“Great, because I’m half-starved.” Unfazed by her sour disposition, he came around B.C. and took her hand. Even though she wanted to avoid further close contact with him, the man’s nearness short-circuited her brain. Without any resistance on her part, he led the way out of the stall, bolting the door behind them.
“What would you like for breakfast?” she asked. She’d be going heavy on the fats and proteins today to get her sugar back under control.
“Omelet sound good to you? I checked the fridge earlier, and you have the makings of a pretty good western one. I’d be happy to help.”
Having someone cook for her sounded like total bliss. “I usually just scramble eggs and fry some bacon or sausage patties and call it a meal. When did you start cooking so fancy?”
“I know this is going to sound strange, but in the Army National Guard.”
“When were you in the Guard?”
“I joined on the anniversary of 9/11.” She wanted to ask him what had prompted that decision, but he continued. “Had to be self-sufficient in the barracks, and my buddies didn’t seem to care whether they ate MREs or real food.”
“MREs?”
“Meals Ready to Eat, but don’t let the name fool you. Might be good while you’re sitting on a sand dune in Iraq, but on base, I preferred something closer to Momma’s cooking, so I learned to do it myself while on leave.”
She met his gaze when they reached the porch as he waited for her to precede him up the steps. “You did a tour in Iraq?”
“Three, actually.” The smile faded from his face, and she decided not to ask him for fear she’d hear the horror stories. The thought of Travis being in harm’s way made her lose her appetite.
But she found herself curious about his time in the service. “Where did you train?”
“Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.”
“You’re still active duty?”
He shook his head. “Reserves.”
“That means you could get called up again.”
“If I’m needed, I’d gladly serve. That’s what I’ve trained for all these years.”
“I never knew you were interested in military service. You seemed so set on a career in civil engineering.” She squeezed his arm. “I’m glad you made it home.” She meant it, but the thought of him deploying again scared her to the core.
“A lot of guys didn’t. And nobody comes back the same.” She wondered how the war had changed Travis. Outwardly, he appeared to have more confidence, and his service probably explained the changes in his physique, which had been pretty hot when she’d known him in college, but was smokin’ now.
“I’m sorry anyone had to go through that, but thank you for the sacrifices you and your buddies made for us all.” Trite, but she hoped he knew she was sincere. “My dad served in Vietnam, and it affected him for the rest of his life.”
“So did my dad.”
“Daddy never talked about it to me.”
“Mine only opened up after I’d done my own time overseas.”
“Too bad they never met. I bet they could have helped each other by sharing some of those experiences.” Too late she realized her actions had kept the two vets from meeting.
That thought must not have been lost on Travis, either. He glanced down at his work boots before meeting her gaze once more. “Let’s go eat before your first student arrives.”
She walked through the door first. Both washed their hands at the kitchen sink before she started pulling ingredients out of the fridge. She flashed back to just a day earlier when she’d passed out on this spot.
“Thanks again, Travis. I’m glad you were here yesterday.” The words came out before she thought about how they might sound, but honestly, if he hadn’t found her so soon, she might not be having this conversation with him. The thought of Chelsea having to deal with her death gave Kate nightmares.
Then take better care of yourself, Kate.
Her daddy’s voice echoed in her mind. He’d been on her daily during that first rocky year, and she could almost hear him again now. Monday’s episode was reminiscent of some of her lapses during the first year she’d been diagnosed after it came back postpartum.
While she fried the bacon, Travis chopped mushrooms, a tomato from her windowsill, a bell pepper, and half an onion.
“How many eggs for each omelet?” she asked.
“Three.”
She retrieved the eggs and a block of cheese from the fridge and broke six eggs into a bowl. Being domestic with Travis made it feel as though they had been doing this for years.
Stop it. Just stop it.
She began scrambling the eggs. Kate didn’t want or need a man. She’d let her father control her every move the first twenty-three years of her life, and she didn’t intend to give any man that much power over her again.
“Katie?”
She stopped and looked up. “Yes?”
“I think those eggs are about pulverized.” He grinned, and she glanced down to see that she’d nearly whipped them into oblivion.
“Sorry.” Needing a diversion, she went to the stove to turn the bacon. “Soft or crispy?”
“Extra crispy, please.”
Just the way she liked it.
Stop finding ways you’re still compatible.
With the bacon finished, he took over and sautéed the veggies and mushrooms in the bacon grease while she pulled the cheddar through the slicer and set the plate next to the skillet.
While setting the table, Kate said, “So tell me what you’ve been doing since the last time I saw you.”
“That’s a lot of territory.”
“I’m in no hurry.” She wanted to know what his life had turned out like.
“I joined the Army instead of returning for senior year.”
All this time, she’d thought he’d transferred to a university in New York to finish his degree.
“Then I started a construction firm in Nashville.”
That, too, surprised her. “Following in your dad’s footsteps?”
“More or less, but far enough away from his business that we’re not in direct competition. I hire fellow vets, and we do a lot of school and community projects in addition to high-end homes.”
