I'd still like to know what you think, just drop me a note - cb.zeer@worldnet.att.net

This is dedicated to AJ, who holds my heart and inspires my thoughts. I love you!

Part 7

Chapter 13

"Morning, Martha…Charlie." Lex breezed in to the kitchen with a large smile. She kissed the housekeeper on the head and squeezed the sheriff's shoulder before joining them both at the kitchen table. Sometime during the early morning someone had slipped in the extra leaf to the table, which allowed six chairs to circle the oblong wooden structure. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"

Charlie looked quizzically at his fiancee' and they both turned slightly to look outside. The heavy clouds darkened the morning sky, and driving sleet still beat heavily against the windows. "Uh…well." The lawman scratched his chin, "I suppose it's a beautiful day somewhere," he teased.

Lex followed their gaze and grinned ruefully. "Heh…oops. I didn't even notice the weather." She was about to say more when Amanda stepped into the room. Anna Leigh and Jacob flanked the blonde, and all three were laughing.

"You should have seen the look on Frank's face. It was priceless. Of course, mine probably looked just as shocked….Oh! Good morning, everyone!" She cheerfully greeted as she walked over and sat in the rancher's lap, leaving more than enough room for her grandparents at the table.

Anna Leigh sat down next to Lex and patted her on the arm. "How are you feeling this morning, dear?"

"Pretty darn good, thanks for asking." The dark-haired woman poured three more cups of coffee while Martha stood up and made her way over to the stove. "Care for some coffee?"

"Thank you, Lexington." Anna Leigh accepted the offering gratefully. "What are your plans for today?"

The rancher looked down at her coffee mug, then back up to the faces around the table. "Well, I've got to take a quick run to the barn and check out the horses. After that, my day is pretty much free."

"Do you need any help? I'm sure there's more than enough of us around here to give you a hand." Jacob offered. "No sense in you having to do all the work alone."

Amanda nodded. "Grandpa's right, honey. A couple of us could go with you and it wouldn't take very long at all." Another blast of cold wind caused the kitchen windows to rattle. "Whoa." She shivered involuntarily.

Lex squeezed the younger woman's waist. "I really appreciate the offer but there's no sense in anyone else going out in that weather." When Amanda began to argue, Lex covered her mouth with a gentle hand. "Shhh. I'm the only one who has the proper clothing to be out in that mess and you know it, sweetheart."

"I guess." Amanda sighed. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it." She looked up to see the rest of the table smiling at her. "What?"

Jacob chuckled. "I'm sorry about that, Peanut. But you just look so darn cute when you pout like that." He exchanged knowing smiles with the rancher. "Okay, Lex…you win this one. How long will it take you?"

"Probably less than fifteen minutes, I'd guess. I should be back before breakfast is ready. Why?" Lex looked over at Anna Leigh who had a devious grin on her face.

The older woman rubbed her hands together and laughed. "I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of Mandy's childhood, so I brought several picture albums with us." She saw the horrified look on her granddaughter's face. "Don't worry, honey. I didn't bring any nudes."

"Gramma!" Amanda huffed, as Lex laughed. "I would hope not!" She slapped her lover's shoulder. "Hush!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Lex continued to laugh, "but I had my heart set on some cheesecake pictures!" She had to wipe tears of mirth from her eyes. "Maybe on a bearskin rug, or something?"

Anna Leigh considered for a moment. "Hmm…not with this particular set of albums, I don't think." She took pity on the blushing woman and sighed. "No, I'm afraid not, Lexington. But I'll see what I can dig up for Christmas."

Amanda buried her face in Lex's shoulder. "Oh, god. Just kill me now."

Lex rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's okay, love. I'm sure Martha has already shown you all of my embarrassing photos." She felt the younger woman chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes."

Martha spoke up from her position on the other side of the room. "Well, of course I did. We had to have something to do when you were out gallivanting around the ranch." She poured batter on the griddle that covered half the oven. "I hope everyone likes pancakes. I thought it would be the easiest thing to fix."

"Sounds great, Martha. How about I help you out over there?" Jacob stood up and walked over to the stove. "I can flip the pancakes while you handle the bacon and sausage."

"Thank you, Jacob. I'd appreciate that." Martha moved over and allowed the tall man access to the griddle.

Charlie looked at the two people working at the stove, then back to Anna Leigh. "He cooks?"

