by Carrie Carr
She took the wallet-sized print and studied it. The grainy print was of a man astride a horse. Lex squinted to make out the face. "Okay. So you have an old picture of a guy. What's this supposed to prove?"
"Mom says it's the only shot she has of my father. And she told me his name was Rawson Walters and he lived in Texas."
Lex looked at it again. The man in the photo did favor her father. "This could be anyone. How do I know you're not trying to get a piece of this ranch? Maybe you read the obituary and waited awhile before showing up."
Cleve took a step toward her. "You're full of shit, lady." He looked at Martha. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to say that in front of you."
"I've heard worse." Martha stood nearby, not trusting either of them to control themselves. "Why don't you show her what you showed me?"
"Oh, yeah." Cleve reached into his other back pocket and pulled out a ratty folded envelope. He handed it to Lex, who accepted it gingerly. "Go ahead. Read the note inside."
Lex removed a rumpled piece of paper and unfolded it. She read it silently, then looked up. "Where did you get this?"
He appeared smug. "My mother's name is Marcy. That's who it was written to. Do you recognize the signature?"
Although the scrawled name was nearly illegible, Lex knew exactly whose it was. "Yes, dammit." The letter, although short, was written to someone named Marcy. In it, the author explained that although he cared about her, he was going to Texas to make amends with his family. He mentioned how his wife at home was pregnant with their third child and he was determined to be a better husband and father.
"He didn't even know Mom was pregnant with me when he left." Cleve took the letter from Lex. "She never heard from him again."
Lex lowered her head. She closed her eyes to ward off the headache that began to make itself known. "I don't need this right now."
WHEN AMANDA RETURNED with Lorrie from the appointment, she was surprised to find that Lex was nowhere to be found. The house was quiet. Normally her partner would be anxiously waiting, wanting to know every detail of the doctor's visit. Lorrie began to fuss so Amanda placed her in the high chair in the kitchen in order to feed her an overdue snack.
The back door closed and Amanda looked up hopefully. When Martha came into the room, Amanda's hopes fell. "Hi Martha."
"Hello, there. How was the check up?" Martha went to the refrigerator and took out a gallon of milk. She shook the container before pouring a small amount into Lorrie's favorite sippy cup. "I swear, this little girl is a miniature of Lexie. She loved the 'moo juice', too."
"Moo juice?"
Martha put the milk away while Amanda set a couple of graham crackers on the tray in front of the impatient toddler. "That's what Lexie called it when she was little. It used to drive her daddy crazy. I personally think that's the reason she did it."
"I wouldn't be surprised." Amanda took a place at the table next to Lorrie. "Honey, slow down. The cookies aren't going anywhere."
"Yet another trait of her momma's. That girl would barely slow down to eat. When she did, she ate so fast I thought she'd choke. As soon as she was done, Lexie would race from the table and be off again."
Amanda found the revelation quite humorous. "She still does it. I can only get her to take her time in bed." Her face flushed suddenly when she realized how the comment sounded. "I mean eating." The innocent explanation embarrassed her more. "Oh, hell."
"Don't worry, honey. I knew exactly what you meant." Martha patted Amanda on the shoulder before joining her at the table. "But you sure are cute when you blush."
Waving her hand in front of her face in an effort to cool off, Amanda cleared her throat. "Let's see, what were we talking about? Yeah. Where's Lex?"
Still amused, Martha accepted the subject change. "She took a fellow up to the bunkhouse."
"Doesn't she usually call Roy to come get them? Why the special trip?" A gooey hand slapped Amanda's arm. "Lorrie, no." She took a paper napkin from the holder in the middle of the table and wiped herself clean.
"More!" Lorrie crumbled what was left of her last cracker and added a few drops of milk from her cup. "Mommy, more."
Amanda winced at the mess. "Lorrie, that's gross."
The little girl laughed and slapped at the sodden pile. Her laughter soon turned to tears when Amanda used another napkin to clean it up. "No." She swatted her mother's hand. "Mine!"
