by Carrie Carr
Frank laughed. "Buddy, I've seen Lex in action. Believe me, if she had assaulted you, I can guarantee that you wouldn't be standing."
When everyone in the room laughed, Byers tried to keep the grin off of his face. "Umm, right."
Michael Cauble moved to them. "I won't let you question me without my lawyer, but I can at least give you a little bit of information. I think I have a thing or two to add."
Byers motioned for the other cop to join him and exit the room. "Come on, Barry. Let's listen to what this gentleman has to say." He looked over at Lex, who was cradling her right arm against her chest. "Ms. Walters, if you want to lodge a complaint against my partner, I'm obligated to give you my captain's phone number."
Lex felt Amanda's arm around her tighten. "No. I was out of line." She looked at the detective. "Sorry about that, Detective."
"Yeah." Weingart followed his partner out of the room. "Whatever."
"Are you all right?" Amanda stood in front of Lex and looked up into her face. She raised her hand to touch Lex's cheek.
"I'm okay." Lex covered Amanda's hand with her own. She frowned when she felt something wet and sticky. When she looked at her fingers, Lex saw that they were covered in with blood. "What happened to your hand?"
Amanda woman tried to pull it away. "It's fine. I just had a fight with the IV and lost."
Lex looked at her sadly. "My fault." She pulled Amanda back over to the bed.
Jeannie looked at Frank. They both realized that Amanda and Lex needed time alone. "I think we need to go see where Gramma and Grandpa are," she hinted.
"Right." Frank took his wife by the hand and quietly led her from the room.
Lex sat next to her lover and accepted Martha's handkerchief to staunch the bleeding. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."
Martha patted Amanda's shoulder gently. "I called the nurse." She bent down until she could look Lex in the eye. "And don't you start blaming yourself for anything, Lexie." She lightly grasped Lex's chin to keep her from looking away. "Thank you for taking up for Charlie. You've always done me proud."
A middle-aged nurse wheeled a small cart into the room. She parked the vehicle next to the bed and shook her head at the three women. "Young lady," she addressed Amanda while checking out her hand, "we put those needles in for a reason, you know." She turned to talk to Martha. "Are you her mother?"
"No, she's mine." Lex offered with a grin. She enjoyed the happy smile on Martha's face. "Is there a problem?"
"Oh, no. No problem at all." The nurse finished putting an adhesive bandage on Amanda's hand. "Dr. Barnes just called the nurses' station. He said that if Miss Cauble was feeling up to it, her family could take her home." She winked at Martha. "Personally, I think he's doing it in self-defense. We haven't had this much excitement around here in ages." She finished cleaning up her mess and rolled the cart away. "He'll be by in a bit to sign you out."
Michael and Charlie walked back into the room, parting to allow the nurse to leave. They wore matching grim looks on their faces. The sheriff put one hand on the younger man's shoulder and spoke quietly to him.
Amanda noticed the look on her father's face. "What's wrong, Daddy?"
"Your mother is gone." He sat on the opposite bed. "She must have packed up right after I left."
The sheriff walked over to Martha and put his arm around her. "According to the household staff, all of her clothes and jewelry are gone, too. I don't think that she's planning on coming back."
Lex stood. Time to eat a little crow. She walked around the bed to where Michael sat. "Mr. Cauble--" She stopped when he raised a hand and stood.
"Lex, I don't appreciate being tossed around like a rag doll." He looked up into her eyes, which were filled with genuine regret. "Especially by someone who I'm trying to get along with."
"Daddy--" Amanda interrupted.
He waved his hand impatiently. "Just a minute, Amanda." Michael moved closer to Lex and watched as she fought the urge to step back. "But I do appreciate your protectiveness of my daughter." Michael nodded at Lex. "Guess we're about even in the shoving department, huh?" During the trip to California, Michael had also accosted Lex in the grand foyer, when he saw Amanda with a bruised cheek. Later he found out that Amanda had been mugged, and Lex actually gave chase to the mugger and returned her purse.
"You still owe me a busted lip, too. I believe I manhandled you on more than one occasion." Michael raised his chin in an exaggerated manner. "Do you want to take it now?"
