The Way Things Should Be Read online

  Ignoring her partner, Amanda walked around the sofa and sat next to Ellie. "Have you been alone long?"

  "No, not really. Grandpa went to the bunkhouse to talk with Lester, and Martha suggested that I come in here to relax and enjoy the movies." Ellie looked at her cousin, determined to try to get along, if only for Amanda's sake. She wasn't certain why the younger woman's opinion mattered to her, but it did. "Nice collection."

  Lex rolled her eyes and dropped down into a nearby chair. "Thanks." She swung one leg over the arm of the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Grandpa, huh? Sounds like the little shit already has her hooks into him. I just hope I can figure out what her game is before it's too late.

  Mentally shaking her head at her partner's behavior, Amanda leaned forward and tried to disarm the two women. "I'm afraid it was a lot better before my mother burned Lex's house down."

  "Your mother?" Unable to help herself, Ellie gave Lex a peculiar look. "You must have been as nice to her as you are to me."

  Sitting up, Lex placed both feet on the floor and glared at her cousin. "Give me a break. At least we knew what Amanda's mother was all about. She didn't just show up one day, expecting to be welcomed into the family with open arms."

  "Lex!"

  Ellie waved off Amanda's concern. "That's all right. I probably deserved that." She stood and crossed to the doorway. "But some of us weren't born with silver spurs on our feet. My family had to work for every cent it got." She walked out of the room before she could hear Lex's sputtering.

  "That bitch!" Lex jumped to her feet and was almost to the door when Amanda grabbed her shirt. "I bet I worked harder when I was ten years old than she has in her entire life!" She tried to twist away, but Amanda held firm. "Damn her to hell!" Her ire released, Lex slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "I've never even owned spurs," she choked out, before her anger turned to tears and she found her lover in her arms for the second time that afternoon.

  Chapter Six

  IGNORING THE OTHER people in the room, the slender woman smiled at her visitor. "You're such a sweet man," she remarked loudly. "Taking time out of your busy week to come see me like this." Liz had been a model patient, and knew it was only a matter of time before she was released. The testimony of the man in front of her, as well as that of the staff, would work heavily in her favor. Leaning across the table, she spoke more quietly. "Now, give me all the juicy details, and don't leave anything out."

  "It went just like you said it would." Terence was so proud of himself that he almost bounced in his seat. "I just wish I could be there when she finds out, so I could share that with you, too."

  Struggling to keep a maniacal laugh from escaping her lips, the pale woman tapped her closely trimmed fingernails on the tabletop. "I'm sure the look on her face will be similar to the one she exhibited when her house burned to the ground."

  He put his fingers to his lips. "Shhh. No sense in letting everyone else in on the fun." Looking around the room to make certain that no one was in a position to overhear them, he leaned forward also. "The other matter went off well, too. I just can't believe no one's noticed it yet."

  "She never cared about the money, the foolish girl. That's why I have to take it away from her, so she'll come to her senses and come back to me, like it's supposed to be."

  Terence leaned back in his chair and smoothed his hair back with both hands. "And don't forget about me." He never took the time to think about Liz's reasons for getting the money. She had given him some sob story about how her husband had taken away everything she had, including her daughters, and then had her committed. While the story didn't quite ring true, Terence overlooked the obvious loopholes because of his greed.

  "Of course not. You'll get what you deserve," she promised.

  If he caught the double meaning behind the words, he didn't show it. "I guess once this is all over, I'll have to thank Cheryl." His cousin was a nurse at the institution, and it was her phone call several months previously that had brought Terence together with Liz. Befriending the quiet patient, Cheryl had felt sorry for her because Liz's family never visited. No one seemed to care, and Liz gave evidence that she was shrewd with finances, so Cheryl had called Terence to see if he'd be interested in a visitation program. Realizing the patient was a brilliant businesswoman, she thought that her cousin would benefit from the woman's knowledge and practically begged him to meet Liz. Little did she realize how well the two would get along.

