“Do you remember what the guy looked like?” Travis already had a bad feeling that he knew who Renee was with but he had to be sure before he got a hold of Sheriff Arness. Robert might not be the one who had taken her, but the possibility was still there since he was still on the run.
“Is there something wrong?” the construction worker asked him. “Did I do something wrong by telling Mrs. Jones the guy wanted to see her?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Travis didn’t have time for this guy to try to edit his story. He needed the truth if he was going to be able to find Renee.
“He was a black man, around six feet tall with salt and pepper hair. I think he might have a mustache, but I’m not too sure,” the guy answered. “Can I go now? I need to finish this other room.”
“Just one more question. Did you hear any of their conversation at all? I mean the smallest detail would be a great help to me. I really need to find Renee. It’s very important that I get to talk to her.”
“Are you sure that I’m not in any kind of trouble?” Taking off his hard hat, the man ran his hand across his damp hair. “The dude paid me a hundred dollars to come in here and get Mrs. Jones.”
Travis swallowed down a curse. While this idiot was questioning him to death, Robert could be taking Renee anywhere in the world. He already had a head start on him and Travis didn’t want it to get any bigger.
“I’ve already told you once that you aren’t in any trouble,” Travis snapped and then calmed down when the guy took a step back from him. “All I want to know is did you hear anything....anything at all.”
“I went outside to get a quick break. I don’t think the guy knew I was behind him because he was kind of snapping at Mrs. Jones about taking her to a place she had been with her lover boy. The only thing I thought was odd about the situation was how close he was standing against her back.”
Instantly, Travis knew where Robert had taken Renee. “Thank you for remembering what you heard.” Spinning around, he rushed out of the door and jumped into his Jeep. He had to get to Renee before Robert did something to her.
After he was halfway to his campsite is when he would bother making a phone call to Sheriff Arness. He didn’t want them to get there before he did. Robert might freak out if he saw the police coming.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Robert, we can talk about this. You don’t have to do this,” Renee said as Robert shoved her down to the ground where Travis used to have his campsite a few weeks back. “Why are you acting like this? What is wrong with you?”
“How can you ask me what’s wrong?” Robert snapped as he bent down and got into her face. “You are the problem. My life is falling apart and yours is getting better and better. From the moment we met you constantly thought you were better than me and I got tired of it.”
Scooting back on the ground, Renee put some extra distance between her and Robert. “Is that why you burned my gallery and stole my parent’s rings?”
“Oh, I set the fire to your precious gallery because I got fed up with seeing it every time I drove down the street. All I heard about every time I walked into any place in town was how perfect your gallery was. It got on my nerves, so I got rid of it.
“Now, I took your parents rings because I needed the money I got off of them. Did you know I lost my job two months after I married Sheila and that drunken bitch didn’t believe in sharing her wealth, so I broke into your house and took them. I used to be a part of the family so I thought I had every right to do it.”
Renee jumped up off the ground but fell back down when Robert pointed the gun at her. “You had no right to them. They were my parents, not yours,” she shouted at him.
“God, your parents were murdered but it doesn’t make them better than me,” Robert snapped. “I told you that I needed money and I got it the best way I knew how. I bet you would be surprised to know that a pawn shop owner in Las Vegas gave me three thousand dollars for both rings. I almost shit my pants when he started counting out the money.”
She swallowed hard, trying to fight back tears. “I hate you.”
“Well, I hate you too. I think I always had a little hate for you in the first place. You always found a way to look down your nose at me. I struggled hard to keep in the life you were accustomed to and it still wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Robert, you did absolutely nothing for me. I took care of myself while you jumped from job to job because of your uncontrollable temper. I think during our first two years of marriage you had at least five jobs. Who does that?”
“My bosses didn’t know how to stay out of my business. They expected me to jump anytime they wanted something done. I’m not that kind of man. I have a right to tell them to go to hell when the urge hits me. Are you going to tell me that they had a right to embarrass me?” He gave her a narrowed glinting stare. “You probably thought they were right and I was wrong, don’t you?”
She watched him warily as he sat down on a stump a few feet from her. “No, I don’t think they should have treated you badly at all.”
“Renee, you were always a horrible liar.” Robert laughed as he waved the gun at her. “I know you agree with them and that’s alright. You never were on my side from the beginning anyway. Is that why you started dating Travis? Were you not woman enough to handle a grown man?”
Something disturbing replaced the hard look on Robert’s face, making her even more nervous of him. Renee wasn’t quite sure how to answer the question because her ex-husband was so unpredictable. She wasn’t about to do anything to set him off again. He had already gone after Travis once which meant he didn’t have a problem doing it again.
“Travis isn’t what is between us. He has nothing to do with this,” she finally said.
“Your young lover has a lot to do with this,” Robert snapped, harshly. “I know if he wasn’t in the picture you would have taken me back. We can be good together again if you just got rid of him. I can do it for you if you want me to.”
