Texas Whirlwind

by Bonnie Blythe

  “Oh,” Emma said weakly, unsure of what to make of the older woman's comment.

  “Well now, you sure turned out to be a looker. No wonder Travis high-tailed it over here when he saw you.”

  Emma sighed. “Actually, Travis is Katrina and Kendra’s doctor. He invited me here since I’m back in town.”

  “I’m glad to hear that boy can do something right. Too bad he can’t figure out what to do with that city gal.”

  A hymn began. Relief swept over Emma that she didn’t have to reply. A thin sheen of sweat form on her brow which had nothing to do with the heat.

  After the service, Emma groped for her diaper bag and struggled to a standing position, eager to get home. Most of the service had passed by in a blur. Not wanting to upset the twins by putting them in the nursery, she’d kept them at her side. They’d wiggled and fussed and she’d spent most of her time hushing them. But she was still glad she'd come. Finding a church was one step closer to carving out a new life for her daughters.

  Charlotte stood as well and turned to Emma. “How long have you had the girls? Since they were babies?”

  “No, they were two when I gained custody.”

  Charlotte looked surprised. Then she clapped her hands together. “We’ll give you a baby shower!”

  Emma smiled, touched by the older woman’s thoughtfulness. “You’re sweet, but I really have everything the girls need.”

  “Nonsense,” she said reaching for her cane and thumping it. “It will be a perfect way to introduce you to the church family.”

  Tucking a limp curl behind her ear, Emma debated whether to mention the fact that she hadn’t decided if Travis’s church was the one she’d stick with. Wouldn’t that be encroaching a bit on his life? Would it be assuming too much? What would Lucy think?

  “How about Saturday afternoon?”

  “Mrs. Evans—”

  “We’ll have it at my house. What size do the girls wear?”

  Emma shifted Katrina on her hip. “They’re in a twelve month size right now, but really, you don’t need to go to such trouble.”

  Charlotte gave her a vague smile, but her eyes glittered with a sharp look. “Two o’clock. I don’t have a piece of paper with me just now, so you’ll need to ask Travis for directions.” She turned and headed toward the doors.

  Emma blew a lock of hair from her eyes, blessed by Charlotte’s generosity, but exasperated at her thinly veiled attempts at matchmaking. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Travis heading her way with Lucy. She turned, gathered up the girls, and hurried after Charlotte.

  At the beach house, after the girls had been fed lunch and were down for their naps, Emma opened the newspaper and looked at car dealerships. She didn’t want to spend another moment thinking about Travis and Lucy.

  ****

  Lucy stared at Travis with a gimlet look, her fork poised over her salad. “So tell me again how you know this Emma person.”

  Why does she suddenly seem so possessive? Travis wondered at the best way to answer. Should he mention at one time he and Emma had been unofficially engaged? The rise and fall of quiet conversation and the sound of tinkling silverware of nearby Sunday restaurant diners faded away. Travis felt his lips curve at the memory of the seventeen-year-old girl who’d stolen his heart.

  He’d told her he loved her at the senior prom, and shortly thereafter that he wanted to get married. Of course he couldn’t afford a decent ring then—or anything but dreams—but she’d looked at him in a way that made him feel he could accomplish whatever he set his mind to.

  “Travis, did you hear me?”

  He jumped. The restaurant came back into view, the sparkling glasses, the potted palms, and the lazy circling of ceiling fans overhead. “Uh, Emma?” He considered fudging his relationship and calling it just friendship, but in a flash realized Lucy would find out the truth anyway. The ancient adage of a ‘woman scorned’ came to mind. “She’s an old girlfriend.”

  Lucy’s eyes flashed and her color deepened. She put her fork down, pushing her salad plate away. “You don’t have any plans to get reacquainted, do you?”

  There was an edge to her voice that made him sit up straighter. “I’m her daughters’ doctor. I will have to see her from time to time.”

