Chapter 14. Lex woke up at her usual time

Lex woke up at her usual time. Just once, I wish my internal alarm would go on snooze. It was still dark outside, the thunderstorm of last night had settled down to a more peaceful rain this morning. She cautiously took a deep breath, pleased when she only felt an ache, and not the sharp stabbing pains of last night. Turning her head, Lex saw Amanda still peacefully asleep beside her. Glad she got over the nightmares and was able to get a good night's sleep. She took the opportunity to study this sweet young woman. Amanda's face was even more youthful in sleep - She barely looks old enough to drive. She smiled. Once again the small blonde had reached over during the night and grasped Lex's arm. She gently pried the hand loose, and then got out of bed. Lex padded quietly into the bathroom and shut the door. Might as well let her sleep as long as possible. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then snuck downstairs.

Martha was already up as well, puttering around the large kitchen.

Lex waited until she was directly behind the older woman. " Morning, Martha."

" Blast it Lexie! " she whirled around, one hand covering her heart. " You're gonna be the death of me one of these days! " But she was smiling, and she raised her hand and cupped the cheek of the tall woman. " How are you feeling this morning, sweetheart? " Truth be known, she had been a little worried last night. The way Lex had looked, she was half-afraid of internal bleeding. But the young rancher looked fine this morning. In fact, she looks better than she has in a long time, she mused.

Lex covered the hand on her face with one of her own. The older woman was so dear to her. I wonder if she realizes that? Maybe I should tell her…

Martha Rollins had been the only maternal figure that Lex could really remember. She did have a brief memory of a beautiful dark haired woman sitting at the piano in the drawing room, singing to her as she sat next to her on the piano bench. But this woman… this woman raised her. Cleaned her scraped knees, spanked her with a wooden spoon when she misbehaved, and listened to her hopes and dreams as a kid growing up.

She remembered when she was about eight or nine, and the housekeeper had just held her as she cried over the cruel teasing that she had gotten in school. Martha had gently wiped the tears away when Lex innocently asked, " Why don't I have a momma like the other kids? Am I too bad? "

The plump woman nearly cried herself. " Oh no, sweet child, you had nothing to do with your dear momma passing on. God just needed her, that's all."

Those big blue eyes looked into hers and asked, " Why can't you be my momma? "

Martha hugged the child tight. " Baby, I wish I was." She kissed the child on her dark head. " I love you as if you were my own, and I always will…that's a promise! "

This seemed to make the girl happy, and she leaned up and kissed an ample cheek. " I love you too, Martha." Then she climbed off the teary housekeeper's lap and scampered back outside to play.

Lex snaked her long arms around the shocked housekeeper. " You know, Martha, I don't think I've told you lately that I love you…" she felt the older woman take a deep breath, and then return the hug. " Thanks for being here for me. I do love you, you know." She leaned down and kissed the graying head. Lex pulled back, seeing tears springing up in Martha's deep brown eyes. " So… is that fresh coffee I smell? "

The older woman patted her gently on the stomach. " Of course, help yourself sweetie." And then bustled over to the stove to begin breakfast.

Amanda woke a short time later, feeling completely rested. Oh wow…I can't believe I fell asleep in here last night. I hope Lex didn't mind. She looked around the room, and the older woman was conspicuously absent. Now where has she wandered off to? Then the aroma of coffee and sausage assailed her senses. Ah-ha! I think I know where she might be! She climbed out of bed and wandered across the hall, going straight to the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth, and comb her hair.

Feeling more human now, Amanda jogged down the staircase, following the enticing smells of breakfast. In the kitchen, Lex was sitting at a small round table, talking with Martha who was busy at the stove. " Good morning! " Amanda warbled, walking over to the counter where the coffeepot sat.

Martha turned around and smiled. " Good morning to you, dear. Cups are in the cabinet above the coffeepot." Correctly guessing the young blonde's quest. " Are you ready for breakfast? Hope you like scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy." She smiled at the girl's surprised look. " I was just about to send Lexie up to fetch you." She turned around and resumed her cooking.

Amanda filled her cup and leaned over it with a sigh. " Mmmm… that smells great. Is there anything I can do to help? "

Lex raised an eyebrow, waiting for the older woman to attack. Uh-oh…should have warned her about how territorial Martha is in her kitchen.

But to her complete amazement, the housekeeper smiled. " Well, you can get the plates and silverware that are on the counter and take them to the table for me, if you want." She turned back towards the stove, purposely ignoring the sputtering noises coming from the table.

