by Carrie Carr
Amanda locked her hands behind her lover's neck and returned the kiss with one of her own. "You're my hero." She tucked her head beneath Lex's chin. "I don't know why I'm so exhausted today. I joined Lorrie for her afternoon nap, so I shouldn't be dragging like this."
"Sweetheart, taking care of Lorrie is a full time job and then some." Lex squeezed Amanda to her. "Go on, I'll be up in a minute." She nuzzled the top of Amanda's head before releasing her. Watching the tired woman trudge from the room, Lex waited until she was completely gone before turning her attention to the messy wall.
It took longer than she thought it would. Lex finally gave up and decided that the kitchen would need a new coat of paint. After putting the cleaning supplies away, she made her way upstairs. A quick peek into Lorrie's room assured Lex that the child was down for the night. She did her usual job of tucking the little girl in before placing a kiss on the tiny dark head and leaving the room.
The sight that greeted her as she walked into the master bedroom caused Lex to stop dead in her tracks. Amanda was on her stomach, stretched out across the bed. Completely nude. And sound asleep. Lex paused to enjoy the view, before shaking her head, closing the door and going into the bathroom to clean up.
After her shower, Lex returned with a bottle of baby oil. She got up on the bed next to her slumbering partner and poured a small amount of the oil into her hand. She waited until her body heat warmed the oil before rubbing it across Amanda's back.
"Oh, God, that feels so good." Amanda's eyes opened slightly. "Marry me."
Lex chuckled. "I think I already did that. Do you want to go through it again?"
Amanda moaned as Lex found a sore spot. "As much as I enjoyed it, I'd have to say no. My grandmother nearly drove me nuts."
"Martha, too." Lex straddled Amanda's hips and used her thumbs to work along her spine. "Next time, we elope."
"Works for me. Oh, yeah, right there." Amanda winced. "Ungh."
"Too hard?"
"Never." Amanda quieted as the massage continued. Before long, she was out again.
Lex heard the soft snores and finished up. She returned to the bathroom to put away the oil and wash her hands. That completed, she moved Amanda under the covers. "Sleep well, love." It wasn't long before she joined her in sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
"BUT HOW LONG will you be gone?" Lex stood in the kitchen, her back against the counter and her arms crossed over her chest. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"
Martha put the last pot away in the cabinet. The question was one of many that she had fielded from Lex. "No, honey. You've got too much going on here. But I do appreciate the thought." Earlier that day, Martha received a phone call from her uncle in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her Aunt Nattie, who was in her late eighties, had fallen and broken her hip. While she was in the hospital, she had a severe heart attack and wasn't expected to live much longer. "Uncle Ronald thinks it will be soon. I need to be there for him."
"Of course you do. I only wish you'd let us be there for you. This damn ranch isn't as important as you are."
"There are too many folks that depend on you. You can't go running off and babysitting me. I'll be fine." Martha took off her apron and loosely folded it. She headed for the laundry room with Lex right in behind her.
"Roy can handle it."
Martha tossed the apron into the empty clothes hamper. "Yes, I know he can." She left the wash room and started for the back door. "But that's not the point. Now let's not have any more of that kind of talk. I need to go pack. Why don't you keep me company and then I'll give you the chocolate cake I finished up this morning."
Lex followed her like a dutiful puppy, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Martha before she left. They walked along the path between the two houses until they got to Martha's. "You don't have to bribe me with cake, you know. I enjoy getting to visit with you." Lex waited until Martha entered, then closed the door behind them.
The living area was uncluttered and tidy, and the bedroom was the same. "Grab my bag from the closet, will you?" Martha began to take clothing items from the dresser.
Lex took an empty suitcase from the back of the closet and placed it on the bed. "Would you like for me to drive you to the airport?" Not knowing what else to do, she stood next to the dresser and watched.
"No, but I wouldn't mind a ride into town. Charlie is going to quit work early this afternoon and take me." Martha added a few more items to the case before going into the bathroom to gather her toiletries. She came out and noticed the glum look on Lex's face. "What?"
