Destiny's Bridge

by Carrie Carr

  With a pained shake of her head, Lex tried to relax. She flexed her left hand and flinched. "No. My arm fell asleep, and now I’m trying to wake it up."

  Amanda sat up to lean comfortably against the headboard and reached under the covers for Lex’s arm. She tenderly massaged the muscles, enjoying the feel of Lex’s smooth skin. Finishing up, she leaned over and gave Lex a kiss. "How’s that?"

  Lex pulled Amanda over until she was lying on top. "Mmm. Seems to be working just fine." She wrapped both arms securely around Amanda and squeezed. "But it may need extensive physical therapy," she continued, rolling over until her mate was under her. Lex placed light bites on Amanda’s neck. "Better safe than sorry," she whispered in a nearby ear, leaving a kiss behind.

  "Ooh, yeah." Amanda gasped, and threaded her fingers in the thick hair above her. "I’ll be glad to, oh, boy." She trembled as Lex traced a fiery path down her body with small bites and kisses. Amanda’s last coherent thought was that Lex’s hand seemed just fine to her.

  LEX AND AMANDA Strolled into the kitchen hours later, both looking quite happy and rested. Charlie sat at the table talking with Martha, who was at the stove cooking breakfast.

  "Well, well. Look who finally decided to get up," Martha teased.

  Lex recovered first as she sat down next to Amanda. "Well, we woke up earlier and just decided to take it easy for awhile."

  Charlie snickered into his coffee cup, as Amanda blushed. "Roy stopped by earlier, said he and the boys were going to take care of the horses for you for the next week or so." He looked over at the housekeeper, who had a smug look on her face. "They felt bad you had to do all the chores lately, and they want to make it up to you."

  Lex looked at Martha. "Sounds like a certain someone has been busy this morning."

  Martha turned away from the stove and placed her hands on her hips. "Now you just listen to me, Lexie." She stalked over to the table, putting one hand under the rancher’s chin and tilting her face upwards. "You are going to take it easy for a few days, or at least until these dark circles disappear from under your eyes." Seeing a stormy look appear on Lex’s face, she leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Please? For me?"

  Lex’s face lightened immediately. "Aw, Martha. Don’t look at me that way." She looked over at her companion, who was trying to control herself. "What’s so funny?"

  Amanda had one hand covering her mouth. "Nothing." But her eyes were sparkling.

  Lex tilted until she was inches away from Amanda’s face. She waited until her lover’s eyes locked with her own, then in a quiet voice said, "I have ways of making you talk, my dear."

  Amanda’s eyes widened and then glinted with something other than humor. "I’m looking forward to seeing you try." She leaned over and placed a quick kiss on the surprised rancher’s nose.

  "She’s got you there, Lexie," Martha chortled as she went back to the stove and piled two plates with food. "I’m sure you girls are ready for breakfast, right?"

  Charlie looked at them, then at his watch. "Wow. It’s almost ten o’clock. Getting closer to lunch, isn’t it?"

  Lex glared at him. "You really don’t want to go there." She stared down at the plate Martha placed in front of her. "Good Lord, Martha. Do you actually expect me to eat all of this?"

  The older woman sat back down at the table after placing a similarly laden plate in front of Amanda. "As a matter of fact, I do." She gave her charge a long stare. "You haven’t been eating enough to keep a bird alive, and I’m putting a stop to it."

  Amanda giggled. "I was wondering how she could run a ranch on what she ate. Now I know." She ignored the nasty look Lex gave her.

  "Fine. But don’t blame me for the mess in the kitchen when I explode from eating all of this," Lex grumbled as she started on her breakfast.

  "Poor baby. You’ll probably be bedridden for days." Amanda patted her leg in mock sympathy.

  Lex grumbled again, but she couldn’t disguise the affection in her eyes. "And this would be a bad thing?"

  Ducking her head, Amanda prudently didn’t answer, but continued to eat her breakfast while humming delightedly.

  Charlie cleared his throat and eyed at Lex. The innuendo embarrassed even him, and he decided it was time to change the subject. "Since you don’t have any chores to do, what are your plans for what’s left of today?"

