by Carrie Carr
"Thanks." Ellie stumbled against the door frame. "Damn it." Her head spun for another reason when she was scooped into Kyle's arms. "Put me down before you hurt yourself."
"Give me a break. I've carried heavier car parts than you."
Kyle kicked the door closed and took her precious cargo to the bedroom, gently placing Ellie on the bed. "See? Nothing to it."
She removed her lover's shoes and tugged on the sweatpants she had dressed Ellie in the previous evening. "What about these?"
Ellie struggled to open her eyes. "Leave "˜em. I can't seem to get warm." She couldn't help but smile as Kyle slowly took off her coat and tucked her under the covers. "Thanks."
"What's that smile for?"
"You're really sweet." Ellie closed her eyes. "I love you."
Kyle sat on the bed beside her and stroked Ellie's face. "I love you too, El. Get some rest, okay?"
"Mmm." Ellie leaned into the touch as she drifted to sleep.
WITH HER HAND tucked around Lex's arm, Amanda snuggled close as they walked toward the duplex. "How exactly did Ellie hurt her head?"
"Kyle didn't say." Lex stopped at the front door. "I'd also like to know why Ellie never returned any of my calls. It's not like her."
"I'm sure she has a perfectly good explanation." Amanda knocked on the door. "You did call and tell them we were coming, didn't you?"
Lex shook her head. "I thought you did."
"No, I didn't. I was busy getting Eddie to Martha's, remember? Maybe we should come back later."
"Hell, it's almost noon. I'm sure--"
The door opened and a bleary-eyed Kyle poked her head out.
"Hey." Her shirt was wrinkled and her shorts were zipped, but not fastened. She rubbed the top of her head. "What time is it?"
"We're sorry about just dropping in, but I thought Lex called, and she thought I had. Go back to bed and we'll come back later."
"No, no. That's all right." Kyle opened the door wider. "Come on in. I must have dozed off as I was keeping an eye on El." She led them into the living room. "Can I get y'all anything?"
Lex sat beside her wife on the sofa. "We're fine, right?"
"Yes." Amanda leaned against Lex, who stretched her arm across her shoulders. "How's Ellie?"
Kyle played with a button that was coming off one of the pockets of her cargo shorts. "The doctor said she'd be fine. She's been resting since we got home from the hospital this morning. She was able to eat some toast, but threatened to throw the scrambled eggs at me."
Amanda laughed. "Don't feel bad, it's hereditary." She prodded Lex. "Right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Lex held Amanda's hand. "So, what time did y'all get in?"
"Just before nine, last night." Kyle scooted forward in her chair until she was on the edge. "We would have called to let you know, but I was afraid the kids were already asleep."
Amanda squeezed Lex's hand before pulling hers away. "Would it be okay if I checked on Ellie? I won't bother her."
"Sure. She's in the bedroom." Kyle noticed the time on the cable receiver. "As a matter of fact, could you wake her so she can take her meds? She's a little overdue."
"Of course." After standing, Amanda patted Lex's arm. "Be back in a few."
Once Amanda was out of the room, Lex turned to the mechanic. "Did Ellie not check her messages on her phone while you were gone? Or were you not able to get a signal down there?"
"Yeah, well, that's kind of a funny story," Kyle began, with a chuckle. At the serious stare she received, her smile faded. "What? You act like someone died."
Lex's face looked stricken.
"What?" Kyle leaned toward Lex who sat silently on the sofa. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry." Lex slowly rubbed her hands on her jeans before answering. She gazed sadly at Kyle. "The day after Christmas, Jacob passed away." She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "It's been a little rough since then."
"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, Lex. Ellie's going to be devastated. She considered Jacob another grandfather." Kyle joined Lex on the sofa and put her hand on Lex's knee. "I had no idea. We were climbing on Christmas morning, and Ellie's phone fell about two hundred feet."
When she realized where her hand was, she quickly moved it away. "Uh, anyway, it's my fault. I should have gone to the park office and checked in every day, but I honestly didn't think about it. I'm sorry."
