Chapter Twelve
Travis leaned back in his seat and smiled as he watched Retta with the kids. Little Mateo and Maya, Wade and Sierra’s adopted kids, had brought a whole new feel to these Sunday lunches at the MacFarland Ranch.
As he’d told Retta, he usually only came to these get togethers when he was here with Cash. It was strange to be here without him, but not in a bad way. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be too long before Cash decided that he was ready to come home. Well, Travis knew that his friend was almost there. Mav was the one who didn’t want to come home to the valley, and until he did, Travis couldn’t see Cash leaving him.
“It’s good to have you back.”
He looked up when Ford came over and took the seat next to him.
“Thanks. It’s good to be here. How’s life treating you?”
Ford nodded but didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled and jerked his chin toward Retta. “Is she getting some practice in, ready to be a grandma?”
Travis laughed. “I guess so. Although from the look of it, she doesn’t need much practice, she’s a natural.”
It was true. Even in her wheelchair, she had the kids captivated. Little Mateo stood by the chair telling Retta what looked like a very involved story. She asked him a question every now and then, and the boy gave her questions careful consideration before he answered. Little Maya wasn’t capable of staying still that long. She kept running off and coming back. As Travis watched, he figured out what she was doing – she was picking daisies and bringing them to Retta.
Retta wasn’t just fiddling with them while she listened to Mateo – when Maya came back to her with a few more, she added them to a daisy chain and held it up. The little girl smiled so big when Retta looped the chain over her neck. She ran off wearing it like a necklace and went straight to show it to Wade and Sierra.
Ford smiled when he turned back to him. “She is.”
“It seems strange to have little-uns running around here, but I like it.”
Ford smiled. “I do, too. And I’d say it’s a good thing that we enjoy it. The way things are going, I think we can expect more and more little people to join the family in the years to come.”
“What about you?” Travis asked. “Do you think you’ll ever want to settle down and have a family?”
Ford shrugged. “I dunno. I … think I might have missed my chance. I’ll have to leave it to the other guys.”
“Don’t give me that shit. You might be older than the others, but you’re not that old. Look at me – I’m a lot older than you are, and I’m hopeful about where things are going for me. And Ace and Deacon already proved that it’s never too late.”
Ford laughed. “You make it sound like you guys are in your nineties, not just your fifties. I didn’t mean that I’m too old, I just meant … Shit. Did you know he was coming?”
Travis followed his gaze and grinned when he saw Cash. He was hugging Janey, then he slapped Rocket’s back before pulling Laney in for a hug.
Mateo and Maya ran to him, and he picked them both up, sitting one on each hip. Maya kissed his cheek and Mateo looked serious as he started to explain something.
Travis laughed and turned back to Ford, but the seat beside him was now empty. Shit. He’d forgotten that Ford and Cash didn’t get along. It made no sense to him – they were each mad at the other for something they’d done to try to help.
He watched Cash set the kids down and finish saying hello to everyone. When he reached Retta, he glanced over at Travis with a grin before leaning down to whisper something to her.
Travis just laughed. He knew Cash too well – whatever he was up to, Travis wasn’t worried. Retta’s cheeks turned pink, but she was still smiling. Cash kissed her cheek and then came sauntering over toward Travis.
Tanner intercepted him, and Cash wrapped his arm around Tanner’s neck. It reminded Travis of when they were all much younger. When Tanner was a little kid, he used to worship Cash. To be fair, that was true of all the siblings – and it still was. Except maybe for Ford. But Cash had always had a soft spot for Tanner.
Maybe it wasn’t a soft spot so much as he seemed to give him a little more time and attention than the others – although he doted on all of them. It made sense to Travis. They were a big family, and all the others were paired up. Ty and Kolby were twins and they had that twin bond, a connection that was obvious. They turned to each other first – whether it was over a squabble when they were kids, or when their women’s lives were in danger as they had been recently. Janey and Laney were twins, too. They used to share the same kind of bond when they were small. It seemed to Travis like they were rebuilding it since Laney moved home, too. Ford and Wade were only a year apart in age, and they were close.
