“No time,” he said. “I’ll look these over this afternoon and get them back to your mother. How’s she feeling, by the way?”
“Miserable and cranky,” Rory Sue said.
“I imagine it’s tough being stuck on bed rest. Tell her I’ll drop these off later. Nice to meet you.”
There was no mistaking his words for anything other than a dismissal, but she didn’t budge.
“Maybe we could have a drink one night,” she said. “I’m going to be bored to tears while I’m stuck here looking after my mom. My dad will take over in the evening, though, so I’ll be able to get out of the house and have some fun.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think so.”
“You’re not married,” she said. “I checked. You’re not even engaged, so what’s the problem? It’s a drink, not a commitment. Come on, Travis. Keep me from going stir crazy while I’m here.”
He realized he wasn’t even tempted to take her up on the offer. “I’m seeing someone,” he said.
Even though he didn’t mention Sarah’s name, she caught on at once. Her eyes widened.
“Sarah?” she said incredulously. “Then you weren’t just kidding around on the air? There’s something going on between you two?”
“There will be,” Travis said with determination.
“Going out with me could make her jealous,” she suggested.
Travis chuckled. “Now, would that be fair? Certainly not to you.”
“Hey, I’m a big girl. I’m willing to take my chances.”
“I don’t think so. You tell your mama hey, okay?” He went into the office and shut the door firmly behind him. He had a feeling that she stood there debating with herself about whether to follow him, because it took a very long time before he heard the station’s outer door close.
Now he just had to figure out how to get these papers back to Mary Vaughn without crossing paths with her daughter.
Walter wasn’t one bit happy when he discovered that Travis McDonald was hanging around his wife and kids. Okay, his ex-wife, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a duty to see that she didn’t bring lousy influences into Tommy’s life.
He’d seen them together once or twice, then heard the two of them on the air the other day. There’d been enough sparks flying that there was no mistaking the chemistry they had. He’d tuned in again the next day, and it had been more of the same. He’d finally cut off the radio in disgust. He couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t recognized what was going on the day Travis had practically snatched Libby away from him just to show him up at that barbecue.
When he stopped by the house after another fruitless day of job-hunting, he dismissed the sitter, poured himself a glass of tea, then sat at the kitchen table to wait for the kids to wake up from their naps. A few minutes later, Raylene appeared.
“I thought I heard you come in.” She frowned. “You look annoyed. What’s that about?”
“Have you been listening to Sarah’s show?”
“Every morning,” she said. “Why?”
Before he could answer, her expression changed. A grin tugged at her mouth. “You’re talking about what’s happening between her and Travis.”
“Of course. What’s she thinking? Those two are making fools of themselves in front of the whole town.”
“It makes for downright sexy radio, if you ask me.”
“She’s a mother. It’s inappropriate.”
“Trust me, Tommy and Libby are oblivious to the nuances. They just like listening to mommy on the radio.”
“The sitter lets them listen?” he demanded irritably. “That has to stop.”
Raylene studied him with a knowing look. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Walter. It’s a little late, isn’t it? You’re the one who drove Sarah away.”
“I am not jealous. I’m just worried about the influence a man like that could have on my kids. Believe me, I’ve looked him up on the Internet. He cut quite a swath through the female population of Boston and beyond. Sarah’s no match for a man like that.”
“There you go, once again selling Sarah short,” Raylene said. “Your ex-wife is a match for any man. You’d have seen that if you hadn’t been so busy listening to your mother and father cut her down.”
Walter retreated at once. “I can’t argue that, but come on, Travis McDonald? Why would he be with a small-town girl? A guy like that’s looking for one thing from a woman.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s chosen to live in a small town,” Raylene suggested. “Obviously he likes the lifestyle and the people. He especially seems to like Sarah.”
“Well, I don’t have to approve of it,” he grumbled.
Raylene sat up a little straighter and looked him in the eye. “Don’t you dare interfere in this, Walter Price. You hear me? It is none of your business.”
“My kids—” he began.
“Are perfectly fine. They adore Travis, especially Tommy.”
Walter’s gaze narrowed. “Meaning?”
“Just that Travis is coaching a bunch of the littler kids in T-ball. You knew that.”
He had, but it hadn’t really mattered before. Now that he knew there was something going on between McDonald and Sarah, well, that was different. He’d stayed away from the ball field because Saturdays and Sundays were the days Sarah got to spend more time with the kids.
Not this week, though. When Saturday rolled around, he intended to be front and center so he could see the situation firsthand. And then he’d do whatever needed to be done. No hotshot ex-ballplayer was going to stand in as daddy to his kids.
When Walter arrived for T-ball practice on Saturday, his already sour mood worsened. Tommy was gazing at McDonald with something that looked a lot like hero worship. And there was Sarah sitting in the bleachers with Libby, a similar love-struck expression on her face. It was enough to make him want to break things, though he told himself it had nothing to do with jealousy. It was just that a man shouldn’t be replaced in his own son’s life.
