Chapter Twenty-Four
On Saturday evening, Retta stood in front of the full-length mirror in the downstairs bedroom where she’d slept when she first came to stay with Travis. She’d insisted that she should get ready down here because she wanted to look good – if she were honest, she wanted to make an entrance. She wanted to be able to step out into the hallway for Travis to see her all done up. As much as she loved the way that he carried her around, she didn’t want this evening to start with him carrying her down the stairs. She’d made a lot of progress since the cast came off on Tuesday. She still had to use the crutches, of course, but she was starting to feel more like herself again. She could get around on crutches no problem, and with the boot on, she’d even started taking a step or two without the crutches. That was what she planned to do tonight when Travis called to ask if she was ready. He’d probably have something to say about her walking without them, but she wasn’t going to go far. She just wanted to step out for him to see her. She wished that the sight of her all dressed up might be enough to make him forget, if only for a moment.
The woman smiling back at her from the mirror made her hope that she might get her wish. That woman looked nothing like the washed-out woman she’d been used to seeing in the wheelchair for the last several weeks. Tonight, her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders, looking so much better than the ponytail she’d mostly been wearing recently. She’d taken her time with her makeup and was more than pleased with the result. And the dress… The dress was absolutely perfect. She’d lost some weight, and she was on the slender side to start with, but the dress accentuated the curves she had.
She smiled when she remembered her conversation with Laney, Frankie, and Janey. She had to admit that she knew a thing or two about how to make the most of her looks. It wasn’t that she considered looks to be particularly important, but the girls were right – looks had been important in the life that she’d been living. She’d be happy to share what knowledge she could with them. Although, if they were going to teach her to ride in return, it seemed to her that she was getting the better end of the deal.
She sat on the bed to wait for Travis. He’d received a call from an old friend who might be coming to stay in one of the cabins soon. That had held him up from getting ready, but that was fine with her – she needed more time than he did, anyway. She’d told him to call her from the hallway – but not to open her door when he was ready.
As she sat there, she pointed and flexed her foot and drew circles with her toes. She’d had to promise Travis and Callie that she wouldn’t overdo it with her physical therapy, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t doing her exercises at every opportunity that she got.
She frowned and reached for her phone from the nightstand when it rang. She wasn’t expecting any calls. Most of the people she talked to would be busy getting ready for the fundraiser dinner just like she was. She doubted it would be Callie – she’d spoken to her daughter earlier, and there was still no sign of Tandy going into labor.
When she saw a 478 number on the screen, she pursed her lips. After she spoke to Marty last Friday, she’d put him out of her mind again and completely forgotten that she was supposed to call him back.
“Hello, Marty. I don’t have much time right now…”
“I knew it!”
Retta sat back in surprise. It wasn’t Marty; it was a woman’s voice that screamed out of the phone at her.
“You bitch! I knew there was something going on! He swore up and down to me that he wasn’t interested in you and yet, there you are, answering the phone as if you were waiting on his call.”
“Jamie?”
“Yes! It’s me. I’m onto you. What the hell do you think you’re doing with my husband?”
Retta sucked in a deep breath as she tried to catch up. “I’m not doing a damn thing.”
“Don’t lie to me, bitch! I know there’s something going on. You answered the phone thinking I was him. I know he’s been calling you. How long has this been going on? I was right, wasn’t I? You were seeing each other before the meet in San Diego.”
“No! There’s nothing going on. You have to believe me. I don’t know how you got this idea into your head, but you couldn’t be more wrong.”
“As if I’m going to believe you. I know he’s been calling you. I can still see the call records on our phone bill.”
Retta blew out a sigh. “I’m not denying that. He’s called me a couple of times in the last few weeks because apparently, the girls have a gift for me. That’s all. There’s nothing more to it than that.”
“You’re a liar!”
“I am not! I don’t know what your problem with me is, but I don’t appreciate you calling me like this. You should talk to Marty – he’ll tell you. He called me once for an address because they were going to mail this gift to me. Then, he said that the girls would like to see me while they’re here in Montana.”
“You’re the reason he’s going to Montana!”
Retta had to laugh. “Oh, honey! Don’t be ridiculous! There’s nothing whatsoever going on. You need to get that into your head.”
“Retta, you ready, darlin’?” Travis called.
Jamie was still ranting on about something, but Retta was no longer paying attention. She was done. There was no way she was going to let that vicious woman ruin her plan to surprise Travis.
“Wait there, I’ll be right out.”
“What?” Jamie asked.
“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to my man. That’s right, the man I live with, the man I love. I have no interest in your husband. You need to leave me alone. Goodbye.” With that, she ended the call.