"Goodness, yes!" Anna Leigh exclaimed. "Jacob was actually accepted to a culinary school overseas. He's just so fond of carpentry, he only cooks for fun."

"And I can tell you from experience, the man is a wizard in the kitchen!" Lex exclaimed to the astonished lawman.

The housekeeper snorted from the stove, trying to contain her laughter. "Oh, honey. Nothing against Jacob here…but to you anyone that can boil water is a master chef." She shared a smile with the tall man at the stove. "The poor girl never could find her way around in a kitchen," she shared conspiratorially.

"Gee, thanks." Lex helped the blonde off of her lap. "I think I'll escape to the barn before she starts in with the embarrassing stories." She continued to hold Amanda's hand as she walked towards the doorway. "Wanna help me find my hat?"

Amanda grinned. "Sure." She waved at the rest of the room before they left. "Be back in a second, everyone." She followed the rancher to the back door, where the heavy duster hung next to the battered black hat. As Lex pulled on the dark coat, Amanda reached over to button up the front. "Are you sure you don't want my help? It won't take me but a minute to change."

Lex smiled down at the small hands that worked the buttons on the heavy material. "No, sweetheart. Stay inside and visit with your family. I'll only be gone for a few minutes. You won't even miss me."

"Wanna bet?" Amanda lifted the hat from its hook and placed it on her companion's head. "I miss you when I close my eyes and can't see you." She felt a gentle touch on her face and looked up. "But then I just think of you, and can see you in my mind…and everything's okay again."

"That's beautiful, love." Lex leaned down and covered Amanda's lips tenderly with her own. She continued to kiss the younger woman for several moments until they both had to break away breathlessly. "Wow."

The blonde leaned her head against the rancher's chest. "Yeah. Wow." She squeezed Lex close and sighed. "God, Lex…I love you so much."

Lex buried her face in the blonde hair and breathed in deeply. "I love you too." She pulled back and straightened her hat on her head. "Now…go visit. I'll be back in a flash." She reached into a pocket to pull out a pair of thick leather work gloves and slip them on her hands.

"All right. Be careful, Lex. That weather sounds awful." Amanda stepped away from the rancher regretfully. "I'll keep your chair warm for you."

"Sounds great, sweetheart." Lex opened the back door and gasped as a blast of cold air nearly took her breath away. "Damn!" She looked back at her lover, who wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to keep warm. "Make that ten minutes…it's too damn cold out there to goof off!" She winked and hurried out, closing the door quickly behind her.

Amanda moved towards the door to look out through the glass panes. She watched with a small smile as the tall form jogged towards the barn, holding the hat in place with one hand. "Hurry back, Lex. I miss you already," she murmured to the retreating figure.

Lex allowed the barn door to slam heavily behind her as she made her way into the darkened barn. It's too warm in here, she worried. Somebody left the thermostat on too high when they were in here last. Wait a minute…I was the last one in here, I think. The rancher pulled her hat from her head and shook the excess water from it as she moved towards the wall where the device was. Before she could reach for it, the lights came on and partially blinded her. "What…?"

"Leave it alone," a deep voice commanded from behind her, near the door.

The tall woman spun around quickly. "Who the hell…"

A man stood by the closed door holding a pitchfork pointed towards Lex. "Ain't this my lucky day?" he laughed. "I was trying to figure out how to get to you, and you came to me instead."

"Do I know you?" Lex began to step forward cautiously. "Wait…you're…" She stopped when the man jabbed at her with the pointed tool.

"Stay back." He relaxed a bit when the tall woman put her hat back on her head and held her hands out from her sides. "That's better. Now back up a little, closer to the wall."

Lex did as he asked. "Okay. Just take it easy." She leaned up against the wall and took a steadying breath and tried to think. Stall, Lexington…

Amanda was on her way back to the kitchen when she saw Jeannie and Frank walk down the stairs. "It's about time you two got down here," she teased, grabbing each one by the arm and dragging the two of them into the kitchen. "Look who finally decided to grace us with their presence."

"Good morning kids." Anna Leigh stepped over to the cabinet and refilled the carafe from the fresh pot of coffee that had just finished brewing. "Have a seat. Martha and Jacob are about to please our palates with a combined effort."

