For the next thirty minutes, Scarlett gamely battled her exhaustion while everyone, including Vivian, made a huge fuss over her. Part of her reveled in the knowledge that someone cared, but mostly she just wanted to crawl beneath her covers and sleep.
Several times she caught Travis watching her, the calm confidence of his expression letting her know he’d catch her if she fell. Something about this touched her deeply, making her eyes sting.
Delilah brought out a platter of meat, cheese, crackers and fruit for everyone to munch on. Just the sight of food made Scarlett feel nauseous. She figured it must have been due to the drugs they’d given her at the clinic.
When the room started spinning, she knew she had to get to her bed. Hoping to slip out unobtrusively, she stood, but swayed from dizziness. Travis immediately came to her and offered his arm, which she gratefully took.
Everyone went quiet as he escorted her down the hall. She could only imagine what they’d be thinking, but right now didn’t care.
Travis helped her to her bed and then, once she was seated, bent down and removed her poor running shoes. Though they’d been almost new when she’d originally put them on, they were dirty, stained and torn. She winced. “Those will have to go in the trash along with that bag of my clothes.” Then she remembered her cell phone and asked him to get it out of the bag, which he’d put on her dresser.
Once he did, he handed it to her. She pressed the button to mute the sound and placed it on the nightstand next to her bed. “Thank you,” she told him.
“Do you need help getting undressed?” he murmured. The slight curve of his mouth told her he was most likely joking.
“You know, I’m too tired to take you up on that offer,” she managed to tease, her voice husky. “I’ll take a rain check.”
“Sounds good.” Soothing back her hair from her face, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Staring after him as he left, she wasn’t sure whether to be elated or worried. She decided not to worry about it and closed her eyes instead.
When she woke up in the morning, still in her new outfit, everything hurt. She removed all her bandages and took a hot shower, wincing as the hot water made her cuts and scratches sting. The gash with stitches looked angry and swollen, but they’d given her antibiotics so she wasn’t worried.
Since she’d slept later than usual, Delilah was already busy in the kitchen when she went downstairs.
“Sit, please. I’ll get your coffee and something for you to eat.”
Grateful, Scarlett thanked her and took a seat at the table. “Where’s Hal? Is he all right?”
“He seems to be. Travis took him into town.” Delilah glanced sideways at her. “Mr. Hal wanted to have a word with the sheriff.”
“About what happened to me? Why?”
“He’s pretty upset.” Delilah placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of her, fixed exactly the way Scarlett liked it. “He says it happened on his property and he wants whoever did it caught.”
While Scarlett sipped her coffee, Delilah fixed her a plate of biscuits and gravy. “This is what Hal had earlier. I kept the gravy warm on the stove for you.”
“Oh wow. Thank you.” Though Scarlett rarely indulged in this kind of food, after the day she’d had yesterday, she felt she deserved it. She dug in with gusto, polishing off her entire plate. “That was absolutely wonderful,” she said.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” The older woman seemed strangely hesitant. After carrying the plate to the sink, she returned and pulled out the chair next to Scarlett. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what’s going on with you and Travis?”
A little surprised, Scarlett shrugged. She liked and respected Delilah, so she figured she’d be honest. “I’m not sure. We are definitely attracted to each other, but I have no idea where it might go.”
“He’s a good man. He’d give you the shirt off his back. He works hard and everyone in town knows they can count on him in an emergency. There aren’t an awful lot like him.”
Touched, Scarlett nodded. “He’s easy on the eyes too,” she quipped.
But Delilah didn’t laugh. “That man has had his heart broken once. I wasn’t working here then, but I’ve heard stories. Mr. Hal said he didn’t think Travis would recover.”
Now Scarlett understood. “You’re telling me this because you want to make sure I don’t hurt him.”
“Yes.” Delilah placed her hand on Scarlett’s arm. “I’m not sure what your plans are, whether you’re staying or leaving. And you seem like a kindhearted woman, so please consider all this before you get too involved with him. I’m not sure he’d survive having that sort of thing happen to him again.”
“I—” Scarlett opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get anything else out, the front door slammed open and Vivian and Amber breezed into the house. They headed directly for the kitchen.
Delilah jumped to her feet and moved away from the table. Scarlett remained seated, managing to summon up a smile. “Good morning,” she said. “What brings you two here so early?” Heaven help her, if they wanted to talk to her about not breaking Travis’s heart, she might cry. While she had no intention of ever hurting him, things were still too new between them to even think about a future.
