Chapter 6

Ten minutes later, Amanda stepped into the kitchen with a tired but relieved smile on her face. She ran her hands through her shoulder length hair to give it some semblance of order.

"You look worn out, Mandy. Why don’t you come over here and sit down before you fall down?" Anna Leigh pulled out the chair nearest her. She watched with concern as the young woman dropped gracelessly into the seat. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Amanda smiled at her grandmother. "I’m fine. Just been a really long weekend." She gratefully accepted the cup of coffee offered by Jacob. "Thanks, Grandpa."

"Anytime, Peanut." He sat down on the other side of her and laid his hand on her arm. "Anything we can do to help? You look like you haven’t slept in days."

"I haven’t." Amanda concentrated on the mug in front of her. "Every time I close my eyes, I keep seeing Lex lying at the bottom of that ravine." Tears began to spill down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. "I thought she was dead…my entire world was gone."

Anna Leigh leaned over and wrapped her arms around the young woman. "Honey…" She pulled Amanda close to her. "You can’t think like that. She’s okay."

The small blonde spun and wrapped her arms around the older woman as she began to cry harder. "Oh, Gramma." She buried her face in Anna Leigh’s neck, unable to stop the tears. "I was so scared."

Jacob looked at his wife with understanding shining in his eyes. "I’m going to work in the office for a bit, and give you ladies a chance to have a little chat." He stood and placed a soft kiss on Amanda’s head before leaving. "I love you, Peanut."

After crying fitfully for several minutes, the young woman finally wound down. "I’m sorry I fell apart like that." She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the napkin that Anna Leigh had given her. "I guess it all finally caught up with me."

"Mandy, you have nothing to apologize for. I did the same thing once we got Jacob home from the hospital after his wreck." Anna Leigh assured her. Earlier in the year, Jacob had been almost killed when a drunk driver had hit the car he was driving. Amanda had moved temporarily from California to help her grandmother, but never went back after his injuries had healed.

"You did? I never knew." Amanda looked at the older woman with a new respect. "You always seemed so strong, so in control." She saw the remembered pain in the green eyes so much like her own. Her grandmother had been a source of strength for them all and spent every available moment with Jacob at the hospital. She had even held Amanda as the young woman cried in fear of losing the man who was more like a father to her than a grandfather.

Anna Leigh took a deep breath and smiled. "Poor Jacob. I think I scared him to death the night we brought him home from the hospital."

After sending Amanda out for Chinese food at Jacob’s request, Anna Leigh bowed to his good-natured complaints and helped him get comfortable on the sofa in the den. He had argued that she could not get him upstairs without their granddaughter’s help, and he was tired of lying around in a bed.

"My love…I can rest as well here as I can upstairs. I promise to take it easy." Jacob took Anna Leigh’s hand in his and kissed her knuckles. His left leg was incased in a cast from hip to toe, and lying down flat proved to be quite painful. "It feels really good to just sit up normally for a change," he teased.

Anna Leigh knelt next to him and covered Jacob with a soft quilt. "I’m sure it does, Jacob. But you know the doctor said for you to not overdo it, or you’d be right back in the hospital." She felt a tightening in her throat. "And I don’t think I could handle that right now." The weight of the past month came crashing down on the petite woman and crushed her spirit with remembered pain. "You almost…"A strangled sob broke from her chest as Anna Leigh fell forward onto Jacob’s chest.

Jacob wrapped his strong arms around his wife and pulled her close. "Shhh… everything’s okay now." He felt her bury her head deeper and cry harder. Without thinking, Jacob pulled Anna Leigh up into his lap and began to rock gently. "That’s it, sweetheart. Let it out. It’s all going to be okay now."

"I’m sorry for falling apart like that, love. I don’t know what came over me," Anna Leigh sniffled sometime later. She pulled her head back and looked down. "How did I end up in your lap?"

Her husband looked at her sheepishly. "I’m not real sure myself, sweetheart." Jacob scooted back to make more room on the sofa. "But I kinda like where you are." He winked at her. "Wanna make out?"

She felt a gentle hand run down her back. "You’re supposed to be resting, Jacob." Anna Leigh chastised, but she found herself not wanting to break the contact. "Well…I suppose a little snuggling couldn’t hurt." She huddled up next to her husband and kissed him gently. "I love you, dearest."

