Hope's Path

by Carrie Carr

  Amanda closed the door and then peered out the window until she could no longer see the horse or rider. "Be careful, love," she whispered as her hand touched the slightly cold glass.

  "I take it she's gone?" Martha stood in the kitchen doorway, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

  Amanda sighed and turned away from the door. "Yeah. I don't know why she doesn't just leave it for the guys to take care of tomorrow or even Monday." Amanda looked at her watch, then followed the housekeeper into the kitchen.

  Martha guided her over to a seat at the table and sat in the chair next to her. "I asked her that very question before she went upstairs to change." She poured coffee from the nearby carafe into a waiting mug. "Here. You look chilled."

  "Thanks, Martha." Amanda held the mug close to her body and took a cautious sip. "You did? What did she say?" She reached over and grabbed a cookie from the platter.

  "Lex was afraid that even though Roy moved the herd from that pasture, some of the cattle or horses would get back in that area and fall from the drop-off." The housekeeper shook her head.

  "We've never had this kind of trouble before. I sure would like to know why someone is doing this. It just doesn't make any sense."

  "I know. It's so strange. Right now it's only vandalism. Lex told me there are no cattle hurt or missing, at least that she's aware of." Amanda looked at Martha with a worried expression as a thought occurred to her. "Wait! What if this is my father's way of getting back at Lex and me?"

  Martha reached over and patted Amanda's hand comfortingly. "Let's not jump to any conclusions. There could be all sorts of reasons why this is happening." She leaned back in her chair. "I talked to Charlie yesterday. He's going to have some deputies help patrol the fence line with the hands. Maybe they'll pick up some clues that our boys have missed. We'll get this figured out."

  "Did you invite Charlie to dinner on Thursday?" Amanda knew Lex had already invited the sheriff, but she enjoyed making Martha blush for a change.

  "Well, as a matter of fact, I did. He said that the Wades were going out of town to her sister's for the holiday, so he was just going to have a microwave dinner and watch football. I straightened him right out." Sheriff Charlie Bristol was Martha's long-time boyfriend who had been trying for years to get her to marry him. At the moment, he lived in a boarding house in town. But, if Lex and Amanda had their way, he'd be taking up residence in Martha's nearby cottage in the future. The modest home, built near the main house when Lex remodeled the ranch several years previously, had been a gift from Lex when the housekeeper had refused a room in the main house. The woman had been like a mother to her, and Lex refused to let her go on living like a common servant in a small room next to the kitchen.

  "Good," Amanda said. "My grandparents will be here, and I hope to hear from my sister in the next day or so." Amanda had even extended an invitation to her parents, but her mother had called Anna Leigh and asked that she pass along their regrets. She wouldn't even talk to me. I had to get the message from my grandmother. Which is just as well, I suppose. I have no idea where we'll put everyone as it is. "Umm, Martha? I hate to ask a silly question, but so far we have at least eight people confirmed for Thanksgiving dinner. Where on earth are we going to seat them all?"

  The housekeeper laughed. "Don't you worry. We have a huge table that we set up every year in the sitting room. We always have a few of the boys haul it in from the storage shed and move everything out of the front room for the day." She gestured around the kitchen. "Since the mud room opens up to both rooms, we always bring all the food and goodies through there. It also keeps traffic in the cooking area down, so I don't have quite so many feet to trip over."

  "Good idea." Amanda glanced down at her watch. "Oh. I've got to get to Lex's office--by the time I get there, she should be radioing in." She refilled her coffee mug and stood. "I've got some work to do on the computer, Martha. Just holler if you need me for anything." The young woman left the room before the housekeeper could say a word.

  "I can't believe that Amanda actually got Lexie to agree to check in with her." Martha shook her graying head as she cleaned up the table. "That's absolutely amazing."

  THE COLD WIND cut through Lex like a knife, which made her to pull her hat down a little further over her eyes. Damn. I must be getting soft--this never used to bother me before. But at least the rain has stopped for now. Lex glanced at her watch, smiled, and pulled the hand-held radio from her coat pocket. "Amanda? This is Lex."

