Strength of the Heart

by Carrie Carr

  Kirk Trumbull nodded, the relief showing clearly on his face. He had been up all night trying to figure out how to keep from going to trial. He had never actually made any court appearances, except when he'd sat with Hubert in his attempt to try to take the ranch away from Lex. "So you'sve said, several times. What kind of deal are we talking about here? Time served? Or maybe probation?"

  "You'sve got to be kidding me. We'sve got your client's confession. Not once, but twice." Robert noticed how Hubert's appearance had changed. His several days's growth of beard was liberally peppered with gray, unlike the completely black hair on his head. The clothes he wore were wrinkled and stained, and the man had an unpleasant odor about him. "With the charges brought against you, Mr. Walters, you could be looking at some serious time in the state penitentiary."

  "Bullshit! It was all Bobby's doing. All you have to do is catch him." Hubert looked from the prosecutor to his lawyer. "Help me out here, Kirk."

  "Actually, we'sve already caught Robert Sammons, but he's not talking. You're going to take the fall all by yourself."

  Hubert jumped up. "Fuck that! There's no way I'm taking the blame for what the psycho has done." He grabbed his attorney's arm and pulled, hard. "You need to fix this! Why the hell do I pay you?"

  "Calm down, Hubert." The sweating lawyer pried his fingers from his arm. "Sit down and shut up."

  Hubert grudgingly resumed his seat and glared across the table.

  "If you can'st control your client, Mr. Trumbull, you can discuss this with the judge." Robert waited until both men were silent. "As I was saying, we'd like to save the taxpayers some time and money. So, I'm prepared to offer you a deal. Four years in the state penitentiary, with a chance for parole in two."

  The prisoner leaped to his feet again. "You'sve got to be out of your fucking mind! Four goddamned years? No way in hell."

  Robert gathered up the papers in front of him. "Fine. Go to trial, and when you're found guilty of attempted murder, enjoy spending at least fifteen to twenty years behind bars." He stood and placed the papers in his briefcase.

  "Wait!"

  The prosecutor looked at Kirk, who had stood as well. "Yes?"

  "Give me a couple of minutes with my client, Mr. Campbell. Please?"

  "Certainly. I'll be outside waiting for you."

  Once the prosecutor left the room, Kirk leaned over his friend. "You listen to me, Hubert. We don't have a whole lot of options, here. You're going to go to prison, there's no doubt about it." When his client refused to look at him, Kirk grabbed his shoulder. "Do you understand me, boy? When they find you guilty--"

  "How do you know they will?" Hubert objected, impatiently shoving the hand off his shoulder.

  "Because, they'sve got two confessions from you, idiot. Make no mistake about it, you're going to prison. But it's up to you exactly how long you'll be there."

  Hubert knew he had been defeated and lowered his head into his hands. "All right. Tell him we'sve got a deal."

  WHEN AMANDA OPENED the passenger door of the truck, Lex climbed into the cab gingerly, mindful of the small burns on her back. She was amused as Amanda slipped the seat belt around her and locked it. "Thanks. But you don't have to--"

  "Humor me, all right?" Amanda closed the door and jogged around to the other side. Once she was buckled in, she turned to face Lex. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "Yeah, I'm sure. It's something I need to do." Lex leaned back carefully in the seat as the large vehicle rumbled to life. "But you don't have to stay. I'm sure I can get a ride home."

  Amanda checked all the mirrors and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. "I don't think so. We're in this together. I'll be glad to go with you."

  "Thanks." She closed her eyes and fought off the nagging pain of the burns. "It shouldn'st take long, anyway."

  Fifteen minutes later, Lex, Amanda, and Charlie stood outside a small room. "Thanks for giving me this chance." Lex looked at Amanda, who stared through a two-way glass and watched the inhabitant with some amusement. "What are you giggling at?"

  Amanda looked up, a guilty smile on her face. "Sorry. He looks so different. I don't think I've ever seen him in bright orange." She was getting a deep sense of satisfaction at seeing Hubert in the jail's normal attire.

