Chapter 7
Seven
Liana emerged from Travis’s bedroom and was greeted by soft lighting and music.
She could make out his silhouette on the patio where he tended to the grill, and Liana felt a sinking sensation in her belly as she took in the romantic scene.
Falling in love with a man capable of this would be far too easy.
Just a fling, she reminded herself as she made her way through the spacious living room to the patio.
“Did you make out all right in there?”
“It was great, thanks.” She noticed his hair was wet and that he had shaved. “How did you manage to shower and do all of this?”
He held out a hand to bring her close to him.
Oh, he smells so good!
“I used the guest shower, and I marinated kabobs this morning in the hope of luring you to Chez North tonight.” He closed the lid on the grill. “They need a few more minutes.”
“You surprise me.”
“Because I can cook on a grill?” He laughed. “I’ve lived alone for a long time, and I like to eat, so I know enough to be dangerous in the kitchen.”
“I’ve never had a man make dinner for me before,” she confessed.
“Never?”
She shook her head.
“You’ve missed out on all the simple things living that glamorous life of yours, haven’t you, sweetheart?”
“I’m beginning to think so.”
“We’ll have to see what we can do about that.” He reached into the pocket of the black cargo shorts he had changed into and withdrew his cell phone. “Want to check on your mom?”
Touched by his thoughtfulness, she took the phone from him. “Thank you.” He went back to the grill while she dialed her mother’s number.
“Oh, hi, honey,” Agnes said. “You just caught me.”
“Are you going out?”
“Just down to Aunt Edith’s and Uncle Charlie’s. They’re feeling blue since the wedding’s over and invited me for Chinese takeout.”
“They’re probably blue over the bill,” Liana said.
“No doubt,” Agnes said with a chuckle. “Are you having a good time?”
“We’ve had a lovely day.”
“He’s a very nice man, Liana.”
“Yes, he is.”
“You know, if you wanted to stay out all night, I’d never know . . .”
“Mother! What’s come over you?”
“Don’t be absurd, Liana. You’re twenty-eight years old. If you want to spend the night with a nice, ridiculously handsome man that your cousin hand-picked for you, don’t let your mother stand in the way.”
Liana felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“You’re all grown up, honey. You work harder than anyone I’ve ever known, and you owe it to yourself to enjoy your life more than you do.”
“I want to spend some time with you tomorrow, Mom. We’ve hardly seen each other since I’ve been home.”
“Oh, honey, I volunteer at the Senior Center on Tuesdays. I’ll be gone all day.”
“Wednesday then?”
“I’m free Wednesday afternoon. We can go to lunch and get a manicure.”
“I’d love that. Have a nice time with Aunt Edith and Uncle Charlie. Tell them I said it was a lovely wedding.”
“I will, honey. You think about what I said.”
“Yes, Mother.” She ended the call and crossed the patio to return the phone to Travis.
“How’s my friend Agnes?”
“She’s been abducted by aliens.”
“Why? Because she said you’re old enough to spend the night with me if you want to?”
“How do you know she said that?”
He laughed. “I could hear the horror in your voice.”
“That conversation was definitely a first. The mother I used to know would’ve put her hands over her ears and cried ‘lalalala’ at the mere mention of the word sex.”
“Maybe she’s gotten a sex life of her own and it’s loosened her up.”
“No way! You’re crazy.”
“She’s a beautiful woman, Liana. Why do you find it impossible to imagine her with a man?”
Liana took a sip of her wine. “Because.”
He used tongs to remove the kabobs from the grill. “Because why?”
“She was so heartbroken when my father died. He’d had cancer for years and had been doing really well, so when he died suddenly, it was such a shock to her. To both of us. I can’t imagine her with anyone else.”
“How long ago did he die?”
“Seven years.”
“That’s a pretty long time. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that she has someone else.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me if she did?”
“To spare you from worrying about her, to preserve your memories of your father. Who knows?”
Liana nibbled on her lip as she considered what he had said. He could be right. A boyfriend certainly would explain a lot about her mother’s recent behavior. It was a better explanation than Alzheimer’s, that was for sure. The thought made Liana giggle.
“What’s so funny?” he asked as he led her inside to eat.
“I’ve been thinking maybe she has Alzheimer’s, and she probably just has a boyfriend.”
“My grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and after spending an hour with your mother today I can pretty much guarantee you she doesn’t have it. She’s sharp as a tack.”
“You made quite an impression on her.”