" Whaaat??? You never let me help you! " Lex cried, her tone indignant.

Amanda carried the requested items to the table, casually setting three places. " Maybe you just never asked the right way, " she teased, an innocent look on her face.

Martha laughed, and started placing containers of food on the table. " Now calm down, Lexie…you've got enough to do around here without helping me out in the kitchen." A mischievous grin split her face. " Besides, don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to cook? " Lex blushed, and looked down silently at the plate in front of her.

Amanda looked on, charmed by this new facet to a woman she was quickly becoming attached to. " Oh? "

Lex mumbled something, but didn't look up.

Martha patted her shoulder, then sat down in the chair next to her. " Oh my… that had to be what? Twelve or thirteen years ago? " she looked at the rancher for confirmation.

Lex nodded, wanting to be anywhere except in this kitchen, at this time.

Amanda looked at Martha with a curious gaze. " Oh please…share." She smiled at Lex, who rolled her eyes in disbelief.

They all began filling their plates as Martha began her story. " I guess little Lexie was fifteen or sixteen, then." Lex nodded in resigned agreement. " She wanted to do something special for me…I believe it was Mother's Day, wasn't it honey? "

Lex took a deep breath and sighed. " Yeah…"

Martha smiled, and continued. " Why she decided on cooking, when she hated working in the kitchen, was beyond me…"

The object of the story quietly interrupted. " I just thought since you had to cook for everyone else all the time, someone should cook for you for a change."

The housekeeper nodded. " Ah, so that's it… anyway, she must have spent half the night in here, trying to make pancakes." Here, she chuckled. " The little imp couldn't find a recipe, so she used a cake recipe instead."

Amanda covered her mouth to keep from laughing, her eyes twinkling. " Oh, no…"

Martha nodded, smiling. " Oh yes… she must have used ten different pans, and flour was everywhere."

Here Lex tried to help. " They never said how hard it was to mix all those different things together…" she shrugged. " I thought you had to use an egg per pancake."

Martha laughed out loud. " By the time I got up to fix breakfast, Hurricane Lexie had completely demolished the kitchen. I opened the door and sitting on the countertop trying to wipe dough off of the cabinets, was this powdered apparition… she looked so sad…"

" I was trying to get the mess cleaned up before you got up…" Lex smiled, remembering. " But it took me most of the morning - I just knew Dad was gonna whip me for sure over that mess." She looked to Martha for confirmation. " You talked him out of it, didn't you? "

Martha smiled fondly, her eyes misty. " Yes, I did. Rawson never did understand why you did it…It was just about the nicest thing anyone ever did for me."

A pained look crossed the rancher's face. Oh yeah, he did. She remembered the conversation with her father the week before Mother's Day.

" I want to do something special for Martha for Mother's Day, Dad." An eager Lex told her father as they were cleaning out stalls.

" What? " he dropped the shovel he was using and walked over to her. " Why? "

" Because I want to." She answered, confused. " What's wrong with that? "

He grabbed her shoulders. " She's not your mother! " he yelled, getting right up in her face.

" She is as far as I'm concerned." The defiant teenager growled back.

Rawson looked at his daughter closely. He himself was not a tall man, about five foot nine, and his girl was already taller than he was. 'Must have gotten that from Victoria's side of the family.' The tall, dark good looks and magnetic blue eyes all came from Victoria. 'Pity she got my temperament.' " She's the damn housekeeper! " he shook her.

Lex angrily brushed off his hands. " Don't talk about her that way! "

He pulled his arm back and slapped her face, hard. " Don't take that tone with me, girl."

They both froze. Rawson had never raised a hand to his daughter. Sure, when she was younger, a spanking once in a blue moon, but he never struck any of his children in anger.

She held her hand on her cheek, a bruise already forming. " Don't you ever do that again." She whispered, her cobalt eyes flashing. " And, " she stood in his face, " Never speak about Martha that way again, or so help me…" she paused, her entire body trembling, " I will make you regret it! " she spun around and walked out of the barn.

After that, Rawson avoided his daughter, although she never knew if it was out of shame for his actions, or out of fear of what he headstrong daughter may do. All she knew was a little over a year later; Rawson Walters left the Rocking W, and never looked back.

Lex felt a warm hand on her wrist. " Hey…what's wrong? " Amanda could see a flash of pain in those azure eyes, which blinked, and it was gone.

" Huh? " Snap out of it…that's old history… " Sorry…guess I'm just not completely awake yet." She gave the young woman a small smile.

