“Your mom has taught you a lot about horseback riding.”
“She has, but she doesn’t think I’m good enough to compete in the big shows.”
Kate stopped in her tracks, almost turning around to voice her disagreement, but remained silent so they wouldn’t think she was invading their privacy. It wasn’t a lack of confidence in Chelsea’s talent at all. Perhaps if she’d been more honest with Chelsea concerning their finances and how hard it was to make ends meet, she wouldn’t be thinking that way. Clearly, Kate needed to have a talk with her.
Kate always tried to be effusive in her praise of each student’s riding abilities. Had she not taken her own daughter as seriously? No, she’d even used Chelsea to train some of the better horses to rider. Of course, those horses were eventually put up for sale.
One of the reasons her relationship with Chelsea had taken a turn for the worse a year ago was that Kate had sold one of the horses Chelsea had grown quite fond of. Chelsea’s interest waned after that.
“I wish I had my own horse to perform on at big shows. But I don’t want to train on one of Mom’s horses again, because she’ll just sell it to someone else when it gets good.”
Chelsea’s words broke Kate’s heart. She wished she could let her keep one of them, but that would mean sacrificing a lot of income for them.
“Why not show on Princess Jasmine?”
“Oh, I’ll love her forever, but she toes out.”
“Speak in a language a non-horseman would understand.”
Chelsea giggled. “Jazz has problems with her forelegs. Her elbows didn’t form right so her hooves point outward. She does okay in 4-H shows, but could never compete above that level. But, boy, I would kill to show in the Lexington Junior League with Melissa.”
“I’ve heard that one’s tough to get into, but there are some good shows in Murfreesboro, not too far from where I live. Maybe we can get you in one of those.”
Oh, Travis. Please don’t—
“That would be awesome! I went with Mom to watch Melissa compete there in April. But I’d never qualify on Jazz.” The disappointment in her voice when she said the last sentence broke Kate’s heart. She had no idea Chelsea still wanted to compete. When Kate couldn’t promise her a horse for keeps, she’d said she didn’t really care anymore.
“I think there’s another show this fall, actually.”
She regretted getting him interested in Saddlebreds back in college. If Travis continued to get the girl’s hopes up, he would set her up for disappointment. She’d better go in and break this up before it became impossible—
“Why don’t we find you the best horse possible so you can compete there and anywhere you’d like?”
Chelsea squealed.
Travis chuckled.
Kate seethed.
“You would do that!? Omigosh!” It sounded as though she’d just knocked the air out of Travis as she hugged him. “I love you, Daddy!”
Kate clenched her fist while imagining his neck being squeezed in it. How dare he get Chelsea’s hopes up or bribe her with such an extravagant gift? Besides, did he have any clue that a decent show horse would run ten thousand dollars, let alone a really good one that could be five times that much? She wanted to march in there and kill the idea immediately, but she had no business eavesdropping. Still, she needed to talk with Travis. Sooner, rather than later.
Chelsea giggled. “Would you come and watch me compete?”
“Try and keep me away.” A long pause ensued. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you think Mom will let me have another horse? I’ve been asking forever, but she always says no.”
“I don’t see why not. It’ll be my gift. Then you both can focus on training so you’ll be ready for the upcoming year of competition.”
“This is so a-maz-ing! I can’t wait!”
Oh, Travis. Why didn’t you talk with me first?
While Chelsea had been in training for years, and Kate had taken her to the shows where Melissa and other students competed, Kate’s first priority was with paying students. Preparing Melissa for the Lexington Junior League show in early July and for Louisville in August, if she qualified, would take every spare moment. Not to mention that the breeding season would soon be under way—her second-highest priority. Next year’s foals would be a turning point for her if everything worked out with the stallion on loan.
She’d raised Chelsea to be levelheaded and not get her hopes up too high, and now Travis was throwing extravagant gifts and promises at the girl. If Chelsea had to choose one of them over the other, no doubt Kate would come up on the short end of that stick.
“What if I don’t win any of my classes?” The sudden insecurity in Chelsea’s voice broke Kate’s heart. She was a fine rider, Kate’s best. But she hadn’t been given a lot of opportunities to prove herself in competition.
“Work your hardest. You can’t expect to win them all, but with each show, you’ll get better. I have faith in you.”
Kate clenched her fists and turned to continue downstairs for a bedtime snack when Chelsea stopped her in her tracks.
“Can I ask you a question, Daddy?”
“Anything at all, remember?”
“Do you still love my mom?”
Kate should interrupt and make her presence known to them to let him off the hook for answering. Or perhaps just go to her room and leave them alone. But she remained rooted to the spot.
Kate might burn in hell for this, but she wouldn’t take another step away from this door. She wanted to hear how Travis answered Chelsea’s question.
* * *
Travis drew a deep breath, knowing he was stalling, but having no clue what the best way to answer Chelsea’s question might be. Should he be honest with her and run the risk of making her think there was any hope of the two of them deciding to marry someday? Or hedge?
Vague. Just be vague.
