by Carrie Carr
Barbara checked to see if Collins was listening, but he was still concentrating on arranging the loan papers. "Uh, no. Janna moved back north a month ago to take care of her family."
Damn. Open mouth and insert foot, Lexington. No wonder she looks so ragged. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay." Barbara jumped as the bank president hung up his phone. "I've got to go." She left the office before Lex could say another word.
Collins stood and gestured toward the door. "If you'll just follow me, we'll get those papers signed so that you can be on your way, Ms. Walters."
"AMANDA, I NEED to tell you something." Ellie took Amanda's hands in hers and scooted closer. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. "Do you remember when I first came here?"
Not sure where the conversation was heading, Amanda nodded. "I do. Why?"
"The first moment I saw you, I became so confused. All my life, I'd been taught that you had to lead a certain life, and anything else was morally wrong." Looking down at their hands, Ellie whispered, "Meeting you, someone who was obviously a good person, threw everything I'd been taught off kilter. Years and years of listening to my mother, who was, to me, as close to a saint as I'd ever meet, went flying out the window."
"A saint?"
Ellie looked up, her face wearing an embarrassed grin. "Yeah. I'd heard all my life how she sacrificed everything to raise me, all by herself, until my step-dad came along. She went to church, taught Sunday school, helped the poor, worked on all sorts of Christian committees. Everybody acted like she was Christ's righthand woman. So, not knowing any better, I thought she was right about everything." She sighed. "And up until I came here, I continued to think that way." She wasn't about to go into how she'd followed Naomi around, spouting Scriptures and damning everyone who didn't think their way, including Billy. Or how her eyes were finally opened when she had been laid off, and her mother refused to help her. No, those things would stay in the past, just as she hoped that the woman sitting next to her would be a part of her future. Ellie brushed a strand of hair away from Amanda's face. "You have no idea how incredibly wonderful you are, do you?"
"Me?" Amanda scoffed. "I don't think so."
"Yes, you." Releasing her grip on Amanda's hand, Ellie rose and stepped away from the sofa. "I see you, every day, taking care of the people in this house without complaint. And it seems like you never get any thanks for it." Before Amanda could protest, she held up one hand. "No, really. My cousin has no idea the things you've sacrificed for her, does she? I've been watching, and I know."
Amanda stood up also. "It's not like that at all, Ellie. We've compromised, not sacrificed. If you're talking about living out here, it was my idea. I love the peace and quiet the ranch offers, and the short drive from town is perfect to help me unwind when I get off work."
"And what about having a family? Is that one of your compromises, too?" Ellie moved closer, until they were almost touching. "Don't you want children?"
The question hit Amanda in one of her most vulnerable spots, and she felt her composure slip. "Of course I do. And when the time is right, I'm sure Lex and I will talk about it."
"But you already know how she feels about kids, don't you?" Hating to see the hurt she'd put in Amanda's eyes, Ellie ran one of her hands down the other woman's arm. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"But it's true. Lex doesn't want kids." Leaning closer, Amanda allowed herself to be pulled into Ellie's arms, accepting the comfort she so desperately needed.
LEX WALKED OUT of the bank feeling better than she had in weeks. She now had no worries about the ranch surviving the coming winter, and she felt more confident in her ability to take care of her family. As she headed back to where she had parked her truck, she noticed a familiar figure watching her from across the street. When they made eye contact, the man darted into the closest alley. "That little bastard." Looking both ways, Lex waited until it was clear before she jogged across the street, intent on having a visit with her watcher.
She was halfway down the length of the alley when she heard something behind her. Before Lex could turn around, she felt something poke her in the back. She stopped.
"I think we need to talk, Ms. Walters."
Holding her hands up even with her shoulders, Lex turned around slowly. "Wilson, wasn't it?" She nodded at the gun he pointed at her. "Is that really necessary?"
