Hope's Path

by Carrie Carr

  One hand reached to the side of the desk where the phone sat and dialed a number from memory. The other hand angrily discarded the torn photo into a nearby trash bin already filled with similar victims.

  "Yeah?" A man's voice sleepily answered on the fourth ring.

  "Have you done what I asked?" the brooding figure at the desk questioned without preamble.

  The man on the other end of the phone became instantly alert. The mechanical voice frightened him, but he struggled to keep his fear secret. "Well," he stammered, "it's not as easy as you might think. I have to be really careful, you know."

  A fisted hand slammed down on the desk. "Now you listen to me, you pathetic moron. I'm not paying you to think. Just do as you are told." There was silence for a moment as they both thought. "All right. Did you at least get the hospital reports?"

  The sleepy man sat up, on the edge of his bed, and ran a trembling hand through his hair. "Yeah. She must be a goddamned cat. Not one broken bone. Just a sprained arm and some bruises. Why?"

  "Because, you idiot, if she's not seriously injured, then she'll quickly get back to business as usual. Which means--"

  "Oh. I get it. Which means I can try again?" he interrupted, as he tried to get back into his boss's good graces.

  The voice on the other end of the line almost screamed in frustration. "No, it means we'll be able to tell if she suspects anything by how she goes about her daily business. I don't want anything to happen to her. Not yet, anyway."

  The man rose from the bed and paced the cluttered room. "What the hell do you want me to do, then? Follow her around and take more damned pictures?"

  Dead silence from the other end of the phone stretched for a long moment. "Don't," the voice whispered menacingly, "ever take that tone with me."

  "Okay. Okay. Sorry," he whined as he kicked an empty beer can across the room. "But I hate to just sit around and do nothing."

  "Stop whining. I promised you that you'll get your chance. Just be patient. We must wait for the perfect opportunity."

  He sat back down on the bed before a new thought made his demeanor brighten. "I can always mess with her truck. The weather is kind of bad right now, and no one would think anything of it."

  "No! I don't want to take the chance of hurting--" The voice silenced before revealing too much. "No. I don't want any more accidents right now. I'm looking into ruining her professionally and then personally. If that doesn't work, then we'll try something more, uh, permanent."

  "JACOB, THAT HAD to be the best Chinese food I've eaten in months." Lex sighed as she leaned back away from the table. The fact that almost every other bite was fed to her by her lover, of course, had nothing to do with her enjoyment of the meal. Amanda had taken pity on Lex as she tried to eat with her left hand, and, in fun, gave her tidbits off her own plate. Oh yeah. Definitely the best Chinese food I've had. Period.

  Jacob looked up from his task of putting the leftovers in the refrigerator. "I'm glad you liked it. I've been having a hankering for Chinese for over a week, and I know it's one of your favorites."

  Lex smiled at him in appreciation. "Thanks. I don't get it very often, either. Don't tell Martha, though. The last time she tried to fix stir-fry she almost burned the house down." As proficient as the housekeeper was in the kitchen, she'd never mastered the wok Lex had given her one Christmas.

  "That's okay, your secret is safe with us," Anna Leigh assured her. She watched as Lex tried to hide a yawn. "Mandy, why don't you get Lexington upstairs before she falls asleep at the table? I'm sure she'd be more comfortable in bed than in that chair."

  Amanda looked at Lex who shrugged sheepishly. "Guess that medication is really starting to get a hold on you, isn't it?" She studied the slightly glazed eyes. "Yep. It sure is." Amanda stood and smiled at her grandparents. "If you'll excuse us, I'll escort Her Majesty to our room." She held her hand out to Lex. "Come on, tough stuff. Nap time."

  "Yes, mother." Lex allowed herself to be hauled out of her chair. "Are you going to read me a story, too?" She was relieved when Amanda wrapped an arm around her waist.

  "If you're good, I will. I may even bake you some cookies later, if you behave." Amanda helped Lex out of the kitchen. "I'll be back to help with the dishes in a little bit," she called over her shoulder.

  Anna Leigh waved her off. "No need. Why don't you get some rest, too? We're going to make an early night of it ourselves." She winked at her husband, who knew exactly what she had in mind. His happy grin lit the room.

