Violence: Possibly, you never know with Lex - but once again, nothing too graphic. PG-13 at most.

Subtext: Uh, yep! More like maintext, and again nothing graphic (still not talented enough to write the steamy stuff!).

Quality Disclaimer: Okay, this story picks up right where my first one, Destiny's Bridge, left off. It probably won't make much sense if you don't read my previous story first (shameless plug!). Let me know what you think, I'm still pretty new to this writing thing, so please be gentle. Feedback (good and bad) is accepted at cb.zeer@worldnet.att.net.

Part II

"Lex! Wait!" Amanda jumped up from her chair and caught the tall woman before she could reach the door. Latching onto a strong arm, she forced Lex to turn and face her.

The angry rancher was almost to the door when she felt a small hand grab her arm. Spinning around, she was about to sling off the annoyance when a quiet voice cut through the red haze of her fury.

"Lex?" Amanda spoke quietly, hoping to calm the angry woman as one would a wild animal. "Hey…come over here and sit down, please?" She thought at first Lex was just going to brush her aside and continue out the door, but the piercing blue eyes softened, and the older woman allowed herself to be guided to the sofa.

Leaning back on the sofa, Lex closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry…" she murmured, feeling the anger ebb away, leaving only weariness in its place.

Amanda sat down next to her, feeling her own heart slowly go back to its normal rhythm. She watched as the older woman finally calmed down, seeing that the tense lines on her face slowly soften. Picking up the hand that was clinched into a tight fist, she coaxed it open, entwining their fingers together. "Shhh…there's nothing to be sorry about."

Lex pulled their joined hands up until they were against her chest. Bending her face down, she placed a very soft kiss on Amanda's knuckles. "I'm sorry that you had to witness that." Opening her eyes, Lex looked down at their hands, still unable to bring herself to meet the younger woman's gaze. "But better you know now how I can be, I guess."

"Look at me." A quiet demand. Taking a deep breath, Lex slowly raised her eyes to look into Amanda's. Expecting to see fear or disgust, the rancher was somewhat shocked at the amount of love and understanding she was receiving through the shining green eyes across from her. Opening her mouth to speak, Lex found her lips gently covered with a soft fingertip.

"If that's the best you can do to scare me off, you're in big trouble." Seeing the older woman taking a breath to speak, Amanda shook her head. "No, wait…I know you have a temper," she gave the rancher a wry smile, "and if you ask anyone in my family, they'll tell you I have a pretty short fuse myself." Taking her hand away from Lex's mouth, she used it instead to caress the tan cheek. "So, between the two of us, everyone else had better watch out!" Noticing that Lex's blue eyes were turning watery, Amanda threaded her fingers behind the older woman's neck, pulling her head forward. She gave Lex a gentle kiss, then pulled back and smiled. "Would it help you to talk about it?"

Lex leaned forward again until their foreheads were touching. "There's not much to say…" her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper as her eyes involuntarily closed, "It's about the missing money." Her hand was released, and she felt a heavy weight descend onto her chest… until small, strong arms wrapped themselves around her comfortingly. Pulling the smaller woman into her lap, Lex buried her face in the soft reddish-blonde hair. "It's not the amount of money that bothers me…" she mumbled, feeling the younger woman squeeze her tighter.

Amanda stroked the dark head tenderly. "Shhh…I know that honey." She felt the body under hers tremble slightly.

"My own brother…" Lex sniffed, trying to control her emotions. "How can my own brother be embezzling money from the ranch?"

Dear God…no wonder she's so upset… Amanda could feel the quiet sobs wracking the slender form beneath her. "Sweetheart…maybe there's another explanation."

Pulling herself together, the older woman leaned back so she could look into Amanda's face. "I could probably handle the fact that he's taking money from the ranch, since he really never liked the fact that Dad signed it over to me." She gave the younger woman a weak smile, as soft fingertips wiped the tears from her face. "But the way he's done it…I really never thought the slimy bastard was that smart."

"He can't be too smart…since you've caught him at it." Amanda remarked, relieved to see that her companion was feeling more like herself.

Lex shook her head sadly. "That's just it, Amanda. Looking at the statements and receipts, we haven't caught him…" she helped the young woman off of her lap, picking up some papers from the desk. "Look right here…" She showed the smaller woman the signature on the withdrawal slip. It read, 'Lexington M. Walters'. "We've caught me."

Chapter 9

Later that evening, Amanda convinced Lex to tell Anna Leigh and Jacob what was going on, since each of them had been running their own business for years. She was hoping their different perspectives would help them find an easier solution - one that didn't include Lex having to testify against her only living relative, and possibly sending him to prison. I don't think she could handle that kind of guilt - not to mention dragging all of this out in public, Amanda reasoned.

"So, he's been withdrawing money by signing your name to the slips for the last few months?" Anna Leigh asked, looking at the receipts from the bank. "And since all the statements had been sent to him, you're just now finding out about it?"

Lex was sitting in a nearby chair with her head propped in her hands. "I know…it was totally irresponsible of me not to have copies of the statements sent to the ranch every month." She was feeling more and more foolish by the minute.

Amanda, sitting on the arm of Lex's chair, rubbed her back comfortingly. "I think what Gramma is wondering is why the bank hadn't figured out that anything unusual was happening." She looked at her grandmother, who nodded in agreement.

"Goodness, Lexington! I never meant for you to think that…" she waited until the young rancher looked up at her. "It's just that the only time I can see that you've withdrawn money without using a check is when your brother has done it…and it was for fairly large amounts. I just can't believe they actually allowed this to happen without some sort of verification."

Jacob looked up from the papers he was studying. "She's right…those idiots at the bank should have realized something was wrong a long time ago…unless someone there is in on it too."

Lex closed her eyes, feeling a sudden exhaustion. "I've already called Mr. Collins and told him not to allow any more withdrawals from this account without visual verification." She leaned her head back against the chair. "I'm going to take your advice and go down tomorrow to open a new account, so Hubert won't have any more access to the ranch funds."

