by Melody Anne
No matter how much he told himself he wasn’t going to act on his hormones, the moment she rushed into his arms, he forgot about everything else but ripping off her clothes.
Not this time. She was on her way over, and they were going to have a serious discussion, because Travis didn’t think he could go on much longer wondering what was going to happen next. He was the type of man who needed a map laid out of all his plans, needed to know what was ahead.
He’d always been that way, much to the distress of his more carefree parents. They’d been horrified when he’d joined the military, but they’d always accepted him for who he was and had quickly come to terms with his choices in life.
If he could only get Taylor to feel the same way. He was in love with her, and if he could persuade her to sit down with him for five minutes without the two of them falling victim to demon lust, he’d get her to see they shouldn’t ever part.
He had no doubt she loved him, too. He just didn’t know if she loved him enough to abandon her dreams of another championship. It was terrible that he wanted—no, needed—her to do that, but he couldn’t be with her if he was always wondering whether she’d come home again.
How could they live that way? What if they had children, and then she left him too soon? Yes, he thought too far into the future, but now that he had Taylor in his life, the thought of ever letting her go, especially letting her go forever, was incomprehensible.
When he heard her car pulling up to the side of the house, his heart raced. She was there. He looked around the room and was well satisfied with his efforts. The table was set, candles were burning, and wine was chilling.
“Travis?”
She entered the front door, and the lack of light had her confused for a moment, but then he stepped from the shadows and her beautiful lips turned up in a grin. “What is this?”
“Dinner,” he told her, taking her light summer jacket and then leading her to the table.
“Oh, Travis. This is amazing,” she gasped as she looked at the rose lying across her plate.
“You’re amazing, Taylor, and you make me want to do things I’ve never done before,” he told her as he helped her sit down.
“You deserve someone so much better than me, Travis. I can’t even cook,” she said as he lifted the bottle of wine from the bucket it had been chilling in and poured them each a glass.
“I’m with exactly the person I want to be with, Taylor.”
She reached out and took his now free hand. “Thank you.” It was heartfelt and happiness shone in her eyes. They were off to a really good start.
He got their salads and warm bread, and came back to the table, setting her plate down and seating himself.
“Enjoy,” he said as he waited for her to start her meal before he dug in. She did and then moaned with pleasure.
“Really, Travis. You are amazing.”
“I’ve been a bachelor for a lot of years. I either learned how to cook, or I risked food poisoning from some of the less than clean establishments in some of the neighborhoods I lived in while bouncing around with the military.”
“Well, I sure as heck benefited from your culinary talents when we were in that cabin.” She finished her salad and grabbed a piece of bread, added butter, bit in, and moaned again.
Their conversation was light as they finished their meal and poured the last of the wine into their glasses. His heart was still pounding, but the alcohol had taken the edge off his anxiety. They took their wineglasses to the couch and he turned to face her, knowing he had to get out what he needed to say, but trying to remember not to rush it and not to frighten her.
“Did you speak with Martin again today?” he asked, trying to ease into things.
She lowered her head and he felt his first stirrings of unease. If she was afraid to meet his eyes, something was wrong. He decided not to push her; he just waited for her to speak.
“Um, Travis, I don’t know how to say this . . .” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
His gut clenched and the food he’d just eaten threatened to come back up. Nothing showed on the outside, though. He leaned back casually and took another sip of wine—actually, it was a gulp this time.
“You can tell me anything, Taylor.” He was impressed with how controlled his voice managed to sound.
“Well, I got the all clear from Doc today, and, well, yesterday my good friend called and said it wasn’t too late for me to get into the big race being held over in Idaho this weekend. I know it’s really soon, but I know that track, and I figure I can be back here to visit in a week, two at most.” She spoke in a rush as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.
Travis let the words sink in. She was planning to leave, and she was to do it right away. “When?” This time his voice was a little less controlled, but with his temper beginning to rise, he just didn’t care.
“I leave tomorrow,” she said as she squirmed a little on the couch, a subtle movement, but she was obviously trying to put distance between them.
“Just like that, Taylor? It’s not up for discussion? My opinion doesn’t matter?”
“It’s not like that, Travis. This has nothing to do with you,” she said, her own voice beginning to rise.
“Really, Taylor? After everything we’ve been through, you can honestly sit there and tell me that it’s none of my business that you’re going back to racing? Am I not allowed to tell you what I think about that?”
He rose from the couch and began pacing the room, now refusing to hide his agitation. He’d planned to lay it all out there for her tonight. And what does she do? She just walks in and tells him she’s leaving and he doesn’t get a say.
Pissed off didn’t come close to capturing what he felt.
She also stood, and she snapped at him: “I was going to discuss it with you, but you’re acting like such an ass, I don’t want to now.”
“Maybe I’m being an ass because, as usual, it’s all about Taylor, and to hell with anyone who might actually give a damn about you,” he snapped back.
