by Carrie Carr
Jacob felt Anna Leigh tense beside him. He had to squeeze her arm to keep her from going off on the man. "Did you know Frank at all?" he asked. "Do you have any idea how close he was to not only Amanda, but Lex, too? He loved Amanda like a sister, you know."
"I'd heard him mention her," Veronica said quietly. She raised her head to look at the other couple. "I remember not long after they met. He talked about her so much, I just knew he'd bring her home to meet us, one day."
Anna Leigh laughed. "We thought the same thing. All Mandy ever talked about was 'Frank this,' and 'Frank did that,' when she'd call or visit. I was completely surprised when Jeannie announced her engagement to him. We were afraid she had stolen him from Mandy,
and were quite concerned about the consequences."
"Not long after that, Amanda came for a visit. She was certainly not the heartbroken girl we had been expecting," Jacob continued. "I think I said something like, 'Aren't you upset at losing Frank?' She told me that she was looking forward to having him as a brother."
Harrison sagely nodded. "So, it was losing my son to her sister that made her that way. I see."
"You're an idiot," Anna Leigh said, her temper flaring. "Did you know that your son was the first person that Amanda came out to? Not us, not her sister, but Frank. He'd always been a brother to her."
"Now, see here," Harrison blustered. "You have no right--"
Anna Leigh had heard enough. "I have more right than you, mister. I'm sick and tired of listening to your bigotry. Either grow up, or shut up."
The room became quiet as Anna Leigh seethed and Harrison regrouped.
Veronica was the first one to break the ice. "Could you tell us about Lorraine? We've missed so much time."
"She's always been quite a handful, but not in a bad way," Anna Leigh said. "Just very rambunctious."
"Sounds a lot like Frank, as a child." Veronica turned to her husband. "Wouldn't you agree, dear?"
He grumbled something, but didn't elaborate.
Jeannie came into the den. "Hi, everyone. Sorry it's taken so long." She sat next to Jacob, who immediately put his arm around her.
"How are you doing, pumpkin?" he asked. In a lower voice, he added, "Are you all right?"
She leaned into him. "It was rough, but we got through it."
Harrison perked up at seeing Jeannie. "Does this mean we'll actually get to see our granddaughter?"
"Damn it, man. Can't you see Jeannie's been through a rough time? Give it a rest," Jacob said.
"It's okay, Grandpa." Jeannie sat up and ran her hand through her hair. "Lex and Amanda will be bringing her down in a few minutes."
Anna Leigh turned to her. "How is Lexington?"
"I'm fine," Lex answered from the doorway, where Lorrie stood in front of her. Beside her was Amanda, who had her arm around Lex's waist.
"That's up for debate." Amanda allowed Lex to go in front of her. But the look on her face wasn't a pleasant one. It was obvious they had disagreed on Lex coming downstairs.
For once, Harrison Rivers was speechless, as he saw his granddaughter for the first time. His eyes never left her as Lex led Lorrie around the sofa, finally taking a seat on the second loveseat.
In an unusual bout of shyness, Lorrie climbed into Lex's lap and tucked her head against Lex's shoulder.
Veronica leaned forward, and in a soft voice, said, "Lorraine?" When she didn't get any response, she tried again. "Lorrie?"
Lorrie turned around and faced the two strangers. "Hi." She looked at the well-dressed older couple. "Are you here for Thanksgiving?"
"Actually," Harrison finally found his voice, "we're here to see you."
Unaware of the tension in the room, Lorrie slid from Lex's lap and moved to sit closer to them. She sat on the oak coffee table, not far from Veronica. "Really? Where do you live?"
"We have a house in Los Angeles. Have you ever been there?" Veronica's voice shook and she clinched her fingers together to keep from grabbing the little girl.
"I don't think so." Lorrie turned back to Lex. "Have I, Momma?"
Lex shook her head. "Not since you were born."
Seeing that things were under control, Anna Leigh took Jacob by the hand. "I think we'll go see about helping Martha and Charlie in the kitchen."
Lorrie scooted closer to Veronica and Harrison. "You're really my grandma and grandpa?"