  "I'm glad you got here when you did. Otherwise, you would have had to drive to Huntsville. He's being transported out in the morning." Charlie put a hand on Lex's arm. "Do you want me to go in with you?"

  "No. I need to do this by myself. But I don't mind if you want to stand out here and keep an eye on things." With a final look at both of them, Lex squared her shoulders and opened the heavy door, closing it quietly behind her.

  Hubert raised his head as the door opened. His face wore several days growth of beard and his normally well-coifed hair sat plastered against his head. His reddened eyes glared into the similar pair that belonged to his sister. "Well, well. Come to gloat, little sister?"

  Lex stood across the table from him, her hands gripping the back of the folding chair. "No, I came to see if there was anything you needed me to do for you before you left." She studied his face for a long moment. "Maybe bring you some shampoo, or an electric razor?"

  "Bitch!" He jumped to his feet, his chair clattering noisily to the floor. Hubert pointed an angry finger at Lex. "This is all your fault. I bet our old man is rolling around in his grave, seeing what you'sve done to me."

  "Don't you dare invoke our father's name with me, you pathetic excuse for a man." Lex placed both hands on the scarred wood and leaned across the table. "He asked for you every day he lay dying in the hospital, but you'd have nothing to do with him. So you have no right to speak of him."

  He reached for her shirt but found his hands batted away almost effortlessly. "Fuck you! At least I didn'st kill him!" Hubert put his hands on his hips. "You disgust me."

  Refusing to be baited, Lex straightened up. "Yeah, well, being considered disgusting by a prick like you really hurts," she retorted, turning and walking back to the door. She stopped and faced him one last time. "I hope you make lots of new friends in prison, big brother. Have fun." Lex stepped through the door and closed it, hearing a muffled yell through the wall. "He's all yours, Charlie. Thanks." She held out her hand to Amanda, who wordlessly took it and walked with her down the hallway.

  THE DRIVE BACK to the ranch house was a quiet one, as Lex continued to mull over the conversation she'd had with her brother. A part of her was hurt that, once again, her brother had disregarded her peace overtures. Another part was angry with herself she had even tried. She continued to stare out the passenger window, torn by her warring emotions.

  "Penny for your thoughts." A soft voice broke through her reverie as a hand squeezed her thigh.

  Lex turned away from the window. "Doubt if they're worth much. I was only thinking."

  "About what?"

  "My own stupidity, I suppose." When Amanda opened her mouth to argue, Lex waved her hand. "No, really. All my life, I've tried to live up to some twisted sense of family where Hubert is concerned. I guess it took all this time to finally realize he's never going to change." She dropped her left hand to cover Amanda's. "It hurts, losing another part of my family."

  "He may have been related to you by blood, but the bastard was never a part of your family." She felt her temper flare at the incarcerated Hubert. "He doesn'st deserve the right to be a Walters. You'sve given your family name more honor by your actions than he could ever hope to buy with his schemes. don't let him take anything away from you. He's not worth wasting another thought over." Amanda removed her hand from the strong grip and used it to turn the truck on to the private road to the ranch.

  "I guess I was hoping for a miracle." Lex brushed her fingers through Amanda's hair. "Thanks."

  Amanda subconsciously tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she fought with the urge to close her eyes. Driving over the old bridge brought a certain sense of déjà vu to her. She got butterflies in her stomach each time she dro
ve across the wooden structure.

  "Amanda?" Lex felt her tense as the truck rumbled through the bridge. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." Once they had crossed through to the other side, Amanda visibly relaxed. "Oh, I almost forgot. Martha wanted us to stop by her house, if you think you're up to it. She's probably whipped up a late lunch, or something." She felt a strong sense of peace as the ranch house came into view. The brick was a pleasant change from the dirty-looking stucco it had replaced. Amanda glanced at Lex, who was also studying the clean lines of their home. Lex had a faraway look on her face, and the edges of her mouth were curved upward into a slight smile. "Whatcha thinking about?"

  "Hmm?" Lex turned and looked at her, which caused her smile to widen. "You."

