Chapter 27
RACHEL
This was not how Rachel thought the trip would end. Granted, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but this felt… this felt…defeated.
“Evelyn.” Rachel jogged toward her ex-mother-in-law at the lounge where they waited in the small airport just outside Twin Lakes. There were no commercial flights here; this place was just for the corporate jets to come and go.
They were at the airport because Evelyn had canceled the rest of the trip.
Just like that.
No big announcement, just, “We’re going home.”
Everyone, even Bob, agreed this was the best idea.
“Yes?” Evelyn said, crossing her ankles where she sat.
“I…I just want to thank you for letting the boys and me come up this summer. They really had a good time. Despite…the ending.”
Rachel still half expected Evelyn to pull a creative drama the likes of which would’ve made even Dakota jealous. So far, that hadn’t happened. Evelyn had not even mentioned her cat.
“Why don’t you sit?” Evelyn patted the chair next to her.
It did, early on, occur to Rachel that Evelyn didn’t want to continue to have her and Travis staying in the same house—even if Evelyn didn’t come right out and say it. And, as everyone recovered over the following days, Rachel had wondered how Evelyn would conspire to keep them apart.
She’d expected something creative. So the cancellation of the rest of the summer did make sense. It was also very non-Evelyn.
A little too on-the-nose.
Rachel trailed her gaze to where Travis stood by the coffee and tea cart. Even though he swore his stomach was feeling 100 percent, he was still gulping peppermint tea like he owned stock in it.
Which, he might. Rachel really didn’t know much about his investments.
He pinched his lips in a thin line when she sat next to his mother.
And that made Rachel’s stomach hurt.
The guy was more than a touch grumpy that he wasn’t flying them home. Evelyn had called in a pilot—since it’d been only a few days and Travis, while recovered, was not in any condition to fly.
Rachel was pondering the realization that she would’ve preferred he fly them home. Not some unnamed pilot she didn’t know.
“I’m worried that you’re angry,” Rachel said finally.
“Did you ever hear the story of my meemaw?” Evelyn asked.
“The one who made the first toaster tart?” Rachel shook her head.
“She loved to bake because it brought her family together. The kitchen was the heart of the family when I was growing up.”
Rachel could relate to that.
“Meemaw was the heart of the family.” Evelyn adjusted so she leaned closer to Rachel. “She never got to meet my boys, but she would’ve loved them. She would’ve loved my grandbabies, too. She would’ve wanted them to have a stable home with a mom and dad who put them first.”
“Evelyn…”
“Hear me out.” Evelyn looked between Gavin and Travis.
Travis was scowling in their direction. Gavin was talking to Dane about something that animated his expression.
“Evelyn, I’d like you to hear me out for a minute.” Rachel set aside her cup of coffee and faced Evelyn head on. “You love Bob. I’m certain that your meemaw loved her husband. Gavin and I never had that.”
Evelyn pursed her lips.
“We didn’t. We made a mistake one night, and he was stuck with me.
We did our best, but it wasn’t the right thing.
So we adjusted. That’s what you do in a family.
You adjust. My family wouldn’t adjust to the idea that I had kids the way I did.
They still haven’t. And you know what? It makes me sad, because they’re missing out on two of the best humans on the planet.
” Her voice trembled a little, dammit. She stood, then she turned to Evelyn.
“I’m not making threats, because that’s not how I work.
But I have watched my boys lose one set of grandparents to what they thought was right, even when it was really, really wrong.
I don’t want them to lose you and Bob, too, because I’m with the wrong son. ”
Evelyn didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.
“Just don’t do the wrong thing for the right reasons,” Rachel said as a parting shot.
Then she went to Travis.
“What did she say?” he asked as soon as she was in front of him.
“I…” Rachel turned back to Evelyn, who was staring intently at the interaction between her son and Rachel. “I told her she needs to knock it off before my boys lose both sets of grandparents.”
Travis drew her in for a hug. “Are you okay?”
He smelled of spice and the mountains and…the man she loved.
“I’m okay,” she said.
How often over the years had she said those words, and they’d been half-truths said to make the other person feel better?
She smiled against Travis’s shoulder because this time, she meant it. “I was hoping you might take Brady up in the single-engine? I mentioned it, and he really wants to.”
Travis’s look of shock was nearly comical.
“Will you come along?” he asked, recovering quickly.
“No way in hell.” She shook her head.
He draped his arm around her. “Small steps, sunshine.”
…
TRAVIS
Travis couldn’t kiss Rachel like he wanted to, not with the boys loaded in the SUV with the dogs. He stood outside the driver’s-side door with Rachel as the sun set over the Rockies. It cast a beautiful glow behind her.
He wished he had a camera.
They’d touched down at Centennial Airport in Englewood. The flight had been remarkably uneventful. He hadn’t been able to fly, but he got to sit with Rach. Even held her hand most of the flight.
He had no idea what the hell had gone on between the two women. But whatever it was, his mama was straight-up confused. She now looked at the two of them like she didn’t want to wring both their necks and make chicken soup out of their souls.
If he had to guess, Mama was softening toward the two of them like butter left out in the Tennessee sun.
This, he figured, was a welcome improvement.
Even the walk across the tarmac holding Rachel’s hand was not given one iota of side-eye.
“I’m starving and there’s no food at home,” Rachel said, glancing inside the car to give Brady direction on the proper usage of a seat belt before turning her attention back to Travis. “I guess we’ll hit a drive-through on the way.”
Molly and April had dropped April’s SUV off at the airport for her. They’d been ecstatic about the coming home early.
He couldn’t blame them. He’d also grown fond of her company. More than fond. He couldn’t quite put a name on it, but he needed this woman.
“Here.” He handed her a plastic container with his mama’s homemade tarts. “Don’t tell her I sent them with you.”
“Thanks.” She took the container and stuffed it into her bag.
“Do you want me to come by and help you find a toothbrush later?” he asked, because asking if he could stick his tongue down her pants was probably inappropriate.
“Let me get the boys settled first.” Rachel glanced to the back seat of her car.
“I can do that.”
“Two boys, two dogs, suitcases, my purse, and keys.” She went through her checklist, then held the keys up. “Mr. Pretzel.”
She didn’t know how cute she was when she did that. He hoped she never figured it out.
The boys couldn’t have cared less that this was a huge step in their relationship—the going-public-in-front-of-everyone thing.
Rachel said she and Gavin explained to the boys that she and Travis were in a relationship, and they could ask any questions they wanted.
So far, their only question had been if Uncle Travis would bring them gummy bears to replenish the stash that Rachel tossed out before they left for the airport.
Travis hadn’t been able to answer, because Rachel answered for him.
He was fine with this, because he had a feeling no matter what he answered, somebody was going to be pissed off at him.
“You promise you’ll call?” He gave her a sly smile.
She rolled onto her toes and kissed his cheek. “Of course I promise.”
“Bye, Rach.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“See you in a bit.” She gave him a little wave that he felt deep in his bones.