Chapter 14

Later that afternoon, Lex was upstairs with Amanda as she allowed the younger woman to see to her various cuts and bruises. They had just recently retired to the bedroom, having waited downstairs until the deputies had arrived to remove their unwelcome guest. Amanda¹s family had left shortly after everyone else and Martha had chased the younger women upstairs to make sure Lex got cleaned up. Now the rancher was sitting on the edge of the bed, fresh from a hot shower and wearing only a pair of sweat pants and a sports bra.

Amanda was on her knees next to the bed, carefully rubbing homemade salve on her lover¹s side. "At least nothing¹s broken this time," she murmured quietly as her hands shook.

"Yeah. I¹m just glad it was my right side instead of my left." Lex looked down and saw the trembling hand. "HeyŠ" she grabbed the hand gently to stop it¹s progress. "C¹mere." She pulled her friend up so that she could look into Amanda¹s eyes. "It¹s okay." Her heart nearly broke at the pain reflected in the green eyes.

"When will it end, Lex?" Amanda asked. "How much more do we have to go through to finally be happy?" Why can¹t they just leave us alone? She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

Lex used her thumb to wipe a tear that fell from Amanda¹s sad eyes. "I am happy, sweetheart." She pulled her lover into her lap. "I¹ve never been more happy in my life than I am right this second." The dark-haired woman caressed the soft cheek of her companion. "I would gladly go though everything again, just for the opportunity to be here with you right now."

Amanda took a deep breath and smiled. "I feel the same way. It¹s just that I¹m tired of seeing you hurt. And we don¹t even know who put him up to all of this."

The captured man sat in the den scowling quietly. He refused to tell who had paid his bail and who his Œboss¹ was. Nothing anyone said to him would get him to change his mind. Matt unhappily sat with his back against the wall and glared at Lex, mumbling under his breath. He continued to threaten the rancher, even when the sheriff warned him of his rights.

"I know my rights, old man." Matt grumbled. "And, once my boss finds out about all of this, you¹re all gonna pay for what you¹ve done." He tried to look menacing, but failed. His nose had swelled up to three times its normal size, and both eyes were swollen and black. The hapless rustler looked more comical than scary.

Lex laughed from her position by the fireplace. "We¹re scared, Sterling. Face it: your boss will leave you dangling in the breeze, and you¹re going to spend the rest of your life in jail." She stood up and stepped over to where he was sitting on the floor. "Now make it easy on yourself and tell the sheriff what you know."

Matt glared up at the tall woman. "I don¹t know nothin¹." He lowered his gaze and stared at his muddy boots.

"That much is obvious," Lex muttered. She shook her head and walked back over to the fireplace to sit next to Amanda.

The rancher smiled at her friend. "We will. He¹s too stupid to hold up under any type of real questioning. But, I honestly don¹t think he knows who it is." She pulled Amanda close to her and squeezed her tight. "Let¹s not worry about him right now."

"You¹re right. It¹s not that important." Amanda pulled back slightly to look at Lex¹s face closely. She ran her fingertips gently over the taller woman¹s forehead. "Are you sure that you¹re all right? That¹s a nasty looking bruise."

"I¹m fine, sweetheart. Just ask MarthaŠI have the hardest head around." Lex grinned and kissed her friend on the tip of her nose.

Amanda tried to stay serious, but failed miserably. She just looks so darn cute when she grins at me like that. "That¹s not funny. You could have been seriously hurt!" She looked down again at the discoloration that covered Lex¹s side. Amanda touched the area softly and sighed. "You¹re a walking bruise, love."

Lex reached down to catch the small hand and brought it to her lips. She kissed the delicate palm and brought it to her cheek. "It doesn¹t hurt at all." She waited until Amanda¹s eyes met hers. "You are so beautifulŠdid you know that?"

"UhŠno." Amanda blushed and looked down at the bedspread. "I never really thought about it." She felt the rancher¹s other hand cup her chin gently and raise her head. "What?"

"Sweetheart," Lex studied the younger woman¹s face intently. "You are. In so many ways." She trailed a fingertip down Amanda¹s jaw line and continued slowly across the blonde¹s throat. "Have I told you today how much I love you?" she asked quietly.

