Strength of the Heart

by Carrie Carr

  "Mmm." Lex stretched and leaned into the touch, the cool hand feeling good against her fevered skin. She turned her face and kissed the palm, waking up when she heard the familiar snicker. "Martha?" She was mortified and couldn'st believe she kissed Martha's hand. Lex blinked several times and propped her head up on one hand. "What time is it?"

  "It's almost six in the evening. I think you need to get up and get something in your tummy before it rebels."

  "Six? I've slept that long?"

  "Yep. I'd have let you sleep even longer, but you're nothing but skin and bones. You can'st afford to miss any more meals."

  "Come on, Martha. I'm not going to blow away anytime soon," Lex argued. A tickle on her belly surprised her. "Looks like someone's playing possum." She rolled over slightly. "Ready for dinner?"

  "Oh, yeah," Amanda growled, and blushed when she realized that Martha was sitting on the bed. "Uh, I mean. Oh, damn." She buried her head in the pillow.

  Martha stood. "I think I'll give you girls a chance to get awake. don't be too long, or your dinner will get cold." She quickly excused herself and left the room, much to Amanda's relief.

  "I can'st believe I said that." Amanda lifted the sheets over her face in embarrassment. "She probably thinks I'm some sort of sex maniac, or something," she mumbled from beneath the covers.

  Lex rolled over and began to search for a way to reach her lover. "Come on out of there, you little deviant," she teased, tugging ineffectually at the top of the covers.

  "No." Amanda crawled lower, tightening her grip on the sheet over her head.

  "If it makes you feel any better," Lex offered as she climbed off the bed, "I kissed her hand, cause I thought it was you." She raised the sheets away from the bottom of the bed and peeked under the covers. "Peek-a-boo."

  Amanda glowered at the woman who continued to crawl up her body. "Stop it." She squirmed as Lex's fingers found their way under her shirt. "Lex, I'm warning you."

  "Mmm-hmm." Lex placed kisses along the smooth skin.

  "You two quit playing around and get in here," Martha yelled from the kitchen. "Don't make me come back in there and get you."

  "Busted." Amanda ruffled her fingers through her partner's hair. She dropped a quick kiss on pouting lips and squirmed away. "Come on, Slim. I don't want her catching us in here like this, again." She flipped the covers off the bed and scooted away quickly.

  Lex watched as Amanda grabbed a robe and raced from the room. "Brat."

  When she finally stepped into the kitchen, Lex was pleasantly surprised to see Charlie sitting at the table. "Hi, Charlie. It's good to see you." She sat across from him and next to Amanda.

  "Hello. I was telling everyone what a nice visit I had with your brother today."

  "If the man's on the loose, it couldn'st have been too good. He should be put in jail for the trouble he's caused Lexie," Martha scoffed, setting a large platter on the table.

  Lex stared at her plate. As much as she disliked the man, he was her brother. "How did he look, Charlie? I heard he got beaten."

  "He's got a bunch of tiny little cuts all over his face, and his eyes are black and puffy from the broken nose. But I think the worst of the damage is his mouth."

  "That's not a surprise," Lex muttered.

  Amanda poked her partner in the ribs. "Be nice." She looked up at Charlie, hoping he'd continue. "What's wrong with his mouth?"

  "He's missing several of his teeth, and the swelling is horrible. I never thought I'd say this, but I almost felt sorry for him."

  Lex's fork stopped on the way to her mouth. "He's hurt that badly?"

  "I don't think it's serious, but it certainly looks painful. The doctor I spoke to before I left said that they were going to release him day after tomorrow. He's in for a long haul with an orthodontic surgeon, I'll bet." He accepted a generous helping of roast from Martha. "Thank you."

  "Day after tomorrow?" Lex met Martha's curious glance. "Maybe I should go over and see if he needs anything."

  "You'll do no such thing!" The housekeeper slapped her hand on the table in disgust. "You're fighting off a cold, Lexie. He's not worth the aggravation."

  "He's family, Martha. And--"

  Martha wouldn'st be dissuaded. "No, baby. He's got some of the same blood running though him, that's true; but family wouldn'st act the way he does. And for some of the things he did to you when you were growing up, I can never forgive him." She reached across the table and took one of Lex's hands in hers. "Don't believe for a moment that he's ever going to change. You'll end up getting hurt."