"And I love you, my beautiful wife." Jacob returned her kiss as he pulled her closer.

Amanda reached over and wiped a tear from the older woman’s face. She saw the strong determination and love that got her grandmother through the rough months of Jacob’s recuperation. "I don’t know how you did it, Gramma. I don’t think I could ever be that strong." She inhaled a shaky breath.

"Honey, you’re a lot stronger than you realize. I don’t know of many who could have gotten through what you have in the past couple of months. Don’t sell yourself short." Anna Leigh reached up and riffled the younger woman’s hair. "Besides, you’re MY granddaughter."

"Well, you do have a point there," Amanda agreed. She had always considered Jacob and Anna Leigh more than just her grandparents. The older couple had welcomed her into their home every summer of her life, giving her more love and support than her real parents ever had. "Thanks, Gramma."

Anna Leigh smiled. "Anytime, sweetheart. Now why don’t we go find out what kind of trouble your grandfather is into now?" She stood up and stepped away from the table. "I swear that man of mine can get into trouble walking through the house." Once the two of them reached the doorway the older woman put her arm around Amanda. "Nice to see you got something from him."

"Gramma!" Amanda chuckled as they walked out the door. "You sound just like Lex!"

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

A gentle touch on her head brought Lex out of a wonderful dream. "Mmm…" She opened her eyes slowly and saw the same face that she had been dreaming about. "Hey, there." Lex murmured her voice rough with sleep.

"Hey there yourself, blue eyes. Nice nap?" Amanda continued her gentle ministrations with the dark locks. I just love playing with her hair. It feels like silk on my fingertips. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"Okay…still a little woozy, I guess." Lex tried to sit up and dropped back to the pillow. "I guess I’m a bit more than a little woozy." She smiled at her friend.

Amanda studied her carefully. "I can tell…your eyes still look a little glazed. But Dr. Anderson called and told me that I needed to get you awake for a bit so that you can eat and take your medication."

Lex blinked a couple of times and lifted her left hand to the younger woman’s face. "Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying." She struggled to sit up. "What’s the matter, sweetheart?"

"Nothing." Amanda leaned into the touch and covered the hand with her own. "Had a good talk with my Gramma earlier." She searched the older woman’s face with concern. "You doing okay?" she asked as she removed her hand and checked her lover’s forehead for fever.

"Fine." Lex gently batted the small hand away. "What kind of talk did you have with your grandmother that would make you cry?" She sat up a little more until she turned her arm the wrong way. "Damn!"

The blonde helped Lex until she was in a more comfortable sitting position. "You could ask me for help, you know. You don’t have to try to do everything yourself." She reached behind Lex and fluffed the pillows.

"I know…"

"It wouldn’t be admitting any weakness to actually let me help you every now and then…" Amanda continued as she fussed with the blanket covering Lex.

"Well, I…" Lex stammered as she tried to sneak a word in.

"You can just be so darn stubborn sometimes!" Amanda stood up and walked into the bathroom mumbling. "I love you, and that means that I don’t mind taking care of you when you need me to." She stepped back into the bedroom carrying a glass of water.

"Amanda?"

The young woman stopped next to the bed and sat down beside Lex. "So if I want to pamper you every now and then, you should just…what?" Amanda stopped in the middle of her tirade and looked at Lex.

The rancher smiled at her. "I don’t mind you fussing. I just don’t want you to wear yourself out, love." Lex smirked and held out her good hand. "You got something for me?"

Amanda sighed as she handed over the glass of water and a couple of pills. "You do that on purpose, don’t you?" She waited until Lex was finished with the water then took the glass back. "Just when I get a good rant started, you nip it in the bud by being agreeable."

"Well, there’s no sense in being too predictable, is there? You’d get bored, otherwise." Lex teased. "And since you so kindly offered…think I could get an escort downstairs?" She reached up with her good hand and waited until Amanda grasped it.

"I should bring your dinner upstairs, but I know how you are." She pulled the dark-haired woman into a sitting position. "Promise me that you’ll come back to bed after we eat?"