"You've made it that way." He gestured with the gun. "Let's go back a little further. I'd hate for someone to disturb our little chat." Never taking his eyes off Lex, Wilson waited until they passed a trash dumpster, then motioned for Lex to put her back against the wall of a building. "That should be far enough."
Lex could feel the rough brick scratching through her shirt and the sensation somehow calmed her. She thought that if she could just keep him talking, that somehow she'd be able to get out of the alley alive. "What's this all about?"
Andrew glanced around, assuring himself they were still alone. "Don't play stupid with me. You know what we want."
"Why? I'll admit it's a nice patch of land, but you don't look like the ranching type." Lex lowered her hands and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to appear nonchalant.
"It's one of the last pieces we need for the resort, and believe me, my employer will do whatever it takes to get it."
Lex pushed off from the wall, which caused Wilson to pull the hammer back on his revolver. "Resort?" Seeing the gun shake in his hand, she held up her own hands again. "Whoa. Easy there."
"I've got a check in my pocket. Sell the property to me, and we can forget this little incident." Andrew was beginning to perspire, and he could feel his stomach begin to knot.
"I can't."
Andrew frowned and stepped closer. "You can't? Dammit, lady, we're not playing around here. If we can't get the property from you, we'll get it from your heirs." He aimed the gun at her chest. "And if not from them, then we'll get it from their heirs." He didn't want to shoot Lexington Walters, but it was either the rancher, or him. And Andrew Wilson hadn't gotten as far as he had without a strong sense of self-preservation.
Lex sensed that the man before her wasn't a killer. "You don't want to do this." She spoke quietly and held out one hand. "Give me the gun before someone gets hurt." As Lex reached for the gun, she saw Wilson's finger tighten on the trigger. The loud report from the gun echoed through the alley, and the birds that had been nesting in nearby trees flew away in a panic.
THE SILENCE IN the room was broken only by the sound of rapid keystrokes as Terence, sitting at the dilapidated desk, hurried to complete a personal challenge. He spied the red digital numbers from the clock across the room, and took a calming breath. He assumed he had at least another couple of hours before he was to meet Liz for lunch, but he didn't want to take any chances.
Liz's increasingly bizarre behavior was only one of the reasons for Terence's change of heart. Fearing what would happen in prison to someone as "delicate" as himself, he didn't want to get caught, and some of the things that Liz was doing were sure to bring about their capture.
Coming face to face with one of the people who their actions had damaged had also had a profound effect on his conscience. Hearing Liz constantly complain about how her eldest daughter was "ruined" and of no use to her helped him realize that the woman was completely incompetent, and again he questioned his role in getting her released from the mental hospital. He hoped that what he was doing would help to relieve at least a part of his guilt.
Terence knew that he couldn't return all the money that he had taken from the Walters woman, but he was determined to do the best that he could. Using the email addresses he had from the original documents, he wrote Lexington Walters and Liz's youngest daughter, explaining what had happened. He also added a heartfelt apology for his part in the scheme and assured them they would never hear from him again. After clicking the "send" key, Terence felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.
He sat for several minutes enjoying the freeing of hi
s conscience, then went back to work and removed from his laptop all traces of what he had done. The last thing he needed was for Liz to start snooping around and find out that he had turned against her. Hearing a knock, he closed the lid of the computer and went to the door, wishing it had a peephole. "Who is it?"
"This is the manager. I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but we've had a severe water leak in the room next to yours, and we need to come in and check your lavatory."
Terence unlocked the door and was shoved back several feet by a hulk of a man whose hairy fists grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. "Hey! Look, buddy, I think you've made a mistake." His worry turned to abject terror when a small woman stepped inside and closed the door. "Liz?"
"What have you been up to, Terence?" she asked sweetly.
"I don't know what you mean," he stammered, watching as she walked around the room, picking up different things and putting them down. "I was going to meet you for lunch, as we planned. I never expected to see you here."