"We are." Harrison took the soggy cigar from his mouth and tucked it into his jacket pocket.
"How come I've never seen you before?" Lorrie was still trying to wrap her mind around everything. "Didn't you want me?"
Veronica could no longer stop herself from taking Lorrie's hands. "That's not it at all, darling. We want you very much."
"Then, how come you're just now here?"
Harrison took over. "It's quite complicated, young lady. My work took us out of the country for many years, until recently." Now that he was faced with the reality of Lorrie, he wasn't certain how to interact with her. "You do understand the concept of work, don't you?"
"Yep. Momma works here at the ranch, and Mommy used to work in town." Lorrie turned to her parents. "Right?"
"Very well." Harrison straightened his tie. "My work was much more complex, but I'm glad you get the idea."
Lorrie frowned at his words. "Do you not work anymore?"
"No, I've retired."
"Does that mean you're going to come here to live? My Grandpa Travis moved here after he retired." Lorrie's face saddened. "He died."
Veronica rubbed Lorrie's hands. "We're sorry to hear that, honey. But we can't live here, because we have a home in Los Angeles. Would you like to come and visit, sometime?"
"I dunno." Lorrie turned to her parents. "Can I?"
Amanda squeezed Lex's hand before answering. "We'll see, sweetie."
"Perhaps you all would like to come," Veronica offered. She ignored the sudden gasp from her husband. "Jeannie, that means you and your family, as well."
Jeannie gave her a sad smile. "I think we'd like that, Veronica."
Everyone turned toward the doorway when they heard Charlie announce, "Come on, folks. Lunch is ready."
Lorrie gave Veronica a hug. "Come on. Mada's the best cook, ever!" She smiled at Harrison, and hurried across the room to take Charlie's hand. "Right, Grandpa?"
"You betcha," Charlie agreed, leading her across the hall to the dining room.
Veronica watched her leave. "She's a lovely girl," she said to Lex and Amanda.
Lex slowly got to her feet, trying not to groan at the aches. "Thank you, Mrs. Rivers. We're very proud of her."
"Please, call me Veronica." She stood and held out her hand. "After all, we're family, aren't we?"
Harrison had heard enough. "Now, hold on. I don't think--"
Veronica turned to him. "Hush. I'm not going to let you ruin this." Her smile was genuine as she shook Lex's hand. "Right, Lexington?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lex saw a glint of Frank in his mother's eyes. She held out her arm. "Ready for lunch?"
"I am, thank you." Veronica took Lex's arm, leaving her husband behind.
Amanda grinned at Harrison. "Guess that leaves you and me, doesn't it?"
His panicked look said it all, as Amanda took one arm and Jeannie took the other. "I, ah, well--"
"Might as well give up, Harrison," Jeannie said. "I think you're outnumbered."
AFTER LUNCH, LORRIE was given permission to show her new grandparents around the ranch. She took Veronica by the hand and led them through the back door. "This is where we play most of the time," she told them, sounding like a seasoned tour-guide. "Over there's the sandbox where I used to play when I was a little kid. My sister still plays in it, sometimes, with my Momma and Mommy."
Harrison looked around the fenced-in yard. Besides the sandbox, there was an expansive swing set, all surrounded by a three-foot white picket fence. "Do you like it here, Lorraine?"
"Sure." She seemed confused by the question. "Don't you like it?"
"Well, um, o
f course. It's very, ah, nice."
Lorrie opened the gate. "You've got to hurry. If Freckles sees us leave, she'll want to come." Once they were all through, she closed and latched it. "She's not allowed, because the horses don't like her very much."
Almost as if hearing Lorrie, Freckles suddenly bounded out of the pet door and into the yard. She stopped at the gate and barked.
"Hush, Freckles. We'll be back in a little while." Lorrie stuck her hand through the fence and brushed the rat terrier's head. "Be a good girl and go back in the house."
The dog barked again, then sat by the gate.
Lorrie looked up at the adults. "She'll get tired of waiting and go back inside in a little while. She always does." Once again she took Veronica's hand. "Can I call you Grandma?"
"I think I'd like that a lot, darling." Veronica allowed herself to be led toward an impressive looking barn. "Goodness, that's large."
