by Clay, Ann
So she closed the garage door but didn’t get out right away. She closed her eyes to calm herself. She loved Travis and knew he loved her too. Autumn jumped when Travis pulled the driver-side door open. Her hand flew to her chest, and she glared at him though blurry eyes. Travis released the door, and reached in for Autumn. When she recoiled, he kept his voice and his gaze even. “Darling, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Autumn didn’t answer. She stared at him. He reached for her again and again she moved. So Travis stepped back and waited. He’d heard the garage door open and then close. So, he knew she was home, however, when she didn’t come into the house, he went to find her. He hadn’t meant to startle her but instantly thought something was wrong. “Autumn.”
She turned toward him, but still did not say anything. He noticed her red eyes and swollen lids. He reached in and pulled her from the SUV and dragged her into his embrace. “What’s wrong, darling? Tell me.”
Autumn didn’t fight him, she just stood there in his embrace. She refused to break down, or cry another tear. She wanted to savor his embrace but couldn’t. And that angered her, especially when she thought about her grandmother’s hurt. She pushed her fist against Travis’s chest until he released her. “I’m tired. I need to take a shower before I head to the studio.”
She tried to move around him, but Travis caught her by the arm, before she could get pass him. He frowned. “Autumn, what’s wrong? This is not like you. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“No. Not now. Please let me go.” She pulled her arm in attempt to get away.
He released her arm and watched her enter the house. For a long while he just stood there without moving. And after the moment passed, he returned to his office to finish the paperwork from Clem’s lawyer. He decided to give Autumn some space and maybe afterward, she would be ready to hear his news.
Autumn resisted the urge to hug her husband. Lord knew she needed his strength, but she didn’t trust her ailing heart to keep her wandering thoughts in check. She removed her clothes, stepped into the shower, but didn’t linger under the warm spray long. Later, she planned to go to the hospital to tell Demarcus that her family did not want to see him. For that reason alone she needed all the strength she could muster.
After she dressed, she walked through the kitchen and headed back to the garage, without running into her husband. And when she pulled around the long bend in their driveway, her cell phone rang. She knew it was Travis, and didn’t answer the call.
Travis slammed the phone down on the granite counter top. He stood in the kitchen a long while before he picked it up again, and waited until Autumn’s voice mail kicked in. “Babe, I don’t know or understand what’s going on, but I need you to call me back. You have to talk to me, okay? I love you, darling.”
* * * *
Autumn dragged her feet though the sterile hallway toward Demarcus’s room. She calmly pushed the door open, but he was not there. So, she checked in at the nurse’s station. “Mr. Grimillion was released this morning,” a nurse informed her. The hospital had a post office box number, but no phone or other contact information. So she had no way to reach Demarcus. She could have kicked herself for not getting that information beforehand. It seemed he was good at the disappearing act.
When she got home, Travis was not there and she was totally relieved. She was fast asleep, balled up in the center of the bed when Travis moved behind her. She didn’t resist when he pulled her into the wall of his chest and placed a kiss on her hair before he fell asleep.
Autumn wormed from his grasp very early the next morning. She tiptoed around the room and was almost out the door when Travis summoned her with his hushed voice. “Autumn.” He sat up. “When are you going to talk to me?”
“I’m not ready, Travis.”
Like a leopard, Travis leaped from the bed and was at the door in a few long steps. “When, Autumn?” His frustration grew. He didn’t want her believing that this was how they planned to deal with difficult times.
“I don’t know.”
Travis glowered down at her. In one instance he wanted to hug her, but at the same time he wanted to shake her senseless. “I’m trying to understand what’s wrong.” He sighed heavily. He drew his hand down his face before looking at her.
“There’s not much to understand.”
“Autumn, we haven’t talked for more than ten minutes in the last two days. I think there is a little courtesy we owe each other. I’m your husband. I’m on your side.”
Autumn looked away. “Can we talk later?”
“I’m not Demarcus, babe.”
“I don’t want to talk about this now.” She frowned.
Travis’s anger flared, but he pushed it down and stepped back into the room. He headed to the shower without another word. His entire day soured at that moment. He knew that if he couldn’t get answers from his wife, he would start with her family if he had to.
When he called the hospital he was told that Demarcus Grimillion had been released. When he called Maree and Tempest, he got their voice mails. His day turned to evening, and then to late night in his office. He welcomed the distraction. Instead of going home, he went into his office bathroom, showered, donned a pair of sweats and fell asleep on the couch. If his wife needed or wanted space, he was glad to accommodate her.
* * * *
Autumn did eventually share her worries with Reggie. They talked after she rocked Tyler to sleep. “I must say that I’m surprised by your actions, Autumn. You need to trust more. You need to trust your husband. Take it from me; Travis is nothing like your grandfather. Talk to him. He understands more than you believe. And don’t think he’d ever do what Demarcus did.”
“I do trust him. I just don’t want to find myself holding my heart in my hands.”
