Chapter Seventeen
Travis’s stomach threatened to claw its way out of his throat. He paced the yard of what used to be Pam English’s place. Wind buffeted his shirt and teased the bill of his cap. If it got any stronger, it’d blow it off.
Kami was almost here. He hadn’t been as nervous as his first and only date with her all those years ago. So much more rode on how this meeting played out.
Would she be open to talking about more than her dad’s old junk?
He heard the car before he saw it. Pam had sold the truck. Travis had almost bought it because it was Kami’s truck. But it wasn’t, and he was already acting desperate enough losing sleep over her and thinking about her all day.
Kambria waved from the backseat. He tossed her a wave in return. Now he knew why all the older people made comments like “I knew you when you were this big.” Kambria had to have grown two inches since he’d last seen her. She might even grow taller than her mom soon.
“Hey, Travis.” She rushed out of the car as soon as it stopped and went running around the grassy area. As he expected, she cartwheeled her way there, only his brows rose at her increase in skill.
Kami exited the car slowly. The wind caught her hair and whipped it around her face.
He tried to play it as cool as he could. “That must’ve been some camp. I can even tell how much better she’s gotten.”
Her features brightened, but she didn’t quite smile. “Yeah. It was.”
“Must be good to have her home.”
“Yes.”
Neither of them were particularly loquacious. Travis adjusted his hat and held in his sigh. His first fantasy was demolished. She wasn’t jumping back into his arms. He’d been an asshole and had to prove himself.
“So we cleaned out the barn. We’re going to tear it down.”
“Okay. What’d you find?”
He let an easy grin spread across his face. “Three barrels, for starters.”
She blinked and peered toward the barn. “Really? I’m not surprised Dad kept them, but you can get rid of them. They weren’t good enough to sell back then, I doubt they’re worth anything now.”
There was zero interest in her voice. Her dad had really destroyed her interest in barrel racing, or she hadn’t cared for it in the first place.
“We can donate them to the 4-H club or something.”
She nodded. “That’d be good. Was that it?”
He studied her. Her shoulders were rigid and she was half turned to leave. He wanted her to stay forever, but she was the one on land that she’d fought to keep and lost. She was the one faced with a man who refused to acknowledge what was between them.
“Actually, what I really wanted you to see is behind the barn. It was easier to place items there once we wrestled the backdoor open.”
“I’m surprised the whole structure didn’t fall on your heads.”
Could he hope that she was worried about him? It was a start, but worrying her wasn’t the feeling he meant to give. “Me, too. It wasn’t our favorite chore, but we thought it’d stand long enough to remove everything. There were a few disturbing creaks and groans that made us clear out, but we got the job done.”
As if to echo his statement, a couple of pops resonated from the structure. A few more miles an hour and they wouldn’t need any equipment to topple it.
“You aren’t hiring anyone to tear it down?”
He shook his head. “We have the equipment and space to knock it down. After that it’s all cleanup.”
Her solemn gaze dropped from his. “What else did you need to show me?”
He beckoned her to follow him and led her around the barn. When they erected a new one, they’d add a corral system so the cattle could winter, but for now, it was a clear space that they’d mowed down. The old corral system had long fallen into disrepair and it was one of the first things they’d ripped out. It’d be easier to clean up debris from the barn once they pushed it down.
He stood by the barn and waited for her to find what he’d saved for her. The barn took the brunt of the gusty conditions, giving them a brief reprieve.
Her gaze landed on a long, homemade beam on a pair of legs that stood only a foot high. “Is that…?”
“An old gymnastics beam. Did your dad make it?”
Her jaw dropped and she crossed over to it, ignoring the three blue barrels she must’ve spent hours racing around. “He did. It was after he covered the practice arena in a fit when I didn’t place at the county rodeo. I think he felt bad, but I didn’t care. I’d rather ride horse for fun and practice my back walk-over for days on this.” A laugh escaped. “I can’t believe I’d forgotten about it.”
“I know it won’t work in that new gym you’re starting, but it’s yours and I couldn’t throw it in the burn pile.”
Her gaze flew to his and for the first time since she’d arrived, it wasn’t guarded. “You’ve heard about that?”
“Of course. It’s big news. I also understand you’ll be looking for donors and I want you to know that the Walker Five will help out in any way we can.”
“Why?” Incomprehension mixed with suspicion in her eyes.
“When the old one closed down, the whole community felt the loss. We weren’t in a position to help then, but we will now. No strings attached.”
She squatted by the beam and ran her hand over the smooth surface. “I don’t have any business experience, it’s a little different from ranching.”
“None of us had any experience when we took over the farm.”
She squinted up at him; he shifted to block the sun for her. “But you had schooling.”
“You’ll learn what you need to and more.”
She rose. Having her this close again made it easy if he were to reach out and embrace her, tip his head down for a kiss. Longing swept through him. He’d busted the best thing that’d ever happened to him.
“You still have confidence in me?”
