“So I'm just a complication?” he said, his gaze cooling.
“Travis,” she said, touching his face. “You know what I mean.”
He covered her hand with his and touched his lips to her palm. Emma's heart wrenched within her. “Travis Taylor, have mercy on me,” she whispered.
He smiled, turning her hand over to drop a light kiss on her knuckles. “Now, darlin', I could say the same thing about you.”
She shook her head. “We can't just pick up where we left off.”
“Why not?”
Emma tugged her hand away. “Because!” She lowered her voice, not wanting to rouse the girls. “Because a lot of things have changed since then.”
“Like?”
She frowned. “You're not making this easy.” Emma turned her back to him, needing to break the power of his gaze. “I'm not the same person I was then. I just need to do things on my own for once.” She shook her head. “It's complicated.”
“I thought I was the complication.”
Emma heard the wry note in his voice. She turned to him, wishing he'd take her more seriously. “All my life, I've been herded in one direction or another. For once I want to lay the course, the way I think God is leading me.”
Travis put his hands on her shoulders. “Has God told you not to see me?”
She sighed. “Of course not—”
“Then how do you know this isn't from Him?”
Emma bit her lip. Because it's too convenient! Because I'll end up leaning on you.
Because I still love you.
She gazed up at him with wide eyes as the truth burgeoned within her heart. The realization made her feel the wind had been knocked out of her. No way. It's not possible. I’m still under the influence of his kisses. I’m weak right now.
Travis stepped closer, so she had to tilt her head back to see him. The caressing look in his eyes made her heart careen inside her chest.
“Let's make a deal.”
“A deal?”
He nodded, the shadows of his black Stetson moving up and down his face. “Instead of rejecting a relationship out of hand, why don't we explore it a little and see where it goes?”
Before she could respond, he dipped his head and kissed her. Emma was helpless against such tactics. She closed her eyes and kissed him right back.
10
Before the wind’s whistling lash.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Emma studied her reflection in the mirror Monday morning. Travis would be there in a few minutes to accompany her to the twins’ appointment with the specialist. A part of her worried what the doctor would have to say about the girls. Another part worried about the fragile new bond with Travis.
She couldn't quite convince herself this was the path to take. On the other hand, she already looked forward to his kiss when he arrived. Emma grimaced and went into the girls' room.
Kendra and Katrina, digging through their toy box, looked up when she entered. Katrina toddled over to her and lifted her arms to be held. Emma scooped her up and squeezed her tight.
“Momma.”
She pulled back a bit and looked into Katrina's dark eyes. “What did you say?”
The little girl patted her cheek. “Momma.”
Emma's eyes filled with tears. Katrina wasn't in distress, so she wasn't crying out for her real mother. Lowering herself to the floor, Emma held her tight. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting Katrina to see her upset, although upset was the furthest thing from her mind. Thank you, Lord, for allowing these girls to come into my life. Please continue to bless our relationship. Help me to be a good...momma.
Emma pressed a kiss against Katrina's soft cheek. “You made my day, do you know that?”
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She set Katrina on the floor, double-checking both girls to be sure they were ready to go. They wore tank top and short sets, with flowered sandals. Emma took the girls by the hand and led them into the living room. She answered the door, trying to sniff away the moisture from her emotions.
Travis entered the room and took off his hat. His smile faded. “Sugar, what's wrong?”
He reached out and touched her cheek, the same one that Katrina had patted moments before. Emma attempted a smile, annoyed that tears came so easily. She blinked them away.
“Just a minute ago, Katrina called me 'momma'. It's silly to get so emotional, but it means a lot.”
His features softened. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “That is a big deal.”
Emma's heart skipped several beats at his nearness. She gazed up at him with expectation. All weekend long she'd relived the wonder of his kiss. Now, she didn't want to rely on memory, and didn’t want logic to intrude either—at least for the moment.
Travis apparently understood. He lowered his head and kissed her long and sweetly. Emma held on tight, loving the feel of his strength and solidity. In his arms, she felt she could withstand any torrent that came her way. The thought made her remember she wasn’t supposed to lean on anyone, especially a man.
Emma angled her face away, ending the kiss. “We should get going, don't you think?”
Travis grinned. “I guess I got a little carried away there. Sorry.”
He didn't look sorry at all. She swallowed and stepped from his arms. “Kendra, Katrina, it's time to get in the car.”
Travis reached down and lifted the little girls, one in each arm, swinging them in an arc, which brought cries of delight. They hooked their arms around his neck as he turned and headed down to the car.
Emma grabbed the diaper bag, making sure this time she had the twins' medical records. As she locked up the house and went down to the car, she saw him latching the girls into their car seats like it was something he did every day. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to be careful not to get too used to him. Lucy was still out there somewhere and probably had plans of getting him back.
And I wouldn't blame her a bit.
****
“Dr. Winthrop is a personal friend as well as a pediatrician. That's how I got you in so quick.” Travis flashed a smile at Emma, mentally calculating how soon he could get her in his arms again.
