by Trish Milburn - The Texan's Cowgirl Bride (Texas Rodeo Barons)
Once Travis descended the porch steps, Carly turned and shot him an appreciative look that probably was an exact copy of how Savannah had been watching him moments earlier. She didn’t like it, not one bit. But instead of saying that, she returned to rolling out dough for turnovers.
She loved her sister dearly, but she wished Carly would leave without another word. Of course, she wasn’t that lucky. Instead, Carly shut the door and strolled back to the kitchen.
“Well, well, well,” she said. “Had a boy-girl sleepover, huh?”
“You can just stop dreaming up scenarios because they’d all be wrong.”
“What am I thinking? That there’s no way you had that delicious man in your apartment all night and didn’t attack him? I couldn’t believe it when I figured out it was Travis Shepard.”
Savannah sighed and shifted her gaze on her sister. “We went to the fair last night, and on the way back we drove into the first of the storms. He ran over a board with nails in it that probably blew off somebody’s barn in all that wind. By the time we got here, the tire was almost completely flat.”
“And he didn’t have a spare?”
Savannah propped her hand on her hip. “Pardon me for thinking that it wasn’t a good idea to change a tire in a downpour with the sky filled with lightning. I didn’t want him to get fried like Juan.”
Carly’s expression changed to one of grudging acceptance. “So nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“Did they check your eyesight at the hospital?”
Savannah wadded up a dish towel and pitched it at her sister. “We’re just friends, you twit.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Why are you here so early anyway?”
“Needed to get away from the house. Decided to go for a ride before it gets too hot.”
Which all sounded plausible except that Savannah suspected more was going on than Carly was saying.
“Early ride, huh? So that means you probably have plans for later.” Carly was a barrel racer, too, but she also liked to go out with friends and have a good time. Rarely did a day go by when her sister didn’t have something that took her out and about.
“I might.”
Savannah didn’t ask. After all, she didn’t want Carly prying into her business.
“And you’re getting your ride in by standing in my store how?”
“Girl’s got to check on the safety of her big sis when she sees a strange vehicle outside her front door.”
Savannah wasn’t fooled. “You knew exactly whose SUV that was.”
“Okay, I wanted to see if you were getting a little something. So sue me.”
Savannah spun and charged her sister, making Carly squeal and race out of her reach to relative safety on the opposite side of the display case. The movement reminded Savannah that she was only a few days out from having fallen off a horse.
“You okay?”
“I will be if I can get back to work, unless you want to stay and help.”
Carly curled her lip. “No, thanks.” She propped her arms against the top of the case. “Take my advice and tackle that man the next time you get the chance.”
“Goodbye, Carly.”
With a chuckle, her sister headed toward the front door. “I’m not blind, sis.”
Why couldn’t Travis have left before anyone saw him? Oh, well, that boat had sailed, and she had no doubt that before the end of the day the whole dang ranch would know about her overnight guest.
* * *
AFTER GETTING THE tire changed and going home to shower and change clothes, Travis finally made it to his office only to be greeted with the raised eyebrows of his office manager. Choosing to ignore her inquisitive look did him no good as Blossom simply followed him into his office and plopped down in a chair before he even had a chance to sit in his.
“Okay, out with it,” she said.
“Out with what?”
“Really? You’re going with the whole ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ play?”
He sank into his chair and leaned back with his hands behind his head. “What do you think is going on?”
“You’ve either got a client you’re not telling me about or a secret girlfriend.”
“I still think you should train to be my assistant.”
“So which is it?”
Knowing she wasn’t going to let this go, he sat forward, his arms on his desk. There wasn’t really a reason to not tell Blossom about the search for Savannah’s mom. After all, Savannah had hired his firm, and Blossom was part of that firm. Telling her wasn’t the same as sharing Savannah’s secret with anyone else. And maybe Blossom could help. “New case, but it’s for a friend.”
“Oh, tell me it’s not another cheating spouse. I’m beginning to despair that marriage is a dying institution.”
Travis barked out a laugh. “You’re interested in marriage?”
“Not right now, but I’d still like it to be a viable option if I ever find Mr. Right.”
“O-kay. Did you get hit in the head by something in the storms last night?”
She snarled at him. “You suck.”
He laughed as he opened a desk drawer and pulled out the folder containing the information about Savannah’s mother. “No, it’s not a cheating case. My friend’s mother walked away from her family when Savannah was a little girl, and she wants to know why.”
Blossom shook her head. “Why do people do that? Have kids and then abandon them?”
“That’s what I need to find out. But first I have to find her.”
“Tell me what I can do.”
“Check the DMV, other public records for a Delia Baron.”
“Baron? As in Baron Energies?”
“Yes, thus the need to keep this quiet.”
