Coming Home to Texas

by Victoria Chancellor

  She’d done it! She’d started the nursery decorating process—even though they wouldn’t need the room for many months. Travis had calmed down, the reporters were satisfied, her career was still on track and she had time to make a decision about the condo in Newport Beach.

  But when she pulled up her oversize T-shirt and wiggled out of her spandex pants, she felt her world come crashing down.

  “TRAVIS, NOW DON’T PANIC, but you need to meet us at the Wheatley Clinic.”

  “Robin? What are you talking about?”

  “Jodie came to see me after exercise class and—”

  “Jodie? Is she all right?”

  “I think so, Travis, but there’s a little problem.”

  “How little?”

  “Travis, dammit, just get to the clinic. I don’t know the details and you need to be here with your wife.”

  She disconnected the call before he could ask more questions, before he could collect his thoughts. Jodie. Something was wrong with Jodie…or the baby.

  His baby.

  He leaped from his drafting stool and ran down the hallway. His keys! Where had he put them? Racing past the breakfast counter, he spotted them lying beside his cell phone. He grabbed everything and raced outside.

  Robin was already at the clinic with Jodie. Everything was going to be fine. Amy Phillips was a good doctor. She’d know what to do…for whatever was wrong, he thought as he turned the key and floored the gas.

  He drove way too fast around the town square, risking a ticket or worse. He knew it, but he couldn’t seem to slow down. He had to get there quickly, before something happened. Something that would change his well-balanced life.

  Jodie had forced him to marry her in a way, but she’d also forced him to stop living on the sidelines. He cared for her and for their tiny little baby.

  Please, God, not the baby. Not the precious little life they’d created together. He shouldn’t have made love to Jodie last night, when she was already tired. He’d tried very hard to be careful, but what if even “normal” activity was too much?

  He slid to a stop in front of the clinic, threw the SUV into park, turned off the engine and raced inside.

  Everything looked so calm and normal. And quiet. He could hear his raspy breathing and pounding heart as he smelled the antiseptic scent of the medical offices.

  Gladys looked up from the receptionist desk. “Travis, you need to calm down. You’re going to hyperventilate.”

  “Where is she, Gladys? What’s wrong with Jodie?”

  “She’s in Exam One with Dr. Amy. Now you calm yourself before you go into that room, Travis. You’re going to scare her to death if you go in there all wild-eyed.”

  Scare her? He was the one who was frightened out of his mind. And he supposed his eyes were wild, since that’s how he felt ever since Robin’s words had penetrated his work-induced fog.

  “Okay, Gladys, but is she okay? Robin wouldn’t tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’m sure Jodie’s going to be fine. She’s relaxing and talking to the doctor. You don’t need to give her another scare.”

  “Another scare? What was the first one?”

  “Deep breaths, Travis. Then you can go in and see her.”

  Calm down fast, he told himself as he gasped a lungful of air. If something was terribly wrong, Gladys wouldn’t be so calm. There would be screaming or yelling or some sound coming from Exam One. Within a minute, which seemed like twenty, he felt himself gaining control.

  “You can go on in,” Gladys said, “but be calm. Be positive. Don’t start pelting her with questions. Remember that a husband should be supportive. This isn’t a problem you can solve.”

  “Okay, supportive.” Gladys was right—his first instinct was to find out what was wrong and to fix it, he thought as he walked down the short hall to the first room on the right. He took another deep breath and opened the door.

  Jodie lay flat on the exam table, her knees bent and feet flat on the padded surface. She wore one of those pastel-printed cotton gowns and she looked pale and tense.

  “Jodie,” he breathed.

  She smiled and held out her hand, which he grasped and held on tight. “I’m glad Robin got in touch with you.”

  He felt like taking her in his arms and demanding to know what had happened. Instead he asked as calmly as possible, “How are you?”

  “I’m doing okay. False alarm, Dr. Amy said.”

  “False alarm for what?” he asked.

  “Jodie suffered a broken blood vessel that made her think she had a far more serious problem.”

  “Broken blood vessel? That sounds serious.”

  “Not really. It probably happened during exercise class. It’s common in pregnant women, who have increased blood flow to the uterus.”

  “The baby…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “There’s no indication that there’s a problem. We’re going to do a sonogram, though, to make sure. You got here just in time.”

  “Travis?”

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  He smiled at his wife. His wife. Until this moment, he’d felt like a nervous suitor, then a frustrated bridegroom, then a real bridegroom, but not really a husband. “I’m glad I’m here, too, but I wish you hadn’t scared ten years off my life.”

  “I’m sorry.” She tried to slip her hand out of his grip.

  “I’m not blaming you. I didn’t mean that.” Why did he always mess up around Jodie? “I was so surprised when Robin called. I thought maybe Dr. Amy was going to have to treat me for hyperventilation.”

  Jodie smiled. “I wish we could have told you something on the phone, but neither Robin nor I knew what was happening at first.”

  “I understand. You didn’t find anything wrong, right?” He looked at the doctor.

  “No, it probably won’t happen again. Just to be safe, though, take it easy for a few days. No hard exercising or horseback riding. No sex, either.”

