“I don’t know where the kids are.” Mrs. Harte said as she opened the door.
Mr. Harte stepped into the foyer and everyone jumped up yelling, “Surprise!”
Michael was the first to run over and nearly tackle his father in an embrace. He hadn’t seen him since their visit on Rachael’s birthday. It’d been tough on Michael, but their father didn’t want them to see him there and have those memories. Michael pushed back happy tears, talking nonstop about teaching his dad to hunt over the summer.
Rachael waited patiently for her turn. Her worries over Michael’s inability to call and reach out to their father over the last few years were swept away. Any distance between them gone. When Michael stepped around their father to hug his mother and Aunt Margaret, Mr. Harte came over to embrace Rachael. He held her for a long time, not speaking.
“Welcome home, Dad.” Her lips quivered. “We’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you guys too.” He lifted his head, glancing at Travis and Maysie.
He hugged Maysie and then shook Travis’ hand.
“Thank you, Travis, for being the man in their lives while I’ve been away. You’ve been more than a boyfriend to my daughter, you’ve also been the big brother to Michael- providing him with support and guidance. Thank you.” Mr. Harte pulled Travis in for a hug as well. Tears ran down his face.
“I was glad to do it.”
“Let’s eat! I hear Rachael made a homemade lasagna.” Mr. Harte led the way into the dining room.
“I made the salad!” Michael cheered.
“I bet it’ll taste fantastic.”
Everyone went in and took a seat. Mr. Harte said Grace. Lunch conversation flowed. Aunt Margaret was ecstatic to have a house full of guests.
“And while I’ll miss y’all when you move out, we’ll always have these memories.”
Michael jerked his head up as if he’d been struck.
“Yes kids.” Their father smiled. “Let’s finish up lunch and help Aunt Margaret get these dishes cleared away. Your mother and I’ve something to show you.”
The look of fear and dread vanished from Michael’s face. “So it’s nearby?” He asked.
“Very close. Over the last few weeks, since your mother learned about my return home, she has been secretly out looking for a home for us. This is our home now. I wouldn’t dream of moving back to West Palm Beach. There’s nothing for me there now. Everything I love is right here in this room.” Their father stood from the table and slid his chair back in.
He grabbed an arm full of plates and carried them into the kitchen. Michael scurried to help. Rachael’d never seen him so eager to clear a table, put away leftovers, and fill a dishwasher. He nearly knocked her out of the way.
“I’ve got this Rachael. Go get ready.” He commanded. She smiled over at Travis.
They walked to the family room together and took a seat with Aunt Margaret.
“Did you know about this?” She asked Travis.
“Nothing.”
Aunt Margaret didn’t lift her head from her needlepoint.
“Aunt Margaret?”
“I know, but I’m not giving any secrets away. I know all sorts of things.” She winked at them both.
Rachael excused herself and ran down the hall. She sent Ellery a text announcing her dad was home!
She already had on make-up, so all that was left was to do her hair. She opted for twin braids down either side of her face and a ball cap.
“That’s a cute look.” Travis stood in the doorway to the bathroom. Rachael had on a pair of camo cargo shorts and a matching forest green tank. “I might have to take you fire hunting tonight.”
“Fire hunting?” She remembered back to Shannah’s mention of fire hunting at the dance sleepover in the fall.
“Yep. With head lights. Fire hunting.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Not if you’re going after nuisance coyotes or hogs. It’s a date. Wade’s in town visiting Shannah.”
“She didn’t even tell me!” Rachael exclaimed.
“They’ve been dating since the dance. Even Maysie doesn’t know.”
“Why is she being all secretive?”
“You should ask her, but according to him they’re pretty serious. They’re making plans.”
“She’s going to Florida State?”
Travis nodded his head.
“Traitor!” Rachael couldn’t believe her ears. Shannah had always been a diehard Gator fan.
“The things a woman will do for love.” Travis teased.
“Love! She’s not in love. She never told Gabe or any guy she loved him.”
“Well, she told Wade. Like I said, they’ve got plans.”
“You’re just loving the fact that you knew first.” She tossed the hand towel off of the counter at him.
“Nope. I’m just enjoying the fact that I can now say I told you so.”
“I love you, Travis Baxter, in spite of your cocky ways.”
“That’s good because I’m not going anywhere. You could hog tie me and drive off in the middle of nowhere to throw me out, and I’d still trail you up.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’d find my way home. You are home to me, Rachael.”
He bent and kissed her nose.
“Hey! None of that!” Her father griped from the hallway. “Are you even allowed back here?” He asked only half-serious.
“I have been, but if you want to change that I understand.”
“Consider it changed. You’re restricted to the front of the house only young man, until after y’all are married.” Her father paused and smiled. “Some time in the far off future.”
“Yes, sir.” Travis retreated to the front of the house. “It won’t happen again, Mr. Harte.”
Rachael waited until he disappeared.
“Dad, Aunt Margaret has allowed him back here. Don’t you think that was a bit harsh?”
“Humor your old dad. Besides, he knows I’m playing with him, but not about the front of the house part. Things are more intense between the two of you. A little stricter guidelines are in order.”
