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Chapter 2

×èòàéòå òàêæå:
  1. Chapter 1
  2. Chapter 10
  3. Chapter 10
  4. Chapter 11
  5. Chapter 11
  6. Chapter 12
  7. Chapter 12
  8. Chapter 13
  9. Chapter 13
  10. Chapter 14
  11. Chapter 14
  12. Chapter 15

Amanda stood at the back door fussing with Lex’s coat. "You have the radio, right?" She asked as the straightened the collar for the third time. "And the thermos of coffee that Martha poured up for you? And…"

Lex leaned over and captured the younger woman’s lips in a soft kiss. She pulled away after a moment, effectively silencing Amanda. "Yes, sweetheart. I have so much damn stuff that Cannonball is never going to speak to me again. Stop worrying. I’ve done this dozens of times." Cannonball was the horse that Lex had purchased last week at an auction. He was a couple of years older than her horse Thunder, but the black stallion had thrown a shoe yesterday afternoon. Lex knew that she could replace the shoe, but then would never hear the end of it from Dan, the man that she had hired specifically for that job.

"Maybe…but I’ve never been stuck at home waiting for you when you were out those dozens of times." Amanda lifted her hand and tilted the black hat away from Lex’s eyes. "You’ll be back by this afternoon, right?" She searched the tan face above hers, memorizing every inch. "Something just doesn’t feel right to me, Lex. Please be really careful?"

"I promise, love. I’ll be very careful." Lex assured her. She placed a gentle kiss on the blonde’s forehead. "I’ve got too much around here to stick around for." She stepped back a pace and grinned. "And, I promised to take you Christmas shopping next weekend. There’s no way in hell you’re gonna let me get out of doing that, is there?"

Amanda laughed. "You’re darn right about that, Slim. Who else can I wrangle into carrying all my packages for me?" She sobered when Lex reached for the doorknob. "Could you do me a big favor?"

Lex stopped, and gave the young woman a questioning look. "Sure, baby…name it."

"Well, since I was going to work in the office this morning, checking some stuff on the computer…" Amanda bit her lower lip, "…do you think that you could radio in every once in a while and let me know you’re okay?"

"Umm…okay. How about on the hour? That way I won’t be disturbing your work too much." Lex smiled. She’s just so damn cute when she looks at me that way. I just can’t tell her no. God, I’ve turned into a complete wad of mush!

The younger woman stepped up and gave Lex a bone-jarring hug. "How about every half hour, so I’ll be able to concentrate on my work and not worry about you so much?" She felt strong arms wrap around her and return the squeeze. Soft lips captured hers once more, and for an instant, the world around them melted away.

Lex finally broke off the kiss and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Okay. Thirty minutes. No problem." She let her forehead rest on Amanda’s. "You’re really good at that, you know." Lex took a deep breath and reluctantly released the smaller woman. "God, Amanda…I love you. But, I really gotta go, now."

"I know, sweetheart. I love you too. Every thirty minutes, right?" Amanda opened the door and shivered. "God! That north wind is horrible!" She pulled on Lex’s sleeve. "Come back sooner if the weather gets any nastier, okay?"

The rancher turned slightly. "Yes, dear." She winked and then stepped off the porch to where Cannonball was patiently waiting. Lex climbed up onto the saddle and adjusted the saddlebags that held the thermos of coffee. "Thanks for getting me a bag of stuff together, Amanda. Now get into the house before you freeze!" She waved and turned her prancing mount towards the north trail.

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 that she’s gone?" Martha stood in the kitchen doorway, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

The blonde woman 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 the table and sat down in the chair next to her. "Honey, 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 off that 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 that there were no cattle hurt, or missing, that she’s aware of." Amanda looked at Martha with a worried expression. "Oh, god! What if this is my father’s way of getting back at Lex…and me?"

Martha reached over and patted the young woman’s hand comfortingly. "Let’s not jump to any conclusions, dear. There could be all sorts of reasons why this is happening." She leaned back in her chair with a smile. "I talked to Charlie yesterday. He’s going to have some deputy’s help patrol the fence line with the hands. We’ll get this figured out."