  After hearing her version of why she had been committed, Terence agreed to help Liz--for a cut of the profits, of course. Terence quickly blew each paycheck within a couple of days, and then had to live off what he could scrimp together for the next two weeks. He was tired of helping other people get rich while he drove an old car and lived in a crappy apartment. With Liz's sharp mind and Terence's connections, it all seemed almost too easy. His written testimonial, along with nurse Cheryl's, would help the woman they knew as Liz to be released from the institution, where she had been confined for almost six months.

  LEX SPENT THE majority of Monday morning and afternoon on the telephone, trying without success to get more information about the theft of her investments. Tired and with her patience worn down from dealing with unhelpful customer service representatives and telephone menus that she needed a road map to follow, she was about to get up from her desk and head over to Martha's when the phone rang again. Amanda was already over at the cottage, having decided to take the day off to regroup as well. Anxious to join her lover, Lex grumbled and picked up the phone. "What?"

  "Ms. Walters?"

  "Yes, this is Lexington Walters. Who are you?" Lex leaned back in her chair and stared at the picture of Amanda on her desk. Looking at it would have to do until she could get whoever was bothering her off the phone.

  "Um, yes. This is Andrew Wilson. We met Saturday at--"

  Not in the mood for niceties, Lex cut him off. "I remember you, Mr. Wilson. Is there a reason you're bothering me today?"

  He cleared his throat. "Actually, yes. I wanted to see if you'd had a change of heart where that property is concerned. You see, my boss bought the land north of there, and he'd really like to add more connecting acreage. I'm sure we could come up with a figure that would be more than fair."

  "I doubt that. You can come up with figures all day long, Mr. Wilson, and it wouldn't be enough to interest me in selling a property I've just bought." Lex closed her eyes and counted to ten. It didn't help much.

  "You have no idea who you're dealing with, Ms. Walters. My employer--"

  "Don't you try and threaten me, you little weasel! Even though I had been thinking of selling, I sure wouldn't sell to you. Now, quit bothering me, before I hunt you down and show you how we geld troublesome horses!" She slammed down the receiver and got to her feet. "Stupid little pissant." Taking her hat from the rack by the door, Lex stomped through the den, not even noticing her grandfather sitting quietly in the corner, reading the newspaper.

  Travis watched his granddaughter leave the room, then raised the paper. "She must have gotten that temper from her father's side of the family," he muttered. Even Travis had no desire to encounter Lex when she was angry.

  AMANDA WATCHED AS Martha tried to frame a response to Ellie's latest commentary. Even as good-natured as the housekeeper was, she had been put on the defensive several times during the course of the conversation. Lex's cousin had proven to be an intelligent, if somewhat uninformed individual, and she had extremely strong opinions on the subjects that she brought up. Amanda couldn't believe how close-minded Ellie was on everything.

  "But don't you see, Martha? Surely as a teacher yourself, you understand the importance of teaching evolution and creationism. Don't students have a right to know everything? Or do you want them to grow up actually thinking that they were descended from apes?" The look on Ellie's face told them how she felt about that.

  "I agree that a child's spiritual needs are important," Martha calmly said. "But the place for th
at kind of teaching is in the church."

  Ellie, sitting on the sofa next to Amanda, reminded her of some of the old biddies at her church. Their superior attitude was one of the reasons she didn't always make it to Sunday services. Ellie leaned forward, trying to ignore the sensation of Amanda's hand coming to rest on her leg. She knew that it was there to keep her from getting carried away in the conversation, but for some reason, it only served to distract her. "I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that you actually approve of Lex's lifestyle." She felt a sudden loss as the hand quickly disappeared from her leg.

  "I've very proud of my girl," Martha said. "I raised her the best I could, and I think she turned out very well."

  "Sure. But as a Christian, aren't you disappointed, or even just the tiniest bit disgusted by how her life goes against everything that the Word of God teaches?" She turned slightly to point a finger at Amanda. "I think I know what I'm talking about. My mother was a deeply religious woman, and I was raised in a strict Baptist household. Without Lex's obviously perverted influence, who's to say that Amanda here wouldn't be happily married with children by now?"

