The Way Things Should Be Read online

  "Good morning," Amanda greeted Lex warmly when she stepped into the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee and set it down on the table before wrapping her arms around her lover for a hug.

  Lex returned the embrace, somewhat confused at Amanda's bright disposition, especially considering the evening before. "Good morning to you, too. I guess you slept pretty well?" She allowed herself to be led to the table and pushed into her usual chair.

  "I sure did." Amanda bent and kissed Lex on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered. She patted the rancher on the shoulder and moved back over to the stove, where Martha was putting the finishing touches on breakfast.

  At that moment, Ronnie and Martha's husband, Charlie, stepped into the kitchen, the boy excitedly relating something to the sheriff. "You should have seen the look on his face. It was priceless." He stopped when he realized that all eyes were on them. "Morning." Ronnie kissed Martha on the cheek before taking his place at the table.

  "From what Ronnie tells me, it sounds like you've got a busy morning ahead, Lex," Charlie drawled, sitting down across from her. Although dressed in the brown uniform of the sheriff's department, the lawman hadn't put on his duty belt, which allowed him more ease at the table. The heavy leather belt that carried the tools of his trade was still at the cottage he shared with Martha. He stretched his long legs beneath the round table as he settled in.

  Lex shrugged her shoulders. "Not much different from any other Saturday, Charlie. What's on your agenda for the day?"

  Martha and Amanda brought the dishes over to the table and sat down, and the rest of the meal was punctuated by the normal small talk. Lex finished before everyone else and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to take care of some things down at the barn before I go up to the corral." She kissed Amanda on the cheek. "See you at lunch?"

  "Definitely."

  "Great." Lex nodded to the others before leaving the room.

  Ronnie eyed his half-full plate, then the doorway. He began to shovel forkfuls of food into his mouth at a quicker pace, until Martha halted his hand midway to his mouth.

  "Hold on there, Ronnie. Where's the fire?" Even though she hadn't been his guardian for long, Martha was used to the ways of teenagers, having raised Lex. She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. Still more brown than gray, the bun she wore it in never lasted past breakfast. She often wondered why she continued to pull it back as she had for most of her fifty-plus years.

  He chewed hard, then swallowed. "What?"

  "You're tossing down that food like you haven't eaten in days. What's the rush?" Martha frowned. "Didn't you get enough to eat at dinner last night?"

  "Yes, ma'am, I did. It's just I gotta hurry, or I'll be late." He continued to eat steadily, although at a much more acceptable pace.

  Charlie exchanged looks with Amanda, who shrugged. "It's Saturday, son. What on earth would you be late for?"

  Ronnie finished his meal and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "They're going to break some horses up at the corral this morning. Lex promised to let me watch." He looked at Martha. "May I be excused?"

  "Of course." Martha remembered a similar scene in this very kitchen, probably fifteen years earlier. Lex used to get excited about the same things, and she understood how important it was to Ronnie. "Don't be late for lunch, though. We've got a date with a math book afterwards, too, if I remember correctly." Not only an excellent housekeeper, Martha had been studying for her teaching degree when she came to work at the ranch over twenty-five years ago. She had tutored Lex through many difficult subjects as the young woman grew up, and now was doing the same for Ronnie.

  "Yes, ma'am." Ronnie jumped up from the table and kissed the air by Martha's cheek. "Bye!" He raced out of the kitchen, excited.

  Charlie leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "I'm about halfway tempted to head up there myself," he mused. "I'd like to see Lex show those men a thing or two."

  "Oh? What do you mean?" Amanda asked, raising her fork to her mouth.

  "Ronnie told me on the way over that Lex had a run-in with the new hand. She's going to show him the proper way to break a horse."

  Amanda's fork dropped to her plate. "What?"

  "Not again," Martha grumbled. "The last time Lexie did that, she broke two ribs, not the horse." She tossed her napkin down on her plate and stood. "I swear, that girl doesn't have the sense that God gave a goose. She hires those men for a reason, crazy kid." She continued to grumble as she gathered up the empty dishes from the table.

