Hope's Path

by Carrie Carr

  He leaned a little heavier on the door. "Like you care. It's your damned fault that stupid deputy shot me."

  Lex shook her head. "Oh. So I forced you to break into my house? You're lucky that I wasn't the one who shot you." What a dipshit. I do believe that Ronnie got all the brains in the family.

  "Shut up." Matt jumped away from the door and stalked menacingly toward Lex with the pitchfork. "Just shut up!" he screamed as he came at her.

  CHARLIE NODDED WEARILY. "Yeah. He's that worthless piece of trash that broke in here just a little over a month ago. He's out now, and we can't find him." He looked at Amanda, who had gotten very quiet. "I've got every available man on this hunt. He's probably hiding in a cheap motel room somewhere by now."

  "Who posted his bond?" Jacob asked. "He may still be with that person."

  "We thought of that. Unfortunately, the bond was paid in cash, and the person used an assumed name." And poor Naomi is ten years past retirement now. It's going to take a while to get a good description of whoever actually paid the bond. And that's not to say that whoever paid it is the person he's working for. Charlie stood quickly. "I need to get back to town and head up the search." He gave Martha an apologetic smile. "I'm very sorry, sweetheart."

  Martha enveloped the thin man in a strong hug. "Don't you dare be apologizing for doing your job." She exhaled heavily. "We'll get through this. We always have."

  Anna Leigh and her husband exchanged worried glances. Jacob turned off the griddle, then went over to where his wife sat. Wordlessly she stood, and he took her place in the chair. The gentle man wrapped his arms around Anna Leigh as she perched on his lap, and they held each other as they continued to watch the drama unfold in front of them.

  "I hate to sound paranoid, but what if he's somewhere around here?" Frank asked. "I mean, he's already tried to hurt Lex once, right?"

  Jeannie shook her head. "You're right, honey. You are being paranoid. Just look at the weather." She pointed to a nearby window. "Even if he is out to get Lex, he wouldn't be foolish enough to be out in this, right?"

  "Unless he's been here since before the weather got bad," Amanda murmured. She looked over at the clock on the wall. It's been twenty-five minutes since she left for the barn. "Oh God."

  Charlie turned around to face her. "What is it?" He kept one arm wrapped around Martha to comfort the housekeeper.

  Amanda bit her bottom lip. "The barn." She looked around the room anxiously. "It would be a perfect place to hide."

  "You've got to be kidding." Frank dismissed the idea with a derisive snort. "It's too damned cold out there, even if you were under some sort of cover."

  "No, she's right," Martha said thoughtfully. "When Lexie decided to change the ranch over to raising horses, she renovated the barn and added a climate control thermostat." She glanced at the clock. "And, it's been close to half an hour since she left."

  "That does it." Charlie kissed Martha on the cheek. "I'm going to go check out the barn." He started for the door.

  Frank stood. "Let me get my coat and I'll come with you."

  The sheriff shook his head. "I can't allow that, son. It's probably nothing, but I can't put a civilian into any kind of a dangerous situation."

  "I appreciate what you're saying, Sheriff." The big man stood next to Amanda and put his arm around her. "But Lex is family, and I can pretty much take care of myself." He looked at Martha who smiled at him with relief. "Does Lex keep any firearms in the house?"

  Amanda answered him. "Yes. She has a gun safe in the office." She gave Charlie an apologetic smile, then looked back up at her brother-in-law. "Come on. She gave me the combination when I moved in." And showed me how to load and fire all the guns in there.

  "I'll come with you. Might as well take something besides my revolver." Charlie started after them, but stopped and turned back around. "Martha, could you call the office and tell them what's going on? There should be a couple of cars here in about half an hour. I want them to know what to expect."

  Martha nodded. "Will do, Charlie." She crossed the room quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now you be real careful out there, you hear me?" she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

  "Don't you worry. We're probably over-reacting, and Lex is more than likely playing with her darned horses--but I'll be careful anyway." Charlie kissed her on the forehead and hurried from the kitchen.

