by Carrie Carr
Lex had no idea how long she had knelt there, but was brought back to the present as Thunder butted her in the back. Wiping her face with her shirtsleeve, she stood and scratched the curious equine between the eyes. "Thanks, buddy. Guess I'm on emotional overload today, huh?" Lex checked her watch. "We might as well head back to the house. Martha will give me a chewing out for sure if I miss dinner."
It didn'st take long to get back to the barn. After brushing the stallion until his coat gleamed, Lex slowly walked back up to the main house. She knew she was early for the evening meal, so she continued to walk around the large wraparound porch. The new swing was in place on the front of the house, and Lex heaved a sigh of relief as she dropped her weary body onto its padded surface. Stretching her long legs out in front of her, the tired woman leaned back and pulled the front of her black cowboy hat down over her eyes. Quiet footsteps alerted her to someone else's presence, but she stubbornly refused to recognize them.
"Uh, Lex?"
She wasn'st in the mood for company. Lex raised the brim of the hat back. "Hey, Morris. What can I do for you?"
He appeared uncertain. "I saw you ride back to the house, and when you didn'st come inside, I was worried. Are you okay?"
Lex rubbed her eyes with one hand and exhaled heavily. "Yeah, I'm all right." She patted the empty space next to her. "Have a seat."
"Thanks." Morris accepted Lex's offer and sat beside her. They sat in silence for several minutes before his hands began tapping a nervous tune on his thighs.
"What's on your mind?"
Morris looked at her innocently. "What makes you think something's on my mind? Maybe I wanted some fresh air." But his hands continued their rapid thumping.
Rolling her eyes, Lex grabbed his hands. "Yeah, right." When she thought it was safe, she released him and leaned back against the swing. "Come on, Morris. You're as nervous as a nun in a whorehouse. Spill it."
"God," he laughed, "you're something else, Lex." The veterinarian turned so he could look directly into her eyes. "I was wondering if I could bring someone else to the wedding tomorrow."
"Oh? Friend or family?"
He bit his lip. "Family, actually."
Lex was confused at Morris's nervousness. "Family?" Her eyes narrowed. "Just what part of the family are we talking about?"
"My sister."
AMANDA WATCHED THROUGH the back door glass as several workmen puttered around in the back yard. Since the weather forecast called for clear skies, they were already setting up everything for tomorrow's ceremony. She didn'st hear the footsteps behind her, and almost screamed when a large hand touched her shoulder.
"Sorry, squirt. I didn'st mean to frighten you." Frank peeked over her head. "Looks like they're about done, huh?"
"I think so."
He had come from the living room, where Anna Leigh had asked him to talk to her granddaughter. She told him how Amanda had moped around the house all day, not even showing any interest in arguing with her sister. "Want to go for a walk? I have it on good authority dinner isn'st going to be ready for another half hour."
All Amanda wanted was to be left alone. Although she felt like snapping at her brother-in-law, she gave in. "I guess."
"Try to contain your enthusiasm." He took her hand and led her through the house. "I'm not that boring, am I?" Frank opened the front door and bowed. "After you, ma'am."
Amanda walked slowly down the steps, never releasing his hand. "You're fine, Frank. I guess I'm not in much of a mood for company."
"You should be bouncing off the walls, Mandy. I thought you'd be more excited about tomorrow." Frank led her down the sidewalk, gently swinging their linked hands. "Are you having second thoughts?"
"No! I love Lex with all my heart. I can'st wait until tomorrow."
Frank stopped. "Then why have you been so sad today?"
"You'll laugh."
"Try me, squirt. We'sve been friends for a long time, haven'st we? Have you ever heard me laugh at something that was important to you?"
She knew what Frank said was true. Unlike her sister, he had never broken a confidence and had never teased her when she spoke her heart. "I hurt inside," she whispered. "I miss Lex so much, and we'sve been apart for less than one day." The gentle touch of his fingers wiping away her tears caused Amanda to fall against the big man and burst into sobs. "I feel like such an idiot."