  "Are you telling me that Lex plans on getting on one of those wild horses?" Amanda asked, her appetite gone. She pushed away from the table. "She didn't mention anything like that to me last night." Not that she had the chance, Amanda's inner voice chastised her. Your little tantrum saw to that, didn't it?

  Charlie stood up. "Well, she is in charge of the ranch. Ronnie told me that the new man had some sort of homemade bit that he wanted to use on the horses, which would have cut their mouths to pieces. I don't blame her for wanting to clear things up." He barely had time to catch Amanda before she tried to run from the room. "Where are you off to?"

  "I'm going to go talk some sense into her, Charlie. There's no reason she should risk injuring herself just because of some jerk at the bunkhouse." Amanda tried to twist out of Charlie's grasp. "Martha, tell him."

  Martha shook her head. "No, honey. He's right. Lexie is the head of the ranch, and we can't go racing off and embarrassing her in front of her men. That would just cause more trouble than good."

  "Maybe. But you can't just sit around here and wait for something to happen, either." Amanda looked up at Charlie. "Please, take me up there? At least we can watch from a distance, or something."

  "Oh, no. You're not going to get me in the middle of this."

  He stepped back. "I've got some paperwork I need to finish up at the house." Charlie grabbed his hat. "I'll see you ladies at lunch."

  Amanda watched him leave, her arms folded across her chest. "Am I the only one around here who cares what happens to Lex?"

  "Of course not, Amanda." Martha walked up and stood beside the distraught woman. "We all care. But Lexie's been doing this since she was a teenager. There's no one better at it than she is, I can guarantee you that."

  "You've all lost your minds," Amanda muttered, stomping out of the kitchen.

  LEX PARKED THE Jeep next to the bunkhouse. Before she opened the door, she looked at Ronnie. "A lot of the guys like to sit on the top of the corral to watch, but I'd prefer if you'd just stand a few feet back."

  "Sure, Lex. But why?"

  "Some of the horses like to try to brush the rider off on the corral posts. I've seen men get their legs broken because they weren't fast enough to get out of the way." She climbed out of the vehicle to meet him on the other side. "Do you think I want to face Martha if something like that happened to you?"

  He laughed and pulled his gray felt cowboy hat down to a more snug position. It had been a birthday present from Lex, and Ronnie was rarely without it. "I don't blame you there. She's tough."

  They walked to the corral where the men were gathered. Several of them hollered a greeting, which Lex acknowledged with a wave. She nodded to Roy, who was inside the corral helping two other men saddle a horse. He had the sinewy build of a man who had worked hard his entire life, and his skin was bronzed by the sun. Having been the foreman at the Rocking W for close to twenty years, Roy had watched Lex grow up and was more than happy to work for the woman she had become.

  "Hey, boss. We're almost ready for you." Roy traded looks with Tony, another ranch hand. By unspoken agreement, they kept Roger away from the animal, just to be on the safe side. "I've got this, if you don't mind checking the gate." A large pen was connected to the corral by a long chute where they loaded the animals to tag or vaccinate. Roy wanted to make certain the gate was properly closed since there was another horse already in the chute. The last thing they needed was another animal in the corral while Lex was astride this one.

 
Tony nodded. "Gotcha." He received a glare from Roger, who had just left the chute area.

  The new hire walked over to Roy and roughly grabbed the heavy rope that was to be used as reins, causing the horse the shy away. "What's the matter? Don't trust me?"

  Roy attempted to calm the frightened animal, thankful when Lex stepped into the corral and helped him. "We've got this, Roger," the foreman said. "Why don't you go find yourself a good seat?" Once the man was out of earshot, Roy whispered to Lex, "Are you sure this is such a good idea? I swear these are the wildest bunch I've seen in a while, boss."

  "What's the matter, Roy? Afraid I can't handle it?" Lex teased, as she carefully ran her hands over the horse's skin. She paused when she saw a raised mark on the animal's stifle, above the hock on its rear leg. "What's this?"

  He leaned down and studied the spot. "I'm not sure, but if I didn't know better, I'd swear it was a welt." Their eyes met. "Looks pretty fresh, Lex."