"Lorrie, stop." Amanda flinched when an errant glob landed in her hair. "That's it. No more cookies for you." She ignored the indignant wail that came from the child.
Martha covered her mouth with her hand to prevent a laugh from escaping. When Amanda glared at her, she shook her head and pantomimed zipping her mouth shut.
"I suppose Lex did that, too?"
"Did?" Martha stood and began removing items from the fridge to start dinner. "You know as well as I do that she still loves to make a mess. It takes me half the day to clean the mud from the house when it rains."
Lorrie settled down and watched Martha as she began chopping vegetables for stew. She noticed that Martha was close to the open box of graham crackers. "Mada, cookie?"
"Oh no, little one. Your mommy would never forgive me."
"Pease?"
The sweet entreaty melted Martha's heart. She turned to Amanda. "Shouldn't good manners be rewarded?"
Amanda raised her hands in defeat. "Go ahead. Dinner's several hours away." She didn't know who was happier about the decision, Lorrie or Martha. Both beamed.
"She's hard to say no to." Ruffling the child's hair, Martha returned to preparing the stew.
"That's because she has you wrapped around her little finger, Mada. Now, since you've appeased the tiny terror, do you want to get back to why Lex felt the need to take a new hire up the road?"
Martha heated the previously browned stew meat in a skillet before adding it to the pot. "I'm not sure how much to tell. Maybe it would be best if Lexie told you herself."
"Told her what?" Lex asked as she came into the room. Her hair was damp and she was in her stocking feet. She dropped into a chair and stretched out her legs.
"Amanda was curious why you took Cleve up to the bunkhouse."
Lex turned to her partner. "She told you about him?"
"No. Martha mentioned you had taken a man up. Don't you normally have Roy do that?"
"Oh."
Lorrie, no longer occupied with her food, heard Lex's voice and immediately started slapping her tray. "Momma, momma."
"Have you been having fun, lil' bit?" Lex got up and walked around the table. She couldn't help but laugh at the mess that was her daughter.
Lorrie's hair, filled with clumps of soggy crackers, stood in several directions. She also had more squished between her fingers and bits in her eyelashes. "Momma!" Lorrie waved her hands in Lex's direction, causing particles of cookie to fly everywhere.
"Watch out there." Lex took a dishtowel and wiped the toddler's hands. Once they were clean, Lex picked Lorrie up and held her close. "How's my girl?" Her question was aimed more at Amanda. "Were you good at the doctor?"
"She was an angel, although I think when she pulled his stethoscope out of his ears he was a little rattled."
Lex kissed Lorrie's forehead. "That's my girl."
"So, Lex. About the new guy?"
"His name is Cleve Winters. He showed up here this afternoon and I thought I'd give him a chance."
Confused, Amanda frowned. "I thought this was the time of year you let a few men go. There's not that much to do with winter coming on."
Lex went to her chair. She accepted the mug of coffee that Martha placed in front of her. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Martha returned to her preparations, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Realizing she had stalled as long as she possibly could, Lex bounced Lorrie on her knee. "Cleve actually came by to see dad." Her voice softened, so much that Amanda had to strain to hear it. "He claims that he's dad's son."
"What proof did he have? W
as he trying to get a piece of the ranch?"
"That's pretty much what I said, too. This guy had a picture of dad and a letter he had written Cleve's mother. It explained why he was leaving her to go to his family. From the way it read, I think he wrote it right after he found out my mother was pregnant with Louis. He never knew about Cleve."
"Do you think he's telling the truth?"
Lex played with her coffee cup. "Dad wrote the letter. I'd know his handwriting and signature anywhere. And the timing's about right. He spent almost as much time in Oklahoma as he did here, then." She raised her mug to her lips and snorted derisively. "His excuse was always rodeoing or buying stock. I can't believe he did something like that to mom."
Amanda squeezed Lex's forearm in a show of compassion. "Maybe he got lonely up there."
"Don't try to make excuses for the man. We both know he was pretty much a bastard." Tiny hands touched her cheeks.
