Faith's Crossing Read online

  “Mmm?”

  “Do you want to let me down now?”

  “Not really,” Lex admitted. “I could do this for the rest of my life,” she said quietly. “And I hope to.” The last words were spoke even more softly, as Lex was afraid of sharing too much of herself, too soon.

  The quiet admission took Amanda’s breath away. “Me too. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.”

  Martha had watched the two women in the middle of the room for a while, and then decided things were getting a little too serious. “How am I supposed to cook with you two giving each other puppy-dog eyes in the middle of my kitchen? Either sit at the table, or go somewhere else to moon.” That got the intended response, as both Lex and Amanda blushed furiously.

  Lex let Amanda down so that she could stand on her own feet. “Sorry about that. I kind of forgot what I was doing.”

  Amanda gave her a gentle pat on her good side. “Don’t be. I enjoyed it.” She saw that Martha was diligently working on the biscuits with her back turned to the couple. Amanda pulled her lover’s head down. “Let me give you a proper good morning.”

  She gave Lex a long, passionate kiss, ending only when Martha cleared her throat.

  “Excuse me, wouldn’t you two be more comfortable upstairs?” the housekeeper asked.

  “Oops.” Amanda looked directly at Martha, not uncomfortable in the least. “Probably. But I’m so hungry I could even eat some of Lex’s pancakes.”

  Lex scowled while the other two women enjoyed the joke. “Remind me to bring you breakfast in bed one morning. That’ll teach you to tease me.” She patted Amanda on the rear and then sat down at the table. “Need any help, Martha?”

  “As a matter of fact, you could be a big help and go find something else to do for about twenty or thirty minutes,” Martha hinted, trying to keep Lex out from under her feet. For someone capable enough to run a ranch, her Lexie had a knack for getting in the way whenever Martha tried to do anything.

  Amanda walked over and pulled Lex out of her chair. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.” She led Lex from the room, while Martha’s laughter floated after them. Instead of going out the back door, Amanda led her partner down the long hallway and then pulled her into the darkened den. She pushed Lex onto the couch, then moved over to the entertainment center nearby.

  “I thought we were going for a walk?”

  “I changed my mind. It looks chilly outside this morning, so I thought we could just sit in here and enjoy your wonderful stereo system.” Amanda placed a CD into the stereo and pushed play, then turned the volume down until it became background sound. The lights from the stereo cast a soft glow in the room allowing her to see the smile on Lex’s face.

  Lex patted her lap. “Chilly, huh? Why don’t you come over here, and I’ll see about warming you up?”

  Amanda walked slowly across the room to climb onto her lover’s lap, straddling her legs. She wrapped her arms around Lex’s neck and whispered, “You’re right. This is much more comfortable.” Amanda placed a light kiss on Lex’s lips and then snuggled close until her head was under her partner’s chin.

  “Happy to be of service, ma’am.” Closing her eyes, Lex was able to completely relax, somewhat shocked that she was able to sit still for such a long length of time without the urge to be up and doing something. She enjoyed the feel of the woman in her arms and felt at peace. You’re a bad influence on me, Amanda, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  HALF AN HOUR later, after hearing the sounds of The Corrs floating down the hallway, Martha peeked into the den. Seeing the two women curled up on the sofa, she couldn’t help but smile. They look so darn cute, all snuggled up together like that. She crept quietly into the room, trying not to startle them. “Lexie?”

  Lex slowly opened her eyes. “Hey, Martha.” She spoke quietly, trying to keep from disturbing her sleeping companion. “I take it that breakfast is ready?”

  “It sure is. Do you think you can tear yourself away?”

  “Well, if I have to, I guess.” Lex gave the older woman a wry smile. “Of course, after breakfast I’m gonna need to wash my hair for some strange reason.”

  Martha put her hands on her hips. “It’s not my fault. You shouldn’t sneak up on an old woman like that.”

  “You’re not an old woman,” Lex snorted, causing the bundle in her arms to moan and then snuggle closer. But the comment made her pause for a moment. Lex studied Martha seriously, seeing for the first time the wrinkles on the once-smooth skin, and the hair that was becoming more gray than brown. When did that happen? Have I been so self-absorbed that I never noticed?

