Chapter 13

Travis walked into the Academy with Penny and Belle earlier than usual the next morning in order to catch Francesca before she left for school, and also to avoid the paparazzi.

“Hey, Texas,” Tony said. “Hi there, Penny.” He crouched down. “And hello, little lady.”

“Twavis,” Belle mumbled, hiding her face behind her teddy bear. Travis pushed Tony out of the way, almost causing him to fall on his ass.

“Your ugly mug is scaring her, jackass. Where’s your wife?”

Tony stood. “She’s in the office finishing some paperwork before she has to go.”

“Can we talk to her real quick?”

“Yeah, come on,” Tony said, leading them to the back.

“Oh, look, it’s Belle!” Violet squeaked from the other side of the room. She jogged over with Jessica. “I just finished a yoga class,” Violet informed them, wiping her face with a towel. “Hope I’m not too sweaty. Can I hold her?”

“No,” Travis began, but Penny rolled her eyes and cut him off.

“You’re fine, Violet. Of course you can hold her.”

“But what if she gets one of those fungus things from the mats? Vi should wash her hands. Wait!” Travis reached into Penny’s diaper bag, found the bottle of hand sanitizer, and squirted a ridiculous amount into Violet’s hand. “There.”

“You are absolutely insane, Travis,” Penny said. Violet laughed and reached into the stroller for Belle, who already had her arms out.

“Watch her for a sec, please, Vi, Jess. We need to talk to Frances.”

“Oh, yay!” Jessica said. “Come on, Belle. Let’s go listen to some music.”

Tony knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” Francesca called.

“Mi amor, Penny and Travis wanna talk to you.”

“Sure. Come on in, guys. Have a seat.”

For the next few minutes Penny recounted the whole story to Francesca and explained the problem she was having with Kip and Lawrence. “He gave us a week before he does whatever the hell he plans to do, which I think will be to try to get custody of Belle by claiming that I’m unfit. He’ll look like the hero who stepped up to help his out-of-control stepdaughter.”

Francesca whistled, leaning back. “Wow. What a clusterfuck.”

“Aren’t attorneys supposed to have a professional bedside manner?” Travis asked.

Francesca shook her head. “Nah, that’s doctors.”

“Is it that bad?” Penny broke in. “I mean, isn’t there any law that protects me? She’s my daughter.”

“I’ll talk to my family law professor today and see if he has any ideas or if he can recommend an attorney who can help you. In the meantime, I suggest that if he gets very nasty, you call the police or avoid him altogether. Try not to engage, because the sonofabitch will probably use anything you do or say against you to make you look bad and strengthen his case.”

Travis stood up. “Thanks, Frances. Anything you can do is appreciated.”

“No problem, Trav. And Penny…” Francesca walked around the desk. She had on a pair of slim black pants, a silk shirt, and sky-high red pumps. Her perfect wavy hair and hazel eyes were stunning against her flawless makeup. The woman looked like a model, not the co-owner of an MMA studio or a law student. Penny had always been intimidated by her, but Travis had told her what a good person Frances was—even with her straightforward manner and foul mouth. “You’ll find that this Academy is a family. I mean that in the truest sense of the word. I’m going to help you find an attorney, and we’ll fight to help you. You need anything, you call me, my husband, or even Slade or Jessica, and we’ll be there at the drop of a hat, okay?”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing to say,” Francesca replied as she led them back out. “I’ll call you this afternoon after I speak with my professor, Trav.”

“Thanks, Frances.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Travis took Penny’s hand, which made her heart beat a little faster, and walked to where Violet and Jessica sat with Belle.

“Look, Belle, it’s your mommy,” Jessica said, pointing behind the little girl. Belle turned around and crawled to Penny.

“Thanks for watching her.”

“Hey, if you want to stay here, I can take Penny home. I’m giving Jess a lift and it’s on my way,” Violet said to Travis.

Travis hesitated.

“It’s okay, Travis. Stay. I’m fine. I’ll lock all the doors and the gate. No sense in you taking me home and then having to drive all the way back,” Penny said.

“You sure? What if Kip comes back?”

“I’ll call you. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. With the gate closed no one can get in.”

“Okay, but go straight home and don’t go anywhere else. If you need something you call me.”

“I will. And Joe called to tell me there were a lot of reporters around Ruby’s and that I should stay home again today. I just want this to all go away already.”