She adjusted her hands on the steering wheel and glanced at him. “Thank you.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “It helps to have connections, you know. And you can depend on ol' Travis anytime.”
Emma furrowed her brows, and her cheeks grew pink, making him wonder what she was thinking. The hazy Houston skyline came into view as they traveled I-45 north.
“The girls and I appreciate all you've done for us. But of course we don't want to wear out our welcome.” She sent him a glance. “I won't take advantage of you.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
She stared straight ahead. “Just what I said.”
“That's ridiculous, Emma, and you know it. I don't know how many ways I have to make you understand that I want to be with you and the girls.”
Emma bit her lip, not replying. Travis experienced a sharp stab of annoyance. The chance for another kiss was slipping away fast.
They arrived at the doctor's office—a clinic in a medical complex on the east side of the city moments later. Travis handed Kendra to Emma and he picked up Katrina. After reporting at the desk, they sat in the waiting room. She seemed especially careful to avoid contact with him. He wanted to confront her about it, but doubted this was the best time or place.
The girls toddled to a small toy section consisting of a plastic playhouse and a table with the same wire and bead contraption he had in his own clinic. Emma kept her gaze trained on them. Travis wished she'd look at him. He wanted to see if he could determine what was in her eyes.
“Kendra and Katrina Hayes.” A nurse in white pants and a flowery top held a clipboard and waited in a doorway.
He stood. “That's us.”
Emma stared at him. He wondered what he'd said wrong. Without speaking, she grabbed the diap
er bag and picked up one of the girls. Travis reached for the other and they followed the nurse down a hallway and into a room decorated with wallpaper in a zoo theme. The nurse asked the usual questions, and he filled in when Emma faltered. After the nurse left, he turned to her.
“Emma, what's wrong?”
Her smile didn't reach her eyes. “Nothing's wrong.”
“You've clammed up and will hardly look at me. Did I say something that offended you?”
She shook her head while adjusting a barrette in Kendra's hair. Then she blew out a breath, raising her gaze to him. “It's just that I don't want you to feel obligated. You have your own plans for your life. Ever since I arrived in town, I've taken up so much of your time.” She shrugged. “I feel bad about it, that's all.”
“Emma,” he growled, “you're not taking anything. I'm giving it because I want to. Why won't you believe me?”
She pulled Kendra onto her lap as if needing a barrier. “I just can't get used to it. When you go your way, I'll need to stand on my own two feet. I'm getting too spoiled by all your help.”
He felt his anger mount at her stubbornness. There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman, and neither one works.
The door opened. Dr. Winthrop entered. Travis shelved his angst for the moment and stood to shake the doctor's hand.
“Don, how are you?”
Dr. Winthrop smiled broadly. “I'm fine, Travis, and you?”
“Fair to middlin'.”
“How's Gary doin'? He still treatin' you right?”
He nodded. “I'd like you to meet Emma Hayes and her twin daughters, Kendra and Katrina.”
Emma stood and shook the doctor's hand. When she didn't speak, Travis took over. “She's adopted the girls from Haiti, and when she brought them to me for a check-up, I noticed some developmental delays.”
Dr. Winthrop smiled and popped his glasses from his head down on to his nose. “Well, we'll just have us a look-see, all right?”
Emma nodded and handed him the paperwork. “These are their medical records, from the orphanage and the ones Travis brought from his examination. The girls have been exclusively in my care about a month now.”
Travis heard the shakiness in Emma’s voice. He wanted to take her hand and reassure her, but decided against it in light of her odd mood.
Dr. Winthrop went through a battery of tests with the twins. Travis noticed they seemed resigned to the exam, much like when he examined them. He wondered what the little girls had been through in their short lives. Their big brown eyes and thin little bodies made his heart twist within him.
A sudden desire to protect them from further harshness took him by surprise in its ferocity. What was it about damsels in distress that got him whipped into a lather? He sent a glance toward Emma, wondering why this particular damsel resented his help.
Emma listened to Dr. Winthrop and Travis speak to each other in medical jargon. She wished she could understand what they were saying—it sounded more ominous than lay speech. Dr. Winthrop seemed relaxed, which helped her breathe a little easier. Maybe her girls had a better prognosis than she'd hoped for.
Please, God, let them be okay.
He turned to her. “Well, Miss Hayes, looks like you're doing a right fine job with these little ladies. From the records, my guess is that their delays can be related to malnutrition early in life. When they catch up in growth, I think it's safe to say they'll catch up in developmental aspects, as well. Of course, something unexpected could occur and you'll need to keep an extra sharp eye out for anything that doesn't seem right, but I see no reason why your daughters won't be normal, ornery little gals in no time.” He peered over the top of his glasses. “I can say that, you know, because I have three daughters. Let that be a warning.”
Emma smiled, feeling much of her stress drain away. “Thank you, Dr. Winthrop. That's exactly what I wanted to hear.”
He winked at her. “Travis here can supervise their following visits, charting their growth, and keeping them up to date on their immunizations and such, but don't hesitate to call me if you feel the need.”