Lex grinned. "You gonna keep me company? I get awfully lonesome up here all my myself, you know."

The blonde chuckled as she helped Lex slip on a pair of sweat pants. "Yeah, I could tell when I came up here that you were pining away for me." She snapped the waistband gently.

"Do I get extra points since I was dreaming of you?" the rancher queried as Amanda adjusted the sling around her neck. She looked down into the green eyes that were a few inches from her own. "It was a really good dream. I could give you…Mrrumph!" a small hand covered her mouth.

"Hush. If you starting telling me about this dream, we’ll both be late for dinner." Amanda stood on her tiptoes and replaced her hand with her lips for a quick kiss. She felt Lex’s good arm snake around her back and pull her closer. "Lex…" she broke off slowly and tried to catch her breath. "You’re not helping matters much, you know." She snuggled her face into the older woman’s chest, being careful to avoid the injured arm. "And I think we’d better get you downstairs before those pills start to take effect…I don’t think that I can carry you back up here like you can me."

Lex allowed the younger woman to wrap an arm around her left side. "Heh. That would be fun to watch." She began to walk cautiously through the bedroom and down the hall. "At least I can walk now. Guess whatever that old quack injected me with has worn off," she mumbled as they worked their way down the stairs.

The doorbell cut off any reply that Amanda was about to make. The two women stood on the stairway and watched as her grandmother went to answer the door. "Hi girls. Let me get this, and then I’ll give you a hand." Anna Leigh waved at them as she passed by the stairs. She opened the door partially and then stopped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you, Mrs. Cauble." A man’s voice called from the front porch. "If you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll be gone before you know it."

Amanda and Lex stood at the foot of the stairs a few feet away. "Who is it, Gramma?" The younger woman asked as she took a step forward. Lex followed her cautiously.

The door swung open wider and Rick Thompson stepped inside. "What are you two doing here?" He pushed by Anna Leigh and moved to confront the younger women.

"Mr. Thompson! Do not barge into my home and yell at members of my family!" Anna Leigh put a restraining hand on his arm. "I will be forced to call the sheriff and have you removed."

The large man looked down at her hand that was wrapped around his arm. His face softened slightly. "I didn’t come here to cause any trouble, Mrs. Cauble. I really did want to talk to you, though." He glanced back over at Lex who had casually placed herself between him and Amanda. "Damn, Kentucky…you look like hell."

"Thanks, Rick. Looks like that bruise on your chin healed nicely." The rancher smirked. The last time they had seen the angry man was during a confrontation at the real estate office where Rick used to be the manager. When Anna Leigh had found out that he had sent her granddaughter on a wild goose chase to Lex’s ranch, she immediately fired him and gave his job to Amanda. He had struck out in anger at Lex and Amanda used her kickboxing skills to knock him to the floor, unconscious.

Amanda stepped up until she was in front of the dark-haired woman. "Why don’t we all go into the den where it’s more comfortable?" She felt Lex’s hand rest gently on her shoulder and squeeze lightly.

"I came here to talk to Mrs. Cauble, not you." Rick pointed an accusing finger at the small blonde. He turned back towards Anna Leigh. "I can’t get a job in this damn town anywhere, thanks to you."

"Now wait a minute. Are you accusing my grandmother of blacklisting you? That’s ridiculous! She would never do such a thing, even if you did deserve it. Which you do." Amanda stepped away from Lex and moved closer to the seething man. "Have you ever considered that everyone in this town knows you?"

"Yeah? So what?" Rick crossed his arms across his chest and glared down at Amanda. What did I ever see in this little bitch? "It’s a small town."

Lex walked slowly until she was behind Amanda again. "What she’s trying to say Ricky, is everyone else in town knows what an ass you are." She smiled as Anna Leigh fought to keep the grin off of her face. "Why would anyone want to hire someone with a track record like yours?"

Rick stepped forward and jabbed Lex in the chest with a finger. "You’d better watch your mouth, Kentucky…or I’ll break your other arm!"

Anna Leigh grabbed his arm and pulled. "I think you’ve had your say, Mr. Thompson. It’s time that you left."

"I don’t need this shit from you…any of you!" He spun away from the older woman and stomped towards the door. "I’ll finish with you later, Kentucky." Rick stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him.