"I hate the thought of you going alone." Lex pushed off from the dresser and moved to stand next to Martha. "Promise me you'll call if you need anything? I can be there in no time at all."
Martha patted Lex's side. "I promise. And I want you to promise me that you'll stay out of trouble while I'm gone."
"You have nothing to worry about. I'll be good."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Martha kissed Lex on the cheek and returned to her packing.
MARTHA HAD BEEN gone two days when Amanda decided to take Lorrie into town to spend part of the day at Mother's Day Out, where Lorrie could interact with other children her age. She'd then head to the office, and afterwards they would visit her grandparents. The morning started out with a heavy thunderstorm, which hadn't let up. She was gathering up Lorrie's things when Lex came upstairs. Rain dripped from her clothes and Amanda thought she looked like a drowned rat. "Don't you have a raincoat?"
"Yeah, but I forgot it." Lex moved through Lorrie's room and into her bathroom, where she took a towel from the cabinet. She came out, attempting to dry her hair. "It's nasty out there. Are you sure you want to drive in?"
"Momma!" Lorrie heard Lex's voice and raced across the room. She attached herself to one leg. Feeling the clammy wet jeans, she slapped the material. "Uck! Momma, you wet."
"That's what happens when you play in the rain," Amanda scolded. "You need to go change."
Lex picked the little girl up, careful to not hold her against her wet clothes. "In a minute. How are you doing, lil' bit?"
"Pway ussl?"
"What?" Lex looked over to Amanda.
"She's got a new wooden puzzle. Charlie brought it this morning." Amanda finished packing and placed the small backpack near the door. She waited until Lex put Lorrie down before using the towel around Lex's neck to wipe her lover's face. "We'll be back this evening. Go change and you can come out to play."
"Yes, mommy." Lex stole a quick kiss before leaving the room.
Amanda dropped her gaze to Lorrie. "Your momma's a brat."
"Yep." Lorrie raced to where her toys were kept and sat at the tiny table. She took the pieces from the wooden puzzle block and placed them on the table surface. The puzzle consisted of a flat, rectangular piece of wood, with six separate cutouts, shaped and colored like farm pieces. Each individual piece had a tiny raised knob, to make it easier to grasp. One at a time, Lorrie took the pieces and placed them where they belonged. When she finished, she clapped her hands. "Done!"
"Wonderful, Lorrie." Amanda squatted next to the table. She took the pieces out again and mixed them up on the table. "Now try."
Lorrie clapped again. "Yay!" She picked up a piece, studied it and put it in its proper place. "Good?"
Amanda nodded. "Very good." She felt, rather than saw, Lex come into the room. Turning her head, she was relieved to see her changed, right down to her dry boots. "You're a good girl, too."
"Gee, thanks." Lex took a position on the other side of the table. She sat cross-legged on the floor and picked up a puzzle piece. "I swear, Charlie's going to spoil this kid."
"That's what I said. He told me that she was his first grandchild and it was his job to spoil her." Amanda handed Lorrie another piece. "Where does this one go?"
The little girl slapped the part in place. "Dere."
They sat quietly for a few minutes and watched Lorrie play. She never seemed to tire of the puzzle and con
tinually put the parts in and took them out. Sometimes she would hand Lex or Amanda a piece and expect them to place it correctly. The sound of the heavy rain hitting the roof finally abated and Amanda stood to look out the window. "The rain's finally stopped. Guess we'd better get going, while we can."
"Yeah." Lex got to her feet. "I'll walk you down." She grabbed Lorrie's bag.
Once they were all downstairs, Lex helped Lorrie with her coat. The child squirmed and it took several minutes to get it put on and zipped. "Kiddo, I swear you're part worm." She finished and helped Amanda with her coat as well. "Enjoy lunch with your grandparents, sweetheart. Give them my best."
"We will." Amanda led the way to her "mom mobile", as Lex called it. The silver Xterra was her concession to a safer ride and it easily handled all the rough roads between the house and the highway. Her Mustang sat in the garage Lex had built for it and now was only driven during the comfortable spring months. She waited patiently while Lex buckled Lorrie into her car seat behind the passenger seat. "All done?"
