The heated words she and Travis had exchanged at the hospital and again at the house afterward still reverberated in Kate’s mind, so she wasn’t yet sure if she’d stay tonight. But the two of them would remain civil at least in front of Chelsea. Kate took a deep breath, giving father and daughter a moment alone, then opened her door and retrieved Chelsea’s duffel bag from the extended cab. For now, she’d leave hers in the Silverado. By the time she joined them on the driveway, she’d steeled herself for the moment she’d have to say hello to Travis again. He’d consumed her thoughts this week, especially after the promises he’d made Sunday night before all hell had broken loose Monday morning.
Chelsea talked a mile a minute about her first official lessons working toward the Ohio show. Obviously, the girl had overcome her nervousness of a moment ago. She told him about her first academy competition on Chula in late July in northern Ohio. When Travis took out his phone to program in the dates, Chelsea beamed, which made Kate happy, too. She hoped nothing more important would come up now that Chelsea’s heart was set on him being there.
Travis listened, smiling, until he pressed a finger against Chelsea’s lips and said, “Why don’t we get everything inside first? Then we can catch up. Who knew I’d miss so much in just a few days?”
Chelsea giggled. “Sorry.” She turned to Kate who stood with Chelsea’s bag slung over her shoulder. “I can carry that, Mom.” She gladly handed it to her. Kate had noticed a change in Chelsea this past week, where she’d offer to help around the house and farm and to simply take care of herself a lot more now. The change could only be attributed to Travis. If he continued to affect such a positive transformation, Kate was all for him spending more time with her.
Having avoided eye contact with each other the past couple of minutes, when Kate met Travis’s gaze at long last, her stomach dropped.
“Hi, Katie.” His whisky-smooth voice washed over her as he came toward her smiling. “Can I get your bag?”
“I doubt I’ll be staying long. I just want to take a quick look around before I leave, if that’s okay.”
His smile vanished. “Like hell you’re leaving. It’s after seven, and you’ve already been on the road for at least four hours.” She wouldn’t tell him she’d gotten lost and had to backtrack at one point, adding another forty-five minutes to the trip. “You’re at least spending the night before heading out on the road again. Where’s your bag?”
Kate gave Chelsea a sidelong glance. She was busy becoming acquainted with his dog—Sadie, wasn’t it? Lowering her voice, she said, “Given how we parted company Monday, I expected you to want nothing more than to see my taillights headed down the street.”
“We both said some things amid all the stress that I know we regret. But I haven’t been the one putting the brakes on in our relationship, Katie.”
True. Kate had done it in college and seemed to be looking for opportunities to do so again whenever he’d brought up the subject of something long-term. Did she have a problem with commitment? Perhaps she had a need to beat him to the break-up finish line before he could dump her? Whatever her reasons, she needed to stop rehashing the past with him and come clean with him about how she felt. Why did that terrify her? Was she afraid he’d reject her?
“Are you sure it’s a good idea that I stay? I don’t want to add tension to the weekend. Besides, I have horses to feed in the morning.”
“Isn’t Miguel there?”
She couldn’t get away with her standard excuse for hurrying home. Travis knew too much about her operation now. She really was exhausted after worrying herself to death for the past several days. But staying with him wasn’t a good option. Reluctantly, she nodded.
“Problem solved. You can still be home by early afternoon if you have any lessons to give.”
“My next lesson isn’t until Monday.”
His face lit up again. Now why had she admitted that to him? “Perfect. Then you can go to the lake with us tomorrow. Afterward, we can play it by ear.”
Without waiting for her response, he opened the rear door and pulled out her overnight bag. She shook her head slightly. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Oddly enough, the grin he shot her way made her feel there might be hope they could bridge the gap between them since he’d left her and Chelsea a few days ago. Kate relaxed a bit. She’d stay the night, but still didn’t want to intrude on what they had planned to do. Or had Travis factored her in, expecting her to agree to stay?
“We’ll go out to dinner after I give you two a tour and get you settled in your rooms.”
He started up the steps to the front entrance, wrapping his free arm around Chelsea’s shoulder. It took everything in Kate’s power not to feel a pang of jealousy. How could she be jealous of her own daughter? That settled it. She’d leave first thing in the morning and give them their time.
Sadie came over to greet Katie, wagging her bushy tail. “Hey, girl. Aren’t you a beauty?” She petted her a moment before following Travis and Chelsea up the stairs and inside with Sadie in tow.
She was surprised to enter directly into a great room with a vaulted ceiling and white-painted beams. The room was light and airy with a cozy feel despite its size. Although two stories, it didn’t look this large from the outside.
A river-rock fireplace dominated one wall, and the open-floor plan encompassed the living room and kitchen with a wide archway leading to a formal dining area.
“What a beautiful home,” she said. Kate imagined being curled up beside Travis on a cold evening. Would there ever come a time when she would stop picturing him in her future?
“Thanks,” Travis said, setting her bag on the floor next to the sofa. “I practically live in front of this fireplace in the winter, but I don’t use it much this time of year. Let me show you around.”
She moved closer to the mantel to see what pictures he had there and was surprised to see one of Chelsea that must have been taken the first night he met her. That he’d already made her a part of his home touched Kate.
