Finding Lexi

by AJ Attard

  "He's quite a horse," Clyde said simply, coming out to the middle of the ring when Lexi was finished, "Hey, Luke," he called over his shoulder as he approached, "Come on out here a minute would you please?"

  Luke nodded and pulled himself over the fence a little more carefully than Lexi remembered him doing when they were young. Of course she also did a lot of things more carefully than she has when she was young. Training this horse was a perfect example. In her youth she would rarely, if ever, had help breaking a horse, but now the desire to be dumped on the ground and stepped on, or worse, held little appeal.

  As Luke approached he gave her an amused look that made his eyes twinkle brightly and Lexi's heart do a little jig. Next to her, Red flexed his neck and began to dance in place and Clyde took a firm hold of him and telling him to take it easy.

  "Good heavens, girl" Clyde said, an unmistakable hint of levity in his regularly steady voice, "Keep your emotions in check. You're making this horse bounce all over the place. What are you so nervous about anyway?" Clyde asked her, his eyes catching hers, a knowing light shining in their dark recesses, "You know exactly what you need to do," he said, each word coming out carefully measured and placed, "Just do it."

  Lexi nodded and held her leg out for Luke to give her a leg up. She was only placing her weight across Red's back, but it was a big step for a horse that had never had to carry anything but a saddle on this back. Lexi's heart was going a mile a minute. She had been waiting forever to get to sit on her colt and the beginning of what all the training would lead to. Not to mention the feel of Luke's hand on her leg, lifting her as he had done a million times before when they were younger. Such a familiar action sent shock waves up her body that she was incapable and unwilling to ignore.

  The moment her weight came across his back Red tensed, his head came up and his body became rigid. His muscles were taunt and ready to explode, a mass of barely contained energy that needed only the slightest provocation to be unleashed. Lexi smiled and began talking to him softly, her voice even and quiet, soothing and smooth. Soon the chestnut relaxed, dropped his head and swished his tail as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. When they were content he was comfortable they eased Lexi off and repeated the process. This time Red didn't blink and Lexi was delighted. She slid from his back, letting Luke catch her, his hands resting a beat longer than needed on the curve of her waist.

  "Good boy," she said with an unchecked smile illuminating her face.

  "Thank you," Luke answered with a cheeky grin of his own, "I try."

  "I bet," Lexi giggled, "but I was actually talking to Red," she informed him sweetly as she gave Red a pat and moved to take his reins from her grandfather.

  "Some guys have all the luck," Luke shrugged mockingly before giving Red a pat as well, "He did great today," Luke said, looking to Clyde who agreed with a nod of his head, "He didn't even spook once," Luke added over his shoulder as he moved to open the gate for her.

  Just as the gate swung open a truck horn blared piercingly through the warm afternoon air. Red threw up his head, flared his nostrils and leaped sideways, yanking Lexi almost off her feet. The horn sounded again as the visitor rounded the corner of the driveway, shattering what was left of Red’s self control. The big horse reared, lifting Lexi into the air with him before launching himself forward, dragging her behind him. Lexi, who from the time she had been a kid had been told never let go of the horse, didn’t let go of the horse, but instead hung on as Red headed straight for the fence.

  Like a flash Luke headed for the fence that Red was clearly planning on jumping and stood, arms out stretched, calling to the red mass of speed. Red hesitated just a moment, checking his momentum as Luke caught his attention. It was just enough of a break for Lexi to get her feet back underneath her, leaning against Red's sweat soaked coat while quietly calling his name, his speed decreasing with each stride. The hot moistness of his sweat seeped through her shirt and for a second she thought they would both go over the fence regardless, but the big colt stopped just short of Luke, his sides rising and falling with deep gulps of air, his nostrils flared and red from the exertion.

  "Are you alright?" Luke asked, reaching a hand out to Lexi, who was breathing heavily herself, his eyes roaming over her in a search for injuries.

  "I'm fine," she assured him, though she allowed his hand to steady her for a moment before she leaned herself against her horse's neck, her face buried in his long, red mane as she took deep calming breaths, “So much for him not spooking," she said with a tiny laugh as she stepped back and gave the exhausted horse a pat. She started walking to cool him out, slipping from the strength of Luke’s hand, a fact that she was disturbingly sorry about.

  "Spoke too soon I guess," Luke said sheepishly but he paused, suddenly looking up and over the fence, "but who would drive up the lane like that? No one around here would do that, we all have livestock," he wondered aloud as the trio turned and headed back across the breadth of the massive arena toward the others.

  A moment later they got the answer as Peter Monteque stepped from his truck and waved a boisterous hello, striding toward them with his cell phone pressed to his ear with free hand. His boots, polished and shiny as they had been this morning, gleamed brightly through the fresh green of the grass and the creases in his perfectly pressed jeans all but squeaked as he walked.

  "I should have known," Luke muttered a scowl settling on his rugged face, tightening his jaw and causing his eyes to be mere slits of blue. The anger radiated off him in waves of heat and Lexi saw the muscles across his shoulders tense, drawing themselves upward.