Frank sat down next to Charlie and shook his head. "What did she say?" he grumbled as Amanda sat a cup of coffee down in front of him. The big man rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"She said that…" Charlie started, but was interrupted when the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Amanda raced over and grabbed the phone. "Walters' residence, Amanda speaking." She listened for a moment, then turned solemn. "Okay…sure. Hold on just a minute, please." She waved the receiver at the still seated sheriff. "Charlie? It's for you."

The lawman stood up and walked over to where the young woman was standing. "Thank you, honey." He took the phone and leaned up against the cabinet. "This is Sheriff Bristol."

Everyone in the room quieted as the sheriff took the call. Martha noticed the grip Charlie held on the phone as his knuckles turned white. "Charlie?"

"You what?" Charlie ground out between gritted teeth. He didn't even flinch when Martha stepped over to him and began to rub his arm. "How could you lose track of him?" His entire body began to tremble slightly from the strain of controlling his temper. "Dammit, Jeremy! Just how incompetent are you? I thought you had him under surveillance."

Martha was beginning to worry about her intended's health. The lawman was a very unhealthy shade of red, and she had never heard him utter a curse word in all the years that she'd known him. "Charlie…honey. Please calm down. You're scaring me." She saw as his eyes slowly tracked to hers, and noticed a look of dread on his face. "What?"

Charlie placed a fingertip gently on the housekeeper's lips to silence her. "All right. I want you to get every available man on this right now. Send a couple out here to the ranch. I want that son of a bitch found yesterday, you got that?" He closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. "I'll be expecting your full report on my desk by the time I get back to town." The sheriff slowly placed the phone back on its handset and faced the rest of the room. "I've got some good news and some bad news, folks."

Amanda looked down at her trembling hands. Why are my hands shaking? She waited until Martha guided the lawman over to the table and sat down next to them. "What's wrong, Charlie?"

"I now know who was behind Lex's accident last week." Charlie scrubbed his hands over his face. "He just recently got out on bail, but I had my best deputy on him every second of every day. And I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to try anything, so…"

"Who?" Martha asked, rubbing her hand across the weary man's shoulders. "Out on bail?" She paled. "You mean…?"

"Matt Sterling?" Lex shook her head with a disgusted sigh. "So, someone actually posted your bond?" She reached to unbutton her coat. Damn, it's hot in here. He must have cranked the blasted thermostat up to eighty degrees.

The man limped forward slightly. "Hold it!" He jabbed his makeshift weapon at the rancher again. "What do you think you're doing?"

Lex sighed. "I'm unbuttoning my coat since it feels like the damn tropics in here." She raised an eyebrow at him in question. Forget it, asshole. I'm not afraid. I've had tougher steaks than you.

"Go ahead…slowly." Matt watched as Lex slowly opened her coat. "Might as well take it off, you're not going anywhere for a while." He considered for a moment. "At least until I can figure out what I want to do with you."

"Okay." Lex removed the coat and dropped it carefully to the ground. She backed up to the wall again and gestured to the thermostat. "Mind if I turn that thing down? You're gonna make my horses sick if they get too warm." She waited until he nodded before she adjusted the temperature. "Thanks."

Matt leaned back against the door and shrugged. "Yeah. I was getting kinda hot, myself." He thought about her earlier question. "For your information, Miss High and Mighty rancher, I'm an important guy. My new boss paid my bail and even found me a place to stay."

The rancher nodded. Keep him talking, and maybe I can get him relaxed enough to get that pitchfork away from him. "Really? And just who is your boss?"

"Oh, yeah! Like I'm stupid enough to tell you!" He waved the tool in her direction again. "But then again, who are you going to tell?" he laughed. "So…how are you feeling after your little jump from that drop-off? I loved the sound your head made when I whacked you with that log, you know."

"It was you then, wasn't it?" Damn…he's a head case! Gotta keep him talking. Lex nodded. "Why did you do it?" She unconsciously reached behind her head and felt the healed wound. It took her a lot of convincing to get Amanda to remove her stitches last night. But it was fun paying the doctor bill, she mused. "How's the leg?" Lex noticed that he was still limping. She knew it was probably dangerous, but she wanted to keep Matt's attention on her, and not on the fact that there were a houseful of people nearby. Especially the local sheriff.

He leaned a little heavier on the door. "Like you care! It's your damn fault that stupid deputy shot me!"

The rancher shook her head. "Oh…so I forced you to break into my house? You're lucky that I wasn't the one who shot you." What a dipshit…I do believe that Ronnie got ALL the brains in the family.

