Chapter Twenty-Five
Travis knew he shouldn’t be concerned, but he couldn’t help it.
Anna had gone on a walk, and she hadn’t returned.
It had been almost two hours, and she should’ve come back to the house.
He paced up and down the porch, constantly glancing over at the mountains around them.
There were multiple trails, and he didn’t know where she would’ve gone. Otherwise, he would’ve gone looking.
Mrs. Mason stepped out onto the porch, wiping her hands on her apron. She shook her head at him.
“You needn’t worry so much. She’ll be back soon. She likes to go on long walks.”
“But something’s wrong. I just know it.”
“I’m sure you’re fretting over nothing. You should trust Anna and know that she can take care of herself.”
Travis groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. He knew he was behaving out of character, but he couldn’t help it. He just felt it in his gut that Anna was in need of help.
“I… I’m sorry, Mrs. Mason. I’m just…”
“I know. I’ve been like that over the years with that girl.” The cook smiled. “But you should trust her. If you can do that, you’ll find the tension easing. Anna is stronger than you think.”
Travis was aware of that, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Especially when Edwin had gone missing as well. Had he gone after Anna? If he hadn’t, what was he up to? The optimism Travis had felt after fetching supplies in town was beginning to wane as the minutes ticked by.
He knew he wouldn’t calm down until he saw Anna with his own eyes.
“Come on inside,” Mrs. Mason insisted gently. “Have some coffee and sit down. You’re not going to help Anna by worrying yourself to death.”
“Easy for you to say,” Travis muttered, but he started to follow her into the house. Then he stopped when he caught sight of a flash of color near the gate.
Turning, he saw Anna appear from among the trees just beyond the gate.
She looked agitated, frowning as she looked at the ground.
Immediately, Travis found himself turning back and jumping off the porch.
Ignoring the strange looks from the nearby workers in the paddock, he ran across the yard and reached Anna just as she went through the gate and closed it behind her.
She turned, her eyes widening when he saw him barreling down on them. Travis barely stopped as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Anna stiffened.
“Travis? What…”
“You’re all right?” He eased back and cupped her face in his hands, searching for any signs of injury. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, of course not.”
“It’s just I got worried when you didn’t come back…”
Anna blinked. Then she smiled and pressed her hands on his chest, leaning into him.
“It’s sweet you were concerned. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”
“How do I know that?”
She didn’t answer, and they stood still for a moment, Travis resting his forehead against Anna’s. He hadn’t realized that his heart was racing until he saw her again, and now it had slowed down, feeling better and more grounded. Anna then let out a heavy sigh and looked up.
“I just… I ended up encountering Edwin.”
“What?”
“Well, he followed me up there and tried to corner me.” She bit her lip. “He’s aware of our… arrangement. And he’s planning on making sure everyone is aware of it as well.”
Travis could see why that would be a concern. Edwin was looking for anything to get the upper hand on his cousin. He was determined to get what he wanted. Anna was, unfortunately, in the way, and he didn’t care.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with him,” he said, but she shook her head.
“I’m fine. I can handle him. I’ve been doing that for years.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “But I’m glad I’m not on my own. I hope I can confidently say that.”
“Of course,” Travis said quickly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
And he meant that. He wasn’t planning on walking away from Anna. He couldn’t do that even if he tried. Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he steered her toward the house.
“Let’s go inside. I’ve got an idea that might help us.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s get you sitting down inside. I think you need something to calm your nerves.”
Anna frowned, clearly annoyed.
“My nerves are fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Then why are you shivering?”
That made her falter. She hadn’t realized that she was shaking. Travis tucked her into his side and led her toward the house. Mrs. Mason was coming out of the kitchen carrying a tray as they entered the hallway.
“Go through to the drawing room,” she said, barely missing a step as she turned to the left. “I’ll set this up for you.”
“There’s no need for all of this…” Anna began, but the cook cut her off.
“I think this is just what you need, Anna.”
There was something in her tone that made Anna stop, and Travis had to hide a smile. It was rare to see someone make his wife speechless, and Mrs. Mason was one of them.
They followed her into the room and sat by the window while Mrs. Mason poured out the coffee and made sure they were comfortable before leaving. Travis watched Anna as she picked up her cup, her hands shaking slightly, and took a sip.
“You’re scared of your cousin, aren’t you?” he asked.
