“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Reggie burst into laughter. She covered her mouth and thrust a manicured finger in her friend’s face. “You looked and sounded just like Aunt Ernestine right then. Oh, you are in bad shape.”
Relenting a little, Gillian rose from the couch and with as much dignity as she could muster, said to the laughing Reggie, “Have you eaten yet? I think you’ve become addle-minded from lack of food. I’m going to fix us something to eat.” And she walked into the kitchen.
Reggie followed on her heels. “I’m starving, as always, but you’ve just had a bad time of it so I’ll make it.” She stood at Gillian’s side. “Sit down and tell me what happened. Why did Travis spirit you out of the supermarket so gallantly?”
Gillian took a seat at the table and sighed. “I wish I knew what happened. I’m going to call Dr. Smythe and talk it over with him.”
The humor disappeared from Regina’s eyes as she asked with concern, “Are you weak? Do you feel any pain right now? Maybe you should lie down.”
“No, I’m okay now. All the pain is gone completely. Travis distracted me.” Reggie gave her a sideways look and she grinned sheepishly, most of her anger dissipated for the moment.
“He does have that tendency.” Reggie grinned back at her, happy to see her friend’s good humor restored. “Gillian, what exactly did…?” Before she could utter another word, Gillian interrupted her.
“No, I’m not providing you with any details. I don’t kiss and tell.” Too late, she realized her mistake by the look of triumph on Regina’s animated face.
“I knew it! He kissed you!” She pulled a chair close to Gillian and sat down. “I bet he kisses wonderfully…that whole brother thing aside… and I think that bodes well for his other abilities, if you catch my drift. This is so much fun. I can’t wait till you see him again.”
“Reggie. Stop it. I kicked him out. I even threw a pillow.”
“Good. He deserved it, I’m sure. I hope you hit him…hard. Shake him up a little.”
“No way, I’m staying away from him. I can’t afford the complication. He’s the last thing I need right now.”
“I disagree. I think he’s exactly what you need right now.”
Gillian sighed and shook her head. “Didn’t you say something about food?” As Reggie bustled about making their meal, Gillian thought about Travis and her reaction to him.
What a reaction! He had far too intense an effect on her and again she resolved to keep her distance from the handsome cop. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy given his parting shot, but she vowed to avoid him at all costs. She needed to talk to Dr. Smythe as soon as possible.
Chapter 8
“It was awesome, like something out of a book, you know? She just seemed to like, drop, and he was there in a flash. She didn’t have time to hit ground. He has lightning reflexes. Oh, it makes me sweat just to remember it.” Jessie Trout took a long drink of her gin and tonic and fanned her face with her hand.
It was Friday night and Kally’s Roadhouse was just getting warmed up for the evening. The usual crowd was there and the main topic of discussion was Travis and Gillian.
Jessie warmed to her subject. She tossed her hair over a shoulder and ran a careless hand over her arched eyebrows. She paused a moment for effect, then launched into her story. “I’ll start at the beginning.” She smiled at her audience and they leaned forward as if in anticipation of some tasty treat. “I wasn’t supposed to work cash today but Sandy was sick and they called me in so she could go home…”
Caroline, the receptionist at the sheriff’s office interrupted, “Travis’s been twitchy ever since Gillian Watson got here…like he’s ready to pounce…he’s expecting something to happen…can feel it in his blood. It’s been intense.”
The next moment, she almost choked on her drink as she saw Regina Stanton walk in with none other than the man himself.
Travis held the chair for Regina and motioned for the waitress to take their orders. He spied Caroline and her friends watching from across the room and smiled a greeting.
They turned away in an instant, as if caught looking at something forbidden. They giggled in unison and Caroline, acting just a little superior, waved casually at him. She and her friends were having a great time.
Travis, on the other hand wasn’t enjoying himself at all.
“There, you have your drink. Now tell me how Gillian was feeling when you left her.”
Regina had met him at his office and demanded he take her out for a drink before she would agree to tell to him about Gillian. He knew his old friend wasn’t jealous, but she was being pretty cagey about Gillian and he was losing his patience with her. When Regina took a sip of her wine and leaned back in her chair ignoring him, he nudged her expensive sandal with his foot.
“Spill.”
“Oh shut up, will you? I like this song.” She moved in time to the music and laughed at him. “Or maybe, you should spill. I could tell the minute I looked at her what you’d been up to. Hell, Travis, she’d just had some sort of spell, did you have to jump her?”
He looked duly chastised and guiltily shifted in his chair. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head with regret. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have touched her. That was a mistake. I didn’t plan it, it just happened. She has an effect on me.”
“No kidding. Lay off. Right now, I don’t think she’s going to let you within two feet of her. You’ve scared her off, but good.” She took pity on him and reached over to grasp his hand.
“She was okay when I left her. We ate lunch and talked for a bit. She was going upstairs to take a nap. She told me these spells can take a lot out of her. This time, there was a little more excitement than she bargained for— the Travis kind.” Reggie squeezed his hand and took another sip from her wine. “She’s going to call her doctor and tell him what happened today. I don’t think we’ll see her walking around without Hank again soon.”