"Shut up!" Matt jumped away from the door and stalked menacingly towards Lex with the pitchfork. "Just shut up!" he screamed as he came at her.

Charlie nodded wearily. "Yeah. He's that worthless piece of trash that broke in here just a little over a month ago. He's out now, and we can't find the sorry…" He looked at Amanda, who had gotten very quiet. "Sweetheart, we'll find him. He's probably hiding in a cheap motel room somewhere by now."

"Who posted his bond?" Jacob asked. "He may still be with that person."

"We thought of that. Unfortunately, the bond was paid for in cash, and the person had used an assumed name." And poor Naomi is ten years past retirement now…there's no way she could describe whoever actually showed up to pay the bond. Charlie stood up quickly. "I need to get back to town and head up the search." He gave Martha an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Martha enveloped the thin man in a strong hug. "Don't you dare be apologizing for doing your job." She exhaled heavily. "We'll get through this, honey. We always have."

Anna Leigh and her husband exchanged worried glances. Jacob turned off the griddle and stove, then stepped over the where his wife was sitting. Wordlessly she stood and he took her place in the chair. The gentle man wrapped his arms around Anna Leigh as she perched on his lap. They held each other as they continued to watch the drama unfold in front of them.

"I hate to sound paranoid, but what if he's somewhere around here? I mean, he's already tried to hurt Lex once, right?" Frank asked everyone.

Jeannie shook her head. "You're right, honey. You are being paranoid. Just look at the weather." She pointed to a nearby window. "Even if he is out to get Lex, he wouldn't be foolish enough to be out in this, right?"

"Unless he's been here since before the weather got bad," Amanda murmured. She looked over at the clock on the wall. It's been twenty-five minutes since she left for the barn. "Oh god…"

Charlie turned around until he was facing her. "What is it?" He kept one arm wrapped around Martha to comfort the housekeeper.

Amanda bit her bottom lip. "The barn." She looked around the room anxiously. "It would be a perfect place to hide."

"You've got to be kidding! It's too damn cold out there, even if you were under some sort of cover." Frank dismissed the idea with a derisive snort.

"She's right," Martha agreed. "When Lexie decided to change the ranch over to raising horses, she renovated the barn and added a climate control thermostat." She glanced at the clock. "And, it's been close to half an hour since she left."

"That does it." Charlie kissed Martha on the cheek. "I'm gonna go check out the barn." He started for the door.

Frank stood up. "Let me get my coat and I'll come with you."

The sheriff shook his head. "I can't allow that, son. It's probably nothing, but I can't put a civilian into any kind of a dangerous situation."

"I appreciate what you're saying, Sheriff." The big man stood next to Amanda and put his arm around her. "But, Lex is family, and I can pretty much take care of myself." He looked at Martha who smiled at him with relief. "Does Lex keep any firearms in the house?"

Amanda answered him. "Yes. She has a gun safe in the office." She gave Charlie an apologetic smile, then looked back up at her brother-in-law. "C'mon…she gave me the combination when I moved in." And showed me how to load and fire all the guns in there, Amanda shivered in remembrance.

"I'll come with you. Might as well take something besides my revolver." Charlie started after them, but stopped and turned back around. "Martha, could you call the office and tell them what's going on? There should be a couple of cars here in about half an hour, but I want them to know what's happening, and what to expect out here."

Martha nodded. "Will do, Charlie." She crossed the room quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now you be real careful out there, you hear me?" she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

The lawman smiled. "Don't you worry, sweetheart. We're probably over-reacting, and Lex is more than likely playing with her darn horses - but I'll be careful anyway." Charlie kissed her on the forehead and hurried from the kitchen.

Lex braced herself when the crazy man began to charge her. She waited patiently but he stopped a few feet away, breathing heavily. What the…? I swear, this guy is definitely not running on all cylinders. She watched as he fought to get his emotions under control.

"Oh, no…that would be too easy." Matt stepped back a few paces. "I'd like nothing better than to stick you with this and watch you bleed, but I don't think I'm gonna do that just yet." He limped backwards until he could sit on a couple of bales of hay.