Elizabeth was standing at the desk. She put her hand on the computer, then pulled it away. "It's still warm; imagine that." She picked up the laptop and threw it across the room, where it crashed against the far wall and fell behind the bed. "Don't play games with me." She nodded to her cohort, and he slammed one hand hard into Terence's stomach.
Gagging at the bile rising in his throat, Terence struggled to catch his breath. "No," he sputtered, just as another beefy hand smashed into his ribcage. He felt the distinct snap of bone. Black spots swam before his eyes as he was jerked to his feet again. "Please, Liz." She came toward him. "Don't."
"My dear boy, you've become a liability to me." Elizabeth patted Terence on the cheek, much as she would a child. "Especially because you're expensive and unpredictable." She turned and headed for the door. "Clean this mess up for me, would you, Eddie? Thanks to our friend here, I've got a long vacation to plan."
"Yes, ma'am," the thug said. His grin showed several gaps where he was missing teeth, and he waited until the door closed behind the petite woman before he removed a gun from beneath his jacket. "Let's take a drive."
TIME SEEMED TO stand still for Ellie; she was enjoying holding Amanda in her arms. They stood in the middle of the den, Amanda softly crying while the older woman comforted her by running one hand over her hair. "Sssh. It's okay," Ellie murmured. She used her other hand to lightly rub Amanda's back, hoping that her touch would help soothe away some of the hurt.
For Amanda, it felt good to finally be able to release some of her pent-up emotions. She didn't know why having a family was so important to her, but hearing Lex's negative thoughts on the subject time and time again was more than she could stand. She took a deep breath to try to get herself back under control and pulled back so that she could look Ellie in the eye. "Thanks."
"No problem," Ellie whispered, her voice husky. She watched as Amanda moistened her lips, and her heart began to race. This is it. "Amanda, I--" Ellie leaned forward and closed her eyes.
At that exact moment, Charlie burst into the room with Martha close behind. "Amanda, I'm afraid there's been a problem in town."
Ellie quickly stepped away from Amanda, who had a confused look on her face. Damn!
The sheriff stopped and stared at the two women. I didn't see what I thought I did--or did I?
Amanda stepped out of Ellie's embrace, not too sure what had just transpired between them. Was she about to-- No. We had cleared all that up. Then she remembered that they weren't the only two people in the room and that Charlie had said something to her. She turned toward him. "What did you say?" She saw Martha's tear-stained face behind the sheriff, and Amanda felt her heart jump into her throat. "What kind of problem?"
"I don't have many details yet, but there's been a shooting. They've taken Lex to the hospital." Even as he tried to keep a professional demeanor, the lawman's voice shook with emotion. "I'm on my way in now and thought you'd like a ride." He held out a hand to Amanda, who rushed into his arms.
Ellie tried to keep the disgusted look from her face. Although she had recently reconciled with her cousin, she couldn't help but be angry that even when Lex wasn't present, she interfered with Ellie's attempts to profess her true feelings to Amanda.
Amanda wanted nothing more than to rush out and check on her lover, but the sound of Lorrie's cry from Jeannie's room reminded Amanda of other responsibilities. "The baby. Who's going to take care of her?"
"I'll stay," Ellie offered. She was glad to help and felt that she'd just be in the way when they got to town. And she didn't like the look she was getting from Martha, who had witnessed the same scene as Charlie.
Amanda turned and tried to offer a smile. "Thank you." She allowed Charlie and Martha to lead her from the room, hoping her legs wouldn't fail her.
SOMERVILLE WASN'T A large town, but since the local hospital served most of the county, it boasted a well-staffed emergency room. Usually they dealt with car accidents, broken bones, burns, and after-hours stomach aches. So when they were alerted to two blood-covered individuals being brought in with the words "gunshot" and "lots of blood," the staff readied for them quickly.
The doors opened, and two gurneys were wheeled inside. Directed by one of the nurses, the attendants split up and placed the patients in two different rooms. "This one's lost a lot of blood! I can't find a pulse," the attending physician declared when the bed rolled in. He began to bark out orders, which were muffled as the door closed.