  Lex concentrated on her feet as they walked back up the stairs. "Have they always been like that?"

  "Oh, yeah, for as long as I can remember. I used to wonder what was wrong with my own parents. I rarely saw them in the same room, much less acting as if they actually cared for one another." Amanda felt her companion lean a little more heavily on her. "Are you going to be able to make it up the stairs? Maybe I should get Grandpa." The weight immediately eased off her.

  "Nope. I'm fine." Lex looked down at her lover. "Guess I just got a little carried away with my leaning. Sorry about that." She stood a little straighter and took in a deep breath. "Let's go."

  They walked the rest of the way in silence, as Amanda was lost in the memories of a childhood spent with indifferent parents and loving grandparents. She wordlessly helped Lex to the edge of the bed and pulled her sweatpants off, leaving her lover in her flannel boxer shorts and tee shirt. A gentle touch on Amanda's face brought her back from her musings.

  "Amanda? What's the matter?" Lex was somewhat unnerved by her reticence. She looked up into Amanda's eyes and saw her partner come back to her.

  Amanda shook her head and smiled. "Nothing. Just thinking." She helped Lex swing her legs onto the bed and covered her.

  Lex wasn't giving up easily. "About what? You looked a little lost there for a bit." She blinked and struggled to keep her eyes open.

  "Nothing important, really. I just remembered a time when I was younger. I asked Gramma why my parents weren't like her and Grandpa." Amanda sat on the other side of the bed and clasped Lex's hand. "She told me that different people show their love in different ways. And that Mother did love Daddy, but she just had a different way of showing it." Lex brought her hand toward her and kissed Amanda's knuckles. "I guess Gramma just didn't want to tell me that my parents had more of a merger than a marriage." Tears of past hurt fell from her eyes.

  "Oh, sweetheart." Lex brought Amanda close. Amanda curled up next to her and tucked her face in against Lex's neck. "Shhh. It's okay." Feeling helpless as her lover cried, Lex whispered quiet words of reassurance as she stroked Amanda's head.

  Amanda stopped crying after a few minutes and sat back slightly. "I don't know what's gotten into me today. That's the second time in just a few hours. I'm sorry, Lex."

  Lex smiled and stroked the soft cheek with her thumb. "You have nothing to apologize for. I think the past few days just caught up with you." She looked down at their tangled bodies. "Not that I'm complaining, but don't you think you'd be more comfortable out of those clothes?"

  "Probably, but I want to go downstairs and tell my grandparents goodnight, first." Amanda regretfully slipped away from the long form stretched out on the bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

  "Sure." Lex attempted to stifle her yawn, but failed. "Give them my love." She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

  Amanda stood at the doorway for a long moment and studied her sleeping lover. The scratches on Lex's face were healing, and the bruises were already fading as well. Looks like she's going to be just fine. I don't know how Martha has survived this all these years. The housekeeper had confided to Amanda one afternoon that Lex was always getting into some type of trouble, injuring herself in totally unexpected ways. She shook her head and went downstairs.

  She saw a light coming from the den and altered her direction. Poking her head cautiously around the corner, Amanda saw her grandparents speaking to another person. He sat on the sofa, and she could only see the back of
a man's head.

  Anna Leigh noticed her granddaughter standing in the doorway and beckoned to her. "Mandy. Come on in. We have a visitor."

  The young woman walked into the room, and the guest stood. He turned to face her and smiled. "Hello, Miss Cauble." Mark Garrett held out his hand. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in unannounced like this."

  Amanda took his hand and returned his smile. "Please, call me Amanda. I thought we had settled that in the office last week." She sat and waited for him to do the same. "You're always welcome, Mark. But what brings you here this evening?"

  Anna Leigh answered her question. "He brought some flowers for Lexington. Wasn't that thoughtful?" She pointed to a large arrangement of mixed blooms on a nearby table.

  "Very." Amanda eyed the flowers appreciatively. "But that really wasn't necessary, Mark."