He was about to cross the field and yank Tommy out of the game when Ronnie Sullivan appeared, his expression jovial enough but his stance suggesting he was all set to intervene if Walter intended to cause trouble.
Walter had an okay relationship with Ronnie, but he knew better than to get him riled up. He was one very protective man. Walter had figured that out on the night they’d met, when that meddling daughter of his had called Ronnie to intercede in an argument Walter was having with Sarah. Walter had known that night that his marriage was over. Ronnie had been there to help point out the obvious, and to keep Walter’s temper in check. When he’d calmed down, he’d been grateful for that.
Sarah wasn’t the same here in Serenity. Surrounded by friends, she didn’t waver in the face of his criticism the way she once had. She stood up to him. He’d tried to pacify her by going to a counseling session, but it had been a complete waste of time. He’d refused to go again. Not long after that, she’d filed for divorce and that barracuda attorney of hers had worked the court to see to it he had only limited access to his kid.
Okay, kids, he amended. He knew it drove Sarah nuts the way Libby seemed to come in second with him, but the truth was that sometimes he didn’t know what to make of his daughter. An only child, he’d grown up with a lot of expectations heaped on his back. Just like his father, he’d always thought he’d have sons who could take over the family business in Alabama. Libby had been a disappointment, so he’d focused all his energy on molding Tommy for that role. Not that there was much molding to be done to a kid who was barely out of diapers.
Lately, though, even after cutting the ties with his father, Walter felt the weight of years of parental expectations on his shoulders. The Prices had a position of respect back home. Tommy should be ready to take over there someday, if that’s what he wanted. Outside influences—not Sarah and certainly not Travis McDonald—had no place in that decision.
He took another step toward the field, trying to evade Ronnie, but the older ma
n didn’t budge.
“Don’t,” Ronnie said. “Tommy’s having a good time out there. Don’t create a scene and spoil it for him.”
Just then Sarah joined them, pushing Libby in a stroller. Walter saw McDonald staring their way as well. That look stirred his temper.
“I’m here to see my boy,” he said angrily. “What’s the big deal?”
“If you want to watch Tommy play, it’s fine,” Sarah assured him.
“What if I want to take him out after?”
Sarah regarded him with confusion. “Why is this suddenly so important? You’ve known about these games for weeks now, and you’ve never shown up before.”
“But I didn’t know you and the coach had the hots for each other until this week,” he said.
Something in his tone had Ronnie taking a step closer, but Sarah just met his gaze evenly. “That is none of your business,” she said flatly. “Not that it’s even true.”
“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “There can’t be a person in this town who hasn’t heard the two of you seducing each other on the radio.” He turned to Ronnie, seeking an ally. “You’ve heard ’em, right? Would you want your wife acting like that in public?”
Ronnie’s expression remained neutral, but Sarah’s eyes flashed with fury. She actually stepped right up and got in his face.
“Don’t you dare criticize anything I do ever again, Walter Price,” she said, her voice low, but emphatic. “You don’t have the right.”
Walter took a step back. “Okay, okay, you’re right. It’s none of my business. I was just thinking about your reputation.”
“My reputation is none of your concern, either,” Sarah said.
“It is if it affects the kids.”
“Do you know who you sound like right now? You sound like that mean-spirited mama of yours,” Sarah told him. “I thought you’d vowed to put that kind of nonsense behind you.”
Walter flinched at the accusation. Even as he spoke, he’d heard the same kind of criticisms coming from his mama, and wanted to take it back. “I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it.
Sarah drew in a deep breath and tried to stare him down. Eventually she said quietly, “Look, if you want some time with the kids today, it’s okay with me. You can take Tommy for pizza with the team after. He loves that.”
“I’m not taking him to spend more time with McDonald,” Walter said flatly.
“You will if you want the afternoon with him,” Sarah said just as firmly. “This is about what Tommy likes to do. It’s not about you and some petty contest you think you’re in with Travis.”
“Okay, fine,” he said grudgingly. “I’ll ask Tommy what he wants to do.”
She met his gaze, then glanced down at the stroller. “What about your daughter? Libby’s here right now. I know she’s missed her daddy.”
Aware that both Sarah and Ronnie were watching him intently, Walter reluctantly bent down and picked up Libby.
“Daddy,” she said, smiling happily and patting his cheek.
When he didn’t say a thing, her smile faded. Big blue eyes stared at him solemnly, waiting. He had no idea what to do or say under the weight of all those unspoken expectations.
Then Libby sighed and rested her cheek against his chest and something shifted inside him. This little girl he hadn’t wanted and didn’t quite know how to handle trusted him. Nothing else mattered, not the silly argument with Sarah or his jealousy of McDonald. None of it.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, came an overwhelming need to protect Libby, to be the kind of father she deserved. Tears filled his eyes. He blinked them back, ashamed of the emotion they represented, especially out here in public, practically in front of the man who was trying to take his place in his family’s life.
It was Sarah who touched his cheek. “It’s okay, you know. She’s your little girl. She always will be.”
