Best Laid Plans (13 page)

The four-stall rough wood barn did
double duty as a garage and stable. The Jaguar convertible, its polished red body
belying its age, sat next to a small riding mower and assorted garden
equipment.

"You've really become the
gentleman farmer," Amanda remarked, the fragrant odor of hay, saddle soap
and leather enveloping her.

A double whinny and the sound of
pawing hooves broke through the shadowy calm. "This is Buttercup and this
is Maisy." A lopsided grin twisted Lucas' face. "They've got a very
comfortable running walk and a smooth canter."

Amanda cooed in delight at the saddle
horses, their chestnut coats shined with well-cared luster. Maisy's head bobbed
in a friendly greeting; only the white blaze on her forehead kept the two
horses from looking like twins.

"Game for a little ride?"
Lucas inquired.

Amanda was already rolling up the
sleeves on her jacket. "Try and stop me."

She paid close attention to the
saddling instructions. First came the red-and-black-checked blanket, then the
western saddle. Maisy stood quietly while Amanda fumbled with the cinch strap
and added a bit of length to the stirrup. Taking the reins, she followed Lucas
through the back gateway into the open air.

It had been fifteen years since
Amanda was on a horse, but riding was a talent instantly recovered. Her
low-heeled boot caught the metal stirrup; her right leg was thrown across the
horse's back. She landed in a relaxed position, her weight settled firmly in
the dip of the saddle, her spine erect but not stiff.

"Not bad, kid, not bad."
With infinitely more grace and precision, Lucas duplicated Amanda's effort.
Both riders squeezed their legs against their mounts' sides, letting their
reins follow the movement of the horses' heads. "I'll take you to the
pond. That way you'll know how to ride out during the day."

They started out at a walk, then as
Amanda began to remember how to use her hands, legs and body weight to cue
Maisy, the gait increased to a two-beat trot, then shifted to a comfortable,
three-beat rhythmic canter.

"How are you doing?" Lucas
called, ever watchful of the variable terrain.

"I'm claiming the bathtub while
you fix dinner!" Amanda yelled, her saddle creaking under the shifting
weight of an uncomfortable posterior. "Where is this pond? In Arkansas? We
must have ridden fifty miles!"

"Only three," Lucas reined
Buttercup and waited for Maisy and her grumbling rider to join them. "There
it is."

A field vivid with orange Indian
paintbrushes and stately bluebonnets sloped into a pond ringed by luxuriant
foliaged cottonwood trees. The tranquil, subtly moving water mirrored the
rainbow-stained western sky, the sun a slowly lowering fiery ball on the
horizon.

"I hope this is not a
mirage." Amanda's tone reflected the pastoral beauty.

"Wasn't this worth a few saddle
sores?" he teased, leaning over to possess her left hand. "That's why
I fell in love with this place, Mandy. The sheer majesty of nature. Restful,
peaceful ... a haven away from the workday grind and the city grime."

She shifted from the view to study
his face, exploring the rugged planes and angles she knew so well. "Lucas,
at times you are very poetic and profound." Amanda was quiet for a moment.
"What happened to that intense attorney of a few years back who was so
anxious to carve his name in the annals of jurisprudence?"

He gave a shrug, eyebrows pulling
together at the bridge of his nose. "I think everyone dreams about making
a niche in time, taking history and weaving his personal thread through
it." Lucas leaned back in the saddle, looping the reins over the horse.

"For six years I worked in the
DA's office. It was like working in a human junkyard. Murders, rapes, hookers,
pimps, drugs. It made me angry and mean. I didn't like myself; I didn't like
the system. I knew I couldn't change the system. But I could change me.

"My private practice is
basically civil and insurance cases and corporate law. I'm more content.
Working around the house and land has reduced my anger. You know something,
Mandy," his expression serious, "I don't know how I ever lived all
those years in semi-furnished apartments with the corner park the sole
custodian of the trees and flowers."