A small chill chased down Amanda¹s back as Lex traced a gentle pattern down her neck. "MmmŠyes. I believe you have." Her breathing quickened as long fingers deliberately unbuttoned her shirt.

The rancher undid each button slowly, smiling at the effect her touch had on her lover. "You have the most beautiful skin, Amanda," she marveled in a low voice. Lex opened the oversized denim shirt that the younger woman was wearing. She looks better in my clothes than I do. Her other hand reached behind Amanda to keep her from falling back. Once the last button was undone, Lex carefully peeled the shirt back off of her companion¹s shoulders. "I said it once, and I¹ll say it againŠbeautiful." She leaned down and kissed the blonde deeply.

Amanda reached up and tangled her hands in the dark hair. "YesŠ" she moaned when Lex finally pulled away from her mouth. "God, LexŠ" She felt her entire body tremble as the rancher began to blaze a trail of kisses down her throat. The shirt was carelessly tossed to the floor as Lex shifted slightly and turned to place Amanda on the bed. Warm hands quickly removed the blue lace bra that had been a recent gift from the dark-haired woman.

"Stunning." Lex leaned over Amanda and smiled. Her blue eyes sparkled with the overwhelming love she was feeling. She bent down and kissed the blonde again as her free hand continued to map a course along the petite body. "I love you so much, Amanda." Her hand continued its path down the toned abdomen until she reached the clasp on the younger woman¹s jeans. "I think you¹re overdressed, sweetheart," Lex whispered in her lover¹s ear right before she nibbled on it.

"OoohŠ" Amanda¹s eyes closed when she felt the warm breath on her neck. "I love you too, Lex." She was barely able to speak as she felt her jeans being removed. "Oh, godŠ" she mumbled when the rest of her clothes were expertly stripped from her body. Gentle lips began to kiss down her neck again as Lex¹s hand continued to explore.

Lex felt Amanda¹s body arch upward in response to her questing hand. "I love the way your skin feels, sweetheart." The rancher enjoyed talking as she touched her lover in various places. She always could depend on Amanda to react to her words as well as her touch. When she found a particularly sensitive spot, the blonde used the grip she had on Lex¹s hair to pull her tightly to her body. "I¹m here, loveŠ" Lex whispered in Amanda¹s ear.

Small hands quickly removed the sports bra from the rancher¹s body. "I needŠ" Amanda demanded in a soft voice. "LexŠpleaseŠ." She almost cried in relief when she felt Lex¹s bare skin touch her own. "YesŠ" The cold chill of the room was extinguished when Amanda finally pulled the long body down on top of her own. "Mine." She murmured, and then there were no more words needed as they shared their love.

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

A quiet knock on the door caused Amanda to wake from a very pleasant dream. Still smiling, she opened her eyes and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Her eyes popped open fully when she saw that it was almost seven o¹clock in the evening. OopsŠLex is gonna kill me for letting her sleep this late. She looked over at her slumbering companion and smiled. Too bad. She needed it.

The door opened slightly, and Martha¹s graying head poked in. She looked over at the bed with a fond smile, then stepped into the room when Amanda waved her in. "Hi, honey," the housekeeper greeted quietly. She glanced down at the bed where Lex lay on her stomach sound asleep. "How is she?"

"Not too bad, actually." Amanda sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Her back was bothering her earlier so I gave her a massage after she soaked in the tub. I think that really helped."

"That¹s good to hear. I wouldn¹t be up here bothering you right now, but Charlie just called. They¹ve finished questioning that hateful man that Lexie caught in the barn." Martha sat down at the foot of the bed. "He wants you to call him at the office as soon as you can, because he and the prosecutor have some questions for you."

Amanda¹s brow wrinkled in confusion. "For me? I¹m afraid I don¹t know much. Are you sure they don¹t want to talk to Lex?"

Lex groaned and rolled over onto her back. "Martha?" She blinked several times and smiled sleepily. "What time is it?"