  Martha noticed the far away look in Lex’s eyes. “Is everything okay?”

  “Damn, Martha. It’s been twenty-five years, hasn’t it?” Lex asked. "I can't believe that much time has passed."

  Martha perched on the other end of the sofa. “It is hard to believe, isn’t it? I told you I was getting old.”

  “No, not old, but you’ve spent half of your life babysitting me. A little more than you bargained for, I’ll bet.”

  “And well worth every single minute of it,” the housekeeper replied. “Although, I could do with less excitement, if you don’t mind. This past week or so has been a little bit too much, even for you.” Martha stood. “Now why don’t you wake up Sleeping Beauty there, and come and get some breakfast?” She hummed to herself as she left the room, once again quite proud of herself for getting the last word in.

  After watching Martha leave, Lex promised herself she’d do something for the housekeeper to let her know how much she meant to her. She decided to ask for Amanda’s help in figuring out what that was. Thinking of Amanda, she bent to whisper in the sleeping woman’s ear. “Amanda?”

  “Mmm. No.” Amanda buried her face deeper into Lex’s chest.

  Although she enjoyed the contact, Lex didn’t want to disappoint Martha who had probably gone to a lot of trouble with the meal, and she would like to start in on it before it got cold. She kissed the top of Amanda’s head. “Sweetheart, you

  need to wake up.”

  “Don’t want to.”

  “Breakfast is ready.”

  Amanda opened her eyes and her head lifted away from Lex’s body. “Do we have to? I’m comfortable right where I am.”

  Laughing, Lex pulled her lover closer to her. “You are absolutely priceless, Amanda.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “That means,” Lex placed a kiss on Amanda’s lips, “I don’t know,” another kiss, “what I would do,” a longer, more passionate kiss, “without you.”

  “Mmm.” Amanda curled up against Lex. She was about to continue when she heard Lex’s stomach growl. Ignoring the loud rumble, she threaded her hands through Lex’s hair and forced her companion further into the sofa.

  Lex sat back and enjoyed the gentle assault, until her stomach rumbled again. Seeing that her lover had no intention of stopping, Lex decided to take matters into her own hands, in a manner of speaking. She dropped her hands from Amanda’s shoulders and then moved them down slowly until they came to rest on her hips. Moving forward slightly, Lex stood, taking Amanda with her.

  “Whoa! The couch is moving,” Amanda exclaimed as she looked around. Without realizing it, she had wrapped her legs around Lex’s waist. She glanced down at their entangled bodies with a flush of embarrassment. “Umm, I guess I should let you go, huh?”

  “Well, I could just carry you into the kitchen like this, if you want. Or, I could carry you up the stairs, and give you a different kind of breakfast, although I would leave it to you to explain that one to Martha.”

  As Amanda unwrapped her legs, she said, “As much as I would love to go back upstairs with you, I don’t think either one of us wants to face Martha’s wrath if we don’t have breakfast.” She appeared to give the matter some thought. “But, we may need some way to work off such a wonderful feast, don’t you agree?”

  “SO, WHAT KIND of mischief are you girls g
oing to stir up today?” Martha asked. The three women sat around the kitchen table after breakfast, each enjoying a cup of coffee.

  Lex traded looks with Amanda, who shrugged. “Well, I thought we’d spend today and tonight here, then I have to go back to my grandparents’ home to get packed for our trip next

  week.”

  “A trip? Where are you going?”

  Amanda finished the last sip of her coffee, then placed her mug back on the table. “That’s right, we haven’t had a chance to tell you yet.” She nodded her thanks as Lex refilled both hers and Martha’s cups with the professionalism of a seasoned waitress. “My parents are having this big dinner party next week in Los Angeles, and I’ve convinced Lex to go with me. Besides, I’m going to need some help packing up my stuff and sending it here to my grandparents’ house, since I’ve decided to move to Somerville for good.”

  “That’s wonderful news, Amanda.” Martha laid a hand on Amanda’s forearm and then turned her attention to Lex. “How are you planning on getting there?”

  “Fly, of course. Why do you ask?” Amanda followed Martha’s gaze, where Lex had paled suddenly.