  A slight crackle from the radio, then a rushed voice returned, "Hi, Lex. Is everything okay?"

  "Everything is just fine. I'm almost there." Lex nearly dropped the radio when Cannonball stumbled on the path. "Easy there, fella." She patted the dun-colored gelding on the neck. A garbled message from the radio caught her attention. "What was that, Amanda? This gully I'm in seems to be blocking your signal."

  "Oh. Well, I just asked if you're warm enough. The wind seems to have picked up here at the house. And--the weather--a little later in the day." Amanda's voice continued to break up.

  Even though it was close to noon, the heavy cloud cover made visibility poor. Lex strained through the gloom to see her destination. The fence stood barely a hundred yards from where she was. Another blast of cold, damp air almost took her breath away. "Sweetheart, you keep breaking up. Can you read me okay?" She had to pull back on the reins as Cannonball pranced sideways, obviously agitated. "Whoa, boy. Easy there."

  Another burst of static came through the radio. "--ex? I can't--you. Are you--yet?" Amanda sounded frustrated. "Can you--me? Lex?"

  "Amanda? I'm in a bad spot, love. I'll radio you when I get onto higher ground, okay?" Lex pocketed the radio and swung effortlessly from the saddle. She led the nervous horse to a large tree near the broken fence and tied his reins loosely to a branch.

  "Stay here, buddy. These trees should block off the worst of the wind." Lex gave him another pat, then grabbed her bag of tools and moved to the break in the fence.

  Lex pulled the collar of her coat tighter, trying to ward off the icy wind. "Damn! I think it's getting colder. And those clouds look like they could break loose any minute now." She dropped to one knee and studied the strands of wiring lying on the ground. Not broken. Definitely cut. A far-off bawling sound from in front of her caught Lex's attention. What the-- She regained her feet and walked forward cautiously to investigate.

  Up ahead, near the edge of the drop-off, stood a young calf. It appeared to be tangled up in some low lying brush as it stood in one place and continued to cry. Rust colored with a white face, the young animal cried more plaintively when it spotted the figure walking in its direction.

  She held out her arms in a non-threatening manner as she tried to keep the animal calm with her voice. "Hold on, little guy," Lex tried to soothe. "I'll get you out of that mess in no time." Glancing to her right, she noted the drop-off. "Now you try to stay calm, or we'll both end up down there." She squatted down beside the calf and cleared the brush away with one hand. Leaning down to get a better look, Lex cursed. "How in the hell did you get a rope tied around--" A heavy weight slammed into the back of her head, and Lex felt a moment of weightlessness before everything went black.

  AMANDA PACED FRANTICALLY around the office mumbling under her breath. "I don't like this at all. Something just doesn't feel right." Amanda came to a halt next to the desk where the radio was stationed. She reached for the microphone, then stopped. "She said she would radio me back as soon as she got to a better spot. It's only been about ten minutes," she muttered.

  "Everything okay?" Martha walked into the office carrying a carafe of coffee. "I thought you could use some more java." As she watched the young woman pace the floor in front of her, she amended, "Maybe not. Amanda?"

  "Oh! God, Martha. You startled me." Amanda spun around. "Did you say something?"

  The housekeeper set the carafe down and walked over to stand by Amanda. "I asked you if everything was okay." Martha placed her hand on Amanda's shoulder.
"You look a little frazzled."

  "I don't know, Martha. Something just doesn't feel right. Lex told me she would radio me right back, and that was almost fifteen minutes ago." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm probably just imagining things, but I can't help it."

  "Maybe not, child. Sometimes our hearts tell us more than we realize." Martha steered Amanda to the chair behind the desk. "Sit for a minute and try to relax." She waited until her instructions were followed before continuing. "Now tell me all about it."

  "It's hard to describe, Martha. Like an ache in my stomach, and a heaviness in my chest." Amanda had a faraway look in her eyes. "And the longer I sit here, the worse this feeling gets." She jumped up and grabbed the microphone from the radio. "Lex? Can you hear me?" Releasing the catch, all she heard was static. "Come in, Lex. Please?"