“We’re here to talk to you about your costumes for the ball,” Vivian stated, a determined glint in her eyes. She wore bright orange slacks with sparkly silver shoes. Her long-sleeved, multicolored silky green blouse had stripes of orange and red. Her long, colorful earrings swung as she shook her head. They appeared to be parrots, or maybe cha-cha dancers—Scarlett couldn’t tell.
Amber noticed her looking and grinned.
“We haven’t decided yet,” Scarlett replied, tearing her gaze away from Vivian’s vivid attire. “In fact, Travis and I haven’t even had time to discuss it.”
Vivian grimaced. “Discuss? I realize you don’t know my son very well, but men don’t generally like to talk about stuff like costumes for Halloween balls. It’s better if you just make the choice for them, and simply fill them in.”
Behind her, Amber’s grin widened. The polar opposite of her mother, she wore her usual all black, from jeans to tight long-sleeved T-shirt emblazed with the name of a heavy metal band. Her jet-colored hair had that spiky, just-got-out-of-bed look, though Scarlett knew that hairstyle took time to achieve.
Delilah offered coffee but the two women asked for ice water instead. Once Delilah had brought them each a tall glass with a lemon wedge, she excused herself and disappeared.
“I thought it might be fun if we all coordinated something similar,” Amber volunteered.
“Are you going?” Scarlett asked, a bit perplexed but overall happy that they’d thought to include her.
“Of course.” Vivian carried a large plastic shopping bag, which she placed on the kitchen table. “I’m going with Frank, and Amber is going with Mike, who is a friend of Travis’s.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Scarlett said, meaning it. “It’ll be great to have other people I know there. I was a bit worried about sticking out like a sore thumb.”
The other two women exchanged glances, making Scarlett wonder what they were up to. Finally, Vivian shrugged. “I think you should play up to your strengths.”
“I agree,” Amber said.
Once they were all seated around the table with their drinks, she looked from one to the other. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean, playing to my strengths.”
“You’re beautiful.” Amber took a long drink. “I’d give anything to look like you.”
Touched, Scarlett thanked her.
“What she means—” Vivian said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a stack of what appeared to be pages cut out from magazines “—is that you need to choose a costume that enhances or accentuates your beauty, not hides it. Do you follow?”
Heaven help her, but Scarlett thought of Kendra, the reason Travis had asked her to go with him in the first place. The woman who’d broken his heart. Suddenly, she knew she wanted to look her very best in front of her. “Sounds good,” she agreed.
Amber clapped her hands in excitement. “I can’t wait,” she said.
“For the costumes, do you usually order them online or rent them or what?”
“I’m a pretty accomplished seamstress,” Vivian answered, drawing herself up proudly. “But even I don’t think I can make what we have in mind for everyone in the two weeks we have. Amber volunteered to look online, but if she can’t find anything suitable, we’ve heard great things about a costume rental shop in Dallas. We have to move quickly, though, because if we wait until the last minute, they’ll be sold out.”
For the first time, Scarlett understood how seriously everyone apparently took this costume ball. “What are you thinking as far as theme?” she asked.
Vivian passed over a sheaf of papers. “I’ve made several mock-ups. We’ve thought of a few with a large enough cast of characters for all of us.”
The first page showed the crew of Peter Pan. While Scarlett would have loved playing Tinker Bell, she couldn’t see Travis agreeing to be Peter or even Captain Hook. The second and third pages were both popular fairy tales. “What kind of thing does Travis usually prefer?” she asked.
Again Vivian and Amber exchanged looks. “He’s been a cowboy, a police officer and once we even talked him into going as Frankenstein.”
“Maybe we should discuss this with him?”
Vivian laughed. “We thought once we decided, we’d let you tell him.”
Immediately, Amber protested. “Mom, that’s not really fair. You know how stubborn Travis can be.”
“True, but you know he’d take it better coming from her,” Vivian shot back. She reached her long, coral-colored nails into her oversize purse and withdrew a stick of gum, which she popped into her mouth.
“Ignore her,” Amber said, grinning at Scarlett. “Keep looking. My ideas are coming up.”
Which meant the first few pages had been Vivian’s.
Predictably, the next page was a family of vampires, sort of a knockoff of Anne Rice’s popular book and movie. Scarlett paused, trying to imagine Travis as a vampire, but she couldn’t.