  LEX BRACED HERSELF when the crazy man charged her. She waited patiently, but he stopped a few feet away, breathing heavily. What is up with him? I swear, this guy is definitely not running on all cylinders. She watched as he fought to get his emotions under control.

  "Oh, no. That would be too easy." Matt moved back a few paces. "I'd like nothing better than to stick you with this and watch you bleed, but I don't think I'm going to do that just yet." He limped backward until he could sit on a bale of hay.

  "Okay. So what exactly is it that you want from me?" Lex shifted her weight around a little bit. Her back had not completely healed from the fall, and standing in one place for a prolonged period of time made it stiffen up. She casually looked down at her watch and noticed with some surprise that she had been gone from the house for over thirty minutes. Amanda's probably going crazy by now. She always panics when I'm gone longer than I say. I hate doing that to her.

  Matt laughed. "Want from you? Damn. That's rich." He shook his head and continued to chuckle. "You've completely ruined my life. You turned my little brother against me, and you have the nerve to stand there and ask what I want from you?" He stood again. "Maybe I just want you to apologize for taking everything away from me."

  Lex took a step away from the wall and tried to stretch her now aching back. "You came out here in the middle of a winter storm and hid in my barn just to get an apology from me?" Lex took a step toward the erstwhile rustler. "All right. I'm sorry."

  "You are so full of shit, you know that?" Matt's face reddened in anger. "Like I would accept an apology from you. And I didn't mean to hide in your damned barn, but my car slid off the road last night, and I couldn't get it out of the ditch." He jabbed the tool in Lex's direction. "So don't be giving me no fake apologies, all right? I'm not stupid."

  Lex raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Right. Okay." She continued to watch for an opening to get the weapon away from the increasingly unstable man. "No more apologies."

  He moved forward another step. "You're still doing it. Treating me like an idiot." Matt was less than six feet away from Lex now. "I'm so damned sick and tired of you people acting like you're better than I am. First my boss, and now you. I'm not going to take it any more, you hear me?" He poked Lex in the stomach with the pitchfork. She took a step back.

  "Hey!" Lex watched carefully as he pulled the makeshift weapon back. If he comes at me again, I'm going to have to try and grab it before the moron gets in a lucky shot and turns me into a sieve.

  "That's right. I'm in charge now." Matt pulled the pitchfork back and spun it around. He grabbed the prongs and swung the tool like a baseball bat, slamming it at Lex's right side. "How's that feel, huh?"

  Not prepared for the attack, Lex felt the wooden handle connect with her ribs. She moved with the blow to lessen the impact. "Like you're a damned Little Leaguer just learning to swing," she taunted. If I can get him to swing at me like that again, I can get it away from him.

  Matt exploded in anger. "You bitch." He pulled the tool back for another blow. "I'll give you a practice swing."

  CHARLIE CHECKED THE rounds in the shotgun again before turning to Frank and Amanda. He had quietly donned his duty belt and wore his badge on his dark denim shirt. They were all standing by the back door while Frank buttoned up his coat. "Okay. I'll go around to the back entrance to the barn, and you take up your position by the main door. Once I get a look inside, I'll radio you if I want you to go in. Got it?"

  "Got it." Frank nodded seriously. He looked at Amanda's worried face. "Lex will probably jump out of the barn and kick both our butts, you know tha
t?"

  Amanda forced a smile to her face. "Maybe. Or she'll beat you back to the house." She felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. But I don't think so. She wouldn't stay out this long without calling. "Wait. We could contact the barn with the intercom." The old intercom system was rarely used any more, since it depended on whoever was at the other end to open up the line to communicate. Amanda had used it on occasion to startle her companion for fun.

  "Damn. Why didn't I think of that?" Charlie shook his head. "Good idea. Let's go." He allowed Amanda to lead the three of them back into the office, where the intercom box was positioned on the back wall.

  Looking at the small box, Frank shook his head in amazement. "How many gadgets does she have?"

  Amanda said, "Not that many and she really doesn't like this one because it's so old. Lex says that every time this thing buzzes in the barn, it's so loud that it scares her to death." She reached up and pushed a brown button and held it in for a couple of seconds. "We'll probably hear a loud bit of cussing any second now."

