The Way Things Should Be Read online

  Lex let out a sigh. Can't hurt to think on it, right? Wrapping her arms around her lover, she returned Amanda's kiss and once again silently marveled at her luck in finding such a wonderful woman.

  FROM HIS SEAT in the living room, Travis heard the back door slam and footsteps pound down the hallway. He turned his head and saw his granddaughter's profile in the door. "Ellie, why don't you come in here and join me?" he asked, patting the vacant spot next to him.

  Still seething over her encounter with Lex, Ellie did as she was asked. She glared at the dark television, then turned to look at her grandfather. "Have you been sitting in here by yourself long?"

  "For a bit," Travis admitted. "But I enjoy the quiet, to tell you the truth." He had a pretty good idea why Ellie was so upset, and part of him questioned his decision to spend time inside so that his grandchildren could become acquainted. "Are you all right?"

  Ellie took the question seriously, thinking for some time before answering. "I'm not sure, Grandpa. For someone who is living against the scriptures, Lex sure is full of herself."

  Sitting up in his seat, Travis wasn't sure he heard right. "What?"

  "This whole 'lesbian' thing. She's just not normal, Grandpa. And she's obnoxious, to boot."

  Travis bit the inside of his mouth. Going off on Ellie wasn't going to make her any less self-righteous and would probably only cause more bad feelings between the two women. "Lexington has been going through quite a rough time this past year, Ellie. Perhaps you'd be less likely to judge her if you knew more about her."

  She shook her head. "I doubt it." After the silence lengthened between them, Ellie turned to her grandfather. "How do you do it?"

  "Do what?"

  "How do you tolerate how she is? I mean, the queer thing and all." Ellie's question came out quietly and without her usual bitterness. She honestly couldn't understand why everyone seemed okay with how Lex lived her life. It completely confused her.

  Travis pulled his newfound granddaughter closer to him and waited until her head rested on his shoulder. "To tell you the truth, I don't even think about it. To me, she's just Lexington.

  And she's happy. That's all I could ever ask for."

  "Was she strange as a child?"

  "I wouldn't know," he murmured, his voice suddenly sad. "This last year was the first time I'd seen her since she was four years old."

  Ellie looked up into Travis's face. "Really? Did you stay away because you didn't like how she was?"

  "No, dear. Nothing like that. Her father kept her grandmother and me away from her. It wasn't until last fall that I was able to get back in touch with her."

  "Oh? What happened then?"

  Travis went on to tell Ellie about the past year and what Lex had been through. About how she had pulled Amanda from the creek, then struggled against cattle rustlers whose leader almost killed Lex by pushing her off a cliff. How his friend, who was the cook for the ranch hands, contacted Travis to let him know, precipitating Travis's rush back to Somerville and the reunion with the granddaughter he'd never stopped loving.

  He then went on about Lex's childhood, or lack thereof, and how, even from an early age, she was expected to take care of the ranch, struggling for, but never receiving, her father's approval. He told of the stresses that Lex had been under and of how she finally reconciled with her father just before he died of pancreatic cancer. How Lex's own brother schemed against her to get his hands on her money and her property. And finally, Travis spoke of his own excitement at finding another grandchild, only to have the two at each other's throats every time they got together.

  "Wow." Even though she still didn't approve of Lex, Ellie at least had a good idea why her cousin was on such a tight string all the time. "She's been through it, hasn't she?"

  "Yes, she has." Travis sat up so that he could look directly into Ellie's eyes. "Don't get me wrong, Ellie, I don't condone Lexington's little temper tantrums. But I at least understand where she's coming from. That young woman has been hit from all sides her entire life. No wonder she's cautious about who she trusts and reacts the way she does. But let me tell you this: she is the most loyal and generous person in the world. And nothing is more important to her than her ranch and her family. She's nearly given her life for them time and again."

  "Her family? From what I can tell, that's just you and me, Grandpa. She may be nice to you, but she's clearly doesn't like me."

  "You're wrong, Ellie. If you think that only blood relations can be family, you've got a lot to learn."

