Chapter 15
15
T ravis would have pressed his ear to the door to hear what was going on outside if Chloe wouldn’t be mortified at the intrusion. He respected her not-so-subtle demand for privacy. She still didn’t seem to understand that Guy came over and brought supplies because he had feelings for her. The fact shouldn’t rub Travis the wrong way as much as it did.
It also occurred to him that he could have done the same thing. He could have stopped by once in a while to make sure Chloe had everything she needed. Why hadn’t he?
Several excuses came to mind. He was busy. He didn’t realize she needed anything. He didn’t want to pry into her financial situation. He didn’t want to invite criticism or be accused of favoritism if he couldn’t do the same for everyone. He’d been friends with Kade, even though the man had ditched town the second he’d been old enough to enlist.
Kade had rarely made appearances in Saddle Junction. And for good reason. He’d needed to get as far away from Beaumont as possible to maintain his sanity.
Then, there was the fact Travis’s path rarely crossed with Chloe’s. He occasionally drove past the bar, but Jep kept a steady hand at the helm. Rarely, if ever, was there a problem that required the law’s intervention. Other establishments in the county weren’t in the same league. Travis had to keep a closer eye on the ones that liked to put up tall wooden fences around their parking lots and described themselves with words like massage/spa or entertainment.
The front door swung open, pulling him out of his reverie, and a very angry Chloe walked through it. She fit the description—tiny but mighty. Growing up as the only female in a male-dominated house gave her a mess of courage to step up to folks much taller than her five-feet-two-inch frame.
“You shouldn’t have spoken to Guy like that,” she said as she bolted past him straight toward her cup of coffee. She rolled the mug around in her hands. “He’s been nothing but kind, and you’re acting like he’s a criminal for checking on me.”
Travis bit his lip to keep from pointing out the obvious; Guy had a thing for her.
“Furthermore, you didn’t know that he loaned his truck to someone else the night before last.”
“Who?” he asked, then braced himself because when someone used a term like, furthermore, in the tone Chloe just had, the storm from last night would be nothing compared to the one brewing now.
She whirled around on him. “That’s not the point. The point is that the truck wasn’t in his possession.”
“Then, I really need to know who Guy loaned it to,” Travis said.
She rolled her shoulders like her neck muscles were tense. He had to fist his hands to stop from reaching out to massage the kinks. As angry as she was, she’d probably slap his hands away before they could make contact, and he would deserve it if he didn’t ask permission first anyway. Touching someone without their consent was never okay.
Travis felt like a jerk for upsetting her. But he stood by his opinion and reaction to Guy. Something was off. Travis couldn’t quite pinpoint it. “Has he asked you out?”
“On what? A date?”
“That is how attraction usually works,” he said.
She looked at the ceiling. “That’s what everyone thinks, but the man has never given me any signs that he’s into me.”
Maybe she needed a roadmap because stopping by to constantly check on her and Grayson and bringing supplies paid for out of his own pocket either meant the man was a saint or head over heels in love with her. Travis highly doubted Guy would be nominated for sainthood anytime soon. The dude was secretive about his life. What the hell did he have to hide?
“Well?” Chloe said, tapping her foot on the tile flooring.
Travis gave himself a mental headshake, refocusing. He needed to steer the conversation back on track. “I have a name for Beau’s mother. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have two names for her.” He filled her in on the messages from Margie, including the ones about the band.
“Back to Beau’s mother…” she said. “Why would someone be registered under two names?”
“The easy answer is she’s hiding criminal activity with two separate identities,” he said.
“That doesn’t give me a whole lot of confidence in my half-brother,” she stated.
“It’s probably the law enforcement officer talking here, but you should always be suspicious of people’s intentions when they suddenly show up or something seems off,” he said.
Chloe caught his gaze. “Sounds like a sad way to live, though. Don’t you think?”
He issued a sharp sigh, fighting the urge to be defensive. “In some ways, but it helps me keep watch over the people who live here—and those people are worth protecting.”
“But who watches over you?” she asked, her voice small and vulnerable.
“I’m good,” he said, more affected by the comment than he wanted to let on. Coming home to someone every day and sharing his life wasn’t in the cards right now. Maybe later. He’d been burned one too many times by hoping things would change and he would be enough for someone. The women he’d dated had been clear. For a half second, he’d had a glimmer of hope Chloe would be different.
She deserved to have the big family she wanted. So did the others, which was the reason he’d closed himself off to serious relationships. Besides, being alone wasn’t the worst thing a person could be.
The shift taking place down deep argued it might be, but Travis wasn’t about to change his stance. Not when it kept his heart from being cracked in half again. Because the third time really was the charm. He was done falling for someone only to have his heart ripped out over something he couldn’t control.
The part of him that liked to point out the truth said not every person needed a biological child to be happy. There had to be plenty of women out there who would love him despite his flaw. The annoying voice picked that moment to ask why he always chose the ones who couldn’t.
When he broke free from his internal thoughts, Chloe was watching him.
“Are you sure you’re good?” she asked, referring to his last remark.
No, he wanted to say. But he settled on. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
After a second attempt on Trav’s part to make breakfast, Chloe sat at the table and ate. She shouldn’t enjoy this moment as much as she did or get used to it. “The gate is probably working by now, and my vehicle is blocking the entrance. I should get dressed so I can move it out of the way.”
“I can do that for you,” Trav offered.
She nodded, figuring arguing would do no good. She wasn’t used to stepping aside to let someone take care of something or allowing anyone to do it for her. Being independent and stubborn had gotten her through her childhood with Beaumont. It had gotten her through the breakup with Blake. It had gotten her through the first couple of years with a baby.
The territory was foreign at best.
Now, it was Trav’s turn to stare. “It’s okay if you want to come with me.”
