The Way Things Should Be Read online

  "You're wrong, Ellie. Love is real. And it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. I pity you for not ever having felt it."

  Ellie shook her head. "I know what I need to know. And if love is so great, don't you think you could do better than an ill-mannered redneck like my cousin?"

  Fighting the urge to slap the smug look from Ellie's face, Amanda pulled her suit jacket around her and turned back to the window. She might have to fly with the obnoxious woman, but she sure as hell didn't want to have to look at her for the entire flight. "I'll have you know that Lex has much better manners than some members of her family. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and get some rest."

  "DAMMIT ALL TO hell!" Lex leaned against a tree, her breath hurried. The sun was almost down, and she had made very little progress. Her denim shirt, once overly warm, was no match for the chilly evening. She slowly rubbed her socked foot against a broken log, trying to remove the bits of leaves and twigs that liberally coated the bottom of the cotton material. If not for the rapidly cooling night, she would have taken it off earlier. She wondered if anyone had actually missed her yet, and then cursed herself for probably worrying Amanda. "Like she doesn't have enough to worry about without me adding to it." Disheartened, Lex started walking again. A soft beeping sound in the brush to the right of her caught her attention. "What the--"

  With the leg hampering her progress, it took Lex quite a while to find the source of the repetitive beeping. She used her makeshift crutch to dig through the underbrush and whooped in relief when she finally uncovered her lost cellular phone. Lex picked it up and wiped the device against her shirt, and started to hit the speed dial for the ranch when the familiar "out of area" notice flashed across the screen. "Dammit!" She almost threw it back into the brush, but caught herself and clipped it to her belt.

  Following the path along which she had been dragged was taking too long, so Lex changed her plan and decided to work her way back to the creek. It wouldn't be that much faster, but if they started looking for her, it would make her easier to find.

  Lex finally broke through the heavy trees. The sun had long since disappeared, and the cool evening breeze brought a damp chill which made her shiver. Her mind flitted again to her duster, which was draped across the back of her saddle. "Probably halfway home by now." The trickling sound of the creek reminded her just how long it had been since she had eaten or had anything to drink, and she hurried as fast as her aching leg would allow. Finally, standing at the top of the creek bank, Lex looked down and tried to figure out the best way to get down to the water without causing further injury.

  THE TRAYS CLUTTERING every flat surface in the hotel room attested to the occupant's recent spending. Empty champagne bottles were scattered alongside half-eaten platters of food. On the bed lay scores of hangers filled with clothes in various colors and styles.

  Terence stood in the doorway, his mouth open. After being lectured about his excessive spending, this was the last thing he'd expected to see. "What happened to not drawing attention to ourselves?" he asked Liz, who walked out of the bathroom in a silk robe.

  "Oh, shut up. I'm staying in the Presidential Suite, Terence. I have an image to uphold." Liz sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone.

  "Who are you calling now?"

  "Shhh. Hello? May I speak with Amanda Cauble, please?" Liz listened to the voice at the other end of the phone, then frowned. "A family emergency? Really?" She hung up the phone and smiled at her co-conspirator. "She left the office early today. Maybe something has finally happened to the perverted bitch that stole my baby from me." Liz jumped up and clapped her hands together. "Wouldn't that be absolutely delicious?"

  The insane sparkle in Liz's eyes scared Terence. No amount of money is worth putting up with her. He still had her bank information and didn't think that it would be that hard to take his cut early. Hoping she wouldn't notice, he began to slowly back toward the door.

  Still dancing around the bed, Liz saw the slight movement out of the corner of her eye. "Where do you think you're going?" She picked up her purse from the bedside table and pulled out a small, shiny revolver.

  "Where did you--"

  "Please, Terence. You think that you're the only person I've seen since I got out of that hellhole?" Liz waved the gun at him. "Sit down, you little worm." Once he was seated, she again took her place on the bed and dialed another number. It wasn't long before a voice sounded in her ear.

  "Rocking W Ranch, Martha speaking."

  "Good evening," Liz drawled, her voice soft, with a thick southern accent. "May I speak with Amanda, if it's not too much trouble?"