  Martha stood next to her, a worried look creasing her face. "She should be there by now. And the reception from that part of the property has never been a problem in the past." She walked over and picked up the telephone. "I'm going to call Roy and get him over here." Martha almost slammed the phone back down when she realized the line to the bunkhouse was still out. "I'll have to use the radio." She turned the dial and took the microphone from Amanda. "Lester? This is Martha. Is Roy over there?"

  "Yeah, he just finished up at the barn and is on his way to get cleaned up," the old cook grumbled. "What do you need?"

  "I need him over at the main house, pronto. And tell him to dress warmly. We've got an important job for him to do," Martha snapped, not in the mood for their usual good-natured bickering.

  Lester stopped immediately when he realized something was wrong. "Right. He'll be over in a couple of minutes." He paused, then added, "If you need anything, Martha, you just let me know, okay?"

  The housekeeper allowed a tiny smile to escape. "I will, Lester. Thank you." She placed the mike back in its usual place and saw Amanda heading to the doorway. "Where are you going?"

  "Upstairs to change. I'm going with Roy when he gets here." Amanda left the room before Martha could stop her.

  A THROBBING ACHE in her head made Lex to slowly open her eyes. She smelled dirt. She tasted dirt. She tried to lift her head to look around. Ahh. Bad idea, Lexington, she berated herself, closing her eyes as she took a shallow breath. Damn, that hurts. Lex tried to move, but found herself partially buried underneath several large tree branches. If I fell, how did I end up under this stuff? Lex searched her fuzzy brain for an answer. Wait a minute. I didn't fall. Something or someone hit me from behind. Probably tossed this crap down on top of me afterwards. She tried to turn her body upwards, but the weight of the branches and several sharp pains stopped her. "Aaah, damn!" Sounds of static coming from her right coat pocket caught Lex's attention.

  "Lex? Can you--me?" Amanda's worried voice broke through the static.

  "Amanda?" Lex tried to reach the radio in her pocket, but her right arm was pinned under her chest. "Shit!" Another sharp pain made her stop moving immediately. She closed her eyes and concentrated until the pain eased to a more manageable level. Okay. Let's just try to figure out what hurts so damned bad. She decided the best place to start was her toes, so Lex tried to wiggle them inside her boots. The movement brought more pain along her back. "Ow. Wrong idea."

  The radio crackled again. "Come in, Lex. Please?"

  The injured woman tried to reach the radio again, this time with her left hand. But her left arm was twisted up around her head, and the debris covering her had Lex completely pinned down. "Dammit!" she growled, then winced as the movement gave her more discomfort. Her pounding head was lulling Lex into a dreamy haze. She tried to fight her heavy eyelids, but to no avail. Maybe if I just rest for a minute, I'll have enough energy to get out of this mess before Amanda worries too much. The darkness pulled her under once again.

  "ARE YOU SURE about this, Miss Amanda?" Roy asked as he saddled the two horses in the barn. The young blonde woman stood outside the stall, bundled up against the cold. "She probably had some radio trouble because of the weather and stayed to finish repairing the fence." The ranch foreman glanced over at Amanda's steadfast form. "Knowing the boss, we'll meet her along the trail."

  Amanda uncrossed her arms and sighed. "I'm sure, Roy. I've got to do this, okay?" She walked over to the sturdily-built brownand-white mare which was saddled and ready to go. "Hey there, Stormy." The paint pony had been a recent gift from Lex who constantly teased her about the gentle animal's size. Amanda rubbed the horse's nose and whispered, "You're going to help me find her, aren't you, girl?" A light nuzzle to her chest was the pony's only answer.

  Roy led his horse out of the stall. "Okay. But don't look to me for protection when she catches us, okay?" he teased, trying to lighten the mood. Truth be told, the foreman was concerned as well and had made sure his rifle was sheathed in a scabbard on his saddle. It wasn't like his boss to be out of contact when she promised differently. But I'm not about to tell this young lady that. Martha would have my hide for sure.

  "Don't worry, Roy. I'll protect you." Amanda smiled slightly as she pulled Stormy from her stall. "I'll take full responsibility for this little trip, okay?" She and her horse followed Roy outside. Amanda mounted up and waited to see which direction the foreman would take. "Well? Let's get this party started before the weather gets any nastier."