Anna Leigh looked at Jacob, and they both looked at the rancher in concern. Amanda looked down, seeing that Lex had closed her eyes. "Lex?" She ran a hand gently through the dark hair, "I think you've done all you can today." She waited for the older woman to look up at her. "It's getting pretty late, so why don't we go upstairs and go to bed?"

"Yeah, I think you're right. I'm beat." Lex sighed, then slowly stood up. She smiled tiredly at the older couple sitting at the desk. "I really appreciate all of your help today…I don't know what I would have done without you." She looked down at her feet self-consciously, "I think I was just so shocked when I found out who was behind all of this, I couldn't think straight."

Anna Leigh walked over to the taller woman and wrapped her arms around Lex's broad shoulders. "Oh, sweetheart…you're part of the family. We'll always be here for you."

Jacob stood beside them, giving Lex's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "That's right, honey. Now get yourself upstairs and get some rest."

Lex stepped back and gave them both a heartfelt smile. "Thank you…I wish I had known my own grandparents - but I have a feeling they couldn't have held a candle to you two." She then allowed Amanda to steer her out of the office and up the stairs, leaning slightly against the smaller woman.

"Lex…are you alright?" Amanda asked, as the rancher placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just enjoying the company." She chuckled, feeling Amanda swat her on the rear. "And I am a little tired…it's been one hell of a long day." She patiently let the younger woman guide her to the bed, sitting down with a grin.

Amanda began to unbutton Lex's shirt, not noticing the smirk she was receiving. "Have you taken your medicine this evening, Lex?" Not waiting for an answer, she efficiently stripped the rancher, and picked up a soft cotton nightshirt from a nearby suitcase for Lex to wear. "Here… put this on," she dressed the older woman as if she were a child. Before she could finish buttoning the shirt, she felt her hands gently captured.

"Amanda…?" Lex spoke softly, causing sea-green eyes to focus on her, "please stop fussing so much…you're going to wear yourself out." She brought the small hands to her lips and placed a soft kiss on the delicate knuckles. "Why don't you get undressed and join me?"

Amanda blinked. "Oh." She gave Lex an embarrassed smile. "I didn't even realize what I was doing." She pulled away slowly, grabbing her own nightshirt from a nearby dresser. Stripping efficiently, Amanda didn't notice the appreciative eyes watching her until she had slipped the long tee shirt over her head. "What?"

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Lex asked, in a reverent tone. "Just looking at you makes my heart stop."

"Oh, c'mon…I think that medication you're on is affecting your eyes…" Amanda chuckled, then looked into Lex's face, seeing that the older woman was quite serious. "You really think so?" She walked back over to the bed and sat down.

Lex pulled her close, then rolled over onto her back, tucking the younger woman against her left side. "Oh, yeah…" she gave her a light kiss on top of her golden head.

Amanda felt an unexpected surge of happiness flow through her with that thought. Wow… "Thank you." She murmured, absorbing the feeling with joy.

"You're welcome." Lex pulled her even closer, if that were possible. "Love you." She managed to say before sleep claimed her.

"I love you too." The fair-haired woman whispered, as she kissed the strong shoulder underneath her cheek.

Chapter 10

The early morning sun was shining brightly through the windows when Amanda opened her eyes, which caused her to groan and attempt to bury her face back into her pillow. Feeling the pillow move, she reopened one eye and realized the surface her head was propped up on was actually breathing. Amazing…I actually woke up first. Reaching up with one hand, Amanda touched Lex's forehead. No fever…that's a good sign. She thought about getting up, but the older woman had her arm wrapped possessively around Amanda's shoulder, and she really didn't want to disturb her. So I guess I'll just suffer here in bed, she smiled to herself. What a hardship. She wrapped her arms tightly around the strong body beneath her and drifted back to sleep.

Lex woke up sometime later, pleased to note that the fuzzy feeling from last night was gone, and the wound in her side didn't hurt at all. Amanda was still sprawled against her, tousled blonde head snuggled up under her chin. Looking towards the window, Lex could see the late morning sun streaming in. I can't believe I slept so late…peering down fondly at her companion, she smiled. She's not gonna let me live this down for a while, I'll bet. Pulling the younger woman close, she softly kissed the top of her head. "Amanda," she felt a small arm squeeze her tighter. "C'mon, sweetheart, time to get up. We can't lounge around in bed all day."

"Mmm…no." the smaller woman grumbled, "don't wanna." She buried her head deeper into Lex's shoulder.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, Lex grinned to herself, as she slowly edged a hand under Amanda's nightshirt, tickling her ribs.

"Hey!" The young blonde squealed, jumping back, "Not nice!" Sitting up, she rearranged her shirt. "You look like you're feeling better today," she observed.

Lex rolled over onto her left side, and propped her head up with her hand. "Yep…good as new."

Amanda mirrored her posture with a sweet smile. "I wouldn't go that far…you still need to take it easy for a few days - doctor's orders!" Seeing the decidedly evil grin that broke out across the rancher's face, Amanda quickly rolled out of bed and started towards the bathroom. I don't know what she's thinking, but I don't think I'll like it, she thought to herself. "Don't give me that look…" she warned, not turning around. Amanda was almost to the doorway when she was caught from behind. Strong hands reached under her shirt and began tracing a gentle pattern on her stomach.

"Want me to scrub your back?" a soft voice growled in her ear.

Amanda felt her legs start to weaken as Lex began a tender assault on her neck. "Uhmmm…" she lifted her arms back over her head to tangle her hands in the dark woman's hair. The large hands began to drift upwards, taking a firm grasp on responsive flesh. "Ohh…yeah… sharing is good…" she murmured, then allowed a chuckling Lex to guide her gently into the bathroom.