  "I'm terribly sorry, but she's gone out of town on family business. May I take a message?"

  Terence watched as Liz's face contorted into an angry mask, and was surprised that her voice still sounded like a sweet southern belle.

  "Oh, goodness, no. That's quite all right. I'll just catch her another time. Thank you so much for your time." Unable to control herself any longer, Liz slammed the receiver down, then picked up the bedside lamp and hurled it across the room. "I am her family, damn it! She should be with me!" She started throwing anything she could find, screaming about the unfairness of her daughter living with "that woman," and what she'd like to do to the rancher.

  Fearful that her tantrum could get them caught, Terence rushed to Liz's side and wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to calm her. "It's going to be okay, Liz. I'll find out where she's gone, I promise." He sat on the bed and rocked the agitated woman, all the while trying to think of a way to get out of the mess his greed had gotten him into.

  RONNIE'S GENTLE HANDS brushed across the filly's lathered coat as his concerned eyes searched the area. He gathered up the dangling reins and led the filthy horse into the barn. Checking the other stalls, he could see that both Thunder and Stormy were standing quietly by, watching him with curious eyes. The other four horses that were used by the ranch hands were watching as well, all with shiny coats and contented looks on their faces. With another glance at the pony, he realized that she carried Lex's saddle. "Lex?" he called out, thinking maybe she had gone into the barn for one reason or another. After looking around and not finding the rancher, he walked over and buzzed the main house on the intercom.

  It only took a moment before the buzz was answered by Martha.

  "Martha, is Lex up at the house?" he asked, keeping his eye on the filly.

  "No, she's not. Why?"

  "Because I found the new horse outside the barn, and wanted to know if she needed me to clean her up and feed her." The intercom was silent, and Ronnie wasn't sure if Martha had heard him or not. "Martha?"

  "I'll be right there, Ronnie. Leave the horse alone until I get there."

  He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the exhausted animal. The filly was covered with mud, and her tail and mane had bits of leaves and twigs tangled throughout. Suddenly the barn door opened, and Martha rushed inside. Ronnie met her at the horse's side and held the reins while the housekeeper looked the animal over. "See? Lex doesn't usually leave her ride looking like this without a reason. I thought maybe she had to stop in at the bathroom or something, so that's why I buzzed you at the house."

  "That's fine, Ronnie." Martha ran her hands over the saddle carefully, looking for any clues. One glance at the way the horse was lathered and covered with muck, and Martha knew that something was terribly wrong. Over the top of the animal's back, she tried to smile for Ronnie. "She's a mess, that's for sure." Martha patted the horse and ducked under her neck. "Maybe we can talk this boy of mine into giving you a nice rubdown and some oats."

  Knowing the request for what it was, Ronnie wasted no time in removing the saddle. He handed Lex's coat to Martha, who took it and held it to her chest without a word.

  "I'm going to run back up to the house. Come in to the kitchen when you get done, and I'll have supper waiting for you."

  "Yes, ma'am." Martha's calm demeanor didn't fool Ronnie. He knew that some
thing had happened to Lex, and he just hoped he could show Martha he was old enough to confide in. After she left the barn, he hurried to finish his chore so that he could get back to the house and find out what was going on.

  Martha didn't even remember walking back to the house, but the next thing she knew she was back in the kitchen. She immediately picked up the phone and dialed the bunk house.

  "Lester? This is Martha. Is Roy there?"

  "And hello to you, Missus. You too good to talk to an old codger like me?" Finding himself extremely funny, the old cook cackled, which progressed into a phlegmy cough.

  "Dammit, Lester, this is important. Where's Roy?" As much as Martha usually enjoyed their banter, her nerves were on edge with the thought that Lex was in trouble. And without her coat. I swear, that woman's going to be the death of me one of these days.

  "Martha, this is Roy. What's wrong?"

  Martha leaned against the counter and wiped her face with one hand. "Lexie took out that new horse today, and it just came back. She wasn't on it."

  "The filly we just broke? Why would she do that?"

