“Hi, Dad,” Addie said, her mouth dry.
“Addison? That’s you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Hearing her father’s familiar voice made her freeze a little, and she could only utter a single word.
“It’s great to hear your voice. How are you? How’s Callie?”
Shocked to her core to hear her father’s enthusiasm, Addie met Callie’s eyes, and smiled. “We’re both great, Dad. Callie has a baby now. His name’s Gus.”
“How about that,” her dad said after a pause. “Callie has a son...” She noted a mixture of excitement and sadness in his voice.
Before Addie could speak again, her father hurried on, “Listen, Addie, I have to say something before I lose my nerve. Your mom and I have realized something over the last few months.”
Addie listened, holding her breath. She had expected the same coldness and distance that her father had usually treated her with when they had been in contact years ago. Now, he sounded warm.
“We were both terrible parents, and we screwed up. We treated you both very badly, and, if you’ll give us a chance, we’d like to be in your lives again.”
Stunned for the second time in less than thirty minutes, Addie had nothing to say. She could think of nothing at all coherent, and she stared helplessly at the table. Tears burned her eyes.
“Addison? I know it’s sudden, and believe me, we wanted to reach out a long time ago, but we didn’t know how. I know it’s been a long time, and we don’t deserve a second chance. But maybe you and Callie could think about it.”
Drawing in a ragged breath, Addie sniffed back her tears. “I’d like that, Dad. I can’t speak for Callie, but maybe after we’re done, you might talk to her.”
Except Callie busily shook her head back and forth mouthing ‘no’ with frightened, wide eyes.
“Well, if Callie can be persuaded, anyway,” she added.
“One step at a time, I reckon.”
“Look, Dad, I am glad I called,” Addie went on, licking her dry lips. “But I have an ulterior motive.”
“What’s that?”
“You remember the Hamiltons and their ranch?”
“Yes, of course. You were going steady with the oldest boy.”
“Well, the EPA is threatening to shut their operations down.”
“What’s going on?”
Addie heard him taking notes as she explained about Parnell’s need for revenge, the clean water reports, and now Parnell’s son creating his own problems.
“What’s the kid’s name?”
Addie gave it, and answered his other questions. “Give me a couple of days to do my own investigation here, Addie,” he said briskly. “I know people in the Austin office. I’ll examine the investigator’s report, then see what I can do.”
“That’s awesome, Dad. Thanks.”
“Of course, Addison. It’s so good to talk to you.” He hesitated. “Will Callie talk to me?”
Lifting her brows, Addie held the phone out to Callie. Reluctant, Callie accepted it, and put the phone to her ear.
“It’s Callie.”
Addie watched as Callie’s dark expression slowly lightened, and heard the note in her voice change from sullen neutrality to talking about Gus with enthusiasm. Wonder and a peaceful sort of calm filled Addie, and no little amazement. First Travis, and now her own father. Where she thought everything had ended with them both, she saw things were just beginning.
Chapter 21
Wearing his best suit, his tie knotted uncomfortably at his throat, Travis watched Addie in action. Clearly she was in her element, born to plead her case in a courtroom. He sat at the front table with Brady and Colton, watching Addie question the surveyor who had surveyed the property before Travis and his brothers planted their fence.
“Look at Parnell,” Colton whispered in his ear. “He looks all puckered up, like he just bit into a rotten plum.”
Sure enough, Parnell’s expression appeared tight, his thin lips pulled into a sour line. At the other table, his attorney, Mr. Gladstone, listened to the testimony and made notes on a tablet. Parnell met Travis’s gaze, and if anything, his grimace altered into a look of pure hatred.
“Whoa,” Colton breathed, “if looks could kill.”
“Sssh,” Travis replied, observing the judge’s glance flick from the witness to them.
Addie presented the survey report to the judge. “As you can see, Your Honor, the land was properly surveyed before my clients installed the fence. After this suit was filed, my clients had the property surveyed again, and as the witness just testified, the fence is not on Mr. Parnell’s property.”