  Oh, shit! I didn’t even think about how we were going to get there. “Yeah, Martha. You didn’t think we’d walk, did you?” Lex tried to keep her tone light.

  “Ri-i-ight. I guess it was a pretty silly question, wasn’t it?” Martha spared a glance at Amanda, who was looking at Lex with concern.

  Lex said, “No, it wasn’t silly. I hadn’t really thought about having to fly.” Seeing the worry on her lover’s face, she gave Amanda an embarrassed smile. “I, uh, have a little trouble, on airplanes.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Amanda took Lex’s hands in hers. “Do you get airsick?”

  Martha chuckled. “We should be so lucky.” She then quieted after Lex

  glowered at her.

  “No, it’s not that.” Feeling the gentle pressure on her hand, Lex continued, “I get a little anxious on airplanes.”

  “I’d say more than ‘a little anxious,’ Lexie.” Martha turned back to Amanda. “We had to practically knock her out with tranquilizers the last time. Not the best experience, let me tell you.”

  Amanda found it hard to believe that someone as in control as Lex would be anxious over something that she herself thought of as trivial. “What is it about flying that bothers you so much?”

  Lex looked down at the table, unable to meet Amanda’s eyes. “I’m not sure. It could be one of several things, I guess. The enclosed space, the fact that we’re thousands of feet up in the air with nothing holding us up, or maybe it’s just the sickeningly perky flight attendants. I don’t know.”

  “Maybe you just need something else to occupy your mind.”

  “Such as?” Lex couldn’t help the sultry grin that crossed her face.

  Amanda blushed. “Umm, let’s try another tact.” She cleared her throat. “Maybe your anxiety is due to something that happened before. Have you had any bad experiences on an airplane?”

  “Hmm. You mean other than the food?” she teased, receiving the expected slap on the arm for that remark. “No, nothing that I can think of. I’ve only flown three times, and each time was more of a disaster than the last.”

  “Four, actually,” Martha added. “Once when you were about eleven or so. But that was with your father, and it wasn’t very far. I doubt if that had anything to do with it.”

  “And yet you’re willing to put yourself through all of that again?” Amanda was shocked. She didn’t know if she’d be so quick to face her fears, no matter what the reason. Keep spiders and other crawly things away from me, or I’ll go running into the night, screaming. She mentally shook her head. Nope. I couldn’t do it.

  Lex shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah. I figure it’s about time to face my fears. Right, Martha?” She looked at the housekeeper, who had a perplexed look on her face.

  She’s certainly got it bad, if she’s willing to do that, again. “If you say so, Lexie. I know you’ve really been bothered by this for a long time.” Martha looked at Amanda. “She swore after the last time that she’d never fly again.”

  “Why? What happened the last time?”

  Lex rolled her eyes, while Martha laughed. “They say,” Lex looked pointedly at the older woman, “that I hit a flight attendant, but I don’t remember it. The medication I had been given to help me with my jitters was really something else.”

  Martha interrupted. “You did. The tranquilizers made Lexie really woozy, and she stood up to grab something from one of the overhead compartments. They said she started to tumble back, and the flight attendant caught her. You kept hollering that he…” she was laughing so hard that she had to stop and catch her breath “…grabbed your hind end. I heard it took three security guards to get you off the plane.” Martha noticed that she wasn’t the only one losing the battle with her laughter. Amanda had one hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her own giggles.

  Amanda lost it, and began to pound the table with one hand while she laughed. “Oh, God, that poor man.”

  Lex gave her an indignant look. “Hey, it was my ass he was groping.”

  The housekeeper wiped the tears of mirth from her face and eyes. “And for that you broke his nose? I met the poor man later. Believe me, you weren’t his type. I’m just thankful he was so understanding and didn’t press charges against you.”

  “I’ve always wondered what you told him to keep me out of jail,” Lex mumbled. To her amazement, Martha blushed.

  “I, uh, appealed to his kind and generous nature,” Martha stammered, somewhat embarrassed at the length she went to in order to protect Lex.

  Lex put her elbow up on the table, and propped her chin on her open hand. “Oh, this I gotta hear.” She waved her other hand regally. “Please, continue.”