  "That's what I was thinking." As much as she tried to give everyone a chance, she was beginning to dislike Roger Jenson. "Would he have had any time alone with the horses since they were brought up from the back pasture?"

  "I'm not sure." Roy scratched his chin. "Hell, Lex. I didn't think to keep a continuous eye on him. Do you think he'd do something like this?"

  Lex pursed her lips and nodded to where the men were gathered. "I don't know, Roy. But he's looking pretty smug right now." She was well past being angry. "I've half a mind to go over there and knock that damned grin off his face, that's for sure."

  "Maybe we should just save this for another time," Roy suggested. "If he whipped these horses to scare them, it would be foolish to try to break them now."

  "Are you calling me a fool?" Lex asked. "Never mind. Just cover him up so I can get on." She waited until Roy held a piece of burlap over the horse's face, then hurried into the saddle and grabbed the heavy ropes. Bracing herself, Lex nodded.

  Roy stepped out of the way, pulling the burlap down with him. He quickly climbed through the corral beams and said a silent prayer for the stubborn woman who clung to the bucking horse with just the strength in her thighs and her grip on the ropes they used for reins.

  Although she should have been terrified, Lex couldn't help but grin at the adrenaline that rushed through her. She had always enjoyed this part of ranching, even though it was one of the more dangerous jobs. As the horse kicked his rear legs in the air, she leaned back and held the ropes taut. The unexpected spin almost caught her off guard, but she was able to stay in the saddle. Not even the loss of her hat tore her concentration away from the animal beneath her, as she continued to hang on.

  AMANDA PACED AROUND the house for a whole fifteen minutes before she decided to drive up to the corral and see what was happening. It didn't take very long to navigate the narrow dirt road, and before she knew it, she had parked her Mustang next to Lex's old Jeep. Once she got out of the vehicle, she could see the men hanging off the fencing of the corral, some yelling encouragement to Lex, who was being tossed around like a rag doll. Horrified, Amanda rushed over and climbed up next to them so that she could see.

  The horse didn't seem to be tiring. Lex was beginning to think that maybe Roy was right, and that trying to break the animal was a mistake. She was contemplating jumping off when she heard a familiar voice ring out over the din.

  "Lex!" Amanda screamed, seeing her lover struggle to control the huge animal.

  Turning her head toward the sound, Lex didn't see the horse's head suddenly jerk sideways. Her firm grip on the ropes caused the animal to fall on its side, rolling completely over before jumping up and running to the far end of the corral.

  The crumpled form on the ground didn't move. Two men rushed to the horse to keep it back, while Roy and Amanda hurried over to check on Lex. Both landed on their knees next to the still body. Lex was lying on one side, her face turned to the ground. Roy pulled off his gloves and touched the side of her throat, checking for a pulse. A low groan caused him to jerk away. "Lex?"

  "Damn," Lex coughed, rolling over onto her back. She looked up into the worried eyes of her wife. "What are you doing here?"

  Amanda ran her hands over Lex's body. "Are you hurt?"

  Lex sat up, wheezing, and rubbed her midsection. "Nah. Just got the breath knocked out of me." A hard slap to her shoulder caught her off guard. "Ow! What was that for?"

  "For scaring me to death!" Amanda stood up as Roy helped Lex to her feet. "Don't you ever do that again, Lexington Walters." She wiped the moisture from her face, her tears of worry now turning to tears of anger. "What were you trying to prove, anyway?"

  Roy, for his part, decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and quietly left the two women alone in the middle of the corral. He motioned to the men to take care of the horse, and headed for the bunkhouse for a cup of coffee. I'll bet she'd rather take her chances with the horse. I know I would.

  Lex followed Amanda out of the corral, picking her hat up on the way and dusting it off against her thigh. She waited until they were away from the men before answering her lover's question. "For your information, Amanda, this is what I do. What are you doing here?"

  Amanda stopped and spun around. "No, Lex. What you do is run a ranch. What part of that says you have to ride wild animals?"

