Chapter 14

It was dark and very cold. She could hear a roaring sound coming nearer, but for some reason her legs would not move. Closer and closer, now she could feel something holding her down...Noooo!!! Water was beginning to lap at her feet, the roaring getting louder and louder. Help!! Can't break free!! The strap holding her in place seemed to get tighter…the water now up over her thighs and still rising. Please help me!! The cold, dirty water up to her chin now… the band tightening around her chest… Can't breathe….NOOOOO!!!

Amanda jerked upright, screaming, and found herself wrapped in strong arms. " Shhh…you're okay." A low voice murmured in her ear. Warm hands rubbed her back soothingly.

" Wha…? " She blinked her eyes open, startled to see Lex sitting on her bed.

" S'okay… you were crying out." The older woman pulled back. " Must have been one doozy of a nightmare." Her dark hair was in disarray, and she had a gentle smile on her lips.

Amanda took a shaky breath. " S..s…sorry." Quiet tears began to fall from her misty-green eyes. " It was dark…I couldn't get loose…the water…" she began to sob.

" Hey, it's alright." Lex gathered her back in her arms, and began to rock her slowly. " Shhh… you're safe now."

The young woman clung to Lex as if she were a lifeline, strangled sobs now racking her body. The tall woman was beginning to feel the pain in her ribs, but refused to let the distraught woman go. This feels so right… She began to softly hum, still gently rocking Amanda.

Shortly, Amanda's sobs quieted. She was halfway asleep, enjoying the gentle touch of the older woman. Suddenly she realized how tightly she was attached, and slowly loosened her stranglehold. " Thanks." She sniffed, taking a deep breath. " I…I don't know what came over me. I haven't had a nightmare since I was a little kid." She pulled away from Lex, feeling an extreme sense of loss from the act. To compensate, she grasped both of the dark woman's hands, and held them loosely.

Blue eyes locked with hers, almost startling in their intensity. " You had a pretty rough experience today - any normal person would have nightmares. Add to that the knot on your head, you're sleeping in a strange bed - that can't be easy for you." She gently squeezed the small hands held in her own.

Amanda managed a smile at that. " Hearing it put that way, I don't feel so bad now." Taking comfort in the strength of the callused hands that she held. " I'm sorry that I woke you." She could see a flicker of pain in those incredible eyes. " Are you okay? "

Lex smiled. " Fine…are you doing better now? " She couldn't seem to look away from those trusting eyes. I could look at her forever. She blinked. Huh?

Amanda noticed the glazed look to the older woman's face. " Hey." Blue focused back on her. " Let me help you back to bed." She stood up and pulled Lex up with her. " Besides, " she touched the Band-Aid on her temple, " I could use a couple more aspirin." On impulse, she pulled the tall woman into a soft hug. " Thank you, again. You seem to always be pulling me out of scary places."

Lex returned the hug. Oh, I could get addicted to this real easy. She pulled out of the embrace slowly. " Glad I could be of service, ma'am." She tipped an imaginary hat and winked.

The small blonde laughed. " You nut." She wrapped an arm around Lex's waist and started towards the door. " Let's get you tucked in…"

They maneuvered their way through the doorway and across the hall easily. Amanda led her companion to the bed, and placed her hands on the broad shoulders. " Down you go." She gently pushed, and the tall woman sat back on the bed.

" This isn't really necessary, you know." But even as she said this, Lex allowed Amanda to lift her legs and then cover her body with the sheet and comforter. " You gonna tell me a story, too? " a grin crept across her face.

Amanda slapped her arm. " Only if you want me to." She sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Lex. " Any requests? "

Several requests ran through the dark-haired woman's mind, none of which could be voiced without embarrassing her 'nurse'. She cleared her throat. " Yeah…go get your aspirin."

Amanda laughed then stood up. " Good idea." She patted a nearby leg. " Be right back." She stepped into the bathroom and Lex could hear the sound of water filling a glass. A short pause, then more water running. Amanda stepped out of the bathroom with a glass of water in one hand. " I've had mine, " she opened the other hand and gave Lex two white tablets, " and here's yours."