The judge examined the report, then asked the surveyor a few questions. Travis held his breath as the man answered them, glad they had called the surveyor back in just for this purpose. At length, the judge nodded to Addie, and looked at the plaintiff’s table.
“Do you have anything more, Mr. Gladstone?”
Ponderously, Parnell’s attorney stood. “Not at this time, Your Honor.”
“In that case, I find for the defendants.”
Travis released his breath in a gust, and eyed Colton and Brady sidelong, triumphant. They both returned his fierce expression, but restrained themselves from any other exhibit of their feelings. Travis saw Parnell whispering hoarsely to Gladstone, clearly furious. The judge also noted this and banged sharply with his gavel.
“Quiet, please,” he ordered. “I do not appreciate nuisance and revenge suits brought before my court, Mr. Parnell. Clearly this is one such case. Not only do I find for the defendants, I also order you to pay their attorney’s fees and court costs, in addition to the sum of two thousand dollars for punitive damages to the Hamiltons.”
Travis grinned openly at Addie, who didn’t smile back, but sent him a fast wink.
“The protective order also stands, Mr. Parnell,” the judge continued. “Any harassment of Ms. Baker or the Hamiltons will see you arrested. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes.” Parnell muttered the word, looking anywhere but at the judge.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Judge.”
He banged his gavel again. “This court is adjourned.”
Travis stood, wanting to grab Addie into a huge hug, his relief and triumph singing in his veins. He waited as the judge departed, and for Addie to shake Gladstone’s hand in a gesture of goodwill. Parnell vanished almost as soon as the judge did, but Travis couldn’t be bothered to watch him go.
“It was good to meet you, Ms. Baker,” Gladstone said, smiling at Addie. “I heard you’re taking a position with Meyers, Stanton and Meyers.”
“How did you hear that?” Addie asked, glancing at Travis.
“It’s a small world.”
Gladstone nodded amiably at Travis, smiled again at Addie, then followed his client up the aisle. This minor of a case attracted few spectators, thus Travis, Brady and Colton were virtually alone with Addie since the bailiff and stenographer had also departed. Travis gave in to his desire, and hugged Addie. She laughed.
“Excellent work,” Brady exclaimed, giving her a bear hug after Travis. “Did you see how mad Parnell was?”
“He should have known better,” Addie replied, slightly breathless from being squeezed in heavy arms. “He knew about the survey, and could have withdrawn the suit. He didn’t, and now he’s paying the cost.”
Travis slung his arm possessively over her shoulders, guiding her toward the courtroom doors. “While it’s not exactly the celebration I want, let’s go to lunch. I’m buying.”
“Now all we have to do is get the EPA off our backs,” Colton commented from behind him.
“I’m working on that,” Addie replied, trying to glance back over her shoulder past Travis’s arm. “But not to worry.”
Leading the way from the courthouse and sheriff’s station to his truck, Travis asked, “Have you heard back from your father?”
“As a matter of fact I have.” Addie grinned up into his face. “He’
s already looked at the inspector’s report as well as the report from the lab. He sees no problem with the ranch’s status, so he’s getting in touch with the Austin office.”
Travis opened the front passenger door for her while Brady and Colton climbed into the back seat. “What does he think he might be able to do?”
Buckling her seat belt, Addie said, “He’s planning to have a chat with Parnell the Younger’s superiors first. Meanwhile, on Monday, I’ll be filing a suit against the EPA and naming Parnell as a co-defendant.”
Brady whistled. “You sure don’t want to get on the wrong side of Addie, I’m telling you.”
Before he shut the door, Travis gazed into Addie’s beautiful face and satisfied smile, slightly awed by the strength of his love for her. “That’s why I’m glad she’s on our side.”
Feeling restless, Travis cleaned the kitchen after dinner, and hung the towel on the rack. “I think I’m heading over to Addie’s for a while.”
Colton put pans away, and offered him a slightly sardonic grin. “Just so I don’t break my neck watching this off-again, on-again relationship you’re having with her, where do you two stand now?”