Chapter 11

By the time they made it downstairs, the kitchen was strangely quiet. Amanda steered Lex into a chair at the table and smiled. "Looks like I get to finally cook you some breakfast." She brought over a mug of coffee and placed it in front of the taller woman, "Here, you can start with this." She stepped over to the stove and turned the griddle on to heat.

Lex took a sip of the coffee gratefully. "Thanks…but you really don't have to wait on me hand and foot, or cook my breakfast…we can always stop and get some doughnuts, or something."

"Oh, no…those things will kill you! Besides, I like taking care of you… I've never had anyone to pamper before - so get used to it." Amanda shook a finger at her, indicating that no more arguments would be heard, then turned and started pulling items out of the refrigerator.

Anna Leigh walked into the kitchen to refill her coffee cup. "Good morning, girls." She gave Amanda a hug, then kissed Lex on top of the head as she joined her at the table. "What kind of trouble are you two planning on getting into today?"

Amanda turned away from the counter where she was stirring pancake batter. "Funny you should ask, Gramma. I was going to talk to you about that."

"Really?" the older woman winked at Lex. "Well, here I am, so ask away…Do you need me to do something for you?"

Pouring the batter onto the griddle, Amanda chuckled. "Actually, I was hoping it was something I could do for you." Keeping one eye on the griddle, she partially turned to look at her grandmother. "Since I've decided to live here in Somerville on a more permanent basis, I was wondering…" she didn't get the rest out before Anna Leigh leaped to her feet and wrapped the younger woman in an exuberant hug. "You're staying? That's wonderful, Mandy!" Pulling back to look her granddaughter in the eye, "Does this also mean I have a new office manager? Two people have called in the past week to give notice because of Rick." She felt bad that things had gotten this much out of hand - but her thoughts were on Jacob's health, and the real estate office had been on the bottom of her priorities list after her husband's accident.

Giving the older woman a squeeze, Amanda returned her attention to the pancakes. "If you still want me to, then yes." Flipping them over, she turned back to Anna Leigh. "But…" she pointed the spatula, "only if you think I'd be the best person for the job."

"Absolutely! When can you start?" Anna Leigh laughed, then sat back down at the table across from Lex. "Would you two mind meeting me at the office this afternoon? I can't wait to get rid of that sorry excuse for a human being."

Lex grinned. "I can't speak for Amanda, but I would love to be there when you give that worthless son of a …goat, the axe." Looking at the back of the small blonde, she smirked. "Did Amanda tell you she had a run-in with him yesterday? He probably has a nice little bruise to show for it, too."

"Really? What happened?" Anna Leigh smiled back at her granddaughter, who groaned.

"I couldn't help it…he started mouthing off, and I just lost my temper." Amanda placed the pancakes on plates and brought them to the table.

"Aaand?" the older woman drew out the word, expectantly.

"I slapped him." Amanda sat down next to the rancher, embarrassed.

Lex snorted. "More like knocked him silly! He nearly fell over!" she teased.

"Good Lord, Mandy! That man is huge! He could have seriously hurt you!" her grandmother scolded.

Looking over at Lex, the fair-haired woman smiled. "I wasn't worried - Lex got into his face and nearly made him wet his pants!" The all laughed. "But please, Gramma, wait until we get there before you do anything, okay? I really don't trust him."

"Certainly, sweetheart. That would work out better, anyway. Jacob was going stir crazy, so he's decided to work in his shop for a little while, and he's gone now to get supplies." She smiled. "He's just so glad to be able to drive himself around again."

Lex laughed again. "I can sympathize, since I nearly drove Martha crazy when I broke my leg a couple of years ago."

"How did…?" Amanda shook her head. "Nevermind. I don't think I want to know."

Anna Leigh gave Lex a sympathetic look. "Wasn't that when you rolled your truck during that nasty icestorm?"

"Yeah…that whole mess is the reason Martha insisted that I start carrying a cell phone with me…she gets pretty upset when I forget to take it." Like the night I went to check the fence in a thunderstorm…Well, at least that worked out. Seeing Amanda's questioning look, she shrugged. "It happened on a Friday afternoon, and they didn't find me until Saturday night."

"I remember…I swear, she nearly called out the National Guard!" Anna Leigh looked at Amanda, "Martha called everyone on the Historical Committee, and had nearly every able-bodied man in the county combing every inch of the roads between here and the ranch."

Amanda looked at Lex, horrified. "Dear God! That must have been horrible for you!"

"It really wasn't that bad…I don't remember much about it." Lex looked nonchalant.

Anna Leigh slapped her on the arm. "That's because you were unconscious for most of it, silly!"

The tall woman rolled her eyes. "See? I told you it wasn't that bad." She gave them both a smirk, then stood up and put her plate in the dishwasher. "You about ready?" she directed at the younger woman. "I'd like to get my business with the bank done as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I'm done." Amanda put her dishes away, then kissed her grandmother's cheek. "See you at the office around one o'clock, Gramma?"

That will be perfect, sweetheart. You two try and stay out of trouble until then, okay?" Twin sets of rolled eyes caused Anna Leigh to chuckle. "I know it's a lot to ask…" she said as they left, laughing.

Chapter 12

They were sitting in Mr. Collins office, the pudgy man sweating profusely as Lex sat there, silently glaring at him.

"I…I…swear to you, Ms. Walters," he stammered, wiping his forehead with an already damp handkerchief, "I honestly don't see how this could have happened!" His face was getting redder by the minute, and Amanda was afraid the poor man was on the verge of passing out.

"Are you doubting my word, Mr. Collins?" Lex asked quietly, her intense blue eyes boring into the bank president's face.

"No!" he practically shouted, "I mean, of course not!" he clarified, more quietly. "But our policy on any withdrawal is to get a visual identification - especially with such large amounts."

Lex leaned forward in her chair. "Then," she paused, lowering her voice even more, "unless my brother has changed drastically," she looked down at her own body, "I suggest that one of your employees is either not following policy, or they are in on his little scheme." She glanced back up, catching the sweating banker staring at her breasts.