Tanner was the odd man out. He fell in the middle, between Ford and Wade and Laney and Janey. It wasn’t as though he needed any extra support – he was as outgoing and popular now as he had been as a kid. He was a charmer, and he knew how to use it to his advantage. Everyone seemed to love him. And he had the looks to go with it. Travis didn’t think he’d ever had a serious girlfriend, but that wasn’t for lack of offers.
He got to his feet when they reached him, and Cash finally let go of Tanner.
“Hey, Trav. It’s good to see you. I stopped at Trip’s place, but he told me you were here.”
“I came with Retta.”
Cash grinned. “So, I see. And you already moved her in with you?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
“Happy for you.”
“Thanks. What are you doing here?”
“Surprising everyone. I had a meeting in Seattle – I wasn’t going to fly right on by and not stop in to join the family for lunch.”
“You went by yourself? No Mav?”
Cash rolled his eyes. “I was glad to get away from him for a couple of days – and I wouldn’t have wanted to drop in like this if he came.”
“Things aren’t getting any better then?”
Cash let out a short laugh. “What do you think? I was calling him and Blane Grumpy and Grumpier before you left and now ....”
Travis chuckled. “Yeah, the Sunshine Twins.”
“Ain’t no sunshine now that you’re gone. The dark clouds have rolled in. And I’m warning you – there’s a storm brewing. He knows about Libby moving the horses over to your place.”
Travis shrugged. “It’s not like I tried to hide it from him. I wanted to talk to him about it, but that’s hard to do when he won’t return my calls.”
Cash grasped his shoulder. “I know. I’m just telling you.”
Travis blew out a sigh. “I wish there was something we could do.”
“We all do but … what? I’m getting to the point where I want to just beat some sense into him.”
Travis laughed. “You can’t do that. The brawls the two of you used to get into were legendary, but you haven’t come to blows in … how long has it been?”
“Over thirty years, and we vowed that we’d never do it again – which should tell you just how close I am to my breaking point that I’d even think about it.”
Travis blew out a sigh. “Do you think he might consider coming home once Libb’s not on the ranch anymore? That was the only possible bright side I could come up with.”
“You’re just trying to ease your guilty conscience.”
“Nope. I have nothing to feel guilty about. I know he’s mad at me for giving Libb an alternative.”
“It’s not the alternative that he’s mad about – it’s giving her a place where she’s going to be around other vets.”
“It’s not just vets he needs to worry about.”
Cash scowled. “What do you mean?”
“Probably nothing, but the girls had a night out last week. I was worried about Libb getting home, but Brent Noonan gave her a ride.”
Cash laughed. “You really think that pussy would dare to make a move on Libby? She could hand his ass to him – let alone Mav.”
“I dunno, bud. I just know that she’s moving on with her life. And if Mav wants to try to work things out with her, the first thing he needs to do is come home. And if he doesn’t come soon …”
“I know – he’ll have no one to blame but himself if she’s moved on.”
Travis turned to Tanner, who was standing there listening to the conversation.
“Do you have to wait for him?” he asked Cash.
Travis chuckled. “You just want your big brother home, right?”
“I do. I’ve never made a secret of that.” He looked at Cash. “You used to tell me that you’d come home as soon as you could – and I don’t see any reason that you can’t.”
“You know the deal, Tan. I was never going to come home before the old man’s finally in the ground. I’m not just staying away for Mav’s sake.”
“Yeah, but the old man may as well be in the ground. He’s still in that damn hospital. Still lying there rotting, hanging in just to spite us.”
Cash chuckled. “It sure seems that way.”
“You know my take,” said Travis. “If you stay away because of him, and he knows it, you’re letting him win.” Cash narrowed his eyes at him, but he shrugged. “It’s true.”
Tanner nodded. “He’s got a point. You’re letting the old bastard control you.”
Travis laughed at the look on Cash’s face. Cash liked to think that he was in control most of the time. Thinking that the father he hated was controlling him, even if it was in a roundabout way, would piss him off big time.
Travis winked at Tanner. “I think you might have said the magic words.”
