“Good morning,” he said, halting her departure by a few seconds anyway.
“Oh!” She jumped and turned toward him. “You scared me to death.”
He leaned against the doorjamb with his arms folded in front of his chest. “Didn’t do anything but say ‘good morning.’ Maybe you’re feeling guilty about trying to sneak out without saying goodbye. Does Chelsea know you’re leaving?”
She refused to meet his gaze, which spoke volumes. So she really had intended to do that. He walked toward her, noticing that she backed up a step before holding her ground. “Why don’t I make some coffee? If you’d rather not drink it with me, I can fix you up a travel mug.”
“Um, it’s not that I’m avoiding you or anything…” Wasn’t it? “…I just didn’t want to intrude on your weekend with Chelsea. I’m sure she’d much rather have some one-on-one time with her daddy. I’ll see her when you bring her home Tuesday.”
“Actually, I talked with her last night, and she asked me to beg you to stay and go out on the lake with us today.”
“She did? To go fishing?” She wrinkled her pert nose. Not her favorite pastime, apparently. “I haven’t been fishing since I was about ten. I’m not fond of putting worms on hooks.”
“Neither is Chelsea. I pretty much figured I’d be the official bait man for the day. But we’ll be going swimming, too. Did you bring a suit?”
Her face brightened. “No, I didn’t. Besides I really do need to head back. It’s a busy time for me.”
“We can stop at a store and get you one.” She knitted her brow. “Horses really tie you down, which I guess is convenient for getting rid of a guy you don’t want to spend time with.”
Katie stood taller, fire flashing from her eyes. “That’s not what I’m doing at all. I have responsibilities, like you do. Besides, I don’t need an excuse. It’s not as though we’re serious about each other anymore.”
How could she deny what was between them sexually, despite their hot tempers? But that was just the tip of the iceberg? “Speak for yourself, but you and I share more than a daughter. In the past two weeks, we’ve proven that the attraction between us is as potent as ever. Why do you keep denying it?”
Katie pivoted and started toward the great room. “Let’s discuss this over coffee.”
Travis grinned as he watched her cute little ass sashay away from him before he followed. In the kitchen, they prepared their coffee and took the pot and their mugs out onto the patio, along with her yogurt and berries.
“Have a seat.” The sun had yet to make an appearance over the wooded hills but the sky was bright. Should be a nice day. She took a seat on one of the deck chairs at the table.
“Katie, what are you so afraid of?”
Without missing a beat, she said, “Losing Chelsea.”
“Losing in what way?” Hell, he had to admit the thought of anything happening to either of them worried the hell out of him, too, especially after the scare with Chelsea. But somehow he didn’t think that was what Katie meant.
“Aside from the obvious, I’ll admit I’m also…afraid of losing her to you.”
He leaned closer. “We aren’t in competition. She needs and loves us both.”
Katie closed her eyes. “I didn’t say it was logical or even rational.”
Bingo! Now that she’d conceded it might not be a rational fear, could he get her to move on? “This has to do with your mom leaving you, doesn’t it?”
She shrugged, glancing away. “I’m sure being abandoned by her at such a young age had a lot to do with why I’ve always tried to keep Chelsea to myself. Being raised by a father who was equally afraid of losing me, didn’t help. Even after you came back, and I saw you would make a great father to her, I kept returning to the concern that I was going to lose everything.”
“What I can’t see is why you don’t think you can have it all? Why can’t you see there’s more than one way? Say the word, and we could find a way to make this work as a family.”
She met his gaze with an intensity that took his breath away. Fear still, but with something else mixed in. Could it be longing?
He leaned forward and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. She didn’t pull away at first or quickly, but then eased back in her chair, breaking contact with him.
They sipped their coffee in silence and he watched the sun light up her face. So beautiful. Would she ever be able to trust him with their daughter’s heart? And with hers?
“Come with us today, Katie. It would mean a lot to us both.”
She shook her head. “You two need to spend time together—without me.”