She continued on, stopping at the next page to consider. For this one, it appeared Amber had drawn her own characters, some symbolizing good, others bad. There were angels, glorious and regal, dressed in elaborate white with wings that rivaled those worn by Victoria’s Secret models. And there were fallen angels or maybe demons, all in black.
“This has possibilities,” Scarlett mused, tapping the page.
“There are more.” Amber grinned, clearly pleased. “We wanted to give you lots to choose from, this being your first Halloween ball and all.”
She’d had several more ideas, all of them good, but when Scarlett got to the next to last page, she stopped. “Wow,” she breathed. “Now this might actually work.”
Vivian leaned across the table to see. “Oh,” she commented. “Don’t you think that might have been overdone?”
“Not at all,” Scarlett replied, eyeing the antebellum costumes, especially that of her namesake. “Gone with the Wind is classic.” And she could actually picture Travis dressed as Rhett. “My only concern would be the possibility of even obtaining such elaborate dresses.”
“I agree.” Vivian blew a bubble and popped it. “We only have two weeks. Your average costume shop isn’t going to have an abundance of antebellum gowns.”
“There’s one more,” Amber said. “Medieval, kind of like King Arthur and the Round Table.”
As Scarlett eyed the pictures, she realized she could see Travis as either the king or as Lancelot, not as Merlin. “But then who would be Lady Guinevere?”
“You, silly,” Amber replied. “I’d want to be Morgana.”
“Then who would that leave for me? Not anyone fun,” Vivian protested, clearly not loving the idea.
“Igraine,” both Scarlett and Amber said at once.
“You’d make a fabulous queen,” Scarlett reassured her.
Vivian preened. “Yes, I think I would. But again, those are pretty elaborate costumes. Would we be able to get them in time?”
“Actually, I’ve got that covered,” Amber put in. “One of my friends belongs to a group who puts on an annual Renaissance Faire in Longview. They have a huge store of costumes, both for sale and for rent. I could touch base with her if you’d like.”
“Or do you need to check with Travis?” Vivian asked, her eyes narrowed.
“I’m...not sure. Though what possible objection could he have to being King Arthur or Lancelot?” Scarlett mused.
“I think you should let him choose. Once he’s selected who he wants to be, we’ll just assign Frank and Mike their characters.” Vivian began restacking the papers, this time putting the medieval page on top.
Again, the front door opened. This time, Travis pushed Hal inside. The older man appeared a bit surprised to see everyone, but he wheeled himself right up to Scarlett.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, peering at her face, his green eyes full of worry.
“I’m okay. How about you?” She thought he looked tired. The circles under his eyes appeared darker, the lines and puffiness more pronounced.
“I’m good.” He waved away her concern. Lifting his head, he eyed Vivian and Amber. “Why are y’all here? What’s going on?”
“We came to discuss costumes for the ball,” Amber drawled.
Travis looked at Scarlett. A shiver of awareness zinged through her as their gazes locked.
“I was thinking we’d do a Camelot type thing,” she said, confident he’d like this. “I could be Guinevere and you could be Lancelot.”
Immediately, he shook his head. “No. I’m sorry, but I could never be Lancelot. Not in a million years.”
Stunned silence followed his pronouncement. In retrospect, Travis figured he might have been a bit harsh, but if Scarlett couldn’t understand his reasoning, it was because she didn’t know him well enough.
As for his mother and sister, he supposed they’d never understand.
Hal, though, got it immediately. “It’s okay,” he told Scarlett. “You have to realize, the one thing Travis values above all others is honor and loyalty. He could never even pretend to be someone who’d betray his king.”
Though Scarlett’s eyes had widened at his declaration, the instant Hal explained, she nodded. “I get it. How about you be King Arthur instead?”
Again, he had to shake his head. It went without saying that he didn’t want to portray a man whose own knight had cuckolded him. Plus, Kendra had always wanted to be Guinevere during their time together.
“Maybe you’re taking this all a tad bit too seriously?” Vivian suggested, her tone dry. “It’s just a costume ball.”
“Maybe so,” he allowed. “Let me know what else y’all come up with. I can give you a hint. I make a pretty damn good cowboy.”
Everyone laughed. On that note, he left them and headed home. He had a long day tomorrow and wanted to get cleaned up and turn in early.
