Chapter Eighteen
“Are you sure you don’t need anything before I go?” Travis asked.
Retta held her arms up to him. “I’ll take a hug, but other than that I’m good.”
He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could while she was in the wheelchair.
She rested her forehead against his and looked into his eyes.
“I love you.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love you, too, darlin’.” He chuckled. “I’m a lucky, lucky man. Not only did I manage to persuade this beautiful woman I met to fall in love with me when she didn’t even want to give me a chance at first, but I also got myself the best interior decorator.”
Her cheeks flushed as she smiled at him and then looked around the cabin. This was the fourth one she was working on. The first three were pretty much ready to go, other than a few finishing touches she was waiting on.
“I wouldn’t claim to be an interior decorator, but I’ll admit that I am pleased with how things are going.”
“You should be proud of yourself. You’re doing a great job. The cabins are turning out so much better than I could have imagined. I just wish I could make you understand how grateful I am.”
Her hand came up to cup his cheek, and she gave him a slow, lingering kiss that sent shivers down his spine.
“I can think of a way you could show me.”
He narrowed his eyes at her and adjusted the front of his pants. “You know damn well how hard I’m trying to not think about that!”
He loved the way she smiled – she looked so damn pleased with herself.
“And you should know that I’m tired of waiting – I keep trying to make myself clear, but since you’re not taking any notice of me, I’ll just come out and say it – I think it’s time. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
He blew out an exaggerated sigh. “You’ve made yourself perfectly clear the last couple of nights. You’re torturing me, darlin’.”
She shrugged happily. “Are you complaining?”
“Hell no.” Sleeping next to her and not making love to her was getting more difficult by the day. Especially because she’d gotten it into her head that they didn’t need to wait anymore.
For the last few nights, she’d been tempting him in every way she could – and he wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer.
This morning when she’d slid her arm around his waist, her hand had made a detour to the south and when she curled her fingers around him, it had taken everything he had not to give in and give her what she wanted.
He stepped back and adjusted his pants again with a rueful smile. “I need to get going. I’m supposed to be meeting Ty in a few minutes. But tonight … tonight we can talk about it.”
She gave him a sassy smile. “How about tonight we stop talking about it?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “You’re killing me, darlin’.”
“No, you’re killing me. I’m glad that we took things so slowly. I’m glad that we’ve been sleeping together all this time before we get to sleep together. But I’m done waiting.”
He eyed the cast on her leg.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m hoping that the cast will come off next week. And before you suggest that we should wait until it does, think about it. With the cast on, things might be a bit awkward, but we’ll figure it out. If we wait until it comes off, you’ll have a whole bunch of new excuses about not hurting me or something.”
He rested his hands on the arms of the wheelchair as he leaned in to kiss her.
“I have to go. Promise you’ll call me if you need anything? I’ll be with Ty for maybe an hour. Then, I want to stop in to see Libby at the barn. I should be back here by lunchtime.”
She pursed her lips. “I promise I’ll call you if I need something, as long as you promise not to worry about me.”
“Not going to make you promises I can’t keep.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, but will you at least promise me that we can talk tonight?”
“Yeah. But …”
She waved a hand at him. “Go on, you don’t want to be late for Ty. Tell him I said hello.”
He chuckled. “All right, I’ll see you later. Love you, darlin’.”
She met his gaze and held it. “I love you, too, Trav.”
When he got to the restaurant, he sat outside in the truck for a minute, willing his dick to forget about their conversation – and more importantly to stop agreeing with Retta that they didn’t need to wait anymore.
He hadn’t been joking when he told her that she was torturing him. He hadn’t felt this sexually frustrated in years – maybe ever. Sure, he took himself in hand in the shower now and then to take the edge off, but it couldn’t squash the need. His desire for her pulsed in his veins and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.
He jumped when his cellphone buzzed with a text, and grinned when he saw who it was from.
Zeke: Hey, Duke. Are those cabins of yours ready yet? Thinking it might be time for me to take a break.
Travis: The first few are done. I’m not ready to open the place for business yet, but if you want to come, there’s always a place for you. When are you thinking?
Zeke: Sometime in the next few weeks.
Travis: Just let me know when and there’ll be a cabin waiting for you. How you doing?
Zeke: You know.
Travis’s smile faded. Zeke had been a good friend for years when they served in the Navy together. Their paths had led them in different directions since, but Zeke was one of those guys who fell off the face of the earth for months, or sometimes years at a time and then came back around like no time had passed at all. He fought an ongoing battle with alcohol addiction. From his reply, Travis guessed that he’d been through another dark spell and was coming out the other side again.
Travis: I know every time you slip, you climb back out. And you know that I’ve got your back whenever you need me.
Zeke: I do. Thanks. How are things with you?
Travis: Everything’s rosy in my garden. I’ll catch you up when I see you. Let me know when, if you can. I’ll make sure there’s a cabin ready for you. But if you just blow in on the wind, that’s good, too.
Zeke: Appreciate it, but. I’ll give you a couple days’ notice. See you soon.
Travis: Looking forward to it. Be good to see you.