"Okay…so what exactly is it that you want from me?" Lex shifted her weight around a little bit. Her back had not completely healed from the fall, and standing in one place for a period of time caused it to stiffen up. She casually looked down at her watch and noticed with some surprise that she had been gone from the house for over thirty minutes. Amanda's probably going crazy by now…she always panics when I'm gone longer that I say. God, I hate doing that to her.

Matt laughed. "Want from you? Damn! That's rich!" He shook his head and continued to chuckle. "You've completely ruined my life! You turned my little brother against me, and you have the nerve to stand there and ask what I want from you?" He stood up again. "Maybe I just want you to apologize for taking everything away from me."

The tall woman took a step away from the wall and tried to stretch her now aching back. "You came out here to hide in my barn in the middle of a winter storm to get an apology from me?" Lex took a step towards the rustler. "All right. I'm sorry."

"You are so full of shit, you know that?" Matt's face reddened in anger. "Like I would accept an apology from you! And I didn't mean to hide in your damn barn, but my car slid off the road last night, and I couldn't get it out of the ditch." He jabbed the tool in Lex's direction. "So don't be giving me no fake apologies, all right? I'm not stupid!"

Lex raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Right…okay." She continued to watch for an opening to get the weapon away from the increasingly unstable man. "No more apologies."

He moved forward another step. "You're still doing it! Treating me like an idiot!" Matt was less than five feet away from the rancher now. "I'm so damn sick and tired of you people acting like you're better than I am. First my boss, and now you. I'm not going to take it anymore, you hear?" He poked Lex in the stomach with the pitchfork, causing her to take a step back to keep from being hurt.

"Hey!" Lex watched carefully as he pulled the makeshift weapon back. If he comes at me again, I'm going to have to try and grab it before the moron gets in a lucky shot and turns me into a sieve.

"That's right! I'm in charge now!" Matt pulled the pitchfork back and spun it around. He grabbed the prongs and swung the tool like a baseball bat, slamming it at the rancher's right side. "How's that feel, huh?"

Not prepared for the attack, Lex felt the wooden handle connect with her ribs. She moved with the blow to lessen the impact. "Like a damn Little Leaguer just learning to swing," she taunted. If I can get him to swing at me like that again, I can get it away from him.

Matt exploded in anger. "You bitch!" He pulled the tool back for another blow. "I'll give you a practice swing!"

Charlie checked the rounds in the shotgun again before turning to Frank and Amanda. They were all standing by the back door while Frank buttoned up in one of Lex's old coats. "Okay… I'll go around to the back entrance to the barn, and you take up your position by the main door. Once I get a look inside, I'll radio you if I want you to go in. Got it?"

"Got it," Frank nodded seriously. He looked at Amanda's worried face. "Lex will probably jump out of the barn and kick both our butts, you know that?"

Amanda forced a smile to her face. "Probably. Or she'll beat you back to the house." She felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. But I don't think so… she wouldn't stay out this long without calling…."Wait! We could contact the barn with the intercom!" The old intercom system was rarely used anymore since it depended on whoever was at the other end to open up the line to communicate. Amanda had used it on occasion to startle her companion for fun.

"Damn…why didn't I think of that?" Charlie grinned and shook his head. "Good idea, honey. Let's go." He allowed Amanda to lead the three of them back into the office, where the intercom box was positioned on one wall.

Frank shook his head in amazement. "How many gadgets does she have?" He looked at the small box on the wall.

"Not that many…and she really doesn't like this one, because it's so old." Amanda smiled at the two men. "Lex says that every time this thing buzzes in the barn, it's so loud that it scares her to death." She reached up and pushed a brown button and held it in for a couple of seconds. "We'll probably hear a loud bit of cussing any second now."

She waited for a minute, then pushed the button again. "Maybe she's already on her way back to the house," Amanda theorized, but felt doubtful. Or maybe she can't answer it… god….

"It could be down because of the weather," Charlie patted the young woman's shoulder sympathetically. "We'll head down to the barn and see what's taking her so long, okay?"

Frank nodded in agreement. "He's right. As bad as the weather has been, the line could have gotten icy and broken." He pulled Amanda close to him as they turned and left the office. "Don't worry, Mandy…everything's going to be just fine."

They walked back down the hallway and met Martha and Jeannie at the back door. The housekeeper looked upset, and the younger woman was standing next to her with an arm around her waist. "Charlie, I hate to bother you before you go out, but I just talked to Lydia at your office. She said to tell you that only one car was coming out here because Councilman Alders heard about it on the radio and threw a big fit."