  Setting her coffee mug back on the table, Lex glanced over at her companion. "Well, I thought if Amanda felt up to it, we’d make a trip to town. I need to pick up my other truck, and I thought we could put her car in the shop to get the interior cleaned up."

  "That would be great! My grandparents will be so excited!" Amanda took Lex’s hand in hers. "Think I could talk you into staying there for a few days?" Looking into her lover’s eyes, she felt the room recede until it seemed that only the two of them were there. "Even though you know Gramma and Grandpa Jake, I’d really like to introduce you to them, if you know what I mean."

  Lex was so absorbed in the eyes across from hers that she didn’t hear Martha and Charlie make their exit. She swallowed hard, trying to put her thoughts into words. "Are you sure about that?" She saw the shock, and then sadness cross Amanda’s expressive face.

  "What?" Amanda looked into the sad eyes inches away from her own. "Why wouldn’t I want to show you off?" She used shaky hands to cradle Lex’s face. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss on Lex’s trembling lips. "I love you," she whispered, "and I want the entire world to know it."

  Lex felt the sadness squeeze her heart painfully. "I love you, too. But I don’t want to see you get hurt." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "People in town have very long memories, and I’ve got a pretty checkered past." Her voice broke as she felt the soft touch of Amanda’s fingertips brushing the tears that fell from her eyes.

  Amanda stood and moved to sit in Lex’s lap. She wrapped one arm around Lex’s shoulders, and used her free hand to capture one of her hands. Bringing it to her lips, she placed a kiss on the knuckles, then pulled their linked hands to rest between their bodies. "I’ve already told my grandparents about us," she whispered, making eye contact with Lex, "and they couldn’t be happier." She kissed her lover’s forehead. "And I really don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks. So get used to it."

  Lex started to speak. "Are—" She cleared her throat and tried again. "Are you sure about this? You’re going to hear a lot of nasty stuff, and most of it’s probably true." Seeing the fierce determination in Amanda’s eyes, she relented. "I just want you to know what you’re getting into." She was about to add more, but was interrupted when Amanda’s lips found hers.

  Amanda poured everything she had into that kiss, transferring all her hopes, dreams, and love to the woman who had so thoroughly captured her heart. When she pulled back, she could see the love shining in Lex’s eyes, and she felt her own eyes begin to fill with tears of happiness. "So you’d better get used to the fact that you’re stuck with me, because I’m not going anywhere."

  Taking a shuddering breath, Lex closed her eyes and pulled Amanda against her with all the strength left in her shaking arms. She buried her face in her hair, trying to come up with something, anything, to express the feeling in her heart. "Oh God, Amanda," she whispered hoarsely, "I love you with all that I am." She felt the return squeeze and felt something that had been missing her entire life fall into place in her soul.

  They sat in the kitchen silently, tangled together, for what seemed like hours, neither speaking, yet not quite ready to let the other go. Finally, Amanda pulled back slightly and ran her hand down Lex’s cheek. "Well, now that we’ve gotten that settled, are you ready to drive into town so I can show you off?"

  "Not much to show, but yeah, I guess so. Let me go get a bag together, since we’ll be there for a few days." She waited until Amanda climbed off her lap. "I’ve also got a few errands to run while we’re there, if you don’t mind." She stood and wrapped an arm around Amanda’s shoulder.

  "Sure. I’ve got some things to take care of, t
oo." Like requesting some more vacation time, and of course thanking that slimeball Rick for sending me out here, she mused. I can’t wait to see his face when he finds out his little scheme backfired. A small giggle escaped her.

  "What’s so funny?" Lex asked, as the headed for the stairs.

  "I was just thinking about Rick."

  "And?"

  "I’m just picturing the look on his face when I stand up in front of the entire office and thank him for sending me on a wild goose chase."

  Lex stopped in the middle of the stairway and looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind. "Thank him?"

  "Yep." Amanda nodded, prodding Lex forward once again. "I’m gonna say, ‘Rick, if it hadn’t been for you, I may never have met the love of my life. So thank you,’ and then watch him pass out from the shock."