“Over here is the kitchen.” They walked past three high stools tucked up against the island. Stainless appliances, including a gas stove, were tucked in among white cabinets trimmed in greenish-gray that complemented the green quartz countertops.
“It’s so modern compared to mine.”
“Well, your house has a good hundred years on this one.” He opened the fridge. “It’s stocked with the things you both like—including your green olives, Chelsea.” Travis winked in Kate’s direction, catapulting her back to the hike in Red River Gorge. Mostly her memories of that day were fond. “Take a look, though, and if there’s anything else you’d like, we can pick it up when we’re in town tonight.”
She peeked in. Not only had he stocked olives, but also the protein-packed Fairlife milk, Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt, and the fresh berries Kate loved. “Looks like everything I’ll need for breakfast. Thanks.” The countertop also had new boxes of the cereals Chelsea ate, so she’d be good, too.
“There’s a patio where we could have our morning coffee tomorrow.” An image of them sharing their plans for the day over coffee invaded her thoughts.
“Daddy, can I see my room now?”
“Chelsea, remember your manners,” Kate admonished.
“She’s fine. Besides, I’m anxious for you to check it out, Chelsea, because it’ll be your room to do with as you please. Right this way.” He led them to the stairs and up to the second floor.
Without hesitation, she went inside. “I love it!” Travis motioned for Kate to precede him. A cherry four-poster bed, clearly an antique, dominated the room. Its mattress was covered with a star quilt made with red, white, and blue calico fabrics.
“Two years ago,” Travis began, “Mom started making quilt tops to shift from work to retirement, but she’s busier than ever. A friend she met in the local quilting guild does the machine quilting. Mom just likes piecing the tops, but I think she’s probably made two queen- and king-sized ones for eac
h of us since then and smaller ones for Erik and Olivia. As with everything she does, Mom dives in and it seems more like work than a hobby, but she has fun making them.” Travis shrugged then bent close enough to Kate to whisper, tickling her ear. “She’s working on one for Chelsea for Christmas, but it’s a surprise.”
Chelsea was so loved.
Needing to put some space between them, Kate walked over to the quilt to admire it. “She does beautiful work.”
“I can’t wait to tell Gramma I slept in the bed with her quilt.” Chelsea placed her bag on it before going over to the dresser to look at the photos. From across the room, Kate spied another taken the same day as the one on the mantel downstairs, but this one was of both of them. “Who’s in this picture?” Chelsea asked, picking up a frame.
Travis came closer to her and pointed out himself and each of his siblings. “That was taken when I was about ten, so the triplets were only five. We were at Barren River Lake State Park just north of here. We spent a week there almost every summer and lots of weekends, too. Dad built a cabin there in the Eighties. I remember that vacation we also toured Mammoth Cave and Kentucky Down Under.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to those places!”
She had? Chelsea had never told Kate that. She had seemed content to be home except the trips with her church’s youth group. Of course, they used to go hiking and do more outdoorsy activities before Kate’s training and instructional services became more in demand and her horse sales picked up with the improved breeding stock she had available since hiring Miguel.
“Well, then we’ll have to go there on your next visit. I have too much planned for this weekend to add another thing.”
“Like what?” Chelsea asked. “Besides going out on the lake.”
“You’ll see. I’ll let you anticipate it for a while. That’ll just make it all the more special.”
“But how can I anticipate something if I don’t know what it is?”
Travis chuckled but didn’t relent, repeating, “You’ll see.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes, and Kate shook her head, smiling. Actually, she would have loved to hear what Travis had planned as well, but Chelsea could fill her in when she came home Tuesday.
“Katie, let me show you to your room.” He made it sound as though there actually was a room with her name on it, rather than merely a spare bedroom. Of course, Chelsea’s room would become hers for all future visits. Next time, they could bring some of her stuffed animals and other creature comforts to put her stamp on it.
“Oh, look!” Chelsea shouted when they turned around. Kate looked up in the corner between the bed and what she assumed was the closet to find a net filled with all kinds of stuffed animals. He really had given some thought to the room being Chelsea’s already. She reached up to pull out a dragon. “I’ll have to bring Xena with me next time. Unicorns and dragons belong together.”
Chelsea surprised her by opening her bag and pulling out several of her smaller stuffed animals, mostly zoo animals and mythical creatures. “You settle in, Chelsea, while I show your mom to her room downstairs. Your bathroom is across the hall if you need it.”
Kate followed him back into the hallway. There were two other doors on the opposite side that must be the bathroom and another guest room. She wondered why a bachelor would have so many bedrooms then realized he must have family visit often.
At the bottom of the stairs in the great room, he led her to the opposite end of the house from Chelsea’s room. He’d said he had a secluded master bedroom. “I hope you like this room.”
She walked in and was stunned at all the University of Kentucky memorabilia in the room. The blue-and-white quilt had a UK print in the center of each block and alternating blue and white squares. “Is this one of your mom’s?”
“No. The second one she made me is on my bed. I found this one online when I was decorating this room nearly a decade ago. I might have finished my degree at Vandy, but I consider UK my alma mater.”