  Roy sighed. "Yes, ma'am." He directed them toward the north trail without another word.

  Half an hour later, they came upon Cannonball. He looked uncomfortable and wet, leaning under a large tree. Roy pulled his horse up near the jittery animal and dismounted. As he moved toward the horse, Cannonball stomped and then glared at him.

  "Hey, there." The foreman ran his hand along the animal's neck to check for anything out of the ordinary. Amanda climbed down from her mount and stood behind him. Roy turned her. "He's tied to the branch, and everything looks okay." They both looked around the clearing for a glimpse of the missing rancher.

  "Right. So that means she's got to be around here somewhere." Amanda shivered as a strong gust of cold, wet air blew her slightly backward. Great. Just what we needed. More rain. She followed Roy's lead and tied her horse to a nearby tree. "Where do we go from here?"

  The foreman pointed to the north. "If I have my bearings right, the fence line should be just over there." He pulled his rifle from the scabbard on his saddle. "Come on. It's less than a hundred yards this way." Keeping the rifle barrel pointed downward, Roy led Amanda through the trees until they came to the fence. The broken strands of wire were still lying on the ground, and a large canvas bag sat nearby. "She made it to the fence okay." He knelt down and checked the ground near the fence. "It looks the same as when I last saw it. Nothing new here."

  Amanda stood next to him while she tried to see through the now-misting rain. "Did you hear something?" she asked the kneeling man.

  Roy looked up. "Hear what?" He cocked his head to one side and listened intently. "All I hear is the damn wind and rain."

  "Shh! There it is again." She held up a warning finger. "It sounded like a cry."

  He closed his eyes and concentrated. "I don't-- Wait! Yeah. I think it's coming from over there." Roy pointed past the fence to a pile of shrubbery. "Do you see that, Miss Amanda?"

  "I think so. It looks like a small animal." Amanda started toward the calf.

  Roy reached up and grabbed her arm and held her back. "Wait. That's near the drop-off. Let me go first, okay?"

  Amanda stopped and shrugged. "Sure." She helped him to his feet and gave a small smile. "Well?"

  Roy shook his head. He hadn't been around Amanda much, but could see how she easily kept up with his employer. "Yes, ma'am." He picked up the rifle and started for the brush. "Stay right behind me though, okay? That's a really nasty drop-off over there."

  "No problem." Amanda placed her hand on his back and followed in his footsteps. "Lead on."

  The small calf stood bleating in the chest-high brush. As Roy and Amanda worked their way closer, it
tried to step to them, but seemed to be stuck.

  Roy turned to Amanda. "Looks like it's tangled up in something. I'm going to check it out. Why don't you stay here, away from the edge?" He waited until Amanda nodded. "Could you hold this for me, please?" The foreman handed her the rifle.

  Amanda held the gun and looked around nervously. "Is this thing really necessary?" she asked as he slowly crept to the bawling animal.

  Roy glanced at her over his shoulder. "Probably not. But I'd rather be safe than sorry." He turned his attention back to the calf. "Take it easy, little guy."

  "Okay, I can see that," Amanda agreed, looking down at the ground under her feet. There were several pairs of footprints in the mud, and she noticed that one set looked to be made by sneakers. She looked at Roy's feet, then her own. They were both wearing boots. And Lex always wears boots. Where did these tennis shoe prints come from? She was bending down to look a little closer when she heard Roy curse.

  "Damn. This little fella has been tied to the brush with rope. Who in the hell would do something like that?" He worked carefully to free the calf from its snare. "This was no accident." A few more flicks of his wrist, and the calf scrambled away, running to the opening in the fence. "You're welcome," Roy yelled, looking up at Amanda. He could see the intense concentration on her face as she studied the ground around them. "What's up?"

  She pointed to the churned up ground beneath their feet. "What does this look like to you?"

  Roy peered down at the ground, touching the earth with his gloved hand. "Sneakers? And pretty recent, too." He watched as Amanda slowly worked her way to the edge of the drop-off, leaning forward to look below. "Careful, now."