Love's Journey Page 4

  "No. He's never been keen on birthdays. The last time I heard from him, he asked me to wire him some money to Tulsa." She forced a smile onto her face. "He's probably not staying in any one place too long."

  Travis shook his head. "Don't make excuses for him, honey. He isn't worth it." He stood and offered Lex his hand. "Come on, I've got something to show you."

  Intrigued, Lex accepted his hand and allowed her grandfather to pull her to her feet. She continued to hold his hand as they walked to the back of the house. When they stopped before a plain-looking door, she watched as Travis pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

  "This was Melanie's work room. I locked it when she became too ill to come downstairs." He unlocked the door and pulled Lex inside. When Travis flipped on the light-switch, both of them blinked in response to the bright light.

  "Wow." Lex looked around the room in awe. It was spacious, with several wide tables in the middle. A sewing machine sat by an expansive picture window, obviously to allow someone to work by the sunlight that would stream through it. One wall was covered with clear drawers and shelves that appeared to hold every kind of craft and sewing item imaginable.

  Travis laughed at the look on her face. "She loved to work with her hands, making things. Most of the window treatments in this house are your grandmother's handiwork." He walked over to a large, antique steamer trunk and knelt beside it. "Come over here, Lexie. Your grandmother wanted you to have this and all its contents, too." Travis handed Lex a small key. "Go ahead and open it."

  Lex dropped to her knees beside him and accepted the key. "How did she know I'd ever be here? For all you knew, I was just as hateful as Hubert." She felt a comforting touch on her shoulder, as she tucked away the guilt she held from the missing years. I should have at least tried to visit their graves, since they were supposed to be dead. Then I would have known that my father lied to me. All of this could have been avoided if I had tried to find them. Her hand shook as she unlocked the old trunk. When Lex began to lift the lid, a faint wisp of lilacs tickled her senses.

  "She loved lilacs," Travis wistfully said. He inhaled deeply as tears sprang unbidden to his eyes. He helped his granddaughter raise the heavy lid the rest of the way.

  "There's a bundle of letters here on top," Lex commented. She picked them up carefully. Untying them, she read the beautiful handwriting on the top note.

  Dearest Lexington,

  Since you are reading this, I'm happily assuming your grandfather finally swallowed his pride and was able to reach you. Don't blame him, dear. His heart is in the right place, and he loves you as much as I do.

  I had always hoped to be able to give you these cards and letters myself, but I'm afraid the good Lord has other plans for me. Don't be sad, honey. I've lived a long and happy life, and the only regret I have is I wasn't able to see you all grown and tell you how much you mean to me. I have never stopped loving you, Lexie. You were always a very special girl, and I know time has not changed that fact.

  One bit of advice I have for you is this. Find your true love, and never let go. I was lucky to find my other half over fifty years ago, and I have never regretted one moment that we had together.

  Please, do me one favor. Take care of your grandfather for me. I know he'll rattle around in our 'white elephant' after I'm gone, and I can't stand the thought of that happening. Give him a hug for me, and tell him I'll gladly wait for as long as it takes. He'll understand.

  I love you, Lexie. You are my granddaughter, and I've always been so proud of you. Live your life well, and hold on to love with everything you have. I promise you won't be sorry. All my love, Grandma Lanie

  Lex sighed heavily, unsuccessfully fighting the tears that were silently trailing down her cheeks. I remember her. Grandma Lanie. Oh, God, don't fall apart, Lexington. The letter brought back faded memories of a small woman with dark hair and twinkling eyes, who doted on Lex at every turn. She used to sit me on the counter in the kitchen and let me 'help' her make cookies. I actually remember doing that! She was shaken from her reverie when the large hand on her shoulder squeezed gently.

  "Lexie? What's wrong, child?" Travis could see the tears streaming down the young woman's face after she read the note. "Are you okay?"

  She nodded and leaned into her grandfather's touch. "Yeah." Lex wiped at her eyes with the back of one hand. "I'm fine." She turned and stared into Travis' face with a watery smile. "Reading that just brought back some memories."

