Authors: Cerian Hebert
“Yes, you do. Yet you don’t exactly burn up the phone lines with her, do you? You haven’t had any contact with Jessa since you walked out the door. What makes you think she’ll want to talk to you now?”
“Why don’t you give her the phone and we’ll find out?”
“She’s doing her homework. Hold on.”
He slapped the phone down on the desk and stalked to Jessa’s room, puzzling out what he’d say to her. He could either explain her mother was on the phone, or not say anything at all and let his child pick up the phone unsuspectingly.
No, that wasn’t fair. He didn’t want to ambush her. Nor did he want to influence Jessa into not talking to Laura if she wanted to.
“Jessa,” he called softly, tapping on her door.
She opened the door to him a few seconds later, headphones in her ears, dressed for bed.
“There’s someone on the phone who wants to talk to you. It’s your mom.”
Travis could’ve sworn Jessa’s face paled by several shades. Her eyes widened briefly before the curtain came down. A familiar tactic.
“What does she want?”
“To talk to you.”
“So? I don’t want to talk to her.” Jessa began to close the door. Travis caught hold of the door to stop her.
“Jessa, I won’t force you into anything, but maybe you should talk to her.”
“Absolutely not. Please, Dad, don’t make me talk to her.”
Behind the veil of indifference, he could see the pain she’d worked so hard to bury over the years. No, he wouldn’t force her. Not tonight.
“Okay. Do your homework.” He kissed her forehead, let her close the door on him. For a moment he stood in the hall, then sighed and headed downstairs for the phone.
“She doesn’t want to talk.”
“What do you mean? I have a right, you know.” Laura’s voice rose an octave.
“Maybe so, but I refuse to make her do something she doesn’t want to do. You can’t imagine how much you hurt her, Laura, by walking out and by never even looking back. You deserted her and if you think she’ll run blindly to your arms, you’re mistaken.”
“Yeah, Travis, I made mistakes. I’m not as perfect as you are. At least I’m admitting them, and I won’t give up, not now. So you can expect me to go after my rights.”
“I don’t suppose your timing is a coincidence?”
She chuckled. “Of course it isn’t. And my mother had a right to be concerned about who Jessa is keeping company with. You sleeping with your little vagrant yet?”
An icy knife stabbed him straight through to his gut. He hated to lie, but he didn’t have any other options. He refused to drag Rio into something this ugly. He didn’t want Laura and her mother to make what he felt for Rio dirty and cheap.
“She has nothing to do with it. She doesn’t even live here anymore.”
“She did, and that doesn’t answer my question, does it?”
“Fine, you want to play? How long before you left did you get involved with Paul? Or maybe you were involved with him
before
you left your daughter and me. Maybe you shouldn’t be casting any stones on my relationships until examining your own.”
“I’ll be calling again, Travis,” Laura said, steering clear of his accusation. “In fact I may be in the area soon. Paul and I are planning a vacation. I’m also allowed to visit Jessa, if you remember correctly.”
“Supervised visits,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, well, I know where you live.”
She hung up after that and left him standing there for a long moment, holding the phone in a death grip. What was her plan? How would this play into Daphne’s bid for custody? Did they actually think Laura could make up for years of neglect in time for them to wrestle custody of his daughter away from him?
Let them try. They were in for a fight. A losing fight.
Finally, Travis hung up the phone and sat down hard on the couch. So, now what? If Jessa had been happy he wouldn’t worry, but he still hadn’t figured out how to bring her out of this funk. He refused to lose her. That was not an option.
Not going to lose her to Laura or Daphne, not going to lose her to the likes of the Bartletts, either.
Chapter 16
A week passed with no other word from Laura or Daphne. Travis didn’t trust the quiet, but at the moment, besides talking to his lawyer, he didn’t want to rock the boat, so he let life continue on its course.
December began with another storm, this one delivering a foot of snow over the region, canceling school. The foul weather provided Travis and the police department with a busy few days of accidents. It didn’t give him the time he would’ve liked to spend with Jessa, and during the week he only caught glimpses of Rio.