Martha reached over and squeezed Lex¹s leg. "Almost seven. I thought that you might want to eat dinner since you didn¹t eat much lunch." She was privately worried about the rancher¹s health because the young woman barely touched her lunch and slept the afternoon away. That¹s not like my Lexie at allŠmaybe I should call Dr. Anderson to come and take a look at her. The housekeeper stood up and walked around the bed to stand next to her charge. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"Hungry, now that you mention it." Lex started to sit up then realized that she had nothing on. I knew I forgot to do something before I fell asleep, but I was so damned relaxed after that massage that I couldn¹t keep my eyes open. Mentally shrugging and figuring that Martha has seen her naked before, she sat up anyway and tucked the sheet and comforter under her arms. She looked over at Amanda as the blonde began to slip from the other side of the bed. When did sheŠ "I guess we¹ll be down in a minute."

Amanda chuckled at the perplexed look on the rancher¹s face. She had pulled on her long tee shirt after Lex had nodded off in case she had to get out of bed. She reached over for her robe and slipped it on. "I¹m going to brush my hair and wash my face while you two visit for a minute." She winked at Martha and stepped into the bathroom.

"Do you want me to bring your dinner up here, Lexie?" Martha sat down next to the still groggy woman. She reached over and brushed the dark bangs out of Lex¹s eyes. "Looks like it¹s about time for another trim, sweetheart." She purposely stayed silent about the ugly bruise on the young woman¹s forehead.

"Again? Didn¹t you just cut it last month?" Lex saw the brown eyes across from her cloud in concern. "It doesn¹t hurt, you know." She smiled at the older woman. "And we¹ll come down-stairs for dinner. There¹s nothing wrong with me, Mada." She clasped the housekeeper¹s hand and squeezed it gently. "I wouldn¹t have slept so long, but you know how I am after a long soak."

Martha laughed, relieved to see that Lex was indeed all right. "Did you fall asleep in the tub again, honey?"

Lex shook her head and grinned. "Almost. But Amanda made me get out and go to bed." YeahŠshe really forced it on youŠwhat a mushball. Nothing like the promise of a massage to make me hop out of the tub. She had argued with the younger woman about the need for a massage. HehŠalthough I thought I convinced her pretty well that there was nothing wrong with me. A small chuckle escaped her at that thought. Lex was certain that after they had made love Amanda would want to just curl up together and sleep. But the younger woman had insisted on giving the rancher the promised massage anyway.

"What¹s so funny, dear?" Martha was charmed by the look on Lex¹s face. I bet anything I know who¹s on her mind. She shook her head and stood up. "Never mind. I don¹t think I want to know." Martha leaned down and kissed the top of Lex¹s head. "Hurry up and get yourself downstairs before dinner gets cold."

The dark-haired woman smiled at the woman who had raised her with so much love. I couldn¹t have picked a better mother. I really do need to do something for her. "Yes, ma¹am. Should I get dressed, or do you want me to wear what I have on?"

The housekeeper was almost to the door when she turned around. "I¹ve seen you in your birthday suit all your life, Lexington Marie. It won¹t matter to me one bit." She put her hands on her ample hips and gave the younger woman a stern look. "But if you catch cold from running around in your altogether, don¹t come crying to me to wipe your nose." She shook her head at the now laughing rancher and left the room with a haughty air.

"What¹s so funny?" Amanda stepped out of the bathroom.

"Martha¹s full of herself today, that¹s for sure," Lex laughed as she tossed the bedcovers aside and slowly climbed out of bed. "DamnŠ"

Amanda hurried over to where the rancher was standing by the bed. "What¹s wrong?" She reached for Lex but her hands were gently batted away. "What?"

Lex grabbed the younger woman and pulled her close. "It¹s damn cold when you get out of bed with no clothes on." She untied Amanda¹s robe and stepped closer, pulling the robe closed around them both. "AhŠmuch better."

"And how do you propose that we get downstairs for dinner?" Amanda asked, wrapping her arms around the bare body next to hers. "Could be tricky."

"But definitely fun," Lex teased. She leaned down to kiss Amanda when a voice called from the hallway.

"Don¹t be in there playing kissy-face all night, girls. I¹m an old woman, and I need my rest!" They could hear the housekeeper¹s laughter as she walked back down the stairs.

Lex looked at her lover and sighed. "She can be such a smart ass at times." She regretfully stepped out of the terrycloth cocoon and bent over to pick up her sweat pants.