Amanda returned the older woman’s smile. "Did you invite Charlie to dinner on Thursday?" She knew that Lex had already invited the sheriff, but Amanda enjoyed making the housekeeper blush for a change.

"Well…as a matter of fact, I did. He said that the Wade’s 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!" The older woman chuckled. Sheriff Charlie Bristol was Martha’s long-time boyfriend, and he had been trying for years to get the sweet woman to marry him. At the moment, he lived in a modest boarding house in town. But, if Lex and Amanda had their way, he’d be taking up residence in Martha’s comfortable home in the near future. The rancher had given Martha a modest home built near the main house once she began remodeling the ranch several years ago. Lex refused to let the woman go on living like a common servant in a small room behind the kitchen since the housekeeper had refused a room in the main house.

"Good. 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 seat 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. "Oh, honey…don’t you worry. We have a huge table that we set up every year in the sitting room. Lexie always moves everything out of there for the day." She glanced around the kitchen. "Since the mudroom opens up to both rooms, we always haul 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 the office – Lex should be radioing in anytime now." She refilled her coffee mug and stood up. "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 young woman 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 caused 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, she sighed to herself. 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 breathless voice returned, "Hi, Lex. Is everything okay?" Amanda sounded slightly breathless.

"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 gently 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 away 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 up on the reins as Cannonball started prancing sideways, obviously agitated. "Whoa, boy. Easy there."

Another burst of static came through the radio. "…ex? I can’t…you. Are you…yet?" Amanda was beginning to sound 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 dropped 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." The tall woman gave him another gentle pat, then grabbed her bag of tools and moved towards 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 the rancher’s attention. What the… she climbed to her feet and stepped forward cautiously to investigate.

Up ahead, near the edge of the drop off, stood a small calf. It appeared to be tangled up in some small 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 tall figure walking it’s way.

"Hold on, little guy, " Lex tried to soothe, "I’ll get you out of that mess in no time." She held out her arms in a non-threatening matter as she tried to keep the animal calm with her voice. Glancing to her right, Lex noticed 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.

***************

The blonde woman paced frantically around the office mumbling under her breath. "I don’t like this at all…something just doesn’t feel right." Amanda stopped next to 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."

"Everything okay, sweetie?" Martha walked into the office carrying the carafe of coffee. "I thought you could use some more coffee." 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 suddenly. "Did you say something?"

The housekeeper sat the carafe down and walked over to stand by Amanda. "I asked you if everything was okay." Martha placed a small pudgy hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. "You look a little frazzled, honey."

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

"Maybe not, child. Sometimes our hearts tell us more than we realize." The older woman steered Amanda to the chair behind the desk. "Sit down for a minute and try to relax." After the blonde followed her instructions, she continued, "Now tell me all about it, dear."

"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? Honey, 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." The housekeeper dialed a number on the phone and waited patiently for an answer. "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. What do you need?" The old cook grumbled.

"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 fighting.

Lester stopped when he realized that something was wrong. "Right. He’ll be over in a couple of minutes." He paused for a moment, then continued, "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 hung up the phone and saw Amanda heading towards 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 caused Lex to slowly open her eyes and try 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? The dark-haired woman 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!" Lex groaned. Sounds of static coming from her right coat pocket caught the rancher’s attention.

"Lex? Honey, 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 across her chest. "Shit!" Another sharp pain made her stop moving immediately. She closed her eyes and concentrated until the pain eased into a more manageable level. Okay…let’s just try to figure out what hurts so damn bad. She decided the best place to start would be her toes, so Lex tried to wiggle them inside her boots. "Ow! Wrong idea!" The movement caused more pain along her back.

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 caused more discomfort. Her pounding head was beginning to lull the rancher 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 at her once again.

***************

"Are you sure about this, Miss Amanda?" Roy questioned as he saddled the two horses in the barn. The young blonde woman was standing just outside the stall bundled up against the cold. "She probably just 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. "We’ll probably 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 where a sturdily built brown and white mare 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. 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?" The small blonde 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 too nasty."

