Chapter 15. "Why don¹t we just spend the night at my grandparent¹s house and then come back in the morning?" Amanda suggested

"Why don¹t we just spend the night at my grandparent¹s house and then come back in the morning?" Amanda suggested. "You said that you didn¹t want to drive home after dark because of the ice on the roads. This way, we can shop until the stores close." She also wanted a chance to talk to her grandparents before she called her father. Amanda was hoping Anna Leigh and Jacob could help her with what she believed would be a very difficult phone call. I hope that he had nothing to do with Mark posting the bail for Matt Sterling ¯ but it¹s too big a coincidence to ignore.

They had gotten up early to go into town to do their Christmas shopping at Lex¹s insistence. Amanda had tried to get her to reconsider because of the previous day¹s activities, but the rancher refused.

Lex was lying in bed on her left side with her head propped up on one hand. She studied the young woman beside her who was still sleeping peacefully. With a devious smile, she ran a light fingertip across one side of the blonde¹s cheek. Amanda murmured and rolled over onto her side facing the rancher. Lex paused until her companion had settled down again, fast asleep. Charmed by the innocent smile on Amanda¹s face, she brushed the hair away from the younger woman¹s face and leaned over to place a tender kiss on her brow. "Amanda?"

"MmmŠ" The blonde scooted closer to Lex and buried her head in the rancher¹s nightshirt. Still asleep, she tangled their legs together and sighed happily.

"C¹mon, sweetheart." Lex rolled over onto her back and carried her lover with her. "Time to get up." She rubbed Amanda¹s back with her hands in a comforting manner.

Amanda stirred once again. "NoŠcomfy." She wrapped her arms tightly around Lex and snuggled even closer. "Too early."

The rancher chuckled and returned the squeeze. "I thought that you wanted to go Christmas shopping?"

"NoŠwanna snuggle." Amanda grumbled petulantly. She turned her head until she could see Lex¹s face. She studied the older woman carefully. "You had a pretty exciting day yesterday. Why don¹t we just give the shopping a miss? We can go next weekend."

"YOU don¹t want to go shopping?" Lex put a playful hand against Amanda¹s forehead. "FunnyŠyou feel cool." She grinned when her hand was casually slapped away. "Seriously, sweetheartŠI feel fine. Don¹t let what happened yesterday influence your decision, okay?"

The blonde continued to watch Lex¹s face for any sign of pain or fatigue. She does look good, butŠ "I just don¹t want you to wear yourself out for something as minor as a shopping trip."

Lex shook her head. "There¹s nothing wrong with me, Amanda. As for what happened yesterday, I promised you a month ago that we would go Christmas shopping today." She leaned up enough to kiss the younger woman gently. "And no two-bit cattle thief is going to make me break that promise."

She¹s so darn stubborn, Amanda remembered with a fond smile. The petite blonde sat on the bed and tried to untie a serious knot in the laces of one of her sneakers. "How on earth did I manage to do this?" Amanda continued to work unsuccessfully at the laces. "Crap!"

Lex stepped out of the bathroom wearing only her jeans, a sexy satin bra and a towel around her neck. "UmmŠthat¹s kinda my fault, sweetheart." She walked over to the bed and took the white leather shoe away from her friend.

Amanda watched in amusement as Lex fought with the shoestring. "Your fault? How do you figure that?"

"I couldn¹t find mine." The rancher walked over to the dresser and picked up a small pocketknife.

"Oookaaay." Amanda drew out the word in confusion. "Not that I mind, honeyŠbut your feet are a little big for my shoes."

A dirty look answered her. Lex sighed. "I didn¹t try to wear them. Dr. A told me that trying to tie shoes with one hand was a good exercise to rebuild the strength and dexterity in my arm and hand." All of her other injuries were almost healed, but Lex was still having trouble with her right arm. Dr. Anderson had assured her that it would heal completely, but the stubborn woman was impatient and ready for it to be back to normal. She opened the knife and started to use it against the knot.