Lex shook her head. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I should have contacted the park and had a message delivered, but it never dawned on me. It's done. Not much we can do about it now."
Kyle still felt bad. "How about I make some coffee? I think we could all use it."
"Sounds like a good idea."
AMANDA PUSHED THE bedroom door open and stepped inside. There was enough light coming in through the window blinds to see, but not enough to disturb the woman huddled in bed. She stepped lightly on the wood floor and was surprised when Ellie turned toward her.
"Hi," she whispered. "How are you feeling?"
"Ugh." Ellie struggled to sit up. "Amanda? What are you doing here?"
"We came by to check on you." Amanda sat on the edge of the bed. "If I hadn't thought you were related to Lex before, getting a concussion at home is a sure way to prove it."
Ellie chuckled and winced. "Ow. Don't make me laugh, it hurts."
"How did you manage to hurt yourself, anyway? Did you slip in the shower?"
"Um, no."
Amanda watched as Ellie's face turned a deep red. "What?"
Ellie covered her face. "Oh, God."
"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad. It's not like you and Kyle were..." Amanda stopped. "You're kidding me! How can you get a concussion doing that?"
"I wanna die," Ellie muttered.
Unable to help herself, Amanda began to giggle. "Really? What happened? Come on, you've got to tell me, or I'll be thinking of all sorts of kinky things."
"Geez." Ellie picked up a pillow and put it over her head. "I'm not here."
Amanda tugged at the pillow until she got it away from her. "Let's hear it, sunshine. How did you hurt yourself?"
"You're going to laugh."
"Probably," Amanda agreed. "Tell."
"IwashelpingKylewithhershortsandIfellbackwardsoffthebed," Ellie rushed out in a single breath.
Although she only caught about every third word, Amanda understood. "Ouch." She reached for Ellie's head. "I'm glad you weren't more seriously hurt."
"You're not going to tell Lex, are you? She'll never let me live it down."
Amanda got off the bed. "Like I can keep a secret from her? I'm sorry, Ellie. But I'll tell her not to pick on you...too much."
She picked up a pill bottle from the nightstand. "I'm supposed to get you to take your medication."
Ellie took the pill and drank deeply from the glass of water that had been left on her side of the bed. "Thanks." She sat back against the headboard and closed her eyes. "So, did you and Lex survive the kids during Christmas break? Or were you ready to kill them?"
"Uh." Amanda covered her mouth with her hand. "Something happened the day after Christmas, Ellie."
When she saw the tears in Amanda's eyes, Ellie leaned forward. "Oh, no. Are the kids--"
Amanda shook her head. "No, the children are all right. But, my grandfather," her voice broke. "Grandpa Jake passed away."
"What? No. How is that possible?"
"Gramma found him in his shop." Amanda stopped. "He, uh--"
Ellie forgot about her headache and her embarrassment. She took Amanda's hands in her own. "I'm so sorry. He was such a great guy." She blinked the tears away and concentrated on Amanda.
"Thanks. It's still hard to believe."
"How are the kids taking it?"
Amanda took a moment to compose herself. "Melanie thinks he's in Heaven, playing with Travis."
She squeezed Ellie's hands to soften her pain on losing her own grandfather. "Lorrie is trying our patience, but we're hoping she'll outgrow it, soon, she said.
"She's also terrified that something is going to happen to Lex or me."
"And, knowing my cousin, she's still going full-steam ahead, damn the consequences."
"Pretty much."
Before Ellie could say anything else, she frowned as two Amandas appeared in front of her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling so well."
"It's okay. Lie back and get some rest."
Ellie did as she was told, but didn't release her grip on Amanda. "I'm really going to miss your grandfather," she whispered.
"Me, too," Amanda agreed softly, as Ellie's eyes closed.
ON THE OTHER side of town, another woman was thinking about Jacob. Anna Leigh removed a shirt from the closet she had shared with her husband. She brought the soft fabric to her nose, unable to detect even the slightest scent of him. She carefully folded the shirt and placed it on top of the others on her bed.
"I may never forgive you, Jacob." She shook her head. "No, that's not true. I could never stay angry with you, love."