  "I'm not going to ask my men to do anything that I wouldn't do," Lex retorted.

  "They all know that. But does that mean you have to risk your life? How do you think that makes them feel? It's their job."

  The rancher paused. She had never actually thought about it that way.

  Amanda could see that she had Lex's attention. "And what about what we have? Dammit, Lex, we've only been together for a year. Don't you think we deserve more time together than that?" She stepped closer and put her hands on Lex's hips. "I can't bear the thought of losing you so soon after finding you."

  "Amanda." Lex took off her gloves and tucked them in her back pocket. She reached up and wiped the tears from her lover's face. "I'm sorry." She was relieved when Amanda leaned forward into her arms. "Please don't cry, sweetheart."

  The anguished plea only caused Amanda to cry harder. She buried her face in Lex's dusty shirt and held on tight.

  Lex was about to say something else when she heard snickering behind them. She turned her head and saw Roger shaking his head.

  "Looks like she's got you on a pretty short tether, Walters. Guess you're too whipped to show me how to break ponies."

  "Back off, Jenson."

  He either didn't hear the low order, or didn't care. Roger moved closer. "Damned cute, though. Is she any good in the--" His comment was cut short by Lex's fist. She had released her hold on Amanda and punched the obnoxious man square in the face.

  Lex stood over Jenson, her hands clenched at her sides. "You've got exactly ten minutes to get off my ranch, asshole." She wanted to pick Roger up and pound on him, but Amanda's hands on her back calmed her.

  "Fine." He climbed to his feet and licked his lower lip, tasting blood. "I didn't want to work for a damned woman, anyway."

  "Come on, honey." Amanda pulled at Lex's shirt. "Let's go back to the house and get you cleaned up."

  She would have rather stayed to make sure Jenson left, but Lex decided that she'd upset Amanda enough for one day. "Sounds good to me. I think I'm wearing most of the corral," she joked, as she crawled into the passenger's seat of Amanda's car and closed the door.

  NOT A WORD was spoken as they drove back to the ranch house. Amanda was still trying to calm down after the horrifying scene at the corral. She kept seeing Lex's motionless form lying in the dirt, and the fear of losing what they had was fresh in her mind. She knew that she had overreacted, but didn't know how to voice her apology, so she kept quiet.

  For her part, Lex was still fuming over the arrogance of Roger Jenson. She was also irritated with herself for not checking his references more carefully, taking the names he had given at face value. That'll teach me. Now I've got to put another ad in th
e paper to replace him, since it's almost time to break some horses to sell.

  It wasn't long before Amanda parked the Mustang in front of the main house. She was out of the car and halfway to the house before she realized that Lex wasn't with her. With one foot on the front porch, Amanda turned around and looked back over her shoulder. Lex was still in the car, staring straight ahead with an angry look on her face. I really screwed up this time. She's furious.

  Before Amanda could go back to the car, Lex opened her door and climbed out. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even acknowledge Amanda's presence as she walked by her and into the house. She was through the den and almost to the office when Amanda's quiet voice stopped her.

  "Lex?"

  "What?" Lex spun around and stood, waiting for the reason her train of thought had been disturbed. She wanted to call the newspaper and place her ad for the Sunday edition and had very little time left to do so.

  Amanda understood that her lover was upset, but the curt tone still hurt. "I thought you were going to go upstairs and get cleaned up." The dirt and grime covering Lex's clothes left a light trail behind her, and Amanda knew that Lex normally didn't like to track anything into the house that would cause Martha any undue work.

  "I will, but I've got some things to take care of, first." Lex turned back around and went into the office, closing the door behind her.

  "But--" Amanda barely got the word out of her mouth before she was alone in the room. She was about to go upstairs alone, when her own anger got the best of her. I'm not going to allow her to brush me off like that. We need to talk about this. Her mind made up, Amanda crossed the room and knocked on the office door. When she didn't get an answer, she slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

  Lex sat at the desk, typing away at the computer. She had removed her hat, and there were rivulets of mud down the side of her face where she had perspired. Intent on the screen in front of her, Lex didn't hear Amanda step into the room.