He regarded her with dismay, struck by the full depth of the mess he’d made of his life. “How the hell could I have ignored her the way I did?”
Sarah regarded him with sympathy. “Conditioning, I think. Your parents doted on Tommy because he represented the future of their precious business, or so they thought. You just followed their lead. Maybe now you’ll see what a blessing your daughter is, too.”
Just then they were joined by McDonald, whose gaze was fixed on Sarah and filled with real concern.
“Everything okay?” he asked quietly.
She returned his gaze in a way that told Walter more than words ever could have. She was in love with the guy. He had a hunch she didn’t even realize it herself, but he recognized the look. Once upon a time, she’d looked at him just like that…and he’d tossed that love aside.
“Everything’s fine,” Sarah told McDonald. “Right, Walter?”
He couldn’t seem to find his voice, so he merely nodded.
Travis gave him a look that spoke volumes. It was part warning and all possessiveness. Walter knew without a shadow of a doubt, if he wanted to take on Sarah over anything, he’d have a real fight on his hands.
Amazingly, he realized he was less intimidated by the other man than he was by the woman he’d once bullied at every turn.
It seemed today was a turning point in the way he regarded the two women in his life—Libby and Sarah. Regrets about the past were useless. But from here on out, he vowed to show them both the respect they deserved.
19
Travis hadn’t heard anything of what Walter had been saying to Sarah at the ball field on Saturday, but from the look on Ronnie’s face, he’d sensed that none of it was good. Although Sarah had apparently handled the situation and kept it from spinning out of control, it grated on his nerves that she’d had to. He’d wanted to rush in, but he was wise enough to know he’d probably be making matters worse, especially in light of the way she’d leapt to Walter’s defense on the occasions when he’d criticized the way her ex-husband had treated her in the past.
On Monday he was still stewing over the scene at the ball field when Bill got off the air and joined him in the office. There would be a few hours of syndicated programming before Travis went on the air tonight.
“Problems?” Bill inquired.
“Just leftover annoyance,” Travis told him. “Good show today, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Bill hesitated, his expression tense. “I know it’s been crazy around here the past few weeks and I hate to bring this up, but are you having any luck finding a replacement for me?”
Travis regarded him with alarm. “Are you getting tired of helping out? I know you’d planned to be completely retired long before now, but I thought you were content to be back on the air.”
To Travis’s relief, Bill visibly relaxed.
“That’s the thing,” Bill said, looking sheepish. “Now that the station’s no longer my responsibility and I can just be a radio personality the way I was back in the beginning of my career, I’m happier than I’ve been in years. If you want me to stay on permanently, I’d like to do it.”
Travis was so delighted by the news, he almost embarrassed them both by jumping up and hugging the man. “Want you to? Nothing would make me happier. I think we have a great on-air team with you, me and Sarah. And you’ve brought a lot of listeners with you, to say nothing of knowing this area in a way that I don’t. I predict our ratings are going to be real solid, especially for a station just getting off the ground. The kind of input you can give me about running this place is invaluable, too. Don’t think I don’t appreciate that.”
“I totally agree that we’re a great team,” Bill responded. “And I’d hate not being around for the celebration when those first numbers come out.”
“How about a contract?” Travis offered. “One year? Two? As long as you want.”
Bill shook his head. “I don’t need a piece of paper. Let’s just say I’ll stay as long as it’s working, and shake on it. It’s not as if I’m trying to lock in a long-term career at this stage of my life. If things change, though, I’ll give
you plenty of notice. I won’t leave you in the lurch. You do the same for me. Let me know if you need to make a change.”
Travis was ecstatic over this turn of events. “This is great. It’s exactly what I’d been hoping you’d decide.”
Bill’s gaze narrowed with suspicion. “Had you even been looking to find somebody else?”
Travis shrugged. “Honestly, no. I thought maybe as long as I didn’t mention it, you wouldn’t notice you’d been filling in for a very long time.”
Bill laughed. “One more thing, if you don’t mind me butting in. When are you going to hire a full-time advertising salesman? It’s getting way too busy around here for you and Sarah to spend time chasing new accounts and keeping in touch with the old ones. It’s enough that you have to record the spots when you’re not on the air. You’re going to be in demand for all sorts of events now that so many people are tuning in. You need more help, at least behind the scenes.”
“I know,” Travis admitted. “The work keeps piling up, but the days aren’t getting any longer.”
“Especially when you’ve been showing up to be on the air with Sarah on a regular basis,” Bill said slyly. “Is that calculated for ratings, or is that the only way you can get the woman to spend time with you?”
“A little of both,” Travis admitted. “But it’s mostly because I can’t seem to stay away from her. She, however, seems quite adept at avoiding me.”
“Because your reputation precedes you?” Bill guessed.
“That’s definitely part of it.” Travis waved off the topic. “None of that’s your problem. Any suggestions for the ad job?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Bill said. “I’ve run into a guy who just moved to town. He was with a family company. He has loads of sales experience, but there aren’t a lot of openings around the area, not for someone with his qualifications.”
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