"Momma, pway?"
Lex pushed down the anger she always felt when she thought about her father. The child in her lap was much more important. She nibbled at the little fingers before standing. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go upstairs and see what we can get into." Bending slightly, she kissed Amanda. She grinned when Lorrie mimicked her. "We'll see how things go with him. I couldn't turn him away."
"I know, honey. You two go on. I think I'll help Martha down here for a while." Amanda watched as Lex took Lorrie from the room. Satisfied they were gone, she got up and walked to the counter. Picking up a knife, she took over the vegetable slicing chores from Martha. "What do you think about all this?"
Martha wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't too surprised. Although I didn't start working here until Mrs. Walters was well along in her pregnancy, I could see that something besides the ranch was on his mind."
"This whole thing doesn't seem quite right. I remember him speaking of his wife with only the utmost love. Why would he feel the need to mess around on her?"
"That's something we'll never know, Amanda. But I think part of his grief after she passed was because he felt guilty for messin' around. He sure wasn't the devoted family man he'd claimed to be." Martha dumped the vegetables Amanda had chopped into the stew pot. "Having another woman in Oklahoma explains why he made so many trips away when he had two young children at home."
Amanda shook her head. The more she thought about it, the more she was able to believe Cleve Winters' claims. "You're right. It makes me wonder what would have happened if he knew he had another son."
"Me too. Let's hope this doesn't blow up in Lexie's face."
Chapter Eleven
THE EXCITABLE HORSE danced sideways before the man atop could bring her under control. Unsettled, he jerked hard on the reins. "Whoa!"
"Dammit, Cleve. Are you trying to ruin her mouth?" Lex ducked between the slats in the corral and went over to grasp the bridle. "Where in the hell did you learn to ride a horse?"
Exasperated, he slapped his hands on his thighs. "I've been riding on a horse probably as long as you have. It's not my fault this nag is out of control. At least my horse has some sense. Thank god I'm going into town tomorrow to pick her up where I've stabled her."
"Get down."
"What?"
Lex grabbed his arm and jerked Cleve from the saddle. "Get your ass off the horse."
He barely had time to get his legs underneath himself before he hit the ground. "Hey, watch it!"
Ignoring Cleve's sputtering, Lex swung up into the saddle and held the reins loosely. "Watch and learn, boy."
"Bitch." But Cleve couldn't help but marvel at how the filly reacted in Lex's hands. He moved over to the edge of the corral and watched as she rode the animal around the arena.
Although Roy felt almost sorry for the new hire, he was secretly glad it was his boss who took over the horse's training. "She may be abrupt at times, but Lex does know her way around a horse." He'd heard from several of the hands about Cleve's attitude. For the life of him, Roy didn't understand why Lex allowed the man to stay on. It wasn't as if they were short-handed and needed the additional help.
Cleve acted as if he hadn't heard him. "Has she always been so high and mighty?"
Roy shook his head. "I don't know what bug bit you in the ass, but you'd better watch your mouth. She hired you on the spot and she can fire you just as fast."
The other man let out a derisive snort. "That ain't happenin', bud. She doesn't want the trouble I'd cause."
"Is that a threat?" Lex had ridden up to the two men and overheard Cleve's comment.
He tipped his hat and stuffed his hands in his rear pockets. "Nope. Only stating a fact." Trying to save face, he turned and sauntered to the bunkhouse without another word.
"That's a major asshole, boss."
Lex swung down from the horse and stood behind Roy. "You can say that again." She waited until she was sure Cleve was out of earshot. "He been giving you much grief?"
"Nah. I've heard some grumbling from a couple of the other guys, but I think I can straighten him out." Roy turned and leaned against the top beam of the corral. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you hire him? Was it his sparkling personality?"
"Yeah, right." Lex tied the reins loosely to the nearest post. "I guess you can say it's a favor to my old man."
"I see. He offered the guy a job or something?"
Lex sat on the top rung. "Not exactly." She looked around to make certain they were alone. "This goes no further, okay?"
