Chapter 4

"You idiot! I’m paying you to keep an eye on her, not kill her!" He had to pull the phone away from his ear to protect his hearing. "Good god! Have you no sense? What if they figured out that you did it?" the voice continued to rant.

The victim of the tirade sighed. "Look. I WAS keeping an eye on her. And I really had intended to just cut the fence and then leave. But when I saw that SHE was the one there, I couldn’t resist." He chuckled. "After I saw her lying at the bottom of that ravine, I honestly thought I’d killed her. So I tried to throw some stuff over the edge to hide the body."

There was a short silence from the other end of the line. "It’s somewhat of a shame that you didn’t succeed – it would have certainly made things a lot easier for me." Papers shuffled in the background. "Okay, here is what you’re going to do. I want you to keep a high profile – make a nuisance of yourself. That should come easily for you."

"What?!? Are you out of your mind? They’ll lock me up for sure!" The underling’s voice was incredulous. "You don’t pay me enough to go to jail for you!"

"Listen to me, you fool. If you go into hiding, you’ll be the first person that they will suspect. You’re probably already on top of their list. Trust me…the best place to hide from these backwater bumpkins is right under their noses," the intelligent voice commented. "You might even try threatening her in front of some of them…they’ll never figure you to be that stupid." Although I could vouch for your lack of intelligence. Where did I go wrong? I should have hired a professional when I had the chance.

The man looked around his cluttered living room. He noticed, not for the first time, the empty food cartons lying around. I really should get someone in here to clean this place up sometime. He took another deep swallow from his beer. "Okay…but if they bust me, I’m taking you down with me."

"Don’t…even…try to threaten me, you worthless little pissant. I can make you disappear in a heartbeat…permanently."

"Umm…yeah. Sorry about that. I wasn’t really threatening you, honest. I’m just a little nervous about getting caught, you know?" He ran a trembling hand across his forehead. "I didn’t mean nothing by it."

"Just remember who’s in charge, and you’ll be fine. I want you to make yourself VERY visible for the next few days, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Once his ‘boss’ had hung up the phone, the man threw his can of beer across the room. He proceeded to throw things around the living area until he wore himself out. "Damn you, Lex Walters!" He stood in the middle of the destruction panting heavily. "I can’t wait until you get what’s coming to you."

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

The rest of the morning and afternoon went by peacefully at the ranch. Amanda would go upstairs every so often to check on her friend, but spent most of the day sharing stories with Martha and Charlie. The sheriff left in the late afternoon because he wanted to get back into town. He needed to organize the reports his men would be turning in after their investigations. Martha allowed him to leave only after getting his promise to be back at the ranch early Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner.

The young blonde looked at the computer screen and sighed. She had decided to work on the ranch finances for Lex. The older woman tended to get overly stressed whenever she tried to handle the paperwork. Amanda had always enjoyed working with numbers, and Lex had happily handed over the bookkeeping duties to her. It happened after one especially trying night of attempting to balance the ledger.

Amanda had rolled over in her sleep only to find herself alone in bed. She glanced over at the alarm clock and saw that it was almost one o’clock in the morning. The sleepy blonde slipped on the colorful robe that had been a gift from Lex and padded quietly down the stairs in search of her lover.

The young woman had spotted a light coming from the den and moved toward it. Amanda stepped into the den and found that the light was actually leaking out from the attached office. She stood in the doorway for a moment and watched the dark-haired woman. "Lex?"

The rancher looked up from the computer screen and rubbed her eyes. "Amanda. What are you doing out of bed?" She pushed her chair back from the desk with a sigh.

"I got cold." Amanda smiled as she stepped into the room.

"I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have checked the fire before I came downstairs." Lex didn’t notice the glint in the green eyes when she apologized.

Amanda approached the desk slowly. "It wouldn’t have helped," she stated as she stepped in front of Lex and stopped. "I missed you." The blonde climbed into the older woman’s lap facing her and straddled her legs. She put her arms around the rancher’s neck with a sultry smile. "You can’t honestly tell me that you’d rather play on the computer than come upstairs and play with me." Amanda bent down and gave the startled woman a passionate kiss.