“Says who? Chelsea wants to spend time with us both.” Besides, he wanted to share a glimpse of his world with both of them.
He saw a softening in her expression before moving in for the kill. “Give her this time having fun with all three of us. One day. Isn’t it worth a day for our daughter’s happiness after what we just went through with her injury?”
Katie nibbled her lower lip. Travis smiled.
* * *
Kate stared at Travis’s shirtless back and realized where he must have gotten his tan. His legs below his swimming trunks were dark as well. The three of them were under the boat’s canopy to help block most of the sun as he maneuvered the boat into a secluded cove.
“We won’t feel the effects of the wake from the other boats in here,” he said. He smiled at Chelsea, and it warmed Kate’s heart to see how careful he was being with her after her recent concussion. Kate had nothing to worry about when it came to him taking care of their little girl when she wasn’t around.
Chelsea wore a life jacket over her lime-green one-piece—and a smile that lit up her eyes. Her hair had blown wildly moments ago as she held on when the boat was moving at a faster clip. Travis had given Chelsea the swiveling co-captain’s chair and a cute ball cap that read “Cap’n Chelsea.” Kate sat on the side-facing bench behind Chelsea with a great view of Travis standing at the wheel. He’d had a “First Mate” hat made for her in Kentucky blue and white, reminiscent of their college days.
She couldn’t help but comment on his “My Boat, My Rules” hat. “So what rules are there aboard The One That Got Away?”
He chuckled. “This hat’s Danny’s idea of a joke. He gave it to me a few years ago after I told him he’d better not come on my boat with a bad attitude.”
Kate hoped she hadn’t broken the rule, but she had adjusted hers after talking with him this morning. How badly would she have disappointed him—not to mention herself—if she’d gone home today? It hadn’t taken much arm-twisting this morning over a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, it hadn’t taken too much for Chelsea to twist her arm her to stay. Kate surrendered without much of a fight.
Travis cut the engine deep in the Y-shaped cove and turned toward them. “Fish or swim first?”
“Swim!” Chelsea shouted, and both of the adults laughed at her enthusiasm. Kate was secretly happy because she didn’t really care for fishing, not that she was that much more proficient at the other.
“Sounds good to me,” Travis said. “I doubt the fish will be biting today anyway with all the traffic on the lake. They’ve probably gone deeper to avoid the commotion. But by tonight, they might resurface.”
A short reprieve, at best.
The back end of the boat was made into a platform for them to get in and out of the water. Kate had found a simple black one-piece at the store, which would replace a similar one at home she’d had for almost a decade. When was the last time she’d been in a bathing suit, much less the water?
Chelsea sat on the back and dangled her toes. “It’s warm!”
“Well, you’ll find hot and cold spots, sometimes in the same place. But the cold will be refreshing when the sun gets hotter.”
After Chelsea removed her life jacket they slathered each other with sunscreen. Kate asked Travis for a vest before she’d venture into the water. Her swimming skills were almost nonexistent.
“L
ast one in is a rotten egg!” Chelsea challenged as she slid off the boat and into the water. Kate held her breath until she surfaced and set off swimming. Chelsea had taken lessons from the ages of four to six because Kate hadn’t wanted her to be afraid of the water, too. Travis dove in head first before surfacing and staring at Kate.
“Come on in! Water feels great!”
She didn’t want to admit to him she couldn’t swim. Of course, the life vest would keep her afloat. “You all go on. I’ll just dangle my feet in the water first.”
Travis tilted his head then shrugged. “Suit yourself. Chelsea, let’s race from the boat over to the shore and back.”
“One, two, three—go!” Chelsea took off and Travis swam after her. She nearly beat Travis to the shoreline, and it didn’t seem that he was going easy on her.
“Eww! The rocks are slimy!” Chelsea said.
“Slippery,” he corrected. “Just some algae, but we aren’t leaving the water, so let’s head back to the boat. First one to reach your mom gets to kiss her.”
