by Carrie Carr
Shaking her head, Amanda knew he was right. Her wife did tend to find the craziest things to get into. "That's so true."
She leaned forward and strained to see through the fog and rain. "Is that the Jeep?"
Charlie turned off the road and parked behind the vehicle. "Good eye, Amanda." He released his seatbelt. "Are you ladies ready?"
"The sooner we leave, the sooner we get out of the weather." Helen flipped the hood up on her coat.
Charlie followed behind Amanda. He carried a light-weight, aluminum stretcher while Helen brought the specially-packed first aid kit. Lex had purchased the double-folding, emergency stretcher a few years ago. It had come in handy more than once.
Charlie slipped in the mud. "Amanda, slow down. Some of us aren't as spry as we once were."
"Sorry." Amanda stopped and waited for the pair to catch up to her. She kept looking toward the creek, then back at them.
Helen's pace was similar to Charlie's. "Go on, we'll catch up."
With a nod, Amanda turned and jogged down the other side of the bank. As she reached the edge of the creek, she stopped and looked around. "Lex? Can you hear me?"
She listened carefully as she continued to try and see through the sleet and haze. "Lex!"
HALF-ASLEEP, LEX RAISED her head and blinked. "D...did you h...hear that?"
Roy shook his head. "J...just you snoring."
"I d...don't snore."
"Yeah, r...right." Roy shifted and cried out as another sharp pain went through his leg. "Damn. I've g...got to quit d...doing that."
Lex gave his shoulder a squeeze and slowly got to her feet. "I'm g...going to w...alk a ways and see if the troops have arrived."
The sodden blanket on her shoulders wasn't any help against the cold, so she tossed it to the ground. "I don't think I'll ever get w...w...warm again."
"I t...told you to g...go sit in the J...Jeep."
She held her arm against her body. "Oh, yeah. L...like I was going to l...leave you here alone. R... Right."
The sound of her name being called brought a smile to Lex's face. "S...speaking of the cavalry." She headed toward the voice, the smile never leaving her face. "Over here!"
"Lex?" Amanda called.
"We're over here," Lex yelled, as she walked toward her wife.
A FIGURE MATERIALIZED out of the gloom and Amanda's breath caught in her throat. Soaking wet, her clothes stained, Lex was still a welcome sight. Amanda broke into a run, disregarding the freezing rain and mud. She was solely focused on reaching Lex. Amanda stumbled forward and reached out for her. She noticed Lex's posture.
"What happened?"
"You p...probably wouldn't believe me if I t...told you." Lex grimaced as Amanda's arms went around her. "Ugh. Sweetheart, hold on." She gently pushed Amanda away. "Sorry, it's just--"
"What's wrong with your arm?" Unable to be completely free from Lex, Amanda had one hand resting on her wife's hip. Lex's right arm was against her side, and her left hand held it still at the elbow. The gray bandana wrapped around her hand was dark with blood. "Honey?"
Lex opened her mouth, but was saved from answering by Charlie.
"Good to see you in one piece." Charlie patted Lex roughly on the back. "Where's Roy?"
"I'll s...show you." Lex noticed the third rescuer. "Helen?"
The older woman tipped her head back and peered at Lex from beneath the hood on her coat. "Lex. Am I going to have to ground my husband from playing with you?"
Lex laughed and shook her head. "I hope n...not. Come on, he's right t...t...there." She led the group to where Roy lay wrapped up in her duster. "Hey, Roy. I told you t...the cav...alry was on the w...way."
He raised his head. "I sure am g...glad to see that."
Amanda could see Lex shivering. "Why don't you go on up and get in the truck? You're going to catch cold out here."
"Little l...late to be worrying about that," Lex muttered. "I'll stay."
Helen knelt beside her husband. "I don't know whether to kiss you or pinch you. Just what were you doing that caused you to hurt yourself?"
She held his hand as Charlie and Amanda put a splint on his injured leg. When Roy groaned and flinched, Helen brought their linked hands to her chest. "Sssh. It'll be over in a minute, honey."
UNABLE TO DO anything but stand in the rain, Lex watched silently as they tended to Roy. As she listened to Helen lovingly chastise her husband, Lex tried to stave off the bone-deep chill that had settled in her body. Her entire right arm was numb and she feared that it had sustained more damage that she originally thought. "M...m...maybe it's just the c...cold."