"Shhh. It's okay." Frank wrapped his arms around her. "You're not an idiot." He gently rocked her. "I think it's nice to see someone so much in love."
"You do?" She sniffled, and wiped her face with one hand.
"Sure." Frank pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket, and took a moment to wipe the tears from her face. "I hope Lex realizes how lucky she is."
Amanda brightened. "I'm the lucky one." She accepted the handkerchief from him and blew her nose. After placing the cloth in her pocket, she took his hand and began walking again. "You should see the way she looks at me, Frank. Those gorgeous blue eyes practically sparkle with love."
"I've seen it. When you came out to California and we were in the bar. She looked across the room and glowed. After I saw who she was looking at, I knew you were in good hands."
"Yeah. And her voice can just melt me. Lex can say the sweetest things." Amanda continued the walk, feeling her spirits lift as she talked about the woman she loved.
"ARE YOU OUT of your ever-lovin's mind?" Lex jumped up from the swing to stand over Morris. She clenched her fists, fighting the urge to gather him up and toss him over the porch railing.
He held up his hands. "What do you...oh, no! Wait, Lex," he pleaded, as she turned on her heel to leave.
Lex felt his hand pull at the back of her shirt and she spun around and slapped it away. "Don't touch me." She could feel her control slipping, but she couldn'st stop the words from leaving her mouth. "Of all the people in the world, you should understand why I don't want to see that woman. You know how much Amanda means to me, and yet you want to bring the woman who almost killed her to our wedding?" She raised one fist and held it close to his face, her entire body trembling with the effort of holding back.
"Wait, Lex, please," Morris begged, taking his life in his hands and gently wrapping his fingers around her fist. "That came out all wrong. I'd never invite Elizabeth to any family gathering, unless it was her own sentencing." His joke fell flat. "I was talking about one of my other sisters. Christina."
"Christina?" Lex blinked several times to get her bearings. "You have other sisters?"
"Yes. Two others, as a matter of fact. Paula and Christina."
Lex looked at her fist, which was held tightly in his. "Oh, jeez, Morris, I'm sorry. I should have let you explain, before I threatened you." She sat on the swing, even more exhausted than before. Embarrassed at her outburst, Lex ducked her head and stared at her boots in shame.
"Hey, don't apologize." Morris sat next to her and patted her leg. "I should have been a little clearer. I didn'st realize you hadn'st heard of my other sisters."
"Yeah, well. I could have asked, instead of almost knocking you off the porch."
Morris relaxed now that the tense moment was over. "Well, no blood was shed, and no punches were thrown. I'd say we both survived fine." He draped one arm around the back of the swing, pulling Lex toward him. "Let me tell you about my family, so we won'st have any more misunderstandings, all right?"
"Sure." She wouldn'st look at him.
"Once upon a time, in a land far away...let's call this land Los Angeles," he decreed. "Anyway, there was this king and queen." Morris leaned over and whispered in Lex's ear. "Actually, he was a shipping tycoon, and she was a society matron, but I digress."
Unable to help herself, Lex laughed.
"Good. Where was I? Oh, yes. The king and queen were very happy. Or, at least as happy as two people could be, who were told they had to furnish a male heir to their wealthy and very nasty sovereigns. So, only a scant six months after they were wed, a child was born to them. Paula was a very sickl
y baby and soon drove the hired help wild with her demanding ways." He covered his mouth in feigned shock. "Imagine the surprise of all when another child was born, a little over a year later."
Lex laughed again and shook her head. "You're crazy."
A happy smirk was her only answer. "Elizabeth was the surprise child. You'd think people with so much money would understand what causes such things, but--" He shook his head. "Since they had no son, the couple waited a few years before trying again. I suppose two royal brats were more than a handful for them, for a while. Anyway, several years later, another daughter was born. Christina was the sweetest of children, yet constantly tormented by the evil older siblings. She soon learned how to hide in plain sight, or better yet, go along with whatever the others asked of her."