  Lex pushed her plate away, her appetite gone. "But if I don't try, I'm no better than he is. I can'st stop hoping that one day, either sooner or later, he'll come around and be the brother I need him to be."

  "Maybe," Martha conceded. "But I don't want you to open yourself up to being hurt by him."

  "Thanks, Martha. But I understand what an ass he is. You don't have to worry about me." Lex smiled at Martha and released her hand. "Dinner smells great. You're going to spoil us."

  "I'm glad she has a houseful to cook for again. Since Ronnie's out of town on that school trip, I'm the only one benefiting from her cooking." Charlie leaned back and rubbed his stomach. "She keeps it up, and I'm going to have to buy bigger britches."

  Amanda eyed the slim man. "I think you have a ways to go before that happens, Charlie. But I understand what you mean. I bet I gained ten pounds the first month I lived out at the ranch."

  "Yeah, right." Lex leaned over and pinched Amanda in the ribs. "I don't think so, kiddo."

  Amanda slapped Lex's hand away. "Stop that." She was secretly relieved that the all-day nap seemed to have perked up her partner. "Quit picking on me and eat your dinner."

  "Yes, ma'am." Lex brought the plate closer and started eating. "She's worse than Martha, sometimes," she whispered across the table to Charlie. A light slap on her leg caused Lex to concentrate on her food.

  "Teach you to mess with me," Amanda told her.

  Chapter Eleven

  LEX NERVOUSLY SHIFTED the basket of flowers to her right hand. She paused before knocking on the door, unsure of why she was there. She was about to turn away, when the door opened and a middle-aged nurse smiled at her.

  "Oh. I didn'st realize Mr. Walters had a visitor. I'm afraid I just gave him something for pain, but you're welcome to come in for a minute and see him." She stepped back and waved Lex inside.

  "Uh, sure." Lex followed her into the room. "Thanks."

  "No problem. If you need anything, just give me a buzz."

  Hubert's head was turned away from Lex, so she couldn'st see if he was even awake. She decided to leave the flowers and sneak out of the room. She stepped closer to set the basket on the nearby table.

  When Hubert heard feet shuffling by his bed, he spun his head around fearfully. With his eyes swollen, it took a moment for him to realize who was in his room. "Who's here?"

  "Hello, Hubert. Thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing." Lex placed the flowers on the table and put her hands in her pockets. "How are you feeling?"

  "Whu do you care?" he mumbled painfully. "Did you cobe here do gload?"

  "No. Like it or not, we're family. And no matter what's been between us in the past, I care about what happens to you." Lex stepped closer and studied his face, frowning sympathetically. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

  "Puck you! You dink you so buch bedder dan me."

  Even though she was used to his attitude, Lex felt the stab of each vicious word. "No, I never--"

  He pointed a finger at Lex, who had backed up a step. "Idn'st id bad enoup you killed our podder? Do you habe do come in here and lord id ober me, doo?"

  "I didn'st." Lex tripped over a chair as she tried to back away from his hatred. "That's not what happened, Hubert. He asked me to help him."

  "Bitch! You killed him. Just so you could ged your hands on de wanch."

  Lex picked herself off the floor. "No. It was what he wanted. Dad didn'st want to di
e in the hospital, Hubert. If you'd come to see him when he was here, he would have told you."

  Hubert wrinkled his face as if he were trying to spit. "Bulldid! I was doo budy working. He neber wiked me anyway." He reached for the glass of water on the table and took a noisy sip through the straw. Hubert glared at his sister after draining the glass. "You couldn'st waid for him to die, so you killed him."

  "That's not true. He was very sick, and the doctors told us it was only a matter of time. At least he died happy." She ducked as her brother threw the empty glass across the room, almost hitting her in the head.

  "Ged oud," he yelled.

  The nurse from earlier almost ran into the room. "What on earth is going on in here?"

  "I was just leaving." Lex started to step around the nurse when she slipped on the broken glass and fell to one knee. "Damn." She got up quickly and raced from the room.