“I know, darlin’. We’ll figure it out. Come on, let me go put the car seat in your car, Vi,” Travis said.

After Travis made sure that the seat was secured in the car, he took Belle from Penny’s arms and buckled her into the seat. “Travis, she can’t breathe. That’s too tight,” Jessica protested from the front seat.

“She’s fine,” Travis said, giving the belt a final tug. “It needs to be tight so that it’s effective. Isn’t that right, baby girl?”

“Twavis,” she responded, causing him to chuckle before stepping back.

“Remember, don’t open the doors to anyone, okay?”

“Got it,” Penny said.

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, then closed the car door.

“Well, I never thought I’d see the day that Travis would become a responsible adult,” Violet said.

“Why do you say that?” Penny asked.

“I’ve known him a long time. He’s the sweetest man I know. Funny, handsome, big heart. But he’s also…” Violet searched for the right word. “I don’t want to say selfish, because it sounds mean, and he’s not mean. But he’s very much about himself. He works out all the time, and that’s pretty much all he does. Thinking about the fact that my car didn’t have a car seat? That kind of blew my mind. And then the way he is so worried about you…Honey, I think he’s in love.”

“Love?” Penny shook her head. “No. He’s not in love with me. He likes me, I like him. But that’s it. I feel as if I’m putting him in a bad position, if I’m being honest. I don’t want him to feel as if he has to help us, but at the same time I am so grateful that he does. I want him to like me, not feel sorry for me. For us. Am I being crazy?”

“I don’t think you’re being crazy,” Jessica said. “But I do think you’re wrong. He’s been following you around like a lovesick puppy for a whole year now, and he didn’t know you had a daughter or problems with your stepdad.”

“I’m not the best judge because I’ve been in love with Cain all my life,” Violet put in. “But I’ve seen with Jess and Jamie Lynn that sometimes there are fast connections that are true and real.”

Jessica nodded. “You don’t have to know someone for years or even months to know that you have something special between the two of you. You don’t necessarily have to be in love with someone to know that you will eventually love that person. I don’t know if that makes sense. I didn’t fall in love with Slade the moment I met him, but I did feel an instant connection with him, and I knew, somewhere deep inside, that it would turn out to be forever. Those intense feelings don’t happen every day and they don’t just go away.”

Penny looked at her daughter and smiled. “I saw him the first day I started working at the Pier, and I immediately felt something in my heart. It was almost too much. I still feel it, every day.”

“I think he does too. He’s smitten, that’s for sure. And, I gotta say, honey, you have stiff competition, because he’s in love with your little girl.”

“She’s pretty smitten with him as well. Hey, how’s JL doing with the twins? She looked great the other day when I saw her.”

“She’s good. Enzo’s a mess, but Jamie Lynn’s great,” Violet answered.

“Why’s Enzo a mess?” Jessica asked.

“Just a nervous wreck. Every time they move he jumps up and makes sure they’re fine. JL kicked him out the other day. Made him leave the house for at least an hour or two. She said he needed a change of scenery. I think she wanted to strangle him,” Violet joked, and the three laughed.

“Maybe I’ll go visit them on Saturday after the animal shelter,” Penny said.

“Animal shelter?” Jessica asked.

“Yes. Ms. Hannigan, the elderly woman who’s been watching Belle, lost her dog about a year ago, and with Belle also not there, I bet she’s lonely. I’ve spoken with her a few times since I came to Travis’s house, and she sounds sad. So I’m going to go get a dog for her.”

“Any particular kind of dog?” Jessica asked.

“It’s an apartment, so small would be the only requirement.”

“How about a Chihuahua mix?”

“Jessica!” Violet screeched. “You can’t give away your dogs!”

“I’m not!” Jessica reassured her. “Drogo, Jack and Chrissy’s dog, knocked up another dog, a pug, and it just gave birth. Chrissy is going crazy looking for people to adopt the pups, because if she brings home one more dog, Jack will have a coronary.”

“A pug-Chihuahua mix? Ew.” Penny scrunched up her face.

“Yes, they’re some ugly dogs, but they’re small and available.”

“Sold! I know Chrissy’s number. I’ll call her later and let her know that I’m interested,” Penny said as they arrived at Travis’s house. She took out the remote from her purse and opened the gate.

“Thanks for the lift, ladies,” she said as she unbuckled Belle, unhooked the car seat, and went inside, securely closing the door behind her.

It was still morning and Penny found herself with nothing to do and unable to leave. So she called Olivia.

