Finding Lexi

by AJ Attard

  "Holy Moses," Lexi murmured to her mother as they extricated themselves from the bank and another fifteen minute conversation, "I had forgotten what Hopeful was like," Lexi said shaking her head.

  Just then another hand began to wave frantically from the other side of the street. Lexi took a deep, calming breath to ready herself for the onslaught of cheerful welcoming when she suddenly recognized the face.

  “Marci?” Lexi asked, her jaw dropping in disbelief as she threw open her arms and met her childhood friend in the middle of the street, “I thought you had married some oil baron and moved to Dallas,” Lexi said, genuine joy at seeing her friend spreading over her warmly. Lexi had known Marci Johnson literally all of her life. Their birthdays were was a day apart, with Marci being the older. They had lain next to each other in the nursery at the hospital. Marci’s mother, Sandy, and Nora were best friends, as well. The Johnsons had a ranch east of theirs and the girls had spent many hours riding back and forth over the hills and plains between their homesteads.

  “I had,” Marci answered, pushing her sunglasses on top of her blonde head, “but he unfortunately had, um, how do I put this politely? A wandering pee-pee which he is lucky I didn’t cut off,” Marci smiled broadly and sweetly at Lexi, “Well at least not literally. I did take him for almost as much as he was worth in the divorce though. So I guess you could say I got my pound of flesh,” Marci shrugged, “Such is life. After the break up I needed to get my head together so I came back home. I took a portion of the money I earned for years of hard work being married to an SOB and reinvested it in many things, one of which was the ranch.”

  “I can identify with that,” Lexi said with a knowing nod.

  “ We’re now a totally green run facility turning out all organic meat and making a marvelous profit while doing so,” Marci said proudly.

  “Marci, that is amazing,” Lexi responded, delighted for her friend, “Just fantastic.”

  “Thank you,” Marci acknowledged with a warm nod, “Now give me a run down on you, baby girl. Before you do, however, I was sorry to hear about Colton.”

  “Thank you,” Lexi said allowing a slight pause before continuing, “After Colton things got a bit out of hand so I decided to sell up, pack up, and come on home. Kind of like you, I suppose,” Lexi said looking at her friend.

  Marci watched Lexi thoughtfully while she spoke, “What do you mean by ‘out of hand’?” she asked, again carefully studying Lexi and her reaction.

  “That’s a story best told over a bottle of tequila or on a long ride,” Lexi said brushing a strand of hair from her face.

  “Count me in on that,” Nora interjected.

  “Done,” Marci answered as well. “Give me a few days to get a few things straightened out at the ranch and I’ll come get you for a girls’ night,” Marci proclaimed with a conspiratorial wink, “Please that gives our moms an excuse to get together and talk about us.”

  “We don’t need an excuse,” Nora said cheerfully, “We do whatever we please regardless!”

  “That’s the truth,” Marci answered with a laugh before again turning to Lexi, “Have you seen Luke yet?” She inquired.

  “No,” Lexi said shaking her head crossing her arms defiantly, “I have not and before you get started, or you,” she said sending a warning look at her mother, “I do not need another man in my life, I repeat,” she began again as Marci cut her off.

  “We heard you the first time,” she said with a knowing look, “It’s funny though Luke just told me the same thing about women not too long ago.” With that she gave each of them a hug and waved goodbye over her shoulder, making Lexi promise to call her later and chat.

  “I’m starting to get the impression I am the victim of some sort of conspiracy,” Lexi said with a laugh.

  Nora grinned at Lexi and nodded her head choosing to carefully ignore Lexi’s comment, "One more stop," She told her daughter, her green eyes dancing mischievously. Lexi followed her gaze and sighed as her eyes rested on the feed store. This was probably going to be the longest stop of the day and Nora had been wise to save it for last. The feed store was gossip central for their little town and it seemed like it was really bustling today.

  The old building had once been the train depot when the line had come through town and still retained a depot look to it, with a broad front platform, open windows that customers could lean through to chat and a huge space out back that made use of all the old train station's outbuildings to house anything a rancher or farmer could possibly need. The building was a brilliant red brick and had freshly painted white trimmed windows, gave it a cheerful, chipper feel. The chatter coming from customers and employees alike emanated from the building and despite herself Lexi couldn't help but smile. Many an afternoon had been spent here during her youth, leaning over the windows, catching the latest gossip and eating a rapidly melting ice cream.

  "Well if it's not Miss Lexi!" the first exclamation from Mrs. Jenkins, the store's proprietor, brought heads snapping up with amazing alacrity. Mrs. Jenkins, who was eighty five, had a head full of chocolate brown curls that had remained flawlessly that color since Lexi could remember. She was a spunky woman; having raised seven sons by herself after her husband was killed working on a train. Her whole family worked the store now or in the surrounding area and Lexi could tell more than one tale on a Jenkins grandchild whom she had grown up with. That of course would mean they could tell a tale on her as well.

  "Hello, Mrs. Jenkins," Lexi greeted the other woman warmly, embracing her in a hug that felt like coming home, "How are you?" Lexi asked as the older woman stepped back and held her at arm’s length to look at her.

