That Woman in Wyoming

by Sherry Lewis

  “It is a big deal, Travis. You used a gun to commit a crime.”

  “I took it with me so they’d take me seriously. I wouldn’t have used it.”

  “I’m certainly glad to hear that, but it was still a foolish and dangerous thing to do. And that doesn’t tell me why you stole.”

  “The guy owed me money.” Travis snatched a piece of bread from a plate on the table and took a bite. “I did some work for him, and he didn’t pay me. I tried to call him but he blew me off, so I decided to get what belonged to me.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” Reagan said, “but I’ve also been told that this isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this.”

  “Not exactly like this.” His expression grew cautious. “I’ve never used a gun before.”

  She could hardly bear to look at him. “Why, Travis? Why? If you needed money that badly, you could have come to me or called Dad.” The words echoed in her ears, the same words she’d always said to him, the same “out” she’d always given him. But her willingness to help him hadn’t done a bit of good.

  “You really don’t get it, do you?” Travis’s voice rose slightly. “I don’t want my big sister taking care of me for the rest of my life, and I’m not asking Dad for anything. I did what I had to do.”

  “You didn’t have to steal,” Reagan insisted. “You didn’t have to use a gun. You didn’t have to run from your responsibility. You took the easy way out, just like you always do.”

  He snorted a laugh. “What do you know about it? Life has been tough for me. I’ve had one bad break after another. You don’t know what it’s like.”

  Reagan could only stare at him for a second before she rounded the counter to stand in front of him. “I can’t believe you’re saying that to me. I lost my mother, too. I had to raise my little brother while my dad grieved. I lost my husband, I’m raising two daughters alone, and barely making ends meet. How do you figure that I’ve had such an easy life compared to yours?”

  “Oh, come on, Reagan. You’ve always been Daddy’s little princess—the one who could do no wrong.”

  “And you’ve always been the one who could do no right?” She leaned both hands on the table and glared at him. “Quit feeling sorry for yourself, Travis. Life is hard. That’s just the way it is. Everyone has disappointments. Everyone loses people they love. Everyone faces tough times. But most people don’t lie around feeling sorry for themselves, thinking the world owes them something. They do their best to go on.”

  “That’s so damn easy for you to say, isn’t it? You always have the perfect solution to every problem. When things get rough, just ask Big Sister. She loves telling everybody what they should do.”

  His sarcasm cut to the quick. “That’s not fair.”

  “Why not? It’s true.” Travis glared at her.

  She backed a step away, stunned by the anger in his eyes. “Don’t you dare blame this on me. For once, accept responsibility for what you’ve done.”

  “And do what? Turn myself in?”

  “Yes! Exactly. Turn yourself in.”

  Travis pulled back sharply. “No way. I’m not going to jail again.”

  Reagan took a steadying breath. She couldn’t keep shouting at him or he’d leave—and then anything might happen. She couldn’t bear the thought of him running, maybe doing something stupid to avoid being arrested again. “You committed a robbery,” she said evenly. “It’s not as if someone’s trying to send you to jail for nothing. And running is only making it worse. They’re not going to stop looking for you.”

  “They’re not going to waste a whole bunch of time and money trying to find me. I’m nobody.”

  The last word was filled with such agony, Reagan sank into the chair in front of her and blinked away the sudden tears that blurred her vision. “Do you really think you’re a nobody?”

  The question seemed to catch Travis by surprise. He studied her face for a second or two and some of his tension seemed to fade. “I’ve always felt that way,” he said after a moment. “Always.”

  “It’s not true.”

  He laughed harshly. “So you say.”

  Reagan took a chance and touched his hand, praying silently that he wouldn’t pull away. “It’s not true,” she said firmly. “One of these days I hope you’ll believe it. I’d do anything to help you reach that point, but I don’t think I’m the right person for that. I think you need to talk to someone else—someone who isn’t part of the problem.”

  His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Like who?”

  “I don’t know. A counselor, maybe. I just know that you’ll never be free of the past until you stop running from it.”

  A muscle in Travis’s jaw jumped, but he left his hand beneath hers for a long time as he studied her face. “Is that what you really want me to do?”

  “Yes.” She let out a sigh of relief that he still cared enough to want to please her. “Turn yourself in. Face up to this mistake, and then start working through whatever is bothering you. Max might even know of someone back in California who can help you.”

  Travis’s hand stiffened. “What does Max have to do with this?”

  Reagan gulped back a moan at the slip, but Travis would know soon, anyway. And he’d see the lie on her face if she didn’t tell him the truth. “He’s here to take you back.”

  “Oh, that’s great.” Red shot into Travis’s face. He jerked away from her, gesturing broadly. “That’s just great! So you knew about the robbery the whole time? And you just let me walk into the trap?”

  “No!” Reagan stood to face him. “I only found out about him this morning.”

  “Right.”

  “It’s the truth, Travis. I didn’t set you up. I wouldn’t do that to you.” She touched his arm tentatively. “But I know that if you turn yourself in to Max, you’ll be safe. I’m not so sure what will happen if someone else comes after you.” Travis shook her hand away, but she refused to give up. “Please stop running,” she whispered. “I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.”

