Chapter Three
After he’d shown her around the restaurant building, Travis wheeled Retta back outside to his truck. He stopped when her phone rang, and she fished it out of her purse.
“Hi, sweetie. Yeah, I’m good.” Retta laughed and looked up at him. “I promise I’m taking it easy. Travis hasn’t given me any choice.”
He winked at her.
“I don’t know, I’ll text you again later. I …”
Travis raised his eyebrows.
“She wants to know what time she can expect me back.”
“Whatever time you say – I’ll keep you out until your curfew if I get a say in it.”
She chuckled and spoke to Callie again. “He wants to know what time my curfew is … No, but I don’t want you to worry … Okay … I’ll text you later.”
She ended the call. “She’s not worried about the time – only that I don’t overdo it.”
“We both know there’s no chance of that. And seriously, just let me know if you’ve had enough; I’ll take you back whenever you want to go.”
“Thanks, Travis. I’m excited to see more of the place. You said there’s a few cabins; do you live in one of those?”
He grinned. “Nope. The cabins are great, but I live in the main house. It’s too big for me, but it’s more of a home. The cabins are a bit … rustic.” He shrugged. “They’ll suit the guys who come to stay, but I want something more permanent for myself. Want to come see?”
She nodded eagerly.
He opened the passenger door to his truck, and just as he was about to lift her out of her chair, they both looked up at the sound of vehicles approaching.
Ty’s truck came first, and he and Shayna waved as they passed. Libby followed them in her truck and as she pulled into the parking lot, she put her window down.
“Hey, you two. I’m not stopping. I just wanted to say hi.” She smiled at Retta. “And to welcome you.”
“Thanks.” Retta gave her a rueful smile. “I wish it were under different circumstances, but …”
“How’s your leg doing?”
“It’s fine. It’ll just take time. Once I can get about by myself, I’ll head home and get out from under Callie and Kolby’s feet.”
Libby glanced at Travis before she said, “Is there any chance that you’d consider staying?”
Retta shrugged, and Travis chuckled.
“You might as well get used to everyone asking you that, darlin’. We all know that Kolby and Callie would love for you to move here.”
She looked up at him but didn’t answer.
Libby smiled. “I guess we won’t be able to persuade you by putting pressure on you though, will we? But if you’re starting to get out and about, you should come to the bakery on Friday.”
“I might, I don’t know …”
“Don’t worry about Kolby and Callie, I’ll give you a call on Thursday evening. If you want to go, I’ll pick you up and take you.”
“Thanks, I’d like that.”
Travis kept his mouth shut. He’d been planning to ask if he could take her to the usual Friday afternoon get together at the bakery, but perhaps it’d be better if Libby took her – the more friends she made, the better.
“I’d better get on home. Where will you be tomorrow, Trav? I want to talk to you about the barn. I’m thinking I could move some of the horses up here sooner rather than later.”
“I think the best answer is that you’ll just have to text me and see. I want to walk through the cabins and make a list of what they all need. Now that I’m moved in, and we’ve got you and Ty moving on the restaurant and the barn, I’m ready to start thinking about the cabins.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a call.” She smiled at Retta. “And I’ll call you on Thursday, but feel free to call me before if you want to.”
“Thanks.” Retta looked up at him as they watched Libby drive away. “I like her. We had a good chat when I came for Callie and Kolby’s party.”
“Yeah, Libb’s good people. And she must have taken a shine to you. She wouldn’t go out of her way to get you involved otherwise.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“Not saying that she’s not friendly, but she keeps to herself mostly. Anyway …” He held his arms out to her “… Want to get going? We can drive by the cabins. I’ll show you inside another time. I think you’ve done enough for today.”
She nodded, and he lifted her out of the wheelchair. He felt bad for her that she’d broken her leg and had to wear the cast, but there was no denying that it went in his favor – he hadn’t lied when he said that he liked being able to pick her up and carry her around.
He grinned at her before he put her in the truck. Her arms came up around his neck as she smiled back. It’d be all too easy to lean in and kiss her, but he was biding his time. Like Libby had said – he didn’t want to put any pressure on her.
“I don’t know about me having done enough for one day – you’re the one who has to keep hefting me around.”
“It’s not hefting, darlin’. You’re light as a feather.”
She made a face.
“Okay, maybe not as light as a feather, but you’re just a little slip of a thing. I lift weights heavier than you in the gym.”
She laughed. “I bet you mean that. You’re not just saying it for effect, are you?”
He shrugged. “I’m not bragging, just making the point that it’s no hardship – it’s my pleasure.”
He set her down in the passenger seat and held her gaze for a long moment before he stepped back.
Her pupils dilated as she stared back at him. “What are you thinking?”
“That it’d be a crying shame if you go home.”
Her cheeks flushed pink, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she shook her head slowly. “My life’s there.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Your daughter’s here – you could build a new life here.” He was sorely tempted to add something about building a life with him in it, but he managed to bite his tongue. Yeah, he found himself more attracted to her than he’d been to any woman in years, but he didn’t need to go jumping the gun. They’d known each other for a while, but they didn’t know each other all that well yet.