  She waited for a moment and then pushed the button again. "Maybe she's already on her way back to the house," Amanda said, but she felt doubtful. Or maybe she can't answer it.

  "It could be down because of the weather." Charlie patted her shoulder sympathetically. "We'll head down to the barn and see what's taking her so long, okay?"

  Frank agreed. "He's right. As bad as the weather has been, the line could have gotten icy and broken." He pulled Amanda close to him as they turned and left the office. "Don't worry, Mandy, everything's going to be just fine."

  They walked back down the hallway and met Martha and Jeannie at the back door. The housekeeper looked upset, and Amanda moved next to her and put an arm around her waist.

  Martha said, "Charlie, I hate to bother you before you go out, but I just talked to Lydia at your office. She said to tell you that only one car was coming out here because Councilman Alders heard about it on the radio and threw a big fit."

  "Dammit!" The sheriff shook his head angrily. "Worthless politicians. I swear a dung beetle would turn up its nose at them." He looked at the women with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that, ladies. It just sticks in my craw to have to put up with the likes of them." Charlie looked over at Frank. "You ready?"

  "Yep. Let's go." Frank winked at his wife and followed the lawman through the back door. "Damn, that wind's cold." He quickly slammed the door behind them.

  Amanda moved to the closed door and moved the curtain that covered the small windows. "I think the sleet is letting up some," she said quietly.

  Martha pulled Amanda away from her post at the door. "Let's go make sure Anna Leigh and Jacob are doing all right in the kitchen."

  LEX TRIED TO grab the handle of the pitchfork before it hit her again, but her right arm was in no shape to make the difficult move. She felt the blow more intensely this time as it hit the same spot on her side. With a pained grunt, she dropped to her knees and moved to her left. I've got to get that damned thing away from him before he does some serious damage.

  "Stay still," Matt screamed, as he reversed his hold and now held the tool by the handle once again. He jabbed at Lex.

  She edged out of the way and kicked his legs out from under him.

  "Damn you!" he yelled as he fell.

  "What's the matter, did that hurt?" Lex taunted him after she kicked the man in his healing leg. She felt a grim satisfaction that he seemed to be in agony. She was having trouble moving as well; her back and right arm were both protesting their mistreatment, but she leaned onto an elbow, intending to drag herself to her feet.

  Matt discarded the pitchfork. With a growl, he launched himself toward her. Caught off guard, she fell back and he was on her. He grabbed her around the throat with both hands and began to squeeze. "You bitch," he panted. He pulled her head up slightly to shake her. "I'm going to finish you."

  Lex grabbed his wrists with both hands, frantically trying to pry his fingers away. A loud buzz echoed through the barn at that moment. Matt's head jerked up. He loosened his grip in confusion, then squeezed again as his beady eyes bored into her. Another buzz came, and he looked away for a split second. It was just the break Lex needed. She slammed her head up and into his face, hard.

  "My nose," he screamed. He fell back, clutching his now bleeding face. He fell to his side and whimpered.

  Lex gasped and pulled air into her burning lungs. She eased herself into a sitting position and rubbed her throat with one hand. "Bastard," she choked out. Blinking several times, she tried to get her eyes to focus. That was close.

  Matt wiped his bloody face on his sleeve and looked around for the pitchfork. His eyes were quickly swelling shut. He groped around the barn floor aimlessly.

  "Oh, no you don't." Lex rolled to her knees and crawled after him. "I'm not finished with you yet." She grabbed his leg and pulled.

  "Let go of me, dammit." Matt kicked back at Lex. Lex's head snapped back from the blow as the man's heel connected with her forehead. He chuckled with pleasure when his foot made contact and Lex grunted in pain.

  That's going to leave a bruise, she thought. "Come here, you shit." She pulled at his leg again, flipping Matt over onto his back. "Now I've got you." She quickly straddled his body and easily slapped his hands away. She blocked a punch and with determination slammed her fist into his already bloody face. "That's for slapping Ronnie." Lex pulled her fist back to hit him again when a strong hand grasped her shoulder.