"That's a shame." Lex knew exactly what Christina had gone through. Her own brother had treated her like his personal punching bag while they were growing up. Lex learned to either stay away from him, or pick something up to use as an equalizer, such as a large stick or rock. "Since you're sitting here, I see they finally succeeded in producing a male heir."
"So true, dear lady. But, alas, by the time the son they wanted came along, he was no longer needed. Another branch of the family tree had the requested male heir, and I was but an afterthought. Not to mention the son looked better in heels than the eldest daughter. I swear, my sister Paula is what you would call a handsome woman."
Lex leaned back in her seat, totally amused by his tale. "Handsome?"
"Oh, yes. Believe me, she'd look much better pulling a hansom cab than dressed in a ballroom gown." Morris broke out in laughter at his own joke. "She looked fine before her last face lift. But her eyes are pulled so far back on her face, she has to turn her head side to side in order to see something with both of them."
Lex laughed so hard she fell off the swing. "Damn, Morris," she wheezed from the ground, "next time warn me before you say something like that." She looked up in surprise when the front door opened and Martha looked out.
"Lexington Marie, whatever are you doing lying on the porch? Get yourself up and go get cleaned up for dinner." Martha turned around and stomped back to the kitchen, muttering under her breath about crazy kids.
"WHERE ON EARTH have you two been? We'sve been worried sick." Jeannie sat on the front steps reading a magazine and jumped to her feet when her husband and sister walked across the lawn.
Amanda picked up the magazine. It was one of those women's rags, which had tips on how to keep your husband or boyfriend happy, and was opened to a "rate your mate" quiz. "I can see you'sve been beside yourself." After looking at the questionnaire, she figured Frank had his work cut out for him. She thought about telling her sister how Lex would rate, but knew Jeannie would only be jealous.
Jeannie saw what her sister was looking at. She blushed and jerked the paper out of Amanda's hands. "Give me that!"
"What's the matter?" Frank remembered how his wife loved to take the quizzes. He'd caught her shredding her answers one time and learned she was always too embarrassed for anyone else to see them.
"Nothing!" Jeannie stomped into the house.
The two people left standing on the porch looked at each other and burst into laughter. Amanda stared at the closed door. "Sisters. Can'st live with them, can'st kill em." She linked her arm through Frank's and followed Jeannie inside.
Anna Leigh greeted them from the kitchen doorway. "You two are just in time. Jacob is putting the finishing touches on dinner."
Amanda waved to her and hurried up the stairs with Frank on her heels, both of them laughing. "Thanks. We'll go upstairs and get washed up."
During dinner, Jeannie continued to glare at her sister. Her sullen attitude kept Amanda in high spirits, and she couldn'st help but tease her. "Lex and I took one of those magazine quizzes one time." She looked across the table at Frank, who almost choked on his food.
Anna Leigh was glad someone decided to speak. "Which quiz?" She couldn'st understand what was wrong with Jeannie, but was thankful Amanda seemed to be in a better mood.
"The one in last month's edition of the magazine Jeannie reads. To see how compatible people are in bed."
Jacob sputtered, having taken a drink from his water glass. "Are you sure you want to share that piece of information with us? I'd think it would be a little personal."
"Yeah," Jeannie gave Amanda a scathing look.
"Aw, come on. It's all in fun." Amanda turned to Frank. "You're curious, aren'st you?"
"Sure. Ow!" The sharp pinch to his thigh caused Frank to cut his eyes to his wife. "Whatcha do that for?"
Jeannie huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "No reason, big mouth." She knew she'd never hear the end of this. Amanda seemed too smug. "Okay. So go ahead and tell us how compatible you two are, like we don't already know."
"Well," Amanda put her fork down and looked around the table, "Lex took the test first, and scored almost a perfect high score. It said she shouldn'st be too close to combustible materials, because she's so hot. I'll have to agree with them."
"Oh, for God's sake," Jeannie moaned, "spare me the details."
"You're just jealous," Amanda taunted.
Frank looked up from his plate, indignant. "Hey!"