“Hi, chick,” Olivia answered.

“Hi, Olivia. I was wondering if you wanted to come over again with the kids and go in the pool?”

“I wish. Joe just called me and he needs me to cover a shift. I’m scrambling for a babysitter.”

Without thinking, Penny said, “Oh, why don’t you bring them over? I don’t mind. I’m not doing anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, but please count on me whenever you need someone to watch your baby, okay?”

“I can use all the friends I can get, so I may take you up on that offer soon.”

“Great. I’ll be over in twenty.”

“ ’Kay.”

Penny’s next call was to Travis. “Everything okay?” Travis asked, tension in his voice.

“Yes. You okay?”

“Last time you called me—well, the only time you’ve ever called me—you were hiding after being accosted by your stepfather.”

She thought about it for a moment and realized he was right. She never called. It was always him calling her. “I’m sorry—I just feel bad bothering you. That’s why I haven’t called before.”

“So everything’s okay?”

“Yes, fine. Just wanted to ask you if it’s okay for Olivia to bring her two kids here for a few hours, until Will gets off work. She was in a bind.”

“Sure, momma.”

“Thanks, Travis. Oh, and Travis, if I had a phone with an easy-to-use keyboard, one where it didn’t take twenty minutes to send a text, I would text you some sweet emojis.”

“ ’S okay, darlin’. See you later.”

She hung up and got the house ready for the kids.

Travis was lifting weights, focused on the burning in his muscles, when Francesca came in and called out, “Hey, Texas, glad you’re still here. Come to the office.” Travis put the weights down, wiped his face, and followed her back.

“Spoke with my professor and he made some calls. I have bad news and okay news.”

“Tell me.”

“The bad news is that Lawrence can claim she took his daughter without his consent, and he can sue for joint custody. That sucks, right? And he can be a big dick and try to claim full custody by proving she’s unfit to be a mother. The fact that she disappeared and no one has known about her whereabouts for over a year isn’t good. It’ll make it hard for her to defend herself. And, honey, the fact that she’s with you isn’t so good either.”

“My criminal record?”

She nodded.

“So what’s the okay news?”

“So I was thinking.” Francesca stood and walked around the room. “Penny said that Lawrence was doing this for money. He’s desperate. He doesn’t really want a kid or a wife, right? So the other option is to offer him money to sign away his paternity rights and to agree to leave Penny and Belle alone.”

“Can I do that?”

“That’s up to you. Legally, yes, you can make the offer. But the question is, do you want to?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely!” Travis took out his phone.

“What are you doing?” Francesca reached out to grab his hand. “You should think about this, Travis. It could get expensive.”

“Don’t care,” Travis said as he dialed. “I’m calling Jack. I need to know where Lawrence is and how I can see him when he’s not with Kip. How quickly can you or your lawyer buddy draw up the documents?”

“Give me a day. But I’m telling you, getting Lawrence to agree may cost you a pretty penny.”

He couldn’t help but smile. He already had a pretty Penny, and she was waiting at home. If he could make this all go away for her, he would, without any hesitation. “Do what needs to be done.” He stood. “Thanks, Frances.”

Francesca was already on the phone.

There was nothing sweeter than walking into his home after a long day and smelling home-cooked food and seeing his girl with her messy hair up in a bun and wearing one of his T-shirts.

Today was not that day.

Today he walked in and found Penny sprawled out on the couch with Belle fast asleep on top of her.

“Hey, momma.”

“Hi,” she said sleepily. “What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“Oh, no, I fell asleep,” she whispered. “Three kids is a lot of kids.”

Travis laughed and picked Belle up. “To bed?” he whispered to Penny.

“Yeah. She didn’t nap. I’m not even going to change her clothes.” Penny followed him into the room as Travis put Belle down and tucked her in. Then he turned on the princess night-light and the sound machine he’d gotten her.

“Twavis,” Belle mumbled before rolling onto her side and falling back asleep. Travis stood by the crib looking in, and Penny watched him. He really did look smitten. She stepped out of the room quietly and went to the kitchen.

“Chinese tonight?” he said, following her.

She closed the refrigerator and looked over her shoulder.

“No. How about grilled cheese and tomato soup?”

“Sounds good. I’ll take a quick shower.” He turned to leave the kitchen, but Penny grabbed his shirt, stopping him.

“Just wanted to tell you that I’m…when you’re not here, I miss you.”