Lex wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. "Mrrumph…" she pulled away regretfully. "God, baby…you sure make it hard to say no." She trembled slightly when Amanda started placing gentle kisses on her neck. "But I’ve been…ah…" Lex put her hands on the voracious woman’s shoulders and gently pushed her back. "Please, Amanda. I’ve got to get these damn ledgers to balance. I have a phone conference with Mr. Collins first thing in the morning to discuss the next quarter."

"Okay." Amanda sighed, somewhat heartened by the genuine regret in the blue eyes across from her. "What seems to be the problem?" She chuckled as Lex spun the chair around to allow them both to see the computer screen without unseating Amanda.

"See right here?" Lex used a long finger to point out a number on the screen. "This figure should match that one." She touched another part on the display.

Amanda twisted around until she had a clear view of the computer. "May I?"

Lex lifted Amanda until she was facing the screen completely, but still situated on her lap. "Be my guest." She rested her chin on her friend’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around the small waist. Lex closed her eyes as she listened to Amanda type.

"There you go."

"How did you…?" The rancher opened her eyes and looked at the screen. "Damn." The figures matched. "I’ve been working on that for well over an hour. How did you figure it out so quickly?"

Amanda leaned back into the warm body she was cradled against. "Guess my college years weren’t a complete waste of time." She tilted her head as Lex began kissing her neck. "Mmm…I’ve always loved playing with numbers." The young woman smiled as she felt insistent fingers loosen the tie on her robe.

Lex placed her lips near her lover’s ear. "What would it cost me to have you help with the book keeping around here?" she whispered as she gently bit Amanda’s earlobe.

"Oh, god…" Amanda almost melted onto the floor. "For this kind of payment, I’ll do just about anything you ask." She felt herself being lifted as Lex carried her into the den and placed her carefully on the sofa. "Oooh, yeah. You’ve just hired yourself a bookkeeper," she growled and welcomed the tall woman into her arms.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Martha asked from the office doorway. "You look a little flushed."

Amanda looked up guiltily. "Umm, yeah. I’m great. Just going over the books for Lex." She ran a hand over her face to try and dispel the blush. "Do you need my help in the kitchen?" She had told Martha earlier to come get her whenever she needed help starting dinner. When she had first moved in they had made a truce as far as the household chores. Martha would let Amanda help with the laundry and the cooking and the younger woman wouldn’t get in her way when she did the rest of the housework.

Martha shook her head. "No, nothing like that, dear. I just came in to tell you that your grandmother called a few minutes ago."

"She did? I didn’t hear the phone ring." Amanda looked at the offending item. "Is everything okay?"

"That’s because Lexie keeps the ringer turned off in here so it won’t disturb her. Mrs. Cauble was just checking in to see how our patient was doing." The housekeeper moved into the room and sat down. "Are you real busy?"

"No, not at all. What’s wrong, Martha?" Amanda could see that something was on the older woman’s mind.

"That business yesterday scared the living daylights out of me," she admitted. "Do you really think that someone is out to get my Lexie? Who would do such a thing?" Martha looked down at her lap, then lifted her head and met Amanda’s gaze. "I’ve alerted the boys down at the bunkhouse, and they’re going to keep a close eye on the house until she’s back on her feet." She leaned forward with an intense look on her face. "My little girl has finally found happiness, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let some low life ruin that. They’ll have to go through me to get to her."

Amanda stood up and stepped around the desk, then knelt at the older woman’s feet. "I know, Martha. I feel the same way." She gripped both of the housekeeper’s hands tightly. "When I look at you, I can see where Lex got her beautiful heart from. I wish that I would have had half as good a mom growing up as she did."

Martha pulled Amanda towards her and enveloped the smaller woman in a fierce embrace. "Honey, I thank the good Lord for you each and every day." She stood and helped the young woman to her feet. "Now let’s stop all the serious talk, and go check on the cookies that I left baking in the oven. They should almost be ready."

"Oooh, cookies." Amanda followed her dutifully out of the room and down the hallway. "What kind?" She asked as she took a deep sniff of the air.

"Brown sugar." Martha stepped into the kitchen and made her way to the oven. "Be about another minute, dear. Why don’t you go ahead and get yourself a glass of milk?"

Amanda smiled. "Mmm…my favorite. But I think I’ll run upstairs real quick and check on Sleeping Beauty. Maybe she’ll be awake and I can take her some cookies, too." She stepped out into the hallway and suddenly screamed. "Aaaah!"