“Listen to yourself, girl. You have to make this what you want it to be. If you want Travis to have your back, you need to act like it. Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.
Autumn wanted to be calmer when she talked to Travis, something she hadn’t been. She knew Reggie was right. She loved her life with Travis and wouldn’t trade it for the world. So, she went home and waited up for him, but eventually fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning and he wasn’t in bed with her, she went looking for him in the other rooms of the house.
She moved swiftly, entering the first guest room, then the other, but he wasn’t in either. She went to the den and his office, still no sign of him. The dinner she’d left in the warmer was still there. She picked up the cordless phone, and dialed his cell number, and his office number. No answer and she didn’t bother to leave a message.
After the second night when he didn’t come home, or bother to return her call, she began to really worry. A sick, nauseating feeling swept through her. Lightheaded, she curled over in the middle of the floor. She took a few minutes to regain her composure, got up went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.
After she felt a little better, Autumn called Michael’s office knowing that they met there for a midweek meeting. Michael’s secretary answered the phone. “I’m sorry Mr. Brooks isn’t in this morning. Can I take a message?”
“This is Autumn. Do you expect him later?”
“No, Mrs. Brooks, he won’t be in at all today.”
“Thanks.” Autumn hung up and made a round of calls. She called Reggie last. “Hi Regg. This is going to sound a little crazy, but have you seen my husband in the last day or so?”
“You’re serious aren’t you? I thought you were going to talk to him a few days ago. What do you mean by a day or so? What happened?” Silence. “Autumn, Trae, Travis, and Michael left this morning for a business trip. I thought he talked to you.”
Autumn’s heart sank. “No. I came home, but he didn’t. I haven’t talked to him since we talked.”
“Oh, Autumn, I’m sorry, sugah. They should be back sometime late this evening. Have you tried calling him?”
“Yes. I’ll call him
again.”
“Listen, do you want me to tell Trae to have him call you?”
“No, I’ll call and leave a message. Thanks. How’s my favorite nephew, my handsome godson?”
“He’s such a sweet boy. I just love him. Aren’t you my good boy, Tyler?” Reggie’s voice elevated higher as she coddled her son. She returned her attention back to Autumn. “Hang in there, sissy. And call your man, girl. Everything will be fine.”
“I will, and I know. I’ll drop by later, okay?” Autumn called and left a message for Travis. She then called and talked to her mother. She hadn’t talked to her family since she left Grand Isles. Mer Drace was at Maree’s house, something unusual for her. “Is Mer Drace okay, Mom?”
“Yes, she’s doing well. How about you, honey? You sound a little distracted.”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll check back with you later.”
Jacob Euclid gave Travis and his brothers a tour of the facility he opened months ago. Travis reached for his phone and realized that he didn’t have it. “Mike, I need to borrow your phone. I left my in my office.” He dialed his office and talked to his secretary. “Meg, I left my phone in the office, so if you need to contact me, call Michael’s phone. Any messages?” Meagan gave him three message, none were from Autumn.
It was hard to keep anything from his brothers, but today they barely noticed how distracted he was. He spent the last two days miserable. He decided that when he returned to New Orleans, he and Autumn would talk, no matter what. A company car picked them up from the airport. It’d just started to rain and they decided to have the car service drop them off at home. However, Travis would be the first stop at his office. Trae’s phone rang.
* * * *
Demarcus sat behind the wheel of his rental car not far from Drace’s house. She’d lived in the same house all these years. It looked exactly the same and had been well kept. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention and his heart raced out of control. His own selfishness had pushed him to seek her out, even though he knew in his heart that she didn’t want to see him. He got out of the car and walked toward the house. He climbed the steps to the porch and then moved to the door.
CHAPTER 40
Demarcus knocked several times before he decided she was not going to answer the door. But she did. The porch light shone above his head and they stood on either side of the screen door. They merely stared at each other. A lump stuck in his throat and a flood of emotions whipped through every fiber of his body. Gorgeous. She was still absolutely breathtaking. Even with the dimmed lights, he could see the sea of tears gathered in her eyes. “Oh Drace, ma cher; plez no en colaire. Mo chagren, sha bebe.” He held out old hands, worn by time and hard work. His Cajun dialect kicked in full gear. “I have never stopped loving or yearning you. Please let a selfish old man tell you what happened.” He switched from Cajun to English when he repeated the words.
* * * *
The light rain quickly turned into an intense shower, as the brothers chatted on their way from the airport. When Trae answered his phone, a smile widened across his face. “How’s my little man?” He sat back into the leather seat. He looked up at Travis and his smile vanished. Travis didn’t miss the gesture, sat forward, and perked up his ears. “Yeah, I’ll tell him. Okay, babe. I love you. See you soon.” Trae ended the call and handed his phone to Travis. “Autumn has been trying to call you.”
Travis accepted the phone and immediately dialed his house number. The phone rang three times before Autumn picked up. “Trae?”
“No, it’s me.”
