Love's Journey

  Love's Journey

  Copyright © 2006 by Carrie Carr

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About the Author

  Other Carrie Carr Titles

  Other Yellow Rose Books

  Visit Us On Line

  Love's Journey

  by

  Carrie Carr

  Copyright © 2006 by Carrie Carr

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, incidents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  ISBN 978-1-935053-85-9 (eBook)

  eBook Conversion December 2011

  Second Edition Revised, Re-edited, Reformatted in 2006

  Cover design by Katherine Smith

  Published by:

  Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC

  4700 Hwy 365, Suite A, PMB 210

  Port Arthur, Texas 7764

  Find us on the World Wide Web at http://www.regalcrest.biz

  Published in the United States of America

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my good friend, Joyce, who has been a strong supporter, and an excellent cheerleader. Huge thanks to Katherine Smith, graphic artist extraordinaire, for the fantastic cover! Also, thank you to the wonderful folks on my Yahoo list, Carrie's Crossing, who have always been there for me. And, of course, none of this would have been possible without the support and patience of Cathy. Thank you all for everything.

  For my mom, who always has a smile and an encouraging word. She has been, and always will be, my hero and inspiration. And, for my Jan, my partner in life, forever and always.

  Love's Journey

  by

  Carrie Carr

  Chapter One

  THE HANDSOME, MIDDLE-AGED man stared out the kitchen window for a long moment. The winter sun had dropped behind the small hills several hours earlier. Without even the moon for a source of light, the darkness felt eerily uncomfortable to the man who had lived in large cities all of his adult life. He checked the Rolex watch on his left arm, turned around and shook his head. It was almost nine o'clock. "Does Lex always work this late?" he asked Amanda Cauble, who was seated at the kitchen table. "I had no idea so much work went into a place like this. What on earth does she find to do in the dark?"

  "She's probably working in one of the barns. She mentioned something earlier about storing winter hay for the horses." Amanda paused while her father walked over to the table and sat next to her. "And yes, she does work late quite frequently. Especially after taking time off for more than a day or so. I think she feels guilty about letting the ranch hands do all the work."

  Lexington Walters hadn't done much of anything around the large ranch the last two weeks. She'd spent it shadowing Amanda, telling her she didn't want her to be moping around the house alone. Even though Lex's reason seemed reasonable, Amanda was certain her overprotective lover felt responsible for the incident right after Thanksgiving in which she had been the unintended victim of a failed attempt on Lex's life.

  "Ah." Michael looked into his coffee mug. "I was half-afraid she was avoiding me." He raised his face and met his daughter's eyes. "I'd like to get to know her better."

  Amanda patted his arm. "Thanks. Believe it or not, Dad, it was her idea for you to come stay at the ranch, probably to make up for the misunderstanding at the hospital. I think she would like to become friends, at least." Hoping they would have the time and opportunity, she pursued a related subject. "Gramma told me you've decided to stay in Somerville. Are you going to rebuild your business?"

  "Not exactly. But I did have a nice long talk with Mom and Dad about the whole situation."

  "Really?" Only a few weeks earlier, Amanda and her father had reconciled when he returned to Texas during her hospitalization. Surprised he had not accepted an offer to return to Los Angeles with her sister, Jeannie, and her brother-in-law, Frank, Amanda worried that he might reconsider. "Have you changed your mind? Are you going back to California, after all?" His hand clasped hers and squeezed.

  "Actually, no. I am staying here, but I'll be starting a different kind of business. Dad even offered to loan me the money to get it operational. I was quite surprised, knowing how often I've disappointed them, but they stood by me through this entire mess."

  His wife, Elizabeth, had cleaned out his bank accounts and spread vicious rumors that caused his business to collapse. She was also behind the disastrous attempt to poison an unsuspecting Lex, whose laced soft drinks had left an elderly woman dead and Amanda fighting for her life. After confronting Elizabeth, Michael raced to Texas to be with his daughter. Unfortunately for them all, the treacherous woman fled the country before the authorities could obtain conclusive evidence of her involvement. Weeks later, Michael Cauble, divested of his former lifestyle, found himself starting over and accepting financial help from the parents he'd spurned for so many years.

  "You know, I could do the same thing. Loan you the money, I mean." Amanda looked into his hazel eyes. "I could always stand to make a good investment in--" she paused, wondering what new business venture her father was interested in pursuing.

  Michael blushed slightly. "A photography studio."

  "Really? I had no idea." She could not remember ever seeing her father hold a camera, much less envision him trading his corporate penthouse office for a small town job in photography.

  "When I was in college, it was what I was studying to do. I met your mother, and she convinced me I couldn't make as good a living with a camera as I could in high-profile business management. Her father offered to set me up in my own company, so I changed majors and forgot all about my first career choice." Michael dropped his gaze back to the tabletop. "I'm ashamed to admit I allowed Elizabeth to talk me into doing a lot of things I shouldn't have done."