  "I'm fine, Honey," Martha Jenkins assured her before giving her another hug, "It's you I'm interested in. We've missed you, child! You've been gone way too long," Mrs. Jenkins told her, pushing a loose curl off Lexi's shoulder, " We’ve missed you. Your momma says you're come home to stay now, is that right?"

  "I hope so," a voice as familiar as the seat of Lexi’s old saddle slipped over the conversation, filled the space the question had left and halted the air in Lexi's lungs.

  Lexi momentarily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face the mischievous grin she knew was waiting for her. Sure enough, she turned and came face to face with a smile as broad as Texas itself. She raised her dark eyes slowly to his sparkling blue ones and again the breath caught in her chest. Those had to be the bluest eyes she had ever seen, made no less so by the passage of time since she had last looked into their crystal depths. Lexi quickly reminded herself that the last thing she needed was another man in her life.

  "It's good to see you, Lexi," Luke Henderson said in a soft, southern drawl, smooth as hot butter over biscuits. He grinned at her playfully, "You look good," he added with an extra twinkle in his eye, although his gaze never left hers.

  In spite of herself, Lexi found herself smiling back, a great, big cheerleader smile. The kind that came from deep inside and made your cheeks hurt a bit. Luke had always had been able to make her smile.

  "You as well," she returned with a courteous nod of her head, "It's been a long time," she said, suddenly feeling shy. A peachy pink flush starting to rise up her face. He did look good. Older, yes, they were all a bit older and a bit softer around the edges. For Luke, those shoulders were as broad and powerful as ever and the smile just as bright. The few lines that crinkled around his brilliant blue eyes added a character youth could never hope to capture and he was still that perfect height, not too tall or short, just right for kissing. Lexi caught her thoughts there and internally chided herself for her runaway train of thought. He did look good though; he had filled out, growing from a boy to a man and while the expression in his eyes revealed the same fire of youth, it also hinted at a depth that comes with a little age and a lot of experience.

  Luke nodded, his gaze becoming unreadable, those clear eyes momentarily clouding with an unidentified emotion, "Not so long," he finally answered with a much soft
er, tender smile about his lips, "In fact it almost seems like yesterday."

  Lexi was about to reply when a voice boomed out over the crowd and a slick, sleek, want to be cowboy swept up onto the front platform, stepped between Lexi and Luke with the ease born of indifference to anyone beside himself.

  "Well, hello there," the tall blond man smiled down at her. Clasping her hand in both of his confidently and pumping them up and down with a great deal more enthusiasm than was necessary.

  Lexi felt the immediate tension in the air, thick as the clouds gathering before a mid summer storm. She could feel the frown on Luke's face, even as he was blocked from her view, "I don't think we've met before," the blond man continued, seemingly oblivious to the wave of discontent around them, "I'm Peter Monteque," he announced as if they were amidst a torrent of fanfare and he was introducing a member of royalty.

  "Lexi Majors," Lexi answered carefully, her expression wary at best. Judging by the shift in attitudes of the people around her, this guy was something to be hesitant about. It was unusual for the town people to be unfriendly. They were, on the whole, a welcoming, open group of people but the closing of ranks among them was unmistakable. Lexi looked appraisingly at the stranger as he beamed down on at her, still shaking her hand. He was tall, well over six feet, with a head full of blond, waves that poked out from under his black Stetson in wellkept rebelliousness. He was what most women would consider handsome, with crisp good looks that made him look like they would win him in a sweepstakes, but also like he hadn’t done a day of work in his well heeled life. First impressions could be misleading, Lexi knew, but something about this guy immediately rubbed her the wrong way.

  “Of course!” Peter Monteque laughed congenially, “Your delightful mother mentioned you would be returning home,” he released her hand and looked deep into her eyes in a way Lexi was sure had sent more than one girl swooning, “I should have known,” he said smoothly, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I just think the world of your mother and grandfather.”

  “Laying it on a little thick there aren’t you Monteque?” Luke asked coldly. Lexi raised an eyebrow and tilted her head sideways to see around Peter Monteque to Luke. Luke stood square with his jaw locked, his arms crossed, and his eyes blazed with a hatred like Lexi had never seen..

  Peter Monteque looked over his shoulder not bothering to turn to face the cowboy, a small, arctic smile frozen firmly on his chiseled features.

  “I suppose you may think so…” he spoke clearly, the words clipped and precise despite an accent Lexi couldn’t quite put her finger on, “…but where I come from it’s called manners, something I’m sure is foreign to you,” he added sliding his gaze back to Lexi, his charm irrevocably back in place by the time his eyes reached hers again.

  "Son of a," Lexi heard Luke swear, the words rushing out on an expulsion of breath, and she could feel before she saw him gather himself and start to take a swing.

  "Whoa," Lexi said stepping swiftly around Peter and catching Luke's arm as he drew back to throw a punch. Luke was shaking with the effort of not hitting a man he obviously couldn't take.