Thanks, Danny. Knowing his friend was with him right now gave him a little more courage.
He glanced at the doorway, wondering if they could be overheard if Katie happened to walk by. She’d left them to their movie hours ago, saying she wanted to get started on the spare bedroom. Not that he could remember what film it was. Mostly, he and Chelsea had continued to get to know each other.
“I love that your mom gave me you. For that, she’ll always have a place in my heart. Right there with you.”
“Why did you break up in the first place?”
Hadn’t Katie explained to Chelsea what happened? Was Chelsea testing him to make sure he told the same story she’d heard from her mom? “A misunderstanding, I’m sure,” he began. “I can’t even remember what it was about.” No lie there. “I’m sure it was over some dumb thing.” He shrugged. “It happens sometimes. You will probably go through similar things when you start to date.”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “I thought grown-ups are supposed to have everything figured out.”
He chuffed. “Yeah, well, age gives no guarantee of wisdom. Emotions, hormones, stress—a lot of things factor into decisions about who we fall in love with and who we stay in love with. I’m afraid your mom and I must’ve hit the perfect storm that spring.” Would she accept that answer? He hoped she didn’t ask for any specifics.
“Well, if anybody cares what I think, I wish you and Mom would make up again. Don’t you?”
Instead of speaking aloud, he nodded.
Chelsea threw up her hands and squealed. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Good question. One he most definitely couldn’t answer. But he liked that Chelsea was able to be so straightforward with him from the get-go. He’d rather she pester him with her questions about them than go to Katie.
“I think it’s time for you to be in bed, squirt.”
She rolled her eyes. “Total cop-out, dude.”
He thought he heard something in the hallway but looked over to find the doorway to the hall empty.
While Chelsea moved her stuffed animals to
various spots in the room, he did some thinking. Someday soon, he needed to clear the air with Katie and find out if there was any chance of them pursuing something again. Hearing Chelsea express a desire for her parents to work things out gave him the impetus to approach Katie on the subject. But not tonight.
Travis turned to his daughter again. They’d have the whole next week together. He wanted to be a part of as much of it as she’d let him be. But what about after he returned to his life in Nolensville? Even if he did want to be in on every day of her life starting now, he had responsibilities and obligations back home, too. A lot of people depended on him. And it wasn’t easy to reestablish a contracting firm in a new location. It had taken years to develop the confidence of his clientele and for them to spread the word enough to make him one of the top homebuilding companies in the Nashville area.
On the other hand, no way would Katie give up the farm to move down there. Besides, Chelsea was in middle school. Being a part of her peer group with the friends she’d grown up with was important. His mom had been an Army brat and talked about how hard it had been when the family had moved halfway across the country just before her senior year in high school.
No, that kind of upheaval in a young girl’s life was out of the question if it could be avoided. But how much would Katie be willing to share their daughter? Weekends and school vacations probably would have to suffice, but if Chelsea was serious about competing in horse shows, he could meet up with them there to watch and cheer her on rather than having her visiting him in Nolensville.
Chelsea pulled down the bedspread and turned to him. “Why couldn’t one of you just apologize and get over it?”
Apparently, she wasn’t finished with the discussion about a romantic reconciliation for her parents. He sighed, seeing that he wasn’t going to get Chelsea to give up this conversation anytime soon. Katie didn’t seem to have any interest in patching things up.
“Whatever happens between your mom and me will happen, with or without your meddling.”
“Sorry.” Chelsea grinned, telling him she wasn’t the least bit sorry. Not that he could blame her. “But you came back because you loved her, right? Even before you knew about me, you wanted to see her again.” Astute observation for such a young kid. “So if you love her, then nothing else should matter.”
Travis shuffled his feet, unable to return her gaze for a moment. “Right now, my top priority is getting to know you better. Your mom and I are going to need more time. Things were a little crazy when I first arrived, and we haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet.” Liar. They’d talked plenty. And kissed some, too. He just wasn’t making any headway at breaking down Katie’s defenses. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d give us some time to figure things out for ourselves rather than say anything to your mom about what we talked about.”
Coward.
As usual, Danny hit the nail on the head.
So when was he planning to broach the subject with Katie? Travis liked to fix things, but digging at an old wound would only make matters worse. Still, he was the one who’d been dumped, and if he could forgive Katie for that and for hiding Chelsea, then what did she have to stay mad about?
He supposed it all depended on why she dumped him in the first place.
Was there a chance of his having both Chelsea and Katie in his life?
Maybe. His heart raced at the thought of Katie being a part of his life again—and not only as Chelsea’s mom. Lord knew he still had the hots for her, but he wasn’t some wet-behind-the-ears twenty-one-year-old anymore. Sex was great, but it wasn’t going to give them a basis for a lifelong commitment. And a commitment to her would mean uprooting himself and everything he knew to make a real family out of the three of them. He needed to be damned sure this could last.