"Momma says the horses have it better than she did when she was a little kid," Lorrie said, as she opened the barn door. "Mommy says she's full of bull."
Even Harrison snorted at that comment. When they stepped inside, he nodded his head. "Very nicely done," he said under his breath. "How many horses do you have, Lorraine?"
She turned to look at him. "You can call me Lorrie, if you want. I only get called Lorraine when I get into trouble."
"Very well. And you may call me grandfather, if you'd like."
"Okay." Lorrie tugged on Veronica's hand until they were in front of one of the stalls. "This is Mine." She climbed the wooden slats of the gate and rubbed the horse's nose.
Veronica took a step back. "What's its name?"
"Mine." When Lorrie noticed the confusion on Veronica's face, she laughed. "Momma says when I was little, I thought everything was mine, so I sorta named her." Lorrie sat on the top rung of the stall and faced her grandparents. "Do you have horses where you live?"
Harrison laughed. "Of course not. We live in a city with millions of people."
"Oh." Lorrie seriously considered his answer. "Do you like it?"
"Of course, we do." Harrison turned to his wife. "Don't we, Veronica?"
Veronica stepped closer to the stall and cautiously glanced at Mine. "It has its perks, I suppose. We haven't stayed there long enough for me to know. I'm sure you'd enjoy it. With your parents, of course."
"Hrumph. Parents, indeed," Harrison grumbled.
"Not another word, Harrison." Veronica glared at him.
He cleared his throat. "Are we about finished, Lorraine? We really should be getting back to our hotel."
"Sure, Grandpa, I mean, Grandfather." Lorrie jumped from the top of the stall. "Will you be back tomorrow?"
"We'll see," he hedged. Now that he had gotten his wish to see his granddaughter, Harrison was ready to move on. "We have things to attend to at home, I'm sure."
Veronica ignored him. "I'm sure we'll see you again real soon, Lorrie." She gave her husband another dirty look. "At least one of us will."
RODNEY FOLDED THE blood pressure cuff and placed it in his bag. He gave Michael and Lois a reassuring smile. "You seem to be doing better, Mike. Your blood pressure is down. But I'd still feel a lot better if we'd take a trip to the office for a more thorough checkup."
"What do you think caused it?" Lois asked.
"I really can't say, without more tests."
Michael sat up and rubbed his jaw with one hand. "It's my heart, isn't it?"
"That's one possibility," Rodney said. "Perhaps a blocked artery. If that's what we have, we may be able to treat it with medication. But, I'll have to run some tests to be certain."
Lois stood. "Then that's what we'll do. Should we go to the hospital?"
"I can do most of them at my office. Let me go tell Jeannie, and we'll leave soon."
Michael started to argue, but the look on Lois' face kept him quiet. "Thank you, Rodney. Looks like we'll owe you one."
"You can pay me back by getting better." Rodney put his stethoscope in the bag. "And maybe a night of babysitting."
"It's a deal." Lois hugged him and kissed his cheek. Once Rodney left the room, she lightly slapped her husband on the shoulder. "Next time, maybe you'll listen to me."
Michael pulled her into his arms. "Where's the fun in that?" He cupped her face with his hands. "I'm sorry I worried you, Lois. I promise to do better."
"See that you do," she said, before kissing him. "We've got grandkids to spoil, and I don't want to do it alone."
"You won't, I promise." Michael kissed her again, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.
AMANDA CLOSED THE front door and let out a heavy breath. She looked at Lex, who was casually leaning on the doorway to the den. "Why do we always have holidays like this?"
"Like what, sweetheart?" When Amanda came even with her, Lex put her arm around her waist.
"Non-stop chaos."
Lex laughed. "It was pretty wild, wasn't it?" She bit off a groan when Amanda's arm came too close to her injured back.
"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Amanda asked, leading the way toward the stairs.
"Nah."
"Liar."
As they trudged up toward their bedroom, they could hear the sound of their children's laughter. "I wonder which room they're destroying," Amanda asked. She noticed Melanie's door was closed, which answered her question.
"Do you think we should put them to bed?" Lex stopped at their bedroom.