Autumn’s heart leaped when the phone ring even though it was Trae’s number on the caller ID. However, it sank at the indifference she heard in her husband’s voice. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I forgot my phone in the office,” he explained with even less emotion, although he could have leaped through the phone. He could hear the anxiety in her voice, but Travis really wasn’t in the mood to play games with his wife. He diverted his brother’s stares by glancing out of the window.
Three days of not seeing or talking to him finally unnerved her almost worse than the whole disruption in her family. “Where are you?” The censure and panic were clearly evident in her tone.
“I’m on my way to the office.”
“Will you come home?” She squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Yes.”
“What time will you be here?” Autumn failed to hide the apprehension in her voice.
“I should be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Okay.” He clicked the end button and handed the phone back to Trae. “Wade, can you drop me off at the house first?”
“Sure enough, Mr. Brooks.” Wade looked through his review mirror.
Both Michael and Trae looked at each other before looking at Travis. “Everything okay?” Michael asked.
Travis took his time answering his brother. “Yeah, everything’s cool.” He nodded. He still didn’t look them in the face, which led the two to believe something wasn’t right. And even though they weren’t totally convinced, they didn’t press for answers.
Autumn stood in the foyer watching and waiting for Travis’s arrival. Reggie told her that they were in one of the company’s cars. The moment she saw light from the bend in the road, she opened the door and stepped out onto the steps, and then into the rain. The warm water soaked her hair and clothes in no time, but she didn’t care. She was ready to see Travis, ready to be in his arms.
She moved farther out into the circular driveway as the car entered the paved path. Shuffling from one foot to the other, she peered through the rain to see if she could tell exactly what side of the car Travis was seated on. Everyone in the car stared out at Autumn, standing in the rain. Once again, the two brothers looked at Travis, watched his reaction to seeing his wife standing and waiting in the rain.
Travis kept his eyes trained on his wife’s soaked figure. His heart thumped in his ears. He was ready to bolt from the car the moment he recognized the fear in her eyes. When the car finally stopped, he opened the door, and pushed his way through the passenger rear door. He left his brothers without saying a word. And before he could pull up to his full height, Autumn had already leapt into his arms. She held his neck tight, and he could feel the tremble in her body. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her as close as he could. “Hi, sweetheart. I’m here.”
They stood there for a brief moment before he lifted her into his arms and walked toward the opened door. He didn’t look back, but stopped long enough to close the front door behind them. They moved through the house swiftly. He sat her on her feet in the center of the bathroom, and began to remove the wet clothes. She helped and then helped him remove his. They held their gazes as they went through the motions. The air purifier hummed in the background.
Travis cupped her face and brought her mouth to his. He drank from her lips, deepening the kiss with every passing second. Autumn’s arms curved around his waist and a moan escaped from somewhere, but the origin remained unknown. They savored each other before Autumn attempted to pull away. “I’m sorry…” the words died when he recaptured her mouth. He pulled her up until he stood tall. He dropped his hands and cupped her rump and accepted her open invitation. Autumn draped her legs around his waist and responded the only way she knew how.
Travis started the symphony of alternated quick short strokes with long hard ones, until Autumn relented in his grip. He squeezed her against him until he reached his own climax. Instead of shrinking, he remained erect and hungry for more. Without breaking their bond, he moved her to the chaise near the window. With desperation, he resumed his loving with the same intensity. Autumn moaned as Travis moved her from one orgasm to the next, before he found the strength, he released her. “I have to lock up.”
“Hurry back.” She watched him leave the room. When he came back, he joined Autumn in their bed, and pic
ked up from where they left off, only this time they went much slower.
Autumn sat in the middle. “I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t play games, Autumn. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I promise to respect you and to give you space when you need it, but I won’t put up with bullshit.” He met her gaze head on. “We’re in this together, for the long haul, or not at all.”
Autumn didn’t shy from his scowl or his words. She knew that Travis insisted that they be straight up with one another, a lesson learned earlier. She understood well what he meant. She reached up and touched the hard angles in his face.
Travis clasped her hand in his and held it. “I mean it, Autumn.” He held her gaze. “I’m in your corner, always. You have to trust me.”
She nodded. “I know. I do trust you and I promise to be your partner, in everything, Travis. Even when I’m not sure how.”
“We have to work together.” He pulled her close. “You are my life now, Autumn. We are a team, and we support one another, no matter what. Can we do that? Really I don’t expect things to be perfect. But I do expect to us to be a unit.”
“Yes.”
“That’s my girl. Now, I have to tell you about Clem, but first I need to call my office.”
* * * *
When all of Mer Drace’s children found out that Demarcus was at her house, they all marched there. She’d turned them away when they’d tried to go there individually. When they arrived, she asked, “Why are you people here?”
“‘You people’ are your children. Quit stalling and let us in Mer Drace,” Damon, the oldest, demanded.
Mer Drace had decided to let Demarcus tell his side of the story and had been in her house together since he showed up at her door. Now his children were there and wanted the same thing.