Cash scowled. “You very well may have.” He looked up at the house. “I don’t see myself coming to live back here, though.”
“I know of some cabins that are going to be ready to welcome vets here soon,” said Travis. “You’re welcome to one of them until you figure out what you’re going to do.”
Tanner’s eyes were wide. “Are you serious? You might come home?”
Cash shrugged. “I will come home, that’s never been in question. And maybe it’ll be sooner than I thought.” He met Travis’s gaze. “I’m tired of it.”
“I get it, you know I do. That’s why I’m here.”
“You mean you’d retire?” Tanner asked. “You’d give up the company?”
“Not give it up, but take a step back. A big step. There’s enough of a team now that the place can run itself. I stick around because I enjoy the jobs. I’m not enjoying the rest of it much lately. If I came home, I could still go and meet clients – close the deals. I could go on jobs if I wanted to. But I think I’m about ready to give up the day-to-day management – whether I come home or not.”
Travis held his friend’s gaze. “If you’re ready, you should do it.” He’d known for a long time that Cash was more than ready to step back from managing operations, but he refused to do it until Mav was ready, too. They had a great management team. It wasn’t as though they held the company together by themselves in the way they had in the early days. He didn’t need to do any of it anymore, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Mav alone with it.
Cash grinned, and Travis knew that meant the subject was closed. “Anyway, that’s enough about me. I heard Retta might need to go back to her house – collect what she wants to get out of there before she sells the place.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“A little bird. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to have to go back to Seattle soon – close this deal and get the contracts signed. I thought if I pick you guys up on the way back through here, you can drop me off at home base and take the jet to Georgia. It’d be a difficult trip to make with her leg if you have to fly commercial.”
“Thanks, bud. I’ll talk to her.”
“Sure thing.” Cash wrapped his arm around Tanner’s neck again and knocked his hat off when he rubbed his knuckles over his forehead. “I thought you were going to get me a beer, not stand here eavesdropping.”
Tanner laughed and tried to fight him off, but Cash didn’t let go as he dragged him away toward the kitchen.
~ ~ ~
By the time they got back to the house that evening, Retta was exhausted. She’d had a wonderful day. She loved all of Kolby’s family and each of them had spent some time with her over the course of the afternoon.
Little Mateo and Maya were adorable. Mateo was so serious, he watched everyone carefully. His little sister flitted around, talking to everyone, and he kept a close eye on her the whole time. He’d told Retta all about his plans to become the sheriff, and a horse trainer, a chef, and a cowboy, and how he was going to have his own guest lodge and bakery. It seemed that he wanted to emulate every one of the men in his new family.
Little Maya was the same way: she was going to be a cowgirl, a veterinarian, and of course a country music star, just like Callie.
Their mom, Sierra, had sat with Retta for a while. They’d met before, but this was the first time that Retta had talked one-on-one with her. If she was honest, Sierra made her feel a little uncomfortable. She was as sweet as pie, but she’d inherited millions and millions of dollars. From their chat this afternoon, Retta had come to feel sorry for her. She’d only inherited all that money because she lost her family – her mom when she was small and her father and brother more recently. No amount of money could make up for that.
When Travis stopped the truck in front of the house, he climbed out without a word and came around to open her door.
“You okay, darlin? You were mighty quiet on the way back.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her out. “Sorry. I’m just tired. It was a good day, I enjoyed it. But being around that many people – talking to them all …” She shrugged. “I guess I’ve forgotten how. I’ve gotten used to spending my days with you and talking to Callie now and then.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve been keeping you all to myself here. I’ll have to …”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “You don’t have to do anything. I wasn’t complaining. I enjoy the way things are. I was only explaining why I’m tired.”
He smiled as he carried her into the house. “How tired are you? Do you want to sit out front with a drink and watch the stars, on the sofa with a movie, or in bed with me?”
She held his gaze as she thought about it.
“You can tell me what you’re thinking. If you’re so tired that you want to go to bed by yourself, you say so.”