  Travis pulled a linen handkerchief out of his pocket. "Here." He wiped at her face gently. "I hope they were good ones."

  "The best." Lex shuddered as she sought to bring herself back under control. "I actually remember her. I remember sitting on the kitchen counter, watching Grandma mixing cookies. Until now, I couldn't remember much about either of you. Just little flashes."

  "That's wonderful, sweetheart." Suddenly Lex wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "What's that for?" "Grandma told me to." She finally stood and offered him a hand. Seeing Travis was on the verge of tears as well, Lex decided a regroup was in order. "Why don't we both try to get a little sleep?" she asked as she pulled him to his feet with one hand. In the other hand, she held a bundle of letters, determined to read them once she was upstairs.

  He choked back more tears and nodded. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Travis pulled the young woman close to him and escorted her from the room, closing the door behind them.

  Chapter Three

  LEX SAT IN the rear seat while Amanda quietly held her hand. Lex stared out the side window, idly studying the passing scenery. Amanda could tell Lex was tired and was not looking forward to the rest of this day. Instead of going to sleep after climbing back upstairs early that morning, she spent the hours before dawn reading the bundle of letters and cards her grandmother saved for her. Lex was amazed at all the birthday cards and letters her grandmother had written her over the past twenty-five years. She told Amanda that just thinking about her grandmother's tireless faith in her caused a lump to form in her throat.

  Amanda exchanged concerned looks with Travis. He was facing them from the seat opposite theirs in the limousine he frequently used to travel through Dallas' traffic. Lex hadn't said more than a couple of words to anyone all morning. After glancing once more at Lex, she turned again toward Travis. "So, Travis, got any stories about Lex as a child? I'm sure you must have some good ones." The hand in hers clenched a little tighter, but no other sign of acknowledgement came from Lex.

  "Oh, I've got quite a few. When Lexie was small, she would go non-stop until she finally dropped. We used to find her asleep in some of the craziest places."

  "She's still like that," Amanda offered cheerfully, glancing at the woman in question.

  Lex rolled her eyes. "Harrumph," she grunted, but waited for Travis to continue.

  Travis chuckled. "I remember once, when she was almost three, we lost her for the better part of an afternoon. It appeared someone left the back door unlocked, and she had somehow gotten out."

  "Oh, no!" Amanda covered her mouth with her free hand. She could just imagine the dangers a large ranch could hold for an unsupervised toddler.

  "Oh, yes. We were there because it was Victoria's birthday, and she'd invited Melanie and me out for the weekend. When we discovered Lexie missing, I'm afraid I accused her brother Hubert of doing something to her." He secretly thought the boy led his sister outside, in the hope she wouldn't come back. It wouldn't have been the first time he tried to become an only child. I've never seen someone so young be so hateful. That boy's not right. Never has been.

  "I bet that went over well," Lex commented, speaking for the first time in hours.

  "He said if he'd wanted to get rid of you, he'd have done it a long time before." Travis shook his head. "Anyway, we had the entire ranch out searching for Lexie. It was the beginning of June, and we were terrified the heat would kill her. Every able-bodied man was involved in the search, both on horseback and on foot. Tory and Melanie were bes
ide themselves with worry. They searched every nook and cranny of the house, but to no avail."

  Amanda glanced at her lover, who was completely engrossed in the story. This is pulling her out of that mood. Good. Poor Lex isn't used to so much heavy emotion at one time. She knew yesterday hit the usually stoic woman hard, and it was probably going to become even worse today. I'll make sure she realizes she's not alone, and it's okay to let go. "The suspense is killing me. What happened?" The sound of Lex's chuckle lightened her heart.

  "Well, it appeared little Lexie saw her daddy leave the house, and she decided to follow him. Rawson told us that morning he was going to ride to the far back pasture, but we didn't think anything of it. We found her locked in the tack room, where she tried to drag a saddle out into the barn. Lexie was sound asleep. Evidently, she wore herself out trying to emulate Rawson. She was a stubborn little thing, even at that age."

  Lex snorted. "Me? Stubborn?" She smiled innocently. "Never."