  "Well, if she had a husband, I could understand that, but--"

  Travis shook his head at Ellie's narrow-mindedness. "Amanda is Lex's family. She loves Lex with her whole heart, and they are as married and as much family to each other as I was to your grandmother, my sweet Melanie. Martha is Lex's family, too. She's the only mother Lex has ever known. Sheriff Bristol is like an adopted father to Lex. And Amanda's grandparents treat Lex as their own granddaughter.

  "I was not in the picture for most of Lex's life, but I'm thankful each and every day that when I turned up here at the ranch, Lex and Amanda welcomed me into their family with open arms. As her family, we all have one very important thing in common--we love Lex and she loves us. And rather than sit in judgment of her 'lifestyle,' we'd rather she know that despite the problems and conflicts in her life, we will stand by her with all the love and support we can give her. She's worth it."

  Ellie nodded. "All right. But don't expect me to suddenly forget that she's queer, Grandpa. That's just something I can't overlook. As far as I'm concerned, it's just wrong."

  "Just give her a chance. At least try to get to know her, before you sit in judgment on her, Ellie. That's all I ask."

  "I'll try." But Ellie didn't think she'd ever understand her cousin or her unnatural ways.

  As for Travis, he wondered if Ellie had really heard a single word that he'd said.

  Chapter Seven

  AMANDA AWAKENED TO light kisses across her throat. She moaned and reached up to wrap her arms around Lex, never opening her eyes. "Now that's my kind of alarm clock." The kisses started to move lower down her chest. "What time is it?"

  "A little after seven-thirty," Lex mumbled, intent on her task. She pulled a bit of flesh into her mouth and started to suckle gently.

  "Ah. Well, that's not too-- seven-thirty?" Amanda sat up in the bed, disengaging the warm lips from her breast. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?" She climbed out of bed, taking her previously discarded nightshirt with her. "I need to be in the office before eight."

  Lex rolled over to watch her lover race around the bedroom, gathering clothes and grumbling under her breath. "I thought you needed the sleep, sweetheart. You were tossing and turning half the night."

  Stopping in the middle of the room, Amanda tried to keep from yelling at Lex's attempt to help. "It's just that I've got a ton of paperwork with deadlines to get caught up on, and I really didn't want to have to work late tonight." She walked over to the bed and sat down, laying her clothes beside her. "I should have told you last night." Amanda leaned over and kissed her wife before getting up and gathering her clothes again. "Thanks for watching out for me, honey. The extra sleep did help."

  Since she'd decided to spend the day riding, Lex skipped her usual shower and got dressed while she waited for Amanda to get out of the shower. She was pulling on her boots when her partner stepped from the bathroom, fully dressed for the day. "Wow. You look great."

  And she did. The navy blue two-piece business suit skirt was cut right above the knee, and the white silk top opened at the neck, showing off the heart-shaped diamond necklace that had been a gift from Lex the previous year. Low-heeled navy pumps finished the outfit, which was a lot dressier than Amanda usually wore to the office. "Thanks. It's new."

  "Any reason for the fancy outfit?" Lex asked. She couldn't remember any special dates, but that didn't mean that there weren't any.

  "No, not really. I just thought that since I'm the office manager, I
should dress like it at least part of the time," Amanda admitted. "Do you think it's too much?"

  Lex stood up and crossed to where Amanda was standing. She ran her hand across the soft material in a light caress. "Too much clothes? Yes. At least for what I had in mind. But for work, no. I think you look fabulous." She accentuated her final words with a heated kiss.

  "Lex," Amanda gasped, trying to get her equilibrium back after the kiss, "that's not fair."

  "All's fair in love and horseshoes," Lex said softly biting under Amanda's ear. "Just thought you should know what you missed by getting out of bed."

  Swallowing hard, Amanda took a step back. "H-- horseshoes?" She shook a finger at her wife, but couldn't keep the grin off her face. "You are so bad."

  "Uh-huh. And if I could have kept you in bed a little bit longer, you'd have seen just how bad I can be." Deciding to cut Amanda some slack, Lex put an arm around her shoulders and started to lead her from the room. "But if you're real good, I'll show you tonight," she whispered in Amanda's ear.