Amanda shook her head. "Not yet. They've had a pretty stressful day. Let them play for a while. There's no school tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me." Lex took Amanda's hand and led her into their bedroom. "That was nice of Lois to call after your dad's tests were complete. Although plaque in the arteries is nothing to sneeze at, I'm glad they can control it with medication. I was really worried about him today."
Carefully peeling Lex's sweatshirt off, Amanda tossed it in a nearby chair. "Turn around." She checked the bandage for any seepage, and was relieved to find it clean. "I was pretty worried about you, too," she whispered.
Lex turned and looked into her eyes. "Hey, everything turned out okay. And once we catch the horse, it'll go into the corral by the bunkhouse. Let the guys take care of it. How's that sound?"
"Too late. I called Ronnie earlier and told him to come get that monster. I don't want it anywhere near you or the kids."
"You did? When?"
Amanda sighed. "Right before dinner. I'm sorry, Lex. I know you handle the ranch, but there was no way in hell I could look at that horse again without wanting to put it out of its misery."
"That's all right. I totally understand."
"So much could have gone wrong. Teddy. You, even Lorrie." Blinking the tears from her eyes, Amanda leaned into Lex's chest.
"I know, sweetheart. But it didn't. And we were finally able to tell Lorrie the entire truth about everything. That's got to count for something, right?"
Amanda nodded. "I was terrified. What if she wanted to go back to Jeannie?"
At this, Lex laughed. "You're kidding, right? Lorrie is so much our kid, I don't think there's anything that can tear her away."
"Don't sound so smug. I saw the look on your face, too."
Lex cleared her throat. "Uh, well--" her stammering was cut short by the feel of Amanda's lips on hers. All thought left her head, as she was tugged toward the bed.
Chapter Twelve
THE SILVER-HAIRED man hummed along to the music that came from the office supply store's overhead speakers, as he dusted the display of computer paper. He seemed perfectly content at his job and nearly dropped the feather duster when he heard a throat clear behind him. He turned around and smiled at the well-endowed blonde who stood a few feet away. "Hi. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Oh, yeah," she purred with a sultry grin. She made a point of eyeing his nametag. "What time do you get off, Hubert?"
He swallowed heavily and brushed a hand down the green uniform vest he wore. "Three, but, um, well, Miss, I'm afraid--"
The blonde winked a green eye at him. "There's nothing to be afraid of, hon." She stepped closer and backed him into the shelves.
"No, really. I'm engaged. I mean, I'm flattered, but--"
She ran a finger across the buttons on his shirt. "Sssh."
Hubert ducked beneath her hand and slipped away. Something about her was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place her face. Not to mention she was at least twenty-five years his junior. "Do I know you?"
"Maybe." She touched his close-cropped beard. "Although, I don't remember this."
"Uh--"
She laughed at his discomfort. "Meet me at the sandwich shop on the corner after you get off work, and I'll answer your question." At his panicked look, she kissed her finger and placed it on his lips. "Just to talk, I promise." Before she walked away, she turned and pointed at him. "It really would be in your best interest to meet me, Hubert Walters." She blew him a kiss and left.
Hubert watched as the woman left the store. "How did she know my last name?" He looked around to see if anyone had witnessed their encounter. "The last thing I need is for Larry to see me with another woman." Larry Buchanan was his fiancée's father, and the owner of the store.
When Hubert was released from prison two years prior, he decided to stay in Oklahoma City, since he had nothing in Texas to go back to. As a part of his parole, he was assigned to a church program that was designed to help non-violent offenders ease their way back into society, where he met Ramona Buchanan. Ten years his senior, she was a volunteer counselor at the program. Her gentle friendship slowly broke away at the chip that had always been on his shoulder.
It took over a year before Ramona would even agree to go on a date, and she had declined the first two times he asked her to marry him. "I'm not about to screw this up," he muttered. Their romance hadn't always been smooth, but he was happier now than he could ever remember being. Hubert looked at his watch, wondering if he could last the two hours until he got off work to find out what the mysterious blonde woman wanted with him.
HUBERT CLOCKED OUT and removed his vest, draping it over one arm. He was almost to the back door when he heard his boss.