To Hold Forever

by Carrie Carr

  "Keep your damned hands to yourself." Lex shook him off and walked beside her brother. His attitude only increased her ire, and she was hard-pressed to keep from slamming him into a wall and taking her frustrations out on him. When they stopped in front of a run-down storefront, she couldn't help but chuckle. "This is it?"

  Hubert fussed with the lock until he was finally able to kick the door open. "Shut up. It's only temporary until my new place is ready." He had to use his shoulder to push the door open enough to step inside.

  The musty air tickled Lex's nose and she fought the urge to sneeze. A lamp was on near the back of the room, its dim light casting eerie shadows in the cluttered space. Boxes, newspapers, and books were strewn everywhere. She had to sidestep a broken chair in order to follow him to his desk. "Nice place."

  "Fuck you." Hubert sat behind the scarred desk, almost toppling out of the rickety chair. He shoved an old pizza box off the top in a pitiful attempt to make his space appear more professional. "The maid hasn't been in yet."

  "Whatever." Lex considered cleaning off a chair but changed her mind. She didn't plan to be here long. She decided to get straight to the point. Amanda was waiting for her at the Cauble's, where she'd dropped her off earlier. "You need to pay your lawyer."

  He carefully leaned back in his chair. "Why? The sorry bastard didn't do his job. I don't owe him shit."

  "Wrong." She put her hands on her hips so she wouldn't be tempted to strangle him. "You owe him close to fifteen thousand dollars."

  "What's it to you? It's none of your damned business."

  Lex kicked a pile of empty food containers out of her way and moved closer to the desk. "It became my business when he decided to come after me for the money."

  Hubert laughed. "Big fucking deal. Do you think I care?"

  "You should." Lex started around the side of the desk, which caused him to slide quickly out of the way. "Because if I have to settle your debt, I plan on taking it out of your worthless hide."

  He moved casually to keep the desk between them. "Like you could." He saw her tense and knew things were about to get out of hand. "Wait." Hubert gestured around the room. "As if you couldn't tell, I'm not exactly swimming in dough right now." He needed a plan, and soon. Hubert knew his sister wasn't bluffing. An idea blossomed in his head. "How about this. You pay Kirk, and I'll get a second mortgage on my house to pay you back." No need to tell her he already had a second mortgage and was behind on his house payments.

  Something sounded fishy. Lex hadn't expected him to go along with her quite so easily. But it was more than she hoped for. "Give me something in writing before I leave."

  "Sure, no problem." He dropped into his chair and had to yank several times before the desk drawer opened. He took out a piece of paper, but couldn't find a pen.

  Lex sighed and took a pen out of her coat pocket. "Here."

  Hubert jerked it out of her hand and stared at it. The pen was hand-carved wood and had her name engraved across the barrel. "Full of yourself, aren't you?"

  "It was a gift."

  He grunted, but used it to scribble several lines on the paper. With a flourish, he signed the document and handed it and the pen to her. "There. Happy?"

  "Not until I get the money from you, I'm not." Lex read the paper then folded it and tucked it away. "I want a bank draft by the end of next week."

  "Fine. I'll mail it to you." He stood. "Now get out. I've got stuff to do."

  Lex smirked. "Hopefully, cleaning this dump up is first on your list." She tipped her hat. "Nice doing business with you, bro."

  Hubert watched as she picked her way toward the door and left. "Good riddance, bitch." He looked around the room and nodded to himself. If things went right, he wouldn't have to worry about the office.

  THE COFFEE SEEMED tasteless to Amanda, so she put the cup down in disgust and sighed. Not even the cheery kitchen could bring her out of her funk. "I might as well give up coffee altogether. Decaf's nasty. And I know I'll pay for it later." She pushed away from the table and went to the refrigerator for a glass of milk instead.

  Lois stood and took both mugs to the sink and rinsed them. "I have to agree with you. I don't care what they say, I can tell the difference."

  Talking about coffee somehow brought Amanda's thoughts to the one person who was never far from her mind. "I wish Lex would get here." She edged next to Lois and glanced out the window. "I can't wait to hear what she found out at the lawyer's office."