“You okay?” Travis called.
“I am. Please just wait there one minute. I’ll be right with you.” She hated that her hands were shaking as she pushed to her feet. She hobbled to the door, leaning on the dresser for support.
She took a deep breath before she turned the handle and opened the door. She made herself smile before stepping out into the hallway, keeping her hand on the door frame for support.
“Wow!” She forgot all about wanting to surprise Travis as she took in the sight of him. In her opinion, he was gorgeous no matter what he wore, but the sight of him in bright blue jeans paired with a crisp, white shirt and black suit jacket took her breath away. She let her gaze travel over him appreciatively, and when she finally met his gaze, he was grinning right back at her.
“I could say the same thing myself! Just… Wow.” He let out a low whistle. “I thought you were beautiful from the moment I saw you, but damn… I am one lucky son of a gun.”
She held one arm out to the side, keeping hold of the door frame with her other hand. “You like?”
He came hurrying down the hallway and rested his hands on her hips when he reached her. “I more than like. Are you sure you want to go out? I think I might enjoy spending the evening peeling this dress back off of you.”
She ran her hands up his arms as he held her steady. “You can peel it off of me when we get home again later.” She chuckled. “You look so good in this get up that I can’t wait to get you out of it, either.” She met his gaze. “But yeah, I’m sure; I really want to go out. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
He chuckled. “I know. I’m only playing with you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “At least, I’m only playing since I know that I don’t stand a chance of talking you into staying home. If I thought I stood a snowball’s chance in hell…”
She shook her head at him. “I promise you we’ll both get what we want when we get home but…”
“That’ll do for me. I’m almost as excited about taking you out and showing you off as I am about bringing you home and having my way with you later.”
She laughed. “I could say the same thing.”
He looked her over again and shook his head in wonder. “Beautiful,” he breathed.
“You too, Trav. I thought you were a handsome devil the first time I saw you. Now, now that I know you, you’re even more handsome, and the best of it is, you’re all mine.”
He dropped a kiss on her lips. “I sure am. And I hate to spoil the moment, but do you think I should grab your crutches?”
She laughed. “Probably. I was just being a little bit vain; I wanted to make my entrance and have you see me as a woman rather than an invalid.”
He scowled at her. “I’ve never seen you as anything but a woman – the most beautiful woman in the world to me.”
“Aww. You just earned yourself some brownie points for later.”
He chuckled. “That wasn’t my intent, but you can bet I’ll put those points to good use if you’ll let me. I was just telling it like it is.”
“I hope you know that I see you the same way. I wouldn’t have said that a tattooed cowboy was my kind of guy – but I would have been wrong. You’re not just my kind of guy, not just the most handsome guy in the world to me – you’re the only guy in the world for me.”
His expression was so gentle as he looked down into her eyes. He tucked his fingers under her chin and pressed a kiss to her lips. “And you’re the only girl in the world for me. I love you, darlin’. Now, what do you say? Do you want to get this show on the road?”
She nodded eagerly. “I do. Let’s go.”
~ ~ ~
As he drove up the valley toward town, Travis debated with himself whether he should ask about who she’d been on the phone with when he came downstairs. He’d heard the tail end of what she was saying, and he needed to know what was going on. She’d told whoever it was that she had no interest in their husband, and that they needed to leave her alone. He was going to ask her as soon as she came out, but the way she looked had literally taken his breath away.
The moment they shared, seeing each other all dressed up for the first time, wasn’t one that he wanted to spoil by asking about her phone call. She didn’t seem upset, and he didn’t want to spoil the evening ahead of them by bringing it up, but curiosity might get the better of him.
She looked over at him and smiled. “How was your friend? Did he say when he’ll be here? I hope he’ll love the cabin – have you decided which one you want to put him in?”
“Yeah, Zeke’s great. He said that he should be here sometime next week – he’ll let me know when he has a better idea. I was thinking that we can put him in number nine.” He smiled over at her. “I love what you’ve done with all of them, but I think that one might be my favorite.”
“That’s the one I was thinking, too. I love all of them, but there’s something special about number nine.”
He decided that he’d test out the water. “What about you – did you have a call?”
She scowled. “I did. It was Jamie Hoffman.”
“Is that the woman…”
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
Retta blew out a sigh. “You’re not going to believe this; she’s gotten it into her head that there’s something going on between Marty and me.”
He frowned. “You said that she thought that. That was why she pushed you, right?”
She sighed again. “Yes, but at the time, I thought it was just some crazy notion. Now, she’s absolutely convinced that there is something going on.”