While his first inclination was to inform Colton that it was none of his business, Travis relented. “I’m hoping it’s on,” he replied, leaning against the kitchen sink. “She has a fantastic job waiting for her in Dallas, and I haven’t given her enough reason to stay here.”
Colton nodded, then sat down at the kitchen table. “Look, I may not be the best giver of romantic advice, since I’ve never even been in a romantic relationship, but maybe you should give her a reason.”
Travis stared at the floor. “I think I messed up really bad with her. What could possibly make her want to stay?”
“A marriage proposal.”
Travis lifted his head fast. “Colt, wait a second. We might still lose this place. I can’t offer to marry her. Unless I go to Dallas with her, which I’m willing to do.”
With an airy wave of his hand, Colton grinned. “We’re not gonna lose this place, Trav. Even if the EPA shuts us down, they can’t seize the property. Nor are we going to lose to them. We have two Bakers on our side.”
“We do, don’t we?” Travis laughed suddenly. “Why don’t I ever have your optimism?”
“Because you’re too wrapped up with worrying about Addie. So stop. That girl loves you, and you’re too busy fussing to see it.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’m going over there to sit her down and talk.”
“Good. Tell her I said hi.”
“I’ll do that.”
Before Travis left the house, he went to his room and knelt beside the bed. A knot twisted his stomach as he pulled the wooden chest out from under it. Though he considered himself a decent housekeeper, numerous dust bunnies rolled out with the chest. Muttering to himself, too nervous to fuss over them, he opened the dusty lid.
“Just in case,” he whispered. “Just in case.”
Taking out the diamond ring he had offered to Addie all those years ago, still in its small box, he removed the lid. It sat there in its bed of cotton batting, still as shiny as when he bought it from the jeweler twelve years ago. Travis breathed a short prayer as he put the lid back, and stuck the box in his pocket. Pushing the chest back, and some of the dust bunnies, he left his room.
His nervousness increased as he drove through the twilight to Honey Creek, and he couldn’t seem to halt the memories, the humiliation, of twelve years ago from invading his peace of mind. She might accept this time. We understand one another better now. We’ve both grown up.
Driving down the residential street, his headlights spearing the near darkness, Travis saw a battered pickup truck parked outside Callie’s house.
Why does that thing look familiar?
With a jolt, he realized it was Parnell’s truck.
“Good grief, the judge even warned him.”
Parking his truck behind Parnell’s, Travis got out and trotted down the sidewalk, already hearing the raised voices coming from the front door. As though in echo of his own thoughts, he heard Addie’s outraged voice say, “You were warned to stay away from me, Parnell. My sister is calling the police right now.”
Travis stepped quietly up behind the old man, who was too busy shouting at Addie to notice him. Addie flicked her gaze from Parnell to Travis and back, her tight expression not changing.
“My boy might lose his job because of you,” Parnell snarled. “His boss has started an investigation, and it’s your fault. I told you to mind your own affairs, missy. I done told you.”
“You don’t tell me what to do,” Addie snapped back. “And if your kid loses his job, then it’s your fault, not mine. You got him to perform illegal activities.”
“It ain’t illegal, you stupid girl. Those Hamiltons think they own Honey Creek, and I’m doing a public service by getting rid of them. Now you’ll back off my boy, do you hear me?”
Travis held himself back from interfering, waiting, letting Parnell bury himself in deeper. Callie appeared in the door behind Addie, her cell phone held away from her ear so the police dispatcher might also hear him yelling.
“I will do nothing of the sort,” Addie replied coldly.
“Don’t make me get angry, girl,” Parnell shouted. “I will make you regret messing with me and mine. You’ll wish you never came back here.”
“Just what exactly do you have in mind to stop me? Are you threatening me with violence?”
“Darn tooting I am,” Parnell snarled, taking an aggressive step toward Addie and Callie. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Headlights came toward the house, and a sheriff’s cruiser parked nose in to the curb. Travis took another quiet step toward Parnell, still unnoticed, while Addie replied, “Oh, there’s plenty I can do to stop you. Like have you arrested.”