He nodded in understanding. Reggie had already told him about their encounter with Roger and Hank’s immediate response.
“I think that’s a good idea. He’ll protect her.” Travis took a drink of his beer. “I guess I wasn’t prepared for the effect she’d have on me. I’m off my game and Ernestine is being tight-lipped about what she feels is coming our way. Something is up Reggie; I felt it the day Gillian arrived.” He shook his head at her knowing look. “No pun intended. Seriously, even Ernestine is bracing herself. Something just doesn’t feel right in this town lately.”
“And you think Gillian has something to do with it?” Reggie looked concerned.
“Yes and no. Now that I’ve met her and talked with her, I don’t think it’s her fault, but I do think she’s the catalyst. I assume she told you about what put her in the hospital?” She nodded and he continued, “I’ve left a message with the cop in charge of her case. I want all the details. I don’t need this sort of thing in my town.”
“Don’t go all ‘this town ain’t big enough for the two of us’ on me. Too late, she’s here now, a part of us. Would you rather she settled in some other town, prefer her safety was someone else’s responsibility? Look how great the city cops have handled it.”
Travis sighed and shook his head. “No, they have too much on their plate. I’ve seen enough violence to last a lifetime and, no, I don’t want her to go. I wouldn’t let her, even if she tried.”
“She’s right, you are arrogant. What makes you think you could stop her from leaving?”
He raised his eyebrows at her and she corrected herself, “You don’t have to answer that question.”
“I noticed you didn’t waste time introducing Gillian to every eligible man within a fifty-mile radius.” He scowled at her, “In fact, don’t you think there are a disproportionate number of single men within a fifty-mile radius?”
She laughed, “I don’t think we have more than anywhere else, they just make ‘em bigger here. I wanted to make sure Gillian knew her options. I could see you cir
cling in and I wanted her to see what else is out there.”
“Yeah. In one day, you introduced her to five, count ‘em- five, single men. For once, I’m actually relieved my brothers don’t live here any more.”
“The high school principal knew her name. Seems he’s a member of the Art Museum and she’s done a lot of design work for them.”
He snorted, “Yeah, I saw you two talking to Tom Weatherby.”
“Have you been keeping an eye on us, Sheriff? Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“It’s a small town.”
“Anyway, Chase and Sam are your best friends why wouldn’t you want her to meet them?” She smiled as if she already knew the answer.
“I know how they operate. It may surprise you to know women find Chase irresistible. He can have his pick.” She rolled her eyes at him and he went on. “And I don’t have to tell you Sam has a woman for every occasion. I’ve known these guys forever and I’ve seen them in action. I don’t want Gillian to have to field their advances.”
“Oh, because she’ll be too busy fielding yours, I gather.”
“Well, let’s put it this way, I’ve spoken to them and called it.” He grinned triumphantly.
Incredulous, she laughed at him. “Travis, she’s a woman not a baseball card. And you’re not ten years-old. You can’t ‘call it’.”
“So you say. Sam and Chase got my meaning and that’s the end of it.” He leaned back in the chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
“I wish I’d been there to see that, the three of you gathered in a circle “Got it, got it, need it, got it.” Jeez, that’s what you are, just a bunch of little boys. What are you going to do about her determination to steer clear of you?” She challenged him.
He leered at Reggie over his beer, “I’ll hunt her down.”
“I almost pity her.” She turned to watch the crowd on the dance floor. When she turned back, her expression was deadly serious. “Take care of her Travis. She’s good people and I don’t want her hurt. I don’t want you hurt either, so just take care, in general.”
“I intend to,” was his reply.
* * * *
Gillian felt very relaxed after her nap. Determinedly, she pushed all thought of Travis and his remarkable touch out of her mind, as she left a message with Dr. Smythe’s answering service. She settled down to attempt some of the mental exercises she’d learned from the doctors in the hospital. She needed to revisit the experience in the supermarket to better understand what had happened and to hopefully avoid another incident like it.
Concentrating, she placed a hand on Hank’s head as he stretched out beside her. Eyes closed, she traveled back to the moment she’d entered the store. She could remember how she’d felt entering, how in control. She stretched her mind further, to zero in on the atmosphere inside. The people she’d greeted seemed comfortable and normal. She recalled her conversation with Chase McCann. Her impression of him was pleasant. He was a nice man, a much misunderstood man perhaps, but nice.
In her mind’s eye, she walked the aisles again feeling nothing untoward, continuing on her way to the checkout counter.
Slam! Pain rebounded in her head. She hit a brick wall full tilt. Her head snapped back and her eyes flew open. She’d found it! The cause of her spell. It was something she saw or felt while standing at the checkout.
Once again, Gillian closed her eyes and envisioned the supermarket. Mentally, she drew a brick wall in front of the checkout counter. Slowly, she began to dismantle it, focusing intently on each brick. Testing the texture and weight with her hands, breathing deeply and evenly. Methodically, she continued her task. She couldn’t make the scene behind the wall take shape yet, so she intensified her concentration on each individual brick. They were rough to the touch. Each one seemed heavier than the last. By sheer force of will, she maintained control and was finally rewarded for her efforts. The supermarket check out started to take shape. She saw the girl standing behind the cash register. Her features came into focus and in her mind Gillian reached out. Of course, it was Sandy.