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  Travis lost his appetite. He pushed his own plate away. “Look, Lucy, let’s not play this game, okay?”

  Her lip trembled, making him feel like a grizzly bear. “Why are you so defensive? It’s a simple question.”

  Travis averted his gaze. How could he answer the question honestly? Lucy, honey, it’s been fun, but a girl I had all but forgotten blew back into my life like a Texas whirlwind and I don’t know which way is up anymore.

  He glanced at her. Tears stood out in her eyes, making them look like jewels. She was so beautiful. But if he was brutally honest, he and Lucy had never really connected in the way she’d hoped.

  I’ve failed her, and I’m about to let her down again. “Lucy, I don’t know how to say this.”

  She sucked in her breath, her eyes wide. She pressed her hands flat on the tabletop. “Travis Taylor, don’t you dare break up with me!”

  “Listen to me. We’ve only dated on and off for a few months—”

  “Six months!”

  He blew out a breath and lowered his voice. “The fact is I don’t think ‘we’ are really going anywhere. And I think you know it, too.”

  “That’s because you’re dragging your heels in Galveston when you could be in Houston where you belong!”

  He put his napkin on the table. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault that I haven’t been what you’ve wanted. You’re a good woman, and I haven’t treated you the way you deserve.”

  “You are what I want.” Lucy leaned forward. “I love you, Travis.”

  Travis clenched the napkin in his fingers, blindsided. Love? They’d never spoken such words before. How could this happen all of a sudden? He stared at her face, at the high color in her cheeks and her glittering eyes.

  Did she mean it? Was she trying to manipulate him? Does it matter?

  “I am truly sorry, but it has to be this way.” He fell silent, unable to think of anything else to say.

  Lucy pushed her chair away and stood. “I’m going to give you some time to think about this, Travis. Before you throw everything away, I want you to think long and hard.” She tossed her napkin on the table, grabbed her purse, and strode from the restaurant.

  Aware of curious onlookers, he stared down at his plate. Anyone would say he was a fool to let a girl like Lucy go, but he’d been wavering for a while—before Emma came into the picture. Travis stood and left some money onto the table.

  He wondered if Emma was home.

  6

  And as I looked up a quickening gust.

  –Edna St. Vincent Millay

  Emma finished buckling the girls into their car seats. She saw a black pickup approach out of the corner of her eye and swiveled to see if it was Travis. I’m in Texas for a few weeks, and suddenly feel the need to examine every driver of every black pickup that crosses my path. Ridiculous.

  The truck pulled into her driveway. Emma widened her eyes in surprise. Travis got out and flashed her a sheepish grin. She gave him a hesitant smile.

  “Would you believe me if I said I was just in the neighborhood?”

  The way he pushed back the front of his Stetson combined with his intermittent dimple tilted her out of balance.

  Travis ambled around the front of his pickup and stopped in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you getting ready to go somewhere?”

  She stared at him, her hands growing clammy. Why is he here? She couldn’t deny she welcomed his company, but shouldn’t he be spending his extra time with his girlfriend?

  Emma pulled the newspaper out of her purse. “I was actually on my way to look at cars. I need to take the rental back tomorrow.”

  Travis raised his brows.
“I offered to help you do that. Why didn’t you call?”

  She considered dissembling, but decided the direct approach might be the wiser course. “I assumed you’d be spending the afternoon with Lucy.”

  Travis looked out toward the Gulf, shoving his hands in his pockets. After a moment, he swung his attention to her. “I really don’t know what to say, Emma. Things with her aren’t exactly what they seem.”

  What’s that supposed to mean? She cast a quick glance at the car, making sure the girls weren’t fussing in their car seats. Kendra sucked her thumb, and Katrina played with the ribbon on her dress. She looked at Travis, wishing something made sense.

  “If, um, things are unsettled between you two, shouldn’t you be focusing your energy on her?”