The next morning, he got up before dawn and was out in the fields alongside his men to watch the sunrise. With the too-short Texas autumn already upon them, it wouldn’t be long before winter rode in on her heels.
Winter in Texas could be many things, depending on her mood. From ice storms, snow and below freezing temperatures, to mild weather with flooding rain and decimating winds, winter could be the most dangerous time for livestock. To be safe, the HG Ranch moved all of their herds from the remote pastures to the closer ones. They hauled off many to auction, but the remaining cattle they kept where they could more easily watch over them.
The day passed quickly, as busy days tended to do. By the time the sun reached the edge of the horizon, Travis ached. Tired, but a good kind of tired, and dirty, he enjoyed the pleasant knowledge that he’d completed a good day’s work.
Since he’d spent most of the day on horseback, moving cattle and occasionally stopping to pitch in to repair fences, nothing sounded better than a hot shower and a cold beer. Despite that, Travis found himself driving past his place and heading for the main house. Though he told himself he wanted to check on Hal, he knew the real reason was because of Scarlett. He wanted to see her again.
Somehow, without even trying, she’d gotten into his blood. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, even while working himself harder than he had in a long while in an effort to distract himself.
Making love with her had actually had the opposite effect than he’d hoped for. Instead of getting her out of his system, she wiggled deeper inside.
When he pulled up at the main house, due to the lateness of the hour, no one else was there. Even Delilah had gone home for the day. He hoped he could grab a bite to eat, but if not, he figured Vivian would have made something and left it in the fridge for him at home.
He let himself in the front door, marveling at how quiet the place seemed lately. Before Scarlett had arrived, Hal had mostly entertained himself by watching hours of television. The TV had been on 24/7, it seemed.
These days, Hal seemed more engaged. Even as his physical body grew weaker, the arrival of his daughter had sharpened his mind and lightened his spirit. That alone made Travis disposed to like her. Even if she hadn’t been beautiful and sexy as well.
The low murmur of voices seemed to be coming from Hal’s office. Strange, since the older man rarely ventured in there anymore. Bypassing the kitchen and heading down the hallway, his spirit lightened with anticipation. Travis froze when he heard Hal say oil leases.
Scarlett asked a question, but Travis couldn’t make out the words. All his initial suspicion came rushing back. Had Scarlett’s arrival been a front all along? Was she working with Wave Oil Company, maybe even working with Kendra? Or was he just being paranoid?
While he hesitated to eavesdrop, how could he not? Moving as silently as possible, he tried to get closer so he could hear the conversation.
“But why?” Scarlett asked. “What’s the objection to letting them drill on part of your land? It sounds to me like it would bring a much-needed infusion of cash. And as long as it wouldn’t disrupt your cattle operation, I can’t see the harm.”
She sounded just like one of the oil company representatives. With his hands clenched into fists, Travis waited to hear how Hal would respond.
As predicted, Hal began talking about the environment, damage to the land, the equipment and trucks and people invading the ranch, though he didn’t sound as convinced or impassioned as he usually did.
He sounded weary and old.
Though Travis would have liked to have stayed hidden and determined how hard Scarlett tried to convince her so-called father, his primary concern had to be for Hal. He couldn’t let anyone badger the old man.
Travis pasted a false smile onto his face and stepped into the room. “Hey,” he said softly, resisting the urge to look at her and locking his gaze on Hal. “What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing,” Scarlett immediately replied, which made Travis clench his jaw.
“I was showing her the offers from the oil company,” Hal interjected, his tone defensive. “I’ve been thinking about the future, and what will happen to this ranch once I’m gone.”
Talk about a punch in the gut. Not only at the prospect of Hal leaving too soon, but that he even questioned the well-being of the ranch.
“Nothing will happen.” Trying to keep it light, Travis moved into the room and squeezed the older man’s shoulder. Too thin, too frail, as if Hal’s bones would snap if Travis were to squeeze too hard.
“Everything will continue to run just as it always has,” Travis continued. “Like we’ve always discussed.”
Conscious of Scarlett watching him, shock and dismay on her beautiful, treacherous face, Travis kept all of his focus on Hal. As it should be, where it always should have been, if he hadn’t allowed himself to become distracted.
“I know, I know.” Hal covered Travis’s hand with his own. “I’ve always been able to rely on you. But it’s only natural to worry now that I have a daughter. I want to make sure she’s taken care of.”
