Chapter 40

It took a while, but Lex finally got finished up in the shower, walking into the master bedroom wearing her flannel pajama bottoms and a large towel draped over her shoulders. Wow, even after the day she's been through, she's still absolutely beautiful. Amanda had returned from her own clean up effort, and was sitting on the bed with Martha when Lex made her entrance.

Martha stood up. " Lexie! Where's your nightshirt? Are you trying to catch pneumonia, or just drive me insane? " she grabbed the dark woman's arm and pulled her over to the bed.

" I didn't see any sense in putting it on until you were finished clucking over me." Lex sat down slowly. " It's right here on the bed…would have bitten you on the butt if it had been a snake." She teased the older woman.

" Hrumpph. We'll just see about that, won't we, Little Miss Smarty Pants." Martha gently pushed her onto her back. Addressing the young woman now standing beside her, " Amanda, don't let this one here get away with anything - she really is impossible sometimes."

" Hey! " Lex pouted, trying to regain some dignity as the housekeeper began spreading salve over the long gash across her ribs. " Ow! Careful there, I'd like to keep myself in one piece, if you don't mind." She slapped at Martha's hands.

Amanda sat down next to the rancher's legs. " What on earth happened there? " she looked carefully at the wound. " If I didn't know any better…" her face took on an angry edge. " You were shot?!? " she stood up and paced the length of the room. " I don't believe you! You got shot, and didn't tell me?! " The young woman stomped back over to the opposite side of the bed. " How could you not tell me something like this? " She sat on the edge, glaring at the dark haired woman.

" No! It's not like that…really." Lex stretched her arm across the bed, beckoning for Amanda's hand. " I didn't know." Seeing the storm clouds gathering on the fair brow, she continued, " Honestly…I didn't. I though my ribs were just acting up again. And it's really just a slight scrape…" giving her best pitiful look.

Martha listened quietly to the young women argue. Poor Lexie…looks like she's finally found someone who's not afraid to stand up to her. Good! She smiled to herself.

Amanda took a calming breath and grasped Lex's hand. She looked the rancher in the eyes, and saw nothing but the truth. " Okay, I believe you." She pulled the hand to her lips and gave it a small kiss. " But, " she squeezed it a little tighter, " Next time tell me when you're hurting, okay? "

The rancher nodded. " Promise." Then she flinched. " Damn it, Martha…I think you're enjoying this a little too much! " She gasped as the housekeeper taped a large square of gauze on the wound. " Easy, there…Hey! " she squirmed as the older woman tickled her good side.

" Hush up, you! Now sit up, and I'll wrap these ribs again." She smiled as Amanda crawled over to help her patient into a sitting position. " If you would keep these wrapped for more than a day, they'd heal a heck of a lot faster, you know." She pulled the large elastic bandage from behind her back.

" Where did you…? " Lex asked, her face flushing slightly.

Martha laughed. " Honey, I do the laundry around here, you know? " she began wrapping the wide bandage around Lex. " And I know about the last time you broke your ribs." She laughed at the look of surprise and embarrassment on Lex's face. " Teach you to try and keep anything from me." She snickered.

Lex rolled her eyes, but stayed silent. Figures…damn woman has eyes in the back of her head, and can read minds, too! She glanced over at Amanda, who was covering her mouth with one hand. " What? "

The younger woman shook her head, but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away. She sputtered, then finally laughed out loud. " Sorry, Lex…but she is right. You shouldn't try to hide things like that."

" There. All done." Martha tied off the bandage with safety pins. She picked up the nightshirt and started slipping it on the injured woman's body. " By the way, Roy called while you were out. He said that he and the boys are bringing out a truck tomorrow, and they're going to finish the work on the bridge. He said that they had to wait until all the supplies came in, that's why it's taken them so long." She began buttoning the shirt, much to the rancher's dismay.

" I can dress myself, Martha." She argued, but let the older woman finish. " I'm glad they're coming out tomorrow…the six of them can have it finished in no time." She sat back, exhausted.

Amanda brushed the hair out of those blue eyes. " I was wondering, where do the hands stay? I've seen Martha's house, the stables, and the hay barn, but…" she stopped when Lex squeezed her hand.

" The hands stay at the bunkhouse, which is just up the road from here. It's closer to the main cattle pens." She took a pained breath and closed her eyes. " It can hold up to fifteen, but there's only six of them right now. We hire extra help when we start tagging in the spring."

Martha chuckled. " Actually, there's only five real hands. Lester is mainly the cook, right, Lexie? " She looked up when there was no answer, seeing that Lex had fallen asleep. Shaking her head, the housekeeper smiled at Amanda. " C'mon honey, let's go get you something to eat. I still have some roast and potatoes left." She stood up and covered the sleeping woman with a blanket.

Amanda regretfully let go of Lex's hand, and climbed off of the bed. " Okay, then I'll come back and sit with her for a while." She followed the older woman from the room, glancing back at the doorway at the woman asleep on the bed. She looks so fragile, when she's asleep. " I'll be right back, " she whispered.