Why was he bringing her into this? Still, as much as she loved her daughter, she secretly rooted for Travis to win, because she’d love to kiss him again. “Come on, Chelsea! You too, Travis!” She didn’t want to take sides out loud, but when Travis grabbed her foot first, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
Chelsea was only a second later, and she beamed. “You have to kiss Daddy now, Mom!”
He grabbed a square flotation pillow from the back of the boat then tugged on her leg, gently at first, until she slid off the back of the boat and into his arms. She grabbed for his shoulders, wrapped her arms around his neck, and clung to him for dear life. Her heart pounded. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
Embarrassed at her irrational panic, she told herself she wouldn’t drown wearing the life vest then confessed, “I can’t swim,” and buried her face into the crook of his neck.
“Trust me, darlin’. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Took me too long to find you again.”
A sense of calm came over her, not only because he made her feel safe here in the water, but because she hadn’t had anyone to lean on in such a long time and knew that Travis could be her anchor if only she’d let him. Bobbing in the surprisingly warm water, she lifted her head and stared into his eyes.
Chelsea giggled. “I promise not to watch.” Kate had forgotten she was there. Glancing her way, she saw she’d placed her hands over her eyes, with the fingers over her left one splayed so she wouldn’t miss a thing. Kate hadn’t kissed Travis in front of her before, but refused to hide her feelings from either of them any longer. She didn’t know what had finally clicked for her, but rather than one huge epiphany based on one incident, an accumulation of evidence over the past few weeks told her Travis was right for her. If they could be a family in every sense of the word, she welcomed him into their lives on a deeper level than they’d initially negotiated.
Turning toward him again, she looked into his eyes once more. This wasn’t the time to let him know, but by God, she was going to enjoy the hell out of this kiss. She leaned closer and tilted her head. Her mouth nibbled at his lower lip, and he wrapped his legs around her hips below the vest and pulled her as close as he could into the cradle of his thighs. Chelsea couldn’t see, could she?
Oh, who cares? She might as well get used to the fact that Kate intended to be demonstrative about her feelings for Travis from now on and not bottle everything up.
Travis’s tongue traced her lips, and she opened wider to him, keeping her hands firmly on his shoulders even though she knew he wouldn’t let her sink.
“Come on, Daddy! Kiss her!”
What did she think he was doing? Travis pulled away, though, and looked in their daughter’s direction. “Why don’t we see how fast you can swim back and forth to the shore?” Chelsea looked from one to the other, and Kate grinned, anxious to lose the audience, too.
Chelsea’s face grew flushed and she nodded with a grin. “I know when I’m not wanted.” She didn’t seem the least bit upset, though, as she straightened out in the water and with a leisurely stroke swam away.
“Now, where were we?” he asked, drawing her attention back to him.
“I think you were kissing me.”
Seemingly in no hurry, he leaned in, and she closed her eyes, waiting. He didn’t disappoint. His lips captured one of hers and he placed tiny kisses there, until sucking her lower lip harder. When his tongue licked her upper one, she opened wider, tilting her head to give him better access. As his tongue mimicked lovemaking, she moaned. He squeezed her butt cheeks, pressing his erection against the apex of her thighs. Obviously, he was as turned on as she was.
One hand slid between their bodies and he stroked the bundle of nerves that had been neglected for too long. She pulled away, searching for Chelsea’s whereabouts and saw that she was swimming parallel to the shore, just as slowly. Clearly, she didn’t want to intrude and would give them their privacy, so Kate gave herself over to the moment. She hated that her fear of drowning wouldn’t allow her to let go of his shoulders and touch him. Instead, she released his mouth and trailed kisses across his cheek to his earlobe where she nibbled. He groaned, his fingers stroking her harder. Would he bring her to an orgasm, knowing Chelsea was so close?
“How quietly can you come?”
Her hips surged against his hand. “Like a mouse.”