“Yeah?”
“I can see where being here alone after everything that’s happened would be hard to do,” he said. That wasn’t the reason, but she didn’t correct him. How did she admit that she wasn’t used to letting anyone do things for her? Guy never gave her a choice. Plus, he brought supplies he said he got practically at wholesale pricing with his work discount. Since he wouldn’t take money, she’d cooked for him as a thank you. An occasional meal was the most he’d allow.
“What’s your next step?” she asked, moving the conversation back on track to the investigation.
“Track down Beau’s mother and ask a few questions,” he said, clearing the table.
“I can do that,” she said, immediately rising.
“It’s no problem. I do it all the time at home,” he quipped without missing a beat. He cracked a small smile. “And I like doing things for you.”
The man was already burrowing into her soul. Did he have to go and say that?
“Proceed,” she said, reclaiming her seat in defeat. And then she said, “I’d be interested to meet her. Kade wanted to invite her over for a Sunday supper, but he’s been too busy with the new baby, a wife, and trying to learn the business to schedule it. We’ve all been caught up in our own worlds.”
“The holidays have a tendency to go by in a blur,” he agreed.
The thought that Blake might have booked this gig to spring a surprise visit on her and Grayson caused a wave of panic. If Blake was clean and sober—and that was a big if —then, of course, he had a right to meet his son. She wanted nothing more than for Grayson to know his dad. However, personal experience had taught her that not all parents left a positive impact on their children, which concerned her about her ex, leaving her wondering if Grayson was better off in the dark.
The way Blake had dismissed her was fine. Well, clearly, she was not fine, but she’d been an adult, old enough to handle the rejection. Plus, she’d been the one to enter into the relationship of her own free will. Grayson didn’t get to choose his parents. It hardly seemed fair for him to suffer because of something he’d had no say in.
Since she was going around in circles in her head, like she often did when it came to complicated parenting matters, she decided to find out where Craig was staying and pay a visit. Making a decision helped stop the hamster wheel.
Blake’s band would be in town soon to get ready for their set. There’d be a sound check. Craig was most likely already here, staying somewhere. The term “lawnmower manager” came to mind when she thought about Craig. If that wasn’t a term, it should be. He went ahead and paved the way in the same bulldozing manner as a lawnmower parent. He’d established himself as Blake’s father figure and guardian a long time ago, so she hadn’t been surprised to read he was still at the helm the other day when she’d gotten her laptop out.
How difficult would it be to make a few calls and find out where Craig was staying? She could get a finger on the pulse of how Blake was really doing behind the news that claimed he was sober now.
Chloe hoped it was true, for his sake. He was also missing out on the greatest kid in the world and had no idea. But if he planned to show up drunk or drugged out or both, he needed to get a grip on reality and stay the hell away.
Reason said Blake wasn’t coming to Saddle Junction to see her or Grayson. The fact the band needed money was more like it.
“Keys are on the counter,” she told Trav once he finished the dishes. “I can go with you if you’d like the company.”
“Okay,” he said.
Then, she needed to figure out how to break off on her own so she could find Craig.
The exit gate was propped open so vehicles could get in and out of the property while Chloe’s sedan and Trav’s truck blocked the entrance. She shivered at the memory of what had happened here last night. Whoever was targeting her had found where she lived. That was an even bigger issue and another reason Guy couldn’t be the one responsible. He already knew where she lived.
Plus, wouldn’t she have recognized him last night?
Not really. First of all, she hadn’t gotten a good look at the bundled-up man who’d been coming at her. But wouldn’t Guy know the woods around the trailer park?
Not necessarily. He might never go out there. Why would he? All she’d had was a general idea, and she’d ended up lost. Wouldn’t the same be true for him? She’d never once heard him talk about going into the woods or seen him walking around.
It occurred to her that he’d loaned out his truck to someone the other day. Had it been an exchange of vehicles? What had Guy driven to work and back if someone had his truck?
No part of her wanted Guy to be responsible for targeting her, but questions were mounting, and he didn’t want to give answers. He’d refused to, as a matter of fact.
But he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. He cared far too much about helping her to be the one behind this.
Plus, wouldn’t he just ask her to come to his place and then abduct her? Or ask her to meet him somewhere?
Ms. Bouche came to mind. The older woman was in everyone’s business. She would be a barrier for anyone trying a direct approach to get to Chloe. Guy would know this.
Too weird. Guy wouldn’t do anything to hurt Chloe, Grayson, Annmarie, or Miguel. Period.
“I can drive back to the trailer,” Chloe said. “You might as well grab your truck while we’re out here. Park it at my house.”
“Just had the same thought,” he said. “I’ll follow you.”
Chloe sat in the driver’s seat of her sedan for a long moment as her body began to tremble. It’s fine , she reminded herself. You’re safe, she repeated several times. “There’s nothing to worry about right now ,” she whispered.
All three were true. She needed to get comfortable behind the wheel of her car. Recent events had made her afraid of driving or being home. She thought about borrowing Rinty for a half second. The ex-military dog belonged to Kade and Bree. It wouldn’t be fair to pull him out of the environment he loved, the ranch, to make her feel a smidge safer if Trav needed to bolt out.
So, no, Rinty was out of the question. He’d earned his retirement as well as the privilege of being spoiled.
Present circumstances almost made her want to get a dog of her own. But she was being reactive. Plus, her hands were full with the boys.
Again, the voice in the back of her head said it would be nice if Trav stuck around.
She needed to get over it. Despite the flickers of attraction, he’d been clear about not wanting a serious involvement. Considering her limited free time and the fact she had a child to consider, a casual fling wasn’t in the cards for her. She wasn’t built that way.
Shame, she thought. Would Trav be worth a compromise? Or maybe a better question to ask would be—would he want that?