Martha rushed out of the kitchen in a panic. She found Amanda back against the wall with one hand over her heart. Lex stood a few feet away dressed in gray boxer shorts and an unbuttoned black nightshirt. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"You scared me half to death!" Amanda chastised as she willed her heart to stop pounding. "Martha’s right. What ARE you doing out of bed?"

Lex was propped against the banister with her injured arm held closely against her body. "I was bored and tired of lying in bed." She inhaled deeply. "Cookies? Smells like brown sugar!" She pushed away from where she had reclined against the stair post and slowly limped into the kitchen.

The blonde looked over at Martha and shrugged. "You raised her."

"Good lord! Just had to toss that one in my face, didn’t you?" the housekeeper joked as they followed Lex into the kitchen.

"I hate to break up your little gabfest, but could one of you come over here and help me with the milk?" Lex was standing at the cabinet holding a clear container of milk. "I can’t get the damned lid off."

Amanda shook her head and smiled. "Poor baby." She walked over and grabbed another glass. "You want one too, Martha?"

The housekeeper laughed. "No, thank you, dear." She pulled the tray of cookies out of the oven. "I bake them… I don’t usually eat them."

"Really?" Amanda was intrigued. "Are they safe?" she teased as she poured two glasses of milk. After she returned the bottle to the refrigerator, she gently began to button the rancher’s shirt. "Looks like I get to pamper you a lot for the next few days, huh?" The blonde looked up into Lex’s eyes with a tender smile.

Lex returned the smile. "I guess so. Thanks," she whispered and kissed the shorter woman on the forehead.

Amanda grabbed both glasses and ushered the rancher to the table. "Sit down, tough stuff." She watched with concern as her friend moved stiffly to a chair and sat down. "You look like you’re completely miserable."

"It’s not that bad, sweetheart. I’m just really stiff from lying around for so long." Lex shifted around uncomfortably in her chair as she picked up her glass with her left hand. "Although I think I’m more sore today than I was yesterday."

Martha stepped up beside her and touched the top of her dark head. "Honey, there was a good reason the doctor told you to stay in bed for a few days. You have to give your body time to heal." She waited until Lex looked up into her eyes. "After you eat I want you to go back to bed, okay?"

Lex wanted to argue, but she relented when she saw the concern on the older woman’s face. Besides, she thought, I really do feel like hell. "Yes, ma’am." Maybe I can talk Amanda into joining me…this might not be so bad after all!

"Thank you, Lexie." Martha leaned down and kissed her charge on the cheek, and then moved away from the table with purpose." Don’t fill up on cookies. I’ll heat you up some stew."

Amanda chuckled. "She’s got you pegged, sweetheart." She reached for another cookie. "But don’t worry, the stew is really good."

The housekeeper cleared her throat from across the room. "That goes for you too, young lady. You barely touched your lunch today."

"Ha!" Lex grinned triumphantly. Then she realized what Martha had said. "Are you feeling all right?" She covered Amanda’s hand with her own. "You’re not coming down with something, are you?"

"I’m fine, love. Guess I’m just a little tired." Amanda squeezed her lover’s hand. Of course, I spent the entire night watching her sleep. No wonder I’m a little tired. The younger woman didn’t even lie down for most of the night; for fear that she would try to snuggle up against the injured woman in her sleep.

Lex sighed. "Amanda. What am I gonna do with you?" She looked down at the bowl of stew that Martha had put down in front of her. "Mmm…you’re right. This smells fantastic." She began to eat, then paused to yawn. Damn…hope I don’t fall asleep in my bowl.

"That settles it then. After you finish your dinner, it’s off to bed for you both." Martha settled into another chair. "You girls will need your rest since you have to be up early in the morning."

Amanda looked at her quizzically. "We do? What’s going on, Martha?" She began to eat her stew hungrily.

Martha gave Lex a no nonsense look. "You’re going into town first thing tomorrow so that Lexie can get a complete checkup." She raised a hand when the rancher opened her mouth to speak. "No arguments. You can barely walk, and you’re hurting so bad that you’re not even trying to hide it."

Lex decided to concentrate on not spilling her stew. She was still shaky and her vision had not completely cleared up. Probably a good idea. Thenshe grinned to herself. Oooh…Martha won’t expect me to agree with her. This will be good for the shock value alone. "I think you may be right, Martha," she murmured quietly while she kept her attention on her bowl.