He could’ve used her company, someone to vent to if she’d been available. She’d been working double hard with her barn chores and riding two horses. He admired her drive and was impressed with the way she’d risen to Sadie’s expectations. He’d also been relieved that Jessa seemed determined to keep up.
Jessa hadn’t been pleased at first by the idea of showing again, but she seemed to be embracing the challenge now. He even saw a smile or two on her face when she discussed it over dinner. Maybe the added incentive of two weeks in Florida drove her on. The winter show circuit had been a dream of hers for years growing up; that she’d be good enough to compete down there. Before she had quit about a year ago she’d been on the brink of such a moment.
On his next day off, he made it a point to go to Cobble Creek to see Jessa ride. Thank goodness for indoor arenas, even though there was still a bite to the air. He sat on a small set of bleachers at the end of the ring and watched his aunt work with his daughter.
Rio also rode, mounted on Dante today. The horse dwarfed her. It was amazing how such a small woman could control an enormous animal, yet the two worked beautifully together. They flowed around the ring like they were one. In a short time, she’d learned how to be in command of the horse, and Travis pulled in his breath and held it when she reined Dante toward the jump in the center of the ring. He only released it when they cleared the three-foot fence and circled around again.
He had no anxiety over his daughter’s ability. The girl had practically grown up in the saddle, thanks to Aunt Sadie. Her talent was as solid as Rio’s, though more mature, more confident and sure. She needed less coaching. All those lessons from before had stayed with her and it showed. She was incredible, and his heart filled with pride and love for her.
After an hour they cooled the horses down and Aunt Sadie joined Travis on the bleachers.
“Watch out, horse world,” she said, her voice full of satisfaction. “These two are going to take Connecticut by storm. Think what another five months will to do for them.”
“They are both outstanding. You’d think Rio had been riding her entire life.” His gaze was pinned firmly on her as she walked Dante out, side-by-side with Jessa.
“She was a jewel in the rough, and she’s definitely starting to shine. Any more trouble with Jessa?”
“Nope, we’ve had a trouble-free week. I’m not holding my breath the worst is over. Could be the weather. Could be the riding and the promise of Florida. Could be a number of things.”
“Could be hearing from her mom.”
Travis sent her a startled look. “Excuse me?”
Sadie waved her hand, dismissing his surprise. “Oh, don’t pretend to be surprised. Sometimes a girl feels better talking to another female. Guess it really unsettled her. Does she know? About Daphne trying to take custody?”
Travis rested his forehead on his hands and pushed his fingers through his hair. “How can I tell her? I can’t even wrap my own brain around it. I have to convince myself it’s not going to happen.”
“If there’s a God, Daphne will lose interest and this will die out. Though with Laura coming back into the scene, well that can’t be the best thing for Jessa, now can it? Just keep an eye on them. I don’t trust Daphne Montague as far as I can throw her, which, with my bad back, wouldn’t be far.”
“Preaching to the choir.”
“I know, dear. Hey, I have another tradition I’d like to resurrect. I’d like to take Jessa on our annual Christmas shopping trip to Freeport. Next weekend. I’ve checked out the bus schedules—I’m not up for that drive anymore—and there’s one leaving next Friday, returning Sunday.”
The trips to Freeport, Maine, with their enormous selection of outlet stores, had become a tradition for Aunt Sadie and Jessa the year after Laura took off. Travis had been dreading the thought of Jessa’s first Christmas without her mother. But Sadie booked a hotel for two nights. She and Jessa had shopped to their hearts’ delight.
Jessa had looked forward to their trip every year and it had only stopped when he’d left for Afghanistan. Now it seemed more than important to start it up again.
“I’d bring Rio, but I think this should be just Jessa and me,” Aunt Sadie commented. “Need someone I trust to take care of my kids. Maybe you could drive her to the mall for some Christmas shopping.”
Travis glanced over at his aunt. Although her face was serene as she watched Rio and Jessa finish up with the horses, Sadie’s mind always clicked away with all kinds of thoughts.
