Chapter 20

Lex opened the door and poked her head inside. Amanda was sitting up in the bed with her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. She looks a lot betterŠand she¹s so cute when she¹s trying to get her wayŠI can never tell her no.

"Just stay one more night, Mandy. The doctor wouldn¹t ask if he didn¹t have a good reason." Anna Leigh was sitting on the edge of the bed. "For goodness sake! You were in Intensive Care last night, AND on a respirator! Give your body a chance to get over this, please?" Where on earth does this child get her stubborn streak? She glanced over at her husband¹s smiling face. Oh, yesŠNOW I remember she smiled to herself.

"But I feel fine, Gramma. I just want to go home." And snuggle up with a certain rancher. The young woman sighed in defeat. She heard the door squeak and looked up with a smile. "Hi, stranger."

"Hey, sweetheart." Lex walked into the room slowly. I feel like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson, and lostŠevery bone in my body aches. "What seems to be the problem here?" She looked over and saw an empty bed near Amanda¹s. Another bed? I bet that¹s Martha¹s surpriseŠsneaky, she grinned inwardly.

Jacob met her halfway across the room and escorted the tall woman over to the spare bed. "Have a seat, honey. You look like you¹re about to fall over." He put his arm around Lex and felt her lean into him.

Amanda studied her friend carefully. She looks worse than I feelŠmaybe a good night¹s rest wouldn¹t hurt either of us. She looked up at her grandmother¹s understanding face. "Guess one more night can¹t hurt." She winked at the older woman. You win this one, Gramma. But only because I think that Lex needs the rest more than I do.

Anna Leigh smiled at her granddaughter. "Thank you, dear." She looked over at her husband as he gently helped Lex to the other bed. "Why don¹t we let these two girls get a little rest and come back after lunch?"

"Good idea." Jacob bent down and picked up the tall woman¹s feet and swung them up onto the bed. He started to pull off her boots when Lex stopped him.

"JakeŠummŠGrandpa? You don¹t have to do that. There¹s nothing wrong with me." She smiled at the older man, who continued to work with her feet.

He removed the boots and sat them quietly under the bed. "Nothing other than you¹re still recovering from a major injury, honey. Now just lie back and get some rest. You BOTH could use it." He covered Lex with a blanket and patted her leg. "Stubborn kid." He started towards the door shaking his head.

Lex heard Amanda giggle. She turned her head and rolled her eyes. "Don¹t encourage him, sweetheart." She smiled at Anna Leigh. "Could you make sure that Charlie and Martha get a little rest today? I¹m really worried about them."

"I¹ll be glad to, dear." Anna Leigh joined her husband on the other side of the room. "You two girls take it easy, and we¹ll see you this evening, okay?"

"Okay." Amanda smiled at the couple. "Thank Martha and Jeannie for me, will you? They¹ve been really great." She nodded her head in Lex¹s direction. This way I KNOW she¹ll get some rest.

Anna Leigh nodded. "I will. Please rest, Mandy." She grinned at Lex who was sitting up in her bed with her arms crossed and a disgusted look on her face. "Take care, Lexington." She followed her husband out of the room and closed the door quietly.

"You are so cute when you pout." Amanda giggled. "But I think that you lost this fight." She frowned as Lex climbed out of bed. "What are you doing?"

Lex crawled under the bed. "This isn¹t gonna work." She struggled for a moment then stood up with a triumphant grin on her face. "There!" Amanda¹s eyes widened as Lex slowly rolled the bed close to hers. When they were side by side, the rancher winked and crawled back under the bed to re-lock the wheels. "Much better." She climbed back up on the mattress and opened her covers towards her friend. "Care to join me?"

"Sure!" Amanda pulled her sheet and blanket loose on that side and scooted closer. She curled up next to her lover and sighed happily. "MmmŠperfect."

"Yeah." Lex murmured as her arms automatically wrapped around the younger woman. She buried her face in the blonde hair and closed her eyes. She felt her throat thicken with emotion. "GodŠI love you so much, Amanda."