He flushed scarlet, and began to stammer, "M..m..m..Ms W…ww…Walters…" pulling his collar away from his throat, "I can assure you that we will be investigating this matter thoroughly. And these papers, " he held up several documents, "will insure that only you…" he looked at one page somewhat puzzled, "and Miss Cauble here…" not hearing Amanda's gasp of surprise, "will be the only people who have access to this account."

Lex nodded and stood up. "Very good…and if anything happens to this account…" she gave him an icy stare, "I will hold you personally responsible." She got a certain enjoyment out of seeing the banker's face suddenly pale. "Good day, Mr. Collins." Lex gestured for Amanda to proceed her through the office door.

After Amanda signed the necessary papers, Lex ushered her out of the bank and back to the truck. The younger woman was unusually quiet as the rancher helped her into the passenger seat and closed the door after her.

Getting in behind the wheel, Lex sighed. She looked over at her silent friend with concern. "Are you alright? You seem awfully quiet."

Amanda blinked, then turned her gaze towards the dark-haired woman. "You didn't tell me you were going to do that."

"What?" Lex asked, puzzled. "Oh…that." She met the green eyes with a hopeful look. "I'm sorry…I guess I wasn't really thinking. Does it bother you?"

The younger woman wrinkled her brow thoughtfully. "No! I mean, it's not that…I was just really surprised, that's all." She offered her hand to Lex. "But why put anyone else on the account, after all the trouble it's already caused? And why me?"

"Because I know you would make sure Martha was taken care of if anything ever happened to me…" Lex squeezed her hand.

"Please don't talk like that…I don't think I could survive if anything ever happened to you." Amanda took a deep breath, willing herself not to start crying. "Why not put Martha's name on it, then?"

Lex pulled Amanda's hand up and held it to her cheek. "I'm afraid if I do, Hubert will find out somehow…but he'd never suspect that I would give authorization to someone I've only known for a short while, " she kissed the small hand, "and because I'm totally in love with you, and want to share all I have…"

"You know that I have all I really need right here, right now, don't you?" Amanda tenderly cupped the rancher's cheek. Resisting the urge to crawl across the seats and wrap herself around Lex's body, she smiled. "I'll try not to ever break this trust you have in me." Removing her hand, the younger woman sat back and buckled her seatbelt. "It's almost time to meet Gramma at the office, you ready?" She knew that this was not the time or place for such a deep conversation,

and could also see that her companion was more than a little off balance by the whole thing.

Lex nodded, somewhat at a loss for words. "Yeah…this ought to be fun, huh?" she backed the truck out of the parking space in front of the bank, driving towards the real estate office.

Chapter 13

Lex followed Amanda into the small building, ignoring the curious looks that passed her way. The younger woman led her into a brightly-lit room with several partitioned cubicles, guiding her to a comfortable chair next to a cluttered desk.

"I would apologize for the mess and try telling you it normally doesn't look like this, but I refuse to lie." Amanda grinned, sitting down at the desk.

Lex leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs at the ankles and resting her entwined hands on her flat stomach. "They say a cluttered desk is the sign of a busy mind…" she grinned, "when do you find time to sleep?"

Amanda stopped her cleaning efforts, and wadded up a piece of paper - throwing it at the smirking rancher. "Oh, you!"

Lex caught the paper in mid air, tossing it back to hit the smaller woman on top of her head and then ricocheting over the partition. "Oops!" she tried to look innocent as a small woman peeked over the wall, glaring. She had short, sandy-blonde curls framing her round face, and appeared to be a few years older than Lex. Her almost gray eyes flicked to the desk with a scowl.

Her demeanor instantly changed when she saw who was sitting at the desk. "Amanda! 'Bout time you got back!" she disappeared, then reappeared a moment later in Amanda's cubicle, encircling the younger woman in a hug. "You look great!" Noticing for the first time that they weren't alone, she gave Lex a tentative smile. "Oh, sorry…I didn't know you had company." She studied the silent woman from head to toe - extremely blue eyes, denim shirt, pressed jeans and worn but well cared-for boots. "You must be Lexington…the whole office has been buzzing about you."

"Really?" the tall woman stood and held out a hand. "You can call me Lex."

The older woman smiled, more genuinely this time. "Lord, my manners are horrible! I'm Wanda Skimmerly…it's really nice to meet you." She shook the rancher's hand.

"Wanda?" Amanda interrupted her babbling, "what do you mean, the whole office is buzzing?"

"Well, when your grandmother called to say why you weren't coming in for a while, she said something about how you were literally pulled from the jaws of death - that's Janet talking, not me." She looked at Lex. "She's the one who spoke to Anna Leigh when she called in."

Lex laughed, then sat back down in her chair. "I'm afraid it wasn't that exciting… I just helped Amanda out of the creek, and then held her hostage until the bridge was rebuilt." She winked at the older woman.

Wanda shook her head. "Uh-huh…if you say so." She looked at Amanda, who was sitting on the edge of her desk. "Well, I'll let you get back to it, then…nice to finally meet you, Lex." She left the cubicle.

"Yeah…nice to meet you, too." The dark-haired woman replied, waving a hand. She glanced over at her companion, who had a smirk on her face. "The 'jaws of death'? Good grief! These people need to quit watching so many talk shows."

Amanda chuckled, but was kept from answering by the buzzing phone on her desk. "Amanda Cauble…" she listened for a moment, then broke into a wide smile. "Hi, Gramma…sure. We'll be right there." She looked at Lex as she hung up the phone. "Showtime." Offering her hand to the reclining woman, Amanda pulled the rancher up out of her chair and led her towards the office.

Chapter 14

When they walked into the manager's office, Lex and Amanda noticed that Anna Leigh was sitting behind the desk, with Rick lounging in a visitor's chair with a sullen look on his face.