The older man sighed. "Yes, ma’am." He directed them towards 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. He stepped over to the horse that 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 to talk to 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 backwards. 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 a rifle that had been hidden in a scabbard on his saddle. "C’mon. It’s less than a hundred yards this way." 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 was sitting nearby. "She made it to the fence okay." He knelt down and checked the ground near the fence. "Nothing unusual 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 at the young woman. "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." The foreman pointed past the fence towards a pile of shrubbery. "Do you see that, Miss Amanda?"

The young woman nodded. "I think so. It looks like a small animal." She started towards the sound.

"Wait! That’s near the drop off!" Roy grabbed her arm and held her back. "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. "Yes, ma’am." He picked up the rifle and started towards 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 was standing in the chest-high brush crying. As the two people worked their way closer, it tried to step towards them but seemed to be stuck.

"Look like it’s tangled up in something." Roy turned to Amanda. "I’m going to check it out. Why don’t you stay here, away from the edge?" He waited until the younger woman 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 towards 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 pair looked to be 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 bent 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 towards the opening in the fence. "You’re welcome!" Roy yelled, looking up at Amanda with a smile. He could see the intense concentration on her face as she studied the ground around them. "What’s up?"

The young woman 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 stepped towards the edge of the drop off, leaning forward to look below. "Careful, now!"

Amanda dropped to her knees weakly. "Oh, no." she cried as she leaned her body near the edge. "Roy, look!"

The foreman rushed to her side to peer down the side of the overhang. "Jesus. How in the hell…" Due to the amount of branches and limbs that covered it, he could barely make out the sprawled figure below.

"Lex!" Amanda yelled, searching frantically for some way to reach the bottom. "Can you hear me?" She turned sideways to grab Roy’s arm. "We’ve got to get down there! She could be seriously hurt!"

"Hang on just a minute, Miss Amanda. Let me go get some rope, all right?" Roy jumped to his feet and raced back toward the horses.

The blonde woman continued to look for a way to reach her lover. "Lex! C’mon, honey. Let me know you’re okay, please?"

A familiar voice called to Lex and nudged her from unconsciousness. Amanda? The dark-haired woman slowly opened her eyes. God, I must be hallucinating. She struggled to take a deep breath, then gasped as the movement caused her extreme pain. Ah, geez…not good, Lexington. Lex listened carefully as she hoped to hear the voice again.

"Lex? God, please. Answer me, or move, or something!" Amanda half-shouted, half-cried. "Dammit! Listen to me!" she pleaded as she wiped tears from her face.

"Amanda?" Lex murmured quietly. It really is her! "Can you hear me?" she choked out as the pain became more intense. Gotta do something so she’ll know I’m okay. Lex took a quick inventory of what her physical condition was. Not much I can do, but maybe…

The small blonde practically lay on the edge of the overhang, looking for any sign that her partner was alive. Roy suddenly returned carrying a long coil of rope. "Okay…if I can find something to tie this off to, I can drop over the edge and check her out. We’re gonna have to get back to the house and get the jeep, though." He looked frantically around for something to anchor the rope to.

"The jeep? But I thought we couldn’t get it up here?" Amanda continued to keep an eye on the unmoving rancher below.

Roy tied one end of the rope to a small tree stump. "We can’t. But if we take the east road from the bunkhouse, we’ll end up on that path down there." He pointed to what looked like an indention in the grass below, not far from where Lex was lying. "It’ll take about and hour and a half to get to the ranch house and then drive back here. But we really need to check her out, first." He pulled on the rope to check its sturdiness. "I sure hope this damn thing will hold me."

Amanda grasped his hand with a fierce strength. "It probably won’t hold you, but I know it will hold me." Her green eyes blazed with determination. "You can hold it until I get down there, and then hurry back to the house for the jeep." When she saw him try to argue, Amanda held up a hand. "Wait. Listen to me, please." She nodded to the still figure below them. "I’m lighter, younger, and would be able to keep her calmer than you would. Besides," she flashed him a tired smile, "you know the way back up here…I don’t." They both looked down at Lex.