Amanda didn't believe her, but let it go. " Hmmm…maybe you should go back to bed, then."

Lex shook her head and stood up. " Can't. Gotta go down to the barn and feed the horses, take some hay to the cattle in the far field, then do a quick fence check." She carried her plate over to the sink, daring Martha to say something.

Martha let her carry her plate to the sink, knowing the woman was trying to get a rise out of her. Brat! I should take my spoon to her… Then she noticed Amanda's face. Hmmm… or maybe I'll just let this little one take care of her. Heh.

" Whaat? " The small blonde leapt out of her chair. " You should be resting, not out gallivanting around in the rain! " She picked up her plate and deposited it in the sink.

Lex looked at her with a fond smile. " I'm fine this morning. Besides, I'm the only person here that can do all that. You don't want the stock to go hungry, do you? "

Amanda chewed on her lower lip. " Well…" then she shook her head. " Of course not. But I'll go with you to help…no arguments, okay? "

The tall woman laughed. " Okay…but I think we'd both better get dressed first. It's kinda cool out this morning." She looked Amanda over critically. " I think I can find some clothes to fit you, if you don't mind wearing boys clothes."

" Hey, if they're warm, I don't care." The younger woman put her hands on her hips. " Just as long as you don't laugh at me anymore…I don't think your ribs could handle it! "

Lex shook her head. " Nah, I won't laugh…think I was just overtired last night." She headed towards the doorway and stopped. " You coming? "

Amanda looked over at Martha, who was still seated at the table. " Thanks for breakfast. Are you sure I can't help with the dishes, or something? "

The older woman made a shooing motion with her hands. " No, get out of here. Try to make Lexie behave herself this morning. I've got this all under control."

Once upstairs, Lex steered Amanda to a door down at the end of the hall. She paused, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. Flipping on the lightswitch, she moved into the room, Amanda right behind her.

It looked like a young boy's room. There was a twin bed against one wall, a bookcase with model cars and airplanes decorating it and a small desk with a reading lamp sitting on top. The walls were adorned with posters of airplanes and horses, and a ragged baseball cap sat silently on a hook by the bed. Amanda looked at Lex. She was staring at the cap, a far away look in her eyes. Then she shook her head slightly, and walked over to the closet door. Pulling out some faded jeans and a flannel shirt, she turned to Amanda and smiled slightly.

" These should fit you just fine. You're about the same size." She took a deep breath. " Don't think I can find you any shoes, though…You'll probably have to make due with yours."

Amanda ached at the pain lurking in those blue eyes. " These will be fine. Are you sure it's okay? My wearing these? " she had to stop herself from reaching out and giving the tall woman a hug. She looks so sad…I wonder why? " Whose clothes are these? "

Lex grabbed a couple more pairs of jeans out of the closet, along with several shirts. She walked over to a small dresser and opened the top drawer. Pulling out several pairs of socks, she closed the drawer and walked over to the bed and sat down heavily. " This was my younger brother Louis' room." She took in a shaky breath. " He…he died nine years ago."

Amanda rushed over to the bed and sat down next to Lex, gently grasping her hand. " I'm sorry…"

The older woman shook her head. " Martha still cleans his room…I know I should pack this stuff up, but…" she closed her eyes. " I've completely remodeled the entire second floor of this house, but I can't bring myself to destroy…" her voice faded to a whisper, " the only thing I have left of Lou…" silent tears tracked down her face.

They both sat quietly for a few minutes, Amanda just lending her silent support to Lex, who wiped at her face with her hand. " Sorry…must still be tired from yesterday. I don't normally…"

Amanda squeezed her hand, placing her other arm around Lex and giving her a small hug. " Don't apologize…are you sure you want me to wear these clothes? Martha has cleaned my shirt and jeans…"

Lex shook her head. " No. You'd be more comfortable in these…Besides, I think he would have loved to have shared with you." She stood up, pulling Amanda up with their still-linked hands. " C'mon… I'm gonna show you how to run a ranch."

Chapter 15

" So…" Amanda asked, trying to keep up with Lex's long legs, " Just how big is your ranch, anyway? " She adjusted the hood on the raincoat she was wearing, another 'hand-me down', this time from Lex.

The rancher adjusted the black hat on her head. " It's a little over a thousand acres. I've been slowly building it up over the past few years." She turned to talk to the other woman, then stopped when she realized Amanda was quite a few steps behind, puffing to catch up. " Why didn't you ask me to slow down? " She asked, as the younger woman finally caught up to her.