Hearing the door open, the large man turned then jumped to his feet. "I should have known…" he sneered as Amanda walked by him to sit on the corner of the desk. "This is about yesterday, right?" the large man glared at the young blonde. "You went crying to grandma because I hurt your little feelings?" Not getting a response from the small woman, Rick looked over at Lex, who was casually leaning by the door with her arms folded across her chest. "She's got you on a pretty short leash…eh, Kentucky?" using the old school nickname to taunt the dark woman. "Maybe you'll do a few tricks for us, huh?"

Before Lex could reply, Anna Leigh spoke up. "That's quite enough, Mr. Thompson. Now please have a seat."

Lex smirked, but wisely kept quiet. I'm really gonna enjoy this. Looking over at her companion, she saw the angry set to Amanda's face. It's nice to have someone take up for me, for a change. Wanting to ease the tense lines on the younger woman's face, Lex winked, and got a small smile in return. That's better.

Anna Leigh stood up, walking around the desk. "Mr. Thompson…first, let me assure you this meeting has nothing to do with the events of yesterday - that was outside of this office, and I feel that my granddaughter is more than capable of taking care of herself." Seeing him relax, she continued. "However, it has been brought to my attention that as of late, you have been abusing your position."

"Abusing, my ass!" he sputtered, ready to jump to his feet once again.

"Mr. Thompson!" Anna Leigh held out a hand to forestall his outburst. When he sat back, she walked back over to the desk and sat down. "I have had several complaints about your treatment of the employees of this office." She pulled several sheets of paper from her briefcase. "These are the complaints from this past week." Handing the papers to Rick, she watched as he read over them.

"Harassment? Lewd comments? Intimidation?" He looked up at the older woman, his face reddening with anger. "What the hell is this? Some sort of freakin' witchhunt?"

Anna Leigh shook her head sadly. "No, Mr. Thompson, it isn't. And we're not even going to go over what you did to Amanda last Friday."

"What? I sent her on a call…it's not my fault the little brat can't read directions!" he blustered.

Pulling a discolored paper from her purse, Amanda finally spoke. "Funny…even though it's kind of water-stained, you can still make out the client's name…'L. Walters', and in the space below are the directions, in your handwriting."

"Mr. Thompson, as a woman who almost lost her granddaughter due to your petty games, I am furious. And, as the owner of this business who nearly lost a very valuable employee, I have no other recourse than to terminate your employment with this agency."

"What?!?" Rick jumped to his feet, incensed. Glaring at the young blonde he yelled, "It's all your fault! Things were just fine around here until you showed up!" Pointing his finger at Anna Leigh, "You old biddy! Always looking down your nose at me - well, I'm not gonna sit still for this!" He took a step towards the desk when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"That's far enough." Lex spoke quietly.

"Get your damn hands off me, you meddling bitch!" Rick spun, slamming an elbow into the unsuspecting rancher's side.

Lex grunted and fell to her knees, arms wrapped around herself in agony.

Turning his murderous gaze on Anna Leigh he growled, "You're next, old woman."

When Amanda saw Lex fall to the floor, everything around her slowed. Rick started walking towards the desk, when suddenly his head snapped upwards, the imprint of the young woman's shoe on his chin. Amanda readied herself for another kick when the big man fell backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Lex was able to look up just as Amanda knocked Rick out. Kneeling on one knee, she concentrated all her attention on fighting unconsciousness herself. Closing her eyes, Lex swallowed several times, fighting a wave of nausea that was brought on by the excruciating pain from her abused ribs. This hurts worse than when they were first broken, she focused on taking very small breaths, when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lex? C'mon sweetheart, look at me." Amanda brushed the dark hair away from the rancher's bowed head, frightened by the loss of color on the normally tan features.

Anna Leigh was on the phone, calling the sheriff to come clean up the office. "Mandy? Should I ask for an ambulance?" She was worried, especially since Lex hadn't moved since she had dropped to the ground.

"Honey? Do you want to go to the hospital?" Amanda was still running her hand nervously through the dark hair.

Lex shook her head. "No," she managed to get out, hoarsely. Finally able to look up into worried green eyes, she gave a slight smile. "Just…let me…catch my breath."

"Let's get you off of the floor." Amanda waved her grandmother over, and the two of them helped the still pale rancher into the nearby chair.

The sheriff and two deputies stepped into the room, seeing the big man still out cold on the floor. "Damn…" he looked over at Lex, "Did you do this?"

The dark-haired woman shook her head and inclined it towards Amanda.

"Amanda?" he took off his hat and scratched his gray head. "Well, I'll be damned… what did you use? A two-by-four?"

The young woman blushed, and looked down at Lex. "Ummm…no." She felt the rancher grasp her hand, which had been resting on the tall woman's shoulder. "I, uh…kicked him."

Anna Leigh joined in. "That's right…Mandy took kickboxing lessons during the summer when she stayed with us. Even won a few tournaments."

Charlie laughed. "Damn…remind me never to make you mad…" he teased, watching the deputies pull a groggy Rick to his feet and out of the room. "I know he's a jerk, but do you have any other charges to press? I'll need something to put down on the report."

"Assault." Amanda spoke quietly, and with a touch of anger, still looking down at Lex. "He hit Lex in the side, unprovoked."

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "No. I'm not pressing charges." She whispered, still in agony.

"But…" Amanda started, confused.

"No!" The rancher turned her pain-filled eyes towards the sheriff. "Tell him if he'll leave Mrs. Cauble and Amanda alone, I won't press charges."

Charlie nodded. "Gotcha." He looked at her still-pale face closely. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Do you need me to sign anything?" she sat up a little.

"Nah…I'll take care of it." He put his hat back on and walked to the door. "Take care of yourself, Lex." Tipping his hat to Anna Leigh and Amanda, "You ladies just give me a holler if you need anything."

Anna Leigh walked to the door and shook his hand. "Thank you, Sheriff. I certainly appreciate your quick response. Let me walk you out."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cauble…" he turned to leave, "Take care, Amanda." He waved to her as he walked out the door.