Buttercup and Maisy pawed and
whinnied at the scent of fresh water. Cued toward the pond, the horses plodded
through the fuzzy cottonwood seeds, sending a fantasy snow shower over their
riders. The trip back was done at a gallop that Amanda found slightly more
painful. When they returned to the barn, she pointedly ignored Lucas' teasing
comments and headed for a long, hot soak in his jetted tub.

Rustic twig furniture and bandanna
placemats gave the terrace a casual, down-home appeal. Succulent chicken glazed
with honey and barbecue sauce sizzled on the bricked charcoal grill. Amanda
purloined a crouton from the Caesar salad and eagerly embraced another spiked
lemonade before settling onto the padded comfort of a sturdy chaise longue.

"There you are," Lucas came
out of the house, a serving plate and tongs clutched in one pot-holdered hand.
"How's the body?" His eyes penetrated the saffron light to inspect
her supine figure.

"The body is starving," she
intoned, watching him expertly transfer the braised fowl from grill to platter.
Despite his backyard chef duties, Lucas looked crisp and fresh in tan denims
and a dark green knit shirt. Dark coils of shower-damp hair sculpted his virile
head. The musky scent of his cologne reiterated the earthy outdoors.

"Drag your starving body over
here," he directed, moving past her to the small round dining table. Two
willow chairs scraped against the concrete flooring, and a large citronella
candle flamed to life.

"Delicious!" Amanda sucked
the rich barbecue sauce from her fingertips. "You're going to spoil
me."

Lucas filled two individual wooden
salad bowls and passed one to her. "You don't think I'm going to do all
the cooking while you're here. I had high hopes of coming home to some
mouth-watering southern specialties." Voracious teeth tore at a meaty
thigh.

Amanda dug into her crisp salad.
"Why do I get the feeling my new occupation in life is going to be that of
housekeeper?" Her empty fork stabbed the air. "I'm going to be slaving
all day over a bucket of paint and you expect pecan pie with a crust that melts
in your mouth!"

"Ohh, that's so unfair,
Mandy," Lucas groaned, wiping his hands on a large paper napkin. "You
know pecan pie is my favorite. Couldn't you make just one?"

The little-boy quality in his voice
made Amanda laugh. "I'll think about it." She reached for another
chicken leg.

The crimson and coral sunset was
being rapidly absorbed by an indigo banner. Night sounds serenaded
them-crickets, cicadas and an occasional owl ruptured the quiet with their
songs. Hunger appeased, Amanda abandoned eating, her attention captured by the
single star that held court in the sky; the fabled prairie moon was nowhere to
be seen.

"Where are you?" Lucas'
voice seemed a long way off.

"Wishing on a star." Amanda
rested her chin on up drawn knees. "Lucas, what do you see for yourself in
the next few years?"

"More philosophy?" His
plate pushed aside, forearms flat on the table, he carefully considered her
question. "I'd like to see my practice mature and stay healthy. I'm not
immune to a modicum of financial security."

"That's business," she
interrupted. "What about personal?" Amanda stared at his
candle-illuminated features. The night shadows and the flickering orange flame
cast Lucas in Halloween retrospect.

"You women don't have a monopoly
on parental instincts," he said at length. "I'd like to turn that
small bedroom into a nursery. The problem comes in finding the right
lady."

"Are you still seeing
Kitty?"

Lucas picked up a teaspoon and poked
at the ice in his drink. "When I came back last week, I felt shaky about
Kitty." He took a deep breath, eyes still concentrating on the
droplet-covered glass. "You had a lot to do with that."

Amanda's forehead puckered.
"Me?"

"Yes, you." He gave a
self-conscious laugh and suddenly wished he had never tacked on that last
remark. "Do you realize that my relationship with you is the longest
sustained relationship I've ever had with a woman? You do tend to overshadow
other ladies."

Her bare feet slapped against the
concrete. "Well, since we seem to be playing the truth game," Amanda
cleared her throat, "do you realize that ours is the longest sustained
relationship I've ever had with a man? And you, too, Lucas, tend to overshadow
other males. Silly, isn't it?"

