In a few minutes, Amanda heard the pounding of tiny feet. She barely had time to prepare herself before Lorrie climbed on the bed and launched herself at her. "Good morning, sweetie."

"Mommy, I pottied."

"You did?" Amanda looked at Lex, who nodded and joined them on the bed. "Really?"

"Yep," Lorrie answered. "Big girl."

Amanda tickled her. "That's wonderful. You are getting to be a big girl."

Lex braced herself on her left arm and put her chin on her hand. "No accidents, either. I think someone is ready for her big girl panties." They had bought her underwear in several designs. Lorrie's favorites were decorated with cartoon princesses. She knew that once she was able to go to the "big girl potty", she'd get to wear them all the time, not just during the day.

Lorrie clapped her hands. "Yay! Big girl panties." She bounced on the bed. "Now?"

"Yep." Lex started to get up, then remembered something. "How do we ask, Lorrie?"

She batted her brown eyes at Lex. "Pease? Big girl panties?"

"Good girl." Lex scooped her up and carried her off to her room, to change into her new underwear. An obstacle faced, and conquered.

#

After breakfast, Amanda caught Lex in the bedroom, placing a smaller brace on her injured knee. "Isn't it a little soon for that?"

"Nope. The doctor told me I could put weight on it, as soon as I was comfortable to. It's not going to get better if I don't walk on it. I've had similar problems before, and it worked out okay."

"If you say so." Amanda handed Lex her cane. "Stick with this for a while, please? I don't think I could carry you very far."

Lex stood and embraced her. I don't know. After lugging Lorrie around so much, you've developed quite a set of muscles, there."

Amanda felt hands grab her butt. "That's not where my muscles are, Stretch."

"Feels pretty muscular to me." Lex kissed her on the nose and started for the door. "Let's relieve Martha of the kiddo, and head over to the barn. I promised her."

"And that's all she's talked about this morning, other than her new underwear." Amanda linked her arm with Lex's spare one and walked down the stairs with her. "You've created another horse fanatic."

Lex looked quite pleased with herself. "Yep. That's my girl."

They found Lorrie "helping" Martha with a pie. The little girl had a small amount of dough and was beating it with a rolling pin. She had a few smudges of flour on her face and arms, but was otherwise neat.

She looked up as they came into the kitchen. "I cookded," she related proudly.

"I just bet you are." Lex limped to the table and sat next to her. "What are you making?"

"Pie," Lorrie answered, as if it were obvious. She put the rolling pin on the table and began to slap at the dough. "Gots to go flat," she explained. "Make yum."

Lex gave her full attention to the little cook. She dutifully ate the small bite Lorrie offered of the dough. "You're right, lil' bit. That is yummy."

Amanda stood next to Martha while they both watched Lorrie give Lex a cooking lesson. She marveled at her partner's patience. She seemed perfectly content to sit and listen to their daughter chatter about the pie dough, even though Amanda knew she was itching to get to the barn, and out of the house. She had no doubts that their next child would receive the same caring attention, and was looking forward to see how their lives would unfold.

"Done!" Lorrie turned to Martha. "Mada? We cookded?"

Martha gathered the dough and placed it in a three and a half inch tart pan. She ladled a spoonful of apple mixture, and covered it with the dough she had put aside for the occasion. When she was through, she showed the finished product to Lorrie. "How's that?"

Lorrie clapped. "Good!" Her eyes never left the "pie" as Martha placed it in the oven.

"Did you ever do that with Lex?" Amanda asked, quietly. "You're so good with Lorrie."

"Thank you, but it's a labor of love." Martha handed Lex a damp dishtowel to clean the flour and dough from Lorrie's face and hands. "I wish I could have done the same with Lexie, but her father wouldn't hear of it. He said she didn't have time for such nonsense." She scrubbed the counter. "It was a pure shame, too. She was forever sneaking into the kitchen. I know she wanted to learn more than how to feed horses, poor thing."