“Who would I tell? Besides, you know me better than that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“So, this Savannah? She more than a friend?”
“Nope, just a friend.” As much as he loved and trusted Blossom, he wasn’t going to share the kinds of thoughts he’d been having about Savannah. Ones that had kicked into high gear the night before when he’d tossed the laundry into the dryer and spotted her lacy bra.
For some reason the look of that soft, dainty fabric had surprised him. Savannah had always tended more toward the tomboy end of the female spectrum, even though she’d been beautiful no matter what she wore. He hadn’t expected her to be the type of woman who wore matching underwear sprinkled with little pink flowers and edged with lace. Standing there in her small laundry room, he’d gone rock-hard.
Just the memory threatened to put him in the same state again.
“A girl can hope.”
Blossom’s words drew his attention away from the increasing discomfort in his pants. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That maybe it’s time you did find someone again.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Finding the right person never is. Take it from someone who hasn’t even gotten a whiff of hers yet.”
“I’ve already been down that road.”
At this, Blossom set aside her normal snark, instead wearing a serious expression. “I know, and the road was much too short. But that’s the thing about life. There are lots of roads to travel, lots of them with pretty scenery it would be a shame to never see.” With that she rapped her knuckles on the top of his desk once and headed out to her space to get to work.
Travis didn’t know if he agreed with her, but he at least appreciated the fact that she wasn’t one of those women who felt the need to hound something to death. She spoke her mind then moved on.
He opened the folder and spread all the materials Savannah had given him out across his desk. He needed to bury
his mind in work so he didn’t sit there fantasizing until he got hit with a permanent erection.
He had to keep reminding himself of that countless times over the next week as he followed a string of dead ends in the case and kept having inappropriate thoughts about Savannah.
But why were they inappropriate? She was single, beautiful, a good person. And he was beginning to think maybe Blossom was right and it was time to move on. He still thought about Corinne every day, probably always would. But no matter how much he might wish otherwise, she was gone. And he hopefully still had a lot of years left to live.
But what about Savannah? Was her demise already growing inside her?
He shook his head. No, early detection was key. Modern medicine could do amazing things now. She would be okay, and he suddenly accepted the fact that just talking to her on the phone about the case wasn’t enough. He picked up the phone and dialed her number, suddenly as jittery as he’d been the day he’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask Corinne out the first time.
“Peach Pit, how can I help you?”
“Hey, Savannah.”
“Oh, hi. Can you hang on a minute?”
“Sure.” He listened as she set the phone down and talked to someone, probably a customer. But the longer he had to wait, the more he fidgeted.
“Sorry about that,” she said when she came back on the line. “Was with a customer.”
“I figured.”
“I just got my first order for a wedding cake. The bride is from Georgia originally, so they’re having a peaches and longhorn themed wedding.”
Not knowing what else to say to that, he said, “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Do you have something new?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner tonight?”
“Sure, where and what time?”
She obviously thought this was a business meeting he was proposing.
“This has nothing to do with the search for your mom.” He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. “I’m asking you out on a date.”
“Oh.”
He had to smile at the surprise in her voice. For someone as pretty, talented and as well-off as she was, it was endearing how being asked out on a date evidently hadn’t even crossed her mind. Of course, he’d given her no reason to expect that was coming.
“What do you say?”
“I...I don’t know.”
For a moment, he wondered if he was making a mistake. But then he shook off his doubt and plowed forward. “I have an idea. Say yes.”
She hesitated for a moment. “Okay.”
Smiling again, he said. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier for me to meet you somewhere?”
“Maybe, but it’s not a proper date unless the guy picks up the girl.”
When they ended the call a few moments later, he leaned back in his chair. That’s when he realized his door was wide-open and Blossom was standing in the doorway wearing a huge grin and giving him two thumbs-up.
“I knew it!”
He pitched one of those squishy stress balls at her, but she dodged out of the way and out of view. “You’re fired.”
“No, I’m not. You need me too much.”
Drat, she was right. And he didn’t care, because he had a date with the prettiest girl in Texas.
Chapter Eight
As Savannah placed the phone back in its base, she couldn’t decide if she was excited or scared out of her mind. Or maybe both.
“You okay?” Gina asked as she came back in from taking out the trash.
“Yeah.”
“You sure? Because you look like you just stuck your finger in an electrical socket.”
“I just got asked out on a date.”
“Your friend Travis?”
Savannah looked at Gina. “How’d you know?”
“Well, that wasn’t much of a stretch. He calls every day, and Sierra Phillips saw you two at the fair the other night and said you looked as if you were having fun. I figured that was a date, especially since he’s already spent the night.”
“Crap. And here I was hoping Carly had kept her mouth shut.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t a date, and he slept on the couch because it was too dangerous for him to change his tire and drive home in those storms.”