  Travis paced from one end of the room to the other. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he walked, and his expression went through a series of changes. Reagan prayed that he wouldn’t try to run.

  After what felt like forever, he ground to a halt and took a long look at her. “You’re really worried about me?”

  “You can’t even imagine how much.”

  He nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Okay.”

  “You’ll do it?” Relief nearly knocked her legs out from under her.

  “If it means that much to you.”

  Tears of relief stung her eyes. She closed the distance between them and put her arms around him. “Thank you, Trav.”

  He gave in to the hug, and even returned it half heartedly. “Can I do it tomorrow? It’d be great to have one more night here with you and the girls since I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”

  Reagan pushed aside the warning whisper in the back of her mind. Travis was willing to compromise, and that’s what mattered.

  “Max could come for you any minute,” she warned. “He might even have been watching for you to come back. But I won’t call him until morning, and if he does come I’ll ask him to wait until morning to take you in.”

  Travis nodded, half grinned and started toward the living room. Halfway to the door, he stopped and turned back to her. “You going to marry this guy, or what?”

  Reagan shook her head slowly. “No. He’s too much like Paul, and I can’t live that way again.” It was the only answer she could give, and she’d thought it a thousand times since that morning. But saying it aloud hurt far more than she’d expected it to.

  SUNLIGHT STREAMED into Reagan’s bedroom through the window. Birds chirped cheerfully outside. She lay in her bed and watched the sun climb into the clear dawn, amazed at how well she’d slept. Amazed that she’d slept at all after everything that had happened the day before.

  She rolled onto her side, st
ill bone-weary. Strong emotion always left her feeling as if she’d been put through a wringer, and even a good night’s sleep hadn’t eased it. This morning, she had to do one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She couldn’t avoid it, but the thought of actually seeing Travis in handcuffs made her slightly nauseous.

  She couldn’t put off the moment by staying in bed forever, but she couldn’t seem to make herself take that first step to get up. Sighing softly, she watched the numbers turn on the digital clock at her bedside, then forced herself to push back the covers and put her feet on the floor.

  Stepping into her slippers, she scuffed toward the bathroom. She took her time washing her face and pulling on her robe, still trying to avoid the inevitable until she heard the girls moving around in the main bathroom. Then she lifted her chin and stepped out into the hallway to face the day.

  Danielle must have heard her coming because she pulled open the bathroom door and motioned her inside. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes wide. Jamie concentrated on her reflection as she brushed her hair.

  “When is Max coming to take Travis to jail?” Danielle asked.

  “I don’t think he’s coming here. I’m planning to take Travis to the motel after I drop you at school.”

  Jamie’s eyes flashed away from the mirror. “You’re not actually going to make us go to school on a day like today, are you?”

  “I think it would be best. Don’t you?”

  “But we don’t want to go,” Danielle argued. “Can’t we go with you?”

  “I don’t think that would be a very good idea. It’s not a memory I want you to have. Besides, you both need to go to school, don’t you?”

  “Not really.” Jamie separated her hair and began to braid it. “Do you know how hard it’ll be to pay attention with all this stuff going on?”

  “Nothing will be going on,” Reagan said firmly. “Not really. Travis will turn himself in to Max and that will be the end of it.”

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “No, but I’m fairly certain.”

  Danielle sighed dramatically. “Yeah, but—”

  “No buts,” Reagan said as she turned back toward the door. “Now, get moving or you’ll be late. Danielle, will you knock on Travis’s door and tell him to get up while I start breakfast?”

  Danielle nodded and let herself out of the bathroom. Jamie started to follow, but Reagan stopped her.

  “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

  Jamie barely glanced at her. “Yeah. Sure.”

  “I’m sorry you and Danielle have to be part of this.”

  “Whatever.” Jamie reached for the doorknob.

  “I know you and Travis have been close, but you do realize that he has to face up to what he’s done, don’t you?”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Jamie still didn’t look at her. “Can I go now? I’m going to be late.”

  Reagan felt as if she’d been slapped, but she kept the hurt inside. Her own emotions were razor-sharp, and Jamie was probably feeling much the same way. “Of course, honey.”

  After Jamie left, Reagan found an elastic and pulled her hair up, then padded into the kitchen to start the coffee.

  “Um…Mom?” Danielle’s voice pulled her around from the sink. “I think we have a problem.”

  Now what? Reagan shut off the water. “What kind of problem?”

  “Travis isn’t in Jamie’s room.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe he’s just asleep.”

  “I opened the door and looked. He’s not there.”

  Reagan held the carafe so tightly, her fingers began to grow numb. “Did you look in the living room? Maybe he’s watching TV.”

  “I don’t think so.” Danielle took a hesitant step closer. “His stuff is gone, too.”

  Reagan’s hand began to tremble so badly she almost dropped the carafe of water on the floor. She rested it on the counter and tried not to panic. “Are you sure?”

  “His backpack’s gone, and so are all of his clothes.”

  The numbness spread up Reagan’s arms and a painful knot twisted in her stomach. “What about the van? Is it in the driveway?”