"Dammit!" The sheriff shook his head angrily. "Worthless politicians. I swear a dung beetle would turn up its nose at him." He looked at the women with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that, ladies. It just sticks in my craw to have to put up with the likes of him." Charlie looked over at Frank. "You ready?"

"Yep. Let's go." The big man winked at his wife and followed the lawman through the back door. "Damn, that wind's cold!" He quickly slammed the door behind them.

Amanda stepped to the closed door and moved the curtain that covered the small windows. "I think the sleet is letting up some," she commented quietly.

"C'mon, honey." Martha pulled the blonde away from her post at the door. "Let's go make sure Anna Leigh and Jacob are doing all right in the kitchen."

Lex tried to grab the handle of the pitchfork before it hit her again, but her right arm was in no shape to make the difficult move. She felt the blow more this time as it hit the same spot on her side. With a pained grunt, she dropped to her knees and rolled to her left. I've got to get that damned thing away from him before he does some serious damage.

"Stay still!" Matt screamed, as he reversed his hold and now held the tool by the handle once again. He jabbed at the rancher, who rolled out of the way and kicked his legs out from under him. "Aaaaaaah! Damn you!"

"What's the matter, did that hurt?" Lex taunted after she had kicked the man in his healing leg. She felt a grim satisfaction when he fell to the ground in agony. Lex was having trouble moving as well; her back and right arm were both protesting their mistreatment. She lay on her back for a moment to catch her breath.

Before she could get up, Matt discarded the pitchfork and sat on her chest. He grabbed her around the throat with both hands and began to squeeze. "You bitch!" he panted. He pulled her head up slightly and began to shake her. "I've had it with you!"

Lex grabbed his wrists with both hands, frantically trying to pry his fingers away. A loud buzz echoed through the barn at that moment, which caused Matt to loosen his grip in confusion. Another buzz caused him to look away. It was just the break the rancher needed, and she slammed her head into his face, hard.

"Aaaah! My nose!" he screamed and fell back, clutching his now bleeding face. He rolled over onto his side and whimpered.

The rancher gasped and pulled air into her starved lungs. She rolled into a sitting position and rubbed her throat with one hand. "Bastard," she choked out. Lex blinked several times as she tried to get her eyes to focus. That was close…

Matt wiped his bloody face on his sleeve and began to look around for the pitchfork. His eyes were quickly swelling shut so he ran his hands around the barn floor aimlessly.

"Oh no you don't." Lex rolled to her knees and began to crawl after him. "I'm not finished with you yet." She grabbed his leg and pulled.

"Let go of me, dammit!" Matt kicked back at the rancher. He smiled to himself when he heard a grunt and felt his foot make contact.

Lex's head snapped back from the blow as the man's heel connected with her forehead. That's gonna leave a bruise, she thought. "Come here, you little shit." She pulled at his leg again, flipping Matt over onto his back. "Now I've got ya'." The angry woman quickly straddled his body, slapping his hands away easily. She blocked a punch and slammed her fist into his already bloody face with determination. "That's for slapping Ronnie!" Lex pulled back her fist to hit him again when she felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder.

Charlie stood at the back door to the barn. As the rain and sleet continued to beat down, he pulled the radio from his coat pocket and pulled it to his lips. "I'm in position, Frank. Everything clear on that side?"

"All quiet. Do you want me to go in?" Frank's voice asked on the radio. The ex-football player was standing to one side of the main entry of the barn. He put his ear up to the door and tried to hear if anything was going on inside.

"No…I want to try and peek inside first. But be ready just in case." Charlie advised him quietly. He slowly opened the door a couple of inches and peered inside the barn. Two figures were scuffling across the floor. "Let's go in, Frank. Looks like Lex is in trouble." He quickly pocketed the radio and stepped into the barn. Across the room he could make out the tall woman's figure easily as she grabbed the other person and flipped them onto their back. Maybe she doesn't need any help after all, he wryly observed.

Frank swung the barn door open and rushed in. He saw Lex roll the other person over onto their back and climb onto the man's chest. At least I think it's a man, he thought. What the hell happened to his face? Before he could get to them, Lex had pulled back her left arm and punched the screaming man in the face. He sat his gun down by the doorway and rushed over to where the two combatants were still going at it.