“The mothers always love me,” he said with a smug smile.
Liana laughed. “I’m sure they do.”
He held a chair at the dining room table for her. “I never thought to ask if there’s anything you don’t eat.”
“I eat everything. I’ve never had to watch what I eat. I keep waiting for that to catch up to me, but so far it hasn’t. Other models I’ve worked with are always horrified by my eating habits.”
“I’m sure you’ve been horrified by some of theirs.”
“Ugh, it’s so awful the way some of them treat their bodies.”
He served her a healthy portion of rice along with the kabobs and a tossed salad.
“I’m very impressed. This is fabulous.”
He refilled their wine glasses. “I’m glad you like it.”
“So you know all about me, and you’ve told me nothing about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“You said you were from out of town, right?”
“Uh huh. Allentown, Pennsylvania.”
“Is your family still there?”
“My parents, five of my six siblings, and my grandfather still live there, along with assorted nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.”
“Did you say six siblings?”
He smiled. “Yes, I did.”
“Wow. That must’ve been so cool.”
“It was chaotic. My father worked in a factory, and there was never enough money, never enough of anything. It sucked.”
“That must’ve been tough for you.”
“I was the oldest, so a lot fell to me. Luckily, I had a talent that got me out of there.”
“What was that?”
“Football. I was an all-state quarterback. Brought home the state championship my senior year, which got me a full athletic scholarship to Ohio State and later an offer from the Arizona Cardinals.”
“The NFL,” she said with amazement. “You played professional football?”
He shook his head. “I said no. I wanted to go to business school.”
“The shirt you loaned me last night . . . You went to Stanford?”
“For my MBA.”
Amazed, she studied him with new appreciation. “You gave up a chance to play in the NFL to go to Stanford and get an MBA?”
“I did, and my father was so mad about it he didn’t speak to me for a year. There’s no doubt it was a gamble, but it’s paying off—finally. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do by building something lasting. Football was my ticket out of Allentown. That’s all it ever was to me.”
“Wait.” She held up a hand. “I remember reading about you. It was in the papers, wasn’t it?”
He grinned sheepishly. “I caused quite a firestorm. I guess there aren’t too many people who turn down the chance to play pro ball.”
“I wouldn’t think so. How did you end up here?”
“When I was in college I started playing the stock market. I invested heavily in Silicon Valley and got out before the high-tech bubble burst. I worked on Wall Street for seven years after I finished at Stanford. Then I used some of the money I’d made in the market to improve my parents’ circumstances and poured the rest into this place.
To say I have a lot riding on its success would be an understatement. ”
“How did you settle on Portsmouth?”
“I looked at ten other properties on the East Coast, but this one spoke to me. It felt like home. Do you know what I mean?”
“No,” she said sadly. “I’ve never had that feeling. Not since I left my parents’ house, that is. You’re lucky to have found it here.”
“I know.” He took their plates into the kitchen. “That’s why the vandalism bothers me so much. They think they’re just affecting my business, but they’re taking aim at my home. My place.”
When he came back, Liana reached for his hand and brought it to her lips. “You have to stay strong. They’ll get tired of it when they realize you’re here to stay.”
“I hope you’re right.” He gave her hand a gentle tug. “Dance with me?”
She got up to follow him.
Once he had her in his arms, he nudged her thick dark hair out of the way so he could whisper in her ear. “I think I’m going to enjoy this fling even more than I thought I would.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I like talking to you as much as I like doing this.” He raised her chin and found her lips.
Liana tightened her arms around his neck and fell into the kiss.
When he finally drew back from her, he found her eyes. “I’m going to take you home now, Liana.” He brushed his lips over hers. “But I’m going to see you tomorrow.” Another kiss. “And the day after.” More kisses. “And the day after that.”
“But—” Liana protested.
He silenced her with another deep kiss. “Trust me, sweetheart.”
Liana awoke late the next morning to rain pinging against her window.
After the glorious sunny day she’d enjoyed with Travis yesterday, the rain came as a surprise.
She stretched and then burrowed deeper into her warm bed.
Travis, she thought with a sigh. I can’t wait to see him today.
Her skin tingled as she remembered his passionate goodnight kiss at her mother’s front door.
He had promised to call her as soon as he finished with his morning meetings.
Since her mother had probably already left for the day, Liana gave significant thought to going back to sleep for a while. Then the ringing of the phone urged her out of bed as her heart kicked into gear at the hope that it might be Travis calling.