The little blonde smiled sheepishly. " I didn't want to bother you. I just kinda forced myself on you this morning." She tried to look down at her shoes, but a strong hand gently tilted her chin up.

" You are not a bother, and with my ribs like this, will most definitely be a big help to me." She wrapped a companionable arm around Amanda. " C'mon. I'll introduce you to my friends." She led them into a large barn with stalls on each side, and a clean concrete walkway running down the middle. There were ten stalls on each side, but only about half of them were occupied.

Lex noticed the unspoken question in Amanda's eyes. " I've been slowly trying to phase out the cattle, and I'm working on making this a horse-only ranch." She opened another door, where the feed was kept.

Amanda followed her in, fascinated by all the sights and sounds around her. " Are these all the horses you have? " she asked, as the other woman opened a large barrel and pulled out a full bucket.

" Well, these are the working horses." She handed the bucket to Amanda and grabbed an empty one and dipped it into the barrel. " The rest of the horses are in one of the far pastures. We bring in a few at a time, break them, then take them to the auction to sell." She led the small blonde back into the main part of the barn, and dumped her bucket into a trough in front of one of the stalls. Amanda pointed to the next occupied one, received a nod, and followed suit. They repeated this procedure until all ten horses were fed.

" Okay, boss…" Amanda brushed her hands off, " What's next on the agenda? "

Lex laughed, and pulled her gloves out of the pocket of the duster. She began walking to the back of the barn, then opened a door, which led outside. " Next, " she held the door open for her companion, " We go to the hay barn and take the cattle and the other horses their breakfast." She pointed to another building about twenty yards away.

The rain had slowed down to a slight drizzle by the time they reached the large structure. Lex opened the large double doors and waited for Amanda to proceed her.

" Wow! This place is huge! " There were stacks of hay bales that almost reached the ceiling in some places, and a large battered blue pickup truck sat alone in the middle of the room. Amanda flipped the hood off of her head and looked towards the tall woman. " Now what? " she followed the rancher to the side of the truck.

Lex got in on the driver's side. " Just let me back this up to the hay, and we'll get started loading." The truck rumbled to life, and she quickly put it in reverse and slowly rolled it back towards the hay. Once the old vehicle was in position, she grabbed another pair of gloves, slipped out from behind the wheel and moved towards the rear. Dropping the tailgate down, Lex climbed into the back and grinned. " Well? You gonna stand there all morning, or are you gonna help? " she tossed the extra gloves to the smiling blonde.

Amanda slipped on the gloves and jumped up into the rear of the truck beside her. " I'm here…what do you want me to do? "

Lex pulled off the duster and laid it over the side of the truck, leaving her in a dark blue tee shirt. Amanda couldn't help but notice the play of muscles along her back before she straightened up and turned around. " We need to load up the truck with bales of hay, then take it over to the next pasture."

She was about to grab one of the bales when a gentle hand grasped her arm. " Do you think it's wise for you to be hefting these things around? "

Lex shrugged. " Not much choice, Amanda. With all this rain, we gotta make sure that the cattle have enough to eat. Otherwise, they have a tendency to knock down the fence looking for something to munch on." She quirked an eyebrow at the young woman. " And I've already had my quota of fence building this week."

Amanda smiled and removed her hand. " At least let me help you." She grabbed the other side of the bale Lex had her hands on, and together they pulled it into the truck. " See? That wasn't so hard, was it? "

Lex shook her head and grinned. She hated to admit it, but the young woman really was a big help. I don't think my ribs would appreciate me tossing these around like I usually do, anyway. " No, but you may be singing a different song by the time we get finished today."

Amanda gave a slight frown. " I'm a lot stronger than I look, you know." She reached for another bundle of hay.

Lex stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. " I'm sorry, I really didn't mean anything by it…I just don't want you to hurt yourself." She looked a little lost. " I really do appreciate all the help…don't think I could do it by myself today."

Amanda reached up and wrapped her hand around Lex's arm. " I'm sorry, too. I guess I've spent so long trying to prove myself, that getting defensive about my size is second nature now. You're the only person besides my grandparents who has actually believed in me." She reached for the bale. " So…are we going to stand here chatting all day, or are we going to get those animals fed? "

Lex smiled and helped her drag the bale down to the bed of the truck.

The rain started up again in earnest after they unloaded the last of the hay. Both hurried back into the truck, heaving a great sigh of relief to finally be out of the weather. Lex leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. " How much longer is this damn rain gonna last? " she sighed, taking a moment to catch her breath. She wasn't going to tell Amanda, but her ribs were really beginning to bother her again.