They glared at each other for several heartbeats before she stormed across the room and grabbed her jacket and purse. He was reaching the peak of his temper as he watched her start to just walk out in the middle of their conversation.
“Where in the hell are you going?” He moved to the door, blocking her quick exit.
“Anywhere but here, Travis. If you think I’m going to stand here while you insult me and try to tell me what to do, just like my family does, then you’ll have to think again. Just because we were shacking up for a month doesn’t mean that you now get to control me.”
“Is that what we’ve been doing, Taylor? Shacking up? Is that all this has meant to you?” His fury was still high, but hurt was overwhelming him as well. He’d thought they’d made progress. Maybe he’d read her feelings all wrong.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Apparently so, Travis. Because if you can’t love me for who and what I am, I don’t want to be with you.”
Her choice of words made him stop. “Do you love me, Taylor?”
She stood frozen before him. Her eyes darted to the door, then back to his face, and finally focused on the floor.
“It doesn’t matter how I feel, Travis. I won’t be controlled,” she finally said after several tense seconds. He moved from the door with his need to pace.
And with that, she slipped through the opening before he was able to catch his breath. Before he even thought about chasing her down, she was jumping into her car and pulling from the driveway.
What could he do? What would he say if he did catch up to her?
He couldn’t accept her going back to racing, couldn’t take the chance that she would die right before his eyes. So what did they have left? Love just wasn’t going to be enough.
Wearing ruts in the large backyard by his frantic pacing, Travis ranted to Taylor’s brother. “She’s a fool and she’s going to get herself killed. That’s what she’s going to do!”
Brys
on was just as upset about the situation. Hell, the doctor had told her that another head injury could leave her dead or, heaven forbid, a vegetable—to Bryson, a fate worse than death. But he wasn’t nearly as riled up as his friend.
“She’s an adult, Travis. I don’t like what she’s doing, either. But we’ve tried to get her to slow down. And it only made her push harder just to prove us all wrong.”
“What in the hell is she thinking? Martin agreed to sell her the property. She has sponsors lined up, everything ready to go, and she just drops it all and rushes on out of here faster than she arrived.”
Bryson sat back and took a sip of his beer. “What did you say to her exactly?”
“That she was going to get herself killed.” Travis suddenly felt exhaustion dragging him down. He joined his friend on the back deck, picked up his full bottle of beer, and took a long swallow.
Bryson chuckled. “Well, that was your first mistake.”
“How can you laugh about this? Don’t you care at all?” Travis rubbed his hand down his face.
“Of course I care, but I’ve learned that when it comes to Taylor, trying to strong-arm her is the absolute worst thing you can possibly do. She’s great at what she does and she doesn’t want to give it up, even if she is risking her life. You have to give her a reason not to do it anymore.”
“I did give her a reason. She actually came up with a reason on her own—the training track. It could help so many people, but as soon as her friend called her about the race, she forgot all about that.”
“Maybe the track isn’t good enough to keep her here.”
“Then what is?”
“Have you told her how you feel?”
“Yes!” Travis exclaimed, and then stopped. Had he really laid it all out there? Had he told her he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life no matter what choices she made? Yes, he’d told her he cared, but had he proposed? And if he wanted to marry her, shouldn’t he love her no matter what?
Bryson patted his friend’s shoulder. “Ahh. I see the old, rusty wheels starting to turn in your head.”
“I have to let her do this. If I love her, I love her absolutely,” Travis said with a defeated sigh.
“That’s the long and short of it, Travis. When you love someone, you don’t put limitations on who they are or conditions on your feelings for them. You accept everything about them, even if it frightens you, even if you’re terrified while you hold her close.”
“How in the hell did you become so smart?”
“Marriage, my friend, marriage,” Bryson said with another laugh.
“Now that’s a smart man,” Misty said as she came out to join them and sat on her husband’s lap.
Bryson wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I am indeed.”
“So what are you going to do, Travis?” Misty asked. “Sit here and moon over her? Or are you going to go and get the girl?”
He sat there a moment longer, and then a wide grin spread across his face. “I’m outta here.”
Taylor had a good head start on him, but he’d catch up to her, and this time, he assured himself, no matter what he had to do, he wasn’t letting the girl get away.
After flying out early in the morning, Travis arrived in Idaho and, without much time to spare, made it to the track where Taylor was scheduled to race.
Cutting it close was fine, though. He was going to support her no matter what she did, and if that meant he had to sit there in the stands and pray the entire time that she’d come back to him, that’s what he’d do.
Because even if their time together was short, he’d rather be with her now than never be with her again. He made his way to the back of the stands, where the racers were gearing up to begin.
The large arena prep area was filled with both laughter and nerves, but none of the riders could possibly be more nervous than Travis. After a few minutes, when the announcer gave the racers the fifteen-minute warning, he scanned the group, needing to see Taylor before the race started.
What if something happened and her last memory was of them fighting? He couldn’t have that on his conscience. When he spotted her by a nice new bike, wearing a frown on her face, he let out a relieved breath and rushed to her.