“No!” Anna cried, but he simply stared at her. Finally, her shoulders slumped. “All right, yes. Just a little bit. He’s very scary when he wants to be, and I know how vindictive he can get.”
“You’re more under the impression that he’s been sabotaging the ranch, aren’t you?”
“If he hasn’t, then he’s gotten someone to do it for him.
And if that’s the case, I wouldn’t be surprised.
” Anna slumped back in her chair, staring out of the window.
“I didn’t think he would jeopardize everything just to get what he wants.
And I didn’t want to believe that he could do something so horrific. ”
“Just because you’re family doesn’t mean he won’t do it. It’s all about selfish greed for him.”
They sat in silence, sipping their coffee and watching the world go by outside. Travis could see the town just beyond the fence, people going about their lives, unaware of what was happening nearby.
Maybe that was a good thing. They couldn’t make it sound as if the ranch were collapsing because of Anna.
“I wish he would just get along with me,” Anna murmured. “I know he’s not happy with the situation, but he needs to understand his position. I know I do, and it can change in an instant if I’m not careful.”
“He just can’t admit defeat and look at himself. He’s so certain that he is entitled to everything, and then he gets upset when he doesn’t get what he wants.” Travis shrugged. “He reminds me of a child who isn’t given his favorite toy from the store.”
She offered a faltering smile. “That sounds pretty close to what he is, actually. And there are times when I can understand his behavior.”
“You understand it?”
“He was often compared to me while growing up. Pa did it occasionally, but not often. Even though I was a lot younger, he felt like he had to keep up with what I could do. I understand how hard that is, to be on the same level as a much younger cousin.”
Travis could see that, but he could also see Edwin not striking out on his own. He was willing to hang onto the coattails of others so he could swoop in and get the credit. He couldn’t understand why Edwin thought that was the way to go.
“I’m sorry, Travis,” Anna said suddenly.
Travis frowned.
“What are you sorry about?”
“I shouldn’t have talked to you as I did. That’s not how I am, and… it’s just been so stressful. I’m clinging onto sanity by a thread, and I’m just stretched thin.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know that sounds like an excuse, but I really am sorry.”
“I know you are. And you don’t need to apologize.” Putting his cup down, Travis shifted to the edge of his chair and touched her hand. “I know it’s stressful being in charge here, and doing most of it on your own. Just know that you can rely on me.”
Deep down, he was surprised that Anna was apologizing. She was the type of person who didn’t want to admit that he’d done anything wrong. But he wasn’t about to dwell on it. They had more important things to worry about.
“I need your help,” Anna said quietly, putting her cup down and linking her fingers with his, looking out of the window with a solemn expression. “I’m not sure what to do now. I need another perspective on what we can do.”
“Really?”
“We have to do something. Anything that can help with the ranch. I need to rebuild the bank account and add more security to it. It’s going to be tough, but it needs to be done.
” She swallowed. “Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. But I have to do it, even if it means making the ranch smaller.”
That made Travis sit up. “Do you think that will help?”
“I honestly don’t know. But we’re going to have to downsize to catch up on everything. Otherwise, we’re going to be selling the entire place.”
“And we don’t want that, do we?”
Anna shook her head adamantly. “Absolutely not. I’d rather go bankrupt before I do that, and it looks like I’m going to be there sooner rather than later.
” She rested her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes with a groan.
“Edwin’s probably laughing at me right now. He’ll say this proves his point.”
Travis shook his head. “We’re not going to give him the satisfaction. It’s going to be fine. We’ll get the ranch back to where it was. Besides,” he added. “I think I’ve got a way we can do that.”
“What?”
“I bumped into someone in town. He’s a newcomer, but after talking to him, I think he can help us.”
That got her attention. “How do you mean? He might want to invest or something like that?”
“I think so. I was going to talk to him about the ranch, but I thought I’d run it by you first. I don’t want to go behind your back when this is yours.”
She stared at him in bewilderment, as if she hadn’t expected the consideration. Then she smiled and nodded.
“All right. Let’s see what he has to say. And if it seems like a good proposition, go for it.”
“Really?” Travis asked.
“I’m going to trust you to decide if it’s worth it. Think you can do that?”
Travis was a little taken aback that she was actually trusting him with something related to the ranch. He grinned.
“That I shouldn’t have a problem with.”