He chuckled and his finger went in tiny circles against her, taking her breath away. She kissed his neck and whispered, “That feels so good. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Me, too, Katie.” Needing no further encouragement apparently, he increased the speed of his finger, taking her breath away. “Come for me.” His lips covered hers again to capture any sound she might make, and she kissed him with a new sense of urgency. The tension she’d tried to ignore for so long burst through her and she grabbed the back of his head to make sure her not-so-silent moan couldn’t be heard by Chelsea as she found her release.
Becoming aware of their situation far too abruptly, she pulled away. “That was incredible, but can we finish this tonight, in your bedroom?”
“Let’s make sure we wear Chelsea out so she goes straight to bed when we get home tonight.”
Fire surged through her. It was only eleven-thirty in the morning. How would she possibly make it through the rest of the day when all she wanted to do was to jump in bed with Travis?
He reminded her that she was still a woman, not just a mother. She had desires, too, and while she’d always take care of her daughter, she needed to let someone take care of her, too, sometimes. She also wanted to find out what Travis needed from her—not stopping with intimacy shared in stolen moments like this one, but long-term. Tonight, they needed to talk about where to go from here.
* * *
Travis reflected on how well the day on the lake had turned out—better than he’d expected. Oh, Katie had gotten quiet after lunch, making him wonder if she was tired or plotting her escape as soon as they returned to the house. But he’d been able to coax her back into the water and even had her swimming around the boat at one point.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed Chelsea fighting to stay awake. She’d enjoyed the hell out of swimming. After a few hours, they’d parked at the Fishlipz marina for an early dinner before he took them to one of his favorite coves for fishing. Both of them had tolerated more than enjoyed the sport, but Chelsea had been elated when she caught a six-inch bluegill. They’d released it again, but he hoped that had planted the seeds and that she’d want to go fishing with him again.
Katie and Chelsea had helped him towel dry the boat and trailer. He’d name the boat in reference to Katie, although most people simply thought “the one that got away” referred to a fish. Katie didn’t seem any the wiser, either.
On the drive home, Chelsea asked, “Why don’t you keep your boat at the marina, Daddy?”
“I like taking her to different lakes rather than always go
to the same one. Might as well transport her myself.”
He glanced over at Katie. He didn’t know why she’d lowered her defenses earlier, but she’d laughed and become playful after that encounter this morning. Funny how a good orgasm could break the ice.
He chuckled to himself. God, the woman had exploded for him, albeit trying to remain quiet so Chelsea wouldn’t be aware of what was going on. All day, he’d been anticipating getting her back to the house. To his bedroom.
At the house, he parked the boat to the side of the garage. They’d be going out to watch the fireworks on the lake, after all. After they’d unloaded the truck, he asked, “Would you ladies like anything to eat?” He unlocked the front door.
Chelsea shook her head. “I’m beat. Can I just go to bed?”
“Sure, sweetie,” Katie said, wrapping her in a hug. “You’ve had a big day. But be sure and take a shower and wash your hair so you won’t wake up smelling like the lake in the morning.”
Travis had no clue what was wrong with that, but Chelsea gave her a squeeze then came to Travis. “It was the best day ever. Thanks, Daddy. I can’t wait to go again.”
His heart swelled as he opened his arms to her. “Anytime, but you’re going to be busy the rest of the summer getting ready for your horse shows, and I’m going to have my hands full at work.” He didn’t know when the next time would be that he’d be able to go boating, given Jackson’s being on disability for at least the next five weeks.
Travis had visited Jackson a few nights ago and, after finding out the man hadn’t eaten anything but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches since the accident, he’d called Emmy to see if she’d be able to come down and take care of him for at least a couple of weeks. She’d jumped at the chance. He had a feeling she liked him. They’d met each other a number of times at the annual Veterans Day picnic Travis held, as well as the few times Travis had talked Jackson into coming to Thanksgiving dinner. She was an excellent cook and could help with other things around the house, too. Emmy might be a pain when she got something stuck in her craw, but there was no one else besides Mom that he’d go to in a time of crisis. Until now. He had Katie, too.
Kate's Secret (Bluegrass Spirits Book 2) Page 40