For the first time, Scarlett understood how seriously everyone apparently took this costume ball. “What are you thinking as far as theme?” she asked.
Vivian passed over a sheaf of papers. “I’ve made several mock-ups. We’ve thought of a few with a large enough cast of characters for all of us.”
The first page showed the crew of Peter Pan. While Scarlett would have loved playing Tinker Bell, she couldn’t see Travis agreeing to be Peter or even Captain Hook. The second and third pages were both popular fairy tales. “What kind of thing does Travis usually prefer?” she asked.
Again Vivian and Amber exchanged looks. “He’s been a cowboy, a police officer and once we even talked him into going as Frankenstein.”
“Maybe we should discuss this with him?”
Vivian laughed. “We thought once we decided, we’d let you tell him.”
Immediately, Amber protested. “Mom, that’s not really fair. You know how stubborn Travis can be.”
“True, but you know he’d take it better coming from her,” Vivian shot back. She reached her long, coral-colored nails into her oversize purse and withdrew a stick of gum, which she popped into her mouth.
“Ignore her,” Amber said, grinning at Scarlett. “Keep looking. My ideas are coming up.”
Which meant the first few pages had been Vivian’s.
Predictably, the next page was a family of vampires, sort of a knockoff of Anne Rice’s popular book and movie. Scarlett paused, trying to imagine Travis as a vampire, but she couldn’t.
She continued on, stopping at the next page to consider. For this one, it appeared Amber had drawn her own characters, some symbolizing good, others bad. There were angels, glorious and regal, dressed in elaborate white with wings that rivaled those worn by Victoria’s Secret models. And there were fallen angels or maybe demons, all in black.
“This has possibilities,” Scarlett mused, tapping the page.
“There are more.” Amber grinned, clearly pleased. “We wanted to give you lots to choose from, this being your first Halloween ball and all.”
She’d had several more ideas, all of them good, but when Scarlett got to the next to last page, she stopped. “Wow,” she breathed. “Now this might actually work.”
Vivian leaned across the table to see. “Oh,” she commented. “Don’t you think that might have been overdone?”
“Not at all,” Scarlett replied, eyeing the antebellum costumes, especially that of her namesake. “Gone with the Wind is classic.” And she could actually picture Travis dressed as Rhett. “My only concern would be the possibility of even obtaining such elaborate dresses.”
“I agree.” Vivian blew a bubble and popped it. “We only have two weeks. Your average costume shop isn’t going to have an abundance of antebellum gowns.”
“There’s one more,” Amber said. “Medieval, kind of like King Arthur and the Round Table.”
As Scarlett eyed the pictures, she realized she could see Travis as either the king or as Lancelot, not as Merlin. “But then who would be Lady Guinevere?”
“You, silly,” Amber replied. “I’d want to be Morgana.”
“Then who would that leave for me? Not anyone fun,” Vivian protested, clearly not loving the idea.
“Igraine,” both Scarlett and Amber said at once.
“You’d make a fabulous queen,” Scarlett reassured her.
Vivian preened. “Yes, I think I would. But again, those are pretty elaborate costumes. Would we be able to get them in time?”
“Actually, I’ve got that covered,” Amber put in. “One of my friends belongs to a group who puts on an annual Renaissance Faire in Longview. They have a huge store of costumes, both for sale and for rent. I could touch base with her if you’d like.”
“Or do you need to check with Travis?” Vivian asked, her eyes narrowed.
“I’m...not sure. Though what possible objection could he have to being King Arthur or Lancelot?” Scarlett mused.
“I think you should let him choose. Once he’s selected who he wants to be, we’ll just assign Frank and Mike their characters.” Vivian began restacking the papers, this time putting the medieval page on top.
Again, the front door opened. This time, Travis pushed Hal inside. The older man appeared a bit surprised to see everyone, but he wheeled himself right up to Scarlett.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, peering at her face, his green eyes full of worry.
“I’m okay. How about you?” She thought he looked tired. The circles under his eyes appeared darker, the lines and puffiness more pronounced.
“I’m good.” He waved away her concern. Lifting his head, he eyed Vivian and Amber. “Why are y’all here? What’s going on?”
“We came to discuss costumes for the ball,” Amber drawled.
Travis looked at Scarlett. A shiver of awareness zinged through her as their gazes locked.
“I was thinking we’d do a Camelot type thing,” she said, confident he’d like this. “I could be Guinevere and you could be Lancelot.”
Immediately, he shook his head. “No. I’m sorry, but I could never be Lancelot. Not in a million years.”
* * *
Stunned silence followed his pronouncement. In retrospect, Travis figured he might have been a bit harsh, but if Scarlett couldn’t understand his reasoning, it was because she didn’t know him well enough.
As for his mother and sister, he supposed they’d never understand.
Hal, though, got it immediately. “It’s okay,” he told Scarlett. “You have to realize, the one thing Travis values above all others is honor and loyalty. He could never even pretend to be someone who’d betray his king.”
Though Scarlett’s eyes had widened at his declaration, the instant Hal explained, she nodded. “I get it. How about you be King Arthur instead?”