  "Easy," she half whispered to him, suddenly finding the proximity of their bodies to be strangely intoxicating and more than a bit overwhelming. Shaking her head a bit, as much to clear her own suddenly muddled thoughts as Luke's, she looked him in the eye, "Don't do something you'll regret," she advised him, trying not to get lost in those blue eyes , every inch of her tingling with the nearness of him.

  "What makes you think I'll regret it?" he asked, slowly lowering his arm to his side while maintaining the closeness between them, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

  Lexi grinned and shook her head, biting down on her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

  "Some things never change," she said, her dark eyes dancing as they met his, the tension diffused, unlike the heat that radiated between them and seemed to be swallowing her whole.

  “I’ll second that,” Mrs. Jenkins snorted.

  "You got that right," Luke agreed with a suggestive wink before taking a step back, "I had better get back to the ranch," he said in a normal voice, pressing his hat down on his head and tipping it to Lexi, Nora, and Mrs. Jenkins, the only ladies in the crowd.

  Both women nodded in response, their eyes filled with ill concealed humor and small smiles pulling at the corners of their mouths.

  "Sorry for the disruption ladies," he apologized. He caught Peter's eye and frowned, "Manners are more than fancy words," he informed Peter before stepping off the porch and pulling open his truck door, "Oh, and Lexi, would you mind telling your grandad I'll be by tomorrow to help with that fence?" He gave her a half smile and another wink before swinging up into the truck and easing out of the parking lot and onto the main street.

  "I apologize," Peter Monteque's perfectly clipped words broke through Lexi's train of thought, which had been every which way but loose as she watched Luke drive away.

  "That was certainly not the first impression I would have chosen to make," Peter continued, lifting the hat from his blond waves and running a hand through his hair. He smiled sheepishly at Lexi like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar and again Lexi couldn't help but feel something wasn't quite right here. This guy was polished perfection but something was obviously wrong. Luke wasn't the only one emanating ill will. The other store patrons fairly teemed with it as well.

  "No worries," Lexi answered thoughtfully, digesting what she had just seen, letting it roll over in her mind. Luke had never been one to lose his temper easily but when he did, phew, watch out. The fact that Luke had gone from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye was another red flag for Lexi. Luke was no angel, but he wasn't the guy that started the fight over a little insult. He might finish a fight, but he rarely started one. "It's nice to meet you," Lexi said carefully. "If you would please excuse me, we still have to get supplies and we're running a bit behind," she added politely.

  "Of course," Peter smiled warmly at her and stepped aside, pushing open and holding the door for her and Nora gallantly, "I look forward to seeing you again," he told her as she followed Nora into the store, his gaze burning into the back of her.

  Chapter 7

  “So…” Lexi began when she and Nora were settled into the truck and heading back to the ranch “…you want to tell me what all that was about?” she asked her mother, carefully watching her from the passenger seat.

  Nora looked over at Lexi with an unreadable expression before swinging her gaze back to the road. She readjusted her hands on the steering wheel, twisted them back and forth before bringing them to rest and taking a deep breath.

  “I would rather not, no, but since there is probably a snowball’s chance in hell that you are going to let it go,I will,” Nora answered honestly as she shot another look over at Lexi who nodded her agreement to her mother’s statement and set her expression firmly in response.

  Nora sighed again and started in on her story, “Peter Monteque came to town probably a little under a year ago,” she said, leaning back in her seat and rubbing her fingers thoughtfully over her lips before continuing, “As you can see he is all kind of slick. “He’s from Austin, I think,” she added as if being from the big city explained it all.

  “He certainly doesn’t seem to have been well received,” Lexi observed, giving Nora a verbal push to continue with her tale.

  "No," Nora admitted "He isn't, but that's not our fault," she added, quickly defending her friends and neighbors.

  Lexi raised her eyebrows and waited for Nora to continue. In the pause "Help Me Make It Through the Night" came on the radio, slow and sultry, and the first gathering of summer storm clouds were burgeoning in the late afternoon sky.

  "Peter Monteque came to town under the pretense of wanting to become part of our community," Nora said when she finally chose to continue, "We had just gotten back on our feet, after the deaths of your grandmother and your dad. The ranch was making money again," she remembered quietly, her voice reaching
back into the past tentatively, "We were working hard but it was just starting to click again after it had been so impossible for so long," Nora said catching the truck against a sharp gust of wind that barely hid the crack in her voice.

  "I'm so sorry, Mom," Lexi reached a hand out, laying it softly on Nora's arm, "I should have been here, I'm so, so sorry."

  Nora seemed to snap out of her thoughts and she smiled at Lexi, "Yeah," she agreed whole heartedly, "you should have been, but you had a lot going on in your world too," Nora said, "and you're here now."

  Lexi nodded and gave her Mother's arm another squeeze, "I am indeed," she said, "but you were telling me about Monteque," Lexi prompted, eager to get away from talking about the past.

  It was Nora's turn to look skeptically at Lexi, "You're going to have to deal with all that sometime," she said sagely, "Can't keep ignoring it you know."

  "I do know," Lexi answered, "but I wouldn’t even know where to begin," she said, suddenly finding herself fighting back tears, “I don’t know what I was thinking,” she whispered, her throat so tight she could barely speak, “I just need a little more time,” she croaked.