The Way Things Should Be

by Carrie Carr

  "Get your filthy hands off me!" Natalie demanded, her voice shrill and hard. She was smacking Lex in the head with her purse, even though she was lying on top of the hapless rancher. "Pervert!"

  Amanda hurried over to rescue her partner. She reached for the nurse and was almost knocked to the floor when the woman redirected her ire at the newcomer. Fending off a violent swing, Amanda yelled, "Watch it!"

  "Dammit, lady, calm down." Lex held one arm over her head in a defensive gesture, while she tried to scoot out from under Natalie. "It's not my fault you fell."

  Even though she straddled Lex's hips, Natalie continued to attack. "You grabbed me in an inappropriate manner, you sick woman." Her arms were tiring, and the purse she swung moved in a slower arc. "You've been looking at me ever since I showed up." One of her blows finally landed, nearly knocking Lex senseless.

  "That's it!" Amanda, tired of the game, got a handful of Natalie's hair and pulled the hysterical woman away from her lover. Once the woman was a few feet away, she knelt and started checking Lex for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

  Lex rose to her elbows and shook her head to clear it. "I don't think so. We didn't fall that far." She looked past Amanda to Natalie, who had stood and was adjusting her clothes. "How about you, Ms. Haverly? Anything broken?"

  The nurse glared at the two women on the floor. "Just my sensibilities, I believe." She crossed to where they were and picked up her bags, causing Lex to flinch. "I don't think this is going to work out very well."

  "Really? What ever gave you that idea?" Lex asked dryly. Tired of the woman's attitude, she decided to tweak the nurse, at least a little. "What's the matter? Did you enjoy lying on me more than you care to admit?"

  Natalie's eyes grew round and her face flushed darkly. "Why, I never!"

  "Maybe you should. You might like it." Lex ignored the look her lover gave her. "But I think you're right, Ms. Haverly that it won't work out. I'm sorry we wasted your day." She got a morbid satisfaction over the gasp of shock that came from the nurse's mouth. "If you'll tell me where to send it, I'll be glad to give you a day's pay for your trouble."

  "No, thank you." Natalie walked to the door, trying to maintain her dignity carting off all her bags in a hasty exit. "Good day." She left the house without looking back.

  "ARE YOU SURE you have to leave tomorrow?" Billy asked Ellie. "We really haven't had much time together." Between his job and both of them sleeping in late, Billy had not seen as much of his sister as he had wanted. He was stretched out on one end of the sofa, with a can of beer balanced on his stomach. An empty pizza box sat in the center of the coffee table. His sister was in a similar position at the opposite end a few feet away.

  Ellie plucked a runaway piece of pepperoni from her shirt and popped it into her mouth. "I'd really like to get back and mend some fences." Slightly drunk herself, she giggled at her terminology. "Mend fences. Get it?"

  "That's bad." Once Ellie's mirth had died down, Billy changed the subject. "You keep telling me all about this 'Amanda' person, El, but what's your cousin like? You've hardly mentioned her." His sister's crush on the woman was evident, and Billy hoped that when she got her heart broken, it would heal quickly.

  Giving the question serious thought, Ellie finished off her beer, then belched. What would be the best way to describe the person who seemed to take Amanda's love for granted? She still thought that Lex wasn't good enough for Amanda, but wasn't about to get into that with her brother. "Well, for starters, she's about your age, although she seems older than me most of the time." Ellie couldn't get over how serious her cousin was. She assumed it was because of the huge responsibility of running the ranch, but she thought that Lex needed to lighten up. A lot. "She has dark hair which looks kind of reddish in the sunlight, and her eyes are such a deep blue, they're almost purple."

  "No, not the physical stuff." Billy couldn't keep the lecherous grin from his face. Once he had gotten over his shock at Ellie's announcement, he found the whole thing incredibly funny. "But then again, she sounds pretty hot." He got off the sofa and padded barefoot into the kitchen. "Want another beer?" he hollered. Not waiting for an answer, he brought two more cans and handed one to his sister before resuming his reclining position. "So, are you sure that this hottie cousin of yours is gay? Maybe she just hasn't met the right guy."

