by Clay, Ann
Autumn examined the serious expression on his face. “Okay.”
“It’s about Savannah.”
“What about her?” The quiver in her voice gave away the anxiety at hearing the woman’s name.
“Come on, let’s go inside and talk.”
She reluctantly followed him inside. Neither had mentioned Savannah since the episode at the airport.
Travis took a minute before he spoke. “Right after we talked about your run-in at the airport, She came back to see me. Not right away, but a week or so afterwards. And… I’ve seen her on a couple of occasions since.”
Autumn recoiled, like he’d slapped her, hard. She was about to run for the door, but Travis must have sensed that she would attempt to escape, which is why he held on her arms. “Wait, baby, let me explain.”
She pulled her arms in his grip, but he added slight pressure to keep her in place. Suddenly, his touch felt like pins and she didn’t want anything to do with it. “Why? What is there to explain? Let me go, Travis.”
“First of all, I promised to be straight with you.”
“Sure, and so when were you going to tell me? Wait, is she here now?”
“If you mean by here in New Orleans, yes.”
Autumn jerked her arms from his grasp and that time, he let her go, but followed her closely as she headed for the bedroom.
“Autumn, listen to me. I’m not interested in Savannah or anyone else. I’ve committed to you and I don’t want you to think—”
“What? That while I’m in New York, you’re out having a good time with an old fling? Really Travis?” Autumn picked up her bag and started jamming stuff into it. Her body shook uncontrollably, but she would not reveal just how unnerving Travis’s news made her.
No wonder you don’t need me to give you release… you’re getting plenty from Savannah. Just when I thought…
“Look, I didn’t have to tell you anything, Autumn. But I owe it to you to tell you the truth. I don’t have feelings for Savannah.”
Autumn stopped in her tracks. The cosmetic bag in her hand was headed for the empty spot in her suitcase when she turned. “Was Savannah at your office last night, Travis?” She narrowed her eyes as she watched all the color drain from his face. And when he didn’t answer right away, she said. “Exactly!”
“No, wait.” He recovered. “I mean, yes, but I—”
“So, this woman is at your job, late at night. And she had the nerve to try and disguise her voice when she answered your private line.” She added inflection to the word “private.” “What do you have to say about that? Do you take me for a fool?” She slammed the bag into her suitcase.
Autumn’s comments sent his mind swirling.
Savannah had answered my phone.
He instantly went from shock to rage. “What did you say?” He stepped into Autumn’s space. He lowered his face to only inches away from hers. “Autumn?”
“You heard me. I thought you didn’t play these games, Travis. You could have fooled me.” She turned to leave the room.
He followed closely behind her. “For your information, I didn’t know you’d called because I was not in my office, and yes, she came by, but I sent her away.”
She headed to the front door and with one hand on the handle, she turned it, but it didn’t give. She fumbled with the bolt lock. “I’m out of here.” Her hands shook and the tremors traveled through her entire body.
“Where are you going Autumn? And how? We really need to talk about this, baby, please.” He didn’t try to touch her. He could only imagine what state of mind she was in and he didn’t want to inflame the situation.
She swung around, hitting his leg with her bag. “Can I borrow your truck?” She dared to meet his gaze. “I’ll make sure you get it back.” She acted extremely calm given the circumstances. She just needed to get the hell out before she lost her composure.
Travis’s hand went for the suitcase. “The alarms are set.” He knew she would not be able to release the front locks. He’d already set the alarm and the release procedures required him to key them in.
Autumn pulled at the luggage. If he didn’t release her soon, she couldn’t promise to be responsible for her actions. Just when she thought she had a promising start, here she was again, getting a reality check. “Please, Travis. I want to leave.”
“Give me a chance to explain, and if you want to leave afterwards, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, I promise.”
Autumn released the suitcase and stomped off, “As if your promises mean anything.” She sat on a stool at the breakfast bar. Her heart ached and her mind raced a million miles a minute. Still she fought to hold her emotions in check.
Travis took a seat across from her. “How about I start from the beginning?” He took a long breath.
* * * *
An hour of telling his truth didn’t gain him much with Autumn, at first. However, determined to make her understand, he poured his heart out to her. In the end he said, “I was protecting you, Autumn.”
“I don’t need you to protect me. I’m capable of taking care of myself” she interrupted.
He touched her arm, the first time since their conversation began. “I would never do anything intentional to hurt you. Never.” He touched her face next, but she pulled back from his hand. Still he persistently continued on. “Not many things in my life frighten me, but the thought of losing you scares the hell of me.”
Even though she struggled with what he revealed, his last comment touched her heart. She pulled her hand down one side of his unshaven jaw until her fingers cupped his chin and lifted his face. She watched him, looking for any shreds of doubt or any lie that might reveal itself in his gaze.
“Please forgive me, Autumn. I will not allow Savannah to come between us, again.”
Autumn didn’t give in at first. It took another lengthy conversation to make her reevaluate exactly who she was dealing with. “How can I trust you to protect this heart of mine?” She jabbed her finger in her chest.