  “Of course not,” he said quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Jodie or their baby. He wondered again if any of their activity—even though he’d done his best to be gentle—had brought on this problem. When they made love again, he’d be even more cautious and restrained. Which Jodie probably wouldn’t appreciate…

  “Okay, Jodie, I need you to lie flat and be still. The gel will be cold, but only for a moment.”

  Amy wheeled the sonogram machine closer, then draped a sheet across Jodie’s thighs and lower abdomen. She folded the gown back to reveal the soft, slightly tanned skin of Jodie’s stomach.

  “I guess our secret is out now,” she said softly, watching the doctor. “I’ve already told Robin, too.”

  “It was going to be obvious soon anyway.”

  “Not for a couple of months.”

  “The news is safe with me and Gladys,” Amy said, “and I’m sure Robin won’t tell anyone. I don’t think you have to worry. You can keep your secret for a while longer.”

  She worked in silence until an image began to develop on the screen. Travis couldn’t tell what it was until the doctor pointed out the tiny little peanut-shaped blip.

  “There’s the baby,” she said. “Still nice and secure inside of mom.”

  “Mom,” he said with a smile. “How does that sound?”

  “Scary,” Jodie whispered. Still, she looked with awe at the image. “The pregnancy hadn’t seemed completely real until today.”

  “I understand,” Dr. Amy said. “That’s perfectly normal. The first sonogram is usually done a little later except in a high-risk pregnancy. Since you don’t have a family history of any problems and you’re in excellent shape, we wouldn’t have done one for another month or so. But now you have your first picture of the little one.”

  “You can make a still photo?” Travis asked.

  “Yes. You can take it to the café and show everyone you’re going to be a daddy.”

  “
I might just have to wait awhile, until Jodie gives me the okay.”

  “Daddy,” Jodie said with a bigger smile as she looked at the monitor. “How does that sound?”

  He spoke past the lump in his throat. He realized that for years he’d never allowed himself to consider fathering a child. Maybe because he’d never found the right woman. Maybe because he hadn’t dared to dream of a real family. “Sounds wonderful.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Thank you for making me a father.”

  She looked up at him with something akin to love in her eyes. “You’re welcome. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  WHEN TRAVIS ESCORTED HER out of the medical clinic after many thanks to Dr. Amy and Gladys, Jodie stopped and stared at the crazy way he’d parked the SUV. He was half on and half off the pavement, and there were skid marks on the dry winter grass.

  He really had been upset. He really cared about her…and the baby.

  She smiled to herself and clutched the photo close to her chest. Her baby. Their baby. She felt almost giddy.

  “You look awfully good for a woman who nearly made me pass out from fright.”

  “I feel good for someone who just about made herself pass out from fright.”

  Travis drove her home much more sedately than he’d driven to the clinic. “Do you need anything on the way home? Food or medicine? Any cravings?”

  “No, I’m fine. I had just eaten lunch with Gwendolyn before I went to Robin’s Nest to talk to her about decorating the baby’s room. That’s when I discovered the blood. I screamed for Robin and she knew exactly what to do.”

  “We’ll have to do something really nice to thank her.”

  “She’s great. Everyone’s been great.”

  “This is a nice town,” Travis stated.

  “Just like you told Neil yesterday.”

  “When I heard him order the latte, it reminded me of the remark I’d made in San Antonio, and I felt bad about saying that.”

  “You didn’t mean anything by it. It’s not unreasonable to want a Starbucks or a McDonald’s or any other establishment that makes you feel at home. It’s only unreasonable when you think it’s your right to have a certain establishment, as though the world owes it to you to provide everything you’re used to, all the time.”

  “That’s very philosophical.”

  “Hey, I’m a deep guy.”

  “Really? I’ll have to explore your depths later, when my mind is a little sharper. All I can think of now is going back to the ranch, sinking into a bed and sleeping for a day or two. After a nice warm shower, of course.”

  “Sounds good. I can arrange that.”

  “You’re a good man, Travis Whitaker.”

  They drove in silence the rest of the way to the ranch, which was on the other side of town from the clinic. Jodie felt herself grow sleepy in the warm interior of the SUV. The adrenaline from her scare evaporated from her system like the morning sea mist over the Pacific coastline.

  She vaguely noticed that they’d pulled into the garage. Travis turned off the car, and the quiet lulled her even more deeply into sleep. She knew she should get up, but she was so tired. She managed to unhook her seat belt, but couldn’t muster the strength to open the door.

  The interior light made her blink as strong arms wrapped around her. “Hang on tight, sweetheart,” Travis said softly in her ear.

  “You can’t carry me,” she protested.

  “Sure I can. I’m a big guy.”

  “I’m a big girl,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

  “Yes, you are, but not too big for me. In fact, you’re just the right size.”

  She felt herself being lifted out of the SUV and held on tight, just as he’d instructed. She hadn’t been carried since she was a small child. Her mother used to carry her into their house when she’d gone to sleep in the back seat after they’d visited friends or gone out to dinner. She’d held her tight, making Jodie feel safe and loved as her mother had carried her to bed.