He ran his fingers through his hair. What the hell was he going to do? A week ago, he’d only intended to come up here to check on Katie after that bizarre dream visit from Danny. Now he had a daughter’s feelings and future to consider. He loved his crew, but Chelsea was more important than almost anyone else in the world to him right now. Besides, the men and women working with the contracting firm still had Jackson. Chelsea, and maybe even Katie needed him more.
So now what?
“Oh, I need to take a selfie of us to share with my friends. They can’t believe what’s happened, and everyone wants to see you.”
A smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he wondered just how many people she’d called or texted while he was out in the barn.
Since his arms were longer, he decided to take the picture, not that he was all that good at lining them up on the screen. They were both laughing when he finally got a good one.
“Mind if I text it to myself?” He had a few people he wanted to share it with, too. After sending a few of the pics to himself, even the blurry ones, he said, “I’m going to head downstairs. You get some sleep. Night, sweetheart.”
“Night, Daddy.” She beamed up at him. “I like saying that.”
He gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead before leaving. Tomorrow, he’d be sleeping down the hallway from his two best girls. One was ecstatic; the other probably wished he’d just go home. He chuckled to himself.
More than ever, he was determined to figure out a way to get Katie to come around. He’d already melted her defenses a few times in the last week. This mission might take longer than he’d anticipated, but the prize would be well worth every minute of it.
Your days of hiding from me are over, Katie Michaels.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kate couldn’t continue to eavesdrop beyond Travis’s answer about whether he still loved her. She surmised he couldn’t have feelings for her in that way, not after what she’d cheated him out of.
Her faced flamed hot as she scooted down the hall to her own room. She still had feelings for him. Perhaps because she’d never gone out of her way to find a replacement. A single woman running a farm and raising a baby didn’t have the time or energy to date. Being a good mom to Chelsea and keeping them afloat was all she’d had time for.
Until Travis showed up this week and reawakened yearnings best kept buried.
Would Chelsea be hoping for some kind of reconciliation between them now?
After stripping out of her clothes and before jumping in the shower, she stared at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She tried to see her body realistically through Travis’s eyes. Her breasts weren’t high and perky anymore. The silvery stretch marks marring her abdomen were a little unsightly. She’d read in novels that some men actually found them attractive, especially if their babies had caused them. Would Travis be one of those?
Oh please.
Who was she kidding? She stepped into the shower and let the lukewarm water cool down her body, while lingering dreams of a rekindled relationship with Travis washed down the drain along with the grime of the day.
She needed to focus on arrangements for him and Chelsea to have time together and stop her dreaming.
Kate stepped out of the shower, dried her hair, and slipped into her long T-shirt. Back in her room, she crawled into bed and was about to drift off when something Travis had said came back to her.
Why don’t we find you the best horse possible so you can compete there and anywhere you’d like?
Kate bolted upright, tossing the sheet off. How could she have forgotten that outrageous promise he’d made? Clearly, she’d let her brain be addled by thoughts of love. Quickly pulling on her jeans and flip-flops, she crept down the hall past Chelsea’s door. Her light was out, so Kate headed for the barn apartment. Travis was probably still awake because he couldn’t have left the house more than thirty minutes ago. She pounded on the door, calling his name.
His muffled “Come in!” assured her he was inside.
Opening the door, she entered the studio apartment and glanced around. No sign of Travis until splashing from behind the bathroom door warned her where he was. She turned
to leave when the door opened. He stood there half-naked with only a dark blue towel wrapped around his waist.
“What can I do for you, Katie?”
Water droplets clung to the hairs on his chest, and she swallowed hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. Kate’s heartbeat thudded loudly, and he grinned, no doubt because he could hear it or at least knew the effect his body had on hers.
“We…” She cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”
His smile faded. “Everything all right? Chelsea okay?”
“Chelsea’s fine. Sound asleep.” I would be, too, if not for you. She pursed her lips before forcing her gaze from his bare chest to his face. “Would you mind putting on some clothes so we can have a serious conversation about how we intend to parent our daughter?”
“At one o’clock in the morning?” In response, she glared at him. He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. “Sure. Give me a minute.” He crossed the room to the duffel bag on the coffee table and bent to pull out his clothes. So he wore boxer briefs now instead of boxers!
The towel already left little to the imagination, but when he unashamedly discarded it to pull on the formfitting underwear, Kate’s jaw dropped as she stared below the tan line at his tight buns.
Sweet mother of God!
Realizing she was gawking and not wanting to be caught, she finally had the wherewithal to turn away so he could finish dressing in some semblance of privacy. But the image of his butt and those long, sculpted legs had been burned onto her retinas. He’d not only filled out in all the right places in his upper body, but had developed muscles below she didn’t even know existed.
What was wrong with the women of Nashville that no one had snatched up this man?
Well, they can’t have him.
What? Where’d that thought come from? Of course, they could! He’d only complicate her life.
So why did the thought of anyone else kissing him bother her?
Kate folded her arms as she waited for him to give her the okay to turn around again, not that he seemed in the least bit hurried or self-conscious. Was he trying to ignite her passions with his body?
Kate's Secret (Bluegrass Spirits Book 2) Page 26