“Thank you so much.” She shook his hand and stood. Travis did the same. The two men chatted and chuckled all the way out the door. Emma followed with the girls, who licked lollipops with single-minded intensity.
When they reached the front desk, Travis gave her a tight smile. “Shall we get the girls home?”
****
The drive home passed in silence. Emma clenched her hands in her lap, wondering what Travis was thinking. His grim expression made her feel the loss of his support keenly.
What did I expect? I shoved him away with my words.
Hearing him refer to her and the girls as ‘us’ when the nurse called them in had startled her in its implication. There was no us, and probably would never be.
Leaning on Travis, while appealing in every sense, wasn't a real option. She’d brought two little girls home fully planning to raise them single-handedly. Why should she assume he, or any other man, would want the job of helping her? Stephen certainly didn't. And it wasn’t fair to overrun someone’s life like she felt she was doing to Travis. He was just too polite to say no.
But he didn’t have to kiss me. Emma shivered at the delicious memory before savagely suppressing it. Travis must be experiencing a violent burst of sentimentality mixed with nostalgia, made worse by her foolishness in letting him kiss her in the first place.
Emma wondered what Travis’s expectations were. She didn't want a romance for the sake of romance. And kisses were all well and good—blissful to be precise—but where did that leave her and the girls? She didn't want them to become attached to a man because he was around for a while. What would happen to their world when he left? She wanted security for them—stability.
She wanted for them what money hadn’t been able to buy in her own childhood.
Emma glanced in her rear view mirror. Kendra and Katrina held their suckers in sticky little fists, seeming content in their future.
She wished she felt the same about hers.
****
Travis checked his wristwatch after he'd deposited the twins into the living room. He glanced at Emma. Two spots of color burned on her pale cheeks.
He took a breath. “I need to get going in a bit. I have a full afternoon schedule at the clinic.”
“I understand, and I can't thank you enough for coming with me today. It meant a lot.”
He approached her. “Really? By the way you talked, you could've done just fine without me, remember?”
Emma backed up, bumping into the wall behind her. She put her hands up in a defensive gesture, which annoyed him all the more. Does she think I’m some kind of monster?
“Travis—”
The doorbell rang. Her gaze darted toward the door. “I need to get that.”
He stepped aside and watched her hurry across the room. He looked at Katrina, who sent him a grin and lifted her arms. Travis picked her up and hugged her tight, glad for the opportunity to hold onto someone.
After a muffled conversation at the door, Emma returned with a thick white legal envelope. “It came registered mail,” she said, her brows furrowed. “And it's from a lawyer’s office.”
Travis kissed Katrina's cherry sucker-streaked cheek. “More paperwork from your attorney?”
She shook her head. “This isn't the name of my attorney, and it's from New York, not Florida, where I retained him.”
Emma slid her finger under the flap and pulled out the papers. As her gaze scanned the words, her face turned red—then white. The papers shook in her hands.
Alarmed, Travis set Katrina on the couch and approached Emma. “What is it?”
“The...the girls.”
She gazed up at him with a drowned, bewildered expression. He put his arm around her when she swayed. “Emma!”
Her words came out as a whisper. “Someone's suing to contest custody of Kendra and Katrina.”
11
O ay—th
e winds that bend the brier!
-Lord Alfred Tennyson
“What? Someone's challenging your custody?”
Travis’s outraged response jolted Emma out of her light-headedness. She struggled to inhale with lungs too crushed to catch a breath of air.
He took the letter from her nerveless fingers and scanned the words, his expression dark.
She reached out to Kendra and Katrina, hauling them into her arms. When they squirmed in her embrace, she realized she was holding them too tight. Emma eased her grip and allowed them to wiggle away. They returned to the toys they’d been playing with, oblivious of the turmoil swirling about them. Will I have to let them go?
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Travis said after a moment. “I thought you said the adoption was legalized.”
“It has been, but I’m still in the probationary period.”
“This can’t be valid, Emma. You have nothing to worry about.”
She watched the girls through a blur of tears. “Why would someone do this? I’ve never heard of those people before.”
He crouched down and tilted her chin so she looked up at him. “I have to go,” he said softly, “but as soon as I’m off I’ll come by and we’ll take care of this.”
Emma nodded. What else could she do? What could anyone do? Despair squeezed her heart like a vise. It didn’t matter that she should have nothing to worry about—something would go wrong. Something always did.
Then she’d have another failure to add to her lifelong list.
Travis kissed her, but Emma barely noticed. She heard him cross the room and go out the door. When she heard his truck drive away, she picked up the letter, the words undecipherable through her haze of tears.
****
Travis sped toward the clinic in a haze of worry for Emma—for her potential loss of custody, and for her frail emotional state. If there was any way he could get out of his afternoon schedule he would, but that would mean leaving a dozen patients in the lurch, not to mention putting an enormous strain on Gary. If only there were more hours in the day.
Texas Whirlwind Page 10