Zeke: You too.
Travis climbed out of the truck and put his phone back in his pocket before letting himself into the restaurant.
He grinned as he looked around. Ty had been working hard on getting the place ready to open. By the look of things, he wasn’t that far off. Travis was glad that he hadn’t wanted to make too many big changes. He thought that the way the interior was set up would work perfectly for the kind of atmosphere he wanted to create.
To Travis, the dining area felt like you were inside a private lodge. The tables were set up so that most of them felt like they were in their own private little space, and almost every table had a fantastic view of the mountain.
Ty came out from the kitchen and greeted him with a big smile.
“Hey, Trav.”
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Doing great. I’m thinking that we should be all set to open in a few weeks. I wanted to know how that will suit you.”
Travis shrugged. “I told you; you work this place how you see fit. I was okay with opening the restaurant to the public because this is the closest building to the road. Your customers will be able to come and go without affecting anything else on the property.”
“I know, but I don’t want to just do my own thing and not keep you in the loop.”
“I appreciate that. As long as you let me know what you’re up to, we’re good. If your plans don’t work for me, I’ll let you know. But I don’t see that happening.”
“Okay. What else?”
Travis gave him a puzzled look. “What kind of what else?”
Ty laughed. “I felt like we needed to have a meeting but I didn’t really know what about. I was thinking that you’d tell me.”
“I dunno. I think we’re good, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, I guess we are. So, what else is new with you? How’s Retta doing?”
“She’s good. She’s working wonders in the cabins.”
Ty grinned. “I know. Did she tell you that Shay stops to see her whenever she can? She likes to make sure that Retta’s doing okay since she can’t get around too well by herself, but now it’s turned into picking up tips on what she can do to make our cabin feel more like home.”
Travis cocked an eyebrow. “How long do you guys plan to stay there?”
Ty and Shayna had moved into a cabin that was one of the original buildings on the MacFarland Ranch. It was nice enough; Wade had fixed it up and had been using it for paying guests before he offered it to Ty and Shayna. It wasn’t anything like the much larger cabin where Wade and Sierra and their kids lived, or the one where Kolby and Callie lived, though.
Ty shrugged. “For as long as Shay’s happy there. I know what you’re thinking – it may seem like we’re the poor relations compared to the others, but it works for us. We don’t need much room. Neither of us is exactly domesticated, so we wouldn’t want to have a big house to clean and take care of. That place suits us. She loves the view; she loves feeling like we’re away by ourselves.”
“Then it’s perfect for you.”
“Yeah, it is. If she were the kind of girl who wanted some big fancy house, I’d make sure she got one.”
Travis chuckled. “Nah. If she were that kind of girl, you wouldn’t be with her.”
“True. Oh, and have you heard anything from Callie and Kolby?”
“Nope. I would’ve thought you’d hear from them before I did.”
“Yeah, Kolby calls me most days, but I haven’t heard anything since they left for Nashville.’
“That was yesterday.”
Ty shrugged. “Like I said, he calls me most days. I just thought Callie might have called Retta.”
“Aw, are you looking forward to being an uncle?”
“I am. I love being Uncle Ty to Mateo and Maya. I can’t wait for Kolby to be a dad.”
Travis cocked an eyebrow. “And what about you?”
“We’re going to take our time. Yeah, I can’t wait to be a dad, but Shay wants to time it right with her studies and her work and everything.”
“Right. That makes sense. Oh, and I meant to tell you that Eli’s going to let me know when he can get out here. He’s looking forward to getting his practice moved – and to having Shay start helping him.”
“I’m looking forward to that myself. Once she’s working for him, she’ll have to stop running around doing so many other jobs.”
“Where is she today?”
“She’s helping Libby with the horses this morning and then she’s going home this afternoon to work on a big assignment.”
“Well, give her my best.” Travis checked his watch. “If there’s nothing else we need to talk about, I might take myself home for a little while and catch up on some work.”
“What kind of work?”
“Just some calls I need to make.”
“I’ll let you get on. Will we see you for lunch on Sunday?”
Travis frowned. “I don’t know. I doubt Kolby and Callie will be back by then, and we come because …”
Ty made a face. “Are you saying that you only come to the family lunch when Retta’s daughter’s there? As if you’re not family in any other respect?”
Travis held his gaze. “I …”
Ty laughed. “Jesus, Trav. You’re family in your own right. I see you as just another big brother – we all see you as our big brother. I’d want you there as one of the family no matter what. Say you’ll come?”
He nodded slowly.
“Your only other excuse would be that you’re going to Trip’s instead, and it’s the same with him. He’s one of the family, too. I’ll call and ask him. So, if I don’t see you before, I’ll see you Sunday.”
Travis grasped his shoulder. “Thanks, Ty. We’ll see you then.”
~ ~ ~
Retta looked up when she heard a car door slam outside. She checked her watch; she hadn’t expected Travis back this early. She still had so much she wanted to do.
The knock on the door told her that it wasn’t him.
“Come in,” she called.
“Hey, it’s only me,” Libby said as she opened the door and came in.