Rachael decided to let it go. After her father’s conversation with Travis about keeping it “put away”, Rachael didn’t want to push it any further. Her father was home and his rules would be his rules. As long as she lived under his roof, and wasn’t married, she’d have no choice but to follow them. Maysie’s earlier sentiments rang through her head like a clashing gong.
If you completely remove the physical side of things it can make things pretty clear.
Their relationship had never been a physical or overly intimate one. Sure they’d had one minor slip-up, but for the most part they’d been very well behaved. I hope Dad knows that.
“You ready?” He popped his head back into the bathroom.
“Yes, and Dad,” She turned to face him. “I’m not having sex or anything physical other than kissing with Travis. I just wanted you to know.”
“I know. I’m sorry for teasing him, but I do want him to stay at the front of the house from now on. I’m on board with Operation Avoid Nookie with Travis Baxter.”
Mom!
“Good to know. Good to know.” Rachael uttered hoping to change the subject. “Let’s go see this surprise.”
She walked down the hallway, her arm wrapped around her father’s waist, walking side by side.
“Let’s load up.” Her father called. “We’ll need to take two vehicles. Would you mind riding with Travis?”
“Nope.”
“Remember our conversation.” Her father took his two fingers making the I’m watching you gesture with his hand at Travis, then laughed.
“I haven’t forgotten.” Rachael smirked.
Travis helped Rachael up into the cab of his truck. After they closed the door and started it up she turned to him. “I’m so sorry about my dad! I don’t know what’s up with him.”
“He’s being a dad, that’s all. He’s just havi
ng a little fun at my expense.”
“I think he’s half serious.”
“He is, but that’s okay. He just came back into your life. There’ll be lots of adjustments, you hussy. Quit comin’ onto me in public. I’ll have to beat you off with a stick.” He laughed.
She swatted his leg. “I’m glad you think it’s funny.”
“Cut him some slack. He’s just come home and he wants to pull you closer. You’re his little girl. You’ll be going off to school in a few short months and my parents have told me… nothing will ever be the same again. Give him this time. Get close to him again. You’ll hear no protest from me. I need his blessing and his buy in.”
“To what?”
“Wade and Tristan aren’t the only ones with a plan.”
“What plan?”
“Ain’t telling.”
They drove down a dirt road, with tall Bahia grass on either side.
“JJ’s road?”
“I’m just following your dad. I have no idea where we’re headed.”
They pulled up to JJ’s driveway and turned in. She remembered the long driveway with the pale yellow Victorian from her first few weeks in town years before. The house still looked the same. Huge, sweeping front porch and red tin roof. Swirling trim work and detailing painted in stark blossom white.
They parked out front and JJ came out to greet them in usual JJ attire. Cut offs, no shirt, barefoot, with snuff in his lip. She eyed his protruding belly and five o’clock shadow that was visible at one o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.
Yep- some things never change.
Rachael climbed out and went to give him a hug.
“Good mornin’, Miss Rachael.” JJ squeezed her back. Next he shook her father’s hand. “Well, are you ready to go look at it?”
JJ walked over and fired up the Honcho. He backed out and idled down the road. Everyone else piled into their cars and followed him. At the gate he paused to check both ways and pulled out, driving south. When he gunned it and the Honcho’s top driving speed surpassed forty miles per hour, it backfired.
A few miles down the winding dirt road, JJ slowed his speed and pulled into a gate entrance. He climbed out and opened it for everyone to drive through.
They drove in the large oak tree lined drive toward a line of trees ahead on the horizon. A few more small turns and a small clapboard house came clearly into view. It was two story with a small front porch, black shutters, and a red door. It looked freshly painted. While it wasn’t large and appeared to have been built in the nineteen fifties, it was in great condition.
JJ pulled up out front and parked the Honcho under the shade of a tree so his dogs wouldn’t get too hot.
“Well this is it.” He produced the key to the front door. He unlocked the door and everyone stepped inside.
The small living room had wood beam ceilings and pecky cypress paneling on the walls. The floors were original heart pine. Rachael walked into the kitchen and found that it too was smaller than she’d like, but it had all the modern appliances and was painted a pale yellow. The cabinets were new, as were both the sink and countertops. It had recently been renovated.
“Why don’t you kids go upstairs and choose a room.” Their father pointed to the staircase.
Michael ran over and hugged him tightly. “Thanks for not making us move.” He whispered.
“Like I said, this is home now. For all of us.”
Michael shot past Rachael on the staircase and upstairs. They located three bedrooms at the top of the stairs. There was a bedroom that was tiny, maybe ten by eight. Rachael eyed it skeptically.
She walked out into the hallway and located Michael. He stood in a large bedroom measuring fifteen by fifteen. It had huge bay windows overlooking what Rachael recognized as the bull pasture for the Baxter ranch. Rachael saw the excitement in his eyes.
“You like your room?” She asked.
“I’ll take the smaller room. You’re a girl, you have more stuff.”
“No, I’ll take it. This will make the perfect bedroom slash game lounge, as long as you promise to play me in tennis on your system some time.”