"Hey! Don¹tŠ" Amanda jumped up from the bed. Before she could cross the room, Lex tossed her the shoe. "OhŠthanks." She sat back down on the bed and slipped the sneaker on. "SoŠdo you want me to call Gramma and see if they mind us staying with them tonight?"

"Sure. Maybe we can talk your grandfather into cooking stir fry." Lex wandered into the closet. "Have you seen my blue shirt?" she called from inside.

The question caused Amanda to sigh and get off the bed. "Can you be a little more specific, honey?" She poked her head into the closet. "I swear you have nothing but blue shirts."

The rancher grabbed Amanda and pulled her the rest of the way into the closet. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and grinned. "Gotcha!"

"You sure do." Amanda smiled happily.

"Can I keep ya?" Lex leaned down until their breaths mingled. She watched as the green eyes below her closed dreamily.

"Uh-huh." A barely heard whisper was her answer.

"Amanda?" Lex dropped her voice to a sexy murmur.

Amanda swayed slightly in her lover¹s arms. "Mmm?" Her eyes were still closed, and her breathing quickened.

"Where¹s my blue flannel shirt?" The quiet question sounded almost erotic.

"Oooh, you!" Amanda swatted her on the shoulder. The younger woman leaned her forehead onto Lex¹s chest and sighed. "You are such a brat!" She pulled back slightly and looked up into blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. "I think Martha did laundry yesterday, so it¹s probably in the utility room."

Lex smiled broadly. "Great! I¹ll just go downstairs andŠ"

"I don¹t think that you¹re quite dressed to be running all over the house," Amanda observed. "Why don¹t you get your boots on and I¹ll run and grab your shirt?" She reached up and ran a finger down the strap of Lex¹s dark blue satin bra. One of the first things Amanda had done when she moved in was to buy the rancher colorful satin undergarments. "I really like this one on you." She looked up and smiled. "Brings out the color in your eyes."

The eyes she mentioned rolled in wry amusement. "If you say so. It is really comfortable, though." Lex leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Amanda¹s lips. "Thanks."

Amanda frowned. "You call that a thank you? I¹ve gotten better thanks fromŠumph!" Her good-natured protest was cut short when Lex kissed her deeply. "MmmŠ" She stretched up and wrapped her arms around the dark head as she felt warm hands grasp her hips gently.

The closet door opened widely and a small hand reached in to switch on the light. "I swear I find you two in the craziest places," Martha teased. She enjoyed the deep blushes that both women suddenly wore. I just love getting them like this!

"I was just looking for my blue flannel shirt," Lex stated matter of factly. She slowly pulled away from Amanda and unsuccessfully tried to take the handful of clothes from the housekeeper. "You didn¹t have to bring these up, Martha. We¹re perfectly capableŠ"

"I know, honey. But I figured that you¹d forgive an old woman her little habits." Martha took the clothes and hung them in their proper places. She kept one out and handed it to the tall woman. "HereŠalthough I think it¹s about time to retire this one to the rag box."

Lex pulled the garment to her chest protectively. "No! This is my favorite shirt!" She quickly slipped the shirt off the hanger and put it on. "And you¹re not an old woman."

"Do you think that we could finish this conversation in the bedroom?" Amanda asked. "I¹m for togetherness as much as the next person, but even I have my limits." She gestured to the doorway.

Martha backed out of the closet and waited until both women joined her. "That was a little silly, wasn¹t it?"

"It was different, that¹s for sure." Amanda stepped over and began to button Lex¹s shirt. The rancher started to argue, but shrugged her shoulders at Martha and allowed Amanda to continue her pampering.

The housekeeper had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. They are just too cute together.

"We¹ve decided to stay in town overnight after we get through shopping," Lex informed the older woman. "Do you want to come with us?" She gave Amanda a grateful smile and crossed the room to retrieve a pair of socks from the dresser.

"No thank you, honey. Charlie is driving out tonight and we¹re going to watch movies." Martha watched in amusement as Amanda packed a small bag. "I thought you both had clothes there?"

Amanda nodded. "We do, but I like to pack a few extras just in case of an emergency." She waved in Lex¹s direction. "You know how some people always seem to get dirty, no matter where they go."

