“I don’t even know how to trust someone anymore.”
Travis dropped the necklace and shook his head. “Of course, you do. Faith you haven’t lost that ability. You have your wonderful, crazy family that you adore. You have Emmitt. You just need to let me in enough so that we can start to build trust for each other. It’s a process, and it will take some time, but I think you’re someone who is well worth the effort.”
The fact that Travis was willing to be so considerate of her and her fragile heart put him light years beyond Logan already. But this was all so new, thrilling… and absolutely terrifying. “I… I think I’d like to try.”
Travis leaned forward and kissed her, holding her face gently in his hands and moving even closer to her. His kiss said everything his words couldn’t, expressing the deep feelings he had for Faith. One of his hands dropped down to her waist, pulling her closer like he couldn’t get enough of her.
Travis was the first to pull away, but only slightly, their lips inches apart, their foreheads touching. He held her gaze, his heart beating loudly in his ears.
“I promise to be careful with your heart, Faith.”
Chapter 16
Travis drove Faith home that afternoon. She was still a little shaken up about what happened and wanted to go home.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, glancing over at her when they were stopped at a traffic light. “You still seem upset.”
“A little, but being around you helps.”
“I’m glad. Just don’t close yourself off, okay? You can talk to me.”
Faith smiled and squeezed Travis’s hand. “I know that. I can’t promise not to close up. I’m still a little new to all of this, but if you give me time… a little space, I promise to try.
Travis couldn’t ask for more than that. She’d learn to trust him. “Deal.”
The rest of the ride was silent, but it felt comforting. Travis knew he needed to take it slow with Faith, but wanted to make sure she was truly okay. “Do you want me to stay with you for a little bit? Maybe watch a movie. I like romantic comedies, remember?”
Faith cracked a smile. “Can I ask for a rain check? I think I want to take a nap and then work on a chapter for my book. It needs to get done by Monday, and the logical process of organizing the data will help sooth me.”
Travis didn’t think that organizing data sounded calming, but he felt at peace while editing photos, so he understood her point.
“Well, if you get done early you can take me up on that movie offer.”
Faith’s eyes twinkled. “You might regret that.”
Travis captured her hand and kissed her palm. “Never.”
Faith pulled her hand away, feeling utterly charmed. She spent the weekend in a therapeutic rhythm of research and writing. Travis’s understand and sweetness had boosted her spirits so much that instead of one chapter, she finished three. It meant she had worked late into the night on both Saturday and Sunday, but she fell asleep in the wee hours of Monday with a smile on her face.
Her alarm went off way too soon, and she hit the snooze button, something she never did. An hour later, the sun’s rays shining in her eyes woke her. Faith rolled over and stared at the clock. I’m late! Professor Faith Mason had never been late to a class. She grabbed her phone and called Tasha’s number.
“Tasha, are you on your way?”
“Be at your office in five minutes with your coffee.”
Faith was already pulling clothes out of her closet, but she would never make it in ten minutes. “Forget the coffee. I need you to cover my first class.”
“Isn’t that your Ph.D. level class? I don’t know—”
“Please, Tasha. Get them started on reading chapter five. I can be there in twenty-five minutes.”
“I can do that. You sound a bit flustered this morning. I’ll bring the coffee with me to class. You sound like you’ll need it.”
The old Professor Mason would have firmly put her assistant in her place for such impertinence. The happier Faith Mason just smiled. “Thank you, Tasha.”
“You’re welcome.”
Faith tossed the phone onto the bed and rushed to shower and change. It would be a busy day today, and she had her first photography class this evening. Faith managed to get showered and dressed in ten minutes. If she took a taxi instead of walking the six blocks, she could do her make-up and be there when she’d promised Tasha.
Faith scooped up her make-up bag, purse, and a small backpack filled with her supplies for her evening class and headed out the door. It wasn’t until she got to class, she realized she’d left her phone on the bed and wouldn’t have a chance to get it all day.
Travis had texted Faith on Sunday and had gotten a few texts back with seemingly happy comments about how she was progressing on her book. The texts seemed distant and distracted. He knew he shouldn’t be worried, but that little voice in his head nagged him that maybe something was wrong.
He decided he was overthinking it and would give her a call Monday. Maybe he could convince her to have lunch with him.
Travis tried to call a few times on Monday with no response. It was stupid, but now he felt like he was being ignored. He was falling too hard and too fast for Faith. And though she was nothing like the women he had dated before, he felt the first notes of doubt. He didn’t want his relationship with Faith to fail before it even began.
In an attempt to clear his mind, he decided to go for a run. He popped his headphones into his ears and started down the street. He headed for the university, silently hoping that he would bump into her when she left her classes or something.
Overhead, the sun was on its way down, and the air was cooling off. He did a lap around the main campus and was just about to head home when he saw Emmitt running on the other side of the street.
He crossed the road and caught up to him, tapping him on the shoulder. Emmitt stopped almost immediately. “Hey, Travis. Fancy seeing you here.”