Amanda stood and wiped her hands on her jeans. "Did you say something, honey?"
"Nah. J...just thinking out l...loud."
Charlie stood and rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Lex, do you feel up to helping us get Roy out of here?"
"S...sure. I can take this side." She bent and took a firm grip on the stretcher near Roy's leg. She only hoped she could hold up her side with one hand. "Well? Are we gonna sit out h...here all d...day?"
"Don't get your knickers in a bunch," Charlie teased. "We're not the ones who thought it would be fun to go out in this nasty weather."
A light poke to her back kept Lex from mouthing off. She turned to Amanda and glared at her. "W...what?"
"Your arm."
Lex tried to appear as if she misunderstood. "I only n...need one for t...this."
Amanda lifted her end of the stretcher at the same time as everyone else. "We're going to have a nice, long chat when we get back to the house."
Knowing it was useless to argue, Lex nodded. She learned long ago that it was easier to go along with Amanda than to try and sneak anything past her.
"Yes, m...ma'am."
Her wink was received with an answering grin, as they carefully carried Roy's stretcher up the creek bank.
Chapter Ten
ALONG WITH THE slam of the back door, Lorrie's excited voice echoed in the hallway. "Then Kim pushed him right into the mud puddle! It was so funny."
"Well," Shelby drawled as she removed her coat, "I reckon that boy will think twice before he picks on her again."
"He told Mr. Nicks that he tripped. I think Jesse was embarrassed being knocked down by a girl."
Lorrie hung her coat next to Shelby's and followed her into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw Martha at the stove. Rebecca was at the table, watching Eddie eat. "What are y'all doing here?"
Martha turned and put a hand on her hip. "Lorrie! That's not very nice."
"Um, sorry?" Lorrie hugged Martha and went to the refrigerator. "What's for dinner?"
"Lorraine Marie Walters. I know you were raised better than that," Martha scolded. "Sit at the table and think about what you said."
Eddie waved a grubby hand in the air. "Leelee!"
Lorrie grumbled under her breath, but did as she was told. She glared at the placemat in front of her. "I said I was sorry."
Shelby covered her mouth with her hand to hide her grin. She nodded to Rebecca and sat in the chair next to her. "Hey, darlin'. How's Mister Eddie doin' today?"
"Ha! Yum." Eddie crammed a bite of soggy graham cracker into his mouth. He pointed his grimy fist at Shelby, who used a napkin to wipe it clean.
"Thanks, buddy. I think I'll pass." She laughed at the look on his face.
"Yum." Eddie picked up a new cracker and proceeded to gnaw on it. "Mmm."
Martha brought Shelby a cup of coffee. "Here. You look a bit chilled."
"Thank you, ma'am." Shelby sipped the coffee and peered at her lover. "Not that I'm complainin', but what brings you out here today?"
Rebecca glanced at Lorrie, then back to Shelby. "Umm, well. Martha was sharing her stew recipe with me, and I wanted to make sure I got it right. I think I can cook it without poisoning you. I told Martha that I'd taken a cooking course one summer at the high school, but I'm not very creative. She's been very helpful."
"May I be excused?" Lorrie asked soft
ly.
Martha put a tray in front of her. "Why don't you take this hot chocolate and cookies to the den, and share with your sister? Dinner won't be for a while, yet."
Lorrie's frown disappeared. "Yes, ma'am." She got up from the table. "I'm really sorry for how I acted."
Martha's smile of forgiveness lightened her step as she carried the tray out of the kitchen.
With a heavy sigh, Martha sat in the vacated chair. "I swear, that girl gets more like Lexie every day."
"Aw, she's a good kid," Shelby said.
"Oh, I know. But she's as temperamental as an old brood mare in the spring. Hormones are a terrible thing for young girls to go through." She lowered her voice. "I'm guessing you don't know what's going on."
Shelby cocked her head. "Uh, no. Lorrie and I just got back from the barn up at the bunkhouse. She was helping me check the shoes on the horses."
"Are the boys back?"
"No, ma'am. But with the weather being like it is, they're all out in trucks. Why?"
