Chapter Twelve #2
As the sun set over the snow-caped peaks, Travis watched Josie dancing with Jonas.
The sight of Josie in messy curls and a colorful flower crown made her stand out, like a fairy from the children’s storybooks.
Her ringlets bounced and her light pink petticoat twirled around her as she danced.
Travis wiped the sweat on his forehead. What are you doing to me, Josie?
Josie was young, but so lively as she spun in circles with Jonas. Travis had never possessed the confidence to dance openly in front of the town or behave so playfully. Josie was fitting right in, just like the couples and children having the time of their lives, letting the music move them.
Who could exclude such a lovely woman as she? Her soul was sweet as a honeycomb and her heart was bigger than any woman he met since Sophie. Josie cared for the children like her very own, and she treated Travis respectfully. Travis peered at the ground. He didn’t deserve her at all.
The music stopped, and Travis felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked behind him. Aunt Polly held Gideon on her hip.
“She’s a lovely thing, ain’t she?”
Travis nodded, his gaze painfully following Josie as she clapped and laughed, her joy as bright as the lanterns swaying above. She curtsied to the couples beside her, graceful and poised, like a princess acknowledging her court.
“Why don’t you ask your wife to dance?”
He hesitated, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “I’m not much of a dancer, Auntie. You know that better than anyone.”
Aunt Polly chuckled. “Pfft! Hogwash! You and Sophie used to dance until your shoes wore out.”
Travis chewed his bottom lip, the familiar ache tightening in his chest. He could still see Sophie’s smile, hear her laughter as they spun together under the stars.
She had loved to dance, and he had loved her—loved her so much that he would have danced until the sun rose, just to see her happy.
But that was their thing. Their special bond.
To dance with another woman was a betrayal, like erasing what he had shared with Sophie.
He had already replaced her in so many ways. He couldn’t take dancing from her, too.
“I can’t do it,” he murmured, more to himself than to Aunt Polly.
His aunt sighed. “I understand your grief, Travis. I lost my husband and boys on the same day. It took years to heal that hole, but you have a wife and four children to think about. I won’t have you spoil their lives because you’re too frightened to love again.”
The thought of moving on made the ache in his heart more painful.
Each thought was like a piece of skin being ripped off, making it impossible to scab over.
Travis had known Sophie since childhood.
Losing her made him lose a piece of himself.
He was half the man he used to be without her.
He closed his eyes. Don’t do this to me, Josie. I can’t fall for you.
“Please, Travis. Think about them,” Aunt Polly begged. “Don’t let people think you’re one of those old couples who just get by and grow sick of one another. You’re young. Take a leap.”
Travis’s gaze rested on Jonas chasing after Paul and Andy.
Behind them, Josie stood awkwardly, peering around with her hands at her sides.
He could tell she enjoyed the dancing, and he couldn’t take that away from her, not when every married couple was out there.
Would he really leave her without a partner, only to watch the rest of the couples act as happy as she once was with Jonas?
The sorrowful view of her, her arms pinned across her chest and gaze downcast, pricked at Travis. He rubbed his chin, letting out a sigh. Just one dance. He owed her that much, given he couldn't be the husband she would need.
Travis footed towards her, his heart beating against him like a jackhammer. When she turned, her gaze rested on him and her eyes rounded for a brief moment.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Travis said, his fists pressed to his hips.
Josie’s eyes crinkled into slits as her mouth curved. “I am. I love dancing. It reminds me of my home before the war. I loved going to balls.”
Travis extended his hand when the music started again. “Would you care to dance with me, Mrs. Blythe?”
Josie’s eyes gaped, her lips parted. “Are you sure? Is this too much for you?”
Yes, Travis wanted to say, but he couldn’t spoil the day for Josie. “No, I want to dance with you.”
Josie reached out, her fingers softly wrapping around his hand.
Her bare hand fit perfectly in his, her warm touch sparking something within him—a feeling he couldn’t quite identify as shock or something deeper he didn’t dare to admit.
With a gentle nudge, he led her to the dancefloor, his pulse thrumming like a drum.
As her hand rested on his shoulder, he instinctively pulled her closer, his arm settling around her slender waist, feeling her form press against him.
Her hand met his, and he tried everything in his power to remain calm.
Travis remembered the steps he took with Sophie the year before—slow and rhythmic.
As he let Josie sway in his arms, he noticed how she kept her gaze down, as she often did, avoiding his eyes. Despite her shyness, there was a softness in her movements that made the moment feel intimate, even fragile. She was so small in his arms, his hands practically swallowing hers.