Concentrating even harder, she brought clarity to Sandy’s image. It wasn’t easy. Something was blocking the memory, so she relaxed slightly and approached it from another vantage point. Gillian remembered thinking Sandy wasn’t looking well today. She looked fatigued, strained. Oddly, she didn’t speak much as she tallied Gillian’s purchases. She bagged everything and handed them over.
Their hands touched for the briefest of moments. Gillian hit the wall again! This time, she was prepared for it and pushed through. The answer was there if she could just reach out and grasp it. Sandy handed her the bag of groceries and their hands touched. That was it! She had the answer.
Gillian could feel the pain in her head, but it wasn’t debilitating. It was like a pain remembered. It wasn’t real to her. She pushed past it, then past it again, until she remembered. She knew.
When she opened her eyes, Hank was draped across her lap pressing his huge head to her chest whimpering. Attempting a smile, she reassured him.
“It’s ok Hank. I’m not in trouble now.” He heart was still racing and her hands trembled. She had broken out in a cold sweat and shivered in reaction, congratulating herself on maintaining control. She was tired but still focused. Gillian wiped the tears she didn’t know she had shed and reached for the phone.
Travis and Reggie were enjoying another round when he abruptly put his beer down and reached into his jacket pocket. He peered at the cell phone in his hand. He spoke into the phone.
“Sinclair. I can’t hear you; just a minute.” He gave Regina an apologetic look and said, “Sorry Reg, I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back.” He touched her hand and left out the side door.
He was gone only a minute or two. When he returned, he didn’t sit down. “I’ve got to go. It’s an emergency. I’m sorry to leave you here. Will you be ok?”
In a small town like New Crescent, there weren’t many emergencies and Reggie reacted immediately.
“Go, I’ll be fine, we know just about everyone here. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“For now, just make sure you get home safely. That’s enough. I’ll call you later.” And he was off, moving gracefully, as was his trademark.
He ignored all speed limits on his way to Gillian’s. It was a relief when he finally glimpsed the house on the cliff. The short drive had taken far longer than he could tolerate. He didn’t knock. She was sitting at the kitchen table hollow eyed, faithful Hank by her side.
When she saw him in the doorway she said, “She was raped.” Her tenuous control broke and she started to sob.
Chapter 9
Travis had learned the hard way. The best way to handle a crying woman was to just hold her until she was ready to talk. So he held Gillian as she shattered. She cried as if her heart would break. He felt his was already, as he stroked her long hair and caressed her back. He didn’t ask questions. He simply let her react.
Her message had been simple. “I need to see you. It’s urgent.”
Based on the way he’d left her, there was no way Gillian Watson would have called him over anything inconsequential. It would be something big…trouble. He’d been waiting. Instinct told him to brace himself and he did.
Gillian shifted in his arms and her sobs quieted. She pulled away and looked up at him. With her hand, she swept stray strands off his forehead and ran her fingers through his mused hair. Her eyes held an invitation. Holding her in his arms this way was a sweet torture he hadn’t known existed. On the one hand, she was suffering and extremely vulnerable, he knew she needed his compassion, not his passion. On the other hand, he reacted to Gillian like he had reacted to no other woman he’d known. He had little control when she was around. It was impossible to suppress his response to her when she pressed her body against his. He feared she’d pull away when she felt his physical response. He knew his reaction was wildly inappropriate but he could
n’t control it.
He needn’t have worried. She didn’t reject him. She rested her head against his chest once more and breathed deeply. He felt her chest expand as she absorbed his scent and a new wave of desire hit him. He pulled back as gently as he could and cradled her head in his palm while his thumb tilted her chin up. She blinked at him, the tears still moist on her lashes. She closed the short distance between them and kissed him.
Surprised, all Travis could do was kiss her back. Then he pressed her wet cheek to his chest once again. The fabric of his white shirt absorbed what was left of her tears. He took a deep breath and waited for her to stir once again.
When she did, it was with a small self-conscious laugh.
“I seem to have soaked your shirt.. Sorry about that. I’m not crying for myself, you know. I’m crying for someone else.” For some reason it seemed important to her he know. To him, it didn’t matter. She was troubled and he wanted to hold her. It was as simple as that.
He looked down at her and smiled gently. “How about I make some coffee and we talk in the living room?” She nodded, slipped her arms out from under his, and patted the wet spot on his shirt. She looked up at him and smiled again before she moved into the other room. Travis watched as Hank went with her. She kept a hand on his shoulder as they walked.
He joined her in no time, coffee mugs in hand. Sitting across from her in a big, overstuffed, yellow chair, he noticed Gillian’s face still showed evidence of her recent crying jag. To him, she looked breathtaking nonetheless and he congratulated himself for having the self-discipline to sit across from her instead of beside her on the couch. A chenille blanket was draped around her shoulders and her legs were curled underneath her. The dog sat nearby, watching her every move. Travis wondered if she knew the blanket was the same shade of lavender as her eyes.
Trouble [New Crescent 1] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 6