Sheer black fright swept through her entire body at the mere thought of Robert going after Travis again. She had to get Robert’s erratic thoughts off Travis and back on her instead. Travis had survived the blow to his head, but she wasn’t sure if Robert attacked Travis a second time he would leave him alive.
“Why are we talking about Travis and he isn’t even here with us?” Renee asked. “I thought you brought me out here so we could be alone and talk about us.”
Robert eyed her. “Are you playing a game with me?” he asked, waving the gun at her. “I hope that you know I’m not unbalanced at all. I’m very sane.”
“If you’re so sane then why did you drag my girlfriend out to the spot we made love for the first time.” Travis’ voice interrupted as he walked through a clearing in the woods next to them.
“Travis, what are you doing here?” Renee started to get up off the ground but Travis waved her back down. Her eyes darted back over to Robert and noticed how he hadn’t taken his gaze off Travis for one second.
“I wondered how long it would be before lover boy here showed up to rescue you,” Robert taunted. “Renee sure has you on a short rope. Maybe that’s the reason she likes you so much. She can control you way better than she could me.”
“Renee and I are in love with each other. We work together because we treat each other with respect. I would never think about trying to control her,” Travis said as he slowly moved in her direction.
“Take another step and you won’t have to worry about respecting her ever again.” Robert raised the gun and pointed it in her direction.
“Okay, I’ll stop but why are you using that gun. I thought you were so much of a man. Does a man really need a weapon against a woman and a boy younger than him?” Travis taunted, his deep voice heavy with sarcasm.
“You little smart ass punk,” Robert snapped as he rose up from the tree stump then placed the weapon down on it. “I don’t need anything against you. It’s about time I show Renee what she�
�s missing by not being with a man.”
“Travis, don’t push him,” Renee shouted, scared over what was about to happen. Her eyes shot over to Robert and then back at the gun as he inched his way towards Travis. All she had to do was get to the gun.
As she was about to get off the ground and grab the gun, Robert spun back around and snatched it up. “Nice try you too, but I’m not dumb enough to fall for that stupid trick. Did either one of you really think I would be dumb enough to fall for it?”
Raising the gun, Robert took his attention off of her and refocused it back on Travis. “So, how are you going to feel after I kill Renee? I know the world will be a better place once she’s out of it. I think it’s past time that snobby bitch got what was coming to her.”
Suddenly, Robert spun away from Travis and pointed the gun back at her. Instead of being caught with fear, Renee slowly got to her feet and stared directly at her ex-husband. She was fed up with his mind games. If he was going to shoot her then he would do it while looking her directly in the eye.
“Robert, I’m not scared of you anymore. You’ve already taken enough from me and I’m tired of it,” Renee said calmly. “You think you have all of this power over me but you don’t.”
“See, there you go being the bitch I know you are,” Robert snarled. “I should have never wasted my time on you. I had plenty of women chasing after me and I was dumb enough to settle for you.”
Shaking her head, Renee laughed at her ex-husband’s delusions. “Robert, no one wanted you. You really should get out of your own head. God, even Shelia started drinking after she realized what a mistake she’d made by marrying you. You’re a loser and always will be one.”
“Renee, shut up!” Travis shouted. “Let me handle this. Robert’s problem is with me and not you. He’s jealous I’m more of a man than he is.”
“You really shouldn’t listen to him. My problems are mainly with you and I’m about to end them right now.”
“No!” Travis yelled as he rushed Robert knocking him to the dirt covered ground causing the gun to fly out of his hand. Throwing a punch, Travis hit Robert in the jaw and the two men fought on the ground trying to see who would get to the gun first.
“Grab the gun,” Travis yelled at her.
Renee rushed into action and raced for the gun, but before she could get to it Robert punched Travis in the side and then shoved him off his body and got it before her.
Grabbing it, he stood up with it aimed directly at her chest. Just as Robert was about to pull the trigger Renee felt something whisk past her body and saw it strike Robert directly in the center of his chest. The gun dropped from his hand and his body fell to the ground with a loud thump.
“Renee, my God,” Travis shouted as he scooped her up into his arms. “I thought I was going to lay there and watch you die.”
“What happened?” Renee asked as she moved her face away from Travis’ chest and glanced down at Robert’s lifeless body. “Who shot him?”
“I did,” a voice said from behind them.
Turning around, Renee spotted Sheriff Arness as he lowered his smoking gun and walked towards them. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever get a shot, but I finally did. Are the two of you okay? I would have been here sooner, but Travis’ directions to this place were horrible. He was yelling them to me over the phone as he raced here to save you.”
“I’m fine,” Renee answered. “All I want to do is get out of here. This is the last time I want to lay eyes on Robert Jones. He’s finally out of my life for good.”