  Travis stared down at his boots. She had to admire the way his thick lashes fanned out over his cheeks. But no matter how good he looked, she wanted nothing to do with him if he was a two-faced cowboy who treated women with such disrespect.

  He blew out a sigh. “Listen, Emma. You’re going to have to trust me that I’m not doing anything wrong. Lucy and I have dated on and off, but it’s never been serious for me.”

  A gust of moist wind fanned her face. “What about for her?”

  His cheeks darkened. “I just found out it’s a little more serious than I thought.”

  Emma deflated. She had no desire to become embroiled in someone else’s romantic issues. She’d just extricated herself from her own problems with Stephen, and didn’t have the emotional energy for anything else but her girls right now.

  “I appreciate all the help you’ve been to me since I’ve returned. I really do. But I think it best if we only see each other at your clinic when I have an appointment.”

  Travis stepped close, put his hands on her arms and looked down into her eyes. Emma caught her breath at his nearness. She could smell a hint of his cologne. The warmth of his hands seeped through the light fabric of her sleeves.

  “Emma, let me help you find a car today. After this, I won’t intrude again.”

  “I don’t consider you an intrusion,” she whispered. The wind gusted, bringing with it a heavy saltiness. “I...I’ve just come out of a bad relationship myself, and I feel for you. For Lucy. And I need to concentrate on the twins right now, on getting them on the path to healing.”

  Travis dropped his hands and nodded. “I understand.” He took off his hat and slapped it against his thigh.

  She watched as a wayward shaft of sunlight lit up the lighter brown highlights of his hair. His gaze implored her, weakening her will. She looked away, needing a break from the appeal in his dark eyes. After considering his words, Emma felt like they’d come to some kind of agreement. She really did need a hand, though she was loathe to admit it.

  “Hop in and you can tell me how to get to the dealership.”

  Travis’s serious expression morphed into a sunny grin.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  ****

  There was no denying Travis had saved Emma thousands of dollars. The car salesman had been one of those “little lady” talkers and kept trying to edge Travis out of the conversation. She got a taste of Travis in passive-aggressive mode. He’d shrewdly brokered a deal that left the salesman mumbling under his breath about ‘cowboys who should tend to their own rat killin’’.

  After purchasing a minivan, he’d come with her to drop off the rental car. Now as they headed to the beach house, she chanced a peek in his direction. His hat was pulled down, forming a line of shadow over his eyes, blocking his expression.

  Emma felt sorry for Lucy. Was she wishing for Travis’s company just now? How could she bear to be apart from him? Did she have a choice? Just what was Travis about? Emma gripped the steering wheel, frustrated by the direction of her thoughts.

  She turned her attention to the van. It was a previously owned late model in pristine condition. With two toddlers, it would take on the patina of lived-in in a hurry. She smiled at the thought of future stuffed animals, stray Cheerios, and sand from the beach filling every nook and cranny.

  “What’s so funny?”

  She glanced at Travis. “I was just thinking that this van is going to look a lot different in short order.”

  He looked back at the twins. “Is that right, girls? You gonna trash your momma’s van?”

  Kendra answered by sticking her finger up her nose. Travis laughed and reached back to tickle her.

  A few moments later, Emma pulled into the beach house driveway. She put the van in Park and turned to him. “Thank you for everything. I don’t think I could’ve got as good a deal without you.”

  “I’m glad I could help.”

  Emma took a deep breath, wishing things didn’t have to be so complicated. She felt she should offer some hospitality for all his efforts. “Would you like to come up and have some ice cream with us? It’s chocolate chip mint.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, her face flamed. She knew it was Travis’s favorite, though she personally didn’t care for the flavor. So why had she bought it the day before?

  In hopes that Travis might happen by again?

  He gave her a sweet smile. “I’d be much obliged.”

  Without another word, he unfolded his body from the car and unlatched the twins from their car seats. Emma tried not to be impressed at his easy way around kids. Probably went with his job.