“One hundred percent.” Could she not see how amazing she was? She’d been dismissed as not intelligent enough and too fast to climb into a guy’s back seat her whole life, even after she’d been married and was raising a kid. “Nothing has stopped you. When purchasing your mom’s property didn’t work out, you didn’t settle. You found something that meant even more to you and went for it. We’re all rooting for you. Your mom, me and the guys, hell, the whole town wants to see that place succeed. What are you going to call it?”
A smile finally lit her face. “Preston’s Gymnastics Academy. I know it’s plain, but it was important to me to have Ben’s name on it.”
“Absolutely.”
Her smile died. “I’d better go. Do what you want with the beam. I have no place to store it.”
“We’ll keep it on the property for you.” He inclined his head to the building on the other side of the driveway. “Once we empty that out, we’ll have plenty of room.” She was turning away, and he didn’t know what he did wrong. “I told Michelle’s parents,” he blurted.
She slowed, but she didn’t stop. “I hope they took the news okay. And I certainly hope you didn’t rush to them and confess just because you thought it’d win me back. You were clear how it might hurt them.”
So he shouldn’t have talked to them? Was it mixed signals, or did he truly not understand? He rushed to keep up with her. “Keeping it secret hurt you. And I was mistaken about them. They only want to see me happy. I didn’t…uh, I didn’t tell them exactly how that night went, but I admitted that I’d planned to break it off.”
“Kambria! Time to go,” she called. She neared her car and his desperation rose. “It’s a too little too late thing, Travis. You’re telling me what I want to hear, but that’s what you do. My trust is gone.”
“I also talked to my parents.”
Her gaze turned wary. “Okay?”
“I told them that if I was ever lucky enough to win you back, I expected only the utmost respect from them or they weren’t welcome at my home.”
Her mouth dropped. Had that gotten through to her? Would it be enough to make her reconsider? He dropped his last card, his last chance at proving he was sincere, both about his feelings for her and that he’d committed to treating her the way she deserved.
“I showed the guys your sheep ranching outline, and we’d like to purchase it from you.”
Her eyes flared. “What?”
“Whether you take me back or not, we’re not stealing your work.”
“Travis, I…” She blinked at him and change came over her. Her expression softened, moisture lined her eyes. He prayed it wasn’t because she was preparing herself to break his heart.
“Mom, look. The barn is completely empty.” Kambria darted inside.
“Kambria, no!”
Travis took off at a sprint, his boots chewing up gravel. Two concerns fueled his stride. The way the barn had protested all day, Kambria wasn’t safe inside, and he had to run fast enough to beat Kami so both of them didn’t end up inside.
“Wait out here,” he shouted as he tore through the doorway.
A loud shriek bounced off the walls and it took a second for him to realize it wasn’t Kambria. Old nails ripped against ancient wood.
He spotted Kambria, frozen by the back door, her face pale as she eyed the roof.
He reached her and slowed, but his eyes played tricks on him. It was like he was still moving fast when he realized the barn was coming down.
***
Kami had just crossed the threshold when a cloud of dust rose and she lost sight of Travis and Kambria.
Her daughter’s scream got lost in the sounds of wrenching wood.
Kami would’ve screamed, but terror silenced her, clogged her throat. The entire structure tipped. The roof caved as the walls gave in, and it fell in the direction the wind blew.
Exactly where Travis and Kambria had been.
The tide of fear broke.
“Kambria! Travis!”
Initially protected by the doorway, she backpedaled outside. Why did the structure spare her, almost protect her, and fall on top of the ones she loved the most?
When the echoes of groaning and twisting wood died down, she ran out and surveyed the building. It hadn’t collapsed in a pile of rubble, but had given up being erect.
“Kambria!” She edged around the side toward the back. The walls bulged, no longer able to bear the weight of the roof. It was like all four walls had heaved the roof off it and partially failed. “Travis!”
“Mom!”
Hope swelled through Kami. She followed her daughter’s calls. More debris piled around the barn as she neared the back. The rear wall had given out.
She called for Kambria.
“I’m in the barrels.”
The shadow of the barn loomed over her and she squatted to search through the mess. The blue of the barrels stood out in the din of dust. Movement caught her eye. Kambria was crouched in the space between the three barrels.
Relief poured through her, but she couldn’t find Travis.
“Where’s Travis?”
Kambria’s wide eyes searched around her. “He shoved me in here and then all the dust kicked up.”
A groan that was all man reached her ears. “I’m here.”
“Travis. Oh my god, I thought you both were gone.” She spotted him stretched out a few feet from Kambria, partially covered by fallen debris. Her terror hadn’t dissipated entirely. Both of them were stuck under a pile of barn that was still unstable. “Were either of you hurt?”
“Not me,” Kambria replied. “Just a few scrapes. Travis?”
“I’m good.”
Kami tensed. His statement wasn’t filled with the easy confidence he usually possessed.
“Kambria,” Travis said, “do you think you can pick a path through to your mom and do it without disrupting anything?”
“Don’t bump into anything; gotcha.” Kambria’s determined expression didn’t hide her anxiety as she started maneuvering through the hunks of downed wood.
Kami crept as close as she could, grateful to see Kambria’s limber form navigate the mess. But what about Travis?