“You’d never dare, missy.”
“Really? Take a look.”
She pointed and Parnell jerked his head around just as the deputy got out of his cruiser and shut the door. He looked very intimidating in his uniform with its vest under it, his gun, handcuffs, and Taser. Parnell saw Travis at the same time, and recoiled.
“I have plenty of witnesses who heard you threaten me with bodily harm,” Addie told him as the cop approached. “Officer, there’s a protection order in place that this man just violated. I’d like him arrested and removed from this property.”
Parnell tried to duck around Travis, who grabbed his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Get your hand off me, you –”
“Let him go, sir,” the deputy demanded. “You, sir, will stand right there while I get to the heart of this.”
After fifteen minutes or so of checking with his office regarding the order, and questioning Addie, Callie and Travis, the deputy told Parnell to turn around and put his hands behind his back. “I’m placing you under arrest for violation of a protection order.”
“You can’t arrest me! I know my rights.”
“I’m sure you do.”
The deputy forcefully put Parnell in handcuffs, and took him to the cruiser. Parnell blustered and yelled the entire way, and then the blissful silence fell as the deputy closed the door on him. Travis put his arm over Addie’s shoulders as the deputy drove away with Parnell.
Chapter 22
“Wasn’t that exciting?”
Addie actually managed a laugh at Travis’s jest. She had calmed her previous anger and fear at Parnell showing up on her doorstep, yelling accusations. Both Travis’s and the deputy’s presence lent her both the promise of safety as well as the humor of the situation.
“I hope he stays in jail for months,” Callie said harshly. “What an obnoxious old man.”
She went into the house, but it was Addie who closed the door. “Gus is sleeping,” she said. “Want to sit out here for a while?”
“Sure. This kind of pleasant evening won’t last long.”
Sitting on the step beside
him, Addie commented, “Just like a hero in an old western, you show up in the nick of time. So thanks.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You were there if Parnell did become violent,” Addie told him. “For a few minutes, I thought he would. He was so nasty and mean, and there was a weird look in his eyes. Then you showed up.”
“Then I’m glad I did.”
Watching the fireflies gleam briefly in the darkness, Addie suspected she knew why Travis had come over. And maybe it’s time we did have this talk. It’s been a long time coming.
She took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I had the job interview.”
Travis glanced at her, his brows lifted. She saw his face clearly in the lights of the house behind them. “I’m sorry I got mad and made those awful accusations. You didn’t deserve them.”
“Truth is,” Addie went on, “I didn’t think I’d get the interview, so I pretty much blanked it out.”
“Truth is,” Travis said, smiling, nudging her with his shoulder, “you had every right to try to get that job. And now you do have it. So where do we go from here?”
Addie knew it was now or never. She drew in a deep breath.
“I love you, Travis. I don’t want us to ever be separated again.”
He stopped smiling, and for a moment Addie thought that she had gone too far, and that he truly didn’t want her. Despair brought a stinging to her eyes, and she turned away to stare out over the quiet street. Whether he wanted her or not, she had to speak her piece. She rushed on.
“I’m so sorry for hurting you back then,” she said, terrified he’d reject her. “I want you to know how much you mean to me. Then and now. I don’t want to lose you. I know it may be hard for you to forgive me, but I love you with everything I have.”
She might have continued had Travis not rested his finger over her lips, silencing her. He smiled gently, sweetly, then kissed her.
“I am so very blessed to hear that. I love you, Addison.”
After the tension from Parnell’s unexpected visit, Addie’s emotions were difficult to contain. She swiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers, and tried to smile. “It’s so good to hear you say that. I’ve been so torn lately, Travis. Getting the job, wanting it and you, but knowing I could never ask you to live in Dallas. I couldn’t have both – you and the job. But I can’t lose you. Not again.”
Cowboy Billionaire's Second Chance Page 14