Again, he had to shake his head. It went without saying that he didn’t want to portray a man whose own knight had cuckolded him. Plus, Kendra had always wanted to be Guinevere during their time together.
“Maybe you’re taking this all a tad bit too seriously?” Vivian suggested, her tone dry. “It’s just a costume ball.”
“Maybe so,” he allowed. “Let me know what else y’all come up with. I can give you a hint. I make a pretty damn good cowboy.”
Everyone laughed. On that note, he left them and headed home. He had a long day tomorrow and wanted to get cleaned up and turn in early.
* * *
The next morning, he got up before dawn and was out in the fields alongside his men to watch the sunrise. With the too-short Texas autumn already upon them, it wouldn’t be long before winter rode in on her heels.
Winter in Texas could be many things, depending on her mood. From ice storms, snow and below freezing temperatures, to mild weather with flooding rain and decimating winds, winter could be the most dangerous time for livestock. To be safe, the HG Ranch moved all of their herds from the remote pastures to the closer ones. They hauled off many to auction, but the remaining cattle they kept where they could more easily watch over them.
The day passed quickly, as busy days tended to do. By the time the sun reached the edge of the horizon, Travis ached. Tired, but a good kind of tired, and dirty, he enjoyed the pleasant knowledge that he’d completed a good day’s work.
Since he’d spent most of the day on horseback, moving cattle and occasionally stopping to pitch in to repair fences, nothing sounded better than a hot shower and a cold beer. Despite that, Travis found himself driving past his place and heading for the main house. Though he told himself he wanted to check on Hal, he knew the real reason was because of Scarlett. He wanted to see her again.
Somehow, without even trying, she’d gotten into his blood. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, even while working himself harder than he had in a long while in an effort to distract himse
lf.
Making love with her had actually had the opposite effect than he’d hoped for. Instead of getting her out of his system, she wiggled deeper inside.
When he pulled up at the main house, due to the lateness of the hour, no one else was there. Even Delilah had gone home for the day. He hoped he could grab a bite to eat, but if not, he figured Vivian would have made something and left it in the fridge for him at home.
He let himself in the front door, marveling at how quiet the place seemed lately. Before Scarlett had arrived, Hal had mostly entertained himself by watching hours of television. The TV had been on 24/7, it seemed.
These days, Hal seemed more engaged. Even as his physical body grew weaker, the arrival of his daughter had sharpened his mind and lightened his spirit. That alone made Travis disposed to like her. Even if she hadn’t been beautiful and sexy as well.
The low murmur of voices seemed to be coming from Hal’s office. Strange, since the older man rarely ventured in there anymore. Bypassing the kitchen and heading down the hallway, his spirit lightened with anticipation. Travis froze when he heard Hal say oil leases.
Scarlett asked a question, but Travis couldn’t make out the words. All his initial suspicion came rushing back. Had Scarlett’s arrival been a front all along? Was she working with Wave Oil Company, maybe even working with Kendra? Or was he just being paranoid?
While he hesitated to eavesdrop, how could he not? Moving as silently as possible, he tried to get closer so he could hear the conversation.
“But why?” Scarlett asked. “What’s the objection to letting them drill on part of your land? It sounds to me like it would bring a much-needed infusion of cash. And as long as it wouldn’t disrupt your cattle operation, I can’t see the harm.”
She sounded just like one of the oil company representatives. With his hands clenched into fists, Travis waited to hear how Hal would respond.
As predicted, Hal began talking about the environment, damage to the land, the equipment and trucks and people invading the ranch, though he didn’t sound as convinced or impassioned as he usually did.
He sounded weary and old.
Though Travis would have liked to have stayed hidden and determined how hard Scarlett tried to convince her so-called father, his primary concern had to be for Hal. He couldn’t let anyone badger the old man.
Travis pasted a false smile onto his face and stepped into the room. “Hey,” he said softly, resisting the urge to look at her and locking his gaze on Hal. “What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing,” Scarlett immediately replied, which made Travis clench his jaw.
“I was showing her the offers from the oil company,” Hal interjected, his tone defensive. “I’ve been thinking about the future, and what will happen to this ranch once I’m gone.”
Talk about a punch in the gut. Not only at the prospect of Hal leaving too soon, but that he even questioned the well-being of the ranch.
“Nothing will happen.” Trying to keep it light, Travis moved into the room and squeezed the older man’s shoulder. Too thin, too frail, as if Hal’s bones would snap if Travis were to squeeze too hard.
“Everything will continue to run just as it always has,” Travis continued. “Like we’ve always discussed.”
Conscious of Scarlett watching him, shock and dismay on her beautiful, treacherous face, Travis kept all of his focus on Hal. As it should be, where it always should have been, if he hadn’t allowed himself to become distracted.
“I know, I know.” Hal covered Travis’s hand with his own. “I’ve always been able to rely on you. But it’s only natural to worry now that I have a daughter. I want to make sure she’s taken care of.”