Martha laughed. "I know that all too well." She waved off a glare from Lex. "Don¹t you be looking at me like that, Lexie. It¹s true and you know it."

Lex shook her head. "I¹m not that bad, Mada." A poke in her arm made her turn her head. "What?"

"Nothing." Amanda smirked. "I¹ve got our bag all packed, honey. Are you about ready to go?"

"Now you wait just one dadblasted minute. You¹re not going anywhere until you both have had a decent breakfast." Martha had her hands on her hips and a no-nonsense look on her face. "Lexie, you¹re going to start taking better care of yourself or I¹m gonna to sit on you and force you to relax." She pointed an accusing finger at the dark-haired woman then turned and stomped to the bedroom door. "Well?"

"We¹ll be right down, Martha." Amanda answered. She looked over at the rancher, who stared at the housekeeper in confusion.

"Right." Lex nodded. She watched as Martha left the room then turned and faced Amanda. "What did I do?"

Amanda crossed the room to where Lex stood. She wrapped her arms around the tall woman and squeezed. "I don¹t think you did anything, love." She looked up and saw a flash of hurt quickly race across Lex¹s face. "HoneyŠshe¹s just worried about you. The last couple of months have really been hard on her." Amanda rubbed her hands across Lex¹s back in a comforting gesture. "C¹monŠlet¹s go eat and then hit the road ¯ I¹ve got a lot of shopping to do!"

The rancher sighed. "I¹m going to regret this, aren¹t I?"

"Probably." Amanda stepped back and gave the tall woman a gentle pat on her uninjured side. "But I promise to make it up to you tonight." She winked and began walking towards the doorway, with Lex quickly on her heels.

"Wait for me!" Lex chased after the blonde wearing a very large and happy smile on her face.

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

Lex¹s large green truck pulled slowly into the driveway and parked beside Jacob¹s suburban. She turned to her companion and released a heavy sigh. "Are you sure that we left anything for anyone else to buy at the mall?" She could barely see through the back windows of the vehicle due to all the packages that were piled in the back seat.

"It¹s not that bad." Amanda reached over and clasped the older woman¹s arm. "But you look completely beat, honey. Why didn¹t you tell me that I was wearing you out?"

Lex grinned evilly. "You¹ll never hear me complain about that!"

The blonde flushed darkly. "Oh, boyŠI can¹t believe I walked right into that one!" She lowered her head and tried to ignore her heated face.

"HehŠyou¹re so cute when you blush." Lex covered Amanda¹s hand with her own. "But seriously, love. I¹m fine." She looked past Amanda through the window. "Looks like our welcoming committee is here."

Bounding up to the truck were Frank and Jeannie. The auburn-haired woman was draped over her husband piggyback style. Once they got close to the truck, she reached out and rapped on the window. "You two gonna sit in there all evening, or are you coming inside?" Jeannie couldn¹t understand why her sister blushed and covered her face with her hands. "What?"

Lex patted her friend's arm and opened the truck door. "C¹mon, beautiful. Let¹s go see what Jacob¹s got cooking." She winked at Amanda and climbed out of the vehicle. The rancher stepped around the truck and opened the passenger door. She paused when her friend stumbled from the vehicle. "Amanda? Are you okay?"

"Great. Just great," Amanda sighed and allowed Lex to help her from the truck. She reached over and tweaked her sister¹s nose gently. "What are you two doing chasing around outside like a couple of teenagers?"

Jeannie swatted the offending hand away playfully. "Waiting for you guys, of course." She looked over at Lex, who had pulled a small duffel bag from the back seat of the truck. "How are you feeling, Slim?"

"A little tired." Lex closed the door and put her right arm around Amanda¹s shoulders. "Remind me to never offer to take Little Miss Bargain Hunter here to the mall Christmas shopping again, okay?"

Frank looked at the tall woman with a new respect. "Good lord, Lex! No one in their right mind would be that brave!" He quickly spun around and began walking back towards the house.

"Giddy-up!" Jeannie gently kicked her husband¹s hips with her heels. "Better watch it, handsome! My sister has that look on her face!"