Across the hall, another doctor was taking care of his own patient. "Can you hear me?" He noted the glazed look in the victim's eyes and knew it was most likely due to shock. Being extremely gentle, he pulled the blood-soaked shirt away from the patient's body.
While the doctors did their job, a young deputy entered the emergency room, his uniform splashed with blood. Barely out of college, Brett Shields had taken a job with the sheriff's office in hopes that the training would prepare him for a future career as a police officer in some big city. But after what he had witnessed today, he wasn't so sure he was suited to the field of law enforcement. He stepped up to the nurse's station and waited until the head nurse turned around. "Excuse me, ma'am."
Slender and middle-aged, the RN looked as if she'd seen it all. Her gray hair was cut short, and the glasses she wore reflected the florescent lights overhead. "Yes?"
"I'm here about the two people that were just brought in. Is there any word on their condition?" He hoped to have something to report to the sheriff, who had radioed that he was on his way.
The nurse shook her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. The doctors are busy with them now, but if you'll just have a seat, I'll let you know as soon as I can."
"Thank you." Brett turned to find a place to sit, then looked down at his blood-covered hands, which were shaking. "God." The deputy found his way to a bathroom and scrubbed until his skin was red, knowing that he'd never forget the scene, or the smell. Thinking about what he had witnessed, Brett barely made it to the toilet, where he retched until the dry heaves made him dizzy.
THE RIDE TO town was the longest Amanda could ever remember taking. She sat in the back seat of the sheriff's car, holding Martha's hand and trying to comfort the older woman who was silently trying to comfort her. Several more radio reports came in as they drove, but none could give them any updates or details on exactly what had transpired in the alley across from the bank.
When the hospital came into view, Amanda unbuckled her seat belt and had her door open before the car came to a complete stop. She was halfway to the emergency room door before either Charlie or Martha could climb out of the vehicle.
Once inside, she looked around frantically, trying to find someone who could help her. Several people were seated in chairs that lined the walls, some looking more in need of medical attention than others. A nurse about her own age walked by, and Amanda touched her arm. "Excuse me, I'm looking for some information about my partner."
The nurse stopped and studied the woman before her. "Your
partner?"
Exasperated, Amanda tried to keep from slapping the woman. "Yes, my partner. Her name is Lexington Walters, and she was brought in just a little while ago."
"I'm afraid I can't give out any information at this time." The nurse turned to leave, but the sudden grip on her arm stopped her. "I beg your pardon?"
"Please. I have to know where she is, and if she's okay."
Twisting out of Amanda's grasp, the nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to check with the admitting nurse. I honestly don't know anything." She hurried away, back to pediatrics where she belonged.
Amanda felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Martha's concerned face. "I can't get anyone to help me."
"That's all right, hon. Charlie's going to talk to the head nurse. Being sheriff has its advantages, you know." Martha escorted Amanda to a quiet spot in the waiting area, where they could watch as Charlie spoke to a woman at the nurse's station. While he was talking, a young man in a deputy's uniform stepped up beside him to speak.
Amanda saw the dark splotches on the deputy's uniform and became lightheaded. She wondered if any of the blood belonged to Lex. Sharp pains ripped through her chest at the thought. Wrapping her arms around herself, Amanda leaned forward until her head rested on her thighs. She didn't see Charlie turn and wave.
Martha saw the signal, and she patted Amanda on the back. "Let's go see what's going on." She stood and helped Amanda to her feet, feeling relief at the smile on her husband's face. Everything must be all right if he's grinning like that. One of these days, I'm going to move to Florida and retire, so I don't have to be around while that girl of mine takes years off my life. The trouble she gets into would drive anyone into an early grave. She gladly accepted a hug from Charlie. "She's okay?" Martha asked, as she watched Amanda being led into one of the treatment rooms.