  "I'm sure she'll be here as soon as she can. Why don't we go into the den and relax?" Lois put her arm around Amanda's shoulders as they left the kitchen. She had taken it upon herself to keep her company, since Anna Leigh and Jacob had left earlier to help a friend.

  Amanda wanted to scream at Lois' attempt to keep her occupied. The woman meant well, but it made her feel as if she had a babysitter. Next time, she decided, she would bug Lex until she allowed her to go along. "I don't want to relax. I'm already bored to tears." But she lowered herself into the comfy chair nearest the fireplace. "It's bad enough that I've had to quit working."

  "Are you regretting your decision to get pregnant?"

  "No." Amanda rubbed her stomach and smiled as the baby kicked. "This is the most amazing thing in the world. I never thought I'd have this."

  Lois wasn't exactly sure what Amanda meant by that. "A baby?"

  "A family. Growing up, I never thought about the whole 'getting married, having kids' thing. I figured I'd leave that up to Jeannie. Then I met Lex, and everything changed." Amanda stood and went to the window to look out. "From the moment I looked into her eyes, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." She brightened as Lex's truck pulled into the driveway. "She's here." Amanda started to go to the front door to meet Lex, but quickly remembered she was supposed to be resting. She went to her chair and tried to look innocent.

  The door opened and Lex stuck her head into the living room. "There y'all are." She took off her hat and draped her coat over an empty chair. "Hey, Lois."

  "Hello, Lex. Amanda was talking about you."

  Lex sat on the edge of Amanda's chair and kissed her cheek. "Not all bad, I hope."

  Amanda closed her eyes at the touch of her lover's lips. "Nope. I was telling Lois how easy it was to fall in love with you."

  "Oh." Lex felt a blush heat her face. She quickly recovered, however. "Hope you told her how you practically threw yourself at me." She jumped when Amanda swatted her leg. "Ow."

  "Serves you right." Amanda left her hand on Lex's thigh. "How'd it go at the lawyer's?"

  It was the one subject she didn't want to go into, but Lex knew Amanda wouldn't let it go until she found out. "Not too well. Melvin told me the only way to remove the lien is for Trumbull to revoke it or for me to pay what's owed."

  "That's not right! You shouldn't have to pay for your stupid brother. He's not worth it." The thought of Hubert getting away without paying for his legal fees made Amanda so mad she could barely see. "Can you have him arrested for fraud or something?"

  Lex could feel Amanda shaking. "Calm down, sweetheart. It's going to be all right."

  "But he--"

  "Will pay, believe me." Lex couldn't keep the smirk off her face.

  Amanda knew the look. Her partner definitely had something up her sleeve. "What?"

  As much as she wanted to hear what Lex was going to say, Lois forced herself to leave the room. It was a private matter between the two of them, and if they wanted anyone else to know, they'd share.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Lex noticed Lois' departure. To keep Amanda from getting a crick in her neck, Lex slid off the arm of the chair. She moved to the sofa, not surprised when Amanda joined her.

  "Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" Amanda picked up Lex's hand and began to trace her fingers across the top. Her hands were strong and callused, and had always fascinated her.

  Lex enjoyed the attention for a moment then mentally shook herself to get to the subject. "I caught Hubert on
the street, right after I had spoken to Melvin."

  Amanda raised her head. "You didn't stomp him, did you? Although the jerk deserves it."

  "No, I was actually fairly civil, believe it or not."

  "Then you're a better woman than I am," Amanda grumbled. "I'd have kicked his ass."

  Lex didn't doubt that for a moment. The thought of her wife taking Hubert down brought a smile to her face. "As much as I'd enjoy the sight, I'm afraid it wouldn't do us any good."

  "I know. But I can dream, can't I?"

  "Yep."

  "Okay. I think I'm over it. What happened?" Amanda rested against Lex's side. She couldn't believe how tired she was. She fought off a yawn. "Go ahead."

  Lex put her arm around Amanda's shoulders. "We went to his office. Or at least a little hole in the wall he's using. It's nasty." A poke in her ribs got her attention. "We had a nice chat," another poke told her she wasn't believed, "and we came to an understanding. Since I'm stuck paying the bill, I authorized Melvin to take care of it. Hubert's getting a second mortgage on his house and is going to pay me next week."