Amanda could feel Lex struggle to control her emotions. With her head on the older woman¹s chest, she could hear the pounding heartbeat and Lex¹s breathing hitch as she fought the urge to cry. "I love you too, Lex." She squeezed the rancher tighter. "It¹s okay, honey. I¹m fine now."

Lex took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "That was too closeŠI almost lost you." She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from crying. Don¹t you dare cry Lexington. She¹s been through enough without having to worry about you too.

"NahŠyou can¹t get rid of me that easily." Amanda turned her head so that Lex would look at her. "You found me and I followed you home. And I¹m not leaving you." She smiled. "That¹s what happens when you feed a stray, you know. They never leave."

The rancher laughed. "So that¹s all I had to do?" She hugged Amanda to her tightly. "Guess I¹d better stock up on groceries, then." She fought off a yawn. "DamnŠI can¹t believe I¹m so tired."

"I don¹t know whyŠ" Amanda played with the buttons on Lex¹s shirt. "Dr. Barnes told me that I had a private Œnurse¹ all night last night," she teased. "I doubt that has anything to do with you being exhausted." She unbuttoned the shirt and slipped her hand inside. When she found only smooth skin, she paused. "I think that you forgot to put something on, honey."

"NahŠMartha didn¹t bring me one." Lex mumbled as her eyes closed.

The blonde¹s eyes widened. "Didn¹t bring you one? What did you wear to the hospital?"

One blue eye opened. "UmmŠ" Lex bit her lower lip. "I was in a hurry," she tried to explain. "And it was the middle of the night, you know."

"Uh-huh." Amanda ran her hand down to Lex¹s stomach and patted it gently. "Just exactly what WERE you wearing?"

"MyŠ" she grumbled under her breath. GodŠhow embarrassingŠ

A light tickle on the rancher¹s ribs caused her to jump slightly. "What? I didn¹t quite get that," Amanda teased. My godŠshe¹s actually blushing!

Lex sighed heavily. Busted. My reputation is shot. She¹ll never let me live this down. Oh, wellŠat least she¹ll get a good laugh out of it. "My boxer shorts and tee shirt."

"Oh, lord. Not the ones you wore yesterday afternoon when we took our nap?" Amanda winced and then began to giggle.

"YeahŠthe Grinch ones." Lex closed her eyes. Just kill me nowŠ

Amanda buried her face in her friend¹s chest and laughed. "You ran around all over the hospital in your Grinch jammies and tee shirt?" Her laughter wound down and she looked up at her sheepish lover. "Is that ALL you were wearing?"

DamnŠ "Like I said, I was in a hurry." Lex met the green eyes nervously. "I really didn¹t think about what I was wearing."

"You could have caught pneumonia, Lex. It¹s cold and nasty out there." Amanda raised a hand and touched the rancher¹s face gently. "WaitŠyou said Martha brought you some clothes? Why didn¹t my grandparents think aboutŠ"

Lex covered Amanda¹s mouth with her hand. "Your grandmother brought some stuff with usŠI just didn¹t think about putting it on. And then Martha got hereŠI swear, I thought she was gonna pull a wooden spoon out of her pocket and whip me right there in the waiting room!" She saw the younger woman smile from behind her hand. "It¹s not funny. Those two practically ganged up on me!" She removed her hand when a small tongue licked it. "Yuck!"

"Poor babyŠremind me to thank them later." Amanda teased. She saw that Lex was fighting sleep, and losing. "But for now, can you just hold me while we sleep? I¹m a little tired, too." Not really a lieŠalthough I feel a lot better than she probably does.

"Sure, sweetheart. C¹mere." Lex snuggled down on the bed and pulled her friend with her. "How¹s that?"

Amanda tangled her legs up with the longer ones of the rancher. "Perfect." She leaned up and kissed Lex on the jaw. "Sleep well, love."

"MmmŠ" Lex murmured, already well on her way to sleep.