Amanda returned his wave, then squatted down beside Lex. "You feeling any better?" she was relieved to see the color beginning to reappear on the older woman's face.

Lex smiled. "My hero." Enjoying the blush on the younger woman's face.

"I really don't know what came over me…I saw you go down, and then he was coming towards Gramma." She pulled Lex's hand up to her face. "I guess I just snapped." The idea that I could easily take down someone that size without thinking scares me, she mused. "What kind of person am I to do something like that?" she whispered aloud.

"A very brave person, who will stand up for their family when they are being threatened." Lex answered. Seeing the serious green eyes still distant, she added, "But damn, Amanda… you're something else! Wanna be my bodyguard?"

That did it. The smaller woman finally broke out of her mood and chuckled. "Oh Lex…" she laid her head down on the rancher's lap, wrapping both arms around the strong legs and squeezing.

Anna Leigh walked back into the room. "Lexington…are you certain you're going to be okay?" She stopped next to the dark-haired woman and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Lex looked up into the kindly eyes that looked so much like Amanda's, and smiled. "I'm okay, now. Just sort of got my attention, that's all." She looked down, seeing her hand running unconsciously through the long blonde hair in her lap.

The older woman gave her shoulder a tender squeeze. Taking a look down as well, she saw her granddaughter's head comfortably pillowed on the rancher's legs. "Mandy? Honey, I hate to disturb you, but everyone is in the conference room…it's time to make the announcement."

Amanda lifted her head with a wry smile. "Well, it's got to be easier that what we just went through, right?" She climbed to her feet and stretched. "You want to sit in? I'm sure the boss won't mind." She asked Lex, then looked to her grandmother for confirmation.

Lex shook her head. "Actually, I need to make a few phone calls, if you don't mind me 'borrowing' your office."

"My office?" Amanda laughed, "Oh, yeah…sure." She kissed the dark head. "I'll be back in a little while." Entangling her arm with Anna Leigh's, "C'mon, Gramma. Let's go harass the help."

Chapter 15

Amanda sat through the endless congratulations with a smile on her face, but even her normally good nature was beginning to slip as the boundary to her personal space continued to shrink. If one more person pats me on the head, I swear I'll bark! The meeting itself only lasted about ten minutes, but the group of employees had circled their new office manager afterwards, and showed no signs of leaving - even though it was almost an hour later.

Anna Leigh heard her granddaughter sigh for the third time in the last five minutes. I think it's time to save Mandy from our well-wishing friends. She stood up and cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention immediately. "Everyone, I realize how excited we all are, but let's give your new boss a break." Accepting the grateful smile from the young woman, she continued, "With all that has happened in the past week, I'm still going to insist that my granddaughter take another week or two off to get some things settled. I know I can count on you all to continue on without her for a little longer." Agreeing murmurs were heard, and the happy employees began filing out of the room.

Amanda stood up and stretched, stepping over to Anna Leigh and wrapping her arms around the older woman. "Thank you…I know they meant well, but the walls were beginning to close in on me." She pulled back to look her grandmother in the eye. "Are you sure you want me to take more time off? I don't really need to…"

"Yes, I'm sure." Anna Leigh placed a hand under the younger woman's chin, looking carefully into her shadowed green eyes. "Honey, you've been through more in the past week than some folks handle in years…and I think you need an extended vacation to sort through it all." She kissed her granddaughter's forehead and pulled the young woman into another hug. "You have a lot of issues to work through, even if you don't realize it."

Amanda sighed. "Yeah, I know…guess the first thing I need to do is go back to LA, pack up all my stuff, and get it shipped here."

"What's the rush?" The older woman pulled away slightly, but kept an arm looped around Amanda's waist. "It's been there for over six months already…what difference would a little longer make?"

The smaller blonde allowed Anna Leigh to escort her out of the conference room and back towards 'her' office. That's going to take some getting used to. "Well, after my last couple of conversations with Mother and Dad, I wouldn't put it past them to either throw it all away, or give it to charity…they were pretty upset with me."

They had just walked up to the open office door when Anna Leigh asked, "So, when are you leaving for Los Angeles?"

"Probably next week." Amanda answered casually, not seeing the stricken look on Lex's face as she stood up from the desk. "Lex…did you get your phone calls taken care of?" she gave the rancher a smile. "I thought we'd never get out of that meeting."

"Yeah…" the tall woman looked around uncomfortably, "Umm…I've got a couple of errands to run…" she ran a shaky hand through her hair, "you wanna stay here for a little while and get settled?"

Amanda looked at her quizzically. The rancher was looking pale and shaky. What's up with her? She stepped a little closer and put her hand on Lex's arm, causing the older woman to jump slightly. "Okay…when you get back, I have something to talk to you about." Feeling the arm under her hand tense, Amanda looked up into Lex's face. "Are you okay? You're not looking too well."

Taking a breath to speak, Lex shook her head. She's right…I heard the tail end of the conversation and panicked. "Sorry…ummm…" she looked down at the floor, "Did I hear right? You're going back to California?" willing her voice not to quiver.

Amanda mentally slapped her forehead. Idiot! She's already shook up, and then hears that? Getting inside Lex's guard, Amanda snuggled up to her and wrapped her arms around the tall woman gently. "Yeah…that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You feel up to taking a trip with me sometime next week? I want to go get the rest of my stuff packed up and shipped back here, before my parents throw it out." She felt the older woman instantly relax.

"You want me to go to your parents house with you?" Lex asked, unsure. "Do you really think that's such a good idea?"

Hearing the office door quietly close, Amanda smiled to herself. Gramma always seems to know… She pulled back slightly, then threaded her hands through the taller woman's hair, pulling the dark head down gently. "I want them to meet you…so that they can see why I love you so." Brushing Lex's lips softly with her own, Amanda felt the rancher tremble, so she gently deepened the kiss until a warmth began to spread throughout her own body.