"What?" The housekeeper dropped her spoon in shock. "Lexie? Oh, honey. If you’re feeling that bad, maybe we should go this evening." She started to get up and clear the table. "I knew we should have taken you to the hospital yesterday…"

Lex looked up with a sneaky grin and then tried to look innocent. "Maybe I’d feel better if you would bake me more cookies."

Amanda almost choked on a mouthful of stew. "Oh, god! That’s funny!" She coughed a couple of times and took a large drink of milk. "She got you that time, Martha."

Martha sat back down with a sigh. "I swear you’re gonna be the death of me one of these days, Lexie." She shook her head and began to eat again.

"Sorry, Mada. I just wanted you to relax a bit. You worry too much." Lex smiled again. "But if it would make you feel better, you can tuck me in tonight and read me a story."

"Just wait until you get better, young lady. I’ll take a spoon to your backside!" the older woman threatened, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

Lex was stopped from making another sarcastic remark when the phone rang.

"I’ll get it!" Amanda practically leapt from the table and raced across the kitchen. Thank god…I think Lex was about to get herself into more trouble. "Walter’s residence, Amanda speaking." She saw the rancher frown out of the corner of her eye. Lex had asked her several times not to answer the phone that way. She had stressed that it was just as much Amanda’s home as it was hers, but the blonde stubbornly refused. We’re going to have to come up with a compromise before Martha ends up being a referee. The voice on the other end of the line caused her face to scrunch into a frown. "Hold on just a minute, I’ll see if she’s available." She held the receiver to her chest.

"Who is it, Amanda?" Lex tried to turn around in her chair, but a sharp pain in her back stopped her. "Dammit…"

"It’s your brother. Do you want me to just take a message?" Amanda whispered. She didn’t want to see Lex get upset, which was always a good possibility when her brother was involved.

The rancher slowly climbed to her feet, barely able to hold back a pained groan. "No… he’ll just keep calling until I talk to him." She held her hand out for the phone. "Let’s see what he wants now." Lex allowed Amanda to drag a chair from the table and help her sit down. "Thanks," she whispered. "Hello, Hubert. What can I do for you this time?"

"For one thing, you can tell your little…girlfriend…to drop the damn attitude. I’m not amused." Hubert’s nasal tone whined. "She thinks she’s better than me, and I’m tired of it!"

Lex sighed. "Hubert, you’re imagining things. And, for the record," she looked over at her lover with a smile, "she IS better than you. Now what do you want?"

Hubert was livid. "Now you listen to me, you perverted bitch! Don’t you dare talk to me that way! I’ll…"

"SHUT UP!" Lex barked, then instantly regretted it. She fought back a wave of dizziness and continued, "You’ve got exactly one minute to tell me what you want before I hang up." She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.

"Fine. I got some papers in the mail Friday that require your signature. I left a message on your damn machine yesterday, but you didn’t bother to return it." The older man sounded like a petulant child. "Do you want me to bring them out to the ranch, or will you be in town sometime this next week? I need to send them back as soon as possible."

The rancher opened her eyes and caught Amanda’s worried look. "I’ll be in town tomorrow, Hubert. We’ll drop by the office then, okay?" Lex winked at her friend.

Hubert laughed humorlessly. "My, oh my. Miss High and Mighty is actually going to sully herself and grace the little people with her presence. Why I ought to…"

"Goodbye, Hubert." Lex hung up the phone in the middle of his sarcastic speech. "Asshole." She muttered, then glanced over at Martha. "At least he won’t be bothering you anymore tonight."

The housekeeper stood up and walked over to where Lex was sitting. "Sweetheart, let’s get you back upstairs and into bed. You’re looking a bit pale."

"She’s right, Lex." Amanda reached down and helped Martha pull the dark-haired woman to her feet. "C’mon. If you’re a good girl, I’LL tuck you in and read you a story."

Lex released a tired chuckle. "That’s the best offer I’ve had all day." She draped her left arm over the blonde’s shoulders, and felt Martha wrap an arm around her from the right. "I must be doing something right." She joked.

"What makes you say that, dear?" Martha asked as they helped her slowly up the stairs.

"I’ve got the two prettiest ladies in the state of Texas hanging all over me!" Amanda tickled her ribs while the housekeeper lightly slapped her rear end. "What?"

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