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

Charlie opened the door to their hotel room and allowed Martha to enter before him. He followed behind her and closed the door. "That sure was a good lunch," he commented as he took off his boots and gunbelt, hanging the leather over a nearby chair.

"It certainly was." Martha sat down on the bed and removed her shoes. "OhhhŠthat feels so good." She smiled at her fiancé¹ when he dropped down beside her and pulled her legs onto his lap. He began a gentle massage on her feet and calves. She moaned in appreciation.

"You like that, huh?" Charlie teased as the housekeeper fell back on the bed with a relaxed sigh.

Martha threw one arm over her eyes. "MmmhmmmŠ." She stretched out and exhaled heavily. "Have I told you lately what wonderful hands you have?"

He laughed, but continued his ministrations. "As a matter of factŠ" Charlie tickled the bottom of her foot. "I believe you mentioned something about that just last night."

"Oh, YOU!" Martha kicked at him playfully. She sat up and pulled his cowboy hat off his head, putting it on with a sneaky grin. "Do you think that I¹d make a good sheriff?"

"Sure! Want me to teach you the proper way to frisk someone?" Charlie crawled toward his intended victim.

She squealed and began to scoot backwards. "Charlie Bristol, you¹d better not!"

The ringing of the bedside phone interrupted the sheriff¹s retort. He changed direction and picked up the receiver. "Hello? This is Sheriff Bristol."

"Charlie! I¹ve been looking all over for you!" Robert Campbell sounded almost out of breath.

"What¹s wrong? Were you able to find Mark Garrett?" Charlie felt Martha crawl up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. He patted her hands lovingly.

The young prosecutor sighed. "You could say that ¯ we tracked him to England. One of our guys is on the next plane out to make a positive identification."

Charlie released a large breath of relief. "That¹s great. Do you think he¹ll give us much trouble?"

"AhŠno. I don¹t think he¹ll be any trouble at all. He¹s dead." Robert reported.

"Dead? What on earth happened?" The sheriff reached into his shirt pocket for his notepad and pen.

Robert shuffled through some papers for the information. "The investigators on the scene said he was standing on a street corner when he somehow got in the way of a bus. They think that he may have been pushed, but no one saw anything. The bus driver complained that he was the third person this month who Œjumped¹ in front of her bus." He tried to keep from laughing. "It took three men to keep her from kicking the body in anger. Little brunette thing, they said. Wouldn¹t think she had the strength."

The sheriff snorted. "Good lord. Well, I guess there goes our best chance of proving who is behind this whole mess. What else could go wrong?"

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

The agitated man rushed up to the nurse¹s station and looked around. He appeared to have slept in his expensive clothes, and he seemed out of place in the community hospital. His handsome face had a two-day growth of beard and his reddish brown hair was in disarray. "Excuse me." He addressed the women that were bent over some papers on the back desk.

The two nurses turned around. The older one smiled and stepped closer to speak. "Yes sir? Is there something I can help you with?"

"I¹m looking for my daughter. She was in Intensive Care, but the nurse there said that she had been moved to this floor." When Michael had first been told that Amanda was no longer in Intensive Care, he panicked. He had thought the worst until the woman had assured him that his daughter had improved and was resting comfortably in a private room.

"What¹s her name?" the nurse asked. "I¹ll see if I can find her for you."

Michael sighed in relief. "Amanda Lorraine Cauble." He watched as she scanned a clipboard carefully.

"HmmŠlet¹s seeŠSolomonŠDaviesŠah! Here she isŠCauble!" She looked up at him and smiled. "Room four-sixteen. Right down the hall and to your left." She pointed down the corridor. "But I¹m afraid visiting hours aren¹t for another forty-five minutes. She¹s probably resting right now."

"OhŠokay." He smiled sincerely at the nurse. "Thank you for all your help. I¹ll just go grab some coffee and find a place to sit down for a bit."

The younger nurse looked at the rumpled man in sympathy. "There¹s a lounge just down the hall from her room. I think there¹s even a couch to lie down on if you want."