  They trekked up the steps to the deck and went through the front door. Emma closed her eyes at the cool rush of conditioned air. It was heaven after the murky Gulf heat. She turned to Travis.

  “Make yourself at home. I’m going to get the girls settled for a nap.”

  He nodded and plopped onto the couch, resting his booted feet on top of the coffee table. He reminded her of the eighteen-year-old Travis she’d known, comfortable with himself and the world, not terribly worried what her parents might think of him—which naturally annoyed them all the more.

  Emma herded the girls into their room, changed their diapers, and coaxed them onto the bed. She stretched out along side them and read a story about a hungry caterpillar. Kendra leaned her head back, dropping off to sleep within minutes. Katrina fought the heaviness of her sleep, struggling to keep her eyes open until the end of the story.

  Emma smiled at the girls, and for the zillionth time, thanked God for bringing them into her life. She didn’t deserve their trusting gazes, their soft little hands patting her for attention, or their sweet voices in Kreyol.

  She eased off the bed, knowing Travis was waiting for her in the next room. She wished her feelings for him were as simple as the way she felt about her daughters.

  He stood up when she entered the living room. Emma would never have guessed him for a doctor. In his Wranglers, boots and denim shirt, he looked more like he belonged on a ranch. At the clinic he’d wore slacks and a dress shirt, but even then, he still looked all cowboy despite being a Galvestonian. From traveling during childhood, she’d been to a lot of countries, and had seen a lot of men in different cultures. Why had the Texan variety seared her psyche? She smiled at Travis, glad mind reading wasn’t among his skills.

  “Are you ready for that ice cream?”

  He followed her into the kitchen and scooted onto one of the stools while she put out bowls and spoons. Emma sensed his gaze following her about the room. She pulled the ice cream from the freezer and put it on the bar.

  “Thanks for letting me tag along today,” he said when she slid him a bowl of chocolate chip mint. He took a bite and closed his eyes. “Mmmm. My favorite.”

  Emma smiled. She twirled her spoon in her bowl, watching as it melted.

  “So, what did you think of the church service today?”

  She leaned on the opposite side of the counter. “It was good—about like I remembered. But the pastor’s new, right?”

  Travis nodded. “Pastor Harris retired last year. This new guy is a natural, and is attracting some young families, which is something considering how few there are in my
neighborhood. We’ve had more funerals than weddings lately.”

  “You still live there?”

  “Yep. In my momma’s house. Of course it’s not the same without her, but otherwise, nothing has changed much.”

  “I’m sorry to hear she passed away.”

  Travis tilted his head. “She sure did like you. Told me many times I wasn’t good enough for you.”

  Emma buried a chocolate chip under a mound of green ice cream. “Your mom had a dry sense of humor. You know she didn’t mean it.” She looked at him from under her lashes. “Besides, her opinion of me probably changed when I took off like I did.”

  Travis set down his spoon and seemed to consider his words. “Emma, she understood. I understood, eventually. We were so young.”

  She straightened, aware of the quiet in the kitchen except for the wind teasing the shutters. “I still feel terrible about it.”

  Travis reached across the counter and took her left hand. “Don’t. Just because a couple of kids talk about marriage, it doesn’t mean everything would’ve worked out.”

  Moisture heated her eyes. She wanted to say she’d have married him in a heartbeat—that during her junior year he was her entire world. Her heart twisted at the memory of leaving him. She was amazed the feeling still ran so deep. Travis’s warm fingers encircling hers didn’t help any.

  “Don’t forget we were still in high school, and I didn’t have a full-time job,” he said softly. “I couldn’t have taken care of you in the real world. We were just two kids in love.”

  Just two kids in love.

  Emma pulled in a silent breath at the pain his words caused.

  It had been more than that. It had been real. Travis had no way of knowing she’d always measured up the guys in her life to him. They hadn’t come off so well in comparison.

  He tugged on her fingers. “As a minor, you had to go with your parents when they moved. Besides, I think the Lord had other plans for us.”