Lex shook her head. "Nah. If it's okay with you, I'll just take a raincheck." She offered him her hand. "I'm really sorry about earlier, Mr. Cauble."
Michael accepted her hand and shook it. "Michael, remember?"
Anna Leigh breezed into the room, carrying a small bag. "Mandy. We just passed the doctor in the hallway. He said that all of your tests came back negative, and we can take you home now. We picked you up a few things so that you wouldn't have to wear your nightgown home."
Jacob stood behind her, smiling. "That's right. Your grandmother made the ultimate sacrifice and went shopping, just for you." He dodged his wife's playful swat. "We saw Jeannie and Frank in the hallway. They told us that we missed all the excitement." He glanced at Lex and Michael. "Is everything okay in here?"
Lex nodded. "Other than me almost killing your son, everything's just peachy." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm afraid that I kind of lost my temper--again." She accepted Amanda's outstretched hand and sat next to her.
Amanda said, "The police thought that Daddy had something to do with what's been happening lately. They told Lex, and she--"
"Charged in here like a maniac," Lex finished helpfully.
Michael laughed. "Just remind me to try and stay on your good side, Lex." He rubbed his chest with one hand. "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of your temper again."
"I'm really sorry about that." Lex apologized again. "Did I hurt you?"
"Only my pride." He looked at the other men in the room. "Why don't we sneak out of here and let Amanda get dressed? I'll buy everyone a cup of coffee, if I could borrow a few dollars from someone, since I seem to be a little strapped for money at the moment."
Jacob chuckled and wrapped an arm around his son. "No problem there, son. Come on." He led the younger man out of the room.
"Free coffee? Now that sounds like something I can handle." Frank kissed his wife's forehead and made a hasty exit.
"ARE YOU SURE you don't want to go upstairs and rest?" Lex asked Amanda, who was wrapped tightly around her. "It's after eleven o'clock." They were snuggled together on the sofa in Jacob and Anna Leigh's den, quietly watching the dying flames in the fireplace. Everyone else had made their excuses earlier, and the two women were the only ones left downstairs.
Amanda shook her head. "No. I'm so tired of lying in bed. This is much more comfortable, believe me." She buried her face deeper into Lex's chest, turning so she could be heard. "Do you think too many people would be upset if we just went home tomorrow? I want to sleep in our own bed and get away from my helpful family. If Gramma hadn't practically dragged Jeannie and Dad from here earlier, I think I would have gone off the deep end.
Lord knows I love my sister, but she can be such a pain in the butt at times."
Lex laughed. "I thought your Gramma was going to have to hog tie her to get her out of the room. Although the thought had crossed my mind. Trouble is, knowing your sister, she would have probably enjoyed it." She chuckled. "And if you want to go home tomorrow, that's where we're going. I don't care what anyone else thinks." She paused for a moment in thought. "Do you want to invite your father out to the ranch? We have plenty of room."
"No. Not yet." Amanda looked up at her partner. I know how uncomfortable that would be for you, my love, and I don't want to put you through any more than I already have. "But I really appreciate you asking." She reached up with one hand and brushed the hair out of Lex's tired eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Lex closed her eyes when Amanda caressed her cheek. "It
's been a long couple of days, though." She leaned into the touch and had to fight back a sudden onslaught of memories. I almost lost all of this. Her. Us. Oh, God. Tears fell freely from behind closed eyes as Lex remembered the events of the past couple of days.
Amanda saw the wetness trail down her lover's face. "Oh, Lex." She crawled up Lex's body until she could look directly into her eyes, which opened at her entreaty. "Honey, it's okay." Strong arms wrapped tightly around her.
The dark head bent until it was buried in Amanda's hair. Lex sobbed quietly, unable to stop. "God," she gasped in between breaths, "I can't--"
"Shhh. I've got you. It's all right." Amanda held her lover close. What do you do when the strongest person you know falls apart? I'm at a complete loss here. She slowly rocked back and forth, running her hands up and down Lex's back. "I'm here."