"You still did a wonderful job. I can see a lot of you in Lex. She was lucky you were here for her." Amanda saw Lex help Lorrie from the table. "It looks like you'll be getting the kitchen back."

"Mommy, go!" Lorrie wrapped her arms around Amanda's legs. "See ossie's."

Lex started to use the dishtowel to wipe the table. Martha took it away from her and swatted her on the rear. "Hey."

"I'll finish this, honey. You have more important things to take care of." She shooed them out of the kitchen. After they left, Martha leaned against the counter and wiped her forehead with her hand. "Now maybe I can get some things done."

Lorrie raced ahead, while Lex and Amanda took a more leisurely pace to the barn. Lex limped slightly, and tried to only use her cane for balance. Her knee ached, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She'd had plenty of injuries growing up on the ranch, and refused to let any of them take her down for long. Lorrie stretched as far as she could to reach the handle on the barn door, but could only touch it with her fingers. "Take it easy, kiddo. We'll be there soon enough."

Amanda picked Lorrie up as Lex opened the door. They had a rule. Because there were so many things she could hurt herself with, she wasn't allowed to have free reign in the barn. "Now remember, Lorrie, let's use our inside voice, so we don't scare the horses," she reminded her.

"Yep." Lorrie's favorite was Amanda's paint pony, Stormy. She rubbed the animal's nose gently. "Good ossie."

Lex stopped at the new filly's stall. She did a cursory check, and could see that someone had taken very good care of her. "How are you doing, girl?" She patted the horse's neck. "You look none the worse for wear. Wish I could say the same."

"She's the horse you were on when you got hurt?" Amanda asked, bringing Lorrie with her to stand by Lex. "New, isn't she?"

"Yep." Lex scratched behind the filly's ears, much to the horse's delight. "Even as new as she is, she did me proud out there."

Amanda rubbed under the animal's jaw. "Does she have a name?"

"Mine."

"Huh?"

Lex grinned at her. "I call her Mine."

"Okay." Amanda drew the word out. "Isn't that a silly name for a horse?"

"Nope. I bet Lorrie would agree with me." Lex patted Mine's neck again. "Lorrie, do you like this horse?"

The little girl grinned, looking like a miniature of her momma. "Yep. Mine!"

"See? Perfect name." Lex couldn't keep the satisfied look off her face. "Lorrie, do you want to help me feed the horses?"

"Yep!" Lorrie squirmed until Amanda put her down. She happily followed Lex into the feed room, while Amanda continued to pet Mine.

"You poor thing. I have a feeling you've just gotten a new owner." She laughed as Mine bumped her in the chest with her nose. "Don't blame me, I just raise them."

#

Later that afternoon, Amanda and Lorrie were in the kitchen putting together a puzzle, while Lex went over the ranch's books. The front door slammed. Seated at her desk in the office, Lex was about to go investigate when Cleve strode into the room. "What do you want?" She noticed the cut and fading bruises on his face. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I came for my check." He pointed at his broken nose. "Don't act like you don't know about this. Those assholes at the bunkhouse worked me over. I bet you got a good laugh out of it."

"You want your check? Fine." Lex took out a checkbook from the top drawer and quickly scrawled on it. She tore it off the top and thrust it at him. "Take it." She put her pen down and pushed away slightly from the desk. "When did this happen?"

"The day they took you to the hospital." He lurched forward and placed his hands on the desk. "I hope you paid them well, because I plan on suing your ass for it."

Lex leaned back in her chair. "I do pay them well, because they do a good job. Unlike you. And, for the record, I had nothing to do with it." She smirked. "Although it only helped your looks."

"Bitch!" He raked his hand over the table top and scattered the contents to the floor. "I should have done more to you out there than just leave. Maybe worked you over."

Amanda stood in the doorway. She had heard the commotion and came to see what was going on. "Lex, what is he talking about?"