  "Definitely not fair," Amanda whined. "And I'll hold you to that, Stretch." They both laughed as they walked down the stairs.

  After breakfast, Lex walked Amanda out to her car. She stood at the open driver's door while Amanda climbed in the vehicle. "I'm going to spend the day riding over to the new property. You know, check out what we've got, and make sure it's okay to put stock on. So I probably won't be home until around dark."

  "Okay. But be careful."

  "Aren't I always?" Lex asked, before she leaned in and captured her partner's lips in a lingering kiss.

  After Lex pulled back, Amanda reached up and wiped her lipstick off Lex's lips with her thumb. "That's what I'm afraid of." She allowed her wife to close the car door, but she hurriedly rolled down the window before Lex could walk away. "I love you. Oh, and would you take your cell phone with you, please?" she yelled after her.

  Lex put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Yes, mother. I suppose you want me to wear clean underwear, too?" she teased.

  "No sense in starting anything new," Amanda retorted, earning an outraged look for her comment. "That's what you get for teasing me, smartass." Her smile faded, and her looked turned serious. "Cell phone, please?"

  "Sure thing, sweetheart. I was planning on it, anyway." Before Amanda rolled up the window, she added, "I love you, too." Lex winked at her and stood on the front porch until the Mustang drove out of sight. Once the car was gone, she exhaled heavily. "Mooning over your wife isn't getting the chores done, Lexington. Sooner you leave, the sooner you get back." She turned and walked back into the house, still talking to herself.

  MICHAEL CAUBLE BRUSHED a tiny speck of lint from the camera lens, then packed it in a leather case. His photography studio had become very successful in the past few months, and it seemed like he was always running from one appointment to another with little time to spend with his family. If he hadn't talked his father, Jacob, into helping him with the larger jobs, he'd probably never see him, either. He made a mental note to call Amanda for lunch sometime during the week, in order to catch up with her. A quick glance at his calendar showed today as the only open day, and he was just about to call her when his phone rang. "Cauble Photography. Can I help you?"

  "Michael? This is Frank." His son-in-law rarely called, but with Jeannie due to deliver their first child next month, Frank called more often, usually to share some little tidbit that happened during the pregnancy or to ask advice on how to handle a cranky mother-to-be.

  "Hi there. Is that daughter of mine still giving you a hard time?" Michael sat down at his desk and looked at the photographs in front of him. Jeannie was his oldest, and she and her husband had been trying for years to have children. He kept reminding her of that fact when she'd call him from California, upset at some imagined slight that Frank had done.

  "Actually, Michael, she's in the hospital. There's been some complications."

  "What kind of complications? Is she all right?"

  Frank took a deep breath. "I don't know, Mike. The doctors are talking about doing a Cesarean, but they've got to get her stabilized first." His voice got quiet. "I'm scared, Michael. She's just so damned tiny, and the baby's gotten so big, even this early." Jeannie wasn't due for another six weeks or so, but because of her small frame, she looked enormous. "I can't lose her, Mike. I just can't." The big man started to cry.

  Completely out of his element, Michael ran his hand through his hair, trying to think. Hearing his normally cool-headed son-in-law fall apart on the phone wasn't helping, either. His first instinct was to catch the next plane out, but he had a huge wedding to work the next day, and it was too late to cancel. He'd even hired his father as an assistant, due to the size of the ceremony. "What about your parents? Are they there with you?"

  "No, I can't reach them. They've been in Europe for an extended vacation. I don't even know what damned country they're in!" Frank's voice rose, then quieted. "I don't think I can handle this, Mike. She's all I've got."

  "Shhh. Everything's going to be fine, Frank. I'm sure of it." Michael's eyes rested on the picture he'd taken of Amanda and Lex's commitment ceremony months previously. Amanda! She's really good with Frank. Maybe she can help. But something like this would be better discussed in person. "Listen. I'm going to go over to the realty office and talk to Amanda. Are you at the hospital now?"

  Frank sniffled, trying to get himself together. "Yeah. Have her call my cell phone, will you? She has the number."

  "I sure will, Frank. Hang in there, son. We'll get through this."