“I went for a run…”
“I’m forever running around campus. I haven’t seen you here before.”
“You caught me. I don’t normally run this area. I was hoping to bump into Faith.”
“Oh, really?” Emmitt offered a smile. “That’s good to hear.”
“Sort of… here’s the thing. A few days ago, she ran into her ex-boyfriend... She told me what happened.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. I got the story, and I know trust is hard for her. I thought we left things okay, but, I get the feeling she’s ignoring me, now.”
Emmitt frowned. “That sounds like Faith. She doesn’t handle her emotions all that well. She tends to hide from them in hopes that the pain will just go away.”
“So, do you think I should just be a bit more patient? Give her more time?”
“If she told you about Logan, then she’s coming out of her shell. No… you can’t give her too much time. I don’t want her closing herself off again before she gives you a chance.” Emmitt ran his fingers through his short dirty blond hair.
“So, where does that leave me? If she won’t return my calls… I don’t want to turn into a stalker or something like that.”
Emmitt laughed. “Yeah, you want to avoid that. Faith would call the cops on you.”
Emmitt scratched his chin and wandered over to a bench to sit down. Suddenly, he stood up, snapping his fingers. “I got it. A grand gesture!”
“A what?”
“Faith’s been dying to go to this exhibit on Greek artifacts opening this weekend. There was a raffle for the tickets about a month ago, but she couldn’t get her hands on one. If you somehow managed to get her tickets to go see it, I bet she’d answer her cell.”
“Do you know who runs the exhibit? I might have some friends that owe me a couple of favors.”
“The Historical Society, I think, but my girlfriend would know for sure. Why don’t you give me a call later, and I’ll see if I can get the info?”
“That would be f
antastic.” Travis pulled out his phone, handing it to Emmitt so he could fill out his contact information. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Believe me, my sister has way too much enthusiasm for ancient artifacts. If you surprise her with this, I have no doubt she’ll come out of that shell of hers even more. It’s just the sort of considerate thing she’d love. Her ex was okay to her, but he never took her anywhere she really wanted to go. He was too self-centered for that.”
“I saw the guy.”
“Does he still wear that stupid grin?”
Travis thought about the guy who’d broken Faith’s heart. “Yeah. She ran out of Cupid’s, and he watched her run from him. He didn’t even drop the fake smile for a second.”
Emmitt rolled his eyes. “That sounds like him. I’m glad she found you, instead.”
“We’ll see. Hopefully, this plan of yours will work.”
“Good luck. I need to finish my run. Talk to you later.” Emmitt waved and began to run down the street.
Travis stood there, wondering if the plan would work.
Chapter 17
Faith got home later than she’d planned. Her class had been fantastic. She could already see why Travis loved his career. Just seeing the world through a small frame gave her a new perspective.
This was her chance to start a new chapter in her life. She had a man in her life who gave her hope, she had an exciting new hobby, and the department head had loved the latest three chapters in her book. He’d said she’d given more life to the subject of ancient artifacts than he’d thought possible.
Faith was on cloud nine. She burst into her room, anxious to find her phone. It was amazing how odd it felt to be without it for one day. She’d survived, but still, she was anxious to see if she had any messages from Travis.
A few swipes across the screen and Faith could see that he’d called three times, but hadn’t left a message or texted her. Faith thought that was a bit odd but wasn’t sure what to make of it. Had she messed up their relationship already, by asking for space and time to finish her book chapters?
Maybe she should call and claim that movie rain check. She was sure that she could rent something that would make him regret the offer. Faith smiled at that and was about to hit the call button, when she paused. Why hadn’t he left a message? Faith flopped onto her bed, considering. I’m so terrible at this relationship thing.
In the end, Faith decided to let it be and see if Travis called her tomorrow. If he did, then she’d ask him over for a movie night on Wednesday.
Finding tickets for the exhibit opening was harder than getting front row seats to a heavyweight title boxing match in Vegas. Who knew that some old artifacts were so popular? Travis wasn’t giving up hope, it was only Tuesday, and he had a few lines in the water.
He had every intention of trying to call Faith, on the off chance she’d pick up, but his top client called. Michael wanted his entire collection of fireworks photos for a chain of hotels, provided Travis could do some edits and cropping and put the order into the printer today.
The money was good, but more importantly, the job would get his name out there to a wider audience. Travis couldn’t pass the opportunity up. He barely managed to put the order into online printing system before the midnight cut off. The photos would be printed and overnighted to Michael for distribution.
Travis yawned and shut down the computer. His last thought was of Faith and her smile. He’d call her tomorrow.
Travis hadn’t called! Stupidly, Faith had reserved a movie for Wednesday, feeling absolutely certain Travis would call. Every beep of her phone had Faith checking the screen for word from Travis. Nothing. Not even a smiley faced text.
Rationally, she knew she shouldn’t feel betrayed or hurt. It had only been one day without him trying to contact her, and she’d been without her phone the day before. Things happened. Still, the lack of something stung. She put her trust in him and was already feeling let down.