  Amanda blushed as she parked the large truck behind the house. "Umm--"

  "Hey." Lex touched Amanda's arm. "You're cute when you blush." She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. "Let's go see what's on Martha's mind."

  "I have a good idea." Amanda climbed out of the vehicle and followed Lex down the well-traveled stone path.

  Moments later, both women were greeted at the cottage door by Martha, who pulled them inside and wrapped her arms around them. "Goodness! I didn'st expect you to come over the second you got home, girls." She stepped back and looked at Lex. "You look like you're about to fall. Come sit on the sofa."

  "Martha, I'm fine," Lex argued, but allowed herself to be guided into the living room. She sat and leaned back carefully as the burns on her back began to ache. Her eyes closed against her will, the emotionally draining morning catching up to her.

  Martha stood quietly for a moment as she watched Lex drift off to sleep almost immediately. She felt a light touch on her arm and turned around to see Amanda gesturing toward the kitchen. She followed her down the small hallway. After the door closed behind them, Martha wrapped her arms around Amanda. "You look like you could use this."

  With a gasping sob, Amanda released all the stress and worry she'd held in for the past few days. She buried herself in the welcoming arms and allowed her emotions to let go.

  "Shhh, it's all right." Martha helped her into a nearby chair. She sat and continued to hold Amanda, stroking her head gently.

  "God, Martha," Amanda choked out a few moments later, "how do you handle it?" She took a deep breath, leaned back in the chair and wiped her face with one hand.

  Martha pulled a clean handkerchief from her apron pocket and wiped the tear-stained face across from her. "I wish I could tell you it gets easier, sweetie, but that kid of mine is definitely a handful. Trouble seems to find her." She stood and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a pitcher of tea and pouring two glasses. "You realize what's coming up next week, don't you?"

  Amanda accepted the glass. "I'd almost forgotten, until we pulled up to the house a little while ago." The plans had been finalized almost a month before, prior to Lex's father being hospitalized. She played with the ring adorning her finger. "Do you think we should postpone it?"

  "Changing your mind?" a voice asked from the doorway.

  "Lexie, you should be resting," Martha scolded, taking Lex by the arm and leading her to a chair. She brushed the unruly hair out of Lex's eyes and shook her head. "Looks like it's about time for another haircut."

  "Probably so, since I want to look my best next week." She looked at Amanda uncertainly. "Do you--"

  "Of course! I wasn'st sure about the timing."

  "If you two will excuse me, I have a load of laundry to check on."

  Martha exited the room quietly, giving them some much-needed privacy.

  Lex watched her leave. "Not very subtle, is she?" Her attention turned back to her lover, who was wiping away the condensation on her glass with one finger. "Amanda?"

  Hearing her name, Amanda looked up. "Hmm?" Seeing the unasked question in Lex's eyes, she scooted over and sat next to her. "I'm sorry." She took Lex's hand in hers and pulled it to her lips, kissing the knuckles softly. "I very much want to marry you. I didn'st know if it was a good idea to have the ceremony this soon after your father passed away."

  "I was kind of wondering the same thing," Lex admitted. "I haven'st been the easiest person to live with lately. Thought maybe you'd want to wait until things settled down some."

  "You're kidding, right?" Amanda reached with her free hand and stroked Lex's cheek. "You'sve had a lot of things to work through, but you'sve done it. And you'sve been no harder to live with lately than usual." Tears filled the eyes across from her, slowly spilling down the tanned cheeks. Amanda wiped them away with her fingertips, then kissed the tracks left behind. "I love you, Lexington Walters. Will you marry me?"

  Lex heaved a sigh of relief. "It's a date." After clearing her throat, she kissed Amanda. "I love you, too."

  The kitchen door opened, and Martha breezed in. "Glad that's settled." She patted both women on the head. "Y'sall stay for dinner, and we'll go over the details again." She didn'st wait for an answer, instead reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out a package. "How does meatloaf sound?"

  Lex felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders. Everything was getting back to normal. "Sounds great, Martha."

  AFTER DINNER, CHARLIE followed Lex outside, at her request. "What did you want to talk to me about? Is something wrong?"