The sheriff nodded at Frank and stood back as the big man attempted to pull the rancher off of the bloodied form underneath her. "Go ahead, son. You're a lot stronger than I am." He watched the scene with relief. Should have known she'd have everything under control. That's my girl, he thought proudly.

"Lex! That's enough!" Frank yelled as he grabbed her shoulders. He pulled at her ineffectually. Damn, she's strong. "C'mon…let go of him, Lex."

"What…?" Lex spun around and threw a punch at her friend. "Frank?" Once she recognized the man standing over her, she allowed him to pull her to her feet slowly. "Sorry about that."

Frank grinned at her. "No harm done." Thank god she didn't connect with that punch…I'd probably end up with a black eye, at the least.

A loud moan brought all of their attention back to the man lying on the floor of the barn. "Ooowww…." Matt started to get up but was rolled over roughly by Charlie. "Hey, watch it! That crazy broad tried to kill me!" he whined as the sheriff quickly cuffed his hands behind his back.

"Shut up." Charlie looked back up at Lex. "Are you okay, honey?" He noticed that the tall woman was leaning against Frank rather heavily. Lex had bits of mud and hay on various parts of her body, and he could see a bruise forming in the middle of her forehead.

Lex ran her hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little sore." She flexed her left hand. "Nothing broken." She smiled at the lawman. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you guys doing here? And what's with the guns?" The tired woman allowed Frank to help her to a bale of hay to sit down. "Thanks."

"No problem." Frank squeezed her shoulder gently and walked over to help Charlie lift the whining man off the floor. "Oh, quit your bitching," he grumbled to Matt, "Or, I'll turn her loose on you again." He looked over at the sheriff. "What are we gonna do with him?"

Charlie laughed. "We'll bring him up to the house and let one of my deputies take him back to town when they get here." He looked over at Lex with a worried expression. "You think you can make it back to the house, sweetheart? I'll tell you everything when we get there, okay?"

The rancher stood up stiffly. "Sounds good." She reached down and picked up her hat. "Let's go. I'm starving."

Chapter 14

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

Amanda was on her knees next to the bed, carefully rubbing homemade salve on her lover's side. "At least nothing's broken this time," she murmured quietly as her hands shook.

"Yeah. I'm just glad it was my right side instead of my left." Lex looked down and saw the trembling hand. "Hey…" she grabbed the hand gently to stop it's progress. "C'mere." She pulled her friend up so that she could look into Amanda's eyes. "It's okay." Her heart nearly broke at the pain reflected in the green eyes.

"When will it end, Lex?" Amanda asked. "How much more do we have to go through to finally be happy?" Why can't they just leave us alone? She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

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

Amanda took a deep breath and smiled. "I feel the same way. It's just that I'm tired of seeing you hurt. And we don't even know who put him up to all of this."

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

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

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

Matt glared up at the tall woman. "I don't know nothin'." He lowered his gaze and stared at his muddy boots.

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

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

"You're right. It's not that important." Amanda pulled back slightly to look at Lex's face closely. She ran her fingertips gently over the taller woman's forehead. "Are you sure that you're all right? That's a nasty looking bruise."

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just ask Martha…I have the hardest head around." Lex grinned and kissed her friend on the tip of her nose.

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

Lex reached down to catch the small hand and brought it to her lips. She kissed the delicate palm and brought it to her cheek. "It doesn't hurt at all." She waited until Amanda's eyes met hers. "You are so beautiful…did you know that?"

"Uh…no." Amanda blushed and looked down at the bedspread. "I never really thought about it." She felt the rancher's other hand cup her chin gently and raise her head. "What?"

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

A small chill chased down Amanda's back as Lex traced a gentle pattern down her neck. "Mmm…yes. I believe you have." Her breathing quickened as long fingers deliberately unbuttoned her shirt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That's good to hear. I wouldn't be up here bothering you right now, but Charlie just called. They've finished questioning that hateful man that Lexie caught in the barn." Martha sat down at the foot of the bed. "He wants you to call him at the office as soon as you can, because he and the prosecutor have some questions for you."

Amanda's brow wrinkled in confusion. "For me? I don't know much, I'm afraid. Are you sure they don't want to talk to Lex?"