He returned her smile. "GreatŠI need to clean up a bit anyway. Wouldn¹t want to scare her." Michael winked and turned to leave. "Thank you again, ladies." He waved at them as he walked down the hallway.

Sometime later Michael stood outside the door. Room four-sixteen. He glanced down at his watch. Only about fifteen minutes earlyŠI don¹t see what it would hurt to just peek in and check on her. He ran his hand over his clean-shaven face. Cleaning up killed about half an hour. At least I look more presentable now. The executive wiped his damp palms on his pant legs. This is ridiculous. She¹s my daughter. Why am I so damn nervous? He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

The late afternoon sun dropped rays of fading light across the two people snuggled together in one of the two hospital beds. Amanda had a tight grip on Lex, who was nestled face-first in the smaller woman¹s chest. Michael bit off the yell of disgust before it could leave his mouth. Don¹t screw this up again, dumbassŠit shouldn¹t matter who she¹s with, as long as she¹s happy. He was about to step into the room when a strong hand grasped his shoulder and pulled him back into the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob Cauble looked down on his son in anger. "Don¹t you dare disturb them!" He grabbed the younger man¹s sleeve and shook him.

"Dad? Wait! I can explain!" Michael covered his father¹s hand with his own and squeezed gently. "I¹ve got a lot to tell youŠand to ask of you." He looked up into blue eyes that were filled with anger. "Please? Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Anna Leigh put her arm around her husband¹s waist and pulled him back. "DarlingŠlet¹s get out of the hallway and listen to what Michael has to say." She smiled at her son. "You look tired, honey." She offered her free hand to him and was surprised when he grasped it.

Michael almost broke down when he saw the look in his mother¹s eyes. I¹ve hurt them both so muchŠI hope that they can forgive me. "I¹ve never felt better in my life, actually." He smiled at Anna Leigh.

"OkayŠlet¹s go into the waiting roomŠI think it¹s empty right now." Jacob loved his son, but was disappointed in how he had turned out. I failed him, somehow. "C¹monŠlet¹s go someplace a little more private." He pulled the younger man to him and hugged him. "It¹s great to see you again, son."

"Thanks, Dad. I¹ve really got a lot to tell you." Michael stepped in between his parents and allowed them to lead him down the corridor.

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

Lex woke up when the sun began to shine in her face. GodŠwhat time is it? She blinked several times and slowly raised her head. Her partner was still sound asleep and had a tiny smile on her face. The rancher moaned when she tried to sit up. Stupid, LexingtonŠsleeping in that position. Her back was still aching from the previous day¹s activities, and she had trouble stretching out.

"What¹s wrong?" Green eyes blinked open and peered upward. Amanda ran her hands down Lex¹s chest.

"UmmŠ" Lex slowly pulled away and rolled over onto her back. "Nothing¹s wrong." When Amanda gave her a look, she turned her head and smiled. "I slept in the wrong position and my back¹s a little stiff."

Amanda turned onto her side and propped her head up on one hand. She studied her friend carefully. "Since we¹re already here, why don¹t you have someone check it out? Nothing wrong with getting a second opinion."

The rancher shook her head. "I¹m okayŠreally." She reached over and caressed the younger woman¹s face tenderly. "Dr. A told me that it would take several weeks for the bruising to heal completely. It¹s just something that I have to live with right now."

"I just hate seeing you hurt." Amanda leaned into the touch. "Do you think that we can just spend the next few days lounging around in bed? I¹d really like to give you the chance to actually get over all of this."

Lex started to argue, but the sweet look on her lover¹s face halted her objections. She never asks me for anything. What would it hurt? "Okay."

"I know that you have a lot to do at the ranch, andŠ" The blonde continued to babble.

"It¹s okay, sweetheart." Lex smiled at her friend¹s nervousness.

Amanda didn¹t seem to hear her. "You¹ve got to make sure that the fence is finished, and check the cattle in the winter pasture, andŠ" A sudden finger over her lips stopped any more words from escaping.