“Missed you too, momma.” He kissed her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. “We’ll pick this up when I’m not so sweaty.”

“Okay.” She kissed him one last time and went to prepare dinner.

Penny opened the enormous pantry and pulled out a can of soup, thinking again about how the only time she’d ever called Travis was when she was in trouble. She always waited for him to make a move because she was too insecure or nervous to do it herself.

It was time to be bold, she thought. To do what she wanted to do and not worry about what others thought or what was right or wrong or even proper or improper.

She put the can back, peeked into the room where Belle was to make sure she was asleep, then took a deep breath and opened Travis’s bedroom door. She could hear the shower. She quickly undressed and quietly opened the door to the bathroom.

She’d expected to see Travis soaping his body or shampooing his hair. But through the glass door she saw he was leaning against the wall in the shower spray, his eyes closed and his impressive erection in one hand.

Since this was her first attempt at being bold and sexy, she was unsure of what to do, and she stood there nervously, trying to figure out her first move.

“You gonna stand there and watch or you gonna come in and help me?”

Startled, she looked at him and realized that he’d opened his eyes and was looking at her.

She pulled together her courage, then opened the shower door and stepped in. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and drew her roughly against him, attacking her mouth. The kiss was hard and desperate, and his dick throbbed against her stomach.

She pushed him away and got on her knees.

“You sure?” he asked.

Instead of responding, she inched closer and nodded.

“Then open up that pretty mouth,” he commanded, his voice hoarse.

She opened her mouth and he guided himself inside, leaning forward with both hands on the tiled wall. Water sluiced down his body and onto her as she tried to figure out how to do this.

“So long as you don’t bite hard, you can’t really fuck up a blow job, momma,” he said, answering her silent question.

So she wrapped a hand around the shaft and moved her hand up and down. “Harder. Your hand—squeeze harder,” he hissed, his voice tight.

She followed his directions, and he seemed to be enjoying it because he moved his hips slightly forward. He had said not to bite hard. But he hadn’t said not to bite, so she nibbled a little as she moved her hand up and down.

“Christ.” He pulled her up to her feet. “Stop.”

She pushed the wet hair from her face. “It wasn’t good?”

He snorted. “It was fuckin’ great. Didn’t want to come in your mouth. Your turn.” Before she had a chance to react, he was on his knees, one of her legs was over his shoulder, and his tongue was on her—in her. He dug his nails against the skin on her ass and looked up at her as he sucked her clit hard into his mouth. Her head fell back against the wall. She was seconds away from coming when he stopped and spanked her pussy, causing her to mewl loudly. He opened the shower door, reached under the sink, and took out a box of condoms. Frenzied, he used his teeth to rip open the cardboard box, which fell apart in his wet hands. “You need to get on the pill. I hate rubbers.” He quickly opened a wrapper and slid on a condom, then lifted her up. “Wrap your arms and legs around me and hold tight, darlin’.” He pressed her back against the wall of the shower as he moved in and out of her.

“So good, Travis,” she moaned.

He grunted as he pushed into her. “You’re so tight, it’s too fucking good,” he breathed into her neck, the water spraying around them. “Feel you coming,” he grunted.

“Yes!” she moaned as he thrust one last time, both of them exploding together in a heady combination of sensations—his warm skin, the cold tile, and her hot, oversensitized body.

“Will it ever be bad?” she asked dazedly after the shudders had subsided.

“Not between us, I reckon,” he said, kissing her shoulder, his hardness throbbing inside her. “Y’know, I was hoping you’d come in here while I was in the shower,” he admitted.

“You were? Why didn’t you just ask or say something?”

He unwrapped her arms and legs and helped her down. “Because I always initiate it, and you’re living here. I don’t want you to feel obligated. I want you to come to me because you want to. Freely.” He stepped out of the shower and brought her a towel.

“Travis, I want to tell you something,” she said as she dried herself. “Before this big mess, when it was just my secret, I liked you. I looked forward to work because it meant I would see you. I wondered where you were right before coming to the bar and where you went after. I am in awe at your confidence and the way you command a room by just smiling. You make everyone around you at ease, and that night when you kissed me, you impacted my life. Travis, I felt so helpless that day, and you gave me a renewed sense of hope just by wanting me. I’ve felt so lonely and discarded for so long. So if I’m guarded, it’s only because I have Belle to think about, not because I don’t like you.” She looked down at the towel, fingering the hem. “If you want the truth…the truth is that I’m scared of the feelings I have for you. I shouldn’t feel these things for a man who says he doesn’t want kids or trouble.”