She removed a pair of slacks from the closet. "Perhaps I should have allowed Lois to help, after all. This is so much more difficult than I had imagined."
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs caused her to turn and face the doorway. For a moment, she allowed herself the fantasy of Jacob returning from his shop. A smile crept onto her face as she anxiously watched the doorway.
"Mom? Are you up here?" Michael poked his head around the doorway. "Oh. There you are. I knocked on the door for five minutes when you didn't answer the doorbell."
Anna Leigh's face fell, but she covered up her disappointment by folding the slacks and adding them to the stack.
"Your father was supposed to fix that." She turned away from him so that he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "What brings you by today?"
"I was on my way to lunch and thought I'd see how you're doing." He stopped when he saw the stack of clothes on the bed. "What's going on?"
"I'm gathering Jacob's clothes to donate." She placed another folded pair of pants on the bed. "Reverend Hampton is sending someone to pick them up, later today."
Michael grabbed her arm. "Mom, wait. You don't have to do this now."
"Of course I do. There are needy families right here in Somerville who could use these things."
She pulled her arm away and turned toward the closet. "Since you're here, would you mind clearing out his shop? I promised the high school that I would donate his woodworking tools and inventory."
"Have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea how much that stuff is worth?"
Anna Leigh glared at him. "I'm not a feeble old woman, Michael. Of course I know."
"Then how can you do that?" He gestured to the clothes stacked neatly on the bed. "How can you do this? It's like you're trying to get rid of anything that reminds you of Dad. Next thing you'll be telling me is that you want to sell the house."
"Well, not immediately, but--"
He tossed his hands into the air. "What the hell?"
At her look, he held out his hands. "Mom, please. Think about this. You don't have to clear everything out this very minute. When it's time, I can help you."
"I believe I just asked you to help." She crossed her arms. "Michael, I'm perfectly capable of making these decisions. Hanging onto Jacob's things won't bring him back. But I can help other people by donating what I don't need. Don't you understand?"
"No, not really." He brushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I can't, Mom. Don't ask me to go through his shop. I don't think he would agree to what you're doing."
She spun away from the closet and pinned him with a vicious glare. The look was so unlike her, he took two steps back. "How dare you!"
"What?"
"How dare you stand there and tell me what my own husband would say, or do. I believe I know Jacob better than you ever will."
She stepped closer and poked him in the chest. "For your information, he told me years ago that he wanted his workshop donated to the high school. But you didn't bother to ask. You just assumed I was doing it out of some misplaced grief."
She glanced at the neat piles of clothing on the bed. "As a matter of fact, it's all spelled out in his will."
Michael leaned against the door frame and sighed. "He had a will? Who's the executor?"
"We both have wills. And our lawyer is the executor. I thought you knew that."
"No, Dad never said anything to me." He pushed off the door frame and flipped through the stacks of clothes. "Are you getting rid of all of his things?"
Anna Leigh's anger dissipated and left a bone-deep weariness in its stead. "Of course not. Only the excess. Why? Is there anything you would like to have?"
He shrugged, looking much like the little boy she and her husband had raised. "I dunno."
"Michael." When he didn't respond, she softened her voice. "Dearest, please. This is a horrible time for us all." Anna Leigh touched his forearm, grasping it when he didn't pull away. "As much as I love you, I cannot tolerate you trying to take control for me. I'm a grown woman who is fully in control of her faculties. Just because I'm grieving the loss of your father, doesn't mean I need you to guide my every moment."
"I know, Mom." Michael rubbed his eyes. "But I'm trying to help you."
She put her arm around his waist and hugged him. "If I ask, it's help. If you bulldoze in and take over, it's annoying and unnecessary."
Michael laughed. "Yeah, I know. Lois tells me the same thing."
He kissed the side of her head. "As much as I want to, I don't know if I can go into his shop. The memories are just too strong."
"As are mine, dearest. But don't worry, I'll see if Lexington can help me. She never spent much time in the shop, so perhaps it won't be as bad for her. But I'd really like to get the tools and things to the high school before they let out for summer."
