“Or maybe he’s too afraid to tell me he did it. Too afraid to tell me he let me down.” She glanced up at him, hating the sunglasses that shielded his eyes. “That’s what worried me.”
“Have you found a good lawyer to represent him?” Travis asked, directing the conversation away from Marl’s question of guilt. She’d been around and around in circles in her head going over the facts for so long that she knew how pointless it was. It didn’t matter what anyone believed, only what a judge and jury believed.
“I have a few in mind but they are all way above my budget.” Her hand slipped out of his and she eased herself away from him. “Are you sure? About the money. It could be expensive.”
Travis looked up as the elevator pinged and the doors opened. “Yes, I’m sure.” They stepped out onto the ground floor and headed out of the building.
“Thank you.” She glanced sideways at him. “For what you did today. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He breathed in the fresh air as they exited the building. “How about we go and find something to eat?”
Kate put her hand on her stomach. Her appetite had disappeared, but she needed to eat. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”
Travis strode toward his car. “There’s this little seafood shack along the coast. I take Izzy there once in a while, but she doesn’t like fish too much.”
“That would be perfect.” Kaye liked the idea of sitting by the ocean and listening to the soothing sound of the waves more than the idea of eating seafood. However, Travis’s detailed review of the menu as they drove away from the hospital soon had her excited to sample some of the dishes.
“Feeling better?” Travis asked as they followed the coast road. The sun glinted off the ocean like millions of tiny jewels and the salt air stirred her senses as the breeze blew through the open car window.
“Yeah. I am.” She turned her attention to Travis. “This is just what I need to take my mind off of Marl for a couple of hours.”
“Are you ready to agree to our deal?” he asked with a soft smile on his face.
“Oh, so this is your way of convincing me to say yes. And there was I thinking you were being nice.” She was teasing him, but a flicker of doubt crossed his face.
“You know.” He pulled into a small parking lot next to a wooden hut that sat next to the beach and switched off the engine. “Even if you don’t agree to be my fiancée, I’ll help you get a good lawyer for Marl. I’ll even pick up the bill.”
“You don’t have to…” Kate stared at him for a moment. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I can. And I like you, Kate. I like you a lot.” He gave a nervous smile. “If we’d met under different circumstances, I would have asked you out on a date. We click. Don’t you feel it, too?”
“Maybe,” she murmured. “Maybe.”
Chapter Nine – Travis
He wanted to say more. He wanted to lay it all out on the line and tell her she was his mate and they were meant to be together forever.
And more. That he would take down anyone else who tried to hurt her and trample them into the ground. His fists clenched at his sides as he got out of the car, but he forced himself to relax. He didn’t want to frighten her away. Not now when he was certain she would agree to be his fiancée.
Fake fiancée, his bear reminded him.
But it’s not fake and I think Kate sees that, too. Travis went around the car and opened the door for her. She looked up at him, her expression unreadable as she slipped out of the car and stood next to him.
“Okay.” She nodded once. “I’m still in if you are. But I want you to be absolutely sure it’s the right decision for you and Izzy.”
“I’m sure.” Travis’s concerns that she might just take him up on his offer and take his money and leave him alone were unfounded. “Are you?” They seemed to be going around and around in circles over this.
“A deal is a deal. I can’t take your money without holding up my end of the bargain.” She shrugged. “And I like you, too.”
“You do.” He nearly tripped over his own feet as he closed the car door and escorted her to the seafood shack.
“Yeah, you’re okay.” She giggled. “You’re not at all how I imagined a famous rock star would be.”
“It might surprise you to learn that even rock stars are normal people. We have the same hang-ups as most other people. We’re just often better at hiding them behind a cool facade.” He mounted the steps to the seafood shack. The deck area was mostly empty at this time of day and he figured if he kept his cap on, he might be able to lose the sunglasses.
So we can see our mate clearer. His bear liked the idea.
“So, despite your fame and fortune, you see yourself as a normal person?” Kate asked as they seated themselves in a corner of the deck. Travis took the seat facing out to sea so that he was hidden from the rest of the diners.
“I do.” He held up his hand. “I know you think it’s not true. But I came from humble beginnings, I worked hard to build my career. It wasn’t handed to me.”
“Then I guess you can still remember what it was like to have to make choices as to how to stretch a budget.” She twirled a tendril of hair around her finger. “It must be great not to have to worry anymore. And to know that Izzy is never going to go without.”
“That presents its own problems.” Travis picked up the menu and scanned it, already knowing what he was going to order but looking all the same.
“You don’t want to spoil her.” Kate studied him for a moment. “It’s hard, isn’t it, stepping into the role of parent. I think it’s different if you have a baby and learn while they grow. But suddenly being responsible for a child who has their own thoughts and opinions is tough.”
“You coped well. Marl seems levelheaded and he obviously loves you.” Travis watched a sad smile spread across Kate’s face and wished he could lean forward and kiss it away.
“I love him. We got each other through it.” She dipped her head and looked out to sea. “I certainly can’t take all the credit. There were days when he lifted me up and helped me stagger through the day.”