"Sure."
"When I was little, my father would go up to Oklahoma on cattle buying trips." She glanced down at her knees and scratched at a clump of mud. "That wasn't all he was doing. He had a girlfriend up there, too. Cleve's a result of that."
Not wanting to upset Lex, Roy tried to keep his eyes on a distant point. "So that's what he meant, by causing trouble. Do you think he'll make a claim to the ranch?"
"I doubt it. Other than the chip on his shoulder regarding me, he seems like a decent enough guy. Martha liked him okay."
"All right. But give me the word and he's out of here. You don't need his crap."
Lex patted him on the back before hopping down from the fence. "Thanks, my friend. I may take you up on that."
IT WAS NEARING midnight before Lex returned to the house. She stepped quietly into Lorrie's room and looked down into the crib at the sleeping child. Sometime during the night, Lorrie had kicked off her covers. With a small shake of her head, Lex tucked her in once again. She bent over and kissed Lorrie on top of the head before leaving the room.
She stood at the doorway to the master bedroom. In the glow of the banked fire, the sight before her brought a smile to Lex's face. Amanda was curled around Lex's pillow in the middle of the bed. Like Lorrie, she had kicked off the blanket and sheet. Walking as silently as she could, Lex went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Lex stepped out of the steamy room, toweling her hair dry. A second towel was draped around her hips. She was almost to the dresser when she heard a shifting on the bed.
"Lex? What time is it?" Amanda sat up and blinked blearily at her. She turned and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "What have you been doing? It's almost one o'clock in the morning."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Lex crawled into bed and moaned in relief. "Damn, that feels good." She stretched her legs over the clean sheets and snuggled deeper into the bed.
Amanda cuddled next to her and draped her arm across Lex's stomach. She kissed her lover's cheek. "I'm glad you're here. I missed you today."
Lex turned her head and met Amanda's lips with her own. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I'm being a baby."
Lex rolled over so she was facing her. "Sweetheart, you're never a baby." She gripped Amanda's hand and pulled it close. "Did something happen today?"
"No. Well, Lorrie did pull a bag of flour out of the pantry and proceed to powder the entire kitchen. I was helping Martha bake cookies and our backs were only turned for a secon
d." Amanda couldn't keep the amused look from her face. "She looked like a little ghost. Of course, so did I before I could get the bag away from her."
Unable to control herself, Lex laughed. "I would have paid good money to see that one."
"Yeah. Needless to say, we took a bath together. Martha wouldn't let me help clean the kitchen, either. She did bust up over it though."
"I can see that she's going to be in her terrible two's until we're old and gray." Lex released Amanda's hand and brushed her fingers through her partner's hair. "Makes my day seem tame by comparison."
"Hmm?" Amanda closed her eyes as Lex's nails gently scratched her scalp. "Anything exciting?"
"Nope. Well, other than almost strangling Cleve."
Amanda opened her eyes. "Why?"
Embarrassed, Lex concentrated on the head massage she was giving Amanda. "He's an ass. The idiot can't handle a horse worth a damn."
"What'd he do?"
"He nearly tore the new filly's mouth by jerking the reins everywhere." Lex stopped the scratching and sat up. She was getting angry all over again. "I wanted nothing better than to knock that damned smirk off his face."
Amanda rose also. "You didn't."
"No, but I wanted to. He's bringing his own horse out tomorrow. I can't wait to see what kind of glue factory reject he rides."
Amanda rubbed Lex's arm in an attempt to calm her down.
"Maybe he's not used to training horses. It does take a different kind of knowledge than riding."
"But if that's the case, he should have said something. I swear that jackass has a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas." The light touch had the desired effect, as Lex exhaled heavily and leaned against the headboard. "No matter what I say, he either argues or ignores me completely. I don't know what to do."
"Would you like me to try talking to him? Maybe I can find out what skills he has. He might not know how to talk to you, since you're related."
Lex sighed heavily. She knew Amanda was right, but it still rankled her. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll take all the help I can get."