She knows.
She had to have figured out something had begun to grow between Rio and him. How, he wasn’t sure. A woman’s intuition was a mysterious thing. He didn’t think they had been too obvious about their feelings, yet . . .
If Sadie did know about his relationship with Rio, he wasn’t planning on confirming any suspicions. Instead, Travis gave her a lopsided smile. “We could do that. What woman doesn’t like going to the mall? And thank you for taking Jessa up to Maine again. I’m sure she’ll love the idea.”
“Terrific.” Aunt Sadie stood and started down the bleachers carefully. On the ground, she turned to him and smiled. “I’ll buy the tickets for the bus and reserve a hotel. This is good, Travis. Getting her back to normal. Really good.”
And she was one hundred percent correct. When Aunt Sadie told Jessa about the plans to go to Freeport for shopping, Travis could see the girl’s entire face light up. Maybe she didn’t jump for joy like she used to, but in her own teenager way, she was pleased.
The pleasure didn’t last long. When they arrived home an hour later, Daphne’s car was parked in the driveway. Travis wished he could drive away. Escape, however, wouldn’t solve anything. He refused to run away from his problems.
This wasn’t any ordinary visit either. Something more was up and his suspicions were confirmed when he got out of the car and faced his unexpected guests.
He had to admit that Laura looked as beautiful as ever. Healthy tan, long, golden blond hair, well dressed. Yet as he closed the distance between them, he noted the fine lines at the corner of her eyes and mouth, and maybe her blond hair wasn’t as real as it had once been. Still, the last decade hadn’t been too hard on her.
She brushed over him with a cool glance before turning her attention to her daughter, a smile sliding over her face.
“Hi Jessa,” she said tentatively.
Jessa stood like a statue next to Travis, her mouth tight. She didn’t reply to her mother’s greeting.
For a moment uncertainty flickered in Laura’s gaze. She glanced at Travis and then back to Jessa. “Look at you. My God, you’re all grown up.”
“What did you expect?” Jessa replied, her voice chilly. She crossed her arms in front of her.
Laura’s stare hardened. She smiled despite her tight jaw. She fingered a lock of Jessa’s hair. “Black? I recall your hair was so blond it used to be white. Remember?”
Jessa pulled away.
“I thought maybe your dad would let Grandma and me take you out for dinner tonight. What do you think? We could catch up.”
Travis almost felt sorry for Laura. If he weren’t so shocked and annoyed she’d actually showed up on his doorstep unannounced, he’d ease her plight. His sympathies didn’t extend that far. He glared at her long and hard, and for a moment he thought she’d back down, but with Daphne standing directly behind her, staring coldly at him, Laura seemed to hold on to some of her strength.
He glanced down at Jessa. She was completely closed off to the idea.
“It would’ve been nice to have some notice,” he told his ex, ignoring her mother.
“I tried. Remember when I called? I said I’d be in the area.”
“You’re allowed supervised visits. Do you really think I’d consider your mother part of that supervision?”
“And do you think we’d steal her? I have a reputation to uphold in this town and kidnapping a child does not fit within that reputation,” Daphne said cuttingly.
Travis opened his mouth to reply when Jessa put her hand on his arm. “Oh never mind,” she said sharply. “I’ll go. If it’ll stop all this stupid fighting.” She glared at her mother. “I’m going to change. I’ll be ready to go in an hour.”
Before anyone could speak up further, Jessa strode away toward the house, leaving Travis to face a pair of exes who both wore expressions of triumph.
“If you do any more damage to her I swear I’ll drag this to court and make sure you lose all your rights.” Travis struggled to keep the anger from his voice.
A sweet smile slid over Laura’s face and she stroked his cheek, a gesture she used on him when they were together. This time, however, her eyes held nothing but ice. “Now you can spend some time with your little vagrant. We’ll see you in an hour. And don’t worry, I’ll deliver her home safe and sound.”