  TWINKLING BLUE EYES studied the woman on the bench. "Well, well. Who do we have here?" Janna stood directly in front of the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "You look like you're waiting for someone."

  "I am, you big goofball." Barbara scooted over so there was room enough for two on the outdoor bench. She had been sitting in the town square for almost ten minutes, waiting for Janna to show. "I hope you brought something decent for lunch; I'm starved."

  "Now it comes out. You only hang around me for my food gathering skills." Janna sat and dug through a large paper bag.

  "Depends on what you brought." They had been seeing each other since New Year's Eve, when Janna defended Barbara from Hubert's attack at the Ladies Auxiliary dance. "It better not be another greasy hamburger. Thanks to you, I've gained five pounds in the last couple of months."

  Janna pulled a wrapped bundle from the bag. "You're safe, this time. It's a submarine sandwich from the deli on the corner." She took the other package and set the crumpled bag on the bench beside her. "And for your information, you're too skinny. So I wouldn'st worry about it if I were you."

  They ate their lunch in silence, both enjoying the crisp spring day. A large, dark green truck rumbled by, coming to a stop on the other side of the square from where they sat. It parked underneath a group of shade trees, but the driver made no attempt to leave the cab. Barbara had finished her sandwich and studied the vehicle. "Isn'st that Lex's new truck?" she asked Janna. "I wonder what she's doing just sitting there."

  "I think you're right. Maybe she just needed a quiet place to rest. Things have been rough for her lately." Janna strained to see inside the truck. "The windows are too darkly tinted. Maybe I should go over and see if she's okay." Noticing a garbage can on the other side of the street, she stood and gathered their trash. "I'll be right back."

  Barbara watched Janna walk purposefully across the street. They had frequently exchanged kisses, and she didn'st know how much longer she could keep from pushing their relationship to the next level. Janna had been almost shy in their courtship, which only endeared her to Barbara even more.

  Tossing the handful of trash into the nearby garbage can, Janna cut a quick glance at the side window of the truck. The driver's head was against the steering wheel, her face unreadable. Torn between worry and the awareness her friend might want to be alone, Janna looked across the street to where Barbara was sitting. She shrugged her shoulders, and sighed when her girlfriend made a shooing motion with her hands. Janna gathered her courage and tapped lightly on the window.

  "Of all the stupid, idiotic things to do, Lexington, that had to be top of the list. The sorry bastard will never change. Why do you subject yourself to him over and over?" A light knock on the window broke into Lex's self-chastising. Struggling to control the tears, which coursed down her face, she refused to look up. She hoped if she ignored them, whoever it was would get the hint and go away. A heavier, more insistent knock belied that possibility. "Shit. Go way." She didn'st bother to raise her head.

  Janna heard the entreaty, but her concern outweighed her good sense. "Lex?"

  "Leave me the hell alone," Lex yelled, not caring who was at the window. "Just," her voice broke, "go away, please."

  Janna opened the door, ignoring the half-sobbed plea. "I'm sorry. I can'st do that, Lex." She touched Lex's shoulder. "Friends don't let other friends hurt. Are you hurt?"

  Lex sniffled and wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. "No. Just stupid." She took a tissue from the box in the truck's console and blew her nose.

  "You could be called a lot of things, my friend, but stupid isn'st one of them." Janna put her hand on Lex's shoulder. "Is there something I can do? Maybe go kick someone's ass for you?"

  Unable to help herself, Lex laughed. "Uh, no. Somebody beat you to it." She turned her head and looked into Janna's concerned face. "You haven'st seen Hubert lately, have you?"

  "No. Should I have?" Janna's face reddened in anger. "Did he do something to you?"

  "No, not really. He's in the hospital, and I made the mistake of going to see him."

  "Hospital? What happened to him?"

  "Someone kicked his ass," Lex responded drolly. "Real good, too."

  "Good! Sorry. I realize he's your brother, but--"

  "But he's a huge pain in the ass." Lex took a deep breath and wiped her eyes again. "Sorry I yelled at you."

  "No problem. Barbara and I were just about to run over to the diner for chocolate shakes. You want to come?" Although it wasn'st exactly true, Janna hated to see Lex sit around by herself when she was in this state. "Come on, you can help me convince Barbara she's not fat."