She remembered him mentioning being there while in the ER. “Why Nashville?”
“One of the men in my combat engineer squad talked nonstop about how wonderful it was there.” A shadow came over his face. “When he didn’t come home, I…” His voice drifted off with a catch.
“I’m so sorry.” Travis would have felt each casualty personally.
He waved off her concern. “At first, I wanted to be around to help his wife and kids if they needed anything. Well, one thing led to another.”
Had he married her? Or was he referring to sticking around and starting his business? He didn’t wear a ring, but a man who worked with machinery often didn’t.
What do I care? If he’s married, then he’s off-limits, which will make it even easier to send him home.
Travis cooked the eggs on one side before flipping the omelet and filling it with veggies and cheese.
“I see you like your omelets well-cooked, too.”
“Just like my bacon and my steaks.”
She smiled. “I remember how you like your steaks from all our cookouts.” Growing serious again, she had to force herself not to pursue a line of questioning concerning his marital status. Instead, she asked, “How many people does your firm employ?”
“Thirty-two at the moment, including some subcontractors. Small potatoes compared to what I’d planned on in college, but turns out I prefer it this way.”
He actually sounded happy. Her throat closed up. Had she ever known Travis at all? She’d gotten everything wrong. Everything. And she’d ruined all three of their lives. Her eyes grew hot, burning with unshed tears. She should have told him about the pregnancy instead of pushing him away and deciding what was best for all of them. While that might have kept him from going into the mil
itary, and who knows how his absence would have affected the lives of so many in his squad, at least Chelsea could have grown up having her father present. And what about the degree he’d worked so hard for? Had that also been cast aside?
There was no undoing her actions now, but how could Travis or Chelsea ever forgive her?
How could she ever forgive herself?
His hand warmed the small of her back. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She blinked a few times to clear away the tears. “Sorry. I’m just happy you found something you obviously love doing.” What was one more lie between them?
“Apparently, we both have.”
She nodded. “I put in a lot of effort into making my mark on this place.” But I wish you’d been beside me, too.
He flipped half the egg mixture over to cover the insides and let the cheese melt. “The farm appears to be doing great. Good for you on offering riding lessons. I remember you wanted to make that happen.”
He’d been the only person she’d shared that dream with back in college. That he remembered it all these years surprised her.
“Yours is almost ready.”
She needed to get moving. “What would you like to drink?”
“Coffee.”
“Still drink it black?”
He grinned. “Is there any other way?”
While starting a pot, she said, “I have two promising pupils. The older one is going to the Lexington Junior League in July to compete in several performance classes. That will be the highest level she’s competed at.”
“That’s great! You must be really proud.”
“I am. Melissa and her horse started here when she was seven. She’s really put her heart into it.” She wouldn’t mention that the younger of the two was their daughter. Chelsea would have loved to compete, but Kate couldn’t afford to give her one of the better horses. Those needed to be trained and sold to keep the farm afloat. Instead, she’d given her Jasmine, a competent mount, but one that would never make it to the level at which Chelsea dreamed about competing.
He scooped an omelet onto her plate and started on the next one while she filled two cups with coffee and carried them to the breakfast nook overlooking the arena barn. On her way back to retrieve her plate, he asked, “Would you like any fruit with yours?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
She didn’t want to mess up her sugar, so she’d stick with the omelet. “Melissa’s my first student of the day. She’ll be here in about twenty minutes.” Kate would keep an eye out for her through the window.
“Don’t rush your breakfast.”
“I always eat fast anyway.”
They ate in silence until curiosity got the best of her.
“Do you have any regrets about the way your life turned out, Travis?”
He set down his fork but continued to chew, then took a leisurely sip of his coffee. She couldn’t eat or drink another thing until he answered her.
“Only one.”
* * *
Travis let those two words hang in the air as he watched Katie’s eyes open wider before a telltale blush crept into her cheeks. She knew darn well what he was going to say, so he didn’t give her the satisfaction.
Her newfound independence ought to please him. He’d always thought her father had used a mixture of strong-arm tactics and guilt to keep her from standing on her own two feet. She’d blossomed since then. Clearly, she didn’t need him any more than she had needed her dad. She’d just lacked the opportunity to make her own decisions without any bossy men telling her how to live.
He hadn’t really seen himself as domineering, though. He’d tried to encourage and support her in any decision she’d made—except the one to dump him.
So if he wasn’t needed, why didn’t he leave today and go home where there were guys who did need him? As a big brother to Clint and his triplet sisters, he’d gone through almost his entire life being called on by one person or another for something. Not that he wanted Katie to lean on him in the same way his siblings did. And he still hadn’t gotten an answer about why she’d cut him off in the first place.
“How about you, Katie?” She blinked as if she didn’t know what he meant. Come on, baby. Give me a bone. Tell me you regret breaking up with me. “Any regrets?”
She shrugged and glanced away. “It’s hard to grow up without having more than a few.”
So much for that lame attempt at getting her to admit what he wanted to hear.