  "That would certainly do it." Lex allowed Amanda to enter the master bedroom ahead of her. "But when he gets up, he’s mine. That bastard and his little games nearly got you killed, and I have a few choice words of my own for him." She was almost to the closet when the light touch on her back stopped her. Turning around, Lex saw a quiet look of determination on her lover’s face.

  "No. Please don’t." Seeing Lex’s confusion, Amanda continued, "I would gladly go through all of that again for what I have gained this past week." She enjoyed the look of comprehension, then pure joy suddenly covering Lex’s face.

  Lex was ecstatic. She scooped Amanda up into her arms. "Funny, I feel the same way." She spun them around, enjoying Amanda’s startled laughter as it floated in the air.

  "Lex, you nut! Put me down before you hurt yourself." Amanda linked her hands around Lex’s neck to keep from flying out of her arms. When she saw that she was in the unique position of finally being able to physically see eye to eye with her lover, Amanda took advantage of the opportunity presented and captured Lex’s lips with a vengeance.

  Lex happily returned her offering, accepting the deepening of the contact wholeheartedly. She loosened her grip on her lover slightly as she felt her own legs begin to weaken. "God, Amanda," she whispered huskily, "it’s amazing what you make me feel with just one kiss."

  Amanda smiled against her mouth. "It’s only fair, considering what you can do to me with just one look. You in much of a hurry to get into town?" She slid down Lex’s form slowly, then led her lover to the bed. "I thought we could leave sometime after lunch."

  "Yeah? You have something in mind to do until then?"

  "Yeah," Amanda tugged on Lex’s hand and drew her toward the bed. "Wanna practice?"

  Lex shrugged, her eyes slightly glazed with desire. "You’re the boss."

  Chapter Seventeen

  IT WAS WITH a growing sense of unease that Amanda drove the Mustang up to the bridge. The closer they got, the more she shook. Oh, God…I don’t know if I can do this. She was starting to feel physically ill, until a strong hand covered hers.

  "Stop the car for a minute, Amanda." Lex spoke quietly, but with authority, and Amanda was unable to deny the request. "Please?"

  Lex stepped out of the vehicle as it rolled to a stop, only a few yards from the edge of the newly reconstructed trestle. She walked over to the driver’s side and opened the door, offering Amanda her hand. "Come here," she beckoned, concerned when her companion’s cold clammy hand grasped hers. "We’re gonna take this slow and easy, okay?"

  "No, it’s okay," Amanda managed to choke out.

  "Just let me know when it gets to be too much." She slowly led Amanda to the newly rebuilt structure, pulling her closer against her as they walked forward.

  Amanda took a deep breath, and walked with Lex up to the edge. Before she could feel any panic, however, the arm around her shoulder tightened slightly, and she felt the fear melt away. When she got one foot on the wooden surface, she trembled. Stop it. Lex is here, and she won’t let anything happen, so just get over it. Amanda was angry that an inanimate object could instill such fear into her.

  "Shh. Easy, sweetheart." Lex spoke quietly into her ear, as she would to a spooked horse. "Everything’s going to be okay, I promise." They walked halfway across before she felt Amanda begin to relax.

  Feeling her heartbeat calming, Amanda risked a glance at her protector. Having Lex beside her was like having her own personal security blanket, and she felt her anxiety melt away. She stopped in the middle of the span and turned to envelop herself in Lex’s embrace. "Thank you." She placed a kiss on the chest her face was buried in. "I’m going to be okay now." Looking up at the shadowed face above her, Amanda brightened. "Let’s go get the car and get out of here."

  The rest of the drive into town was uneventful as the two women shared humorous anecdotes from their childhood.

  "…AND THEN HE said, ‘How in the hell did that calf end up wearing my boots?’" Lex finished, while Amanda wiped her eyes from too much laughter.

  Amanda shook her head. "Stop it, please! I’ll never get that picture out of my head. Poor Charlie." She turned the car onto a beautifully landscaped street, where trees draped over the road. Amanda glanced over at her lover, who was beginning to look a little spooked. "We’re almost there. Are you okay?"

  Lex had been looking out of the window, remembering the last time she had driven down this street. Been almost eight months, she thought. Not much has changed. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just feeling a little bit intimidated, I guess. I haven’t been to this part of town in a while."