  Ellie drained her beer, put the empty can on the coffee table, and then popped the top on the new one. Her cousin wasn't some swaggering butch, but it was very evident in how Lex carried herself that she was more than comfortable in her sexuality. "Trust me, little brother, there's not a guy alive that could change Lex. Besides, like I told you before, she's happy with Amanda." She hated to admit it, even to herself, but Ellie felt very plain compared to Lex. Given her mousy brown hair and slight build, she knew that she was no match in the looks department.

  "Well, you can't blame me for thinking it." He tipped the can to his lips and took several deep swallows. "Will you come back and visit? I'd hate to think that I'd never see you again."

  "Of course I will. And, planes go both ways, you know."

  Billy shrugged. "Maybe." Then he brightened, and sat up a bit straighter. "Want to go out and pick up a couple of chicks? I promise not to give you leftovers."

  "Leftovers? Give me a break. I'd probably have to get two and share." Ellie kicked at her brother, who kicked back in response. "And no, we're not going anywhere. I can't even remember how many beers I've had."

  "I guess you're right." He fingered the rings in his eyebrow. "You never said anything about how I looked. Didn't you notice?"

  Ellie sat up shakily and made a point of staring at Billy's face. "Of course I noticed. I didn't say anything because I knew you expected me to. But now that you mention it, you do look a little different." She found herself on her back with her brother leaning over her. "Hey, get off, you big ape." When he started tickling her ribs, she squirmed. "Stop it, snotface!"

  "Different? That's all you can say?" Billy continued to tickle his sister. Once the air had been cleared, they'd easily reverted back to the old camaraderie they had when they were much younger.

  "Yeah," Ellie forced out between gales of laughter. "Did you cut your hair?"

  "Watch out, prickly butt." Billy used to tease his sister with that name when she'd do something to make him mad. The nickname would upset her and their mother mainly because it hit too close to home. Now he'd used it just to see what would happen. "I'll take you downtown and get you a tattoo."

  Finally able to kick her brother off, Ellie sat up and straightened her shirt. "You wouldn't dare."

  Billy's wicked smirk was the only answer he gave.

  SNUGGLED UP BEHIND Amanda, Lex slept much later than usual. As per her wife's request, she had come back to the house early the previous night, and after a quick dinner, the two of them retired upstairs. Sated and relaxed in sleep, she didn't hear the back door to the house slam or the racing boots that hit the stairs. The pounding on their door did wake her up, and Lex rolled over and grabbed her sleep shirt from the floor. "Come in."

  "Lex! I think--" Ronnie paused, suddenly realizing where he was. His face turned scarlet, and he turned to face away from the bed. "You need to get down to the stables, quick. I think that new filly is sick or something."

  "Give me a second, and I'll be right there." She wasn't worried about Ronnie turning around, so she swung the covers from her legs and climbed out of bed.

  The commotion finally caused Amanda to stir. "What's the matter?" she asked, partially sitting up and rubbing her eyes, before she realized that Ronnie was standing in the door. Her nightgown was lying across the room, so she pulled the sheet up over her breasts.

  Ronnie heard the rustling on the bed and was afraid he was going to hyperventilate. "I'll meet you downstairs." He was out of the room before either woman could say another word.

  "He's so cute." Amanda watched Lex dress. "Did I hear him say something about the stables?"

  "Yeah. Evidently the horse that thr
ew me is sick. Probably just colicky or something, but I'd better check it out." Lex had put Ronnie in charge of the stables, and she had never regretted the decision. More than once his vigilance had kept a problem from getting out of control. "I'll see you for breakfast in a bit." She met Amanda halfway and shared a long, heart-pounding kiss. "Whoa."

  Amanda grinned. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have breakfast in bed?" Before she could be answered, a soft squeak was heard from the crib.

  "No, but I'm thinking that someone else is ready for breakfast. I love you." Lex kissed Amanda again before leaving the room in a hurry.

  Ronnie stood at the foot of the stairs, still embarrassed. "I'm sorry about bothering you this morning." He took his work at the ranch seriously, and didn't want her to think he couldn't handle it. "But I wasn't too sure what to do."