  "You've got some nerve," Amanda interrupted. "Coming into our home and condemning the way we live, just because it's different than how you think." She took a deep, calming breath, in order to keep from reaching over and slapping the woman next to her. "For your information, I am happily married--to the woman I love more than anything in the world. She didn't 'influence' me. As a matter of fact, I pursued her. And I don't appreciate your holier-than-thou attitude, Ellie."

  Ellie held up her hands in a defensive posture. "Whoa. Hold on a minute, Amanda. I was just voicing an opinion." She looked over to Martha, who wore an expression on her face that showed that she was trying to control herself, whether from joining in Amanda's tirade, or laughing over it, Ellie wasn't sure. "No offense, Martha. I'm sorry if my mouth overrode my brain."

  "No offense taken, Ellie." Although she was steaming mad inside, Martha didn't want such a sensitive topic to ruin the day. She just hoped that the more time Ellie spent with Lex, the more she'd understand that her bigoted views were wrong.

  "Thank you." Ellie turned back to Amanda. "I'm sorry if I upset you, too, Amanda. Believe me, it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. It's just that you're young and beautiful and could have your pick of anyone. I guess I just can't see why you chose Lex."

  Amanda smiled at the mention of her lover's name. "Because she's the other half of my soul, Ellie. I hope that someday you'll find someone who makes you feel that way. Because believe me, it's the best damn feeling in the world."

  "If you say so." Ellie patted herself on the thighs, then stood up. "I think I've irritated you both enough this afternoon. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back over to the main house and see what my grandfather is up to."

  Martha watched her leave. "That girl has some real tough issues to ponder." She looked at Amanda, who frowned. "Don't tell me you didn't notice it."

  "What?"

  "Never mind, dear." She noticed the way Ellie kept looking at Amanda, but she wasn't surprised that Amanda hadn't noticed since Lex's partner only had eyes for a certain tall brunette. Standing up, Martha gathered up the empty coffee cups from the table. "Let's just say that those that holler the loudest usually have the biggest burr under their saddle blanket."

  A FEW FEET from the back door of the ranch house, Lex almost knocked Ellie to the ground. She was still seething over the phone call from Andrew Wilson and hadn't noticed her cousin coming up the path.

  Ellie had to turn sideways to keep from being thrown to the dirt. "Hey, watch it."

  "Back off, Ellie. I'm not in the mood for your shit," Lex snapped as she stomped to the barn. She didn't realize that her cousin was behind her until the door didn't close after she stepped inside. "What?"

  "You know, for someone who's supposed to be gay, you sure are cranky all the time." Ellie slipped in the door behind Lex and leaned up against the far wall, watching the emotions race across her cousin's face. After a few quiet moments, she spoke. "I don't get it."

  Rolling her eyes, Lex walked over to the stall where the newest horse was stabled. Roy had informed her earlier that the filly was saddle broken and should bring a good price when they decide to put her up for sale. "What is it that you don't get?"

  "Why someone as sweet as Amanda would want to be with a grump like you." Ellie concluded that Amanda must not really be gay, because she was a lot nicer than the other lesbians she'd seen on television and movies--especially her cousin. "If she weren't here, she'd probably be married to a nice guy and have a couple of kids right now."

  The comment hit Lex in one of her most vulnerable areas. She'd often wondered what Amanda saw in her, but she wasn't about to give Ellie the satisfaction of knowing that. "You don't know Amanda very well, then. Because she's never said a thing to me about wanting children."

  Ellie laughed, although it wasn't a happy sound. "Come on, cousin. I haven't been around very long, and even I can tell that she's upset about not having a real family." Ellie decided that the arrogant woman in front of her deserved to be brought down a few pegs, and she was glad to be the one to do it. "Have you even discussed children?"

  "You are so full of shit," Lex argued, although she didn't sound quite so confident.