  "Well, I dropped by your office to leave some paperwork, and one of the ladies there told me your friend was hurt in an accident." He looked over at Jacob and Anna Leigh. "Lex and I got acquainted when we sat next to each other at the fall dinner party." Mark turned his attention back to Amanda. "I really enjoyed her company then, and I just wanted her to know I wished her well."

  Jacob decided to steer the conversation into a different direction. "That's great, Mark. You were telling us that you used to work for Amanda's dad?" He saw his granddaughter visibly relax. "Why did you quit?"

  Mark nodded at Jacob. "Yes sir, I did. But I was ready for a change of scenery. I wanted to move my family somewhere my children could grow up safe, yet educated. Lex had told me about Somerville, and it sounded like a really good place to settle." He smiled at Amanda. "Especially since I know I can trust the local realtor."

  "That's true, you certainly can," Jacob agreed heartily. He gave his granddaughter a wink. "This town's always had real good luck with the women from that office." His wife gave him a playful slap on the arm. "Hey," he protested in response.

  Amanda laughed at her grandparent's antics. They never stop. Just like newlyweds. She smiled inwardly. Or like Lex and me. Cool. "Lex is going to be sorry that she missed you, Mark. She's upstairs resting right now."

  "Oh, that's fine. I'm certain I'll see her around sometime. It is a pretty small town." Mark stood. "I didn't mean to stay so long, anyway. I'm sure you all have things to do."

  "And I'm sure you want to get back to your family." Amanda stood with him. "Where are you staying?"

  He shook his head. "They're still in New Mexico. I decided to come on ahead and find us a house first." Mark allowed Amanda to escort him to the front door. "Hopefully I can have them here for Christmas."

  "That means you'll be all alone at Thanksgiving." Amanda made a quick decision. Lex did say the more the merrier, right? "Why don't you join us at the ranch this Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner? We'd love to have you."

  "Oh, I couldn't impose on you like that." Mark stopped just outside the door.

  Jacob and Anna Leigh stepped up behind Amanda. "If I know my granddaughter and Martha, there'll be more than enough food to go around. Besides, it would help even things out some. I think Charlie and I will be the only men there. We could use your help."

  Anna Leigh poked her husband in the ribs. "You love being surrounded by women, you nut." She winked at Mark. But Jacob's right. There will be plenty of food, and you'll be more than welcome."

  Amanda reached out to shake Mark's hand again. "Then it's settled. I need to go into the office in the morning for a little while, so if you'll give me a call there, I can give you directions to the ranch." She walked out onto the front porch with him. "Thank you so much for bringing the flowers by. It really was very thoughtful of you. I know Lex will appreciate them."

  Mark ducked his head. "It wasn't much. Just tell her I hope she's feeling better soon, and I'll see you all Thursday." He released Amanda's hand and walked to his car.

  The Caubles stood on the porch with Amanda and watched Mark drive away. "Such a nice young man," Anna Leigh commented. "Bringing flowers over for Lexington like that." She wrapped an arm around Amanda's waist and pulled her close. "How is she feeling?"

  "She was falling asleep when I left her," Amanda answered, as she returned her grandmother's hug. "I came downstairs to tell you and Grandpa goodnight."

  Jacob moved to Amanda's other side so that she was sandwiched between the two of them. "I'm glad you did. We love seeing you both, but I hate for it to have been under these circumstances. Are you going back to the ranch tomorrow? We'd love for you to stay an extra day or so."

  Amanda sighed happily as she soaked up the love from her grandparents. "Thanks. I think I'm going to try and talk her into staying an extra day. I'm afraid that if we go back to the ranch, she'll try to work. There's always something out there that needs her attention."

  "That's a good idea. You can go into the office in the morning, and we'll keep an eye on Lexington for you." Anna Leigh looked her granddaughter in the eye and added sternly, "But right now I want you to go upstairs to bed. You look completely worn out." Her tone brooked no argument.

  "Yes, ma'am." Amanda kissed her grandmother's cheek. "I'll see you in the morning." She hugged Jacob and kissed his cheek as well. "Goodnight."

  Anna Leigh linked her arm with her husband's as they watched Amanda go inside. "It's getting pretty cold. What do you say to hot chocolate in front of the fire before bed?"