And so does she, Hal thought, tamping down on his anger. Once again, he felt like a fool. He’d made love to her, invited her to be his date for the ball. He’d thought he liked her—hell, more than liked her. He’d let his guard down and now he felt as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut.
“I see from the expression on your face that you believe I’m trying to convince Hal to go with the oil company’s offer so I can make money,” Scarlett said.
“Aren’t you?” The rancor in his tone made Hal frown.
“Not at all. I was asking questions to understand. Nothing more. I don’t need Hal’s money. After my mother died, she made sure I’d be taken care of. Believe me when I say that I want for nothing. She was careful with her investments and money. The last thing you need to do is worry about me. I have no need of money whatsoever.”
Whatever Travis had been expecting her to say, it wasn’t this. Trying to remain skeptical, he finally allowed himself to glance at her, steeling himself for the familiar sizzle of attraction.
Yep, still there. Damn it.
“Nice to know you’re so well-off,” he drawled.
“Travis, that’s enough.” Hal’s mild rebuke immediately made Travis ashamed. “I’d think you’d be happy to hear that Scarlett is self-sufficient. One less thing for you to have to worry about once I’m gone.”
“First off, you’re not going anywhere just yet,” Scarlett interjected. “And second, there’s no reason why Travis would ever have to worry about me. None whatsoever.”
Hal raised one bushy eyebrow but didn’t say anything, for which Travis was grateful. The last thing he needed was for Hal to comment on a potential relationship between the two of them. Especially since that potential didn’t exist. Not now, not ever.
Even if he couldn’t stop wanting her. Physical attraction was one thing. A lifelong commitment, another.
“Travis,” Scarlett asked softly. “Could we have a word in private?”
His voice stuck in his throat, so he managed a nod. Ignoring Hal’s knowing look, he followed Scarlett from Hal’s office. Instead of heading toward the kitchen as he’d expected, she led the way toward her room.
He hesitated, but finally followed her inside. When she closed the door and turned to face him, he froze. “Scarlett...”
Her expression had gone all soft, her eyes full of tenderness. He wanted to back her up against the wall and make love to her, right then, right there. Again and again and again, until he purged his system of her.
“I really don’t think we should be in here alone,” he managed to rasp. “So why don’t we—”
She grabbed him before he could finish, and yanked him to her. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her mouth to his and kissed him.
Lust jolted through him like an electric shock, frying his brain and all rational capability of reason.
“I want you,” she murmured, mouth against his, right before their tongues mated the way his body wanted to.
He wanted her too, hell how he wanted her, but damned if he’d allow her to make him a slave of his own needs and desires. Holding himself back, he allowed her to kiss him, though he kept himself as restrained as he could.
Finally, his lack of enthusiasm got through to her.
“Travis?” She moved back, her expression troubled. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Maybe the time had come to give her the brutal truth, no matter how harsh. “I don’t want Hal thinking we’re a couple, getting his hopes up that I’ll take care of you once he’s...” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
At first, she simply stared at him, attempting to process his words. “Take care of me?” she asked. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Hal feels horrible that you grew up without him being part of your life. He told me so. I know he worries about what will happen to you in the future.” Again, he found he couldn’t articulate the rest. Speaking out loud about a time when Hal wasn’t alive felt like sacrilege.
“Interesting. Especially since he’s never mentioned that to me.”
Was she hurt? Or angry? He wasn’t sure. While channeling his desire into an all-out brawl might be exactly what he needed, with Hal in the other room, he couldn’t chance it. “I apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Though she dipped her chin in a curt nod of acknowledgment, there wasn’t the slightest hint of forgiveness in her expression. “Let me make something clear. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. Like I tried to tell you earlier, my mother made careful investments and she left me well-off enough that I’ve been considering opening my own art gallery. I made this detour here so I could get to know my father. I didn’t know he was ill.”
“Then why are you asking about the oil company’s offers?” he shot back. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you and Hal were discussing before I walked up.”
He could have sworn hurt rather than chagrin flashed in her emerald eyes, so like Hal’s. “Travis, I know you manage the ranch, so I’m sure you’re aware Hal has financial troubles. All his medical tests and treatments are expensive. He’s not just worried about what will happen to me once he’s gone. He’s concerned about you, Travis. If he doesn’t come up with additional funds to pay his bill, there’s a very real problem he will lose the ranch.”