  “Brat.” Martha took a deep breath. “Okay, well, we got you settled in the car.” She winked at Amanda. “And she slept like a baby for almost two days, too. Anyway, the poor man was in the airline security office, screaming about lawyers, court, and brutish psycho women who should be locked away for the good of society.”

  Now Amanda was curious as well. “So, how did you calm him down?”

  “Well, for starters, I cried. Then, I told him how Lexie had been taking care of me in my declining years.” Martha rolled her eyes at her audience. “And that she was all I had left in this world after her daddy up and left us. After all, it really wasn’t a lie now, was it?”

  Shaking her head at the story, Lex couldn’t help but marvel at Martha’s ingenuity. “Martha, only you could make a man feel bad for getting beat up on an airplane.”

  “Yes, well, after I also explained to him that she was heavily tranquilized and had no idea what she was doing, he understood.” Then she looked at Lex with undisguised glee. “He told me his little poodle was the same way when they had to sedate her for long trips.” Amanda cracked up, as her mind suddenly filled with the picture of Lex sporting a poodle cut.

  Lex sat there blushing furiously and gazing at the two near-hysterical women. Once they calmed down, she gave Amanda a serious stare. “Woof.” The single word set both women off again. Standing up, she tried to preserve as much dignity as possible. “I’m going upstairs for a shower, if you two ladies don’t mind.” She got to the doorway and turned back toward them. “Try to stay out of trouble, if you can.”

  Amanda and Martha looked at each other, paused, then burst into laughter again.

  THE NEXT FEW days were a whirlwind of activity for both women. They spent two days at the ranch, so that Lex could finish up any business she needed to, not to mention trying to get Lex packed for the upcoming trip. When they were upstairs, the rancher was almost embarrassed to open her closet.

  “Uh, Amanda?” Lex was ashamed of her wardrobe or, more to the point, the lack thereof. “Maybe we should just buy some clothes when we get there.”

  Amanda stopped at the closet door, her hand on the knob. “Why? Have you suddenly outgrown a
ll of your clothes?”

  Lex snorted. “Not yet, although I’m sure I will soon if Martha and your grandparents keep stuffing me three times a day.” With a resigned sigh, she moved past Amanda to open the closet door, which caused the light inside to come on.

  “Whoa.” Amanda was impressed at the way the area was set up. The closet itself was only ten feet deep and six feet wide, but it had two wooden poles on each side that went the length of the closet. The rear wall was covered with large oak shelves, which had folded shirts and sweaters in individual cubbyholes. But what surprised her most was how empty it was. Only the right side of the closet had any clothes hanging in it, and even those didn’t fill the space all the way to the end. Shirts hung from the top pole, with jeans and a few pair of khaki slacks on the bottom pole.

  Placing her hand on Amanda’s shoulder, Lex sighed again. “Yeah. I told you I don’t have many clothes. No sense in it, really. Who’s going to see me, anyway?”

  “Honey, I have yet to see you dressed badly. You’ve got to be the best-dressed rancher around. Besides, I don’t think Martha would let you out of the house if you weren’t all clean and pressed.”

  Her fears dissipated, Lex pulled Amanda into a one-armed hug. “Oh, yeah. We’ve argued about that for years. She keeps insisting on ironing my jeans and denim shirts. I keep telling her that the cattle don’t care what I look like.” She followed Amanda into the closet. “And just how many ranchers have you seen?”

  “Well, to be honest, you’re the first one I’ve ever really met. But,” Amanda turned to face her lover, “I’ve watched a lot of TV, and you are most certainly the best looking cowhand I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Amanda stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Lex’s neck.

  Lex put her arms around Amanda and bent her head to meet her halfway. “Why, thank you kindly, ma’am,” she drawled, lowering her lips to Amanda’s.

  Amanda leaned into the embrace. “Mmm.” She felt Lex’s hands slide down her sides to tuck themselves into the back pockets of her jeans. Breaking off the kiss to breathe, Amanda leaned her forehead into Lex’s heaving chest. “Much better.” After giving one last squeeze to the lanky body in her embrace, Amanda stepped back a pace. “Whew. Okay. Let’s see about getting you packed.” She looked at the row of neatly pressed pants. “Most of these jeans look brand-new. Have you been shopping lately?”