The two women headed to Daphne’s car, leaving Travis to stare after them in angry disbelief. As soon as they were out of sight he strode inside and straight to Jessa’s room.
“You don’t have to do this, honey,” he said through her door. He could hear her moving around.
She stepped into the hallway. “It’s okay, Dad. It was bound to happen at some point. Might as well get it over with.” She walked past him toward the bathroom. “I have some questions for her anyway.”
Her confidence impressed him. Certainly it stemmed from years of anger.
“Okay. Bring your cell phone and make sure you call me if you need me.”
She nodded and closed the door on him. There wasn’t much more he could do.
“What do you mean she’s gone to dinner with them?” Rio moved the pot of spaghetti and boiling water off the stove and brought it to the sink, her phone snuggled between her ear and shoulder. She’d purchased the phone two days ago and had finally started to feel like a normal human being.
“I didn’t want her to. We were on the verge of a huge scene, and I didn’t want Jessa to see it. Neither did Jessa. I think she was being diplomatic.”
“Do you think you can really trust them with her? You don’t think they’ll run?”
“Daphne had a point. She has a reputation to maintain and kidnapping wouldn’t be smart, so yeah, I think they’ll return her safe and sound. I don’t trust Laura as far as I can throw her, but she hasn’t been a mother for years. I can’t see why she’d want to be bothered now.”
“So, what are your plans? Sit by the door and wait for her to come home?” Rio could picture him doing that.
“I made Laura promise to bring Jessa home by ten. Any later and I’m calling the cops.”
Rio chuckled. He’d be right out there hunting them down and in his full official capacity. “Okay. Then you have four hours. I’m making way more spaghetti than I can possibly eat in a week. Why don’t you come over here and let me feed you?”
There was hesitation on the other end of the line, leaving her chilled. “Or not.”
“No, I’d love to,” he replied quickly. “I’m sorry, it’s something they’re already thinking. That you and I are an item, which we are. Still, they make it sound like something tawdry.”
Now
that
left her cold. God, she didn’t want anyone to think less of him because of her. As chief of police he had his own reputation to think of, and the last thing she wanted was to mess up what advantage he had over Laura and her mother. One of the reasons she moved out in the first place was to avoid a scandal. “Oh, well, maybe we should forget it then.”
“Absolutely not. You listen to me, Rio, I won’t let those two make me feel like we’re doing anything wrong. I’m sorry they’ve managed to disparage you in the process of hurting me.”
She chuckled. “I’m used to it. No matter how much I’ve tried to keep out of trouble since being on the road, there are always people who think I’m worthless. I tend to ignore them. Better than tying my emotions in a knot over it. Nothing I can do about what goes through the minds of strangers except to do what I feel comfortable with.”
“Okay then, I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Five minutes seemed more like two. Rio left the door unlocked so he could come right up, and when she heard his footsteps on the stairs she was there to greet him.
He pulled her to him and lifted her off her feet into his arms, nuzzling kisses against her neck and cheek, and finally her lips. It seemed like forever since she’d been alone with him, since she’d felt his hands on her body, his lips consuming hers.
Heat flared, then simmered. His taste was as delicious as the thrills running through her veins from the way he held her. All she wanted to do was beg him to carry her to bed, dinner be damned, but he eased her to the floor.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered, sinking his fingers into her hair. More slowly this time, he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was lingering, intoxicating and hungry, his tongue dancing and curling with hers.
Finally, he pulled away. “Smells delicious in here.”
It took her mind a moment to clear before she even remembered dinner. “Oh, yeah,” she said breathlessly. “Come on, it’s all ready.”
She led him to the kitchen where she had two places set at the table. In an attempt at romance, she’d lit a candle she’d discovered in one of the cabinets.
“I’m sorry I don’t have any wine or anything. You’ll have to settle for milk or orange juice or water.”
“Water is fine.”
“Sit down.” Suddenly she felt all flustered. She didn’t think she’d ever become used to the way her body trembled at the idea of playing hostess for him. She wanted to do everything right, impress him, but it seemed as if she’d fallen short of her mark.