  "I don't know why she does what she does, Roy. You should know that by now. But she's out there somewhere, and we can't reach her on the cell phone."

  "Why did she take the cell, instead of a radio?"

  "Roy!"

  "Oh, right. I'll gather up some of the boys and we'll be up there in a few minutes, Martha."

  "Thank you." Martha hung up the phone and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "God give me strength."

  Chapter Nine

  A CROWD OF people bustled through the airport despite the late hour. Amanda wove her way through them without much thought. She was still angry about Ellie's earlier comments and did her best not to take it out on the innocent people around her. When she saw that she was on the opposite end of the terminal from the car rental agency, she spun around, only to run into Ellie, who had been following close behind her. "Excuse me." She tried to step around the other woman, but found her progress stopped by hands on her shoulders.

  "Amanda, please." Ellie didn't know why she wanted Amanda's approval so badly, but the thought that she had upset her was tearing at her heart. "Can I talk to you for just a minute?"

  "Can you walk and talk at the same time? Because I'd really like to pick up the rental car and get to the hospital as soon as possible." Amanda twisted out of Ellie's grasp and began the long trek to the car rental counters.

  Ellie watched her go, then rushed to catch up. "Look, Amanda," she huffed when she was by Amanda's side, "I'm sorry about upsetting you on the plane. It's just that I get so aggravated by the way Lex treats you."

  "What are you talking about?" Amanda didn't slow her pace, but did turn to look at Ellie. "She treats me great. If anything, lately I've been treating her badly."

  "That's ridiculous. She lords it over you like some kind of--"

  Amanda stopped in her tracks, which caught Ellie off guard. "You don't know us, Ellie. And if you'd taken half the time to get to know your cousin that you've spent cutting her down, you'd realize that Lex has the biggest heart of anyone. But you spent most of your time baiting her and calling her names." Amanda poked Ellie in the chest, not caring what it looked liked to passersby. "So get off your high horse, little miss know-it-all. I don't have time for your childish shit." Amanda stormed off, leaving Ellie gaping at her back.

  "Damn." Ellie followed at a more discreet distance and waited until Amanda obtained the keys to a rental car. She hurried to walk beside the angry woman and tried for a lighter approach. "Carry your bags, ma'am?"

  Unable to contain the slight smile that broke across her face, Amanda allowed Ellie to grab her bag for her. It was another thing that Lex would have done, and Amanda couldn't help but compare the two women. Although Ellie was shorter and a lot less muscular, she did have similar characteristics. Amanda just wondered if she'd ever realize that. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome." Ellie ducked to grin at Amanda. "Listen, I know I've been an ass. But I'd really like to go with you and try to offer any support I can to you and your family, if you'll have me."

  "Do you promise to lay off Lex? I'm tired of defending our lifestyle to you, Ellie. And, to tell you the truth, I'm a little tired of you, too."

  The words cut through Ellie like a knife. She saw the defeated slump to Amanda's shoulders, and knew that she was one word away from being completely kicked out of the other woman's life. She didn't know why, but the thought of that bothered her more than her cousin's homosexuality. "Truce?"

  Amanda's weary look brightened considerably. "Truce." She looked down at the key ring in her hand. "Now, why don't you make yourself useful and help me find a red Buick with this license plate number?"

  After locating the car and loading their bags in the trunk, Amanda drove them out of the airport. "Have you been to Los Angeles before, Ellie?" She expertly pulled onto the freeway, not even fazed by the heavy traffic.

  "Uh, no. Up until a couple of months ago, I'd never even left the San Diego area. I lived in the suburbs and rarely ventured into the city." Ellie gasped as a car cut in front of them, and she grabbed the overhead handle in fear. "Are these people crazy?"

  Laughing at the other woman's discomfort, Amanda reached over and patted Ellie's leg. "Don't worry. I learned to drive with these crazy people. And, at times, I can be just as crazy as they are." She spent the remainder of the trip pointing out attractions and even offered to show Ellie around once her sister was okay.