He smiled and closed her door before going around to the driver’s side.
~ ~ ~
Retta fell in love with the house the moment she saw it. She hadn’t realized that the property was so large. After they left the restaurant, Travis had driven her past the barn where Libby was going to bring some of her horses. Then, he’d shown her three cabins – he said that these were the closest to the main road that led through the property – although they were each set back in their own private space. He said he’d show her the other nine another time – they were scattered around the property and more private still.
The cabins were adorable. Travis had called them rustic, but they looked perfect to her. She imagined that they were cozy inside – that they’d provide a comfortable space for the guests Travis expected to host. From what she understood, he wasn’t looking to rent them out to vacationers, but to provide a place where vets could come and spend some time.
The house was something else. While the cabins were scattered around the property, the house stood up on a ridge, overlooking the whole valley. She could see all the way up to the snow-capped mountains in the North, and more of them to the South. And it was no cabin. It was a log-built home. The front of it reminded her of the bow of a ship. There were huge windows, and a massive stone fireplace.
“What do you think?”
She laughed when she realized that she hadn’t spoken a word since they came inside.
“This place is amazing, Travis. It’s so beautiful.”
He grinned. “Isn’t it? I never saw myself living in a place like this. I wouldn’t have bought a house like this for myself. I was all about the cabins and the meeting space but …” He shrugged. “This house is part of the deal and … I thought about maybe renting it out but …”
“No! You deserve to live here. It suits you. It’s gorgeous.” She laughed when he grinned. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
He chuckled. “I know, but don’t take it back.”
“Okay.”
“Because you don’t want to hurt my feelings or because it’s true?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll say it, if you want me to, but you already know the answer.”
His grin grew even bigger. “You don’t need to say it, but I’m glad that you feel that way.”
There was no point in denying it. She was sure she wasn’t the only woman who thought he was gorgeous. It wasn’t some secret that he’d never discover if she didn’t tell him.
“And in case you haven’t gotten the message yet, I think you’re gorgeous, too.”
Her heart skittered in her chest. He’d told her several times that he liked the way she looked, but he hadn’t come straight out with it like that before now.
He winked. “Don’t mean to embarrass you, just want to make sure you know how I feel.”
She nodded, not knowing what to say.
“Anyway, now that you’re over your initial shock, do you want a tour?”
“Please.”
He wheeled her all around the ground floor. The front of the house was open plan – the huge great room took advantage of the amazing views and opened to the kitchen and dining area. There was a hallway that led to the rear of the house where there were two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom.
“There’s a game room and a TV room downstairs and two more beds and baths,” Travis told her. “Upstairs is the owner’s suite. The bedroom is huge, and the view’s fantastic. It has its own little reading room, and the bathroom’s enormous. It’s way too fancy for me, but I love it.”
Retta was so curious to see it, but she could hardly ask him to carry her upstairs.
He winked at her. “Doesn’t seem appropriate for me to offer to carry you up to my bedroom, but whenever you want to see it, I’ll be happy to.”
She laughed. “You’re right, that might be a bit much.” She’d let him decide what she meant by that. She wasn’t sure herself if she meant it’d be too much after all the times he’d carried her around today already or … what.
~ ~ ~
Travis smiled to himself as he watched Retta chatting with Trip on the front deck. He loved that from his spot in the kitchen – where he was getting them fresh drinks and checking on the pizza he’d put in the oven – he was still able to see what was going on outside. And what he saw made him happy; Trip and Retta were getting along well.
Trip had already said that he’d stop by this evening, and when they first got back to the house Travis had wondered whether he should call and put him off. When he’d suggested to Callie that he could take Retta out for the afternoon, he hadn’t expected that he’d be able to persuade her to stick around to have dinner with him. But even though part of him would rather have Retta to himself, he was glad that Trip was here.
Trip had been his best friend since kindergarten. They came from very different backgrounds – Trip was the rich kid, whose father was a movie star, while Travis’s family had lived in a trailer park on the edge of town. It hadn’t mattered to the little boys they were back then, and it hadn’t been an issue in the more than fifty years that had passed since.
He was about to take the drinks outside when Trip got to his feet. He came inside and greeted Travis with a grin.
“I like her.”
Travis chuckled. “Why wouldn’t you? She’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I knew that from when I met her at Kolby and Callie’s party, but I mean I like her for you.”
Travis raised his eyebrows and waited.
Trip grinned. “Come on, that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? You’ve had a thing for her ever since you first saw her on a video call.”
“I have. I …”
Trip grasped his shoulder. “So, make your move. I know it’s not ideal that she’s here because she broke her leg, but it’s given you the chance to spend some time with her.”
Travis looked out through the window again. He loved seeing Retta sitting there on his front deck, a small smile on her face as she took in the view.
“Yeah, I’m going to make the most of the chance to spend some time with her, but she says she’ll be going home just as soon as she can.”
Trip chuckled. “You mean as soon as the doctor says that she’ll be okay by herself?”