  "Don't worry about it." Hoping to ease the boy's discomfort, Lex put one arm around his shoulders while they moved to the back door. Once outside, the cool morning made her wish that she'd put on more than just a tee shirt with her jeans and boots. She quickened her pace, wanting to be in out of the chill quickly. It wasn't long before they were inside the barn, and without even a closer examination, Lex knew something was seriously wrong. In the stall, the filly was on her side with her head away from the door. She wasn't moving, and Lex knew without a doubt she was dead. "Did you go inside?"

  "No, ma'am. I saw her lying there and went right up to get you."

  Lex nodded. "Good man." She unhitched the stable door. "Would you mind going back up to the house and asking Martha to call the vet? She's got the number by the phone."

  "Okay. Then do you want me to come back here?" Ronnie didn't mention to Lex that he could have just called from the barn. He figured that she had a reason for what she said, and he wasn't about to question it.

  "Yeah. Call the bunkhouse while you're there and have the men come down. We'll move the rest of the horses up there." She knelt by the filly and ran her hand across the animal's neck. "I want them all in separate stalls until we find out what caused this."

  Ronnie's eyes widened. "She's dead, isn't she?" He felt the weight of failure weigh heavily on his shoulders. "Maybe I should have stayed with her and just called you from here." My first real responsibility on the ranch, and I screwed it up. Lex is never going to trust me again.

  Turning her head at the catch in his voice, Lex realized what Ronnie must have been thinking. "You did exactly the right thing, son. She's been dead for at least a few hours as far as I can tell. There wasn't anything you could have done different. You understand?"

  "Yes, ma'am." He raced from the barn, still upset.

  Lex continued to study the dead animal for any traces of what may have caused her death. The filly's head was partially obscured by the straw that covered the bottom of the stall, so she gently brushed it away, only to pull her hand back in surprise. A wire was pulled taut around the dead animal's throat, just under the jaw and behind the ears. She could see a narrow band of blood beneath the wire, and the horse's tongue was swollen and protruding from its mouth.

  "Sonofabitch." The sound of the phone on the stable wall ringing startled Lex, and she got to her feet and crossed the building to answer it.

  Martha's exasperated tone came through the line. "Lexie, I was trying to get Dr. Hernandez on the phone, when this other call came in. The man says it's important, and he won't take no for an answer."

  "That's okay. Put him through, and I'll see what he wants. Probably just an overly obnoxious salesman." Even Lex didn't believe what she said, and she waited patiently while Martha conferenced the two lines. "This is Lex Walters."

  A gravelly voice spoke, so low that Lex had to strain to hear. "How's business?"

  "Who the hell is this?"

  "It's a shame about that little horse. But that's how things are in the ranching business, isn't it, Walters? You just never know what's going to happen."

  Her suspicions confirmed, Lex turned to face the door to keep an eye out for Ronnie's return. "Now you listen to me, you bastard. I don't know why--"

  "You know exactly why." He laughed, an eerie sound that was anything but friendly. "You've got something we want. But since you've been so stubborn, all I'll give you is what you paid for the property, nothing more."

  "Go to hell." Lex slammed the phone down so hard it almost knocked the unit off the wall. She honestly didn't even want the land anymore, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let someone extort it from her. "Asshole."

  Chapter Seventeen

  ELLIE WATCHED THROUGH the window as Los Angeles grew smaller. She couldn't help but sigh. She hated that she had spent so many years estranged from her younger brother, who had turned out to be a lot better person than she ever hoped to be. Although his clothing, hair and appearance weren't quite what she had expected, Ellie was proud of the man Billy had become. She looked down at her own clothes. Her jeans and gray tee shirt were old but clean. The white sneakers on her feet were scuffed and could stand to be replaced. The first thing she'd have to do once she was back in Somerville was ask her grandfather or Amanda where she could buy some decent clothes. I need to get a job, but I'll never be hired dressed like this. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life sponging off her family, no matter what her mother said.