  "How did you get him to agree to that?" A thought occurred to Amanda. "You didn't have him pinned to the wall or something, did you?"

  "No, although that would have been fun."

  Amanda closed her eyes. Lex's voice always soothed her. As tired as she was, it wouldn't take much for her to doze off. "If he's going to mortgage his house, why doesn't he pay the lien?"

  It was a valid question, and one Lex had already thought of. "Because I don't trust him. I don't want to lose the ranch and it would be safer for me to pay the bill, and then try to get the money out of his worthless hide."

  "Makes sense." Amanda yawned again. "Sorry."

  "Don't be." Lex kissed Amanda's head. "Nap time?"

  "No." She sounded like a petulant child, but Amanda didn't care. "I don't want to nap. I want to stay here with you." But her body betrayed her by relaxing against her lover.

  "Uh-huh." Lex stood, bringing Amanda up with her. "How about we both go upstairs? I could use a nap, too."

  Amanda allowed Lex to guide her out of the den and up the stairs. "I don't believe you, but I'm too tired to call you on it." She stumbled at the top of the stairs, thankful for her partner's firm grasp. She felt Lex's arm tighten around her shoulders. "Don't even think it."

  "What?" Lex opened the door to the guest room.

  "You were about to pick me up. I could tell."

  "I wasn't--"

  Amanda tugged on Lex's arm. "You were, too." She sat on the edge of the bed. When Lex removed her shoes, she opened her mouth to argue.

  "Ssh." Lex lifted Amanda's legs and helped her get comfortable. She covered her with a quilt, before taking her own boots off and climbing beside her.

  "You don't have to coddle me." But Amanda was grateful for the attention. Her eyes closed in relief when Lex tucked an arm around her.

  "We can argue about it later." Lex had to smile as soft snores answered her. She kissed Amanda's cheek. "Rest well, sweetheart." Everything was finally settling down, and Lex couldn't be happier.

  Chapter Thirty

  LOS ANGELES IN February was wonderful, compared to where she had been. The winter chill in Paris had seeped into her bones, and Elizabeth Cauble couldn't wait to get to her leased bungalow on the beach and soak in the sun. But she had a few things to attend to before she enjoyed her return to the States.

  The sleek sports car cut through the freeway traffic with ease. Elizabeth considered hiring a driver, but after being chauffeured around Europe, she longed to be behind the wheel again. The rented Mercedes SL500 was perfect for her needs. She had the top down and felt freer than she had in years. Her red scarf held her perfectly coiffed hair in place, and her designer sunglasses kept the bright California sun out of her eyes.

  She took the next exit, cutting in front of several cars as she swerved across two lanes of traffic. Elizabeth waved behind her at the indignant honking. It's what they deserved for getting in her way. Twenty minutes later, she double-parked the Mercedes in front of an upscale building. She didn't bother to lock it. After all, this was Beverly Hills.

  Elizabeth glided into the store as if she were royalty and was granting favor with her subjects. The art gallery was decorated with sparsely scattered paintings, yet reeked of pretentiousness. When no one greeted her, she crossed her arms over her chest and cleared her throat loudly.

  The room echoed, but otherwise remained silent.

  "Excuse me!" Elizabeth bellowed in her most commanding voice. Her nose lifted slightly in the air as she waited impatiently.

  The click-clack of high heels against the polished marble floor moved closer, until a diminutive brown-haired woman pulled up short in astonishment. "Mrs. Cauble?" Her dark brown eyes blinked nervously. "What a pleasant surprise."

  "I'm sure it is." Elizabeth haughtily glared at her. She strode by the clerk on her way to the office. "Delilah, I'm going to check the books."

  The clerk followed along, struggling to keep up. "Darla, ma'am."

  "No, I rather like Delilah better. Come along." Elizabeth snapped her fingers. "I want to see how you've been handling things in my absence."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  It took Elizabeth only an hour to see that her gallery thrived under the young woman's care. She knew it had been doing well. Along with the money she had absconded with years previously, the funds directly deposited in her overseas bank account kept her living comfortably. She closed the accounting program on the computer and spun her chair around to focus on Darla. "It appears you've been doing quite well, my dear. I don't recall my daughter handling the gallery any better."