Martha turned to Rebecca. "I know he probably doesn't understand much, but would you mind taking Eddie to the den to play with his sisters?"
"Sure." Rebecca unfastened the belt that held Eddie in the chair. "Come on, handsome. Let's get you cleaned up so you can play."
"Pway!" Eddie cheered as he wrapped his grubby arms around Rebecca's neck. "Go!"
Shelby stood the moment her partner did. "You sure you don't want one of these?"
"I think I'll stick with spoiling everyone else's kids." Rebecca winked at Shelby before leaving.
"All right." Shelby sat beside Martha. "What's with all the secrecy?"
Martha patted her hand. "It's a bit of a long story. I'm hoping to hear some news from Amanda at any time. She, Helen and Charlie took Lexie and Roy to the hospital earlier today."
"What?"
"The last I heard, Roy's leg is broken, and Lexie," Martha shook her head and closed her eyes. "Lexie hurt her arm. She didn't think it was too serious, but Amanda put her foot down and made her get it checked out."
Shelby chuckled. "I can just imagine how well that went over. Bet Lex is chompin' at the bit, by now."
LORRIE SAT IN front of the fire and sipped her hot chocolate. She tried to keep her surly attitude going, but when Melanie directed Eddie during their tea party, she couldn't help but smile.
"No, Eddie. You have to hold the cup like this." Melanie held out her pinkie finger as she lifted the plastic teacup.
"Mine!" Eddie pounded his cup on the small table. "Yum!"
Melanie dramatically sighed. "Eddie, that's not right. Do you want to play tea party, or not?"
"Ha! Potty!" Eddie waved the teacup over his head. When he heard the pretty lady on the couch laugh, he did it again. "Potty!"
"It's par-tee, not potty," Melanie corrected.
"Potty, potty, potty," Eddie chanted. "Meemee potty!" His version of Melanie's name was amusing to everyone except Melanie.
Rebecca turned around and winked at Lorrie. "I think she has her hands full."
"Yep." Lorrie got off the hearth and walked around the sofa to sit next to Rebecca. "Do you know where my mom is?"
"Um, yes. I do." Rebecca lowered her voice. "She and Charlie went to help your momma and Roy. They had some trouble while repairing the fence by the creek."
Lorrie stuck her lip out and frowned. "How come they didn't come and get me? I coulda helped."
Rebecca put her arm around Lorrie's shoulder. "Well, honey, it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Since the weather's so rotten, they really wanted to get out there in a hurry."
"How come they're not back yet?"
Lowering her head so that she could speak quietly into Lorrie's ear, Rebecca said, "All I know is they had to take Roy to the hospital for a broken leg. Your mom is supposed to call when they have some news."
"They treat me like a little kid. I'm old enough to know stuff, too." With her arms crossed, Lorrie unintentionally belied her comment. "Miz, I mean, Shelby said I could call her just Shelby. That proves I'm older, right?"
"It sure does. But, you know that even grownups have to do things we'd rather not do." Rebecca playfully poked her in the ribs.
Lorrie giggled and squirmed away. "Like babysit them?" She pointed to her siblings. Another poke caused her to laugh. "Hey, stop!" Her laughter wound down and she turned serious again. "Was Momma really okay?"
"Leelee!" Eddie seemed tired of playing with Melanie. He tossed his teacup on the floor and toddled to the couch. With another happy scream, he tried to climb next to her. "Leelee!"
Rebecca caught him and pulled him up between them. "Careful there."
"Eddie! Our tea party isn't over." Melanie stood and stomped her foot. "Come back here."
"Potty," Eddie chirped. He grinned up at Rebecca when she laughed. "Potty."
Rolling her eyes at her little brother's charming smile, Lorrie shook her head. "It's par-tee. Can you say par-tee?"
Eddie waggled his head back and forth comically. "Parrrrrrteeeeee," he sang.
IN THE HOSPITAL waiting room, Amanda handed Charlie a steaming paper cup. "I'm not guaranteeing how good their coffee is, but it's all I could find."
She handed Helen a can. "This was the only diet drink they had. I hope it's okay."
"It's fine, thank you." Helen rested the chilled can on her thigh and stared at the closed doors to the emergency room.
Amanda sat next to Charlie. "Still no word?"