  Before Billy had taken her to the airport, Ellie tried once again to reason with her mother. The short argument had hurt, especially when Naomi insinuated that the only reason Ellie was going back to Texas was so that she wouldn't have to go back to work. Even Billy's voice on the line couldn't calm Naomi, and Ellie boarded the plane with the dread that she'd never see her family again.

  She thought about what kind of employment she might be able to get in Somerville, since she didn't think there would be very many job openings in her line of work. Waiting tables was out, since she had never been very coordinated and could never remember what anyone's order was. She had spent an entire summer mowing yards to help put herself through school, but the thought of doing that again at her age wasn't exactly heartening. "I could always see if Lex has any openings out at the ranch that I can handle." But the thought of asking her hard-nosed cousin for a job was even more humiliating than listening to her mother rant about her failures.

  The plane touched down before Ellie could make any type of decision, and she was leaving the terminal when a man not much taller than she stopped her. "Excuse me, Miss Gordon?" He was dressed casually in khaki slacks and a white short-sleeved shirt, but there was something familiar about him.

  "Yes?"

  "I'm Mr. Edwards' driver. He sent me inside for you." The man reached up to tip his hat, before realizing he wasn't wearing one. "Sorry. I'm not quite used to the new 'uniform.'"

  Ellie smiled. "My grandfather is here? How did he know I'd be coming in today?" She was about to adjust her duffel bag over her shoulder when the driver took it from her grasp.

  "I'm afraid I don't know, Miss. But if you'll follow me, I'll lead you out to the car." The chauffeur wove his way through the crowd like an expert, pausing every so often to make certain he didn't lose his charge. Once outside, he stopped at a white limousine with tinted windows and opened the trunk for Ellie's bag. Before she could get to the door, he was there, holding it open for her.

  Not used to the star treatment, Ellie almost shrank back. "Um, thanks." She peered inside the vehicle, then quickly climbed in when she saw the smiling visage of her grandfather in the back seat. "Hi!"

  "Hello, there." Travis patted the spot next to him. "Better get in here before Thomas tosses you in." He laughed at the nervous look Ellie gave the driver before she hastily climbed in. "Don't worry, Ellie. I was just kidding."

  "You can never be too sure these days," she muttered, slightly embarrassed. It was going to take some getting used to, having a family that actually had a sense of humor. She embraced her grandfather, happy to see him. "Not that I'm complaining, but how did you know I was coming in today?"

  Travis leaned back in the seat. "
A very nice young gentleman by the name of Billy called me early this morning." He didn't want to tell his granddaughter about the entire conversation, especially the part where Billy made it clear that he would be on the next plane to Texas if he learned of anyone hurting his sister, either physically or emotionally. Once that had been said, the two had found a lot in common and settled down for a long talk about families. "He thought I'd like to be here to meet you, and he was right." Travis watched as several emotions flickered across Ellie's face. "Why didn't you call and tell me yourself?"

  "I guess I didn't want to bother you." How else could Ellie explain her reasoning? She didn't know her grandfather well, and the last thing she wanted to do was wear out her welcome in the only home she had. Her mother had seen to that.

  "The only way you could bother me would be to not let me do things for you. We're family, and that's what family does." Travis didn't know what had transpired in California, but he could tell that Ellie had been through a rough time. "Why don't I get you up to speed on what's been going on here, and then we'll get you settled at the house."

  Suddenly feeling very weary, Ellie leaned until she felt her grandfather's arm around her shoulders. "That sounds like the best offer I've had in a long time, Grandpa." She closed her eyes and concentrated on his soothing voice, saddened by the events he was relating that she'd recently missed.

  LEX STOOD NEXT to Charlie as her men hauled off the remains of the dead filly. The moment she had gotten off the phone with the mystery man, she went to the cottage and asked the sheriff to follow her over to the stables. He was shocked at what she told him, but took very precise notes the entire time. "This was such a waste, Charlie. What kind of sick bastard would kill a horse just to try to scare someone into selling land? It just doesn't make any sense to me."

  "It rarely does. I've been in this job for a lot of years, and I still can't figure out human nature."