Lex kissed Lorrie before closing the door. "Safe and secure." She moved around to the driver's side and wrapped her arms around Amanda. "Be careful."
"You know it." Giving her partner a kiss, Amanda climbed behind the wheel. "Try to stay dry, if you can. I don't want to have to tell Martha you caught cold."
"Yes, ma'am." Lex patted the side of the vehicle and watched it until the tail lights faded from view.
THE FALLING RAIN matched Lex's mood. It had been hard not to join Amanda and Lorrie on their trip. Her mature side understood that if she had gone, Lorrie would have spent more time playing with her and not Amanda's family. Still, staying behind alone hurt. She stood at the corral near the house, ignoring the light rain that soaked into her clothes. So engrossed in her thoughts, she never heard anyone come up behind her until a hand touched her arm. Startled, Lex spun around.
Charlie's frowning visage greeted her. "Martha will throw a fit if you get sick from being out here without a coat."
"What she doesn't know won't hurt me." She checked her watch. "It's only nine. What are you doing home?"
"To tell you the truth, I didn't feel like being there. I'll go in after lunch." Charlie took off his hat and shook the excess water from it. "Come on to the house and keep me company. Martha left a pie or two and I don't want her to return home and find any leftovers."
Lex sighed. "Might as well. I can't get much done until the damned rain lets up." She followed him over to the cottage he shared with Martha. He hung his coat on one of the hooks by the door and they both placed their damp hats next to it.
While Charlie made the coffee, Lex took out plates, removed the apple pie from the refrigerator, dished up two slices and placed them in the microwave to heat. "How hot do you want yours?"
"Warm enough to eat, but not so much that I have to wait for it to cool." He brought two steaming mugs to the table and sat as Lex put the plates down. They each took a couple of bites before speaking. "Why don't you tell me what you were doing out in the rain?"
"Thinking, mostly."
"About what?"
She took a sip of coffee. "Different things. Hey, what all is involved in joining the department?"
"Department?"
"Yeah. You know, where you go to work everyday?"
His attention was quickly buried in his cup. "Well, the usual. Background check, medical assessment, written and physical tests. If those all are passed, then a sixteen week course at the academy. Why?"
Unable to look into Charlie's eyes, Lex used her fork and scooted what was left of her pie around the plate. "It's something I've been thinking about."
"For how long?"
"About a year or so, I guess."
Charlie leaned back in his chair. "I know it's not something that happens around here a lot, but I got the impression you weren't comfortable when we went out after those guys."
She raised her head. "It wasn't so much that, as I was afraid of doing something wrong. Maybe with the right training, I would feel more comfortable with it."
"You could be right. Hell, Lex. I've always said you'd be better at the job than a lot of the men we already have. But it should be something you're sure of." He moved forward and placed his elbows on the table. "Have you talked to Amanda about this?"
"No, not yet. I wanted to see what you thought, first. No sense in getting into it with her, until I got your opinion." Lex ran her hand through her hair. "I'm tired of working this ranch. There's no challenge in it anymore and it practically runs itself. Do you think I'm out of my mind?"
He placed his hand on her forearm. "No, I don't. We all need to do what's best for ourselves. But we also have to take into account the people around us. That's one of the reasons I've been thinking about retiring."
"What?"
"I'm not getting any younger and I've finally got the life and family I've always wanted." He stood and cleared the dishes from the table. "I'd like to spend some quality time with Martha before we're too old to enjoy it."
Lex helped Charlie clean the kitchen. "Seems like we both have some serious thinking to do. I'd sure like to know what Amanda and Martha think about it, though."
"The only way we're going to find out is to talk to them." He took his coffee cup and went into the living room, knowing that Lex would follow. "Although I'm betting that Martha will accept my retiring a whole lot better than Amanda will take your thoughts about a career change."
"That's the part that worries me."
"MOMMY!"