  "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Daddy. I can't tell you how many times she did the same to me." Amanda got to her feet with a sigh. "Like my entire life." She got up from the table, went over to the window, and stared out into the darkness. "It wasn't until very recently I had the nerve to stand up to her."

  Michael stood and followed close behind her. He rested his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I noticed. Even as angry as that made me, I was never more proud of you." He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "But why then? Don't misunderstand me, honey. I know you've always had an inner strength you didn't get from me. What finally caused you to draw on it?"

  Amanda turned around slowly. "I finally found something-- someone, worth fighting for."

  "She's that important to you?" Michael saw the fierce determination in her eyes. She was so much like his mother--with her fire and strength.

  "Lex means everything to me. She's my entire world. I would do whatever it takes to protect her. Even defy Mother." Amanda dropped her gaze to the floor. And you.

  "I'm trying to come to terms with the person you've decided to spend your life with, Amanda. But I realize my approval doesn't matter, and if I want to be a part of
your life, I'll just have to try to get along with Lex." Earlier, he'd noticed the ring Amanda wore and had a good idea who had given it to her. He considered asking her about it, but decided to wait to talk to Lex instead. "Although, I hate to admit this, liking Lex is not as hard as I expected. She's a nice person when she's not threatening to throw me out of a hospital window."

  Relieved to hear the teasing in her father's voice, Amanda raised her eyes to see her father smiling at her. She returned it tentatively. "She does tend to be a little overprotective." During the hospitalization, the police had given Lex incomplete information that led her to believe that Michael had nearly killed his own daughter. She angrily confronted him in Amanda's hospital room, and Amanda's brother-in-law had to restrain her from causing him serious physical harm.

  "True, she is. But I'm not about to complain." He was about to say more when Martha breezed into the kitchen, where the short, heavyset woman stopped suddenly and held one hand over her heart.

  "Goodness, you startled me! I had no idea anyone was in here. Is everything okay?"

  "Hi, Martha. Everything's just fine. We were just discussing Lex's working habits." Amanda knew it was unusual for Martha to be in the main house at this time of night. Having noticed the sheriff's car parked in front of the housekeeper's cottage sometime earlier, she couldn't resist teasing at least one-half of the engaged couple. "What are you doing over here this late? I figured you and Charlie would be snuggled in at home watching movies."

  Martha blushed. "I was, as a matter of fact. But I wanted to see if Lexie came in for her dinner yet." She opened the refrigerator and sighed when she saw the plate she prepared earlier, untouched. "I swear that girl is going to blow away if she doesn't start eating again."

  "Has she done this before?" Amanda asked, concerned.

  "Lex doesn't eat when she's upset or worried about something. I just wish she would tell us what's bothering her. Maybe we could help." Martha closed the door to the fridge and turned around. She put her hands on her hips and faced Amanda. "Do me a favor?"

  Amanda nodded her head encouragingly. "Of course, I will. What is it?"

  "I don't care how you do it, but please get Lexie to eat all of her dinner. She barely touched her breakfast and didn't bother to come to the house for lunch at all. I'm afraid she's going to make herself sick."

  "In that case, I'm definitely going to have a nice long talk with that woman. I thought she was just in too big of a hurry to finish her breakfast this morning. Don't worry, Martha. I think I can come up with something." Then Amanda put her hands on her own hips, mimicking Martha's stance. "I'm going out to the barn and drag her back in here kicking and screaming, if necessary. Dad, will you be okay here while I'm gone?"

  "Sure. I'm on my way to bed, anyway." Amanda's father had been observing the scene quietly. He had enjoyed watching the two smaller women stand toe-to-toe, hands on hips, discussing the handling of the taller and very intimidating rancher. And, the mental picture of his daughter hauling Lex into the house made him laugh. Michael placed his hands on the small of his back and stretched. "I was up early this morning helping Dad at his shop." He went to Amanda and wrapped his arms around her. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

  The light touch of his lips on her head caused a lump to form in Amanda's throat. "Goodnight, Dad." She snuggled into his embrace gratefully. I never thought I'd have a good relationship with him. He was so against my lifestyle. But maybe that was more Mother's influence than his personal prejudice. "I love you."

  "I love you, too." Michael pulled away slowly and cleared his throat. "I'll--uh--see you ladies in the morning."

  "Goodnight, Mr., ah, Michael," Martha recovered with aplomb. Since they would be seeing so much of each other, Michael told her to call him by his first name. It was something that took the housekeeper a little getting used to, but after he stubbornly called her Ms. Rollins, she decided being on a first name basis with Amanda's father wasn't going to be too hard after all.

  "Goodnight, Martha." He waved at them as he left the room.

  Amanda linked arms with Martha. "Want some company for your walk back? I'm going to see if I can't hunt down a certain cowhand. Maybe, while I'm at it, I can check on Charlie and tell him goodnight, too."

  "Oh, Lord. You would, wouldn't you?" Martha laughed and led Amanda into the hallway. "Between you and Lexie, I don't stand a chance, do I?"