"As you were so quick to point out to me recently, I pay the men at the ranch very well to handle those things." Lex sat up and leaned forward to look directly into the beautiful face across from her. "And to be stuck in bed with you for a couple of days? I think that I can handle the hardship." She replaced her finger with her lips and kissed Amanda tenderly.

"MmmŠ" Amanda tangled her fingers in the dark hair and pulled the older woman closer. She rolled slightly until she way lying partially on top of Lex, then reached under the rancher¹s shirt to explore.

"Ahem." A discreet throat clearing from the doorway caused the blonde to pause. "Don¹t you two ever get enough?" Jeannie teased with a large grin on her face.

Amanda broke away from her ministrations regretfully. She turned around and slowly scooted back to her own bed. "No, we don¹t." She winked at Frank as he fought to control his laughter. "Are you jealous?"

Jeannie walked over to Lex¹s bed and sat down. "Of course not!" She edged closer until she was almost sitting in the rancher¹s lap. "ButŠ" she leaned close to the dark-haired woman. "I certainly wouldn¹t turn Slim down if she ever got lonely."

"Give me a break!" Amanda laughed. "She¹s got MUCH better taste than that!"

"Now wait a minute!" Frank walked over and sat on Amanda¹s bed. "What does that say about me?" He looked over at Lex for help.

"Oh, noŠdon¹t get me in the middle of this mess." Lex sat up and waved her hands around. "I¹ll get into trouble no matter what I say."

Frank laughed. "With these two, I STAY in trouble." He reached over and gave the blonde¹s leg a light squeeze. "How are you feeling, Small Stuff?"

"I feel great. Do you think that you can sneak me out of here tonight?" Amanda covered his hand with hers. "I¹d be eternally grateful."

The big man shook his head. "And I¹d be eternally dead ¯ your grandparents would kill me!"

"We certainly would!" Anna Leigh exclaimed from the doorway. She stood just inside the room with her hands on her hips. "You already promised me that you would stay the night, so I don¹t want to hear any arguments." She walked over until she was closer to her granddaughter¹s bed. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Amanda reached out with one hand to the older woman. When Anna Leigh grasped it, she pulled her grandmother closer. "I¹m feeling much better, Gramma." She looked towards the closed door. "Where¹s Grandpa?"

Anna Leigh smiled. "He¹s talking with someone, Mandy. Do you think that you¹re up to another guest?" She glanced at the others in the room. I don¹t know if I should ask everyone to leave, or not.

"Sure. Can I have a couple of minutes to make myself a little more presentable?" Amanda ran her fingers through her hair. "I must look horrible."

Lex saw the look on the older woman¹s face and slowly climbed out of her bed. "You¹re always beautiful, Amanda." She kissed her lover on the top of the head and then slipped on her boots. "But I¹ll just run down to the gift shop and grab you a couple of things."

"I¹ll go with you." Frank could see the unspoken request on Anna Leigh¹s face. He patted Amanda¹s leg and jumped off the bed. "I need to stretch my legs anyway. See you in a few minutes, Lil¹ Bit." He hurried out after Lex.

Jeannie looked around. "I think I¹d better go superviseŠno telling what kind of trouble those two will get into without me." She stood up and patted her sister¹s arm. "I¹ll be back in a minute, okay?" She left the room quickly.

The young woman on the bed watched them leave. She gave Anna Leigh a confused look. "What¹s up, Gramma? You practically chased them all out of here." When her grandmother sat down beside her, she began to panic. "Is Grandpa okay? What¹s going on?"

"I¹m sorry, honey. It¹s just that our Œguest¹ was a little afraid of the reception he might get. So I thought it would be best if it was just us here." Anna Leigh combed through Amanda¹s hair with her fingers. "You look fine, Mandy. Can I go ahead and bring him in?"

"UmmŠokay." Amanda smiled nervously as the older woman crossed the room and opened the door. "Daddy?" She blinked as tears suddenly formed in her eyes.

Michael stepped into the room, unsure of himself. "Hello, Amanda." He almost cried when his youngest daughter opened her arms wide. "I¹m so sorry, baby," he murmured as he hurried across the room and pulled her into his arms. "Please forgive me," he whispered into her hair.