“You don’t have to look away,” Travis said.
Josie lifted her chin, her innocent eyes meeting his. “I apologize.”
“There’s no need to be shy around me, Josie.”
“I’m not shy,” Josie denied sharply.
He raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. “You’ve been acting like I’m going to strangle you each time I’m near.”
Her hands tensed in his, shock flickering across her face. She shriveled from his gaze, her breath hitching, as if his comment had struck a nerve. The sudden change in her demeanor puzzled him. What is wrong with this woman?
Josie tore away from him mid-song. “I’m sorry, Travis. This is wrong—”
Travis stepped closer, his hand extended. “It’s not wrong, Josie. I know you like to dance. I owe you this much.”
Josie’s cheeks blazed as she scratched her forearms. “Forgive me. I’m just not used to you . . . being so close to me.”
Travis thrust out a breath. He never thought the day would come when he’d be in such close proximity with another woman. But Josie wasn’t just a woman—she was his wife.
“I know our situation is . . . odd, but I’m your husband, Josie. Whatever you need, you can come to me. You have helped me so much this past week, and I wanted to help you in return.”
Josie’s pale face pinked, and her forehead glistened. What was she afraid of? Travis had forgotten all about his discomfort while they danced. He became so lost in the moment that he rather enjoyed it, despite his inner protests.
“Thank you for the dance, Travis,” Josie said with a curtsy, and she took off into the crowd, leaving Travis standing still as a statue among the sea of dancers.
Josie gently tucked Jonas into his bed, smoothing the covers up to his chin. He smiled up at her, his blue eyes sparkling.
“Thank you for teachin’ me how to dance, Josie.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, sweetheart,” Josie replied, brushing his hair from his forehead.
“I want to be a good dancer like you when I grow up.”
“You will, Jonas. Just keep practicing, and I promise you’ll be the best dancer around.”
“Can you teach me next?” Ivy asked, rolling over with her hand under her pillow.
Ivy’s voice made Josie’s heart skip a beat. “I would be delighted to.”
Josie kissed the top of Jonas’s head. “Goodnight, Jonas.” She walked over to the girls’ beds and kissed them too. “Good night, my lovely girls.”
“Goodnight, Josie,” Lillian said with a grin on her face. “I love you.”
Josie’s lips parted. Those words nearly knocked the breath out of her. “I love you, too.” She glanced over at Jonas and then down at Ivy. “I love all of you.”
Josie closed the door behind her, and when she turned, she nearly screamed. Travis stood behind her, holding his hat against his chest.
“Travis,” she whispered, tightening her shawl around her shoulders. “What are you doing here?”
Travis cleared his throat. “I hope I didn’t offend you earlier.”
“What do you mean?”
Josie thought back to earlier, her hand rested on her hammering chest. You’ve been acting like I’m going to strangle you each time I’m near. To him, it seemed like a harmless joke, but the fact was true. It was the nightmare she had lived for seven years and was finally free from.
“Dancing with you. I haven’t . . . danced in a while. I hope I didn’t . . . embarrass you with my rustiness.”
Josie covered her mouth as she laughed quietly. “I haven’t danced in ages. I thought I was the rusty one.”
A smile formed from Travis’s corners, lightening the tension. “I’d like to thank you again for being such a good mother and . . . wife.”
Josie’s pulse quickened. Travis stepped closer, and her mind raced.
Now or never. Was this the moment she desperately hoped for?
Would this night save her child? Caroline’s story still lingered in the back of her mind.
Could she really go through with deceiving him?
But if it’s this easy, then why not do it?
Travis leaned down, his breath brushing against Josie’s cheek, sending shivers down her spine.
She closed her eyes, her temples throbbing like a frantic drum.
She hadn’t much experience with kissing, let alone a lover.
Marcus had always felt like an obligation—an attempt to calm him, a desperate measure to shield herself from his wrath.
However, this could be different. As Travis drew closer, a warmth cascaded from her chest to her toes.
Now, she would taste the realness of what a kiss was supposed to be.
Whatever you need, you can come to me, echoed in her ears from the dancefloor.
But those words were limited. If he only knew what she needed . . .
To her surprise, the kiss didn’t land on her mouth but her cheek. Josie opened her eyes and watched Travis put his hat back on. He tipped it in her direction, stepping back.
“Goodnight, Josie.” He turned and walked away, leaving Josie standing there, too shocked to respond. The door clicked shut behind him, and tears pricked in her eyes. Her heart slowed as sorrow consumed her. She needed to accept the truth.
It’s too late now. You’re doomed, Josie.