"Jackass." Lex mumbled. "Are you okay, Anna Leigh?" She asked as the small gray-haired woman locked the front door.

Amanda wrapped her arm around Lex and hugged her gently. "I could ask you the same thing, honey. He didn’t hurt you, did he?" She closed her eyes in relief at her partner’s negative shake of the head.

"I’m just fine, Lexington. Why don’t we all go into the den and sit down? You’re looking a bit pale." Anna Leigh quickly stepped to Lex’s other side and helped her granddaughter escort the injured woman into the next room. "I don’t know what that man thought he could accomplish by barging in like that. Did he actually think I would give him his job back?"

Lex chuckled as they helped her sit on the loveseat close to the fireplace. "He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer." She groaned softly as she leaned back. "I’m guessing that he just felt like harassing someone, and you just happened to be convenient."

"Maybe we should call the sheriff. He did threaten you, Lex." Amanda snuggled down next to her friend. "For all we know, he could be the person behind what happened to you on Saturday."

Anna Leigh sat on the sofa across from them and curled her feet up under her. "I thought you said it was just thieves that you had stumbled across. What makes you think that Rick might be involved?"

"Did I hear you mention Rick’s name?" Jacob walked into the room and took the place next to his wife. "Hello, sweetheart." His kissed her on the cheek. "What has that fool done this time?" He looked over at the two woman wrapped up together on the loveseat. "Hi, girls. Are you feeling any better, Lex?"

"Much better, Jacob. Thanks for asking." Lex smiled. "We had a visit from Rick a little while ago, but your beautiful wife ran him off." She winked at Anna Leigh who blushed slightly. "The poor idiot thought that Anna Leigh had blacklisted him since he hasn’t been able to find a job around here anywhere."

Amanda poked Lex. "Be nice." She turned her attention toward her grandfather who was pulling his wife close to him. "Charlie thinks that whoever has been cutting the fences at the ranch was after Lex personally." She saw the shock on her grandparent’s faces and continued quietly, "Especially since several different people have threatened her over the past month or so." Amanda felt the arm that was wrapped around her stomach pull her closer.

Lex kissed the top of the blonde head under her chin. "We don’t know that for sure, sweetheart." She gave the older Cauble’s a wink. "Besides, Rick isn’t smart enough to pull something like that off without being caught. He can barely tie his shoes without help."

"I agree with you about the sense that boy has." Jacob nodded. "But he could just be the brawn behind the operation. Maybe someone else is calling the shots."

Anna Leigh gave both young women a glare. "Why didn’t you tell us that you had gotten threats, Lexington? Maybe we could have done something."

"We didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily, Gramma. There isn’t much that anyone can do until Charlie gets more evidence." Amanda answered for them both.

"She’s right. And, personally, I think that Charlie has just been reading too many mysteries lately and is trying to play detective." Lex joked, trying to lighten the mood in the room. "Although picturing him decked out like Sherlock Holmes is always good for a laugh." The tall thin sheriff was never without his silver cowboy hat and rumpled brown uniform shirt. The thought of him dressed in London gentleman’s clothes and a deerstalker hat made Lex almost laugh out loud.

Amanda didn’t have the same self-restraint. She giggled at the mental picture. "Oh, god. Charlie as Sherlock Holmes. Would that make Martha his Watson?"

The rancher lost her composure after that comment. The image of her housekeeper wearing a bowler and dressed as the famous detective’s sidekick was too much for her. "Oh god, Amanda," she chortled, "That’s a picture I really didn’t need in my head." She leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes.

"That would be a sight." Jacob agreed with a chuckle. He watched as Lex fell back tiredly. "I almost forgot the reason I came in here to begin with." He stood and pulled his wife up next to him. "I brought dinner home."

Anna Leigh found herself wrapped in her husband’s strong arms. "And what great feast have you prepared for us this evening, darling?" She laughed as Jacob spun her around the room to imaginary music.

Jacob continued to twirl his wife from the room. "Only the best for our family, my dear. Take out from the Peking Palace!"

Amanda laughed as her grandparent’s waltzed into the kitchen. She glanced at Lex, whose eyes were still closed. "Honey?"