  Lex stepped out of the truck and closed the door. "Are you having that problem, too? Amanda swears Martha's cooking has made her put on weight." She felt the reassuring arm around her shoulders and leaned into the embrace.

  Barbara watched as the two women walked across the street, Janna's arm around Lex. Although they were close to the same height, the difference in their appearance was virtually night and day. Lex had the dark good looks, with the long dark hair, while Janna's light blonde hair was short, and her eyes several shades lighter than Lex's. She studied both forms appreciatively, then frowned.

  "What's up, babe?" Janna asked.

  "Lex, what happened to your leg? You're bleeding." Barbara stood and pointed to the torn faded denim covering Lex's knee.

  Both women stopped, and Janna squatted to check out the injury. "Damn, Lex. This looks nasty." She looked back up her. "What did you do?"

  "I dunno." Lex allowed the two women to guide her to the bench as she puzzled over the origin of the gash. "Oh. I must have cut it when I fell. No big deal." She looked down at the torn denim. "It doesn'st hurt."

  "When did you fall?" Barbara asked as she dabbed at the area with a paper napkin she had saved from her lunch. "You should get this checked out. It looks like there's something in your knee."

  Lex tore the jeans slightly so she could get a better look. "Shit. I must have landed on a piece of glass." She started to pull out the small bloody small wedge of glass, but her hand was captured by Barbara's.

  "Hold on. You could cut your fingers." She folded another paper napkin and wrapped it around the embedded shard. "Hold on, and I'll pull it out for you." Biting her lip, Barbara tugged gently until the piece of glass pulled free. "Good lord, Lex. How were you able to walk with that in there?" She held the offending glass and studied it. The bloody chunk was nearly an inch wide, and about half as long.

  "I honestly didn'st feel it." Lex watched as Janna raced across the town square, ducking into a nearby shop. "Don't tell me she can'st handle the sight of blood."

  Barbara followed her gaze. "I'm not sure. She seemed okay."

  Janna rushed back across the street with a bag in her hand. "Sorry, but I thought we might need some supplies." She dropped down beside where Barbara knelt and pulled a few things from her bag. "That looks painful."

  "Hush." Barbara thumped her on the shoulder and took the items away from her. "Good job. This will work perfectly." She flipped her light brown hair over one shoulder
to keep it out of her way.

  Lex propped one arm on her good leg, and dropped her chin into her open palm. "You're not going to give me stitches, are you?"

  "No, silly. I don't think it's bad. Just needs to be cleaned and bandaged."

  "Good. Cause I don't like needles."

  Janna looked at Lex, trying to decide if she was teasing or not. She felt bad when she saw Lex flinch. "I'm sorry. They didn'st have any of the no-sting ointment. Just the stuff that burns like hell."

  "It's all right. I'll live." Lex continued to watch Barbara work, fascinated by the woman's steady hands. "You do this often? Sure seem good at it."

  "Not really. Although I do some volunteer work at the hospital, it's nothing like this." She taped the small gash closed with a couple of butterfly bandages, then covered it with a gauze pad. "There. That should take care of it. But you might want to let a doctor check it out and make sure there's no more glass under your skin."

  "Nah. I think you got it." Lex stood and gingerly put weight on the injured leg. "You'sve got a nice touch, Barbara. It doesn'st even hurt. Thanks."

  "You're welcome." Barbara stood and handed the supplies to Janna, who put them back in her bag. Surveying her repair work, she observed, "I'm afraid your jeans are ruined."

  "Nah. I'll just bribe Martha, and she'll patch them up, good as new. She's used to it. How about I buy the chocolate shakes, for taking such good care of me?"

  Barbara peered over at Janna, who suddenly looked extremely guilty. She linked her arm with Lex's. "Sounds good to me, cutie."

  Janna watched as the two women headed for the diner, arm in arm. "Oh, sure. Run off with my woman, why don't you." She jogged to catch up with them.

  AMANDA WAS SPENDING the afternoon with her grandparents and Travis at their home. She enjoyed the stories Travis told of a young Lex. It seemed the four-year old constantly found things to get into. Amanda admitted some things never changed. She sat on the floor next to the sofa, where Anna Leigh and Jacob snuggled together.