Amanda could feel her father¹s tears as they began to trail across her cheek. "Oh, DaddyŠ" she cried in relief as part of her world righted after so many years. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Michael pulled back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. He gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I¹m so sorry for the way I¹ve acted." He sniffled as Amanda used her hands to dry his face. "I¹ve just had a long talk with Mom and Dad. I¹d like to stay here in Texas for a while and get reacquainted, if you¹ll have me."

"Have you?" Amanda looked up into his eyes. "That¹s all I¹ve ever wanted." She glanced over his shoulder when she heard a light knock.

The door opened slightly and a dark head popped in. "Oh." Lex saw Amanda wrapped in her father¹s arms. "I¹m sorryŠI¹ll come back later." She dropped a plastic bag just inside the room. "Here¹s some things for you, Amanda."

"Wait!" Amanda looked at Michael. Please, DaddyŠtry.

Michael turned around and looked at the young woman standing in the door. I still think that my little girl could do better. He thought about the scene in Los Angeles. But then again, she¹s got more money than I do now. And I¹ve learned the hard way that money isn¹t everything. Oh, wellŠ "Yes, please. Come in, Ms. Walters. I think I owe you an apology."

Lex walked toward the bed warily. "You do?" She stepped back a little when he rose to his feet.

"I don¹t know if I¹ll ever be able to like you, but I do want to apologize for my earlier behavior." Michael held out his hand. "It¹s apparent to me that you love my daughter, and that she loves you. So for her sake, I want to try and get along with you." He felt the strong grip as the rancher shook his hand.

"Sounds fair enough to me, Mr. Cauble." Lex glanced over his shoulder and saw Amanda smile. I¹d try to get along with Satan himself if it would put that look on her face.

He looked closely at the tall woman¹s face, and saw it soften as she met his daughter¹s eyes. Mom and Dad think the world of this womanŠguess being a little nice can¹t hurt. "Might as well call me Michael, since we¹re going to be seeing each other some."

She looked down at him and grinned. "All right, MichaelŠ" She saw her lover¹s plaintive look. "Most folks call me LexŠat least that¹s what they call me to my face." She winked and smiled broadly.

Nice smileŠnow I think I know what my daughter sees in her. Michael returned her smile. "LexŠit¹s going to be real interesting getting to know you, I think."

"Hey! Remember me?" Amanda waved her hands wildly. "Hello?"

Michael turned around and smiled at his daughter. Thank god for my parentsŠthey¹ve done an excellent job with her and Jeannie. I couldn¹t ask for two more wonderful daughters. "What¹s the matter, sweetheart? Feeling a little left out?" He sat back down on the bed and grasped her hand.

Amanda stuck out her bottom lip. "NoŠI¹m fineŠjust a little ignored." She saw the look on Lex¹s face and almost laughed out loud. "What?"

"You are a brat." Lex walked back to the other side of the room and picked up the plastic bag. "And after I bought you all of thisŠstuff." She brought the bag over and dropped it on the other side of the bed. "Now, if you two will excuse meŠI¹m going to go mug someone for a cup of coffee." The rancher ruffled Amanda¹s hair and started for the door.

"Thank you, honey." Amanda enjoyed the view as Lex walked away from her. Definitely got to get her to rest and eat moreŠthose pants are a little baggy.

Lex stopped in the doorway and turned. "Anytime, sweetheart. I¹ll be back in a few minutesŠgive you two some time to talk."

"I really appreciate that, Lex." Michael nodded in her direction. "Thank you."

"No problem." Lex waved and closed the door behind her as she left the room. She had only taken a few steps when the two policemen from the night before caught her in the hallway. GreatŠjust what I don¹t need. Backwater Vice.

Sergeant Byers held out his hand to stop the tall woman. "Ms. Walters. Can we have a moment of your time?"

She glared at him. "SergeantŠI really don¹t think that this is a good time. I¹m tired, sore, and there¹s a cup of coffee in the cafeteria with my name on it." She started to walk around him when the shorter detective grabbed her arm.