Lex opened her eyes slowly. "Hmm?" She struggled to sit up. "What’s up?"

"Grandpa brought home Chinese takeout for dinner." Amanda ran a hand lovingly down the older woman’s face. "You want me to just bring you some in here?"

"No…I’m fine." Lex raised herself upward. "I may need a bit of help getting off the couch, though." She smiled tenderly at Amanda. "Especially since I seem to have a lap full of cute realtor on top of me."

The young woman blushed and stood up. "Oops. Now how do you suppose that happened?" She reached down and carefully pulled Lex to her feet. "C’mon…let’s get in there before all the good stuff is gone." Amanda wrapped her arm around the taller woman and led her from the room.

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

The lone figure sat in the darkened room, the only light coming from a small lamp in the center of the desk. Impatient hands rifled through several stacks of papers as they searched for something. Photos were also strewn haphazardly across the desk, showing a dark-haired woman in many of the shots. Pictures on horseback, outside a large stucco house, or with a small blonde woman all had the same tall figure in each shot. It was one of the latter photos that the figure picked up and gazed at for a long moment. Angry eyes flashed as the hands ripped the photograph in half. "You will not get away with this," the impassioned voice growled. "I will see you burn in Hell before I allow this to continue."

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. "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." Silence for a moment as they thought. "All right. Did you at least get the hospital reports?"

He sat 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 twisted arm, some bruises, and a concussion. 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 bosses’ good graces.

The voice on the other end of the line almost screamed in frustration. "No!" a heavy sigh. "It means that 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."

He stood and paced the cluttered room. "What the hell do you want me to do, then? Follow her around and take more damn pictures?"

Dead silence from the other end of the phone 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 just have to wait for the perfect opportunity."

He sat back down on the bed, then brightened. "I can always mess with her truck. The weather is kind of bad right now…no one would think anything of it."

"NO! I don’t want to take the chance of hurting…" The mysterious voice caught itself before it revealed 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… 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. Of course the fact that almost every other bite was fed to her by the small blonde woman next to her had nothing to do with her enjoyment of the meal. Amanda had taken pity on the rancher as she tried to eat with her left hand, and gave her tidbits off of her own plate in fun. Oh yeah…definitely the best Chinese food I’ve had…period!

The older man looked up from where he was putting the leftovers in the refrigerator. "I’m glad you liked it, honey. 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. 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 never mastered the use of the wok that Lex had given her one Christmas.

"That’s okay, sweetheart. Your secret is safe with us." Anna Leigh assured her. She watched as the injured woman 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 its hold on you, isn’t it?" She studied the slightly glazed eyes. "Yep. It sure is." The younger woman stood up 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. "C’mon, tough stuff. Nap time."

"Yes, Mother." Lex allowed herself to be pulled up out of her chair. "You gonna read me a story, too?" she teased as the blonde wrapped an arm around her waist.

"If you’re good, I will. I may even bake you some cookies later if you behave." Amanda teased as she helped her friend 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, honey. 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 grinned happily.

Lex chuckled as they walked back up the stairs. "Have they always been like that?" she asked the smaller woman.

"Oh, yeah. For as long as I could 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 from her.

"Nope. I’m fine." The taller woman looked down at her lover. "Guess I just got a little carried away with my leaning. Sorry about that." She stood up 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 sat Lex on the edge of the bed and pulled her sweatpants off, leaving the rancher 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, sweetheart?" Lex was somewhat unnerved by her usually chatty friend’s reticence. She looked up into the soft green eyes and saw her partner come back to her.

The blonde shook her head and smiled. "Nothing. Just thinking." She helped Lex swing her legs back 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 them." Amanda sat down on the other side of the bed and clasped the rancher’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." She felt her hand pulled towards Lex as the older woman kissed her 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 pulled the young woman close. She felt Amanda curl up next to her and tuck her face into her neck. "Shhh…it’s okay." The rancher felt helpless as her lover continued to cry. She whispered quiet words of reassurance to the younger woman as she stroked the blonde head.

Amanda stopped crying after a few minutes and raised her head. "I don’t know what’s gotten into me today," she sniffled, smiling as Lex wiped her face with a corner of the sheet. "That’s the second time today. I’m sorry, Lex."