She nodded. “I didn’t go anywhere else but UK always felt like home.” With a baby to raise and a farm to run, going back to school hadn’t even occurred to her.
Across the cozy room was a gas fireplace and a settee draped with an afghan in the same colors as the quilt. She crossed to the mantel and found a photo of the two of them in animal husbandry class. Surely he hadn’t displayed that all these years.
“I pulled that photo out and framed it in honor of your visit.” Definitely not as creepy in an obsessed sort of way.
“I’m surprised you kept it all these years.”
He seemed startled by her words. “Why wouldn’t I? You were an important part of my life.”
Of course, she’d kept photos of him, too, with the intention of someday sharing them with Chelsea when she was old enough to understand. She supposed there was no need to keep them from her any longer.
Feeling awkward, Kate said, “I’m looking forward to dinner. Will a western shirt and jeans be appropriate?”
“More than. I texted Chelsea this morning asking if she preferred Mexican or burgers, and she said tacos. So we’re going to a local cantina. Nothing fancy but really good food.”
Kate’s stomach growled. “Sounds great. I haven’t eaten since lunch except for a protein bar in the truck halfway here.”
“Then we’d better get going. Don’t want to have you keeling over on me.”
Kate rolled her eyes much like Chelsea might have. “Travis, I’m not going to pass out on you or anyone else. I probably have another hour before I need to eat something.” She didn’t like having him focus so much on her condition, although she couldn’t blame him after giving him such a scare when he’d first shown up.
“Well then, why don’t I give you a private tour of the master bedroom down the hall?” His smoldering gaze brought back memories of them making love in the barn apartment and, more recently, his leaving her frustrated in her living room. Her body grew languid. He waggled his eyebrows, making her grin. When he lowered his head to kiss her, all the stress and anxiety since Chelsea’s accident vanished. Maybe this weekend would be just what they all needed.
Kate held on to his waist to remain upright as his lips captured hers, first teasing then demanding. She opened her mouth to him immediately, and he held on tightly to her as his tongue delved inside.
What was she doing?
She pulled away and smiled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea that we go to your bedroom. Let’s see if Chelsea’s ready to go.”
He chuckled and motioned for her to exit the room first. She couldn’t help but feel his eyes boring into her back—or perhaps her backside—as she retraced her steps down the hallway toward the great room. The thought of walking the opposite way into his bedroom for a late-night rendezvous crossed her mind, but that was more than she wanted to contemplate right now.
Knowing he’d once again be sleeping in the next room did something to her insides, though. If she wanted to avoid making a mistake, she’d set her alarm for six o’clock tomorrow and hit the road before Travis or Chelsea woke up.
Kate, stop your running.
Maybe Daddy was right. But this weekend wasn’t about her and Travis. It was about Chelsea spending time with him. They’d enjoy dinner; then she’d make herself scarce until it was time to go home.
Perhaps if she swallowed her pride and opened up to Travis, he would reward her. On that thought, she headed toward the stairs.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The next morning as the sky started to pinken, Travis rolled over and punched his pillow. It was a wonder the feathers hadn’t flown out the other end given the number of times he’d done that overnight. He’d hoped Katie would have come down the hallway to join him in here, but that didn’t seem likely at this point.
Frustrated much, Trav?
“Go away, Danny. I’m not in the mood.”
As if he’d actually complied, Danny didn’t say another word.
Now how was he going to get Kati
e to lower the wall she surrounded herself with and let him in? She’d come back from dinner hellbent on giving him time alone with Chelsea, so she’d gone to her bedroom and missed out on the movie-and-popcorn binge he’d planned for the three of them. He and Chelsea had watched Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park until after midnight when they’d gone to bed. He’d only planned on watching one movie before having a little adult time with Katie, but didn’t want to wake her up at that point. But he’d hoped to also have some time together as a family. He had the distinct feeling Katie was ready to run. So they might not have today on Center Hill Lake unless he could talk her into sticking around to join them rather than hightailing it back to her sanctuary.
Regardless of whether Katie stayed or not, he couldn’t wait to take Chelsea out on his boat at least. How she could reach the age of twelve without having been fishing or swimming in a lake was beyond him. Hell, he’d lived in the city, but his dad had taken them to Otter Creek any number of times to fish, as well as to the family cabin. Would he be able to talk Katie into a family trip someday if the timing was right, what with work, training, and school schedules?
His life was going to be busy from now on if he wanted to fit in Chelsea’s shows, but he was pleased that Katie had already signed her up for one he’d get to attend.
The sound of the toilet flushing down the hall made him glance at the alarm clock. Six-eighteen. He tossed off the sheet and grabbed a pair of drawstring sweatpants and the T-shirt he’d left at the bottom of the bed before heading toward the door. Katie was an early riser. Maybe he could talk her into that cup of coffee on the patio after all. He welcomed having this time just for the two of them.
But when he opened the door to the hallway, what he saw wasn’t what he’d hoped for—Katie with her purse strap over her shoulder, overnight bag in hand, and fully dressed.
Kate's Secret (Bluegrass Spirits Book 2) Page 39