“No! That wasn’t what I was thinking. I was thinking that I want it all. And now that I’m here – with you – for the first time in my life, I feel like I can have it all. We can sit in bed with a drink and watch the stars through the window. We can watch a movie if I can stay awake that long. Most importantly, we can sit together.”
“And snuggle.”
She laughed. “No one would ever guess by looking at you that you’re so … affectionate.”
He shrugged happily as he headed for the stairs. “I don’t need anyone to guess, I just need you to know.”
“I do.”
He set her down at the bathroom door. “Do you need anything? I’ll go down and get us a drink. Do you want any munchies or …”
“I’m good. I’ll get ready for bed and meet you there.”
He leaned in and dropped a kiss on her lips. “You be careful. I’ll bring your crutches up.”
“I’m fine. You’ve seen me get around in here – I feel more comfortable leaning on the wall or the vanity – this floor’s too slippery for crutches.”
He frowned. “I can get some …”
She laughed. “I told you – I’m fine. Watch.” She hobbled away from him, using the vanity to support herself. “You go do your thing – and let me do mine.”
He chuckled as he left. “Be right back. I’ll bring the wheelchair in from the truck so it’s ready for morning.”
By the time he climbed into bed beside her, it was fully dark outside. He turned off his bedside lamp, and it took a little while for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she stared out the windows. The moon rode high in the sky. It was bright enough that the trees cast shadows, and the mountain was more than just an outline.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she pressed closer to his side.
“You want the TV on?”
“I don’t.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t think so, but I had to make sure – you said you wanted it all.”
She looked up into his eyes and ran her fingers through his beard. “I feel like I have it all with you – I don’t need anything else.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t need to sweet talk me, darlin’ – you already got me. I’m yours.”
Her heart felt as though it melted in her chest. The thought of this big, sweet, wonderful man being hers was …
“Is that too much?” he asked. “It’s true, but I can hold off on saying it for a while if you need me to.”
“It’s not. It’s … huge. It’s wonderful. I …” She blew out a big sigh. “I wanted to be cautious coming into this, Trav. I wanted to be sensible. I didn’t think it’d be wise to just dive in both feet first … but …”
He cocked an eyebrow. “But?”
“I was wrong. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever known. You’re kind, you’re a good man, you’re everything I could want in a man but never dared believe was possible. To think of you as mine?” She smiled. “Yes, please.”
He grinned back at her. “Are you saying that you want to be mine, too?”
“Yeah, I am. I’m not sure that I understand why you want me, but I’m not going to question it – I’m going to just be grateful that you do.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I thought it’d take a lot longer than this to get you to see it my way.”
She shrugged. “When you called me out for being stubborn about Callie, I think you cracked something open inside me. I meant it when I said that even if I have been stubborn, I’m not stupid. Thanks to you, I see things differently now. And since I can see differently, I can do differently. My daughter tried to include me in her life for years and I wouldn’t let her because I didn’t want to screw things up for her. I cost both of us a lot of years that we could have shared.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I don’t want to do that with you. I don’t want to take years or even months to figure it out.”
He ran his hand over her hair. “I’m glad. I want you in my life, Retta.”
She kissed him again. “I’m here, I’m already in your life, and I want you in mine.”
“Are you sure? That sounds like a commitment to me – and Trip wasn’t joking, I can be hard to shake once I make one of those.”
She nodded happily. “I don’t want to tie you down to anything too soon, but for me, I think I need to feel like it’s a commitment so that I’ll go all in.”
He handed her a glass of wine and tapped his beer bottle against it. “Here’s to us.”
Once she’d taken a sip, he set their drinks back on the nightstand and hauled her onto his lap with a big smile.
“We might not be able to go all in on making love just yet, but I love having you in my bed so that we can practice.”
She clung to his shoulders as he kissed her deeply. She loved the way he made her feel when he kissed her. He was so big, so solid. Sitting on his lap with his arms around her, she felt like she was surrounded by him – and there was no better feeling in the world.
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes twinkled as he said, “I take that back.”
“You don’t like having me in your bed?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Nope. I love you being in our bed – and I can’t wait to have you.”