“It’s nice being able to catch up on old times, and I don’t need to be back home until Sunday night.” He really had no specific time to be back, but wanted to find out if she’d really kick him out on Sunday morning. “My foreman, Jackson, can handle just about anything that might come up, and I’m only a few hours away in case of an emergency back home.”
The momentary scowl she shot his way told him she didn’t want him to stick around even that long. While she might not need him to help run this place, after yesterday’s episode and today’s nearly missed breakfast, he wasn’t sure she was taking care of her health yet. She did need him; she just didn’t know it.
Yet.
“I don’t mind sleeping in the apartment in the barn that we talked about last night, but I’d love to hang around a few more days.”
“Why?”
He shrugged, trying not to let on how much it hurt him that she still wanted nothing to do with him. Wishful thinking? Did he really hope to win her back in the next few days? Given how she’d resisted him until now, there wasn’t much hope of that happening.
But dammit, he had to try. “Why not?”
Picking up her plate with the half-eaten omelet without responding, she scraped the remainder into the trash bin and refilled her mug. Had she eaten enough to fuel her until lunch? Her back turned to him still, she said, “You’ve pretty much seen everything there is to see.”
No, she definitely wasn’t going to invite him to stay. That was neither here nor there. He didn’t have to leave Midway until Sunday night. He just hoped she wouldn’t bar him from the farm. Not only did he need to be near Katie, but being around her horses had a healing effect on his soul.
And after losing Danny to suicide five months ago, he needed a change of routine to help keep the nightmares at bay. Danny had been doing so well and working hard on the latest build. How had Travis not seen how depressed his buddy had become?
“There’s that window to fix,” he said, pointing to the door. She nodded, reluctantly. “Consider me unpaid labor. I’ll work for a place to sleep and meals.” He didn’t intend to have her slaving over the hot stove for him, though. Some of those meals would be in romantic booths at local restaurants. “Katie, I know this may not make sense, but this place will be therapeutic for me. I could use some downtime.”
She turned to face him, cradling her mug. “Horses can be great therapy. If that’s what you need, Travis, then please use the barn apartment for the next few days. It’s air conditioned. But I’m sure you’ll want to be in Louisville Sunday for Father’s Day.”
“The apartment sounds perfect.” He wouldn’t say anything more about Sunday. He’d been with Dad a few weeks ago, so they weren’t expecting him to show up physically so soon. His plans depended on how things went here the next few days, but he wouldn’t tell her that. Meanwhile, he’d prove himself useful around here.
He stood, gathering up his dirty dishes. “Keep me busy. Make a list of what needs doing.” Travis didn’t know how to be idle. He rinsed his plate and mug and left them in the sink. “First thing, I need a tape measure to order a replacement pane.”
She glanced at the cardboard he’d placed in the broken window on the door. “Get receipts, please. I’ll reimburse you.”
He had no intention of charging her. Hell, he’d broken the window. “I’m also happy to take care of feeding the horses and cleaning the stalls, and I think you mentioned a fence needing repair. That’s always easier with two people than one. But if there’s anything else you need,
just say the word.”
Katie nibbled her lower lip, making him hard. He hadn’t kissed her in so damned long, other than in his dreams. How would she react if he tried?
She’d probably punch him at this point. But he still had five days counting today—six, if he played his cards right and stayed on until Sunday—to win her over.
“There is that fence to repair after a storm over the weekend. I’ve been putting it off until…”
It was a start. “Say no more. I’m your man.” And I will be again. Mark my words, Katie Michaels.
“Besides the fence, I also lost a section of roof on the storage barn in the storm. I was going to wait on Miguel to help me fix that. Not to mention that I have an ornery stallion in the corral that likes to kick down fence rails. When he has his run of the pasture, he usually burns off that extra energy. So the sooner we can mend that fence and get him back out there, the better for my corral.”
Travis couldn’t wait to meet the beast. “Is he trained to riders?”
“Somewhat. But if you haven’t ridden in a while, I might suggest one a bit easier to handle.”
He grinned. “I’m sure I can manage. Hey, while you’re doing your morning lessons, I’ll head to town to pick up supplies. You need fence rails?”
“No. I keep plenty in the old barn for repairs.”
“Good. I look forward to going for a ride, too. Maybe this evening?”
“Maybe. I have a lot of work to do.”
“Don’t forget you now have an extra pair of hands.” When she glanced at his hands, he wondered if she remembered his touch on her skin. Were her cheeks growing pinker? He smiled. “Be thinking of anything else that needs fixing. It’s only Tuesday. I’m at your service for the next several days.”
“Until Sunday morning.”
He shrugged noncommittally. She sure wanted him out of here by Sunday.
At first, she hesitated then nodded abruptly. “I’d better head out to the arena.” Her gaze wandered to the doorway into the hall as though expecting someone to walk in.
“Sounds good. See you in a couple of hours.”
After they finished the repairs, he’d show her he knew how to handle that stallion of hers—just like he knew how to handle a feisty woman like Katie.
Kate's Secret (Bluegrass Spirits Book 2) Page 6