Blue Autumn in the Bayou (Gumbo Love) (31 page)

“We just need to chill for a little bit, let the traffic clear up for a while. We may be able to get over to the island before it
gets dark.”

Travis did everything except chill. He paced the floor for so long that he
had soon gotten on Tempest’s nerves. Tempest had to get the man over to Autumn or tie him up and throw him into the cellar. Autumn would hang him if he tried to do anything other than help Travis.

Just before dark, clouds quickly moved to the west
ern skies. Tempest and Travis jumped into the truck, and slowly but surely crossed the Hwy 1 bridge. They pulled into Mer Drace’s driveway and got out. “Well, here you are Travis. Autumn should be inside. I’m going to walk around for a minute to make sure things are boarded down. I’ll be in shortly.”

Travis wasted no time
as he headed for the front porch. His wife was somewhere in the house before him, so he walked up the porch and rang the doorbell.

Mer Drace answered the door and the moment he saw her
, he instantly knew who she was. His heart leaped in his chest. Autumn was correct. She was a younger version of the woman standing before him at that moment. He tried to capture every detail of her face in a single glance. He didn’t want to be rude just standing there, staring at her, but he couldn’t help himself.

Autumn was in the kitchen, but the instant the doorbell rang
, something stirred inside of her. She thought maybe the caller was bringing bad news; perhaps residents were being ordered to leave the island at once. However, when she entered the room, her heart nearly fell into her shoes.

Mer Drace looked up at Travis. She smiled and nodded at him. “You must be Travis.”

“Yes, Mer Drace, I’m Travis. Is Autumn here?”

“Come on in son
. She’s here.”

Travis cautiously walked into the house, his eyes instantly seeking the insides for any signs of Autumn.

Autumn stayed put and watched her husband greet Mer Drace. He had to go through her family to get to her, so she stood back and waited patiently for him. When she looked at his tired face, an observer looking on would have thought she was looking at him for the first time, when in fact she’d seen him only days before. 

She saw something no one else saw when she looked at Travis, like the small
, tired lines at the curve of his mouth. Those luscious, sweet lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reveal the true Travis. Autumn watched as he removed his poncho before he reached down and cradled Mer Drace, and before pulling up to his full height, dropping a tender kiss on her cheek as he did. He looked down at her and Mer Drace reached up and touched the side of his face with her ageless hand.

“Mer Drace. I feel like I’ve known you a very long time.” He smiled down at her.

“You have, child. But I’m glad we can look at each other now face-to-face.”

“Yes, ma’am
,” he replied not truly understanding her comment. He glanced over at Autumn standing rooted as if she were waiting for him to pass a gauntlet. He stopped and hugged Maree next. “Mrs. Thibodaux. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He stared down at Autumn’s mother. Both favored Mer Drace, but Maree had hazel eyes instead of the striking blue like Autumn, Tempest, and Mer Drace.

Travis kissed Maree’s che
ek and hugged her. Maree wanted so badly to not like Travis, but she just couldn’t. His sincere eyes and warm smile touched her heart. He looked directly at her with a level of respect she didn’t see often in young people. He emitted such positive energy it transmitted from him to her instantly. She patted him on the back a few times before she released him. “My girl is awfully crazy about you, Travis.”

He glanced over at Autumn again, trying to divide his attention between both her mother and her. Still he couldn’t help but project most of his energy toward Autumn. She called to him both physically and mentally. He took care to finish all of the formalities needed to get to where he wanted to be, within arm’s reach of Autumn. “I love her with every fiber of my being.” He regarded Maree as she watched him and his private exchanges with Autumn.

“And I believe you, son. Welcome home.”

“Thank you.” He squeezed her arms.

Finally free to move to his bride, Travis made no haste, taking long strides until he was close enough to grab her face in his hands, pulling her to him as he continued to move forward. In one quick movement, he covered her mouth and with all the force he had, he kissed her briefly but deeply. He then wrapped his arms around Autumn and crushed her against him. “I missed you, baby.” He mumbled into her hair before releasing her.

Autumn
’s breathing ceased until Travis released her. Her hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt and when he let her go, which was way too soon, she clung to him by his shirt. She smiled. Her body trembled. For a brief second she was unable to communicate verbally, but she didn’t have to.

Travis read the sea of emotions
on her face. So he said to her, “I’m going to go out and help Tempest. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Autumn didn’t want him to leave. She reluctantly released him.

* * * *

The rain had subsided
, but the winds continued to gust. Travis and Tempest reinforced the boards on all of Mer Drace’s windows and doors facing the south shores. Gator, Autumn’s dad, came up right as they hammered down the last plank. “Pop, this is Autumn’s husband, Travis Brooks.”

“Husband?” The giant man frowned.

“Yes, sir.” Travis interjected and moved toward the older version of Tempest and held out his hand. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t get do this beforehand. But please know I love and will protect Autumn.”

“I expect you will.” Gator accepted the young man’s hand. “Welcome, son.”

As they finished and headed back into the house, they were met by the aroma of a spicy Cajun supper. Autumn was in the kitchen with her mother. She moved around, busily stirring the ingredients thrown in by her grandmother in a no-win effort to keep her mind off of the man that consumed her entire being. She resisted the need to go out and seek Travis. 