“I need to get statements from the both of you,” Sheriff Arness told them, “but I think it will be alright for you to go home Renee. I’ll check in with you later on tonight. I want to go over the crime scene here with the other officers.”
“Thank you,” Renee answered.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Travis said as he placed his hand in the middle of her back and led her away from Robert’s dead body. “You’ve been here long enough.”
Renee allowed Travis to take her away from the spot she’d considered her special place with him, but now was forever tarnished by her ex-husband’s need to get back at her because of his jealousy and hatred of her success.
****
Placing the blanket over Renee’s sleeping body on the couch, Travis hurried to the door hoping to get there before the person on the other side woke her up.
“Wait a minute. I’m coming.” Swinging open the front door, he was surprised to find Sheriff Arness on the other side. They hadn’t been gone from the crime scene that long. Why was he here?
“Renee’s asleep. She isn’t up to getting interviewed by you tonight,” Travis said as he stepped outside closing the front door behind him.
“I’m not here to ask Renee any questions,” Sheriff Arness told him. “I thought she might be worn out after what happened today. I have something for her.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a plastic bag and handed it to Travis. “I think these are the rings Renee was upset Robert had stolen from her. They were found on his body. I wanted to give them back to her.”
“She’s going to be so happy to get these back. They were the only thing she had left from her parents.”
“I know, that’s why I brought them to her. Tell Renee I’ll be talking to her later. Have a good night.” Sheriff Arness tipped his hat before stepping off the porch and heading back to his police car.”
Travis waited until he had driven away before going back into the house. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed Renee was no longer on the couch. Where was she? He hadn’t been outside that long with Sheriff Arness.
“Renee, where are you?” he yelled as he placed the bag with the rings down on the end table by the couch.
“I’m in the bathroom.”
Hurrying down the hallway, Travis found Renee sitting on the toilet holding something plastic in her hand. “What are you looking at?”
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I’d forgotten I’d even taken this test before I lay down after coming home. I was just so worn down.”
“Sweetheart, you have only been asleep for about five minutes. What kind of test did you take? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He was getting concerned. Maybe he should have taken Renee to the hospital instead of taking her home.
Turning her head, Renee held the plastic stick out to him. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Six months later
“Can I please have everyone’s attention for a moment?” Travis asked, dragging the room full of people’s attention from the vibrant and unique paintings covering the walls to him on the main stage at Renee’s gallery reopening launch party. “I would like to say a few words here tonight, but I need my beautiful girlfriend to come on stage with me.”
“Do you know what he’s going to say?” Dana whispered to Renee as she glanced up at Travis on the stage in front of them.
“No, he’s been acting very secretive all night.” Placing her glass of sparkling cider down on the table, Renee placed her hand on her swollen stomach as she made her way towards the stage.
“Should I help you the rest of the way?” Cruz teased her as she walked past him and she punched her friend in the shoulder.
“Stop teasing my girlfriend,” Travis said as he glanced at Cruz and her.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Cruz shouted back as Renee made her way up the steps to stand next to Travis.
“Hi, baby,” he whispered and then kissed her.
“Enough of that you two,” someone in the crowd teased. “That is how Renee got pregnant in the first place.”
Leaning away from her, Travis winked at her then faced the crowded room of people. “I know tonight is supposed to be about the reopening of Phoenix, Renee’s new gallery, but I want it to be about something more.”
Looking back at her, Travis took her hand in his. “Renee, I don’t think you know how much I love and adore you, sweetheart. I never thought I w
ould be able to find the kind of love I feel with you. Every time I see you my love for you grows. You are everything to me. I can’t imagine my future without you at my side with our child and you as my wife.”
Soft gasps sounded in the room as he let go of her hand and got down on one knee. Reaching into his pocket, Travis pulled out a small black box. Flipping it open, he held it up to her and a stunning diamond ring shone back at her.
Renee blinked back the sudden tears that filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Sweetheart, I love you more than words can say. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“YES!” she answered. “I’ll marry you.”
Travis quickly put the ring on her finger and got back to his feet before pulling her into his arms. “I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world,” Travis swore before he kissed her to a room full of screams and cheers.
Epilogue
“See, this is what you are going to be doing when you get older. I’m going to teach you everything about art and painting. I can’t wait until you’re old enough to hold your first paint brush.”
Moving away from the doorway, Renee walked over to her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I was wondering where you’d gone with him. I woke up to check on the babies and only found one asleep in the crib.”
“Jackson was awake when I went in there to check on our sons, so I brought him downstairs with me while I worked on my newest painting. I didn’t want him to wake up Joshua.” Travis handed her their eight-month-old son.
“Well, you know Jackson does get his night owl personality from you,” Renee teased placing her squirming son on her hip. “He just seems to know when his daddy is awake. Joshua can sleep through anything in the world. They’re like night and day.”
“I know. Jackson is me and Joshua is you. I think we have the perfect babies,” Travis said.
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