Strong hands that had been wrapped around her waist slowly migrated downward, pulling the smaller woman nearer. Groaning into the older woman's mouth, Amanda squeezed closer, until their bodies melded almost into one.

Breaking off the kiss to breathe, Lex nuzzled the blonde woman's ear. "You'd better stop now, or your new office is going to get more of a christening than you can imagine." She felt the small body shake with laughter.

"Oh God, Lex…I think that would be a little hard to explain, don't you?" Small chills ran down her spine as Lex nibbled on her earlobe. "Uhhh…L…Lex…ah….you'd better stop, or you're gonna….mmmm…end up on my…ah…desk."

Kissing the tip of Amanda's nose, Lex grinned, then backed off. "Heh…don't tempt me." She took a deep breath, pleased to note that her ribs didn't seem to have been damaged in the earlier scuffle. "So…when are we leaving?" she asked, seeing a large smile cover her companion's face.

"Really? You'll go?" Amanda wrapped her arms back around Lex's body exuberantly. Hearing the sharp intake of breath, she pulled away quickly. "Oh no, Lex…your ribs! I'm so sorry…"

"Sshh…they're fine…just a little tender." Lex pulled the small woman close again. "And of course I'll go. Do you actually think I could stand to be without you for what…three, four days? Uh-uh…you're stuck with me, sweetheart." She kissed the soft blonde hair lightly.

"Cool - I think I can handle that." Amanda murmured. She was about to say more when a knock on the door interrupted her. "Come in." she answered, giving Lex one final quick kiss on the chin before backing away a step.

Chapter 16

Anna Leigh poked her head into the office. "Sorry to disturb you Mandy, but Elizabeth is on the phone asking for you." The older woman gave her granddaughter a somewhat disgusted look. "Sounds like your mother is in another one of her little 'moods'."

Amanda shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Gramma…might as well send her on through." She walked over and sat down behind the large desk as the older woman left the room again.

"I'll, uh…give you some privacy." Lex started towards the door.

"No!" The younger woman almost shouted. "Please stay? For moral support?" she begged, as the phone buzzed. Amanda waited until the tall woman sat down in the chair across from her before she picked up the handset. "This is Amanda…Hello, Mother."

"Amanda Lorraine Cauble! I've been calling all over town looking for you…" Elizabeth's pinched voice whined.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." The young woman replied, annoyed. "Is there something I can do for you, Mother?"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. I'm still your mother - even though you never bother to call me anymore." Elizabeth berated. "When are you coming home? I fail to see how you can be happy in that horribly small town…they don't even have a proper museum."

Amanda rolled her eyes. Well, we do have the Texas Oak Tree Museum, but I guess she's probably not interested in that…"Mother, believe it or not, the world does not revolve around museums and the cultural arts."

Elizabeth gasped. "Dear Lord! Don't say things like that! I do believe living with your grandparents is ruining you! They never did appreciate the finer things - it's a wonder your father turned out the way he did."

"I've often wondered that myself." Amanda murmured. "Is there a reason you called, other than to belittle Gramma and Grandpa?"

"See? You made me so upset that I almost forgot the reason I was looking for you…" the older woman sighed. "You have to come home next week…we are having our annual Fall Dinner for your father's business associates, and he would like for you to be here."

"Mother, I have a job and responsibilities here…I can't just drop everything to fly halfway across the country for a dinner party!" Even though she was planning on going back next week, the younger woman did not want to give her mother the satisfaction. Seeing Lex smile, she crooked a finger at her, beckoning the rancher towards her.

Lex raised an eyebrow, but got up and walked behind the desk. Amanda stood up wordlessly, then pushed the lanky form of her lover into the chair, gently sliding into the taller woman's lap. Feeling strong arms pull her close, Amanda listened to her mother's ranting.

"I think we've been too lenient with you, Amanda. You didn't used to act this way with us." Her mother's tone was harsh. "I told your father that it was not a good idea for you to spend so much time down there…"

Amanda tensed. "Why? Because I'm actually thinking for myself?" Lex gave her a squeeze, and her anger dissipated, replaced by an aching sadness. "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment to you, Mother."

Her mother sighed. "Amanda dear…it's not that you're a disappointment, you've just gotten so headstrong. What happened to my little girl?"

She's still in Los Angeles, working in the gallery, Amanda thought. Jeannie was always her little girl…I was always her disappointment. "I guess I grew up." The young woman sighed.

"Thank God!" Lex whispered in her ear, making Amanda chuckle.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Mother?"

"I said, it would mean a lot to your father and me if you could make it back for this dinner." She paused, then added, "You can even bring your new friend if you want to…we'd really like to see you, dear."

"Oooh…an invitation…guess I'd better starch my jeans." Lex whispered into the nearby ear.

Amanda slapped the large hands resting on her stomach. "Actually, Mother…that would work just fine…I need to come and pack up the rest of my stuff anyway." She leaned back as soft lips nibbled lightly on her neck. "What night is the dinner?"

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. "Next Friday. Could you come a day or two early? Jeannie and Frank will be staying at the house next week, and I know she would love to see you."

Turning slightly, Amanda gave Lex a questioning glance. "Sure…whatever you want." The rancher murmured.

Amanda gave her lover a light peck on the lips. "Mother? We can fly out early Wednesday - but I have to be back here Sunday, alright?"

The older woman tsked. "Four days? Well, I guess it's better than nothing. Call us Tuesday with your itinerary, and we'll have the driver pick you up."

Frowning, the young woman shook her head. "No, Mother - that won't be necessary… we'll just rent a car." She hated the limousine.

"Fine. I won't bother to do anything for you." Elizabeth muttered. "Your father would feel better if you acted more to your upbringing. We worked very hard to get where we are, and I really don't want you to embarrass him by acting so…lower class. At least rent a decent car, not like that old junkard you drive now."