  Travis made her feel the same way. Safe. Cared for. Loved. Tears formed in her eyes as he carried her through the door.

  “I can walk. I’m awake now.”

  “You just relax. Don’t start wiggling.”

  “I never wiggle.”

  “I remember when you wiggled.”

  She smiled and kissed his neck.

  “Oh, now you’re getting frisky, when we can’t do anything about it.”

  “I was just being affectionate.”

  “Save it for later, when you’re all recovered.”

  “I’m going to get better fast.”

  “Good Lord, I hope so.”

  Jodie chuckled. She felt so good right now. She wished Travis could carry her forever, but he was already breathing hard as they went through the mud-room and kitchen.

  She opened her eyes when he walked past the stairs to the bedrooms above. “Where are you taking me?”

  “To bed. To my bed.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you there. I want to take care of you, watch over you.”

  She should go to the guest room, since they couldn’t be intimate for several days. She should tell him that she could take care of herself, that she wasn’t sick or even feeling bad anymore.

  But she didn’t. She let him carry her into his room and lay her on the bed.

  “I told you I could carry you to bed,” he said.

  “Yes, you did. And the jury’s still out on your back.”

  He chuckled. “My back is fine. Okay, I’m breathing a little harder than usual, but that doesn’t mean anything. I get a little winded if I unload a bunch of fifty-pound feed sacks.”

  “Hmm, another good comparison. I’m as heavy as a bunch of fifty-pound feed sacks and as substantial as a house. You do know how to sweet-talk a girl, Travis Whitaker.”

  “You just wait, Mrs. Whitaker. As soon as you’re well, I’ll show you sweet talk.”

  “You just wait until I’m well, Mr. Whitaker. I’ll climb into your bed on my own.”

  “Now that’s something to take my breath away.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jodie reclined against the pillows and decided that letting someone take care of her was pretty nice. She wouldn’t want or expect this type of treatment forever, but for now, having breakfast in bed, complete with a folded newspaper and a single yellow rose—how’d he manage that?—was wonderful.

  “Is Helen here?” she asked when he filled her cup with coffee.

  “Yes, she’s downstairs. I told her you weren’t feeling well.” Travis looked as handsome as usual, but a little drawn, as though he hadn’t rested well. She had no idea how he’d slept because she’d taken a nap, awakened for dinner and fallen back to sleep again in his room, at his insistence. She had been aware that he’d lain on the other side of the bed. Close, but not touching her, probably out of concern for her condition.

  Jodie selected a slice of toast. “This breakfast is great. I’m starving.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. Like nothing happened. I got up earlier and checked, and I seem to be okay today.”

  “That’s good. I’m still worried, but not as much as yesterday.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m as healthy—”

  “As a horse. Yes, I remember your claims of Amazonian status. But just humor me for now. I’ve never had a pregnant wife before and I’m finding the reality a little scary.”

  “Poor Travis. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  That brought a grin to his face. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”

  “You can hold me to all my promises.” She grinned. “I promise.”

  They both laughed. As she ate, he sat on the bed and told her what he was working on and what he had to do later. She felt married this morning—waking up in his bed, eating breakfast…well, not together, but close.

  “You know I have to go to California in a few days,” she said tentatively. “I would suggest you go with m
e, but I’m going to be in a lot of meetings for a couple of days. They’ll probably want me to do some voice and lighting tests to prepare for taping the commercials.”

  “Don’t you think you should postpone your trip for a week or so? To make sure you’re completely recovered.”

  “I’ll be fine. Dr. Amy said I just needed to make sure I didn’t have any more spotting.”

  “You need to take it easy.”

  “Look, I need to keep up with my obligations. I can’t tell the cosmetics company that I’m just not feeling well. They expect me to be there. They’re paying me a large amount of money to represent them.”

  A stubborn expression appeared on his face and he looked slightly angry. “You’re going to have to tell them soon that you’re pregnant.”

  “And I will, but not yet. I’m not quite two months.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know. Probably at three months. Isn’t that traditional? As long as I’m not disrupting their schedule, I’m not worried about it. And in another month, we’ll have the commercials and print ads in production.”

  “Their schedule? What about your needs!”

  “They’ve hired my face and figure, my personality, to represent their product. I have to give them what they’ve paid for. Besides, it’s best for my career, too. I have to think about post-cosmetics contracts. The time to plan for the future is now.”

  “What about your future as a mother? As a wife? Is that in your master plan?”

  “Of course. I’m planning my schedule so I’ll be able to take off with the baby and spend time with you.”

  “How much time, Jodie? Because I distinctly remember mentioning that I wanted us to stay married for keeps if we got married, and you agreed. You promised. I don’t consider this a real marriage if you’re always gone.”

  “I’m not always gone. I’ve been here a lot.”

  “But you’ll always be leaving, won’t you? You’ve always got another place to be.”

  “I—I never agreed to give up my life.”

  “I thought you were moving here to Texas. Are you planning on that?”

  “Well, of course I’ll be living here.”

  “Full time, as in moving here?”