  Due to the late hour, they had no problem finding a parking space at the hospital. Ellie followed Amanda, who acted like she knew exactly where she was going. Several turns and an elevator ride later, they stepped into a hallway where a tall, well-built man was pacing.

  Frank saw Amanda and another woman step out of the elevator. He rushed over and scooped his sister-in-law into his arms. "Mandy! I'm so damned glad to see you." He brought Amanda close until the stare of the other woman made him uncomfortable. "Oh. Hi."

  "Hi." Ellie didn't like how the man held Amanda, and she stood just out of reach with her arms crossed over her chest. "I take it you're Frank?"

  Amanda pulled back and wiped at the tears that had arisen when she spotted Frank. "I'm sorry, my manners seem to have deserted me. Frank, this is Lex's cousin, Eleanor Gordon. Ellie, this is my brother-in-law, and friend, Frank Rivers."

  Holding out his hand, Frank was a little surprised when Ellie took her time before grasping it. "Hi, Ellie. It's nice to meet you." He looked behind them. "Where's Lex?"

  "That's the question of the day," Ellie muttered. "My cousin seemed to think that riding around playing cowboy was more important than being here."

  Amanda glared at the sullen woman. "That's not exactly true." She turned to Frank. "Lex hadn't gotten back from checking out her new property by the time I had to leave for the airport. Ellie graciously offered to fly with me." Her tone spoke of untold stress, and the others remained silent. "How's Jeannie?"

  "She's stabilized, and they plan on taking her into surgery in the next couple of hours." Looking years older than when Amanda had last seen him, Frank rubbed his face with his hands. "Jeannie has pre-eclampsia. Her blood pressure has been constantly rising for the past few weeks, and her doctor has been carefully monitoring it. Now it's near the danger level, and it won't come down at all. She's so swollen that you'll hardly recognize her. The doctor said that if we don't take the baby now, we could lose them both. Jeannie is being so brave about this, only thinking of the baby. She made me promise that if anything happens and we have to make a choice, we'd save the baby, but the thought of losing either one of them... I don't know how much more of this I can take, Mandy."

  Ignoring Ellie's glare, Amanda put her arm around Frank and led him to the waiting area. "It's going to be fine. We both know how stubborn my sister is."

  Frank sat wearily in one of the faded chairs. "This whole thing has drained her, though." He looked up at Amanda. "And she's been asking for you a lot."
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  "Do you think I can see her before they take her in to surgery?"

  "I don't see why not." Frank started to rise, but was held down by Amanda's hand on his shoulder.

  "You sit and rest, Frank. I'll just be a minute."

  "Down the hall, second door on the left."

  AMANDA SLOWLY PUSHED open the door and peeked inside. When she was certain she had the correct room, she walked in quietly and let the go of the door. The sight in front of her almost destroyed her composure.

  Jeannie lay against the white sheets, her dark hair spilling over the pillow. Her normally healthy tan had been replaced by a waxen pallor, and she appeared almost translucent in the muted light. The pregnant, swollen body before Amanda hardly resembled the petite woman that had been her older sister. At the sound of the door clicking shut, she turned her head and opened her eyes. A slight smile crossed her features, and she tried to hold up one hand. "Mandy," she gasped, her hand falling back down to her side. "You came."

  "Of course I came, Jeannie Lou," Amanda answered quietly. "I'm just sorry it took so long to get here." She saw Jeannie pat the bed, and accepted the invitation to sit next to her sister. Taking hold of Jeannie's hand, she leaned down to hear her words.

  "Look like a beached whale, don't I?" Jeannie quipped in a tired, scratchy voice. She feigned a smile meant to reassure her younger sister, but quickly tired from the effort.

  Amanda shook her head as she squeezed her sister's hand.

  "I wasn't sure if I could hold on," Jeannie whispered. "I wanted to, though."

  "Don't talk like that, Jeannie. You're going to be fine."

  "Please, listen." Jeannie pulled their joined hands to her chest. "Frank and I talked a lot about it, and we even had the papers drawn up. We want you and Lex to be the baby's godparents, and her legal guardians if anything happens to us."