“You know, that since meeting me, I’ve never lied to you. My word, my family is everything. I also believe that your heart is big enough to give me a chance to show you how much I love you. And Autumn, I love you. When you hurt, I hurt.” He knelt next to her.
“I’ve waited all my life for you, and now here you are, Travis.” She did what she promised to do when they first started: take the leap. “What took you so long to find me?” she whispered.
“You’ll have to talk to the maker, my love. I’m just happy that I found you. Now you’re mine. I will never let you go.”
“I like the sound of that. I’m yours. You’re mine.”
* * * *
Reggie glowed when Autumn finally saw her the next morning. She possessed all the appearances of a happy mother-to-be. Autumn and Travis picked up the newlyweds and stopped by their parents’ house. They laughed and talked before the siblings headed to the fairgrounds. Reggie nibbled on a corndog; the others watched.
“Come on, let’s do the bungee jump.” Travis pulled Autumn toward the gated area where onlookers gathered to watch brave fair-goers take the plunge.
“I’m in.” Trae lifted his hand.
“So am I.” Michael added.
“Don’t look at me.” Autumn shook her head defiantly. She had no desire to strap up to a contraption, and then leap toward the ground until the bungee cord whipped her up and down with no control. The idea frightened her even more when Travis decided to do it. Even as Travis pulled her toward the bungee area, she feared something bad would happen.
So when Travis peeled her fingers from his arm, she looked up at his wide-toothed grin. “It’ll be fun, babe. Come on, you should try.” He raised her fingers to his mouth and pressed his full lips on her knuckles.
All she could do was shake her head until the lump in her throat passed. “No, Travis. Maybe you guys shouldn’t.” A chill ran through her body. Something about the idea didn’t feel right. She didn’t want to spoil their fu
n, but her gut said it was a bad decision. “Travis, baby, please. Why don’t we do something else?”
“It’ll be fine, Autumn. Cheer me on, okay?”
“You crazy folk go right ahead,” Denise chuckled. “We’ll be right here when you’re done.” She pointed to the spot just before the entrance. “There’s no way you’re getting me anywhere near that thing!”
Travis backed away from Autumn. He blew her a kiss before he turned and rushed through the gate. His brothers stepped in right behind him. He led the way through the roped-off area. Three people had just finished their jump, and were being lowered down to a ramp. Once securely strapped in, the brothers counted to three, and then took the plunge from the platform.
On the second downward swing, Travis felt the strap pull before it actually snapped. The loud, cracking sound whistled through the air, and could be heard throughout the park. The crowd below yelped loudly. Screams filled the air when they saw Travis falling.
Travis tried to remain calm, wrapping his arms around his body as he tucked his head into his chest to hopefully keep from injuring his neck. He’d dived from heights greater than the distance from the platform to the water before, only then he knew what was beneath him. He prayed the water below him was free of debris and would take pity on him. At the speed his body was falling, Travis knew he would hit the water hard. His next thought went straight to Autumn, the love of his life. Without her, his life didn’t mean anything. His heart leaped hard against his chest. He could hear the screams below. The sound caused him some alarm, but again, he attempted to release the tension in his body.
His efforts proved futile when he crashed against the lake. Sharp blades of water stung his skin through his clothes as he plummeted to the bottom of the tarn. With every effort he could muster, and once his descent slowed, he unwrapped his arms and began to fight his way back up to the surface. His face felt like the nicks he got when he cut himself shaving too fast. He closed his eyes but even they hurt like hell.
Autumn’s scream, trapped behind her tongue, died in her head. She leaped forward into a full sprint, shoving people aside as she pushed her way through the crowd. Reggie and Denise were on her heels. Their eyes focused on the two men strapped to cords still in motion. They neared the lake and tried to get past the lifeguards who were already moving. Two men were already in the water. The other three were racing in the same direction with portable life rafts tucked under their arms.
Reggie and Denise reached for Autumn’s arms. “No, Autumn, stay back,” they pleaded. Autumn slipped right out of their grasp. Her focus was directed at the spot where Travis had disappeared. She entered the river with all the force she had. Autumn grew up surrounded by water, and she’d learned to swim at an early age.
She swam hard and ignored the plea from the guard to stay back. She didn’t hear Denise or Reggie call her, or knew when or how Michael and Trae got into the water so quickly. She swung her arms and kicked her legs as hard as she could. Maneuvering through the water without getting some in her mouth seemed impossible; and she ignored the sharp pain in her lungs. “Travis!” Her heart pounded against her chest. “Travis! Travis!” She took a deep breath before she plunged into the murky waters.
When she came up, one of the lifeguards with a life vest caught her. “Please lady, we need you out of the water.” He attempted to pull her. She fought back.
“No! We have to find him.” She tried unsuccessfully to pull away from him. He was much stronger than her.
“Let her go!” Trae pulled Autumn toward him as they continued in the direction where they saw Travis go under. The guard willingly obliged.
Travis was an excellent swimmer and should have already surfaced, which meant he was in trouble. With Autumn’s hand in his, Trae, and her both went below the water again, desperate to find Travis.