"I'm sorry," Lex whispered as she fought to control her emotions. Stop it, you damned fool. She's been through enough without having to babysit you. She pulled back slightly and sniffled. The touch of Amanda's hands on her face was nearly her undoing.
Amanda wiped at the tears with her fingertips. Lex's face was red and puffy. "Hi there."
Lex's smile wavered slightly. "Hi." She blinked a couple of times and pulled in a deep breath. "Sorry about that."
"Please don't apologize." Amanda ran her hands gently down Lex's arms in an effort to comfort her. "Do you realize how much it means to me when you let go like that?" She fought back tears of her own. "I know how hard it is for you to open up. And when you let me hold you, it means more to me than you'll ever know." She leaned forward and kissed Lex lightly. "I love you and that means I love all of you, emotional or not. So don't ever feel that you have to hold back from me, all right?"
"Okay." Lex smiled more sincerely this time. "It's just that I spent a lot of years trying to be more like my dad. I didn't think he'd respect me if I was any other way." She looked down for a moment. "I used to drive Martha absolutely crazy." Lex looked back up into the understanding eyes of her lover. "I love you. Don't ever think otherwise, okay?"
Amanda ran her hand down Lex's cheek. "You've always told me that you love me. It shows in the way you look at me, the way you touch me, and with the little things you do for me. Every day you express what's in your heart with your words and your actions. I've never doubted your love for me." She hugged Lex. "Now, let's go upstairs and discuss this a little more." She kissed Lex again, prolonging the contact. "In depth."
"Works for me." Lex stood and brought Amanda to her feet along with her. She made quick work of handling the fireplace by stirring the dying coals and then closing the glass doors. "You ready?"
"Yup." Amanda wrapped an arm around Lex and allowed herself to be escorted from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
THE FOLLOWING WEEK passed uneventfully. Lex spent most of the time in the ranch house with Amanda but would disappear for an hour or so every day. When Amanda asked about where she had been, Lex was very secretive.
"I'm just looking for something," Lex answered vaguely as she knelt by Amanda's chair. She thought about her foray into the storage room. Lex had spent over an hour each day searching for a small box that she had packed away years ago.
Eight years before, a severe thunderstorm had ravaged the ranch. Her brother Hubert had sworn it was a tornado, but twenty-year-old Lex was certain it was only high winds that had uprooted the old oak tree outside her bedroom window.
The ancient shade tree by her room had crashed into the ranch house, destroying not only her bedroom, but her older brother Hubert's as well. The only room on that side of the house that was untouched was a small room used for storage. Rawson had stacked several boxes in there before he left, and they almost filled the tiny area.
Hubert had used the accident as an excuse to move out of the ranch house. He had wanted to move into the house that they owned in town, but could not get the family lawyer to release it to him without Lex's consent. After reluctantly agreeing to her brother's demands, Lex decided to move into the master bedroom temporarily while she had the other rooms rebuilt. Up until the point of the storm, she had been more than happy to stay in her own room. Even after her father departed from the ranch for good, she had purposely kept the master bedroom just as he had left it. Just in case he decides to come back, she had thought.
The day after the storm, Lex opened the door and peered inside the master bedroom and the storage room. She had not been in her father's part of the house since before he left and was surprised to see that it looked as if he was just out for the day. Lex glanced around the room as if it were a museum, careful not to touch anything.
On the large dresser were several photographs, one turned face down. Intrigued, she walked over for a closer look. The center picture was of her father and mother on their wedding day. The first one on the left was a rare photo of Hubert smiling. He looks like he was only five or six, Lex mused. Next to that one was another smaller frame, with a happy ten-year-old Louis mugging for the camera. Lex fought tears as she studied the picture. She took a deep breath and focused on the frame lying face down to the right of her parent's picture. Lex lifted it and saw that it was of her when she was fourteen. She was sitting atop a bale of hay with a happy smile on her face. The picture was slightly off-center, and it leaned off to one side. I remember this one. Louis took it. He was so damned proud of that silly camera. She looked around the room sadly. Guess I know what Dad thought of me. It never occurred to her at the time that Rawson couldn't handle the resemblance between his daughter and his deceased wife. Anger welled up from deep inside her. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. She took the picture and threw it across the room.