Lex raised an eyebrow, but took the offering without complaint. She patted the bed on the other side of her. " If you're gonna tell me a story, might as well get comfortable." She had a feeling the younger woman was still shaky from her nightmare, and she was determined to help her.

Amanda blushed, but walked around and crawled up on to the other side of the bed. She rolled over onto her side, and propped her head up on an upraised hand. " Okay, what story do you want me to tell? "

Lex turned her head and looked at the amused face across from her. " Oh, I dunno…" she appeared to be thinking hard. " How about a happy childhood memory? You know, something to take your mind off of what happened today? "

The blonde smiled, touched that her new friend was trying to help her get over her bad dreams. She turned back over onto her back. " I can do that. Close your eyes, now… what good's a bedtime story if your eyes aren't closed? "

The other woman chuckled, then reached up and turned off the bedside light. " Okay, I'm ready." She closed her eyes and smiled.

Amanda took a deep breath, then slowly released it.

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The summer before Amanda turned sixteen was one of the best she could ever remember. It started like every other summer, with her parents traveling to Europe, her older sister Jeannie going on a church camp retreat, and she went to Somerville to stay with her father's parents. She was always given the choice of traveling with her parents or even going to camp, but she really enjoyed the summers spent with Jacob and Anna Leigh.

The day after she arrived, the three of them packed up a picnic lunch and loaded into Jacob's suburban. Although Amanda and Anna Leigh begged, he good-naturedly refused to give out their destination. Curiosity was about to kill both of them, especially since they were pulling a large flatbed trailer behind the suburban. Two hours later, they pulled off of the main road, and ten minutes after that they pulled up to a rusty looking gate.

" Peanut, would you mind getting out and opening the gate, please? " Jacob smiled at his granddaughter.

Amanda quickly jumped from the vehicle to do his bidding. " Sure thing, Grandpa! "

She swung the gate open, and he motioned for her to climb back into the vehicle.

" C'mon! We'll close it up when we leave."

She ran back to the truck and hopped in. Buckling up, " Ready to go, captain! " she saluted.

Jacob laughed and drove on through the gate. The road wove through a small thicket of trees, which soon opened up to an old abandoned farmhouse.

Weeds and wild bushes had grown up around the old house, which looked as if it had been deserted for ages. Two and a half story, most of the shutters were lying on the ground, and all the windows had been boarded up some time ago. Amanda loved it.

" Oooh, Grandpa Jake…whose house is this? " she cried, face pressed against her window for a better view.

Anna Leigh spoke up. " Yes, darling. Please. Why are we here? " She reached over and clasped his hand.

Jacob pulled his wife's delicate hand to his lips, and kissed it softly. " Soon, my love." He waggled his eyebrows at her teasingly.

She smiled and returned his look with one of her own, filled with love. " Okay, you rascal. You know I could never resist that look." She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. " But you'd better spill the beans soon! "

He grinned and turned to Amanda in the back seat. " Well, whatta ya say, Peanut? Want to go exploring? "

The young girl giggled with excitement. " Can we really, Grandpa? " she reached for the door handle. " Do you think the owners would mind? " she was out of the truck before he could answer.

Jacob got out of the truck and walked over to the passenger's side, opening the door for his wife. He extended a hand to the gentle woman, and lovingly pulled her from the truck. " I don't know. Do you want to ask them? " He held his wife's hand on the left, and extended his right hand to his granddaughter, who immediately grasped it tight.

Amanda looked up at him seriously. " I think we should, don't you, Gramma? " She looked over at Anna Leigh who smiled.

Her gray-streaked auburn hair shined in the summer sunshine. Jacob looked at his wife, and felt a lump in his throat. Medium height and shining pale green eyes, she looked the same as when he married her forty years ago. And I've never loved her more. Then he turned his mind back to the conversation.