He, her brother, and father came through the door one after the other. “Smells good. It’s just a matter of time before we lose power. Might as well enjoy a hot meal now
,” Gator said as he hung his rain poncho on the hook near the door. The men peeled away their slickers and other all-weather gear. They walked to the utility sink, and with the help of one another, used water they’d collected from a pail before turning the water line off.

Rain b
attered down on the shingled roof once again. The wind whistled in chorus with the flapping of loose flying debris across the landscape. The gray skies turned pitch black when the lights around the island flickered to dark. Travis joined in the light-hearted conversation with his new family. They shared stories, but he didn’t for one moment neglect Autumn. He touched her hand or, on occasion, looked down into her face as she picked over her food. He thought their song and dance went unnoticed by everyone at the table, but it had not.

Mer Drace watched him with
eagle eyes. She watched him touch Autumn’s hand to draw her attention. Even after fifty years, she recognized the pull of energy so potent that nothing could penetrate it. Not even the watchful look of loving parents mattered. Her heart reminded her of the life that seemed like yesterday. All Demarcus had to do was be in the same room and she couldn’t keep her wits about herself. She sympathized with Autumn. The girl who could eat her brother under the table barely touched one of her favorite dishes.

Mer Drace cleared her throat
. “Travis I hear you like pecan pie. Is that right?”

A lazy smile lit his face as he looked down the table at Mer Drace. “Yes
, ma’am. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Well, son, it just so happens that there is one on the cooling rack as we speak. So eat up while we go into the kitchen and bring back pie and coffee. Come on
, sweetie.” She held a hand out for Autumn.

* * * *

Once Travis and Autumn were behind closed doors they exercised enough patience to allow Travis to shower and slip into a pair of shorts. He used tepid water from a portable tank he and Tempest filled before they turned off the waterline. He was conscious to not use much of it because they didn’t know how long they would be without a water source.

Travis
didn’t tarry; his mind was on his wife. With her family only a few doors away, making love to Autumn tonight was a wish and perhaps a long shot. Their interludes, so far, had been heated, and, above all, very noisy. He seemed to lose control where Autumn was concerned.

Autumn waited for him
impatiently. She squirmed on the edge of the bed, her feet bouncing against the side of the box spring. Right now her body raged with need. The storm crashing round them couldn’t compete with the desire growing in anticipation of Travis’s loving.

She picked over her dinner earlier,
because all of her energy centered on Travis She couldn’t hide her desire for her husband. Heat stirred in the center of her body when he simply looked at her. On one hand, she wanted to tell him to stop looking at her; on the other hand, she loved that he touched her with his eyes and his hands. Her senses roared.

And n
ow as he strolled from the bathroom with moisture still glistening on his hairy chest she couldn’t help but shift her body on the bed. Once he closed the door and sat next to her, he drew his arm around her, their thigh and leg touched as they sat on the side of the bed together.

“You had me extremely worried today, Autumn. Please don’t
ever do that again.” He stroked her cheek with his finger.

Autumn turned in
to his embrace. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry.”

“How could I not worry? I would have walked here
to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

He paused before gathering her closer to him. “But now that I’m here with you, I’m glad we’re together.” He lifted her hand from her lap and brought it to his lips. “Not exactly how I would’ve done it, but you’re here, and I’m so relieved.” He studied her face carefully, and smiled lovingly at her.

Autumn leaned in and kissed him. “I didn’t exactly keep my promise to wait until we were together to tell my parents about us. Sorry. They bullied it out of me.”

Travis squeezed her tighter. “It’s okay because I think I let it slip myself. I was so upset when I left the house to come here that I told my folks that I had to go and find my wife. It was classic—the expression on their faces, I mean.”

“My mother was the least approving of the group. But overall
, Travis I think she really likes you.”

“Well I can be pretty charming
,” he teased.

“You think?”
she turned her head to the side and smiled up at him.

“I think
,” he pulled her onto his lap. “Come here. Let me keep one of my promises, but only if you agree to not be loud.” He ignored his earlier apprehension and captured her mouth. “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll have to stop.”

Between kisses she responded, “I promise.” Autumn couldn’t keep her promise to be quiet or well behaved because Travis made her lose all regard when he
made love to her, but she would try.

He pulled her down on the bed. “You have on way too many clothes.”

CHAPTER 31

Travis shoved Autumn’s shirt and tank top above her head releasing her high, firm breasts with nipples pointing straight at him. He wasted no time stripping down her shorts and panties. He entered her with a single thrust, and she accepted him fully. The gasps echoed from them both were captured by their kisses.

Travis feasted and stroked her
relentlessly. He pulled in and out of her wet world, alternating long with short quick thrusts. Autumn opened totally, allowing him to move at different angles as he explored the depth and pockets of her warm love canal. The bed rocked and swayed as they moved in unison. Autumn lifted her hips into Travis, and tried to get as much of him as she could. She wrapped her legs and arms around him to keep pace with his rhythm. He grabbed her buttocks and rolled her naughtily into him with each long thrust. Lips clamped to his, she moaned loudly.

Travis pulled his mouth away long enough to look down into her face. “You promised to be quiet, little one
,” he whispered breathlessly as he continued to move above her. “Look at me, Autumn.” He commanded.

Autumn
wanted to respond to his request, but found it difficult. She finally obliged him and opened her eyes to get a glimpse of his intense passion staring back at her through his beautiful dark eyes. He dug in one long stroke and held it there.