  "Thank you, ma'am." Darla felt a kernel of pride at her employer's remarks. "Oh! By the way, I hear that congratulations are in order."

  "I beg your pardon?"

  Darla didn't see the look of consternation that crossed Elizabeth's face. "You know, your daughter's wedding? I wish I could be there. I suppose that's why you've returned to the United States, isn't it?"

  Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her daughter, getting married? She knew it was only a matter of time before Amanda came to her senses and dumped that ill-mannered, uneducated, no-good Lexington Walters. It was bad enough she had to cavort with a woman, but to be with someone so obviously beneath her station was unacceptable. "Of course. It's only proper that I attend. Amanda wouldn't want it any other way."

  "Amanda?" Darla shrugged. "I guess she will be glad to see you, too. But I was talking about Jeannie. She was so excited the last time I spoke with her on the phone." Jeannie and Darla had known each other since college. It was Jeannie who hired her to work in the gallery, and once she had become pregnant with her first child, she turned over the managerial duties to Darla.

  "Jeanne Louise? That vegetable? Who'd marry someone who can't even swallow her own drool?"

  The vehemence in Elizabeth's voice unnerved Darla. "Um, Mrs. Cauble? Surely you realize Jeannie has fully recovered from her stroke. I figured you kept in touch with her, even though you'd been in Europe all this time."

  Elizabeth recovered from her surprise quickly. "No, I'm afraid not. The last time I heard anything about my daughter, she was in an assisted care facility. I've been quite busy in Paris."

  "Oh."

  "No matter." Elizabeth rose and waved her hand in the air dismissively. "When and where are the nuptials?"

  Darla's face went blank. "Huh?" She wished the woman would speak English. She barely understood her half the time.

  "The wedding, Delilah. What date has been set?"

  "You don't know?"

  Elizabeth sighed dramatically. "I believe we have already established that." When the young woman didn't answer, she snapped her fingers in front of Darla's face.

  Darla blinked. "I'm sorry. The wedding is set for next week. You know, Valentine's Day?"

  "How droll." Elizabeth tucked her purse beneath her arm and walked out of the office. "It appears I wi
ll be making another trip."

  Darla scurried behind her. "Mrs. Cauble?"

  "Yes?" Elizabeth stopped. She had so much to do and chatting with this silly girl was only wasting her time. "What is it?"

  "Would you mind giving Jeannie something for me?" Darla rushed to the office and reappeared, carrying an envelope in her hand. "I have been meaning to mail this."

  Elizabeth took the letter from her. "And what, pray tell, is this?"

  "A gift card. For the baby."

  "Baby? Oh, you mean my granddaughter?" Elizabeth tucked the envelope into her purse.

  Darla shook her head. "It's for her son. She gave birth at Thanksgiving. Isn't it wonderful?"

  Having a baby out of wedlock was not Elizabeth's idea of wonderful. She tried to keep an impassive look on her face. "I suppose. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going. Since my dear Jeanne Louise has two young children, she'll need her mother." She turned and strode purposely out of the gallery. There were plans to make, and a trip to prepare for.

  NO MATTER WHAT the temperature was, or how nicely the room was decorated, the obstetrician's exam room always felt cold and uncomfortable to Lex. And she wasn't the one who had to lie on the table with only a thin gown and a sheet for protection from the chill. She tightened her grip on Amanda's hand. Even though her partner was once again fully dressed, Lex still detected coolness in their joined hands. "Are you doing okay, sweetheart?"

  "Better than you, I think." It never ceased to amuse Amanda at how nervous her usually confident wife became once they stepped through Dr. Vaughn's doors. "Relax. I'm feeling much better, promise."

  The door opened and Dr. Vaughn stepped inside as Amanda spoke. "You're right. The latest tests show everything is closer to normal range." She wrote something in Amanda's chart and placed it on the counter. She hoped her next news would bring her patient out of the funk she admitted to being in. "If things keep progressing this well, we may be able to reconsider the caesarean."

  As happy as Lex was to hear the news, she was terrified of anything happening to her partner. "But will it be safe?"