  CHARLIE STOOD AT the back door to the barn. As the rain and sleet continued to beat down, he pulled the radio from his coat pocket and put it to his lips. "I'm in position, Frank. Everything clear on that side?"

  "All quiet. Do you want me to go in?" Frank's voice asked on the radio. The ex-football player stood to one side of the main entry of the barn. He put his ear up to the door and tried to hear if anything was going on inside.

  "No. I want to try and peek inside first. But be ready just in case," Charlie advised him quietly. He slowly opened the door a couple of inches and peered inside the barn. Two figures were scuffling across the floor. "Let's go in, Frank. Looks like Lex is in trouble." He quickly pocketed the radio and slipped into the barn.

  Across the room he could easily make out Lex's figure as she grabbed the other person and flipped them onto their back. Maybe she doesn't need any help after all, he observed wryly.

  Frank swung the barn door open and rushed in. He saw Lex throw the other person over onto their back and climb onto the man's chest. At least I think it's a man, he thought. What the hell happened to his face? Before he could get to them, Lex had pulled back her left arm and punched the screaming man in the face. He set his gun down by the doorway and rushed over to where the two combatants were still going at it.

  The sheriff nodded at Frank. "Go ahead, son. You're a lot stronger than I am." He stood back as the big man attempted to pull Lex off the bloodied form underneath her. He watched the scene with relief. I should have known she'd have everything under control. That's my girl, he thought proudly.

  "Lex. That's enough," Frank yelled as he grabbed at her shoulders again. He pulled at her ineffectually. Damn, she's strong. "Come on, let go of him, Lex."

  "What?" She spun around and threw a punch at her friend. "Frank?" Once she recognized the man standing over her, she allowed him to bring her to her feet slowly. "Sorry about that."

  "No harm done." Thank God she didn't connect with that punch. I'd probably have ended up with a black eye, at least.

  A loud moan brought their attention back to the man lying on the floor of the barn. "Ooowww." Matt started to get up, but was roughly stopped by Charlie. "Hey, watch it. That crazy broad tried to kill me," he whined as the sheriff cuffed his hands behind his back.

  "Shut up." Charlie looked back up at Lex. "Are you okay?" He noticed that Lex was leaning against Frank rather heavily. She had bits of mud and hay on various parts of her body, and he could see a bruise forming in the middle of her forehead.

 
Lex ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little sore." She flexed her left hand. "Nothing broken." She smiled at the lawman. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you guys doing here? And what's with the guns?" Lex allowed Frank to help her to a bale of hay to sit. "Thanks."

  "No problem." Frank left her there to help Charlie lift the whining man off the floor. "Oh, quit your bitching," he grumbled to Matt, "or, I'll turn her loose on you again." He looked over at the sheriff. "What are we going to do with him?"

  Charlie laughed. "We'll bring him up to the house and let one of my deputies take him back to town when they get here." He looked over at Lex with a worried expression. "You think you can make it back to the house? I'll tell you everything when we get there."

  Lex stood stiffly. "Sounds good." She reached down and picked up her hat. "Let's go. I'm starving."

  Chapter Fourteen

  LATER THAT AFTERNOON, after waiting downstairs until the deputy arrived to remove their unwelcome guest, Martha chased the younger women upstairs to make sure Lex got cleaned up. Lex went upstairs and allowed Amanda to see to her various cuts and bruises. Now Lex sat on the edge of the bed, fresh from a hot bath and wearing only a dark green towel wrapped around her body. She held the towel open, so that Amanda could tend to her injuries.

  Amanda was on her knees next to the bed, carefully rubbing Martha's homemade salve on her lover's side. "At least nothing's broken this time," she murmured quietly as her hands shook.

  "Yeah. I'm just glad it was my right side instead of my left." Lex looked down and saw the trembling hand. "Hey." She grabbed Amanda's hand gently to still its progress. "Come here." She pulled her up so that she could look into Amanda's eyes. "It's okay." Her heart nearly broke at the pain reflected back to her.