For a brief moment, Faith considered calling him. It would be the mature, adult thing to do, but she really, really felt like being childish. She’d innocently trusted Logan. She would not do that this time. If Travis wanted her trust, then he’d have to try to gain it.
Travis woke on Wednesday with a light heart. He rolled over and sent a quick text to one of his contacts to see if he’d found a pair of tickets. Then, he sent a good morning text to Faith. He thought she had classes this morning and didn’t want to disturb her or act too pushy. It would take time to earn her trust, and he could be patient.
The day passed with no reply from Faith. Travis told himself that was okay. He was sure a friend of a friend’s cousin could get him tickets. He just had to help the guy out tomorrow evening. The project even sounded fun. He couldn’t wait to tell Faith about it… provided she’d reply to him.
Chapter 18
“Emmitt, I don’t think this thing with Travis is going to work out. We haven’t spoken to each other in days,” Faith said, pacing her bedroom while talking on the phone.
“Sis, is that your fault or his?”
“A few texts with hi or good morning hardly count as communication.”
“That means it’s your fault.”
Faith was getting aggravated with her brother. Whose side was he on anyway? “Why would you think that?”
“Did you bother to text him back?”
“Well… no.” Faith was still feeling that Travis should try to make more of an effort than one-word texts and until he did, she was trying to remain neutral. It wasn’t working. She missed his laugh, his way of making her feel carefree, and almost everything else about him. She’d called Emmitt to sure up her mental reserves, but she should have known better. Emmitt knew that she was being stubborn.
“See. He probably doesn’t want to come across as a stalker or something creepy like that. Throw the guy a bone and text something back!”
Emmitt was making too much sense. Since when had he become the sensible one and Faith the childish one?
“You’re probably right,” Faith grumbled. “I’ll call him after class tonight.”
“Class? You don’t teach night classes.”
“No, this is a class for me. I’m taking a photography class in an effort to find a hobby.” Faith switched her phone to the other ear, looking for her book of notes on lighting for the class tonight. She’d done some research online and wanted to be ready for tonight’s lesson.
“Photography? Does Travis have anything to do with that.”
She spotted the notebook by her laptop and moved to grab it. “Nope. I’d signed up for it before I met him. Though, I admit his career and what I’ve learned from him has increased my interest in the subject. Look, I have to go, or I’ll be late.”
“Hey Sis, I’m glad you found a hobby. It’s good for you.”
“Thanks. I think so too. Now, I have to go.”
“Talk and walk. I have one more thing for you.”
Faith heard her brother take a deep breath. She paused, before opening her front door. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he breathed. “Are you free after class tomorrow afternoon?”
Faith juggled the phone and her photography bag while opening the door. “Yeah, sure. But what is that tone about?”
“I… I’d like you to go ring shopping with me.”
Faith almost dropped the phone into her flower pots that surrounded the porch. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” Emmitt whispered.
Her little brother was getting married. Tears formed in her eyes, and she wiped them away. “Emmitt, I’m so happy for you. Don’t worry. Tasha will say yes. I just know it.”
“I think so too. But don’t tell mom, okay? I want to wait until I ask Tasha.”
Charlotte Mason would take out an ad in the paper announcing the marriage before Emmitt even got a chance to ask Tasha. “Of course not. I won’t tell another soul. Thanks for asking me to help you.”
“I love you, Sis. You’re the only one
I’d trust to help.”
“Oh, Emmitt. I love you too.”
Faith hung up with Emmitt, still sniffling back the tears. The small, scared little boy that mom had brought home had grown up to be the sweetest, best brother in the world. She was so blessed.
Faith’s feet flew across the sidewalk as she headed to her class. No need to worry about being late, the happy news added bounce to her step. She made it to the classroom before the instructor or any of her classmates.
Faith settled into her desk, pulling out her notes. The instructor, Bryan Martel, enter the room not too much later. “Good evening, Professor Mason.”
“I told you to call me Faith.”
“It wasn’t long ago I was a student of yours. I just can’t convince myself to call you by your first name.”
Faith smiled. “As I recall, you graduated two years ago and somehow managed to get one of my coveted A’s. I think you earned the right to call me by my first name.”
“I’ll try, Faith.”
“That’s a start.” Faith organized herself as the rest of the class came in. A few minutes later, Bryan called the class to order.
“Alright. You can put away your notes and pull out your cameras. I have something special planned for tonight. A local professional photographer is going to take us on a learning photoshoot. He’s been scouting out some places around campus, and we’ll do a little hands-on learning about taking pictures in dimming light.”
Faith packed away her notes and took out her camera, excited about going out and taking photos. She’d been trying on her own but wasn’t happy with her results. More hands-on would help her progress.
“Hey, Bryan,” someone in the back called out. “Who’s the photographer? Anyone we know?”
“Maybe. He only got his start a few years ago, but his success has been phenomenal. His name is Travis Waverly.”
A Cherry on Top (Cupid's Cafe Where love is on the menu Book 7) Page 10