" That would be the responsible thing to do, Mandy." Anna Leigh looked at Jacob, who was looking at her with undisguised love written all over his strong face. The years had been good to her husband. His tall frame was still lean, and his wavy hair was only lightly sprinkled with gray. His hands, those of a carpenter, were rough with calluses and strong, but oh so gentle with her. And his smile can still melt my heart.

Jacob looked over at Amanda, and noticed how much she resembled her grandmother. She's gonna break some hearts soon. He sighed to himself. " Okay, then. Why don't you ask permission? "

Amanda studied him with a confused frown. " Sure, Grandpa. Where's the owner? "

Jacob stopped walking and turned to Amanda, releasing Anna Leigh's hand. He bowed deeply to the young girl. " At your service, Milady."

Amanda giggled, and his wife gasped. " You own this, Jacob? " She shook her head. " Since when? "

Jacob captured her hand again and pulled them both towards the dilapidated house. " Oh, 'bout a month ago. Do you remember Alistair Tucker? " he asked as they walked on.

Anna Leigh thought for a moment. " Wasn't he the gentleman you made those cabinets and matching desk for years ago? I remember that he never could stop raving about your work - didn't he pass away recently? "

Her husband nodded. " Yes, he did. Anyway, when I made those cabinets, he didn't have enough money for them at the time, but he needed them for his business. I told him not to worry about it, he could pay when he was able."

Anna Leigh stopped him. " But he paid that off some time ago, didn't he? "

Jacob squeezed her hand. " Yes, beloved, he did. But since he had no surviving family, his lawyer said he wanted to leave everything to someone he knew, rather than having it go to the state. So, " he led them up the steps to the old porch, " You're looking at the proud owner of 'Tucker Estates'."

Amanda, who had been silently absorbing these facts, finally spoke up. " That is so cool, Grandpa! " She looked around the porch as Jacob released his grip on both their hands and pulled a key out of his pocket. " I bet this place was really beautiful at one time, " she said, her imagination restoring the old house to its former glory.

" I'm sure it was, Peanut." He agreed, unlocking the door and opening it wide. Jacob leaned inside the door and pulled out three battery-operated lanterns. " Well, well… now how do you suppose these got here? " He turned all three lanterns on, and gave both Anna Leigh and Amanda one. " Can't explore very well in the dark now, can we? " he laughed at the twin looks of surprise on his companion's faces.

" You are such a sneak, Jacob Winston Cauble! " Anna Leigh playfully slapped his arm.

Amanda poked his other arm. " I gotta agree with Gramma on this one, " she laughed. " Do you think it's safe to look around upstairs? " she asked him.

" Sure, Peanut. I've already walked through this whole house, and there's nothing here that could hurt you. Have fun! " he ruffled her hair. She took off up the stairs, laughing.

After the three of them had explored the old house top to bottom, Anna Leigh grabbed the picnic basket and a large blanket out of the suburban, and they all sat under a huge oak tree in the back yard.

Amanda finished with her lunch was lying on her stomach, her hands holding up her head and her legs kicking gently back and forth. She was absently gazing off into the distance when something caught her eye. " Hey, Grandpa Jake, what's that building over there? "

Jacob looked in the direction her finger was pointing. " I'm not sure, Peanut…looks like some sort of barn."

The young girl jumped up excitedly. " You mean you haven't 'explored' it yet? "

Her grandfather laughed, and stood up. " Nope…it's undiscovered territory." He offered a hand to his still seated wife. " Care to join us on our search of the uncharted waters, Milady? "

Anna Leigh graciously accepted his offer with a curtsy. " But of course, Milord. Lead on, Lady Amanda! " They all three laughed and walked towards the structure, hands linked.

The key that unlocked the house also worked for the barn, so Jacob had no problem opening the huge double doors. Amanda stood behind him, her hands resting softly on his back. " What's the matter, Peanut? Are you scared? " he chuckled.

She patted his back. " Hey, I may be adventurous, but I'm not stupid! " she proclaimed, looking over at her grandmother for support.