And so does she, Hal thought, tamping down on his anger. Once again, he felt like a fool. He’d made love to her, invited her to be his date for the ball. He’d thought he liked her—hell, more than liked her. He’d let his guard down and now he felt as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut.
“I see from the expression on your face that you believe I’m trying to convince Hal to go with the oil company’s offer so I can make money,” Scarlett said.
“Aren’t you?” The rancor in his tone made Hal frown.
“Not at all. I was asking questions to understand. Nothing more. I don’t need Hal’s money. After my mother died, she made sure I’d be taken care of. Believe me when I say that I want for nothing. She was careful with her investments and money. The last thing you need to do is worry about me. I have no need of money whatsoever.”
Whatever Travis had been expecting her to say, it wasn’t this. Trying to remain skeptical, he finally allowed himself to glance at her, steeling himself for the familiar sizzle of attraction.
Yep, still there. Damn it.
“Nice to know you’re so well-off,” he drawled.
“Travis, that’s enough.” Hal’s mild rebuke immediately made Travis ashamed. “I’d think you’d be happy to hear that Scarlett is self-sufficient. One less thing for you to have to worry about once I’m gone.”
“First off, you’re not going anywhere just yet,” Scarlett interjected. “And second, there’s no reason why Travis would ever have to worry about me. None whatsoever.”
Hal raised one bushy eyebrow but didn’t say anything, for which Travis was grateful. The last thing he needed was for Hal to comment on a potential relationship between the two of them. Especially since that potential didn’t exist. Not now, not ever.
Even if he couldn’t stop wanting her. Physical attraction was one thing. A lifelong commitment, another.
“Travis,” Scarlett asked softly. “Could we have a word in private?”
His voice stuck in his throat, so he managed a nod. Ignoring Hal’s knowing look, he followed Scarlett from Hal’s office. Instead of heading toward the kitchen as he’d expected, she led the way toward her room.
He hesitated, but finally followed her inside. When she closed the door and turned to face him, he froze. “Scarlett...”
Her expression had gone all soft, her eyes full of tenderness. He wanted to back her up against the wall and make love to her, right then, right there. Again and again and again, until he purged his system of her.
“I really don’t think we should be in here alone,” he managed to rasp. “So why don’t we—”
She grabbed him before he could finish, and yanked him to her. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her mouth to his and kissed him.
Lust jolted through him like an electric shock, frying his brain and all rational capability of reason.
“I want you,” she murmured, mouth against his, right before their tongues mated the way his body wanted to.
He wanted her too, hell how he wanted her, but damned if he’d allow her to make him a slave of his own needs and desires. Holding himself back, he allowed her to kiss him, though he kept himself as restrained as he could.
Finally, his lack of enthusiasm got through to her.
“Travis?” She moved back, her expression troubled. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Maybe the time had come to give her the brutal truth, no matter how harsh. “I don’t want Hal thinking we’re a couple, getting his hopes up that I’ll take care of you once he’s...” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
At first, she simply stared at him, attempting to process his words. “Take care of me?” she asked. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Hal feels horrible that you grew up without him being part of your life. He told me so. I know he worries about what will happen to you in the future.” Again, he found he couldn’t articulate the rest. Speaking out loud about a time when Hal wasn’t alive felt like sacrilege.
“Interesting. Especially since he’s never mentioned that to me.”
Was she hurt? Or angry? He wasn’t sure. While channeling his desire into an all-out brawl might be
exactly what he needed, with Hal in the other room, he couldn’t chance it. “I apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Though she dipped her chin in a curt nod of acknowledgment, there wasn’t the slightest hint of forgiveness in her expression. “Let me make something clear. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. Like I tried to tell you earlier, my mother made careful investments and she left me well-off enough that I’ve been considering opening my own art gallery. I made this detour here so I could get to know my father. I didn’t know he was ill.”
“Then why are you asking about the oil company’s offers?” he shot back. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you and Hal were discussing before I walked up.”
He could have sworn hurt rather than chagrin flashed in her emerald eyes, so like Hal’s. “Travis, I know you manage the ranch, so I’m sure you’re aware Hal has financial troubles. All his medical tests and treatments are expensive. He’s not just worried about what will happen to me once he’s gone. He’s concerned about you, Travis. If he doesn’t come up with additional funds to pay his bill, there’s a very real problem he will lose the ranch.”
Chapter 10
He hadn’t known. Scarlett saw the shock and disbelief on Travis’s face clear as day. She couldn’t help but wonder why Hal hadn’t discussed it with him, but now she’d gone and gotten herself right where she’d never wanted to be—in the middle between the two men.
“Hal wouldn’t keep that from me,” Travis said. “And I know for a fact he’d never consider signing an agreement with Wave Oil. He’s told me so himself. They’d ruin our land, take away our peace and spook our livestock.”
No way did she plan to touch that. “Maybe you should ask him yourself,” she pointed out. “Believe me, I’ve got no stake in this.”
“You’re from back East,” he replied. She suspected that to him that was some kind of insult. “You don’t love this land like I do. You’ve never ridden for miles, knowing you were nowhere near the boundary.”
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