He slid one of his T-shirts on her and then tossed both towels aside. “Wow. That’s a lot of words,” he said as they walked to the kitchen.

She quickly began to prepare the soup and sandwiches she’d promised she’d make. “Maybe I said too much? I did, didn’t I? I just didn’t want you to think my lack of being forward is a sign of disinterest.”

“No, I’m glad you said how you feel. I’m not always sure. And—” Just then his phone chirped. He reached for it, read the caller’s name, and hopped out of his chair. “Shit. I have to do something, darlin’. Should be fast.” He took the sandwich from her hand and shoveled some of it into his mouth.

“What? You’re leaving? It’s midnight.”

“I know, but it’s very important.”

“Is it JL? Did something happen?”

“No, nothing like that. You trust me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then go to bed. I’ll be back soon.” He jogged to his room and emerged in gym shorts and a T-shirt. He kissed the top of her head, grabbed his keys and wallet, and ran out, leaving her utterly confused. She’d just laid her heart on the line, and he’d literally run away.

Travis opened the door to the Pier. Jack had sent him a text saying he’d been at the Pier handling another matter when he’d seen Lawrence walk in alone. Travis didn’t want to waste an opportunity that might not come again.

When he walked in, he saw Lawrence in a booth in a corner. Without waiting for permission he slid in across from him.

“Let me guess,” Lawrence said. “You changed your mind. You want the money after all. No woman’s worth fifty thousand, am I right?”

Travis shook his head, his hands fisted under the table. He had to remain controlled and cool about this. “How much is Kip paying you?”

“None of your business.”

“You just said no woman’s worth the money, right? So why would you want a woman and a kid, neither of whom wants you? Seems like a lot of aggravation for someone who doesn’t appear to want any aggravation.”

“Like I said, it’s none of your business.” It had only been a day since Travis last saw Lawrence, but over the past twenty-four hours he seemed to have aged. He looked like a tormented man.

“What’s your deal, man? You seriously look hard up. Drugs? It’s gotta be more than money. Penny told me your ex cleaned you out, but damn—you look like shit.” When Lawrence still said nothing, Travis sat back. “Beer?” he offered.

“Don’t drink.”

“Oh, that’s right. It’s for sinners.” He remembered Penny telling him that Lawrence worked with Kip and likely held the same beliefs.

“Yes. But there was nowhere else open at this time, and I needed to sit and think.”

“Since you ain’t talking, I’m just goin’ to talk. One thing you probably don’t know about me is that I can talk. A lot. So, let me see. It’s not drugs, I don’t think. I mean, if you don’t drink, I doubt you’d be usin’. Gambling? Sex addict?” Travis guessed. “Wait! You work for Kip, isn’t that right? That’s how you met Penny. You can’t even get a job, can you? Kip has your balls. You’re fucked, aren’t you? He won’t give you a recommendation or a job or something? Am I right? Getting closer?”

Lawrence’s grip around his soda mug tightened. “Why are you here?”

“I want a number. How much it’ll take to make this all go away. I want you out. Gone. Never to be heard from again. You sign the paperwork and you leave town.”

“And Kip?”

“Fuck Kip. Kip can’t do shit without you. You’re the baby’s father. Without you, any and all threats are bullshit. You relinquish your parental rights. You acknowledge that you did this for personal reasons and it has nothing to do with Penny’s qualifications as a parent. And you never again speak to the media about this. The reality is, Kip can make her life hell, but he can’t claim the kid—only you can. So, give me a number.”

Lawrence sat back, his shoulders relaxing a little.

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“That’s a lot of fucking money, Lawrence.”

“That’s my kid, Travis.”

“Whom you’ve never even met,” Travis ground out through gritted teeth.

“I have. In the park. I saw her.”

“Is that why you look so tormented? Now you’ve grown a fuckin’ conscience? I don’t believe that for a minute.”

“We have a deal or what?”

“Where you going to be?”

“I’m here for the week. I’m at the Regency in Tampa, room 782. You’ve got a week. Either you pay up or I take my kid and Kip’s money.”

Travis rose, planted his palms on the table, and leaned close to Lawrence. “There’s a special place in hell for people like you.” Travis threw a few bills on the table. “I’ll be in touch.”