Kambria reached the last of it and launched herself into her arms. Kami hugged her hard and squeezed her eyes closed. She opened them and spun Kambria around to get her far away from the barn. “Go call 9-1-1, and stay by the car, okay?”
Kambria took off, looking over her shoulder toward where Travis was stuck.
When her daughter was out of ear shot, Kami asked, “How bad is it?”
“I don’t think I can crawl out.” She had to strain to hear him, and he hadn’t answered her question.
“Kambria’s calling for help. Be honest. How bad?”
“As long as Kambria’s out, I’m fine.”
The adrenaline coursing through her veins started to dwindle. Her hands trembled, and it wasn’t until she sniffled that she realized she was crying. He’d rescued her daughter and risked himself to do it. “Dammit, Travis, quit protecting me. How hurt are you? Be. Honest.”
“Want honesty? I love you, Kami. I know you don’t trust me, but I’m willing to prove you can. The only person I want to make happy is you. Okay, and Kambria obviously. I want—” He groaned.
“What? What is it?” She leaned left and right to see if she could make out more than his plaid work shirt.
“Nothing, I just tried to move.”
Her entire body trembled. “I’m scared, Travis.”
“’Bout what?”
She wanted to shout with frustration. He had to be only feet away from her, his voice muffled by debris, and she was helpless. She couldn’t even sit because if the barn decided it wanted to be completely on the ground, she had to run. Without Travis. Because she had Kambria to think of.
“You,” she said. “I’m scared I’ll fall even more in love with you and you’ll realize that I’m no good and I fail at everything I do, and, and—you won’t want me.”
“If I’ve wanted you since that first bus ride, then I doubt I’ll stop. It’s you getting away that terrifies me.” His words were breathless, like he was fighting a great deal of pain. “I’ll live wherever you are. Tell me where to move and I’m there.”
She sniffed again. The tears wouldn’t stop. “You love your place.”
“It’s nothing without you.”
“Oh god, Travis. I’m so sorry. I should’ve been more understanding. You were stuck in a difficult situation and did the best you could.” Regret built on top of regret. “You’d already showed me how you felt in front of your entire family. That should’ve been enough.”
“It wasn’t, and that’s what’s important.” He grunted. Dammit, had he broken something? Been hit on the head? “I love you. Like, really, really love you.”
The words were surreal, and scared her way too much in a situation like this. “I love you, too.”
“Know what I’ve been dreaming about?” He coughed and groaned.
Clenching and unclenching her hands, each minute felt like an hour. She kept Travis talking. “What?”
“Building your dream house here, on this property. You and me and Kambria. Reba and a couple other horses. Maybe a few of our own sheep if I can talk the guys out of a pasture.”
It sounded like it could be her dream, too. “You don’t have to raise sheep just for me.”
“Your plans for sheep were solid and if you want them, we’ll get them.”
A warm glow burst through the mess inside of her. He really had complete faith in her, and supported her. “What about your house?”
“Justin moved home. He can have it. No, I’m making him buy it. I think he earned more than all of us cousins combined.” Travis chuckled and barked a yell. She tiptoed closer. “Don’t get close, Kami. I know you’re worried. It’s nothing a doctor’s visit won’t fix.”
She jerked her head up.
Kambria shouted the same time the sound of sirens became clear. “They’re coming, Mom!”
***
Kami wiggled in her chair. Could the hospitals get more uncomfortable ones?
No, she wouldn’t complain. Last time, she didn’t have a chance to camp out in a sparsely padded chair. When Ben had crashed, he was gone. This time, she relished the privilege of the bedside vigil.
Had it been less than twenty-four hours since the barn happened? It felt like days, but she wasn’t leaving until Travis did.
Two broken ribs, a fractured femur, some internal bleeding, and a head wound that had made her want to vomit. The EMTs said that the bleeding was the most minor of his injuries. They probably would’ve said anything to get her to back away after the fire department pried the roof off him and dragged him to safety.
He’d been through one surgery and had slept most of the time since. The doctor said he’d need another surgery on his leg.
His parents weren’t far away, speaking with the doctors. All his cousins had been by to check on him, and most of them were probably still here, filling up the waiting room.
Travis sighed and winced. She scooted her chair closer, but that proved impossible. One more inch and she’d be on the bed.
He blinked his eyes open and smacked his mouth with a grimace. She was ready with the pink foam sponge on a stick. Dabbing off the excess water, she swabbed his mouth.
He let her without protest. “The mint flavor always surprises me.”
“It takes the sting out of not being allowed anything to drink.” Wrapping her hands around one of his, minding the IV, she smiled. He looked dazed and disgruntled. “I can’t believe you were able to have a full conversation while you were in that much pain.”
He shrugged, then scowled. With his ribs, any movement must hurt. “I’m not missing any more time with you.” His tired blue eyes pinned her. “I’m going to ask you to marry me someday, fair warning.”
Her smile turned into a grin. They were having this conversation in a hospital and it seemed completely appropriate. “Fair warning, I might accept.”