Travis laughed with him. “Yes, Doctor, I do.”
Callie had asked the doctor at the hospital in San Diego, where Retta was when she broke her leg, to transfer her into Trip’s care. There wasn’t much that she needed, but he’d be the one who would give the final say on when her cast was removed. Of course, if she was determined to go home before that, it’d be up to her but …
Trip shrugged. “You know I’m not going to try and hold her up if she wants to go – not even for you. But I reckon you’ll have all the time you need to win her over before she’s ready to go home.”
“I hope so. Then again, would I be crazy to even try? She’s had my head turned around since the first time I saw her, but we don’t know each other yet.”
“Then you’d better get to work on that, hadn’t you? Go on, take her drink out. I’ll bring mine when I come back.”
Travis cocked an eyebrow, and Trip laughed. “Little boys’ room,” he explained.
“Ah, right.”
When he set Retta’s drink on the table beside her, she smiled. “Thanks. This place is amazing, Travis. If I lived here, I think I’d spend all my time out here, taking in the view.”
“You’re welcome to spend as much time here as you like.”
“Thanks. I might take you up on that offer. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to sit still long enough, but sitting is about all I can do for now, and as much as I love the view from Callie and Kolby’s place, this is something else.”
“Isn’t it?” Travis looked up at Emigrant Peak, the mountain that loomed above them. This view was obviously the reason that the original owners had built the house here. The windows in the great room framed the mountain perfectly.
“Anytime you want to come over and enjoy the view, just give me a holler and I’ll come get you.”
“Thanks.”
He rubbed his hand over his beard. “And if you want to do more than just sit and stare, I wouldn’t mind your help.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “I’d love to help, but I don’t think I’d be of much use to you.”
“I’m thinking about your advice and input – and you can give me those from your wheelchair.”
“Input on what?”
“I told you I want to go through the cabins and see what I can do about making them feel … welcoming. You know, like a place where a guy could feel at home for a while.”
“Yes.”
“And you sure seem to have the knack for making a place feel like a home.”
A big smile spread across her face. “Ooh! Well, if that’s the kind of input you’re looking for, I’d be happy to help. You’ll have to tell me what you’re going for, though. I mean, you’re the one who knows how a guy wants to feel. I can come up with suggestions for you but …”
“I reckon between the two of us, we’ll do great. I know how I want it to feel, but I have no clue what to do to make it happen.”
She grinned back at him. “All you need to do is tell me what you’re looking for – I’ll be able to make it happen.”
“And you wouldn’t mind? It doesn’t have to take too long. I …”
She laughed. “Don’t you dare try to take it away from me now! You’ve given me hope that I can make myself useful while I’m here instead of just sitting around on my ass. Not only do I not mind, but I also have all the time in the world – until I go home.”
“And if I can keep you busy, there’ll be no rush to go home, right?”
She held his gaze for a moment. She didn’t speak – didn’t agree with him, but he preferred to focus on the fact that she hadn’t disagreed with him, either.
She finally dropped his gaze when Trip came back outside.
“So, the two of you have been best friends since you were kids?” she asked.
Trip grinned. “We have. Since kindergarten. I was the puny little newcomer, and Trav was already taller and stronger than everyone else. He took me under his wing and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Travis chuckled. “He makes it sound like it was one-sided. I might have been bigger than the other kids, but Trip here was a hundred times smarter.”
Retta laughed. “I’ll bet the two of you were quite a team – and got into all kinds of mischief.”
“You could say that,” Travis said with a laugh.
“We got into plenty of mischief when we were kids, but this guy saved my life more than once when we were in the Navy,” said Trip.
Retta looked up at him, but Travis just shrugged. “We all saved each other more than once. It’s just part of being a team.”
Trip held his gaze. “That’s true, but it’s not the whole story, and we both know it.”
Retta was watching them closely, and Travis was relieved that she didn’t push for further explanation. He was happy to drop the subject. He didn’t like to think about how he’d almost lost his buddy.
He grinned at Trip. “You’d never managed to shake me since kindergarten, I wasn’t going to let you do it by getting yourself killed.”
Trip smiled at Retta. “Those are the exact words he said to me. I’d given up all hope and then this guy appears out nowhere and throws me over his shoulder like I’m a rag doll.”
She laughed at that. “I’m glad to hear that he could carry you when you needed it – he’s been carrying me all day.”
Travis held his breath when Trip said, “You should probably get used to it. Like I told you, once he’s taken you under his wing, there’s no shaking him.”
His heart pounded as Retta looked up at him. He waited, but she didn’t say anything. Trip shot him an apologetic look, but he just chuckled.
“What can I say? It’s true.” He grabbed Trip and tossed him over his shoulder. “You haven’t managed to shake me in fifty years, you’re not going to manage it now, buddy.”
Retta laughed as she watched them, and he relaxed as he set Trip back on his feet, glad that the moment had passed. He had taken Retta under his wing since he met her, but he didn’t want her to go thinking that she wouldn’t be able to get rid of him if she wanted to.