"Oh, no!" Frank began to gallop comically up the steps. "Anything but the Look!" He raced into the house with a laugh.

Amanda watched her brother-in-law run into the house with Jeannie hanging onto him for dear life. "Those two are crazy!" She snuggled up against Lex as they continued to walk slowly towards the house. "Are you sure you¹re okay?" The blonde looked up and saw the dark circles under her lover¹s eyes. She¹s probably exhausted, but I bet I¹ll never hear about it from her. I¹m feeling a little run down myself. I hope I¹m not coming down with something. No time for that. She inhaled heavily.

"Are you sure you¹re okay? Maybe we can sneak a nap before dinner." Lex felt the fatigue pull at her. And I love the idea of snuggling up with her. God, I¹ve completely gone off the deep endŠworld class mushball. She waited for the blonde to step into the house and then closed the door behind them. I hope she¹s not catching something ¯ it sounds like she¹s having trouble breathing.

"I¹m fine, Lex. Too many pine-scented candles in the mall, I think." Amanda stepped into the entry hall of the large house.

The mall was full of people, which was normal for that time of the year. It seemed like every shop had some sort of candles or incense burning. Even Amanda, who normally enjoyed the scents, had waved her hand in front of her nose. "This stuff is overpowering, isn¹t it?" she asked her companion.

Lex rubbed her nose with one hand. "You could say that." She looked over at Amanda, who cleared her throat. "How about we get something to drink, and take a break over there?" She pointed to a large open area that had several benches and indoor trees.

"That sounds wonderful. My feet are beginning to complain," Amanda admitted. "Why don¹t you take the bags and sit down, and I¹ll go get the drinks?"

"NahŠMY feet are fine. YOU take the bags, and I¹ll fetch the drinks." She handed her packages to her friend and walked away before Amanda could argue.

The blonde stared after her friend. I can¹t believe I let her win. She smiled thoughtfully. Yes I can. She¹s just so darn cute when she wins.

The rancher stepped up to a nearby refreshment cart. She smiled at the young woman working behind the counter who was frantically trying to keep up with the orders. When the teenager looked up and saw Lex, she stopped what she was doing and returned the smile.

"Hi. UmmŠcan I help you?" the young girl¹s eyes never strayed from Lex¹s.

"Hello. I¹d like two large Dr. Peppers, please." Lex was partially shoved forward from behind. She turned around and glared at the teenage boy behind her.

The boy looked up at her defiantly. "What?" he snapped.

"Don¹t push your luck with me, boyŠI¹m not in the mood." Lex sharpened her glare, which caused the young man to turn away.

The girl behind the counter smiled. "He¹s been here several times today, harassing folks. Thank you." She gave Lex two Styrofoam cups filled with soda. "You have to get the lids over beside your left hand, I¹m afraid. I don¹t have room for them back here." She winked at the tall woman. "I get off in about an hour and a half, if you¹re interested."

Ooh, boy. Jailbait. My favorite, Lex winced to herself. "UmmŠthanks, but I can¹t. My girlfriend is sitting over at the atrium, and she¹s the jealous type." Lex winked at the girl. She left the cups on the sideboard momentarily and grabbed a couple of lids and straws. "Thanks again."

She looked around after covering the drinks and noticed the teenage boy had disappeared. Good. Maybe he¹ll leave that poor girl alone. The rancher picked up the drinks and made her way back over to Amanda, who was in an animated conversation with an elderly woman.

"And I told that clerk that I could get the same pair of gloves at the discount store downtown for half that price. And do you know what she told me? She said that maybe I¹d be better off buying from there, since it¹s apparent that I have no taste." Amanda shook her head in disgust.

The older woman laughed. "Those folks in that store always think that they¹re better than anyone else. But I figured THEY¹RE the ones having to work there, and I¹M the one that¹s shopping. So I think that makes me a little better." She looked up and saw a tall woman smiling down at them. "Oh! My, you¹re a tall one, aren¹t you?"