“We’ll fix this. We’ll get him out of prison.” Travis kept his voice low, aware of the other diners around them. “Then you can both get on with your own lives.”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” Kate teased.
“No.” His forehead creased as he spoke. “I know that this isn’t how normal people start a relationship, but would you at least give us a chance?”
Kate looked up and Travis sensed the waiter heading their way. “Hi.” She’d avoided answering his question and he was left hanging as he ordered his usual crab dish while Kate ordered scallops.
“I’d also like a beer.” Travis glanced at Kate. “What would you like to drink?”
“A nice, big cocktail, with not too much alcohol.” She smiled up at the waiter.
“I’ll see what we can fix you.” He grinned a toothy grin and headed back toward the bar where the smell of freshly cooked fish assailed Travis’s senses. His stomach rumbled loudly and he smiled apologetically.
“I’m starving.”
“I noticed.” She folded her arms and leaned her elbows on the table. “I need to take this slow.”
“Our relationship?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her jaw tightened as she searched his face for an answer to a question she hadn’t asked.
“I’m not playing you,” he told her. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m not trying to push you to break your no-sex rule.”
Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked down at the table, hiding her face from him. “I want to know this isn’t a game to you. That you aren’t amusing yourself by trying to get me to let down my defenses and let you in.”
“I’m not. I wouldn’t.” He reached across the table and took hold of her hand, drawing it toward him. Her skin was soft and warm, and he inhaled the scent of her as he entwined his fingers with hers. “I’m never going to lie to you, Kat
e. I couldn’t if I tried.”
“Most people can lie very easily,” she retorted.
“Not me. Not to you.” He sensed the waiter approaching with their drinks.
“Oh, that looks good.” Kate’s eyes widened as the waiter placed a tropical cocktail on the table and then reached for Travis’s beer. “What is it?”
“An Old-Fashioned Shack. It’s a house special.” The waiter nodded and backed away. “Your food will be here shortly.”
“Thanks.” Travis nodded in thanks before he picked up his bottle of beer and took a long drink. “I needed that.”
“Me, too.” She shook her hair back from her shoulders as she set her glass down on the table. “That is good. And old-fashioned just like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with old-fashioned,” Travis commented. “I don’t always like this new world we live in.”
“It’s not all bad.” She took another sip of her drink, savoring the taste of bourbon.
“I guess we’ve both seen the good and the bad. Maybe together we can make some sense of this crazy world.” Travis locked eyes with her. “We’re a good team, Kate. We’re good together.”
“Okay. Let’s take it slow. You need to focus on Izzy, and I need to focus on Marl. Once everything is settled, we’ll see what’s left between us.” She swallowed nervously and looked away and his hopes soared. She liked him but couldn’t commit right now.
“I get the feeling that’s the best offer I’m going to get.” He didn’t like it. He wanted Kate in his life and his bed now. Travis Cooper was never known for his patience but for his mate, he would have to dig deep and learn to temper his impatience.
“It is for now.” Kate put her fingers to her temples and rubbed them. “I just don’t think I can cope with anything more. Not right now.”
“Then we’ll do things your way.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair, sipping his beer. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for all this to be over. I just want to live a quiet life.”
“Is that even possible? For you, I mean.” Kate clasped her cocktail in her hands and sipped her drink. “This is amazing.”
“Wait until you taste the food.” Travis leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “And yes, I do think it’s possible. I’m willing to drop off the radar and live in quiet seclusion.”
“That is not possible when you have a child. Think of all those adoring single mommies at the school gate just waiting to crush on you.” She smiled mischievously.
“That’s it then, I will need you in my life full-time.” He cracked a grin.
“You want me to go from fake fiancée to fake bride?” Kate sipped her drink, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “Only if I get a huge fake wedding to go with it.”
“Would you do it?” he asked.
“Are you serious?” Kate asked.
Are you serious? his bear repeated.
“Saved by the food.” Travis glanced over his shoulder as the waiter approached with their food. This was not a conversation he wanted to be overheard and neither did Kate, so the question was dropped. Which was a good thing since Travis did not have an answer.
You’re digging yourself a hole, his bear told him as their plates of freshly cooked seafood were placed in front of them.
I just want Kate in our lives. Permanently. But for once he didn’t know how to make that happen. He was used to working hard and chasing down his dream but that wouldn’t happen with Kate. He couldn’t push on and keep hustling until he got the deal he wanted. This wasn’t about singing songs and making money, this was about the feelings of a woman. His mate.
“Oh, you weren’t joking, this is good.” Kate closed her eyes as she savored the flavor of her scallops.
“I thought you’d like it here.” Travis looked out to sea as he ate. The breeze had picked up a little more. There might be rain tonight.
Or tears, if Kate leaves, his bear answered.
“What stage are you at with Izzy’s adoption?” Kate’s change of direction was welcome. Even though the conversation was no easier. Izzy’s adoption was another thing that was out of his control to some degree.