The blonde giggled. "Must be where you got it, then." She quickly stepped over to the dresser and pulled out a sweatshirt. She didn¹t see the pillow that flew across the room and whacked her in the back of the head. "Hey!" Amanda turned around to see Lex standing by the bed, wearing sweat pants and nothing else. OoohŠnice. National Geographic, eat your heart out.

"What are you grinning at?" Lex asked as she stood there with her hands on her hips. "Haven¹t you ever seen a half dressed woman before?"

"Not that looks quite that good," Amanda answered. She continued to smile as she brought the tall woman the sweatshirt. "But I suppose I should let you get dressed before you catch a cold."

The rancher pulled the shirt over her head gingerly. Still a little sore, but nothing too bad. "Gee, thanks." She was in the process of pulling the shirt down when cold hands lay flat against her belly. "Aaah! Damn, AmandaŠyour hands are cold!" She batted the offending extremities away and finished dressing.

The blonde grinned. "Serves you right for hitting me with that pillow." Amanda wrapped her arms around the tall woman and squeezed gently.

Lex happily returned the hug. "C¹mon, cute stuffŠlet¹s go downstairs before Martha comes back up here to harass us." She pulled away but kept one arm around her friend and escorted Amanda out of the room.

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

"Hello? This is Amanda Cauble. I¹m calling for Sheriff Bristol." Amanda was sitting at the desk in the office with Martha and Lex close by. Actually, Lex was more than 'close by'. She was sitting in the desk chair with the petite blonde in her lap. She had her arms wrapped around Amanda and her chin was resting lightly on her friend¹s shoulder. Martha, at both women¹s insistence, was sitting in the soft leather chair on the other side of the desk.

"This is Sheriff Bristol." Charlie picked up the line with a weary sigh. "Amanda? Thanks for calling. I¹ve got the county prosecutor here with me: Mr. Robert Campbell. Do you mind if I put you on speakerphone?"

Amanda took a deep breath. "No, not at all. Lex and Martha are here with me. Do you mind if I use the speakerphone, too? They may be able to help."

Charlie chuckled. "Not at all, honey. That¹s a good idea."

She heard a click and then the slight noise as the sheriff sat down in a chair near the phone. Lex loosened her grip enough so that Amanda could press the button on the phone. "Hey, Charlie." The rancher was not one for formalities. "Mr. Campbell? I don¹t believe we¹ve met. I¹mŠ"

A rich deep voice interrupted her. "Ms. Walters. I¹ve heard a lot about you. Although Sheriff Bristol here says that most of it is not quite true." Robert Campbell chuckled. "It seems our prisoner claims you attacked him unprovoked." The tone in his voice told what he thought of the accusation.

"I wouldn¹t quite say unprovoked, Mr. Campbell. The man came at me with a damned pitchfork." Lex felt Amanda stiffen and saw the housekeeper pale. DamnŠI gotta learn to think before I speak.

"I know, Lex." The prosecutor paused. "May I call you Lex? Charlie has told me so much about you; it seems as if I already know you."

Lex laughed. "That¹s fine. Just don¹t believe everything you hear from him. The man tends to exaggerate." She winced as Amanda pinched her leg. "UmmŠsorry about that. Do you want to go ahead and tell us what this call is all about?"

Charlie took a deep breath and shuffled papers. "Amanda, from what you had told me the other day, a former employee of your father¹s contacted you last week. Is that correct?" The sheriff was aware of the information, but he wanted Amanda to verify it for the prosecutor.

"Yes, Mark Garrett used to work for my father, but he quit and came to Somerville to find a house and settle his family here. Remember that I told you he brought flowers to my grandparent¹s house when he found out about Lex¹s accident? Is something wrong?" Amanda felt Lex¹s arms squeeze her reassuringly. "Is he okay?"

Robert Campbell answered her question. "We¹re not sure, Amanda. He seems to have disappeared."

"I don¹t get it," Lex interrupted. "What does Mark Garrett have to do with all of this? And, why all the concern for his whereabouts?"

"He fits the description we got from Matt Sterling of the man who posted his bond." The prosecutor intoned. "And, we checked with the clerk who accepted the bail money. She¹s pretty sure that a man with his build and coloring gave her the cash."