  She sat on the top step of the porch and patted the space beside her. "Wrong? No. Have a seat."

  He scratched his head in confusion, but did as she asked. He turned so he could look directly into her face. "What's on your mind? Are you upset about your brother?"

  "Not really," Lex snorted derisively. "I'd say the son-of-a-bitch finally got what's coming to him." She leaned back on her hands. "Umm...you remember our ceremony is coming up next week, right?"

  "Yep. Martha and Anna Leigh have been burning up the phone lines, making sure everything is ready. You're not going to postpone it, are you?" He knew she had been deeply upset by her father's death. Charlie wouldn'st blame her at all if she felt like waiting. She'd been through a lot in the last couple of months.

  "No." She sat up and ran one hand through her hair. "After what's happened the past couple of days, I don't want to take one more minute with Amanda for granted. If everything were ready, I'd marry her tomorrow. Life's too short not to spend it with the person you love."

  "That's good to hear, Lex. But it doesn'st explain what--"

  "Sorry," Lex interrupted. "We have asked for a fairly traditional ceremony. Amanda's dad is going to walk her down the aisle, and Jeannie will stand beside her as her matron-of-honor."

  "Right."

  "And, well...I've asked my grandpa to walk with me." Suddenly Lex felt shy. "And since I'm not wearing a dress, I figured I'd go ahead and buck tradition even more." Lex looked directly into Charlie's eyes. "Would you stand with me, Charlie?"

  He stared for a long moment, then blinked. "Me?" his voice squeaked. "With you?"

  "During dinner tonight, when I heard how close you came to being killed by that asshole Rick, it made me realize how important a part of my life you'sve become. My own father wasn'st around much when I was growing up, but you always were. You're the best man I've ever known," she said in all seriousness. "I can'st think of anyone I'd rather have."

  Charlie felt a lump rise in his throat. "I would be greatly honored." He found himself wrapped in a strong bear hug.

  "Thanks, Charlie." She held him as tightly as she could.

  EVEN IN THE soft glow of the firelight, the small burns looked painful to Amanda's eyes, although the antibiotic cream she was spreading on didn'st appear to be causing her partner any pain. After a long and playful shower together, she had offered to apply the medication. Lex was stretched out in the floor of the master bedroom, her eyes closed and her nude body relaxed. She had her head pillowed on her folded arms, and her breathing was slow and even. "There. I think that does it." Amanda ran one fingertip down the smooth skin. When the body beneath her flinched, she felt bad. "I'm sorry. Did that hurt you?"


  "No," Lex sighed sleepily. "Cold hands." She stroked Amanda's thigh where she straddled her hips. "Your touch never hurts. Thanks for always taking such good care of me."

  "You're welcome. I wish I didn'st get so much practice." Her hands continued to roam the muscled form. "The bruise doesn'st look too bad." Amanda lightly traced around Lex's shoulder blade. "That was close."

  Lex rolled over slowly, then sat up and wrapped her arms around her lover's equally naked body. "Not really. The man was an incompetent idiot. He got in a lucky blow." She mentally slapped herself when she felt Amanda tense. "I mean, he caught me off guard. I should have--"

  "Shhh. Let's not talk about that any more." She kissed Lex on the chin and nestled her head into the nearest shoulder.

  The only log left in the fireplace crumbled, sending out a momentarily flash of orange before settling down and fading out. Amanda could barely make out Lex's expression in the gloom. "Guess we should go to bed, huh? It is getting kind of late."

  "Oh, yeah. Bed is a very good idea." Lex allowed Amanda to stand, and took the offered hand that helped her up. "Thanks." A warm hand patted her bare bottom as she walked across the room. "Amanda..."

  "What?"

  "Come here, you." Lex sat on the bed and pulled Amanda into her lap, causing them both to laugh. Her roaming hands stopped trying to tickle the fair skin, and began a light caress instead.

  Moaning quietly, Amanda fell back onto the bed, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Lex's hands. Her touch gave rise to sensations, which caused Amanda to tremble. "Mmm."