"You don¹t understand, Walters. That wasn¹t a request." He felt the muscles in her arm tighten right before she shook his hand away. "You can either talk to us now, or I¹ll be more than happy to handcuff your sorry ass and drag you down to our office." Oh, pleaseŠgive me an excuse to slam you face first onto the floor, you cocky bitch.

"Let go of me, Officer." Lex purposely didn¹t use his title. "Or I¹ll sue you for harassment AND false arrest." She jerked her arm away from him and stepped closer so that he had to strain his neck to look into her face.

Byers grabbed the detective¹s shoulder and pulled him back. "Dammit, Barry! Back off!" He glared after his partner when the man raised his hands and stormed down the hallway. The sergeant gave Lex an apologetic smile. "I¹m sorry about that, Ms. Walters. He¹s been under a lot of stress lately."

Lex nodded. "Haven¹t we all? What the hell have I done to him, anyway?"

"It¹s not you, exactly. His wife just recently left him." The sergeant hoped that she¹d understand, and not sign a complaint against the man he¹d worked with for almost ten years.

"Yeah? Sounds like she got smart, if you ask me." The rancher was fed up with the stocky man¹s attitude. "Find herself a better guy?"

Byers ducked his head. "NoŠa better woman." He looked up into her widened eyes. "Just don¹t hold this against him, okay? He¹s normally a really good guy."

She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it that you need from me, Sergeant? I really do need to get some coffee and maybe a little bite to eat." Lex refused to discuss the detective any further. Serves him rightŠhope she bagged a beauty.

"I understand. How about if I buy you that cup of coffee, and we talk in the cafeteria? I really do need to get some information from you." He waved his arm in front of them.

"Sure. But I need to get back soon to check on my friend, all right?" Lex accepted his offer and began to walk down the hallway. She stepped into the cafeteria and saw the detective brooding at a far table. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and walked over to sit by the sullen officer. When he looked up with a sneer, Lex raised her hands in defense. "Don¹t look at me like thatŠyou¹re the ones who want to talk." She pulled out a chair and sat across from Weingart.

"Thanks again, Ms. Walters." Sergeant Byers sat next to his partner and opened a manila folder. "We just finished going over some information that had been forwarded to us from your sheriff¹s department, and wanted to ask you a few questions."

"OkayŠbut I don¹t know how much help I will be." Lex leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Should I call my lawyer?"

Detective Weingart stood up and leaned over the table. "Don¹t give us any attitude, WaltersŠyou¹re in no position to be a smartass."

"Sit down, Barry." The sergeant grabbed the shorter man¹s shoulder and pulled him back to his seat. He gave Lex an apologetic smile. "I will try to make this as short as possible, Ms. Walters. I know you¹ve been through quite a bit lately."

Lex nodded. "Thanks. I¹ll try to help you anyway I can." She glared at the detective. I don¹t care what Grumpy¹s problem is, but he¹s about to get an attitude adjustment, Walters-Style.

Sergeant Byers consulted the papers in front of him. "All right. As I was saying, the sheriff¹s department has dug up some very relevant information. They sent it to us, in hopes that we can relate it to Miss Cauble¹s poisoning."

They did? Charlie hasn¹t notified me yetŠ Lex tried to appear unconcerned. "Really? What does that have to do with me? I haven¹t heard anything."

"I¹m not surprised. Civilians aren¹t usually very high up on our need-to-know list," Weingart grumbled. A well-placed kick to his leg shut the detective up. He frowned at the other man. I can¹t believe he¹s letting her get away with that attitude.

"Ms. Walters, from what Sheriff Bristol had told us last night, you¹ve had some problems with Miss Cauble¹s family, correct?" the blonde man questioned carefully.

"What do you mean by problems? Her parents don¹t care much for me, but I get along just fine with everyone else." The rancher watched as Byers continued to take notes.

He looked up seriously. "Do you think that her father is capable of hiring someone to do you harm?"