Lex smiled and stroked the soft cheek with her thumb. "You have nothing to apologize for, love. 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." Amanda blushed. "But I want to go downstairs and tell my grandparents goodnight, first." She regretfully pulled away from the long form stretched out on the bed. "I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

"Sure." Lex yawned. "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 her face were almost healed, 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 her one afternoon that Lex was always getting into some type of trouble. She shook her head and started back down the stairs.

She saw a light coming from the den and altered her direction. Poking her blonde head cautiously around the corner, Amanda saw her grandparents speaking to another person. She could only see the back of a man’s head where he was sitting on the sofa.

"Mandy! Come on in, we have a visitor." Anna Leigh saw her granddaughter standing at the doorway and beckoned her in.

The young woman stepped into the room and the guest stood up. 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 that settled in the office last week." She sat down 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 that 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 that 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 our son?" He saw his granddaughter visibly relax. "Why did you quit?"

Mark nodded at the older man. "Yes sir, I did. But I was ready for a change of scenery. I wanted to move my family somewhere that 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!"

Amanda laughed at her grandparent’s antics. They never stop…just like two 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." The young man stood. "I didn’t mean to stay so long, anyway. I’m sure you folks 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. Well, 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." The older man laughed. "Besides, it would help even things out some. I think it’s just going to be Charlie and me as the only men there. We could use your help."

"You love being surrounded by women, you nut." Anna Leigh poked her husband in the ribs. "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 stepped out onto the front porch with him. "Thank you so much for bringing the flowers by. I know Lex will appreciate them. It really was very thoughtful of you."

Mark ducked his head and smiled. "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 towards his car.

The Cauble’s stepped out onto 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 the younger woman’s waist and pulled her close. "How is she feeling, dear?"

"She was falling asleep when I left her a bit ago." Amanda answered as she returned her grandmother’s hug. "I just 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, Peanut. We love seeing you but I hate for it to have been under these circumstances." He kissed the blonde head. "Are you going back to the ranch tomorrow? We’d love for you both 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, sweetheart. 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. "But right now I want you to go upstairs and go to bed. You look completely worn out." Her tone brooked no argument.

"Yes, Gramma." Amanda kissed her grandmother’s cheek with a smile. "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 the young woman jog up the staircase. "It’s getting pretty cold, love. What do you say to hot chocolate in front of the fire before bed?"

"That sounds like a great idea, sweetheart. 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 stepped quietly into the bedroom and quickly changed into an oversized sleepshirt. It was actually one of Lex’s tee shirts that she had stolen, but the rancher didn’t have the heart to take it back. When she had offered to buy Amanda a nightshirt that fit, the younger woman had laughed. I keep trying to tell her it isn’t the size, or the style… it’s because it’s hers. Lex had given 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 smiled as she crawled onto the bed next to Lex.

"Mmm…Amanda." Lex murmured in her sleep with a smile. She squeezed the pillow to her tighter, then frowned. "Amanda?" Her eyes opened slowly to see the blonde woman 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?"

The younger woman raised back up and looked first at Lex, then at the pillow she was still hugging. "Comfy?" She chuckled at the look the rancher gave her. "No, honey… you haven’t been asleep long. But you had a visitor earlier."

"Yeah? Who?" Lex watched with a fond smile as Amanda removed the pillow and took its place on her chest.

"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.

The older woman began rubbing Amanda’s back gently. "Really? That’s kinda strange, isn’t it? I don’t even know him that well." She felt her eyes slowly close 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 that you were so nice to him at the dinner party." She burrowed back down on the rancher’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 to, sweetheart. It’s your home too, you know." Lex yawned. "How did he know where to bring the flowers, though?" she asked as her eyes began to close. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you." She pulled Amanda close and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, Lex. Sleep well." Amanda whispered as she heard the even breathing of her lover. That is a good question. I know that 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 getting paranoid. They probably remembered seeing me talk to Mark and thought it would be okay, which it was. I’ve got to stop thinking like everyone is out to get us. Definitely need to quit watching those government cover up television shows. She allowed Lex’s steady breathing to coax her into sleep.

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