Amanda pushed the hood off her head. " I know what you mean. I keep expecting to see the animals begin pairing up."

The dark woman stifled a small laugh. " " Yeah…and at this rate, we may want to book passage for ourselves, as well." She turned her head and opened her eyes. " Thanks again for all the help. I'd probably still be piling hay in the truck if you weren't here."

The blonde blushed. " Well, I thought I'd better begin to earn my keep somehow." She smiled. " What's next on the program? " Hopefully lunch figures in pretty soon…I'm starving Her stomach must have agreed, because it took the opportunity to announce itself.

Lex raised an eyebrow at her. " Well…" she drawled, enjoying the blush on her companion, " I was going to suggest lunch, but I didn't know if you were hungry or not." She smirked, as Amanda's blush deepened. " Besides, Martha gets kinda upset if I'm late - and I don't want her to break any more spoons." She sat up and started the truck.

Lex and Amanda came in through the mudroom again, hanging up their soggy coats and the taller woman hanging her drenched black hat up as well. They had rinsed their feet off outside, trying to keep on Martha's good side. As they stepped into the kitchen, the housekeeper turned around and sighed, hands on her hips. " I'm so glad you're back, Lexie…your brother called, and he's in some sort of tizzy…wants you to give him a call as soon as possible." She shook her head. " Didn't even ask how you were, just demanded that you call."

Lex's jaw clenched. " Was he rude to you again, Martha? " she remembered the last time she saw Hubert here at the house.

He had come out to the ranch about some minor thing - sat down in Lex's office, and demanded that the housekeeper 'fetch' him some coffee. When she brought it, he took a sip and yelled, " Where's the cream and sugar? Can't you do anything right, old woman? " Unfortunately for him, Lex happened to walk in at just that moment. She stalked to the desk and pulled him over it by his neck. " You sonofabitch! Apologize before I snap your worthless head off!! " Martha had to forcibly pull her away, or she would have surely done just that.

Martha shook her graying head. " No honey, he wasn't. I think you scared him out of all good sense the last time." She looked over at Amanda, who seemed a little confused. " C'mon, dear. Help me set the table for lunch."

Amanda gave her a grateful smile. " Sure. Just let me go upstairs and clean up a little." She looked back at Lex, who smiled and nodded.

" Go on. I'll go into the office and get that phone call out of the way." She watched the small blonde leave, and shook her head. " Did Hubert give you any clue as to why he called? "

The older woman sat down on a nearby stool. " Yes. I just didn't want to get into it while Amanda was here…she's such a sweet thing." She paused, gathering her thoughts. " He said his old friend Rick called him, " here she wrinkled her brow in distaste, " and told him Amanda would be staying out here for a while." She paused, seeing the rancher suddenly go pale. " Apparently, Mrs. Cauble had called him to let him know she wouldn't be at work for a week or so." She could see Lex visibly trembling now, fighting her anger.

" Amanda works for Rick? " barely spoken.

Martha nodded. " Yes. Didn't she…" here she paused. " Oh, that's right. You were asleep when we talked about that last night. Seems like Ricky thought it would be fun to send Amanda out here on a wild goose chase."

That explains a lot of things. " Okay, that makes sense. I'll deal with him later." She could have been killed because of his pettiness --- Bastard! " So, what's Hubert's problem? " She took a deep breath to calm down.

Martha was almost afraid to say what Hubert had 'related' to her. But she had never lied to Lex, and wasn't about to begin now. " He said he didn't want a repeat of the 'Linda fiasco.' " She held her breath, waiting for the eruption. But it didn't happen. When Martha looked into Lex's eyes, she saw quiet defeat there. Oh, no…please don't give up, Lexie…that's what he wants.

Lex sighed. " Okay. Thanks Martha. I'll just go give him a call and get it over with." She left the room without another word.

Amanda met her in the hallway. " Hey, 'bout ready for some lunch? "

The older woman stopped and turned. She looked pale and drawn. " I'm really not all that hungry right now. You and Martha go ahead, I've got to call my brother back." She turned and continued down the hall.

The small blonde looked after her quizzically. " Okay." She continued into the kitchen, where Martha was busy at the stove. " Martha? Is Lex all right? " she walked over to the counter and picked up three plates and some silverware. " I just met her in the hall, and she wasn't looking very good."

Martha shook her head. " No dear, she's not. That older brother of hers has always been a thorn in her side…he's always resented the fact that Rawson put her in charge of the ranch instead of him - after all, he's seven years older than she is. And he always guilts her into whatever he wants."