  "Luke," she started, laying a hand on his arm and hoping to cool the fire that was already burning with blazing ferocity within him. Before she could say anything else, however, Peter Monteque dropped his phone into his pocket and stopped, hands resting on his hips and beaming at all of them with the confidence a monarch would envy.

  "That's quite a horse you have there little lady," he said brightly, "He's certainly got some spirit," he added, "He about went over that fence."

  That was all it took. With rattlesnake like speed Luke was over the fence that encircled the arena and was going straight for Peter, his arm made powerful by years working on a ranch was already pulled back and eagerly awaiting the moment it would make contact with Peter's perfectly cut features. Clyde, however, with the benefit of many years experience and wisdom, stepped in front of Luke at the last second, catching the cowboy just in the nick of time.

  "Easy, son," Clyde said, his aging body blocking the shorter, broader body of the younger man, "Easy. Believe me I'd like a swing myself but it's not the time," Clyde caught Luke's eye and held it, the two of them seemingly frozen in time. Obediently Luke nodded and stepped back, pressed his lips together tightly, his eyes still blazed with an untamed flame.

  "Thank you," Clyde said stepping back as well and taking a deep breath.

  "What is wrong with you?" Peter demanded, brushing himself off as if he had actually hit the ground and reclaiming his previous position as since he had taken an involuntary step back when Luke had come over the fence, "Have you been out in the sun too long? Or is it you've been out on the range too long? Has civilization escaped you?" he asked sharply, readjusting his Stetson on his head.

  "You," Luke began to say something but caught sight of Jake and slammed his mouth shut tightly, forcing himself to take a deep breath before he continued, "You could have killed her," he said, shoving the words through fiercely clamped teeth, "What kind of moron drives up the driveway a hundred miles an hour and honks the horn on a ranch? Especially once you could see we were working a horse?" Luke was breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon, the effort of keeping his cool as exhausting as any race.

  A tiny flicker, like cold steel, flashed in Peter's eyes, a recognition of his thoughtless error and a fury at it being pointed out, especially by Luke. It was gone in an instant, however, and his normal, charming behavior was back in place.

  "You
're absolutely right," he admitted through a giant, toothpaste commercial grin, "I don't know what I was thinking," he flashed his eyes toward Lexi, "Guess I was just excited to see you all," he said smoothly.

  Luke rolled his eyes and snorted in response and Jake shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, just as Nora gave him a nudge to let it go.

  "Well," Clyde began matter-of-factly, "You're here now, was there something you wanted to tell us?"

  Peter paused, his eyes flickering over Clyde's shoulder to watch Lexi as she pulled the saddle off the red horse and hung it carefully on the fence so she could continue cooling him off. The look did not go unnoticed by Clyde or Luke, who took a step closer to Clyde, effectively blocking Peter's view of the horse and the woman.

  "Yes," Peter smiled at them, regaining his composure and train of thought, "I thought you all may want to know that my ranch will have the honor of hosting the spring rodeo this year and that we are planning on taking it up a notch and marketing it throughout the West, not just Texas. Next year maybe we'll be national," Peter looked far away as if he could already see the waves of fans, the flags snapping in the wind, the money rolling in, crisp and green in his hand.

  Clyde frowned, "I didn't think the Smith place was big enough to accommodate that kind of crowd," he said thoughtfully, "They certainly don't have the barn capacity for it."

  "Well," Peter leaned forward confidentially,

  "I'll let you in on a little secret," he said clearly delighted, "The Deverouxs have just agreed to sell me their place, which of course borders my current property, so I'll have more than enough land!" Peter proclaimed.

  Luke turned to face Lexi, his face pale, his fists clenched at his side. For a moment the news hung in the air like the putrid scent of fish left in the trash overnight and Lexi felt like she had been sucker punched. The Deverouxs were an old ranching family too and the news was surprising and unsettling at the very least.

  Clyde nodded, lifted his hat to wipe his brow, the silver in his dark hair reflecting the sunlight upward until he pressed the hat firmly back on his head, "You'll have enough land," Clyde agreed, "What are you going to do about the thefts?" he asked the younger man.

  “Thefts?” Lexi asked, bringing Red to a halt, and allowing Luke to open the gate for them.

  “Yeah, thefts,” Luke answered as she led the horse by him and out the gate, “There have been a lot of thefts lately, trucks, trailers, cattle,” he paused a moment before adding hesitantly, “horses.”

  “Horses?” She repeated incredulously, “Here? Really? I can’t think that any horses have been stolen here in,” her voice trailed off as she tried to remember the stories the old timers had told at the feed store when she was a kid.

  “1938,” Clyde supplied for her, his memory crisp as ever, “Bill Wilkerson’s prize stallion was stolen,” the old man shook his head, “It was a darn shame too, that was one hell of a horse,” there was a moment of silence and everyone, even Twinkie the dog, seemed to be pondering the fate of the lost horse, “Yep,” Clyde said, his voice bringing everyone back to reality with a snap, “that was the last time we had a horse stolen, until about nine months ago of course,” he amended.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Lexi asked, turning to look at Nora, surprised her mother had left such information out, especially considering Lexi had brought a horse with her when she had come home.