Amanda peeked in the rearview mirror. Lorrie was in her car seat and her hand was crammed in the small snack bag on her lap. "What is it?"
"Pway?" Lorrie took several Cheerios out of the bag and shoved them into her mouth. "Mrumph."
"Yes, honey. You're going to go play with your friends at school." Amanda returned to watching the road. A couple of months ago, her grandmother had suggested they enroll Lorrie in the "Mother's Day Out" program at her church. It was only one day for a few hours a week and the little girl thrived on the social interaction with others her age. Amanda jumped slightly when a piece of Lorrie's snack hit her in the head. "Lorrie, behave." Another bit went flying over the seat. "Lorrie."
"Pway!"
Amanda brushed one hand through her hair, dislodging several more pieces. "Do you want to go home?"
"No."
"Then stop throwing your snack."
Nonplussed, Lorrie grabbed another handful and sprinkled them in the floorboard beneath her. She looked up at Amanda with an innocent grin.
"Well, you didn't throw them." Amanda turned off the highway and onto a sedate city street. Softly so Lorrie wouldn't hear her, she murmured, "You look like Lex when you smile like that."
When she noticed where they were, Lorrie began to brush the tidbits of food from her lap. "Yay! Me pway now."
Amanda parked the vehicle and walked around to get the excited child from her seat. "You have to promise to be a good girl. Mommy's going to do some shopping, then we'll go see Gramma and Grandpa Jake."
"Otay." Lorrie put her arms around Amanda's neck and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Me good." She started trying to hop while in her mommy's arms. "Pway."
"Yes, honey." Amanda took her into the building, cringing when she heard the laughter and screaming of a roomful of toddlers. "You couldn't pay me enough to do that."
AT CHARLIE'S URGING, Lex returned to the ranch house instead of going out to the barn to mess with the horses. She wandered around downstairs for a while before finally settling in her office. The paperwork for the ranch was almost a week behind, so she decided to take the quiet time and get caught up. Lex had only been at it for an hour when she heard a vehicle pull into the driveway. She was on her way to see who it was when there was a knock on the front door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Cleve again so soon. "What do you want?"
"Roy sent me." He stayed about five feet away. "The rain knocked out the phone at the bunkhouse and he wanted you to know
that several of the horses from the east pasture are missing."
"Damn. Guess I'll be playing in the rain too, then. Anyone checking the north range? They could have headed there." Lex held the door open further. "Do you want to come in?" She didn't want him inside the house, but she felt she should at least make the offer.
Cleve took another step back. "No. I said what I came to say. Roy and a few of the guys are going to check the fences on the east side, not the north. He wanted you to know."
"Fine. I'll do it myself."
He shrugged. "Whatever." With once last glance, Cleve turned and left the porch as quickly as he came. The old work truck roared to life and skidded out of sight.
"Asshole." Lex slammed the door. "Might as well get a move on." She checked her watch. "Amanda will be picking Lorrie up from her play date about now. Since they were going to have lunch with her folks, they won't be home for hours." She hurried down the hall and took her hat and coat from the hooks by the back door. "I should easily beat them back to the house."
"GRAMMA!" LORRIE RAN through the front door of the Cauble's house and tangled her hands into one leg of Anna Leigh's slacks.
Bending to scoop the happy tot into her arms, Anna Leigh hugged her close. "Hello, my darling. Have you been a good girl?"
"Yep."
"Not." Amanda followed, with Lorrie's bag over her shoulder. "She got put in time-out at school for playing tug-of-war with another girl's doll. Not to mention the inside of my car looks like a cereal box threw up."
Jacob relieved her of the backpack and put his free arm around Amanda's waist. "It sounds less messy than when you were her age and decided ketchup made a nice shampoo."
Groaning, Amanda allowed herself to be led into the living room. "I can't believe you still hold that one against me."
"You'll have to admit, you were quite a frightful sight, dear. I hope you get to enjoy this little one's early years as much as we did yours." Anna Leigh patted Lorrie's bottom. "Although I don't see how this beautiful girl could be anything but angelic."