Charlie stared at the door. "Not a damned thing."
They had been waiting more than an hour and no one had come out to speak to them. "I realize they're busy, but still."
He sipped from the cup and made a disgusted face. "Good God. This is nasty."
Amanda patted his leg. "Bet you didn't have to wait like this when you were sheriff, did you?"
"Never." He set the coffee cup on the table beside him. "I think that coffee is how they keep business going. Stuff would kill a normal human."
They all turned toward the gray-haired doctor who stepped through the emergency door. "Is there someone here for Roy Wilson?"
Helen stood. "I'm Mrs. Wilson. How is my husband?"
The doctor was slight of frame, with a pressed lab coat that covered his faded blue scrubs. He glanced at the tablet in his hand. "We can step into the other room, if you'd like."
"We're all family. Please, how is he?"
"We'll prep him for surgery first thing in the morning."
He went on to explain how they would repair the damage to Roy's lower leg, and that the healing time varied from twelve to sixteen weeks. After answering several questions, he led Helen through the door to see her husband.
Amanda turned to Charlie. "Poor Roy. It sounds like he's in for a long recovery."
"Poor Helen," Charlie contradicted. "She's the one who's going to have to put up with him for that amount of time. If he's half as bad as some others I know, but refuse to name, she's in for a rough few months."
"I didn't even think about that." Amanda chuckled, but soon sobered as she thought about her wife. She understood how it would take a lengthy amount of time to run tests, but not being able to be with Lex was driving her mad. She had been sent to the waiting room when they took Lex to radiology. "I wonder how she's doing?"
Charlie rubbed her back. "She's probably giving the nurses fits.
You know how she can be. Why don't we call the house and see how the kids are doing? You promised Martha that you'd check in from time to time."
Amanda continued to stare at the door, as if willing it to open. "I know. But I'd hate to call with nothing to say. That would only upset her more." She frowned and started walking toward the door at the same time it opened.
An exhausted and disheveled Lex moved slowly into the room. Her right arm was in a sling, and her muddy clothes had been exchanged for a pair of faded green scrubs. She held a plastic bag full of clothes in her good hand, and her hair had dried in wild disarray.
Amanda met her half
way and carefully embraced Lex in the middle of the waiting room. "I'm so glad to see you."
She took the bag from her, but kept one arm around Lex's back. "You look like you're about to collapse."
"Thanks. I think I did that an hour ago. Has there been any word about Roy?" Lex followed Amanda to the chairs.
"The doctor just took Helen back to see him. They're supposed to do surgery on his leg in the morning."
Lex leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Damn. Bad break?"
"Bad enough." Amanda used her fingers to try to comb Lex's hair. "What did the doctor say about your arm?"
When Lex didn't answer, she caressed her cheek. "Honey?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry." Lex yawned and opened her eyes wide, as if that would help her stay awake. "The bone in my upper arm is fractured. They put a plastic splint on and told me to come back in a couple of weeks for a regular brace. And I'm supposed to use this blasted sling until then, too." She glared at the contraption. "How the hell am I supposed to run the ranch, wearing this stupid thing? With Roy laid up, we're going to be short-handed enough as it is."
Amanda's hand traced along Lex's good arm until she was able to grip her hand. "We'll figure it out," she assured her wife with a squeeze. She looked at the heavy bandage on Lex's right hand. "What did they say about your hand?" She remembered all too well the mangled mess that had been hastily wrapped with a bandana.
"Not much. Gave me a tetanus shot and some stitches."
"Lex."
"What? Seriously, that was it. They cleaned it up, asked how it happened, and then gave me a damned shot."
Amanda leaned against her wife. "I'm sorry. I was hoping they'd tell you if there was any permanent damage."
Lex rested her head on Amanda's. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. But the doctor seemed more worried about his canceled golf game. All I want now is a hot shower and a bed."
She sniffled and rubbed at her forehead. "Damned headache. Do you have any idea how long Helen will be?"
"Why don't you two go on home, and I'll stay here for Helen," Charlie offered.
Amanda wanted to be available for their friend but her first concern was for Lex's welfare. "Thanks, Charlie. We'll send someone back to get you." She slowly stood and held out her hand to Lex. "Come on, honey."