  "I am, huh? Haven't you noticed how quiet Amanda gets when someone mentions her sister's pregnancy? Or the sad little look on her face when Martha talks about that lady at the office who's expecting?" Ellie started to take a step closer to Lex, but the look on her cousin's face caused her to stop. "Or, since you're obviously the man in this relationship, have you just decided that whatever you say is the way things should be?"

  Lex crossed the barn and tangled her hands in Ellie's denim jacket, shoving her cousin back against the wall. "Shut the hell up! It's not like that." She was dangerously close to knocking some sense into her cousin when a gasp at the open door caught her attention.

  "Lex! What are you doing?" Amanda rushed to stand between the two women. She turned back to look at Ellie. "Are you all right?"

  "Oh, yeah, sure. Just trying to have a conversation with Butch, here. But she's, ugh--" Ellie was cut off in mid-sentence by another hard shove against the wall by Lex.

  "Shut up." Lex felt herself suddenly pushed away by Amanda. "Hey!"

  Amanda put both hands on her lover's chest and looked into her eyes. "Honey, stop. Please." She turned around and pointed a finger at Ellie. "And you, cool it with the name-calling." She moved so that she had both of them in her vision. "I swear, you two are like a couple of kids. You're grown women, so act like it." Amanda grabbed Lex by the front of her shirt and pulled. "Come on. We're going for a walk."

  Lex glared at her cousin as she turned to go with Amanda. From the moment that Ellie first appeared at the ranch, she had seemed determined to be on Lex's bad side, and this little confrontation really proved it. As a parting gesture, Ellie sneered at Lex as she was leaving. It was almost enough to stop Lex in her tracks, but Amanda had a firm grip on her clothes and wasn't stopping. "Bitch," Lex muttered under her breath. She allowed herself to be led down a trail behind the barn, and the cool afternoon slowly helped her anger subside.

  Not long after they'd left the barn, Amanda traded her grip on Lex's shirt for her lover's hand. She felt the tension drain from Lex and looked over to see a calmer look on her face. "You doing any better now?"

  "Yeah."

  "What caused you to go off like that? It's not like you, Lex."

  Lex looked out at the nearby trees. "It's no use, Amanda. I've been trying all day to see if there was some sort of insurance or something on the money I had invested, but all I get from these so-called experts is that I'm out of luck. No one wants to admit to anything, and all they'll tell me is that they're looking into it, and it could take weeks or months to find out what happened. But for now that money is gone." She turned her head until she could see Amanda's face. "I may have to sell off bits
of the ranch in order to keep it afloat, starting with the property I just picked up." Although selling to that obnoxious man who kept bothering her didn't seem like an option. I'd rather starve. Something just doesn't seem right about all this.

  "Oh, Lex. No." Amanda felt like crying. She knew how much the ranch meant to her lover. "I've got a pretty decent amount in my trust fund. It's not like I ever use it for anything. I could--"

  "No! We've already talked about this, Amanda. It's not right."

  "Why not? I thought you told me that this was our ranch." Stubborn pride or not, Amanda wasn't about to stand by and watch Lex give up her dream.

  Shaking her head, Lex pulled away from Amanda and took several steps alone. "That's not the point." Her voice was so quiet, it was almost impossible to hear her. "I can't ask that of you."

  Amanda walked toward her and placed her hands on Lex's hips. She could see the tight set of her lover's shoulders and wanted to try to make her understand. "You're not asking, Lex; I'm offering." She used her grip to turn Lex around so that they were facing each other. "Let me contribute, for a change. I love this ranch as much as you do, Lexington Walters. Let me be more a part of it."

  There were so many reasons why she needed to say no. Lex didn't want it to look like she married Amanda for her money, which is what Amanda's family had thought when they first got together. She had brought Amanda out to the ranch to live, not asking for a cent. How would Amanda's father feel if he found out that she had accepted a large chunk of change from Amanda? And her mother--God help me if her mother ever found out, that evil bitch. She opened her mouth to speak, but found it covered by Amanda's hand.

  "Don't answer right now, Lex. Think about it, and we'll discuss it more later. I just want to put the offer on the table, so to speak." Amanda removed her hand and dropped a kiss in its place.