  "Really? So you’ve been over here before?" Amanda remembered her grandmother saying that Lex was on the Historical Committee, but hadn’t known she had been to their house.

  "Yeah, a couple of months before you moved back here, there was a meeting of the Committee at Mrs. Cauble’s home, and I happened to attend." Lex took a moment to gather the courage to tell her story. "Anyway, the ladies were chatting about some old barn north of town, when the alarms on their cars went off. We all went outside to look, and there were a couple of kids trying to break into the vehicles." She looked down at her lap, unable to meet the gaze across from her. "I wasn’t really thinking, just ran outside while Mrs. Cauble called the police. I caught them, but they tried to get away, and I—" she stopped, unable to continue.

  Amanda pulled the car over when Lex started relating her story, realizing she was having more trouble than she cared to admit telling her tale. "You don’t have to—"

  Shame weighed heavily on her heart, and it took several seconds before Lex could finally looked at her. "Yes, I do. You really need to know what kind of person I can be." She took another deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "They were just a couple of punks, trying to get a little extra money from stuff they could steal. I lost it. Here they were, two dirty teenagers, stealing from ladies I considered friends." Unable to look at Amanda any longer, Lex closed her eyes. "I beat the hell out of them. It took five deputies to pull me off them, and they both spent weeks in the hospital." She slumped down further into her seat. "I’ve been ashamed to show my face in town ever since. I’d just get done what I needed to and get out of town quickly, hoping not too many people notice when I’m here."

  "Oh, Lex." Amanda felt sympathetic tears welling up in her eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. You protected people you care about." She reached a hand over and clasped the distressed woman’s arm.

  Lex opened her eyes and looked at Amanda. "I’m not sure I can agree with you. If you could have just seen the looks on those ladies’ faces." A single tear fell down her face. "I see them almost every night in my dreams. They were horrified, and for good reason." She ran a hand through her hair nervously. "I guess I’m just afraid of seeing that look on your grandmother’s face when you show up with me on her doorstep. I don’t think I could handle that."

  Amanda unbuckled her seat belt so she could get closer to Lex. "No! My grandmother thinks the world of you. We’ve spoken on the phone quite a few times since I’ve been staying with you, and she has said nothing but wonderful things about you." She gave Lex a kiss on the lips. "And if she felt any different,
you know she would have told me."

  Lex sat for a minute, just absorbing what Amanda said. Anna Leigh Cauble was no wilting flower, and if she had a problem with Lex, she certainly wouldn’t have allowed her granddaughter to stay at the ranch, damaged bridge or not. "Yeah, you’re right." She cupped Amanda’s face in her hands and kissed her. "You wanna take me home, now? I think I need to tell Mr. and Mrs. Cauble my intentions toward you."

  Amanda gave her a puzzled look. "Intentions? Why do I have this sudden vision of you standing under my window serenading me?" She laughed nervously, then became somewhat alarmed at Lex’s smug expression.

  "Damn. You figured me out." Lex couldn’t help but chuckle after seeing the shock on her companion’s face. "Don’t worry, I’ll cancel the Mariachi Band."

  Slipping back into the driver’s seat, Amanda laughed again. "You wouldn’t." She looked at Lex’s semi-innocent face. "You would! Don’t you dare!" Amanda buckled back up and steered the small car back onto the street, laughing all the while.

  AMANDA DROVE INTO the tree-lined drive and parked behind a shiny Suburban. "Looks like they’re home." She got out of the car and walked around to the passenger’s side, waiting for her lover to climb out. "Come on, let’s go give them a big surprise." She took Lex’s hand, practically running up the walkway to the door.

  Before she could open the door, it swung wide open, and her grandmother stood smiling in the doorway. "Mandy, you’re home!" She rushed outside, wrapping her arms around Amanda in breathless abandon.

  "Urk. Gramma, calm down," Amanda gasped, as her grandmother squeezed the breath out of her.

  Jacob Cauble stood just inside the doorway, watching with an amused air. "Well, Peanut, we can never accuse you of not making an entrance." He enjoyed the scene until Amanda released her grandmother and came at him full force. "Ugh. Okay, I’m happy to see you, too."