  "Of course not," Amanda agreed. "A little headstrong, and maybe even bullheaded, but never stubborn." She smiled cheekily at Lex, who shook her head and glanced back out the window.

  Lex noted with surprise that they had left the city behind. Open fields and farmhouses replaced the office buildings and shopping centers. "Where are we?"

  Travis leaned back in the seat. "Outside Dallas. We're going to a private cemetery that has been in our family for over a hundred years."

  Lex turned her attention back to her grandfather. "Really? Why wasn't Mother buried there instead of the cemetery on the ranch?" She placed flowers on her grave every year on her mother's birthday as well as many of the holidays.

  "Your father made the arrangements before we even knew she was gone," Travis uttered quietly. "Melanie called the ranch to see how she was, and Martha told her the funeral was set for the next morning." He angrily rubbed at his eyes. "After the service, Rawson told us he didn't want to see us ever again. That's the closest I've ever come to killing someone."

  Amanda watched as her partner immediately unfastened her seatbelt in order to move across the car to sit next to Travis and enveloped him in a strong hug.

  "It's all right." Lex pulled him tightly to her and patted his back. "That's all in the past. We're together now."

  He pulled away. "We tried to get custody of you soon after. Rawson was always leaving for rodeos, and Melanie was afraid you and Louis wouldn't be safe at the ranch alone with your brother."

  "But Hubert was only ten, right?" Amanda asked. "And Martha was there."

  "True, but Martha had been hired mainly to help Victoria. With Tory gone, she had to take care of little Louis and run the ranch house. Martha was about Amanda's age, and we didn't know just how much she could handle. We'd only met her a few times since she was hired, so we were concerned she wouldn't be able to keep Hubert under control." He patted Lex on the leg. "She was a feisty young thing though, never allowing your daddy any slack when it came to you kids."

  "She's been a good mother to me. I'd hate to think how I would have turned out without her around."

  THE CAR STOPPED at a wrought-iron gate, and the driver entered a code that caused it to roll open. The long, white car drove slowly through, and the gate closed behind it. Gravel crunched under the tires as they traveled down a tree-lined path. Headstones of different sizes stood neatly in rows. Many had fresh flowers beneath them.

  "We have a man and his son who take care of the place," Travis explained. He noticed the looks of surprise on both women's faces and answered their question before they could ask. "When my great-greatgrandfather passed away, he left a trust that would always take care of the family cemetery. Over the years, someone in our family, usually the first-born, would keep it going by adding to the trust. My father went one better. He put a large amount of money in an account, and the interest alone pays for the upkeep and the caretakers' salaries."

  The car pulled to a stop in a shaded section. To the right stood a small fenced-in area. The waist high, white picket fence appeared to be freshly painted. Travis appeared to be deep in thought, and then shook his head as if to clear it. "Each sibling in my family has their own area, where they and their family are laid to rest." He gazed around the cemetery for a moment and pointed. "That's mine. Your grandmother is there, as well as memorial markers for your mother and uncle."

  Uncle? I'm going to have to ask Grandpa about him, sometime. Lex patted his other hand that was on her knee. "Give me a minute, will you?"

  "Sure, sweetheart. I think I'll take Amanda for a little tour. There're some headstones that date back to the Civil War here." Travis allowed Amanda to exit from the other side of the limousine. "Just holler if you need us."

  "Thanks." Lex waved at them and turned back to the wooden gate. After taking a moment, she passed through the gate toward a large, rose-colored, granite headstone. The headstone was almost as tall as she was, and it stood in the center of the plot. It bore the name Edwards across the top in fancy script. Below were two smaller names, one with an ending date.

  Melanie Anne Perkins-Edwards Beloved Wife, Mother, and Friend 09-02-1923 to 10-20-1999

  Travis Lee Edwards 11-15-1920 to

  To the left of the main headstone, was a smaller gray headstone.

  In Memoriam William Travis Edwards Son and Hero 08-08-1943 to 04-17-1966

  To the right, another small gray headstone.