  "That sounds like a great idea. I'll take care of the fire if you want to bring in the chocolate." Jacob followed his wife into the house and closed the door behind them.

  AMANDA MOVED QUIETLY into the bedroom and quickly changed into an oversized sleep shirt. It was actually one of Lex's tee shirts that she had stolen, but Lex didn't have the heart to take it back. When she had offered to buy Amanda a nightshirt that fit, her lover laughed and declined the replacement. I keep trying to tell her it isn't the size, or the style. It's because it's hers. Lex gave her a look like she thought she was crazy, but didn't say anything else. Probably the same reason I find her snuggling my pillow when I'm not there. She looked at the bed and saw Lex lying flat on her back with a pillow hugged to her chest. Not like she'll ever admit to it, though. Amanda crawled onto the bed next to Lex.

  "Mmm. Amanda," Lex murmured in her sleep. She squeezed the pillow to her tighter, then frowned. "Amanda?" Her eyes opened slowly to see object of her dreams leaning over her with a huge smile on her face. "What?"

  "Miss me?" Amanda leaned down and kissed her gently.

  Lex blinked a couple of times. "Sure. How'd you guess?" She lifted her head and returned Amanda's kiss. "Have I been asleep long?"

  Amanda raised and looked first at Lex and then at the pillow she held. "Comfy?" She almost laughed aloud at the look Lex gave her. "No, you haven't been asleep long. But you had a visitor earlier."

  "Yeah? Who?" Lex returned Amanda's pillow to its rightful owner, glad to have company in bed.

  "Mark Garrett dropped by with some flowers. He heard that you got hurt and wanted to pay his respects." Amanda snuggled close with a happy sigh.

  Lex rubbed Amanda's back gently. "Really? That's kind of strange, isn't it? I don't even know him that well." She felt her eyes slowly closing against her will.

  Amanda lifted her head up just enough so she could place a soft kiss on Lex's jaw. "I think he appreciated you being so nice to him at the dinner party." She burrowed back down on her lover's chest. "I invited him to Thanksgiving dinner since he'll be away from his family. I hope that's okay with you."

  "You can invite whoever you want. It's your home, too, you know." Lex yawned. "How did he know where to bring the flowers, though?" she asked as her eyes closed. Lex pulled Amanda close and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

  "I love you, too. Sleep well," Amanda whispered as she heard Lex's even breathing. That's a good question. I know the people in the office don't make a habit of telling strangers any personal information. I'll have to ask around in the morning. She mentally shook her head. Lord, I'm get
ting paranoid. They probably remembered seeing me talk to Mark and thought it would be okay, which it was. I've got to stop thinking that everyone is out to get us. Definitely need to quit watching those government cover up television shows. She allowed Lex's soft snores coax her into sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  "GOOD MORNING, AMANDA," Wanda Skimmerly's cheerful voice greeted Amanda as she walked into the office at Sunflower Realty. "We certainly weren't expecting you in this week." She stood and embraced Amanda in a heartfelt hug. "How's Lexington? Mrs. Cauble told us she had an accident."

  Amanda returned the hug and moved back. "She's doing just fine, Wanda. Thank you for asking." Amanda had left her lover propped up on the living room sofa, armed with a television remote control and a scowl. Lex had argued she was ready to go back to the ranch today, but Anna Leigh vetoed that notion immediately. She told Lex to lie there and relax, or she would call Dr. Anderson. Amanda left after Lex made her promise to return as early as she could.

  Lex had quickly became a favorite of the women in the office. She often dropped by unexpectedly with flowers or candy for Amanda. Her charming smile made a couple of them joke around and threaten to dump their husbands for her, much to Lex's embarrassment.

  Amanda linked arms with the other woman and led her into the manager's office. "I just wanted to check in, since I was already in town." Amanda sat behind the desk and waited until Wanda sat as well. "We'll be leaving for the ranch in the morning. If anything comes up, you can reach me at my grandparents' until then."

  "Don't you worry, honey. I'm sure we'll be fine. You just take care of Lexington." Wanda got to her feet and straightened her maroon wool dress. "Do you think she'll be up for visitors this afternoon? I baked some brownies last night for her and want to drop them by sometime today."