Lex closed her eyes and thought for a moment about the man that she had met in California.

Michael stood up and stepped around the desk, trying to distance himself from the imposing figure. "Because you¹re a woman? NoŠ" he went over and poured himself a drink, gulping the amber liquid down with a single swallow. He turned to face her and grimaced. "Unlike Elizabeth, I have resigned myself to the fact that my youngest daughter is unnaturalŠ there¹s not much I can do about that. But," he pointed the empty glass in the rancher¹s direction. "I can try to make her see reason when it comes to dirt-poor farmers trying to sink their claws into her bank account!" He filled the glass again, then drained it quickly.

Lex leaned back against the desk, arms crossed. "Dirt-poor farmer?" she laughed. "Number one ¯ I¹m a rancherŠSecond ¯ I have no designs on Amanda¹s money." She stood up straight and walked over to Michael to stand only a step away from the shorter man. "Third ¯ I have more than enough money of my own, that I certainly have no need for yours." She got right into his face and spoke. "Last, but not least, I love her with everything that I amŠnothing can change that." Hands grasped in her shirt took Lex by surprise, as she felt Michael pull her closer.

Amanda stood at the doorway, trying to listen to the sounds within. Not hearing anything, she opened the door just in time to see her father grab Lex by the shirt and slam her into the bar. Before she could say anything, Michael had punched her lover in the face, causing her lower lip to bleed. "Stop it!" she shouted, scrambling across the room. She tried to pull her livid father off of Lex by tugging at his sleeve. "Daddy! Let her go, now!"

Michael Cauble shook his head to clear it. He pushed the tall woman backwards again, happy to see that he was at least able to do some damage to her before his daughter interfered. "Get out of my houseŠ you¹re not welcome here." He muttered, secretly hoping that the tall woman would try and retaliate. Then maybe Amanda would see her as I doŠdamned arrogant piece of trash.

"Gladly." Lex pushed by him and wiped her bloody mouth and chin with the back of her hand. She started for the door, trying to control her anger. Narrow-minded bastardŠ if he wasn¹t Amanda¹s father, I wouldŠ her thoughts ended there as she felt a small hand touch her arm.

She opened her eyes again and sighed. Oh, yeahŠhe was more than capable. Her mind then compared that scene with the man now sitting in Amanda¹s hospital room. "I¹m not sureŠI suppose that if he were mad or upset enough, maybe." She looked at the sergeant carefully. "What makes you ask that?"

"They found where Matt Sterling had been staying." The detective answered her. "He had received several calls from a number in California and the prosecutor¹s office traced them to a private office number in Los Angeles." He took the folder and passed a sheet of paper across the table. "The office was listed as Cau-King Enterprises, which is the name of the company that Michael Cauble is the CEO of."

"Cau-King?" Lex looked down at the paper on the desk and then reached into her pocket. Of courseŠCauble-Kingston. It¹s the combination of his last name and Elizabeth¹s. Damn. She wadded up the scrap of paper from her pocket and tossed it on the table. I wonder if he knew that I was one of the majority stockholders in his company. "Great."

Sergeant Byers stopped writing when the paper hit the table. "What?" He looked at his partner in confusion.

"I just sold my stock in that company, recently." Lex mumbled. "But I had no idea that it was his."

"How much stock are we talking about?" Weingart asked.

Lex frowned. "UmmŠover forty percent. It had been my mother¹s." And if the other stockholders bailed, that would just about ruin him.

The detective snorted. "Guess he figured it would be safer to get you out of the way. According to our records, Michael Cauble lost everything." He gave the dark-haired woman an obnoxious smile. "Bet your little Œfriend¹ won¹t be too happy with you when she finds out you ruined her fatherŠ" He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "But then again, she¹ll probably dump you when she learns that her father nearly killed her while trying to get to you."

That¹s rightŠhe nearly killed his daughter trying to save his own rotten hide. Lex jumped up from the table in a rage. "That son of a bitch! He could have killed her!" She knocked her chair down as she raced from the cafeteria.

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