Lex chuckled and handed Amanda her soda. "So I¹ve been told, ma¹am. Would you like a drink?" She offered the other drink to the older woman.

"Oh, honeyŠyou don¹t have to do that. I can get my own," the elderly woman argued, but gratefully took the cup. "What about you?"

"I¹ll just go grab another one. I¹ve got a friend working at the drink stand, so it won¹t take but a second." She winked at Amanda and walked back over to the refreshment booth, much to the delight of the young girl working behind the counter.

"Mandy! Lexington! It¹s great to see you both again!" Anna Leigh rushed from the den and wrapped her granddaughter in a bone-jarring hug. "I know it was only yesterday, but it seems like forever." She pulled away from Amanda and studied the tall woman standing quietly nearby. "You look horrible, honey." And my granddaughter doesn¹t look much betterŠI think it¹s time to get tough with both of them.

Lex allowed the older woman to pull her into a gentler embrace. "I¹m all right, Gramma." She didn¹t think that she would feel comfortable using the name bestowed upon Anna Leigh by Amanda, but it slipped out quite easily. I must be tired.

Anna Leigh beamed with happiness at the name. "I don¹t think so, Lexington. You¹re pale and look like you¹re about to fall over." She looked over at her granddaughter, who was standing between Jeannie and Frank. "Honey, why don¹t you help Lexington upstairs and rest a bit before dinner? It¹s still about two hours away." The ringing of the telephone interrupted the young woman¹s answer.

"I¹ve got it!" Jacob called from the den. A moment later he stepped from the room with a serious look on his face. "Hello, girls." He noticed the look of exhaustion on the tall woman¹s face. "I hate to bother you Lex, but Reverend Nelson is on the line. He¹s returning the call I left for him the other day."

"Maybe I should just take the call for you, honey." Amanda stepped over and wrapped her arm around the rancher¹s waist. "There¹s really not much you need from him now anyway, is there?"

"NoŠbut since he¹s nice enough to return the call, the least I can do is talk to him." Lex squeezed Amanda gently and led her into the den. "Thank you, Grandpa." She stopped and kissed the older man on the cheek. When Amanda had told her how happy the older couple was that Lex called them by more familiar names, the rancher had vowed to herself to try and continue the practice. They¹ve done so much for me; I¹ll gladly do it for them if it makes them happy. Besides, I like having them as grandparents.

Jacob grinned. "Anytime, sweetheart. The rest of us will be in the kitchen when you get finished." He walked over to his wife and pulled her close. "Shall we, my love?" They turned to walk into the other room, with a smiling Jeannie and Frank close behind them.

Lex walked over to the desk and picked up the phone as she sat down. "Hello? Reverend Nelson?" She waited for Amanda to sit down in her lap before she continued. "Thank you for returning our call."

The voice on the other end of the phone was that of a much older man, but very strong. "No problem at all, young lady. I don¹t know the Caubles that well, since they don¹t attend our church, but I¹ve made their acquaintance. Jacob has done some very fine work for us in the past." He cleared his throat and continued. "Now what is it I can do for you, my dear?"

"I¹m trying to get some information on my grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Cauble tell me that you performed my parent¹s marriage ceremony, and may remember something that might help."

"Of course. Just who were your parents? I¹ll see what I can do." Reverend Nelson felt a kernel of pride that they had thought of him to help.

Lex shook her head. "I¹m sorry. That was terribly rude of me. My name is Lexington Walters. My parents were Rawson and Victoria Walters, and their ceremony was held about thirty-six years ago."

The older man was struck speechless momentarily. "Walters?" he asked when he got his voice back. "You¹re the young woman who runs that ranch, aren¹t you?"

"Yes sir, I am." Lex partially shrugged at the questioning glance she received from Amanda.

"What do you want from me? Your kind of people is not natural." The reverend blustered.

The rancher felt a pang of hurt. "What do you mean, my kind?" she asked quietly.

"Godless heathens, the whole lot of you. Flaunting your perversity to all decent folks." He paused for a minute. "Why do you want to know about the Edwards? They were upstanding god-fearing people. I heard that Mrs. Edwards passed on recently, probably from the shame of knowing how truly sick her granddaughter is." He took a breath and spoke in a quiet tone, "Give up your sickening ways and come to the Church. We can help you, young woman."