Amanda cast him a pitying glance. "No offense, Frank."
"None taken, I guess."
Anna Leigh stifled a laugh at the antics of the younger people. "Children, please. No fighting at the dinner table." She waved a hand at Amanda. "Go ahead."
"Thanks." Amanda resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at Jeannie. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, Lex rated so high on their scale, she should be encased in ice to protect everyone else around her."
Jeannie made a gagging sound, but didn'st say anything.
"What about you?" Frank asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Me?" Amanda blushed, suddenly very shy. "I did all right."
Her sister tossed a pea across the table at her. "Oh, no, Miss Smarty Pants. You'sve gone this far. Finish your story."
Amanda bit her lip and looked down at her plate. She could feel her face growing redder by the minute. "I scored--" The last few words were mumbled and unintelligible.
"What? I didn'st quite hear you." Jeannie cupped one ear with her hand. "Speak up."
"I said, I scored one point below Lex," Amanda almost yelled, then looked around the table in horror as her words fairly echoed in the quiet room.
Frank smiled broadly. "No wonder Lex is so happy. You go, girl."
Amanda jumped from the table and fled the room in embarrassment.
Jeannie slapped her husband on the arm and stood as well. "Look what you'sve done." She followed her sister from the room.
KEVIN LOOKED ACROSS the table at Lex, who picked at her food. He whispered in Morris's ear. "So? Did you ask her?"
"Sort of. We were called in for dinner before we got finished."
"I'm not deaf." Lex glared at them. "Tell me more about your sister, Morris."
Charlie exchanged glances with his wife, who shrugged her shoulders. He wondered what Morris's sister had to do with anything. "Sister?"
Morris took a sip of his iced tea. "Yes. I asked Lex if it would be all right if I asked my sister Christina to the wedding. Although she hasn'st seen Mandy since her high school graduation, we'sve kept in touch." He placed his fork beside his plate. "I was kicked out of the family that day, and both Elizabeth and our oldest sister Paula threatened to make life miserable for Chris if she went against their wishes."
"Why now? Isn'st she afraid of them?" Lex couldn'st decide if it would be in Amanda's best interests for another family member to suddenly show up.
"You all know how Liz was. Paula was just as bad. They both ruled over our family like they were some sort of royalty. Christina often bore the brunt of their tyrannies, and over the years, she found it was easier to go along with them. But since Elizabeth is locked away, she wants to get acquainted with Mandy again." He tipped his g
lass to Lex in salute. "And you, too. When she found out you owned a ranch, she practically begged me to get permission for her to visit. Chris loves horses."
She didn'st sound too threatening to Lex, but she had to be sure. "How does she take your relationship with Kevin? I don't want another homophobic woman harassing Amanda."
Kevin found her words amusing. "Considering her inclinations, I don't think you'll have much of a problem. Although their marriage was on paper only, finding her husband with the gardener really upset her. After she divorced the bum, Christina moved to Boston, presumably to start over. But she actually stayed with us for a while, until she met Samantha. I think Chris was as surprised as we were when she realized she was gay."
"Samantha, huh?" That little tidbit made things much clearer to Lex.
Martha patted Morris on the arm. "Does she want to bring Samantha to the wedding with her? I'm sure we have enough room for two more."
"That would be great! Let me give them a call. They're staying in a hotel in town, just in case." Morris jumped up from the table and hugged Lex. "I can'st wait to see the look on Mandy's face." He hurried from the room to use the phone.
"Me, neither," Lex sighed. "I can'st wait to see her, period."
FINDING AMANDA's DOOR closed, Jeannie paused for a moment. It sent a strong signal that Amanda wanted to be left alone. Hearing her sister's sobs, she knocked lightly on the wood. "Mandy? Come on, let me in." The door was unlocked and opened slightly.
"Go way."
"No." Feeling like a first-class heel, Jeannie pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was dark, but she could make out her sister's form lying across the bed. "Please talk to me." Without permission, Jeannie sat next to Amanda and placed her hand on her back.