“What do you think might have given her that idea?”
“I told you that he called me.”
“You did. He wanted you to meet him and his daughters while they’re here visiting the park.”
“Right. Apparently, Jamie still has access to his phone records, and she knows that he called me. She thinks that’s evidence of some kind of affair or something. I told her that she’s nuts. I also told her that I have a man of my own – a man I’m very much in love with, and I have no interest whatsoever in hers.”
He glanced over at her. “Are you saying that for my benefit?”
She smiled. “I guess I am, a little bit. You seem … I don’t know. You do believe me, don’t you?”
He reached across the console for her hand, and she laced her fingers through his. “Of course I believe you, darlin’. I’ll admit that I feel a little bit… prickly.” He chuckled. “I’ve never thought of myself as the jealous kind, but the thought of you being interested in some other guy…”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m not. You’re the only one for me; I thought we were clear about that.”
“Yeah, we are. Sorry.”
He had to laugh when she exclaimed, “Don’t you dare go apologizing! You haven’t done a damn thing wrong. All you’ve done is ask me to explain – and that’s perfectly reasonable.”
“Don’t get all riled up, darlin’.”
She smiled at him through pursed lips. “You’re right, I shouldn’t. It just pisses me off that what that woman thinks can cast any kind of shadow over our evening.”
“She can’t – not if we don’t let her. I was curious. So, I asked. You’ve explained. End of story, right?”
“Yes. End of story. Except…”
“Except what?”
“Except that he said he’s going to call me, remember? I told you.”
Travis shrugged. “And we’ll meet with him – if you don’t mind me coming with you. And I’m not saying that because I have a problem with it. It’s just that if I’m with you, it’ll clear up any doubts that she might have.” He shot her a quick smile. “And it’ll set him straight, if he has any doubts, too.”
“I’ve told you before – that man is not interested in me. Apart from anything else, he has to be a good ten, maybe fifteen years younger than I am.”
Travis had to laugh. “And what the hell kind of difference does that make?”
“You know! I’m too old for him.”
“Maybe in your head, darlin’. But I think that’s the only place where an age gap would make a difference.”
“Do you really think so? I just… I’ve always thought that men preferred younger women.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “I hate to say it, but you really shouldn’t judge people like that. Men might seem like simple creatures to you, but that doesn’t mean you can categorize us all one way. Sure, some men prefer younger women. But some prefer older women. Some are only interested in women who are right around the same age as them.” He shrugged. “I mean, come on, some men prefer blondes, some prefer brunettes or redheads, while some prefer other men. There is no one size fits all.”
She stared at him for a long time before she finally said, “I suppose you’re right. I might be a little narrow-minded in the way I see that; I guess we all tend to think that the world only works in the ways that we’re used to. But even if you’re right about the age thing, I’m telling you that there’s no way that Marty is interested in me like that.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it – and I’m telling you that if he is, I’ll be making it clear to him that he doesn’t stand a chance.”
She laughed. “Oh, you will, will you?”
He nodded vigorously. “I might seem like a teddy bear most of the time, but I should warn you that I might turn into a territorial grizzly bear if I think some guy’s after my woman.”
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, it’s probably just another old-fashioned way of thinking that I shouldn’t admit to, but I kind of like the idea of you getting all territorial.”
He had to smile. “I’m glad. I thought you might be mad at me, but I had to say it anyway.”
She shook her head slowly. “No. It makes me feel like you care.”
“You know I do. No way am I going to let some young buck try to steal you away from me. I love you. You’re all mine.”
They’d reached town by now, and Travis pulled into the parking lot of the Civic Center, where the fundraiser dinner was being held. He parked in one of the accessible spaces and hung the tag on the rearview mirror.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave the truck here,” he told Retta. “It’s just while we get you inside.”
“I can go with them, while you move the truck,” she said, pointing to where Trip and Shelly were walking across the parking lot toward them.
Travis grinned. “Okay, but let me get you set up in the chair first.”
“You know I don’t want to use it.”
He held her gaze. “And you know that I choose my battles. If there’s even the slightest chance that I can get a dance with you later, I want to take it. But that’s not likely to happen if you’ve already worn yourself out just getting inside.”
“Okay! You win. I’ll go in the chair. But I’m telling you now that you owe me a dance later.”
He grinned. “Be happy to, darlin’.”
They were soon inside and found the table where the others were already waiting for them. Deacon and Candy, and Ace and Ari all got to their feet to greet them.
After they’d all said hello, Travis looked around for Libby.
“Libby texted to say that she’ll be here a little later,” said Candy.
“She is still coming, though?” Retta asked.
