationship to the next level.

  "Ah, yeah." Janna crossed the room and sat next to her. "What?"

  Barbara shook her head. "Nothing." She placed her hand on Janna's thigh, which bounced nervously. "It's after eleven o'clock already. Why don't we try calling them first thing in the morning? If Amanda just got out of the hospital, she'll probably need all the rest she can get."

  "You're probably right. Although maybe I'll stop by the ranch on the way home and see if anyone's up." Janna tried to stand up, but the other woman's hand held her in place. "What?"

  Charmed by the nervousness in Janna's tone, Barbara squeezed the leg where her palm rested. "It's late, and the storm is getting worse. Why don't you stay here tonight?"

  Janna flinched. "Umm, well. I'd feel better if I checked on them."

  "I've got a perfectly good guest room, Janna. There's no sense in you driving all the way out there at this time of night, is there? It's late, it's dark, and you can't possibly do anything right now." Barbara leaned forward slightly until they were inches apart. "I promise that's all I'm thinking about. For now."

  "Well, umm." Feeling the heat in her face, Janna swallowed hard. She's right. If I go storming out there, all I'll end up doing is scaring them all to death. It would be a lot better if I just called them early in the morning.

  "If you're sure it wouldn't be any trouble." Barbara took her free hand and ran her fingers through Janna's short hair. "Trust me. The only trouble I'm going to have is staying in my own room tonight." She leaned forward and kissed Janna lightly on the lips.

  AMANDA WOKE TO an empty bed. She glanced over at the nightstand and saw by the clock it was after midnight. Blinking several times to adjust her vision, she finally spotted Lex standing in front of the large windows, staring out through the half-drawn blinds. "Lex? Is everything okay?"

  Lex turned around and started back to the bed. "Yeah, I think so. I thought I heard something, but there's nothing out there I can see." She sat next to her lover and brushed her fingers through the messy blond hair. "Sorry if I woke you."

  "You didn't. At least, I don't think you did." Amanda leaned in to the touch and sighed. "Ooh, your hands are cold." She captured the hand as it tensed to pull away. "I didn't say I didn't like it." She brought Lex's hand and placed it inside her nightshirt, hearing Lex gasp as she touched warm skin.

  "Tease." Lex allowed her fingers to roam, causing her partner to inhale sharply in turn.

  "Only when you're involved." Amanda jumped as the long digits found trailed over her sensitive skin. "Oooh. Umm." She squirmed slightly and exhaled. "Whoa."

  Lex continued her exploration. "You like?"

  "Uh-huh." Amanda felt her shirt raised over her head. "I think your hand is warm, now."

  "Maybe, but I need to warm the other one, too," Lex countered, as she removed the shirt and began to blaze a trail of kisses over Amanda's body. "Are you cold, sweetheart?"

  Amanda shook her head, but couldn't answer. She tangled her hands in Lex's hair and guided her to more erogenous areas. God, I've missed this, was her last coherent thought as Lex continued to attack her senses and lovingly worship her body.

  Some time later, Amanda was curled on her side, snuggled to Lex's warm body. They had placed a thick pillow between her knees, so her good leg wouldn't lie across the rough cast. She ran a playful fingertip across the perspiring woman's stomach, causing her to flinch. "I thought you said you weren't ticklish?"

  "I'm not. You just surprised me." Lex continued to comb her fingers through Amanda's damp hair. Another poke from her, and she grunted. "Hey, cut it out."

  "You're such a big baby." Amanda raised her head and kissed the bare skin her head rested on. "But I'll stop, for now." She dropped her head and lay quietly for a
moment, thinking. "You said earlier something woke you up?"

  "Yeah, I thought I heard something. When I checked outside, I didn't see anything. Guess I'm getting paranoid in my old age."

  "Oh, yeah. You're practically ancient. I doubt you're paranoid, Lex. I'm sure something woke you." Amanda sat up. "Given our recent history, maybe we should call Charlie."

  "Nah. I'll check around the house in the morning. It was probably a fox, or maybe a deer." Seeing her lover yawn, Lex pulled Amanda back into her arms. "Let's get some sleep, huh? We'll worry about it tomorrow." Sleep was elusive for the exhausted woman, as she continued to worry about what trouble Amanda's mother would cause next.

  Chapter Nineteen

  "I SWEAR, LEX. You do these things just to drive me crazy, don't you?" Amanda had been arguing with Lex for almost an hour, trying to keep her from leaving the house. "You have a bunkhouse full of able-bodied men, and yet you persist in trudging out in this nasty weather to check on your horses. Would it be so awful to stay inside and let them handle it?"

  "I'm a lot closer to the barns than they are, sweetheart. It would be ridiculous for me to ask them to attempt driving here in a storm, just so I don't have to go outside." Lex set her coffee cup on the kitchen counter. "You wouldn't want me to risk their safety just for my comfort, would you?" She looked at Martha, who shook her head. "What?"

  "As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with you on this one." Martha came over to the table and sat next to Amanda. "She's right, you know. There's no sense in asking any of the men to take that kind of chance by driving to the house when Lexie is perfectly able to check the animals in the barn."

  Amanda nodded grudgingly. "I know. I just hate when she's right. She'll try to make a habit of it."

  "Nothing to worry about there." Lex leaned over and gave Amanda a light kiss. "You'll make sure of it." She started for the door and turned around. "I'll be back in about ten minutes. It's too damned cold out there to fool around." She winked and slipped from the room.