Amanda saw the hurt on her lover¹s face, and gently took the receiver away from Lex. She cleared her throat and pulled in another heavy breath. "Reverend Nelson?" She had heard the question that Lex had asked him, and had a pretty good idea what he had said. "My name is Amanda Cauble. I¹m Jacob and Anna Leigh¹s granddaughter." She fought back a yawn. Must have been all that walking in the mallŠI¹m pooped. Lord, I hope it¹s not a cold ¯ it¹s getting hard to breathe.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Amanda. It¹s good to meet you. Don¹t tell me you¹re a friend of hers."

"Actually, I¹m more than just Lex¹s friend, sir. I happen to love her very much." She could hear the reverend take a breath to speak. "Just a minute. You are supposed to preach love and forgiveness. What gives you the right to judge anyone? The last I heard, that wasn¹t your job."

"Now you listen to me, young ladyŠ" he blustered in anger.

"No. You listen to me! I¹ve had it with people who think they¹re better than anyone else, just because they have money, or a nicer house, or they go to a certain church. It¹s wrong. You¹re wrong. Thank you for your time." Amanda hung up the phone with a sharp exhale. "I hate hypocrites."

Lex smiled tenderly at the young woman sitting in her lap. "You are amazing." The upset that she had felt at the clergyman¹s words faded quickly. "I love you so much, Amanda."

The blonde leaned over and kissed Lex on the forehead. "I love you too, honey. Why don¹t we sneak upstairs and take a quick nap? All that righteous indignation can wear a girl out."

"Sounds like a really good idea." Lex allowed her friend to climb off her lap and lead her from the den. She watched as Amanda walked up the stairs. HmmŠyou know, suddenly I¹m not quite as tired as I was a few minutes ago.

"Don¹t even think about it." Amanda called over her shoulder. "We¹re going to rest." She missed a step and stumbled slightly. "Oops."

The rancher sighed as she helped steady her friend. How does she do that? I can never get away with anything. "RightŠrestŠgotcha."

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

Charlie looked up as the prosecutor stepped into his office. "Well? Did you get any more information out of him?" Robert Campbell had spent the entire morning talking to Matt Sterling, trying to pry the name of the man¹s employer from him.

"Finally." Robert sat down across from the sheriff and loosened his tie. "I at least have a lead on where he was staying ¯ it seems that he was evicted from his rental house several months ago." He pulled out a notepad and flipped through several pages. "He bragged that his boss was so impressed with him, that he was furnished with a fancy condo where he said, "You can walk to the store and get beer and cigarettes." I¹ve got a couple of men checking out the condominiums that have short-term leases available; so, hopefully, we should hear something later today."

"That¹s good to hear. I¹m not going to rest until we find out who¹s behind this whole mess." Charlie closed the file he had been reading and rubbed his eyes. "I¹m worried that they¹ll try again. Lord knows that Lex has been through enough lately." Not to mention my poor Martha ¯ she tossed and turned all night last night.

Robert shook his clean-shaven head. The handsome African-American was in his late thirties, and looked more like a model than an attorney. "I really don¹t think that¹s the case, Charlie. I finally got Sterling to admit to the assault on Ms. Walters." The idiot practically bragged about it! "He was rather proud of himself since he was able to trick her into going near the ledge. He then, and I quote, ŒWhacked that dyke bitch goodŠI thought I killed her.¹ Later during the interrogation he told me that his boss had read him the riot act for the attempted murder. Now he¹s afraid, because he tried again. But I still can¹t get him to give up the person he¹s been answering to." He flipped forward a few more pages in his notebook. "He was supposed to just keep an eye on Ms. Walters and her friend ¯ not take any action against them. So I don¹t think that there¹s any danger of someone else following in his footsteps." Robert looked up at the lawman, who had grown very quiet. "Do we have any more information on the guy who posted his bail? How did we get a positive identification if no one actually knew who he was?"