  In Memoriam Victoria Marie Edwards-Walters Taken too soon from her loving family 06-06-1945 to 04-09-1975

  Lex pulled a leather wallet from her back pocket and glanced at a small photo her grandfather had given her earlier. Her mother was standing outside the ranch house, holding a three-year old Lexington on her hip. Beside her was an older woman, her dark hair starting to turn gray, who was smiling at the camera. They had their arms around each other and held the youngster between them. "Hello, Grandma." Lex knelt at the foot of the grave and pulled a small weed from the recently piled dirt. "I guess you know who I am, huh?" She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Sorry it took so long to find you. I should have remembered you and not believed the lies my father told me." Lex studied the headstone and thought about all the things she wanted to say.

  "THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE story, Travis." Amanda stood with the older man on the other side of the small cemetery. "So your aunt and her partner are buried here together? I guess that's why Lex and my relationship didn't shock you, huh?" She turned toward the distinguished gentleman. "I was a little worried, to tell you the truth."

  Travis pulled her close with one arm, hugging her to him gently. "Me too, Amanda. If my father had been alive, he'd absolutely have forbidden them any rights to the family plot. He was a very old-fashioned sort. Bigoted, self-righteous, and thought anyone different from him was destined to an afterlife in hell. I guess that's why I turned out so differently. As much as I respected the man, I couldn't stand him."

  Amanda pulled him away and back to where the car was parked. "You could never be like that."

  "Maybe not. Through the years, when we'd get reports from Lester about Lexie, I was a little nervous. I was afraid if I ever got the chance to see her, I'd act just like my father. Luckily, you put all those fears to rest when I met you."

  "Me? What did I have to do with it?" she asked, confused. Amanda looked across the cemetery to see how Lex was faring.

  He laughed. "Everything. The moment I met you, I could see just how much you cared for my granddaughter, and she for you. It certainly made accepting your relationship a lot easier."

  Amanda blushed. "Oh." She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling. "Lex does mean everything to me, Travis. And if you'll excuse me for a moment," she spotted her lover sitting under a far away tree, "I think I'll go check on her." She leaned forward to kiss Lex's grandfather on the cheek and jogged off to where her lover sat, head bent down against an upraised knee.

  Travis continued to walk on quietly until he was inside the fenced-off plot. He stood and stared at the headstone for a moment. "Well, Lanie, I
don't think we have to worry about Lexington any more. She's in good hands, my love." He closed his eyes and silently communicated with the other half of his soul.

  AMANDA WALKED QUIETLY to where Lex was sitting. The somber woman was propped against a large tree, and her forehead rested on one knee. Her dark hair fanned down around her face. She was so still that Amanda couldn't tell if she was even awake. "Lex? Are you okay, honey?"

  "I don't know." Lex kept her head down, but lifted one hand in invitation. She felt it immediately grasped, and she pulled Amanda next to her. "God--"

  "What can I--is there anything--?" Amanda stammered, trying somehow to comfort the woman she loved. Suddenly, she found her arms full of a crying lover, as Lex turned and buried her face in Amanda's chest. "Oh, Lex."

  Lex wrapped her arms around Amanda and cried, grieving for the loss as if it were fresh. "I was there, talking to her," she sobbed, "and I swear I felt a hand touch the back of my neck and someone kiss the top of my head." She leaned back and wiped at her eyes with the back of one hand. "I could smell her perfume, Amanda. I remember it from when I was a little kid. She always smelled so good." Lex sniffled and snuggled to her lover again. "All these memories of her came rushing back. God, I miss her."

  Amanda continued to rock her gently. "I know, baby. It's going to be okay." She pulled Lex into her lap and softly continued to utter words of consolation to her.

  TRAVIS QUIETLY BEGAN to speak to his deceased wife. "Lanie, Lexington asked me this morning to come back to Somerville with her. She wants a chance to get to know me again and even offered to put me up at the ranch. I don't want to leave you, though." He could almost hear her voice in his ear.

  "Now you listen to me, Travis Lee Edwards. You finally have a second chance with our granddaughter. Don't let your stubborn pride ruin that. I thought I had you trained better than that, my love."