“Well, whatever happened before, looks as if he’s upping the ante now, doesn’t it?”
Yeah, he was, much to her surprise. And that realization set loose a storm of butterflies in her stomach. Those butterflies multiplied in number as the day progressed. Not even work or talking with customers alleviated the riot happening in her middle. By the time she went upstairs to shower and change, she thought she might toss her cookies.
When she found herself staring into her closet, she realized she had no idea what to wear. Where were they going anyway? Surely he wouldn’t drive all the way out to the ranch to pick her up only to return to Dallas, would he?
After finally settling on jeans and a blue, sleeveless top, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and applied a minimal amount of makeup. She wanted to look nice but not as if she was trying too hard in case things went no further than the one date. Why had he suddenly changed his mind anyway? The night of the rodeo, she’d been sure he wasn’t interested in dating. He wasn’t doing this just because she’d told him about the lump, was he? If she’d had to lay down money, she would have bet on that revelation sending him running in the opposite direction. If this was a pity date, she didn’t want it.
A couple of minutes before six, she heard him pull up outside. She forced herself to take a slow, deep breath then let it out just as slowly before heading downstairs. Thankfully, no one was around this time, no smart-ass sisters or overprotective father lurking on the front porch.
Savannah was glad to see Travis was dressed casually as well in jeans and a soft-looking gray T-shirt. And damn if he didn’t look great, so much so that she feared the butterflies in her stomach were going to suddenly break free.
When they made eye contact, she could only manage one word. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
His smile drew a reciprocal one from her.
He nodded to her right. “I see he’s made himself at home.”
She looked at the bear she’d won at the fair, which she’d dressed in a Peach Pit T-shirt and sat in one of the rocking chairs. “He likes the view.”
Her words faded away, leaving what felt like a yawning silence.
“I need to know something,” she said.
“Okay.”
“This isn’t a pity date, is it?”
His forehead furrowed in confusion.
“You know, because of the whole lump thing.”
A flicker of something in his eyes made her wonder if she’d just made him reconsider asking her out. But then he met and held her gaze.
“No.” He didn’t elaborate, and the fact that he didn’t caused her butterflies to return.
“Oh.”
Travis leaned back against the front of his vehicle. “Are you as nervous as I am?”
Shaky laughter bubbled up out of her. “Yes.”
“Crazy, isn’t it? We’ve known each other for years. And we already went to the fair together, so we know we’ll have a good time.”
She loved how he was being so open and honest, and the thought flitted through her head that Travis was different from every other guy she’d dated. In fact, she suddenly wanted their date to go really well. Though that pressure should have made her more nervous, he’d succeeded in alleviating her anxiety.
“So where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She tried to imagine what he might have up his sleeve over the next thirty minut
es, but she hadn’t even gotten close. He’d turned off the highway and taken a gravel road. If she hadn’t known him for years, she might be a little worried. But as they came through a line of red oak trees, her mouth dropped open in surprise. Spread out across a field were several hot-air balloons, some flat on the ground and others in various stages of being filled with gas.
“I’m going to guess by the look on your face that this was a good idea.”
She glanced at Travis. “What in the world?”
“There’s a race tomorrow, so they’re doing test runs tonight,” he said. “A buddy of mine is out here somewhere.”
“He has a balloon?”
“Yeah. Evan was a fighter pilot until he got injured. Though he can still see well enough, his injuries prevented him from ever flying an airplane again. So he took up ballooning when he got over being angry.”
“That’s good that he found another way to enjoy flying.” She scanned the field, taking in the bright colors and designs on the large balloons. “I’ve never seen a hot-air balloon up close.”
Travis pulled his SUV into an empty spot in the field and parked. “Then today’s your lucky day.”
She glanced at him again. Yeah, it was, and a lot of that had nothing to do with balloons.
They got out of the vehicle, and she followed him as he weaved his way through the balloons. As they approached a fully inflated balloon with alternating blue-and-yellow vertical stripes, the guy next to it looked up and waved.
“Hey, you made it,” the lanky blond guy said.
The man and Travis shook hands. “Good to see you.” Travis glanced at her. “I’d like you to meet Savannah Baron. Savannah, this is Evan Black.”
Evan shook her hand and smiled, then shifted his gaze back to Travis. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a beauty queen.”
Savannah laughed. “You didn’t tell me he was as full of hot air as his balloon.”
Evan smiled even wider. “I like her, even if she is mistaken. You, my dear, are gorgeous.”
For someone who recently maintained she didn’t have time for a man in her life, she certainly was enjoying all the attention.
Evan, who reminded her a bit of Slider in Top Gun, one of her favorite older movies, looked at Travis. “You ready to go up?”