“Yes, she just got held up a bit.”
Travis leaned back in his chair and watched Retta chat with the other women. He loved seeing her out like this. Candy and Ari were both dolled up and looking great, but as far as he was concerned, Retta was the most beautiful woman in the room.
Libby arrived just before dinner was served. She looked a little harried, but brushed Ace’s concerns off when he asked her about it.
The meal was wonderful, and it tickled Travis to be out with his friends and their women like this.
Trip caught his gaze and gave him a puzzled look. “What are you smirking to yourself about?” he asked in a low voice.
Travis chuckled. “Just at the situation – the four of us being out together like this. When you think of all the situations – the hellholes – we’ve encountered over the years, it’s hard to believe that this is where we are today.”
“I guess it is. I’m glad we made it this far.”
Travis made a face at him. “If you’re going to go thanking me again ...”
Trip laughed. “That wasn’t what I was thinking – although we both know that I’ll never stop thanking you for saving my life. What I meant was that I’m glad that the four of us are here now.” His smile faded. “Call me greedy if you will, but I’ll be even happier if the day ever comes when the rest of the guys are here with us.”
“Yeah,” said Travis. “Even if we can get everyone together again, though, can you see them all being here with their women? – Having women to be with? If Mav isn’t with Libby, I can’t imagine him with anyone else. And Cash … the same goes for him. I can’t see him and Jenna ever finding their way back to each other, but I can’t see him settling down with someone who isn’t her. Then there’s Emmett – he lost Emily, he has the girls – do you think that he would ever open his heart to another woman? And Blane…” He chuckled “… Do you think there’s a woman on the planet who could put up with his grumpy ass?”
Trip laughed with him. “You’re forgetting someone.”
“Who?”
“Me!”
Travis frowned. “For one thing, you’re here. And for another…” He glanced over at Shelly. “I’m hopeful.”
Trip shook his head. “Not going to happen, bud.”
Travis laughed. “I’m not buying it. I know you’ve given me all your reasons, but I still see the way that you look at her. And you have to know that she looks at you the same way.”
Trip shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve told you before – she’ll be moving on soon enough.”
“So, you should make your move before she does. If nothing else, get her up and dancing after dinner.” Travis winked at him. “You never know where dancing might lead.”
Retta turned and raised her eyebrows at him. “Are you talking about dancing?”
“I am.”
“Well then, I hope you’ll remember your own words later, when I ask you to let me out of this damn chair for a dance.”
He had to laugh. “I already told you, darlin’. That’s why you’re in the chair – I’m saving you for later.”
~ ~ ~
Retta enjoyed every moment of the evening. She loved chatting with the other women. She loved the way that Travis introduced her to the many people who stopped by the table. She hadn’t thought about it before, but it seemed that he and his whole group of friends were seen as something special in the community. It might not have occurred to her, but it shouldn’t surprise her – they’d served their country as Navy SEALs. They were all heroes in their own right.
One of the things she enjoyed the most was feeling like she was part of the group. It wasn’t a feeling that she was used to, but she was hoping that it would become her new normal.
The band had been playing for a while now, and she was itching to get up and dance. Deacon and Candy were out there, and she was surprised at how well he danced.
Travis leaned in and spoke in her ear. “You look surprised seeing them dance.”
She chuckled. “Not so much that they’re up dancing – I know Deacon would do anything to keep Candy happy. I’m more surprised at how enthusiastic he is about it.”
“Yeah, it’s Candy who’s up there to keep Deacon happy. He’s just a regular twinkle toes.”
She laughed at that. “It would seem so. I would never have guessed.”
“He’s not the only one.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Are you telling me that you like to dance?”
He nodded solemnly. “I am. Do you feel up to it?”
“You know the answer to that. Just get me out of this chair and…”
He got to his feet and helped her to stand. “Just one dance, mind you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe two?”
He chuckled. “We’ll see.”
He offered her his arm, and she used it instead of the crutches to make her way to the dance floor.
“See, I’m doing much better,” she told him. “I’ll be out and about on my own in no time.”
She couldn’t read his expression as he nodded, but she didn’t ask – she didn’t want him to change his mind and say that they should sit back down.
Once they were out on the dance floor, he wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close. “I reckon all we can really do is sway for now.”
“I think you might be right. Just getting out here was harder than I expected. And don’t you dare say that we need to go and sit down,” she added quickly.
He chuckled. “I wasn’t about to say it.” He wrapped both arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. “Am I squashing you?”
She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re not. This is perfect.”
He kissed the tip of her nose as he swayed to the music. “You can say that again, darlin’.”