"Hey! Did you see that?" Roy pointed, excited. "I think I saw her hand move!"

Amanda bit her lip and stared at the unmoving form. "Are you sure? I don’t…" then she saw it. The fingers on Lex’s left hand wiggled slowly. "Yes!" She wrapped her arms around the startled man and laughed. "She moved!"

Roy blushed and pulled away slightly. "Umm…okay. Let’s get you down there so I can get back to the house, okay?" He tied the rope around Amanda quickly, making a harness. "Once you get down there, I’ll lower the supplies to you, okay?" he unloaded the rifle and handed her the cartridges.

"What’s these for?" Amanda gave him a funny look.

"However Ms. Lex got down there, it wasn’t an accident. I want you to have the rifle with you, just in case." He handed over the weapon and helped Amanda drape it over her shoulder using the attached leather strap.

Amanda took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I don’t like it, but you’re right." She shifted the gun around until it was somewhat comfortable on her back. "Be sure you get in touch with Sheriff Bristol before you leave, okay? He needs to know about this."

Roy nodded. "Right. C’mon…let’s get you down there, Miss Amanda." He stood up and coiled the rope behind him, using his right arm and back to brace the strands.

"Okay." Amanda slowly worked her way over the edge, sliding down until only her head was visible to the foreman. "See you in a bit, right?" She gave Roy a halfhearted smile.

"You sure will, Miss. Just sit tight, and I’ll be back in no time." Roy winked at Amanda as he lowered her from sight.

Moments later, Amanda found herself at the bottom of what appeared to be a ravine. She quickly untied the rope from around her and allowed Roy to pull it back up. The small woman stumbled over to where Lex lay unmoving. "Lex?" She began to remove the debris from her lover. "Honey? Can you hear me?"

"Amanda?" Lex gasped, as she felt small hands lightly touch her hair. "Are you really here?" Her voice was a bare whisper.

"I’m here, love. Let me try to get some of this stuff off you." Amanda began to carefully clear away the smaller limbs and brush. "What happened to you?" She leaned down to hear what Lex tried to say.

The rancher almost cried in relief when she realized that Amanda was actually with her. "God…I thought you were a dream." She felt a gentle hand on her face. "I…I don’t remember much." She felt another large limb being removed from her body, and groaned in appreciation.

Amanda heard the groan and stopped. "Oh, god! Did I hurt you?" She had removed enough to get a close look at Lex’s face. The rancher’s eyes were closed, and there were several still-bleeding scratches on her cheek and forehead. She was afraid to move Lex since she knew that the rancher had fallen almost thirty feet.

"No…didn’t hurt." Lex mumbled, fighting off another bout of unconsciousness. "Relief…"

A shout from above got Amanda’s attention. "Miss Amanda! I’m sending down all the supplies now. How is she?" Roy had tied the saddlebags to the rope and was cautiously lowering them to the ground.

Amanda looked up at the foreman. "She’s out again, but she seemed pretty coherent when she was awake." She untied the bags and carried them over to where the rancher laid. "Please hurry, Roy… I don’t know what kind of injuries she has."

The foreman waved at her. "On my way. I left the radio in one of the bags, in case hers is broken." He disappeared from sight.

"’manda?" Lex’s voice was a hoarse croak.

The younger woman dropped to her knees beside the still-pinned rancher. "I’m right here, sweetheart." She brushed dark bangs away from Lex’s scratched and muddy face. "Roy’s gone for help. He’ll be back really soon." She felt tears burn her eyes.

"Cold." Lex could feel the pain take over again. "Can’t feel…" her eyes closed slowly before she could say anything more.

 


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Âñå ìàòåðèàëû ïðåäñòàâëåííûå íà ñàéòå èñêëþ÷èòåëüíî ñ öåëüþ îçíàêîìëåíèÿ ÷èòàòåëÿìè è íå ïðåñëåäóþò êîììåð÷åñêèõ öåëåé èëè íàðóøåíèå àâòîðñêèõ ïðàâ. Ñòóäàëë.Îðã (0.023 ñåê.)