Travis’s whole body ached but he continued to move up. He couldn’t tell how far he’d fallen, or understand why it was taking so long to resurface. The air in his chest was just about gone. He hoped the guards were already in the water after him. He didn’t want to be dragged out of the lake with his lungs full of water. Just when he was running out of steam, through burning eyes, he could see the color of the water changing. With it, he could see other people and a sigh of relief washed over him.
He felt hands grab him, pulling him to the top. When his head finally broke the surface, he gasped for air. He closed his eyes once again. They stung like they’d been pierced with knives. Arms he quickly recognized wrapped around him. He opened his eyes to see a worried stare meet his. Her wet hair clung to her face. Autumn had come to find him. His heart sang.
“I’m here,” she whispered breathlessly.
Travis allowed her, Trae, Michael, and a lifeguard to guide his worn-out body toward the shore. He closed his eyes again.
“We got you big guy,” Michael reassured him.
Both he and Trae panicked when they heard the screams. The bungee operator had quickly released the tension in their still bouncing chords to release the rigid movement, and at the same time he lowered them. They scrambled to release their straps and dropped into the water when they didn’t see their eldest brother. Helplessness consumed them when they saw guards moving toward them and knew something was wrong. And now, that Travis was safe, they had no intentions of letting him out of their sights until they knew he was okay.
The guard shouted instructions as they neared the shore. He then turned his attention back to the trio surrounding Travis. “We’ll have a guard bring in a stretcher. We want to be careful. We can’t be sure if he’s hurt his neck or back. So don’t move him until we get him strapped to that stretcher, got it?”
No one argued with him. They just wanted Travis out of the water as soon as possible. Travis remained still. He allowed them to move him toward the life raft even though he knew he was okay. His eyes burned, so he kept them closed as he listened to the voices round him. They hadn’t quite gotten him to the raft before he began to move. Energy slowly sipped back into his body, and he lifted himself up in the water. “Whoa! Take it easy.” Trae instructed. “Stay still Travis, man we don’t know if you’ve hurt your neck or back.”
Autumn hadn’t said much but he could feel her trembling hands on him. “Autumn.” He coughed as he reached for her.
“Trae’s right, sweetheart. We have to get you out of the water. Please be still. Please.”
“I’m okay.” He pulled her into his body. Autumn went to him reluctantly as she attempted to keep herself afloat without pulling Travis down into the water.
“Be careful. We don’t know if you’re hurt.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” He held her with the little strength he could manage.
“It’s okay, Travis. Just let us get you out of here. Please, baby.”
Paramedics were already on the scene and insisted on taking him to the hospital, but Travis outright refused. They checked and had him sign a waiver before they released him to his brothers. Denise found dry clothes in Travis’s truck. He always kept a gym bag and towels, for days he worked late or wanted to go to the gym. Autumn slipped one of Travis’s shirts over her wet clothes.
The brothers got Travis into the car and Trae drove. News had already traveled to his parents, and Diane demanded that they stop by the house so she could be sure her baby was okay. She fussed over him and fussed at him. She also fussed at Trae and Michael. The ladies braced themselves because they just knew they would be next, but Diane didn’t scold them at all. Thankful when she finally finished her rant, Trae drove them home.
Travis went straight to the bathroom. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes were bloodshot and his face was bruised. Luckily he hadn’t been hurt any worse. He peeled away his clothes and got under the scalding spray of the shower. When he finished, Autumn brought up some soup and tea, and ordered him to get into bed, to drink his tea, and eat the soup. He complied without protest.
She then took a shower and washed her hair. When she
came back, Travis had done what she’d instructed. He watched the flat-screen television bolted to the wall directly across from the bed. They hadn’t said much. Both mulled over what happened but gave thanks for the outcome. When she picked up the tray, Travis’s hand halted her. She looked at him. “Did I tell you I was sorry, Autumn?”
She kissed his forehead. “Yes. And I’ve already accepted your apology, babe. Get some rest.”
“This is not how I intended us to spend our weekend.” He referred to both the setback from last night and the bungee scare.
“I’m here with you. That’s all I want, Travis.”
“Hurry back.”
“I will.” She kissed him again before taking the tray back to the kitchen.
Autumn curled up next to him until he fell asleep. She held her emotions in check, kept her cool so as not to break down in front of Travis or his family. She focused on the positive outcome and did not give in to the idea that it happened because of the old Grimillion curse. She wanted to believe that the incident was a mere accident, nothing else, but the nagging bothered her to no end.
“God, why? I don’t understand.” Her thoughts consumed her so much that when Travis finally dozed off, she eased off of the bed and headed to the bathroom. She closed the door, sunk down the wall to the floor on the far end of the bathroom, and cried.
* * * *
Mer Drace sat up in her bed with as much energy as she could, and stayed there for a long while, staring into the darkness. Autumn was in crisis; she could feel it. The second time in less than a day, she wished she had a telephone in the house. It bothered her that she could not see what was wrong or know whether or not she would be okay. Her only living granddaughter reminded her so much of the younger version of Drace Grimillion.
Thankful, though, that Autumn’s life outcome would ultimately be different than her own, she willed her thoughts to positive things for her Autumn. She sat for a few minutes longer before she shoved off the bed and went to her favorite praying spot in the house. She knelt, bowed her head, and prayed.