“It was all going smoothly. But Harmen Collard, the guy who says he is Izzy’s biological father, has blocked it. He wants custody instead. We have a court date set for two weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in all my life,” Travis admitted.
“Because you don’t want to lose Izzy. That’s understandable.” Kate ate slowly as she watched Travis closely. “Tell me about Izzy’s mom.”
Travis swallowed hard. “Annabella Crane. We found fame around the same time. Worked hard, supported each other. We were young, life was so full of promise for both of us and we were hungry.”
“Was she… Were you two…” Kate’s cheeks flushed pink as she ducked her head and looked at her plate.
“Did we sleep together?” he asked.
“I was going to put it more delicately.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “Were you romantically attached?”
He chuckled. “No, we were never romantically attached even though the press liked to link us together. But we were never more than friends.” His voice deepened, filled with raw emotion. “I have never been more than friends with any other woman, Kate.”
“Wow, you’re a virgin?” Kate teased.
“No.” He shook his head, his eyes fixed on her as she raised her eyes to his. “But I’ve never met the right woman before. The women I dated before were never the one.”
“And you know this for a fact, how?” Kate asked quietly as she pushed her food around her plate.
“I just know.” He slid his hand across the table. “In the same way I know that you are the woman for me.”
Kate stopped breathing but Travis could hear her heart thumping in her chest as she stared at him. Then she cracked a grin. “God, you are good. You even have me believing in us.”
Travis gave her a lopsided smile. “That is the plan.”
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, and she shivered and swallowed hard. She liked him. He was certain of it. But he couldn’t rush in, he had to take it slow and convince her his words were true and not just a ploy for the media.
But slow was agonizing for a shifter who had found his mate.
Chapter Ten – Kate
“How did your date with Travis go?” Melinda asked as she opened the front door and let Kate in.
“Which part?” Kate replied as she stepped inside Melinda’s house. “The part where we went to the hospital to visit Marl? Or the part where we went and had seafood in a little shack by the ocean?”
“Marl is in hospital?” Melinda’s worried tone mirrored Kate’s fear for her brother.
“He had to go and have an X-ray. Someone beat him up.” Kate followed Melinda through to the kitchen and set her purse down on the counter before leaning back on it with her arms folded across her body. “One of the guards called last night and gave me the results of the X-ray. Marl has one cracked rib. Along with a few cuts and bruises.”
“Did he say what happened?” Melinda asked and handed Kate a cup of coffee.
“No, he wouldn’t talk in front of the guards.” She shook her head. “I’m just scared that whoever was responsible for giving him the backpack to watch has people on the inside. That they are trying to scare Marl into changing his story and taking the blame.”
Melinda’s face paled. “You think this was a targeted attack?”
“I do.” Kate blinked away her tears as she sipped her coffee. “You know Marl. He’s not the kind of guy to pick a fight.”
Melinda turned away from Kate and busied herself wiping down the counter. “Are you sure you know Marl as well as you think you do?”
“What does that mean?” Kate’s voice cracked as she spoke.
Melinda slowly turned around to face Kate. “I just… I don’t want you to go through this with blinders on.”
“Blinders on?” Kate asked hoarsely. “Yo
u think there’s a chance that Marl is guilty?”
“No.” Melinda frowned. “I just don’t want you to ruin your life.”
“I’m not.” She chewed the inside of her cheek as she studied Melinda. Melinda had never cast doubt on Marl’s innocence before.
“Did Jon say something?” Kate asked.
“We were just talking, that’s all. And he asked me how well I knew Marl and whether I was one hundred percent convinced he was set up.” Melinda shrugged. “I told him I couldn’t say one hundred percent because you can never really know anyone. Can you?”
“I know one hundred percent that Marl was set up.” Kate looked Melinda in the eye. “He did not commit a crime.”
“Because that’s what he told you.” Melinda jolted upright as Jon came into the kitchen. “Hi, honey.”
“Hi.” He slipped his arm around his wife’s waist and kissed her cheek. “Kate, I have the contract drawn up for Travis to sign. Do you want to take a look at it?”
Kate looked at her watch. “We have a few minutes before we have to leave for work.”
“It’s in my office.” Jon took his cup of coffee and headed back out of the kitchen with Kate right behind him. “I’m heading over to Travis’s house later today. I’ll take it with me and ask him to sign it. Henry will probably be there, and I can ask him to witness it.”
“Thanks for doing this, Jon.” She took the document he offered her. “Can I get a signed copy, too?”
“Sure.” He nodded and watched her closely as she skimmed over the contract. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have talked about Marl like that.”
Kate glanced up at him. “You’re entitled to your opinion. We all are.” She flipped over to the second page.
“But we’re supposed to be here for you. We’re supposed to show our support.” He drank his coffee and switched his gaze to look out of the office window. “I just worry. Especially since this whole fake fiancée thing was my idea.”
“Are you having second thoughts?” Kate asked. “You can always advise Travis not to go along with it.”
Fake Fiancee Mate - Single Shift Page 6