“It’s a deal!” He ran out into the hallway. “Let’s check Mom and Dad’s room.”
The third bedroom was smaller than Michael’s, but had the only walk-in closet and its own private bathroom. Her mother wouldn’t mind trading a little bedroom space for her own walk-in.
Rachael looked around for Travis. Maysie walked in.
“I like it.” She grinned.
“Me too. Where’s Travis?”
“He said he’s restricted to the downstairs.” She nodded her head. “Yep, now he’s seeing what I’ve been going through. The double standard has come home to roost.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.”
Rachael and Maysie walked back into her room.
“I need a smaller bed.” She joked.
“Or less furniture.”
“We’ll come up with something.”
Rachael and Maysie headed back downstairs. Travis stood outside talking to JJ.
Rachael greeted her dad in the kitchen.
“I love it, Dad.”
“Good. Travis will help us put up a barn for Grace and she can graze in the bull pasture. We’ve got ten acres here. It’s just a lease, but once we get back on our feet completely JJ said we can purchase it. He’s given me a fair price and he’ll honor it even if it takes me five years to be able to afford it.”
Rachael hugged her mother and father, then walked out to the backyard to climb an old live oak. Maysie followed her out, along with Aunt Margaret.
“I used to be quite the climber.” Aunt Margaret eyed the tree.
Rachael watched as she climbed it, limb by limb, getting nearer and nearer to the top. She sat perched up there looking around. Rachael looked at Maysie and decided to join Aunt Margaret up in the tree. Maysie followed her.
Michael came out of the house and said, “Hey, I can do that!”
He joined them, followed by Travis. Aunt Margaret climbed down first and asked everyone to smile while she snapped a picture.
“Wait for us!”
Shannah and Wade popped their heads out the backdoor. They sprinted over to the tree and scaled its lower limbs selecting one just for themselves. Tristan came out of the house behind them and climbed up boots and all. Maysie grabbed his hand, pulling him up to sit beside her on a branch.
“Okay. One more time!” Aunt Margaret announced. “On three.”
Chapter Twenty
The roar of a diesel engine woke Rachael up a little after six o’clock in the morning. She rolled over and wondered what would bring Travis over this early- especially the morning after Maysie’s guy-girl, post-graduation midsummer campout. Rachael hadn’t stayed the night. Things between them were getting more intense…and she knew spending the night with Travis anywhere could prove challenging.
She did a mental check. Fishing? No. Working? No.
This was her day off. Rachael wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep. This was her last full week before she started college. She’d already cut her hours back at the Western Store to Saturdays only two weeks ago. Yesterday was her last shift until she would return home for the holidays after semester finals.
She reluctantly crawled out of bed and started downstairs. She wanted to answer the front door before he knocked and woke up the entire family. Then, she remembered the salad with entirely too much onion on it from last night. On second thought, she paused and detoured to the bathroom and brushed her teeth… twice.
Next, she tiptoed downstairs to the front door, the old boards creaking underfoot. When she opened it, Travis sat on the bench of her small front porch wearing swim trunks, a red t-shirt, and matching ball cap. Wisps of dark hair peeked out from under the edges of the cap where his hair had gotten long during the warm summer months. The swimsuit exposed his tan, muscular thighs that were rarely visible in his jeans and boots. In the driveway, his airboat sat
hooked up to his truck.
“What’s up?” Rachael tried not to stare. He was so fine his presence still made her heart skip every time she was around him. A constant nervous little pitter patter that intensified with every meeting. Only two nights ago their kiss had become almost unbearable. She knew they were nearing a point in their relationship where things could take a turn, and she wasn’t sure even she could turn back.
“It’s the three year anniversary of the day I first took you air boating.”
“It’s early.”
“Not that early. The first time it was only just after five o’clock. This time I let you sleep in.” He smiled. “Grab a hat and flip flops.”
“Okay. Let me leave my parents a note.”
Rachael disappeared back inside the house. She put on her new hot pink ruffled bikini, tank top, and flip flops. She sprayed her arms, chest, and legs with sunscreen and returned the ball cap to her nightstand, swapping it out for her cowgirl hat instead.
She tiptoed to the kitchen and scribbled a note.
“Need a chaperone?” Michael asked from the doorway.
“Nope. It’s our anniversary of sorts. The first time we went air boating.”
“I’ll write that down.” Michael shook his head.
“What?”
“You two are too much.” He smiled and slunk back down the hall.
Rachael finished writing the note and heated up a microwaveable sausage biscuit for both her and Travis. She fixed herself a thermos of coffee and a bottle of water. He probably had a cooler full of stuff, but she thought she better grab some breakfast just in case.
Travis still waited outside. He appeared startled when she stepped out onto the porch. He walked around his truck, with purposeful strides, and opened the door for her to jump in. His hands on her waist caught her off guard. He wasn’t usually this romantic so early in the morning. He bent around to lightly kiss her cheek, before lifting her up.
“So why are we doing this again?” She knew the reason he’d supplied her with, but she suspected something more was going on here.
Cowgirl Strong Page 23