“Taylor?”
She turned and smiled for a split second, seeming truly happy to see him. But just as quickly as the smile lit her beautiful face, her expression drooped and she cast her eyes down.
“What are you doing here, Travis? You aren’t going to stop me.” Her voice was almost a monotone.
“I’m not here to stop you, Taylor. I realized I was being unfair. I realized that this is the life you have built. And though it will terrify me each and every time you get on that track, I couldn’t be more proud of the woman you are, or of your accomplishments. I needed to come and tell you that, to let you know that I’m not letting us go, because I love you. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. I see us together today, tomorrow, and in fifty years. I want you by my side, and I want you to be happy. And if racing is what it takes to bring that look of joy to your face, I will support you in that. Please forgive me, Taylor. Please don’t hold my foolishness against me.” He paused for a second to catch his breath. “I want you to be my wife.”
His last words made her eyes widen, and a sparkle shone in her eyes as she fought tears. She was silent for so long that Travis had no idea what she was going to say—if anything. When she finally did speak, he wasn’t sure how to take it.
“Is this a trick, Travis?”
“No. I promise you that you have my heart, Taylor. You have my soul. I’ve been a fool for a lot of years, and I can’t promise never to make mistakes, but I can promise to always love you and be there for you. Just please end my misery. Make me a better man; tell me when I’m wrong. Do anything you need to do, just as long as you stay by my side.”
With the crowd rushing by them toward the start line once the final announcement was made, he dropped to his knees before her. From his pocket, he pulled out the black box he’d been carrying all week, since their disastrous dinner date, and he opened it. A brilliant diamond set in a simple band shone up at her.
“Travis?”
“The proposal is real, Taylor. My love for you is real.” His throat was scratchy as he waited for her answer.
“And if I don’t answer until after the race?”
“I’ll be right here waiting until you come back.” He’d never been so sure of anything in his life.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she dropped to the ground in front of him and threw her arms around his neck, clinging tightly as her body shook. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I want you to do whatever will make you the happiest.”
“Then nothing would make me happier than to be your wife, to go home with you and start that track, and to begin our family.”
“What?” he asked in surprise. “What about your race?”
“I don’t need to do it anymore. When I got here, I realized that I was so busy trying to prove the world wrong, trying to do what I was told I couldn’t do, that I forgot to think about what I really wanted. Yes, I’ll always love racing, but now I know that I don’t want to risk my life for a thrill anymore, not when I’ve found something that brings me just as much joy. I loved planning that track, and I love you.” She looked up at him with a radiant smile.
“Are you sure, Taylor?”
“Oh yes. I have to admit I’m scared. I don’t want to get in another accident and end up in a wheelchair, or lying in a bed with no comprehension of who anyone is, or even dead. I want to be with you, with my family. I want to open that track. Nothing has excited me that much in a long time. When I met with the sponsors and everyone was so receptive, my dreams continued to grow, but I was afraid that I was letting myself down, that I was settling. I’ve always wanted to do the opposite of what people told me I needed to do. Sitting here today, I realized that, but I was still too afraid to let it go. Your w
ords, your believing in me and standing by my side no matter what—that’s all I really needed.”
“I love you, Taylor, and I promise to never stand in the way of your dreams again.”
“I love you, too, Travis.”
The race started and ended without her, and Taylor had no regrets about it. The next chapter to her life was beginning, and she knew it would be even more beautiful than the last one.
EPILOGUE
“Can you believe Taylor’s a mother?” Eileen said with a sigh.
“She’s just beautiful, simply beautiful,” Maggie said to her friends.
“It looks like you have a wonderful family now, Maggie,” Bethel said.
“Yes, Maggie does, so it’s far past time we work on my boys,” Martin said as he looked out at the track. “With only one of them married, I’m very much lacking in the grandchild department.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, Martin,” Eileen said. “We’ll come up with a great plan for the rest of your children.”
Taylor was teaching a group of preteens how to land properly after a jump, and even the motorbikes couldn’t drown out their laughter. The track had been open a year now, and it was thriving. The summer camps were booked solid for two years.
The four friends—Maggie, Eileen, Bethel, and Martin—sighed when Travis walked onto the track after the lesson. His and Taylor’s three-month-old son was snuggled safely in Travis’s arms.
“They make such a wonderful couple,” Bethel sighed.
“Yes, they do,” replied Maggie. “I remember when Travis first started coming around with Bryson. Taylor had such a crush on him then, but I never thought the two would one day fall in love. I’m very grateful they did, as I already loved him like a son.”
“It all worked out beautifully,” Eileen said.
“So which child are we going to work on next?” Maggie asked. “To this day, Taylor has no clue that I knew Travis was already up at that cabin. I think she would lecture me even now if she found out I’d been matchmaking. She’s quite independent and likes to think she did this all on her own.”
Martin looked around to make sure none of his four sons were nearby. “Oh, if any of the kids found out we were meddling in their lives, they’d kill us on the spot.”