Lex closed the office door behind her and let out a deep breath. Might as well get this over with. She sat behind the heavy oak desk and dialed the number for the house in town.

She had signed the house in town over to Hubert several years ago making him move out of the ranch completely. He really didn't mind, since all he really liked about the ranch was the money it gave him. He was much happier in town, with all his 'friends - guys that usually spent the majority of their time harassing women and jumping into one 'get-rich' scheme after another. And using her trust fund money that had been left to her by her mother, she began remodeling, almost gutting the second floor entirely, turning her old bedroom and Hubert's into a large guestroom, and combining the spare upstairs room with the master bedroom. She had also built a nice cottage just off from the main house for Martha, since the older woman had absolutely refused to move into the guest room (she felt it wasn't her place), and deeded it along with twenty acres to the surprised woman (the housekeeper adamantly refused any more than that). Hubert had been furious - he had never liked the woman, since in his mind she was a replacement for his mother - whom he remembered fondly.

Hubert had been eleven when Martha came to work for them, taking over the household duties for Victoria, who had become bedridden five months into her pregnancy. He resented the heavyset woman, mainly because young Lex adored her so. And after his mother's death, she stayed on - and Lex attached herself onto her apron strings like glue. She treated the older woman like a mother, which aggravated him and his father to no end. Little Louis had worshipped the woman - calling her 'Mada' and she treated both the younger children as if they were her own.

Lex sighed as she waited for Hubert to pick up the phone. On the fourth ring, he finally answered.

" Hubert Walters…" a somewhat nasal voice intoned.

" Yeah, Hubert…this is Lex. You wanted to talk to me? " She picked up the letter opener on the desk and began to casually clean her fingernails.

" 'Bout damn time you called…" he complained. " Or did your 'maid' forget to give you my message? " he asked, trying to anger her.

" Yeah, Martha gave me the message some time ago, " she lied, " but I was busy." Two can play this game, Hube ol' boy.

" Busy? Doing what? Playing with your new little 'friend'? " he sneered. " That's what I was calling about…I don't want you dragging our family name through the mud again…"

Lex clutched the phone with an iron grip - she swore she could almost hear it moan under the pressure. " You bastard…" she growled.

Hubert laughed humorlessly. " What was the little trollop's name? Lulu? …no…Loretta? … nah… oh, yeah, Linda! That was her name, wasn't it? "

" You know what her name was, Hubert…she dumped you, didn't she? " Lex couldn't help it.

" Oh, yeah…but that's okay, 'cause she played for the other team. Was she good in the sack, Lex? "

Creak. Lex looked at the stainless steel letter opener she had just bent in half with one hand. " I never heard her complain, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you Hube? "

The older man realized that he had pushed his sister just about as far as he dared. " Okay, okay. Look… I just don't want your libido to get you into trouble again."

" What the hell are you talking about, Hubert? " Lex stood up, looking for something to throw.

" Aw, c'mon, Lex. Rick told me she's a cutie. She must be 'one' like you, 'cause she wouldn't even go out with him."

Lex laughed. " All that proves is she has good taste! Why is it if a woman isn't interested, men automatically think she has to be gay? "

Her brother wasn't so easily dissuaded. " C'mon, Lex - the little tart won't socialize with anyone from the office…just spends all her time with those two old farts."

Lex saw red. " Now you listen to me, Hubert - you will not speak of her or the Cauble's that way…they're good folks. A lot better than that riff-raff you run around with." She paused, to let her words sink in. " And, " in a very low voice, " If I hear of you even thinking badly of any of them, I will make you regret the day you were born… Ya got that? ", she slammed down the phone before he could reply. The walls began to close in on her. Gotta get out of here for a while… she silently strode down the hallway and out the door.

They sat together at the table in silence and ate their lunch. Lex was conspicuously

absent, although they could hear her raised voice boom through the house from time to time. They heard bootsteps down the hallway, and then a door slam. Both jumped up from the table and hurried over to the window, just in time to see a tall figure walking quickly through the yard. Lex went into the barn, and a few moments later left again - this time astride a beautiful bay stallion. Horse and rider quickly disappeared into the falling rain.

" Oh dear. He must have really upset her. She never rides Thunder unless she's going to ride really hard." Martha shook her head and stepped away from the window. " C'mon honey. Let's get these dishes cleaned up, and then we'll sit and visit for a spell. She's probably gone to check the fence by the creek again."

Amanda allowed the older woman to lead her away from the window. Please be careful…