"Yeah, silly." Lucas took a
healthy mouthful of lemonade and found the gin had settled on the bottom. He
coughed. "Kitty's anxious to meet you. She's having a cocktail party
either Friday or Saturday, and you're invited."

"I'm anxious to meet her too."
Amanda's fingertips drummed against the tabletop. "Listen, Lucas...I...I
don't want to cramp your style. You can always give me a quarter and send me to
the movies."

"Cute," came his dry
retort. "I think I'll just send you to the kitchen to clean up. I've got a
brief to look over for court tomorrow." Lucas tossed his napkin into his
dish. "Plan on spending Wednesday with me in town. I want you to see my
new office."

Amanda began to organize the table.
"Sounds good. I can go furniture hunting." Licking her lips, palms
rubbing together. "It's going to be so much fun spending
your
money." She pointedly ignored Lucas' tortured moan.

The kitchen made work a pleasure. The
major appliances formed an efficient triangle, the sink aerator quickly gobbled
the garbage while the dishwasher eliminated a previously soapy, time-consuming
but necessary chore.

Amanda found her thoughts focused on
decorating. Rummaging through the kitchen junk drawer, she found a note pad, pencil
and laser ruler. She measured carefully to find out how much tile would be
needed to create a backsplash between the countertop and the cabinets. And how
much wallpaper it would take to cover the narrow area that surrounded the
sliding glass doors. Drapes and rod lengths were also calculated.

The teak flooring in the living room
and alcove was much too beautiful to be completely covered, yet some type of
carpet would be needed…perhaps an oriental. Amanda jotted down ideas for paint
colors, fabrics and furnishings. Her papers became filled with measurements and
sketches. She wondered how Lucas would feel about filling the arched windows
with hanging plants. Some type of greenery that wouldn't require too much of a
bachelor's attention.

Two hours later, Amanda found herself
peering into the master bedroom. "You are going to need a home office or,
at the very least, a desk," she stated, surveying the books, papers and
file folders that littered his bed. "Is this where you usually work?"

Lucas tossed his pen into a law book
to mark his place. "Hey," he gave her a cocky grin, "I've done
some of my best work in bed."

"Now who's being cute?" She
focused on the odd tilt to his mattress. "Lucas," her tone was piqued
with interest, "exactly what kind of bed do you have?"

His eyebrows wiggled suggestively.
"Step into my parlor," invited his deep voice. "This was a bonus
from my very first client." Lucas dangled a white plastic switch just out
of reach. "It's adjustable and it vibrates."

Amanda exhaled a low whistle.
"Sounds better than a ride at Disneyland. Move over!" She slid onto
the chocolate-brown sheets and grabbed the control. There were six buttons,
three for each side of the king-size bed. Amanda blithely pressed them all.

The lower half began to rise along
with the top. Papers and books bombarded their bodies. The mattress formed a V.
The last two buttons added a restful massage against their contorted spines.
"This is great!" Amanda exclaimed. The bed lowered their heads but
kept their feet elevated. "I love it."

"Mandy, you're going to send us
to a chiropractor if you keep this up." Lucas exhaled in relief when his
legs were allowed to resume their correct position.

Wiggling into the downy softness, Amanda
luxuriated in the vibrating fingers that tingled against her horizontal curves.
"I think it would be quite fitting if you gave your guest this marvelous
bed."

"Dream on, kid." Lucas
began to re-sort his fallen papers. "How do you like the house?"

"There's nothing not to
like." Amanda reached for the notes she had tossed on the small
nightstand. "I was thinking about stucco for the living-room walls. I did
that in my dining room and it looked great."

"Mmm...I remember. Sounds
good."

"How would you feel about ferns
instead of drapes? Those windows are just too gorgeous to cover up, and there's
no one to look in. You'll just have to water the plants and say something
pleasant once a week."

Lucas laughed. "I can handle
that."

"I was also thinking the alcove
would be a perfect spot for a desk. You can fill the shelves with law books and
even a small file cabinet." Amanda turned her head, the copper curls
glowing rich against the brown percale.