  "Thanks, Mike. I'm sorry about this, but I just didn't know what to do."

  Michael was already grabbing his car keys. "Don't apologize; we're family. Now go get some air or something. Amanda will be calling you in a little bit, okay?" He hung up the phone and hurried out the door, barely taking the time to lock up behind himself.

  TERENCE FOUND A parking space close to the building and pulled his new Volvo into the spot. He knew that he shouldn't have spent the money, but he was tired of driving around in the rusted old heap he'd had before. He smiled as he remembered the auto dealer's face when he told the man that he wanted to trade in his 1977 Thunderbird for a new C70 convertible. The disbelieving salesman nearly chased him from the showroom, but the man's attitude changed when Terence offered to pay cash. As he climbed from the vehicle, Terence brushed his hand across the top of the door and grinned. Now if he could just figure out why Liz had asked him to come to the hospital today, he'd be all right. He signed in at the front desk and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Liz's voice behind him.

  "It's about time you showed up; I've been waiting for over an hour." She stood there, dressed in an expensive silk business suit, a young woman beside her. "This is my daughter," Liz said loudly. "She wanted to meet you."

  The woman wasn't quite what he'd pictured. She seemed taller and heavier than he had been led to believe. Terence frowned at her, but held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, uh--"

  "Amanda," the woman supplied, in a loud voice also. "Thank you for being such a good friend to my mother while I was away." She picked up a small suitcase and motioned to the door. "I think Mother has spent enough time here, don't you think? I had to take a taxi from the airport, so if you don't mind, we'd appreciate you giving us a ride."

  "Oh! Sure." Terence took the bag from the young woman and followed the two of them out of the building. He was about to ask Liz a question when she held up her hand.

  "All in good time, Terence. I've already made reservations at the Hyatt Regency, so if you'll just drive, we can talk in the car." Liz scanned the parking lot. "Which one is yours?"

  Terence mentally cringed. This wasn't how he wanted Liz to find out he had bought a new car, and an overly expensive one at that. He pointed to the convertible. "It's that one. But I can explain--"

  Liz waved him off, before opening the passenger door. "Later. Just get me away from this dreadful place, will you? We can discuss your propen
sity for spending money on the way." She looked over at the young woman still standing beside Terence. "Well? Are you coming, daughter dear?" Liz seemed to find something very funny and was still laughing when the other two finally got into the car with her.

  A short time into the drive, Liz pointed to a bank. "Pull in there, Terence. I have to take care of some business." As he did as she asked, Liz turned around to address the woman in the back seat. "Coming, dear?"

  The woman smiled back at her. "Yes, Mother." As she got out of the car, she tapped Terence on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Terry." With a quick wave, both women disappeared into the bank.

  Terence spent the next half hour reading his owner's manual for the Volvo. When he heard the click of high heels approaching, he looked up to see Liz, who was alone.

  She slid back into the passenger's seat and turned to look at him. "Well? Are you just going to sit there all day, or are you going to take me to the hotel?"

  "What about your daughter?" he asked, quickly putting the book back in the glove box. "Shouldn't we wait for her?"

  Liz looked at him as if he'd grown another head. "My daughter? Oh, you mean Sara. No, we won't be seeing her again, I'd imagine." She pulled the visor down and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. "Put up the top on this beast, Terence. My hair already looks frightful."

  He did as he was told, and after the top was in place, Terence couldn't hold his questions any longer. "I thought your daughter's name was Amanda. Why did she disappear? And how in the world did you get released so soon?"

  "You dear, dear boy." Liz patted him on the leg and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder how you survived before you met me. Drive, and I'll try to answer all your inane questions." Once the car was back en route to the hotel, she settled back into her seat. "Getting released was actually quite easy. As the hospitals have extremely long waiting lists, all it took was the right paperwork. And, of course, affidavits from my doctor, your cousin, and most of all, my daughter." Here she began to chuckle. "The court systems are so overworked, it wasn't hard to get someone to pose as Amanda and get away with it. The right amount of money to the right person, and here I am." Her arms spread wide, Liz laughed. "Freedom is delicious, especially when it's bought."