  "Nope. Remember how you tormented Lex and me with your teasing?" Amanda grabbed her coat from the rack by the back door and grinned evilly at the housekeeper. "You ain't seen nothing, yet."

  "DAMN!" LEX PUT the tip of her thumb in her mouth. This was the third time she'd hit it with the hammer, and the pain was beginning to annoy her. She was holding a large wooden board higher than her head, unsuccessfully trying to nail it up. She pulled the digit from her mouth and studied it. The skin wasn't broken, but the thumb was red and swollen, and she could see the beginnings of a bruise under the nail. "Great. Just what I needed." Lex could feel the weakness in her arms from holding them over her head for so long, as well as overall shakiness from not having had anything substantial in her stomach all day. Lex pulled another nail from her shirt pocket and positioned it on the corner of the wood. She had just raised the hammer to strike when a voice behind her caused her to jump.

  "Lex? Do you need any help?" Amanda walked quietly into the barn and could see her lover working in the far corner.

  The board shifted and fell, thumping Lex on top of her head. She dropped the nail with another curse. "Dammit! Stupid rotten piece of wood!" She threw the hammer down and dropped to sit on the barn floor in disgust.

  Amanda raced over and fell to her knees next to her partner. She pulled the black cowboy hat off Lex's head and began to run her hands through the dark hair. "Honey? God, are you okay?"

  Lex gently swatted Amanda's hands away. "I'm fine," she grumbled. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the barn wall. "What are you doing out here? I figured you'd be catching up with your dad."

  "I was." Amanda scooted around until she was sitting next to her. She captured Lex's hand. "Martha is worried about you. She came in to see if you had eaten dinner, and told me you didn't have lunch, either." She squeezed the hand in hers. "I thought you said you would eat lunch while I went to pick up my dad."

  Lex couldn't hold Amanda's gaze so she turned hers to their linked hands. "Umm, I was going to. Guess I just got sidetracked and forgot about it." A small hand grasped her chin and forced her to look into concerned eyes. "What?"

  "Honey, what's wrong? You've never 'forgotten' to eat before." Amanda released Lex's chin and ran her hand down her face. "You're not eating, not sleeping, and it feels like you've been avoiding me. Have you changed your mind about us? Is that what's bothering you?"

  "No!" Lex's eyes widened from the shock of Amanda even asking that question. "Of course not, sweetheart." She pulled Amanda into a firm embrace, burying her face in her soft hair and inhaling deeply. "Never. You mean everything to me. I'm sorry if I've made you feel anything but completely loved and wanted."

  "Then, what's the matter?" Amanda pulled back slightly. "Talk to me, please."

  Lex sighed and leaned back, effectively putting space between them. "I don't know what you're talking about." She closed her eyes to avoid the look she knew was on Amanda's face. Just drop it, please.

  Amanda scooted closer and put her hand on Lex's forehead. "Are you sick? Maybe we should have Dr. Anderson check you out."

  Lex batted Amanda's hand away again and climbed to her feet. "There's nothing wrong with me. Stop worrying so much." She walked back to where she'd thrown the hammer and picked it up. "I'm just busy."

  "Too busy to eat or sleep?" Amanda stood as well. She dusted her jeans off and sighed. "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you? You're sure it isn't something I've done?"

  "No." Lex grabbed the board and tried to hold it with one hand. "You've done nothing wrong. It's just me." She smiled gratefully as Amanda walked over and found so
mething to stand on, and then grabbed one end of the wood and held it for her. "Thanks."

  Amanda gave her an uneasy smile. "No problem." Lex gingerly held the nail in place. The careful way she positioned her fingers brought Amanda's attention to the discoloration on her thumb. "What happened to your hand?"

  Lex grimaced as she hammered the nail into the board. "Had an argument with the hammer and lost." She pulled another nail from her shirt pocket and drove it into the plank. "That should hold it."

  "Looks like it." Amanda stepped back down and dusted her hands off. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

  "Nah. All I have left to do is bring in a load of hay and stack it in here." Lex wiped her forehead on her shirtsleeve and stepped back to study her handiwork. "That should hold the horses for awhile. I'm tired of hauling in bales every other day." Earlier in the day, she had removed the common wall between the two end stalls and built a small room she could lock up. She wanted to make sure if one of the horses got out, it couldn't gorge itself on the hay and make itself sick.

  Amanda stood next to her and studied the exhausted face of her lover. "You're not going to haul the hay over here tonight, are you?" She touched Lex's arm. "Why don't you come back to the house, and we'll have a little picnic upstairs? Martha made barbecued ribs just like you like them. With lots of sauce."

  I should finish what I started. It would only take another hour or so, and--the pleading look Amanda gave her derailed Lex's train of thought. Damn. I never can tell her no. "Just let me put this stuff away, and I'll meet you back at the house."

  "How about I help you clean up and we go back to the house together?" Amanda bent over and picked an unused piece of wood.