Chapter Two
“How’s it coming along?” Mr. Tremaine asked.
Travis Cooper straightened up, his shoulders tight and his back and arms screaming at him. He wiped the sweat off his face with his handkerchief.
“I’m almost done, Mr. Tremaine. I won’t be long.”
“Perfect.” The old man beamed. “Thank you so much for doing this. With Marcus being so busy with his family, and my body not as strong as it used to be…”
“I’m more than happy to help you and Mrs. Tremaine, sir,” Travis said, managing to bring a little warmth to his tone. “You’ve certainly helped me enough over the years. It’s only fair that I return the favor every now and then.”
Mr. Tremaine gave him an affectionate look and turned away.
“There will be some food ready for you when you’re done. My wife didn’t want you to leave without your belly being filled.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out…”
“Nonsense! She’s more than happy to do something. And you never could resist her baking, could you?”
Travis smiled, feeling his stomach growl.
He hadn’t had any breakfast that morning, and he was famished.
It would be nice to sit down and have a proper meal.
He wielded the axe again, preparing to chop the wood up again.
It was a little off-center this time, but the wood split easily, and Travis tossed the pieces onto the pile.
He was more than happy to help Colin and Eleanor Tremaine, who’d taken him in after his parents died.
That had been eighteen years ago, and Travis had never forgotten it.
Otherwise, he would’ve been left with nothing.
Although it felt like he had nothing right now. Especially after what he’d just lost.
“You’re going to end up splitting the trunk as well if you’re not careful,” a jovial voice said.
Travis spun around, seeing a young man his age with bright red hair and a thick beard walking toward him. He slumped onto the trunk and tossed the axe to one side.
“You really shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” he grumbled. “I’m really on edge at the moment.”
“I’ve noticed.” Marcus Tremaine reached him and stood over Travis, his arms folded. “Ma told me that you were here. I thought you’d be miles away from here by now with Clara.”
Travis scowled. The mention of that name made his stomach clench.
“That’s not going to happen. Not anymore.”
Marcus raised his eyebrows.
“What? Didn’t you get to talk to her?”
“I did, but she turned me down. Said it was for the best that she followed her father’s wishes.” Travis shook his head glumly. “After promising me everything, saying she loved me, and she didn’t care what her father said, she still turned her back on me.”
His friend gave him a sympathetic look before settling on the trunk beside him. They sat in silence for a while,
Travis grateful for that. Marcus was like a brother to him, having grown up together in the Tremaine house.
“We can’t always choose who we love,” Marcus said finally. “It’s horrible when it goes wrong, but we have to pick up and move on.”
Travis snorted and glared at the ground. “I could move on. Out of here. Get away from here and never come back.”
“You’re not serious about that, are you?”
“I’ve been humiliated by my boss, and everyone is laughing at me. Why should I stay here?”
It was not fair that he’d been fired from a job he loved because his boss didn’t like the fact that Travis was courting his daughter.
Clara Turner was a beauty. She got a lot of attention from other men, but she’d chosen Travis.
They’d been courting for some time, Travis falling deeper for her.
He thought she felt the same way, especially when she promised that she did.
Then, when they talked to Clara’s father about getting married, he downright refused.
Anthony Turner didn’t want a lumberjack as a son-in-law, and certainly not one of his employees.
It turned out that Clara had been promised to someone with money and good standing.
And, with that, Travis had been fired and told to get out of his sight.
His life had been turned upside-down. And now the woman he loved was choosing to follow her father's advice rather than what she wanted. Although given how she’d spoken to him when Travis managed to get a moment alone with her, he began to wonder if Clara had actually loved him at all.
Had he been taken for a fool? It felt like it.
Now Clara’s wedding was in a few days, and Travis felt sick. Everyone in town would be going to the wedding, but not him. He wasn’t about to see the woman he loved marry someone else. That would be torture.
“Travis.” Marcus nudged him. “You’re going to need to think of something. You can’t fall into a deep depression and pull away from everyone.”
“I’m not pulling away from everyone.”
“You are. We’ve all noticed it, and we’re all very worried about you. Ma and Pa certainly are.”
Travis gritted his teeth. He knew he’d been keeping to himself lately, but he had a good reason. His heart had been broken, and he felt like there was no point in enjoying life anymore. It wasn’t what he wanted, not unless Clara was there.
“Look,” Marcus continued, shifting on his part of the trunk. “You’re still young…”
“I’m thirty years old, Marcus.”
“That’s still pretty young. You’re just coming into the prime of your life. You’ve got so many years ahead of you. There’s still plenty of time for you to find someone else to marry and start a family. I know you’ve always wanted children.”
Travis swallowed as a familiar pang rose up in his chest. He loved children, and he’d wanted to have plenty of them. He’d considered Clara the ideal mother, but now that wasn’t going to happen.
How could he marry someone else when he didn’t want anyone else?
“It’s not that simple,” he grumbled. “I can’t do what you’ve done. You might’ve found the loving family you’ve longed for and the children you wanted, but it’s not that easy. I won’t be able to get that unless…”
“Look, you’re going to have to accept it,” Marcus cut him off. “Clara’s gone. From the way she’s behaved, she didn’t care about you in the first place.”
Travis winced, but his friend continued.
“You know it’s true. It’s pointless waiting for something you’re never going to get. So you might as well make the most of your current situation and find someone else.”
“I can’t just jump from one person to another that easily,” Travis pointed out.