  Nora shrugged, and sighed, “I thought you had enough on your plate,” she answered honestly, “Plus I didn’t really think it was a big deal,” she admitted, “at the time it was just one horse, the next one hadn’t been stolen yet,” Nora said quietly, “I thought it was a fluke.”

  “Exactly how many have been stolen?” Lexi pressed, the question laid out for anyone who dared to answer it.

  “Four,” Peter answered for her, his eyes taking in her every motion, studiously taking in her expressions and reactions, “but they think they have the culprit in custody.”

  Luke snorted contemptuously, lightning flashing in his eyes. Lexi looked from him to Peter as Red, deciding they obviously weren’t in a hurry to get back to the barn dropped his head and began to graze.

  “Cody Kendle is no more a horse thief than I am,” Luke snapped, “He grew up on a horse for heaven’s sake. His family owned that ranch for thirty years. He has a barn full of horses at his fingertips. Why would he steal a horse, or four horses, for that matter?” Luke shook his head at the logic that had created such a situation.

  “Cody Kendle as in Shelly Kendle’s son?” Lexi asked. She had known Cody since he was a kid. She had even babysat him a few times before she had left for college and Colton.

  “He was caught with that paint horse, with barb wire cuts on his hands like the fence that was cut to steal it.”

  “What?” Lexi said, her words sharp with disbelief and she looked worriedly to her grandfather who, kept a straight face, answered without a hint of emotion in his tone.

  “He was,” he said slowly, carefully turning the situation over in his mind before commenting, “However, he said he was out looking for a missing cow when he came across the horse tangled in some downed wire they had. He didn’t have his gloves with him and he had to get it out. He took it home, called the sheriff and about a week later they arrested him,” Clyde finished, his face a blank slate, but the clenching muscles along his jaw line told Lexi all she needed to know.

  “That’s ridiculous,” She said, “What in the world is the Sheriff thinking?”

  “He’s thinking he has to be re-elected and people want a horse thief caught is what he’s thinking,” Luke responded, the harshness in his tone unmistakable, “It’s crazy, no self-respecting horse thief would steal a horse without gloves, especially if they have to cut through wire,” he said as if that were the most obvious fact in the world.

  “Interesting,” Peter remarked smugly, “Just how much experience do you have stealing horses?” He queried, his voice hinting at a dangerous maliciousness.

  Luke took a deep breath and shook his head, “You would have to be a horse’s hind end,” he responded, trying to be mindful of Jake’s young ears, “Just for the sake of clarity though, I have never stolen a horse, nor do I intend on ever stealing a horse. I have, however, worked thousands of miles of fence lines, thousands of head of cattle, and probably a hundred horses in my time.”

  That steely glint flashed in Peter’s eyes again but this time he kept the well-practiced smile in place and swung his attention quickly to Lexi.

  “I would be most delighted if you, all of you,” he said flicking a glance to the rest of them, “would attend my barbeque tomorrow. I will be announcing the rodeo and all the details then,” he smiled at Lexi, “I would love for you to be there.”

  “We’ll see,” Clyde answered from the other side of Red, his hand now resting on the horse’s high withers, “We have a lot of work to do,” he said with finality.

  “That must be why you’re here,” Peter said with a politely condescending smile to Luke, “to help with the work.”

  “Why I’m here is none of your concern,” Luke snapped, his face growing red with frustration and heat.

  “Luke’s here because we asked him,” Nora said, catching Luke’s eye and giving her head an almost unperceivable shake.

  Lexi looked at the people that surrounded her. The air was thick with a tension so real she could taste it on her tongue. They were more than unhappy, or even impolite, they were defiant. There was more to this than what she had first thought. Something was definitely not right. Lexi decided what she was going to need was a little inside information, a partner in crime so to speak. She knew right then and there first thing in the morning she was going to call Marci. Nothing like an old friend to help stir up some new trouble.

  Chapter 10

  Luke had left shortly after Peter as he had chores to do on his own ranch and Lexi had watched with great interest as everyone, even Jake, had worked in isolating silence. Their thoughts so tightly enveloping the
m that each moved like planets in their own individual orbits, together in the solar system but on their own path.

  Lexi had just given Jake a good night kiss and started for her own room when something caught her eye outside the hall window. It was so quick, just a shimmer of movement in the darkness, and Lexi inched closer to the window, a shiver shimmying down her spine. She pushed to curtain back slightly, squinting into the deep darkness of the moonless night, her eyes searching the shadows for what she thought she saw.

  "Everything okay, hon?" Clyde asked as he climbed the last of the stairs and came to a stop beside her. He too looked out into the night, their frames silhouetted in the hall light spilling out into the yard.

  Lexi looked at her grandfather before swinging her gaze back out into the darkness. She nodded and shifted her weight from one leg to another. There was a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach but she couldn't begin to explain why. "I thought I saw something," she said by way of an explanation, shrugging her shoulders, as if even now, the idea seemed a bit absurd.