Oh yeah, they worked terribly hard, waiting until certain family members died to get at their inheritance. "Yes, Mother." It was hard to stay angry with her mother with Lex kissing the back of her neck. "I'll see you on Wednesday." She hung up the phone before the older woman could complain any more. "Aarrgh! She's so infuriating!"

Lex squeezed her tighter, and then kissed her on top of the head. "Mmm…think of it this way - you'll get your revenge when you show up with me." She chuckled.

"What do you mean?" The younger woman turned slightly, so she could look the rancher in the eye.

"Well, I don't think I'll fit in too well - but don't worry. I'll try not to spit on the floors or anything." She gave Amanda a wry smile.

Stroking the tan cheek, Amanda smiled gently. "Do you actually think that I would be ashamed or embarrassed of you?" she gave the older woman a sad look. "Why?"

"No…I don't think you would feel that way - but I can't help but feel a little 'common' around folks like that." Then she grinned. "I guess this means I have an occasion to wear my new boots."

Amanda wrapped her arms around the dark-haired woman's neck. "Honey, they probably could call you a lot of things, but common certainly isn't one of them…gorgeous, sweet, funny, wonderful…"

Lex covered her mouth with a large hand. "Hush! I get your point, but…I don't have anything to wear to something like that. I'd do anything for you, you know, but" she lowered her gaze, a slight blush on her face, "I hope I don't have to wear one of those slinky-looking numbers… I haven't worn a dress since I was four years old."

Lifting the older woman's chin, Amanda gazed into her eyes. "Sweetheart, I would never ask you to be something you're not - you can wear cutoffs and an old dirty tee shirt, and I'd still be proud to walk in with you."

Lex laughed. "Now that would be a picture!" She gave the younger woman a tender kiss. "But I think I should probably find something to wear - I really don't have anything but jeans." A shy smile. "You want to help me pick something out?"

"Oooh! Shopping! My favorite hobby!" Amanda looked at Lex with a sexy grin. "Well, it was my favorite hobby, until recently." She climbed off of the rancher's lap. "We'll pick something up when we get to LA…C'mon…let's go get something to eat, I'm starved."

"Newsflash." Lex grinned, getting to her feet as well.

Chapter 17

After telling Anna Leigh goodbye and not to wait dinner for them, Amanda and Lex found themselves sitting at a secluded table in a nearby restaurant.

Amanda was attacking the chips and salsa with gusto. "This is great!" She mumbled between mouthfuls. Glancing across the table, she noticed Lex was staring at her, with an amused look on her face. "What?"

"Amazing." The older woman grinned, shaking her head.

"What?!" Amanda stopped, studying the smiling face across from her.

Lex unsuccessfully tried to lose the silly smile she knew had to be on her face. "Umm…" she took a sip of her ice tea, then cleared her throat. "I was just wondering…how does someone as small as you enjoy food so much, and still have such a fantastic figure?"

Amanda blushed, ducking her head. "I don't know about the figure, but I've always enjoyed my food." The smaller woman's eyes grew large as a sizzling platter of fajitas was brought to their table. "Ooohhh…"

Lex partially choked on her tea. "Damn, Amanda…are you trying to kill me?" She laughed at the blush her comment caused. The dark-haired woman's brows knit in thought. "Hey…I just realized something."

Amanda looked up from her fajita construction. "What's that?" she added a dollop of guacamole, then folded the tortilla over in triumph. "Heh."

"This is the first time we've gone out to eat together - kinda like a first date, huh?" Lex smiled at the obvious enjoyment her companion had at building her meal.

Chewing then quickly swallowing, Amanda nodded. "Hey, you're right. Want to do the entire cliched first-date thing? How about a movie after dinner? We could make an evening out of it."

"Sure…do I have to get you home early?" Lex grinned. "How late is your curfew?" she lifted a forkful of Spanish rice to her mouth.

"Nothing to worry about there…my grandparents trust me. I've never had a curfew when I have stayed with them." She took a sip of her tea, and gave Lex a sexy smile. "Of course, I've never had such a good incentive to stay out late before, either." Watching the tall woman flush, she giggled.

Lex, finished with building her own fajita, shook her head. "Then I guess it's probably a good thing we didn't meet any sooner - I could have corrupted your tender sensibilities." She looked up with a devilish smile. "Although, I believe it would have been fun to try."

Amanda wiped her face with her napkin, then returned it to her lap. "You can say that again." She teased.

After flirting shamelessly with Amanda throughout the meal, Lex dropped her napkin to the table with a heavy sigh. "Hey, it's actually a pretty nice evening, not too cool - could I interest you in a walk through the park instead of a movie? I need to work off this dinner, somehow." She asked. I really need some fresh air - all this indoor activity is starting to make me a little stir-crazy.

"Do you feel well enough to go on a walk?" Amanda looked into the blue eyes across from her. "How are your ribs?"

Lex leaned back away from the table and sighed again. "I feel fine - stuffed, but fine." She waved at the waiter for the check. "You about done?" Smirking at Amanda's empty plate.

The younger woman placed her napkin on the table and groaned. "Mmm…I think a walk is a great idea - I won't be able to eat another bite for a least a week!" Hearing a stifled chuckle, she glanced up sharply. "Don't you dare…" shaking her finger at Lex. "C'mon…there's a nice little park a few blocks from the house…it has a small lake and path to walk on, too." She grabbed the check as soon as it hit the table. "My treat - I asked you to dinner, remember?"

Lex conceded with a nod. "Okay, next one's on me." Seeing the nasty smirk on the young blonde's face, she shook her head. "Uh-uh…don't you even think about going there!"

Amanda shrugged her shoulders, an innocent look on her face. "Who, me?" she left money on the table with the check, and stood up. "Let's go see what kind of trouble we can cause at the park…I'll get my dessert later." With a wink, Amanda strolled happily out of the restaurant, leaving her companion to pick up her jaw and scramble after her.

Continued in Part 3.