Within a few hours, Lex had packed up everything in the master bedroom. Her father must have already packed up his wife's things because the only thing that she had found belonging to her mother was a small wooden jewelry box with the name Victoria on it. When she opened it, Lex found two gold rings nestled inside. Realizing that these were her parent's wedding rings, she quickly closed the box and packed it away with the rest of the stuff from the room. She decided that since she ran the ranch, she would use the master bedroom herself. After all, I am in charge. Maybe Dad will come back, and then he'll realize that he was wrong about me. She stacked the boxes at the end of the hallway and decided to remodel the house to enlarge the storage room and add a guestroom for her father, should he ever visit.
Over the years she had forgotten about the boxes she'd pack up of her father's things, but now she wanted to find one in particular, and despite her efforts and hunting high and low, she wasn't having any luck.
She sighed happily as Amanda ran her fingers through her hair. "Where's Martha?" Lex asked as she looked around the empty kitchen.
"She ran back over to her house for something." Amanda wiped a smudge of dirt off Lex's cheek. "Where have you been looking? Under the house?"
"Nope. I've been digging around in the storage room."
Amanda nodded. "Uh-huh. Would it make it easier if I joined you? I'd be glad to help."
"No!" Lex exclaimed, then patted Amanda's leg. "What I mean is, there's no sense in you getting all dusty, too." She bit her lip in thought. "I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for soon. Don't worry about it."
"Are you trying to be sneaky? Because you know I'll figure it out." Amanda tapped the top of the Lex's head.
Lex stood and stretched. "Nah, not sneaky." She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of juice. "I just didn't think you'd be interested in getting all dirty." She started to drink from the container, and Amanda gave her a warning look. "Oh, all right." Lex reached into a nearby cabinet and grabbed a glass.
Amanda stood and took the juice from her lover. "Don't let Martha catch you doing that. She'll whack you good." She poured the glass of juice and put the carton back into the refrigerator.
"Doing what?" Martha stood in the doorway, glaring at the two women. "What are you up to, Lexie?"
; "Up to? What makes you think that I'm up to anything?" Lex drained her juice and set the empty glass back on the counter. "You always complain that I don't drink enough juice. So I'm drinking juice." She realized that her habits had changed quite a bit since Amanda moved to the ranch. Lex used to drink whatever was available; cans of soda or beer usually fell victim to her thirst, unless Martha actually handed her a glass of water or tea.
The housekeeper walked into the kitchen and shook her head. "You're not drinking directly from the carton again, are you?" She swatted Lex on the rear. "What have I told you about that?"
Lex wrapped her arms around Martha and hugged her. "That you're glad that I'm drinking juice?"
"Brat." Martha pulled back far enough to tickle Lex's ribs. "I really should--" The phone rang.
"Saved by the bell," Lex said, a wicked grin on her face.
"I'll get it." Amanda laughed as she answered the phone and identified herself. She saw the evil glint in Lex's eyes and stuck her tongue out at her. She hates it when I answer the phone because she thinks I sound like a secretary. "Just a moment, please." She handed the phone to Martha. "It's for you."
Martha frowned slightly and accepted the phone. "This is Martha." She listened for a few moments, then smiled. "Yes, that will be fine. Thank you." The housekeeper hung up and studied Lex up and down.
"What?" Lex gazed down at her favorite blue jeans and ragged denim shirt. "Is my fly open, or something?" Looks okay to me. No buttons missing or anything. She took an inconspicuous sniff. Don't smell bad, either.
"I want you to go upstairs and get cleaned up," Martha ordered. "I don't know how you do it, Lexie. You get filthy even when you don't leave the house." She raised her hands up in an exasperated manner. "Lord knows I've tried," she muttered as she walked out of the kitchen.
Lex watched her leave. "What's gotten into her?" She brushed her hands down the front of her ragged denim shirt. "I don't look that bad, do I?" she asked Amanda, who was leaning against the counter with her hand over her mouth.