“Oh, hi. How are you?”
“Great, thanks. I came to see if you want to come out for dinner tomorrow night. Ari called me a little while ago and she’s ready for a night out.”
“Sure, I’m always up for a girls’ night.”
“Awesome.” Libby looked around the cabin. “This place is gorgeous. I really like what you’ve done with it.”
“Thanks. I’m having so much fun.”
“Good for you. Are you enjoying it enough that you don’t miss your old job?”
She laughed. “Until you just mentioned it, I can honestly tell you that I haven’t given my old job a thought recently. I’m glad it’s behind me.”
“Good for you. Is there any news on your house?”
“There have been a few showings, but nobody interested enough to put in an offer yet. I’m not worried, it’ll sell when it sells.” As she said the words, it struck her that she was only able to feel so relaxed about the whole process because of Callie. More precisely, because of the very healthy bank account that Callie had set up in her name.
She hadn’t touched any of the money yet – she hadn’t needed to. But just knowing that it was there put a whole new spin on things. She wasn’t worried about when her house might sell. She wasn’t worried about hiring a moving company. She would like to get some of her furniture here at some point, but there was no big rush. She could put it in storage if she wanted to. She could have movers bring it to her. What she didn’t need to do was go through all the stress of trying to figure it out. If she were on her own – emotionally and financially – in the way that she had been for most of her life, she’d be making decisions based on fear and stress. She’d no doubt have sold everything she owned before she’d moved here just to know that she’d have the money in the bank and that she wouldn’t have to make another trip back to Georgia to deal with it.
Libby smiled. “Being here suits you; you seem more relaxed every time I see you.”
“Thanks. I feel more relaxed with every day that passes.” It might not have occurred to her until now, but it was true.
Libby checked her watch. “I can’t stay, I just thought I’d stop in since I was going past. I’ll call you later and let you know what the plan is. If it’s up to me, we’ll go to The Riverside.”
Retta was glad to hear that.
Libby laughed. “I like the Valley Lodge well enough, but I don’t need white tablecloths and expensive wine every time we go out. I’m just as happy with a burger and a beer.”
“Me too,” Retta agreed. “Would you mind if I … No, never mind.”
“If you what?”
“I don’t know, it’s probably a bad idea. I was going to ask if I could invite Shelly.”
“Shelly? Oh! She’s Trip’s new receptionist?”
“That’s her.”
“Is there something going on there? Are they seeing each other?”
Retta shrugged. “I don’t know what the deal is. I’ve met her a couple of times. She’s new in town, and I thought it’d be nice … but … I’m new myself. I don’t want to overstep by inviting more people to come out.”
Libby laughed. “That’s not overstepping! We’re just a group of friends; if we make more friends then that’s awesome. Invite her – but you should probably warn her that Candy and Ari won’t hold back on the questions about what’s going on between her and Trip.”
Retta had to laugh. “What, and you’re saying that you will hold back?”
Libby laughed with her. “You know me better than that. I want to know everything. I’ll tell you what, I’ll set up a group text so that we can all figure out the details of where we’re going and when. You talk to Shelly, and if she’s in, we can add her to the group – so she can get an idea of what she’s in for before we go out.”
“Okay. I’ll give her a call now.”
After Libby had gone, Retta took out her phone and jumped when it started to ring in her hand. She frowned when she saw a 478 area code. That was Georgia, but she didn’t recognize the number. It could be something to do with the house, but all the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Instead of answering, she waited for it to stop ringing.
If it was something important, they’d leave a message. She watched her phone suspiciously while she waited. Just when she thought that whoever it was hadn’t left a voicemail, the phone beeped.
She clicked to play, and her eyes widened when she heard, “Hi, Retta. This is Marty Hoffman. Adriana’s dad from school. I hope it’s all right to call you. I was hoping to get an address for you. The girls were sad that they didn’t get to say goodbye to you, and they want to send you a gift. I … err, well, yeah. That’s it. If you could call me back … or just text me if you prefer. I hope things are going well for you. We were all sorry to hear that you won’t be back at school this year. Okay. Thanks. Bye.”
She sat there staring at her phone. That was … weird. Marty was a nice enough guy, but he wasn’t that involved with the cheer squad. Granted, he’d gotten more involved after he and Jamie separated, but even then, he just showed up to a couple of practices and traveled to a handful of games to support his daughter. To Retta’s knowledge, that was the total extent of his involvement. Adriana was a decent enough kid, but if any of the girls was going to organize a leaving gift, Retta doubted that she’d be the one.
She was still staring at her phone when it rang again, making her jump and then laugh, feeling foolish.
“Hey, Trav,” she answered. “Are you on the way?”
“I am. I’ll be there in a few.”
“Okay.”
When he walked through the door a few minutes later, she forgot all about Marty’s message. Travis’s larger-than-life personality drew her in and left no room for thoughts of anything else.
As he lifted her out of her chair, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
He chuckled. “If you’re already working on getting to have your way with me …”
She laughed. “As a matter of fact, I wasn’t thinking about that.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her, and she laughed and added, “But I am now.”