"I understand." Michael put both arms around her and held her close. "I love you, Mom. Don't worry, we'll get through this."
She rested her cheek against his chest and held back a sob. As much as she wanted to believe him, Anna Leigh knew deep in her heart that she'd never get passed her loss.
Chapter Nine
A STRONG, COLD wind rattled the barn door, which caused two of the horses to whinny and snort. Lorrie looked up from the halter she was working on.
"Ugh. I hate winter."
Although it was the beginning of February, the ranch had been barraged by sleet and cold rain for the past week. On one hand, the precipitation was welcome, due to the drought of the previous year. On the other, softball practices had been postponed indefinitely.
Lorrie spent a lot of time alone, either in her room or the barns. Everything made her mad lately, and she got tired of getting into trouble for her attitude. Melanie seemed to look for ways to aggravate her, at least in her mind. She kicked her heels against the bale of hay she sat on. "Stupid Mel."
She tightened a strap on the halter. "Come here, Snow."
"Maaaa." The goat stood in the middle of the barn.
"Snow, I mean it. Come here." Lorrie stood and held out her empty hand. "Come on."
The goat trotted close and sniffed her fingers.
Lorrie carefully put the red halter on Snow's head. Snow began to back up. "Stop it." She checked the fit and scratched the goat behind the ear. "See? That's not so bad."
The barn door opened, blowing a chill inside. Shelby stopped just inside and took off her cowboy hat. "Hey, Lorrie."
"Hi, Miz Shelby." Lorrie led Snow to the stall that was hers and put her inside. "Behave yourself, Snow. I'll be back in the morning, okay?"
She rubbed the kid's nose before she closed the stall door. When she turned around, she saw Shelby take off her coat. "Whatcha doing?"
"I'm going to check all the horse's hooves to see how many need new shoes. Would you like to help? The farrier is due next week."
Lorrie brightened. "Can I? What do I have to do?"
Shelby tugged her leather gloves from her rear pocket. "Would you mind
writing the name of the horse and the condition of the shoes?" She took a small notebook out of her shirt pocket and tossed it to Lorrie. "It would sure save me a mess of time. And my handwritin's so bad I can't read it."
"Okay."
"Thanks." Shelby opened the first stall. "Hello there, Stormy."
She slowly ran her hand down the horse's front left leg and leaned into her. "Come on, you stubborn old thing."
Once she realized what Shelby was doing, Stormy patiently allowed her to check all four hooves.
Shelby patted her on the shoulder before leaving the stall. "Looks like her right rear hoof could use a new shoe."
Lorrie wrote the information in the notebook. "Can I ask you something, Miz Shelby?"
Shelby entered Mine's stall. "Sure. What's up?" She checked the mare's hooves carefully.
"Umm, well. Do you like doing this?"
"This?" Shelby's hand ran across the bottom of a shoe. "Counting horseshoes?"
"No, not that." Lorrie leaned against the stall and rested her chin on a board. "Working on a ranch."
Shelby never stopped what she was doing, but gave the question careful thought. "It's a living. Why?"
"I dunno. Just wonderin'." Lorrie turned away and leaned her back against the stall. "Did you always want to be a cowgirl?"
After she put Mine's foot down, Shelby tipped her hat back from her face as she stepped out of the stall. "To tell you the truth, I never thought about it, one way or the other. I was born into the rodeo life and it was all I knew. I'm pretty good around animals, so it's a decent job."
She followed Lorrie across the barn, where they both sat on bales of hay. "Do you like it here?"
Lorrie looked at her scuffed boots. "I love my parents. And Mada and Pawpaw." She picked at the hay. "But I don't know if I want to live here all my life."
"Well," Shelby drawled slowly. "You ain't about to graduate or anything, are you?"
The comment made Lorrie laugh. "No."
"Then I reckon you don't have to worry about it right now." Shelby stretched her legs and crossed her ankles. "What do you want to do when you grow up?"
"Not this. But Momma will probably want me to take over the ranch." Lorrie mimicked Shelby's posture and crossed her feet the same way. "I want to be a professional softball player. I think I could be good enough."