Amanda gasped. "Why would someone who used to work for my father post bail for someone he doesn¹t even know? What¹s Mark¹s connection in all of this?" Oh, no. I should have listened to my instincts after he brought the flowers. She didn¹t want to think of the possibilities right now. If my father is responsible for almost killing Lex, I don¹t know what I will do.

"Amanda, we don¹t know for sure if Mr. Garrett is involvedŠand we certainly have no reason to believe that he still works for your father. But, we did want to talk to you and see if he had contacted you since we talked last. Maybe left an address or phone number with you to contact him?" Charlie knew how hard this must be on the young woman. "Let¹s not go jumping to conclusions before we have the facts, okay?"

Lex decided to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "Mr. CampbellŠCharlieŠ if we hear from Mark or find out anything else, we¹ll be sure to give you a call." She looked over at Martha who had a concerned look on her face. "Is that all for now? I¹m really not feeling one hundred percent just yet, and would like to get some rest."

"Of course, Lex. I¹m sorry we had to bother you after the day you¹ve all had. Amanda," Mr. Campbell sounded sincere, "Thank you for your time. I¹ll leave my home number with Charlie. If you need anything, please don¹t hesitate to call." He pushed the button on the phone and handed the handset to the sheriff.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I¹m sorry about all of this, Amanda. But when Sterling told us who had posted his bond, I remember the conversation that you and I had, and that you were a little concerned about how he knew about Lex¹s accident. I doubt that he has any ties left to your father, but we wanted to cover all our bases."

"That¹s all right, Charlie. I understand." Amanda felt a knot of dread in her stomach. "If I can think of anything, or I hear from him, I¹ll let you know immediately."

"I know you will, sweetheart. Now don¹t you worry about a thing. I¹ll call you as soon as I find out anything, okay?" Charlie¹s heart broke at the pain these accusations would cause the young woman. He had already become quite attached to her and considered Amanda family.

Lex could almost feel her friend¹s upset. "Thanks, Charlie. And we hope to see you out here for dinner tomorrow night. No excuses, all right?" She looked over at Martha, who gave her a grateful smile.

The sheriff laughed. "Okay. I know when I¹ve been beat." He looked over at the prosecutor. "Mind if I bring a guest?"

Martha finally ended her silence. "Only if it¹s Mr. Campbell. I know he¹s new in town, and it¹s about time we get the chance to meet him."

"You win, sweetheart," Charlie laughed. "We¹ll see you all tomorrow night." He hung up the phone and turned to the other man in the room. "I hope you don¹t have any plans, because you¹ve just been ordered to dinner tomorrow night."

Robert shook his head. "Nope. My wife and daughter won¹t be here for another week at least. So I¹m all yours."

Amanda disconnected the call and sat quietly on her friend¹s lap. Does Mark still work for my father? Could they both be involved in what happened to Lex? What am I going to do if any of this is true? How can I possibly face Martha or Lex? They¹d hate me if that were trueŠ

"Amanda?" Lex could feel the struggle her friend was going through. "SweetheartŠ" She saw Martha nod and leave the room. "Talk to me."

"What¹s there to talk about?" Amanda allowed the rancher to turn her around so that they were looking eye to eye. "You heard what they said."

Lex nodded. "Yes. I heard that a man who's afraid that he would spend the rest of his days in prison made some accusations." She ached for what her friend was going through. "But, until they are proven in court, they¹re just that. Accusations."

The younger woman bit her bottom lip in thought. "But what ifŠ"

"No 'what ifs'. We¹ll wait to see what happens." Lex covered Amanda¹s mouth with her hand. "And, if the worst is true, then we¹ll get through it. Together." She removed her hand and kissed the blonde gently. "You and me. Together, we can handle anything." The rancher smiled. "I love you, Amanda. Nothing or no one can change that. Ever."

"Always and forever," Amanda whispered as tears of relief filled her eyes.

"Always and forever," Lex assured her. "Until the end of time, my love."

Amanda smiled. "Thank you." She took a deep breath and gathered her wits about her.

"But, now I think I need to call my father and see what he has to say about this whole mess."

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