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

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

"Hungry, now that you mention it." Lex started to sit up then realized that she had nothing on. I knew I forgot to do something before I fell asleep, but I was so damned relaxed after that massage that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Mentally shrugging and figuring that Martha had seen her naked in bed before, she sat up anyway and tucked the sheet and comforter under her arms. She looked over at Amanda as the blonde began to slip from the other side of the bed. When did she…"I guess we'll be down in a minute."

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

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

"Again? Didn't you just cut it last month?" Lex saw the brown eyes across from her cloud in concern. "It doesn't hurt, you know." She smiled at the older woman. "And we'll come down-stairs for dinner. There's nothing wrong with me, Mada." She clasped the housekeeper's hand and squeezed it gently. "I wouldn't have slept so long, but you know how I am after a long soak."

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

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

"What's so funny, dear?" Martha was charmed by the look on Lex's face. I bet anything I know who's on her mind. She shook her head and stood up. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know." Martha leaned down and kissed the top of Lex's head. "Hurry up and get yourself downstairs before dinner gets cold."

The dark-haired woman smiled at the woman who had raised her with so much love. I couldn't have picked a better mother. I really do need to do something for her. "Yes, ma'am. Should I get dressed, or do you want me to wear what I have on?"

The housekeeper was almost to the door when she turned around. "I've seen you in your birthday suit all your life, Lexington Marie. It won't matter to me one bit." She put her hands on her ample hips and gave the younger woman a stern look. "But if you catch cold from running around in your altogether, don't come crying to me to wipe your nose." She shook her head at the now laughing rancher and left the room with a haughty air.

"What's so funny?" Amanda stepped out of the bathroom.

"Martha's full of herself today, that's for sure," Lex laughed as she tossed the bedcovers aside and slowly climbed out of bed. "Damn…"

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

Lex grabbed the younger woman and pulled her close. "It's damn cold when you get out of bed with no clothes on." She untied Amanda's robe and stepped closer, pulling the robe closed around them both. "Ah…much better."

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

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

"Don't be in there playing kissy-face all night, girls. I'm an old woman, and I need my rest!" They could hear the housekeeper's laughter as she walked back down the stairs.

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

The blonde giggled. "Must be where you got it, then." She quickly stepped over to the dresser and pulled out a sweatshirt. She didn't see the pillow that came flying across the room and whacked her in the back of the head. "Hey!" Amanda turned around to see Lex standing by the bed, wearing sweat pants and nothing else. Oooh…nice. National Geographic, eat your heart out.

"What are you grinning at?" Lex asked as she stood there with her hands on her hips. "Haven't you ever seen a half dressed woman before?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charlie chuckled. "Not at all, honey. That's a good idea."

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

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

"I wouldn't quite say unprovoked, Mr. Campbell. The man came at me with a damned pitchfork." Lex felt Amanda stiffen and saw the housekeeper pale. Damn…I gotta learn to think before I speak.

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

Lex laughed. "That's fine. Just don't believe everything you hear from him. The man tends to exaggerate." She winced as Amanda pinched her leg. "Umm…sorry about that. Do you want to go ahead and tell us what this call is all about?"

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

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

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

"I don't get it," Lex interrupted. "What does Mark Garrett have to do with all of this? And, why all the concern for his whereabouts?"

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

Amanda gasped. "Why would someone who used to work for my father post bail for someone he doesn't even know? What's Mark's connection in all of this?" Oh, no. I should have listened to my instincts after he brought the flowers. She didn't want to think of the possibilities right now. If my father is responsible for almost killing Lex, I don't know what I will do.

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

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

"Of course, Lex. I'm sorry we had to bother you after the day you've all had. Amanda," Mr. Campbell sounded sincere, "Thank you for your time. I'll leave my home number with Charlie. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call." He pushed the button on the phone and handed the handset to the sheriff.

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

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

"I know you will, sweetheart. Now don't you worry about a thing. I'll call you as soon as I find anything out, okay?" Charlie's heart broke at the pain these accusations would cause the young woman. He had already become quite attached to her and considered Amanda family.

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

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

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

"You win, sweetheart," Charlie laughed. "We'll see you all tomorrow night." He hung up the phone and turned to the other man in the room. "I hope you don't have any plans, because you've just been ordered to dinner tomorrow night."

Robert shook his head. "Nope. My wife and daughter won't be here for another week at least. So I'm all yours."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amanda smiled. "Thank you." She took a deep breath and gathered her wits about her. "But, now I think I need to call my father and see what he has to say about this whole mess."

Continued in Part 8.