The gentle beauty's smile widened. " That's telling him, Mandy! "

" Great! Now I'm outnumbered." Her husband grumbled good-naturedly. He pulled open the heavy doors slowly. The inside consisted of one massive room with a dirt floor - shelves covered in junk lined the three walls, and more paraphernalia hung from the ceiling. In the center of the room was a large object covered with a dusty tarp. The three 'adventurers' crept in slowly, each staring at the huge lump.

Amanda tiptoed up to the tarp as if it were a large creature merely sleeping,

that she was afraid to disturb. As she was reaching over to lift the edge of the tarp and peek under it, Jacob snuck up behind her and poked her in the ribs.

" Watch out!! " he yelled, as she jumped backwards and screamed.

" Aaaaaaahhh!!!! " She nearly leapt into his arms, as he and Anna Leigh nearly collapsed with laughter. " Ooooh, I'm gonna get you for that! " Amanda growled, then began laughing herself.

" I'm sorry, Peanut…you just looked so intense while you were sneaking up on that thing." Jacob had to wipe the tears from his eyes.

" That really wasn't nice, Jacob, " Anna Leigh chastised, " But it was quite funny! " she was holding her stomach from laughing so hard.

He wrapped Amanda up in a big hug. " C'mon, sweetheart, let's unwrap this 'monster'."

His granddaughter returned his hug, and then moved to the other side, grabbing the front corner of the tarp. They slowly pulled the covering back, and once the dust settled, the 'beast' was unveiled.

Jacob whistled. It was a 1967 Mustang hard top, in a partial state of restoration. The body looked to be free of rust and dents, and he could see where someone had begun sanding and smoothing the surface to paint. It was sitting up on blocks, and the tires were placed on top of the car to keep them from rotting.

Amanda looked through the driver's window. " Hey, Grandpa Jake…there's no seats in here! " she carefully opened the door, halfway afraid it would fall off in her hands. " Look! The key is still in the ignition! "

Jacob opened the passenger door so he and Anna Leigh could look inside. " Well…" he smiled at the excited face of his granddaughter, " I was going to use the trailer to haul some of the old furniture to my shop and refurbish it." He gently patted the top of the car. " But why don't we put the tires on this baby and cart her home? Maybe we could work on her together this summer. What do you say, Peanut? "

Amanda rushed around the car and nearly tackled him with her hug. " Do you mean it, Grandpa? Could we work on it together? "

He ruffled her hair and laughed. " Of course, sweetheart. I think it would be a fun project for the next couple of summers." He turned to his wife. " Well? You get a vote in this too… we'd be using your garage! " he winked at her.

Amanda looked at her with soulful eyes. " Can we, Gramma? Use your garage, I mean? I promise to keep it clean, honest! " she chewed on her bottom lip, waiting for the verdict.

Anna Leigh appeared to give the matter great thought. " Hmmm…does this mean you don't want to help me at my office this summer, Mandy? " She couldn't help it. She had to tease the child a little bit.

Amanda cocked her head thoughtfully. " No, not at all. I could still help you during the week, and then maybe Grandpa and I could work on the car on the weekend? " she peered hopefully at her grandfather.

Both adults burst out laughing. " Oh, honey…" Anna Leigh gasped, " You are so precious! Of course we'll take the car home! " She barely got the words out when Jacob picked her up and spun her around the room. " Jacob! Stop that this instant! You're going to hurt yourself! " But she was laughing all the while.

Amanda looked on with a huge smile. Her grandparents were the greatest. They were always acting like this… And it made her heart ache with sadness, that her own parents didn't have this kind of love. Oh, they cared for each other, in a way; they just weren't as demonstrative as the wonderful couple in front of her. This was the definition of love. Maybe someday I'll find someone who'll make me feel like that….I hope….

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Amanda looked over at Lex, who had just drifted off to sleep at the end of her story. Yeah, maybe I will find that person…. Then she closed her own eyes and dreamed of her grandparents, dusty old cars, and cool summer days.