  Danielle turned away without answering. Reagan waited, listening to the sound of her running feet as she went to the door. The look on Danielle’s face when she came back gave her the answer even before she spoke. “The van’s gone, too.”

  Reagan’s stunned disbelief turned into anger. How dare he leave? How dare he look her in the eye and lie about turning himself in? She should call Max and let him know what had happened, but she couldn’t move for several long seconds.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Be ready to leave in ten minutes. I’ll drop you at the diner so you can have breakfast while I tell Max that Travis has run away.” Again. “You can walk to school from the diner, can’t you?”

  “Sure. It’s only a couple of blocks. But, Mom?” Danielle followed her to the door of her bedroom. “You’re going to tell on him?”

  Reagan pulled her favorite pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater from her dresser. “I have to, sweetheart. What he’s done is illegal.” She sent her worried daughter a thin smile. “I know it seems harsh, but the things he’s done are wrong. I won’t be doing him any favors if I shield him from the consequences.”

  Danielle’s brows knit and she tugged on the hem of her pajama tops. “Are you going to tell Grandpa?”

  “He knows, sweetie. I thought he deserved to know.”

  “Travis won’t think so. He thinks Grandpa hates him.”

  Reagan closed the drawer and leaned both arms on the dresser’s top. “Grandpa doesn’t hate him. The two of them had some trouble when your grandma died, but that was a long time ago and Grandpa has tried really hard to make up for it. Travis just uses it as an excuse for the mistakes he makes.” She gathered her underclothes and turned back to the bed. “I guess it’s easier to blame somebody else when things go wrong than to take the blame yourself.”

  “Do you think Travis will be mad at you?”

  “Probably.” Reagan sat on the foot of her bed and pulled apart her socks. “But I can’t worry about that anymore.” She smiled at Danielle and nodded toward her bedroom door. “Now, hurry and get ready. I want to let Max know what’s happened before Travis gets too far away.”

  In five minutes she was dressed and ready to leave. Calling for the girls, she strode down the hall and reached for her purse on the side table where she usually left it. But as her hand touched the shoulder strap, she froze and stared at the gaping mouth of the bag. Her wallet lay half out of the purse, as if someone had carelessly tossed it there.

  Oh, no, Travis. She pulled the wallet out slowly and stared at it, silently willing this to not be what it looked like. Trembling, she fumbled with the zipper of her money compartment, wrenching it open in frustration when the zipper stuck.

  She’d had more than two hundred dollars in grocery money last night. Now she had nothing. Gulping back the bile that rose in her throat, she checked her credit cards. She had only two, along with a debit card that accessed both her checking and savings accounts. To her relief, the credit cards were where they belonged, but the debit card—by far the easiest for Travis to use—was missing. She’d foolishly used a set of numbers for the PIN that her brother would try. She had no illusions left on that score.

  MAX CHECKED HIS WATCH for probably the hundredth time that morning, trying to calculate how long he should wait before he picked Travis up. He still didn’t want Reagan and the girls to see him make the arrest, but if they weren’t there Max might never see them again. In spite of Bart’s advice, Max didn’t know if he could leave without trying once more to earn Reagan’s forgiveness.

  Opening the curtains in his motel room, he gazed out at the parking lot. The sun was about to crest the mountains and the view made Max’s breath catch. Golden sunlight, sparkling snow, deep forest-green, shade and light all came together to make an almost postcard-perfect scene.

&nbs
p; This was spring in the Rockies. What would summer be like? How would the mountains look in autumn? And winter? Max suddenly wanted to see it all.

  But that was a problem for another day. Like it or not, he couldn’t put off going after Travis any longer. As he started to turn away, he caught sight of Reagan’s car turning into the parking lot and his heart leapt into his throat. Before he could react, she pulled in front of his room and shot out of the car almost before it stopped moving.

  Max bolted outside and caught her as she nearly flew onto the sidewalk. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Travis. He’s gone.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “His clothes are gone, and so is the van.” Her eyes were dark with misery. “I’m sorry, Max. He promised to turn himself in this morning, but he slipped out in the middle of the night. I don’t know where he’s gone.”

  Max didn’t care. The fact that she was here at all must mean that she forgave him on some level. “Are the girls okay?”

  She nodded miserably. “They’re fine. But he’s disappeared. With all the cash from my wallet and my bank debit card.”

  “Any idea how long he’s been gone?”

  “None.” Her hands shook as she pushed a lock of hair away from her eyes. “I should have known better than to trust him, but I thought he was finally ready to face up to the things he’s done.”

  Max touched her shoulder gently. “We all want to trust the people we love. It hurts when we find out we can’t.”

  “I don’t know whether I’m more hurt or angry. He looked me straight in the eye and lied—and then he stole from me.” She blinked back tears and turned partially away.

  “What would you like me to do?”

  She lifted those sea-green eyes to his again. “I want you to find him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I’m positive.”

  Max knew how much it took for her to say that, and he admired her strength more than ever. “Then I’ll find him.”

  “And you’ll make sure he doesn’t get hurt?”

  “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure he comes in without a scratch.”

  She let out a baby-soft sigh. “Thank you.”