The sheriff stopped rubbing his eyes and smiled grimly. "That¹s the good thing about small towns; a stranger sticks out like a sore thumb. The town gossips had already spread the word that he was here." He blew out a disgusted breath. "Hell, I¹d never met Mark Garrett, but after getting the description from Naomi, I knew exactly who had posted Sterling¹s bond."

"Still no word on his whereabouts? I think that if we could find him we could get the name of the person behind it all." The prosecutor looked at his watch. "Damn." He looked back up at the sheriff. "I¹ve got an appointment to look at a house. Are we pretty much done here?"

"Yeah, I think so. You¹ve decided to move to Somerville, then?" Charlie smiled sincerely. At the younger man¹s nod, he continued, "It¹s a nice little town, most of the time."

The prosecutor returned Charlie¹s smile. "I knowŠand even though most of my work will be in the outlying areas, I really feel more comfortable about relocating my wife and daughter here. The schools are good, and there¹s not much crime."

Charlie nodded. "That¹s true. Well, most of the time, anyway. This mess with Sterling is about as bad as it gets around here."

"It¹s all right, Sheriff," Robert stood up and brushed off his slacks. "I¹m going to talk to the judge before I leave today, and make sure that Matt Sterling stays in custody this time. He¹s too dangerous to Ms. Walters to be allowed out on bond."

"Thanks, Robert. I¹d say something, but since I¹m more or less family, my argument wouldn¹t hold up." The sheriff stood up and offered his hand over the desk. "I¹m sure glad that you¹re on this case, young man. Makes me breathe a little easier knowing that you¹re here."

The prosecutor shook the older man¹s hand. "My pleasure, Charlie. My uncle has told me nothing but good things about you, and about Somerville." His uncle ran a barbershop in the downtown area for over forty years. Harrison Campbell had been trying for quite some time to talk his oldest nephew into settling down away from the big city. When Robert¹s daughter got into the wrong crowd at her junior high school, the lawyer had accepted a position as a county prosecutor. He decided to move his family to the quiet and friendly community of Somerville with the hope of straightening her out.

The sheriff laughed. "Just don¹t believe everything that Harry tells youŠhe hears the all good gossip almost before it happens. Sometimes I think he tends to add a little bit extra to the retelling."

"Don¹t worryŠI¹ve always taken whatever he said with a grain of salt. Sometimes I think that the only reason Uncle Harry ever opened a barbershop was so that he could hear all the news before anyone else. He¹s always been a nosy old guy." Robert checked his watch again. "I¹m going to stop by the judge¹s office on my way out. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Charlie turned serious. "I¹m going to wait around a bit and see if we get any news back from our investigators that are still out in the field. Hopefully we¹ll hear something soon about where Sterling was staying." He looked down at his desk for a moment and smiled a little. "Then I¹ve got a date to watch movies tonight with my beautiful fiancee¹."

"Sounds like a plan, my friend. You¹ve got my cellular phone number in case you hear anything, right?" Robert walked to the door and opened it. "Give my best to your lady, and tell her I look forward to meeting her."

"Will do, Robert. I¹ll let you know the moment I hear anything. And don¹t forget the dinner invitationŠMartha¹s one of the best cooks around." Charlie waved to the prosecutor as the younger man left his office. He was about to pick up the phone when it rang, startling him. "This is Sheriff Bristol." Since it was Saturday, the main phone was forwarded directly to an answering service. Someone must be calling the private number.

"Charlie! Thank goodness I¹ve found you!" Martha sounded upset and out of breath.

He stood up quickly, almost knocking over the chair behind him. "Martha? What¹s wrong, sweetheart?"

The housekeeper took a deep breath to settle her nerves. "I hate to bother you, but I can¹t seem to get in touch with Lexie. Could you come on out to the ranch right now? We¹re having a problem with young Ronnie. He overheard one of the hands talking about what happened here yesterday."

"I¹m on my way, honey. Just sit tight." Charlie hung up the phone and grabbed his hat from the coat tree in the corner. He slammed the hat on his head and raced from the office.

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