“Maybe you don’t have to.” Marcus reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded newspaper. “Why don’t you have a look in here? I’m sure you’ll find something useful to you.”
“Useful?” Travis frowned. “Do you mean work or… ?”
“Work or love, whichever you want. It’s all in there.”
Travis was skeptical. “That’s not…”
“Just have a look. You need to get yourself a new job, anyway, so maybe you’ll find something elsewhere.
If you’re not willing to settle down with someone, at least start fresh and do it away from all the pain and anguish you’re feeling right here.
” Marcus patted his shoulder. “I would be sorry to see you go, but you need to do this. It won’t do you any good to stay here. ”
“Anyone would think you were trying to get rid of me.”
His friend smiled and tossed the newspaper onto the ground before standing up. “I’m just trying to look out for my friend, just like you did for me. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be married right now.”
Travis looked away. He didn’t want to be reminded of how he’d managed to get Marcus to open up to his now-wife about how he felt without falling over his own words. It just made him remember Clara.
“Anyway, I’ll be heading in to see my parents. They’re getting on, and I should be making most of the time I have left with them.” Marcus cleared his throat. :Are you coming in as well? I know you love Mama’s baking.”
Travis had been planning to, but with his mind full of Clara and his heart aching, he couldn’t bring himself to look anyone in the eye. He bowed his head, picking up the newspaper, not saying anything.
After a moment, Marcus shrugged. “Suit yourself. Ma and Pa will understand either way. They always do.”
Marcus was right about one thing, though; Travis wanted a family.
He wanted to have children, become a father, and have a loving wife at his side.
He had thought he had that with Clara, but she’d shown her true colors.
She’d easily walked away from him despite everything they’d been through together, and she didn’t seem remorseful about it.
If anything, she’d looked bored when Travis had confronted her.
Did she really ever love him?
How could he believe in love and second chances when this had happened to him?
He couldn’t bring himself to go inside and see the people who had looked after him like their own. He just needed to be alone.
His work finished, Travis leaned the axe against the back wall and walked home, keeping his head down as people passed him.
He didn’t want to catch anyone’s eye, to be drawn into conversation.
A lot of them just looked at him with pity.
What happened to him was all over Piney Woods.
It was humiliating, knowing that his attempt at a proposal had been turned down so emphatically.
What was wrong with him?
He wasn’t ugly; he was strong and capable, his job had been a good one, and he’d shown that he would take care of Clara. Why wouldn’t anyone see him as a good prospect?
Money seemed to buy everything, and Travis barely had any now. He’d been saving his money after being dismissed from his job, but he was starting to run low. The bits and pieces he got from helping others weren’t going to keep his head above water for much longer.
He had to think of something else. But what?
Travis’s mind was still mulling things over as he reached the little shack that was his home and went inside.
He cut himself some bread and a bit of cheese, both still fresh, and then settled in front of the hearth.
He didn’t fancy making the fire up just yet, not when it was still warm.
Munching on his food, his stomach growling, he stared into the dark abyss that was the fireplace.
His mind was churning over everything, and he felt his emotions bumping against each other as he tried to figure out what he needed to do.
But his anger and embarrassment were taking center stage, and Travis couldn’t get them to stop.
It made him mentally worn out trying to get his thoughts in order.
The sound of something hitting the window made him jerk upright. That was when he realized that it was dark outside. Had he fallen asleep? He couldn’t remember seeing the sun go down. His whole body hurting, Travis stood up and stretched.
He knew he couldn’t be in town when Clara got married. He had to leave, but where would he go?
It was starting to get cold, and Travis shivered.
He needed to get the fire going, so he headed outside to gather wood.
After laying the fire and setting it alight, he collapsed back into his chair.
It was already getting warmer, his cold skin tingling as the heat tickled it.
His fingers were beginning to feel warm again.
His eyes then landed on the newspaper beside him. Perhaps that could give him an idea. There were always jobs advertised in it, although he didn’t think looking for a prospective wife was a good idea. It was common practice, but it sounded too good to be true. Was there some kind of catch to it?
Even so, there was no harm in looking.
There were a few jobs that looked interesting, and they were far enough away that he wouldn’t have to cross paths with anyone from Piney Woods.
A few were in Vernon, a two-day ride away.
That would be fine for him. There was a job as a woodcutter and several people needing help on their ranches.
Travis liked animals, so that might be a good fit too.
Then, just to see what there was, he opened up to the advertisements for marriage. Some of them were written with an air of desperation, both men and women, and Travis had to roll his eyes. Why did Marcus think that this was a good idea? His friend must’ve gone mad.
That was when he saw the advert near the bottom, in the left-hand corner.
‘Woman seeking man for a marriage of convenience. You will need to be hard-working, honest, and practical. I’m not interested in love or having a family. Send me a letter if you’re interested in knowing more. Anna Montgomery, Vernon, Texas.’
Travis was surprised. There was nothing desperate or romantic about it. It was very much to the point and practical.
Travis was intrigued. It felt like Anna was reluctantly looking for a husband, but why? He was curious to find out.
Maybe this was a good start for him. He would write and see what happened. To satisfy his curiosity, if anything.
He would go and stay with Peggy. She lived near Vernon and would happily take him in. Even though she likely wouldn’t be entirely sure about his answering a marriage advert.
At this point, Travis didn’t care. His life needed some stability, and Anna’s advert said he would get lots of it if he didn’t waste her time. He had to try.
And then, maybe, he would find out what was going on and why Anna Montgomery wanted to find a husband but not a lover.