by Lisa Bilbrey
“Wow, you clean up nice,” Russ said.
Travis smiled and turned to face his father. He had on a new tuxedo, one he’d been reluctant to wear. Despite Russ’s objections, Travis knew he had been touched when Travis had asked him to be his best man. They’d come a long way in the last nine months. Now, when Travis looked at Russ, he saw a man he could respect — the father that he’d always wanted.
“So do you,” Travis laughed. “Do I look okay?”
“Yep, though the fact that you look like you’re about to puke isn’t doing much for you.” Russ walked over to Travis and pulled out a small, black velvet box. “I know that usually it’s just the bride who receives something new, something borrowed, blah, blah, blah. But, um, your momma told me to give these to you on the day of your wedding and . . .” Russ paused, exhaling sharply. “She ordered them when she got sick.”
“Dad,” Travis whimpered, taking the box from him. Opening it, he found a pair of gold cufflinks, each in the shape of a football. “I think she knew that she’d never get to be here, and this was her way of reminding you that she loved you.” Russ wiped a tear off of his cheek. “You were her greatest gift to me, boy.”
Travis sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep his own tears from falling. “She would have loved Penelope.”
“Yeah, she would have. Well, she did,” Russ murmured. “From the time you two were running through the fields holding hands, she knew you’d fall in love with her.”
“I never believed her,” Travis mused, allowing Russ to place the cufflinks on his sleeves for him. “Even after Penelope and I started going out, I didn’t think she’d love me enough, I guess. That’s why I ended things with her before I left. I was afraid that she’d wake up one morning and realize that I was a jackass. Then she’d leave me, and, I don’t know, I guess I figured that if I was going to end up alone anyway, it’d be better if I hurt her first. Does that make me a bastard?”
“No,” Russ said, shaking his head. “It made you a dumb, eighteen-year-old kid who was scared. You can’t change the decisions that you made then, Travis. But you can learn from them, and you can teach Max not to make the same ones.”
“He knew the moment he walked up to me in the gym that I was his father, yet he wasn’t scared; not even a little bit. He’s not gonna make my mistakes, because he’s braver than me.” Travis knew each word he said was true. Max had a confidence in himself that Travis had never felt. Instead, he had been cocky and arrogant, letting the praise of a town turn him into a monster who’d put himself above everyone else.
“You may be right,” Russ admitted, placing his hands on his shoulders. “But you came home. You found Penelope again and let Max into your life. Now you’re getting married, Travis. You’re starting a new journey in your life. Don’t let the mistakes of your past define who you’re going to be.”
“Oh, I’m not, Dad.” He smiled. “Look, I — I just want to say thank you for always being there when I needed you.”
“It’s what fathers do, Travis.” Russ beamed. “Now, are you ready to go? It’s almost time.”
Travis closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes.”
Russ led the way out of the house and over to Travis’s black 1966 Pontiac GTO. From the looks of it, Russ had spent all afternoon washing and waxing the car Travis had dubbed ‘Bertha.’ Giving his father a simple nod of gratitude, Travis climbed in behind the wheel. Once Russ was in the passenger seat, Travis drove toward town to where his fiancée was waiting for him.
~*~*~*~
Travis climbed out of Bertha and followed Russ through the front gates to the football field. He somehow managed to stifle the gasp that rushed to the edge of his tongue. The field had been transformed. Standing in the middle of the field, right on the fifty-yard line, was a white, wooden arch that had honeysuckle vines covering it. The dark green and orange foliage contrasted against the purity of the whiteness underneath. On either side of the archway, an eight-branched candelabra stood, the candles flickering against the approaching twilight.
Two dozen rows of white chairs had been arranged with gold satin bows along the aisle. Every few feet, a lantern had been placed to light the way. Along the fence separating the field from the stands, there were dozens of gold and ivory balloons. An ivory aisle runner had been laid out, starting at the corner of the field and leading down to the arch where Travis would be waiting for Penelope to come to him.
“Son, are you ready?” Russ asked.
Travis smiled and turned to his father. “I’ve never been more ready.”
Together, they made their way down to the field, greeting their guests on the way and thanking them coming. At long last, Travis made it to the arch, where he greeted Reverend Kevin Brown, who had agreed to marry the couple. It hadn’t hurt that Max’s little friend Jana was the Reverend’s granddaughter, and she’d begged him to perform the ceremony. Both Travis and Penelope knew that Reverend Brown would have done it anyway, but the way he’d succumbed to Jana’s pleas had amused them both.
As the sun started to dip behind the horizon, music began playing. Cody escorted Wanda and Nadine down the aisle first. Then Jana followed, tossing a handful of rose petals with each step she took. Her vibrant, blue sundress flowed around her, and the small, crystal tiara nestled in her auburn hair made her look like a fairy princess.
Finally, Mendelssohn’s Wedding March began playing, and Travis tilted his head up, smiling at the sight before him. At the edge of the football field stood Penelope, with Sherman on one side and Max on the other. She looked exquisite. The strapless, ivory gown was fitted until just under her breasts before it flowed outward. A lace overlay with crystal beading flittered over the skirt and down to her feet. Her honey-blond hair had been rolled up at the base of her hairline, and an ivory lace veil had been tucked inside.
Travis’s breath hitched in his chest when she took a step. This was it — the moment he’d been waiting for since he’d found her again. Soon, she’d be his wife, and everything would be perfect.
Sherman and Max walked Penelope down the aisle at a slow pace. Travis could hear Wanda and Nadine sniffling, but his focus was on Penelope and Max. Both of them were smiling brighter than ever. He wanted to scream for them to hurry, beg them to let him hold them in his arms, but he kept his mouth shut. This moment was Penelope’s dream come true, and he wouldn’t take it from her.
After what felt like an eternity, the procession stopped a couple of feet away from him. Travis lifted his arm up, offering Penelope his hand. While he had been expecting Sherman to be the one to place her hand in his, it was Max who stepped away from his mother, lifted her right hand, and placed it in Travis’s left.
“Just don’t kiss until he tells ya to,” Max whispered — or he tried to, but his voice carried, and everyone laughed.
“We won’t, little man,” Travis promised him. “Thank you.”
Max grinned. “You’re welcome, Dad.”
Penelope and Travis turned to Reverend Brown, who smiled before he started the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to unite Travis and Penelope in Holy Matrimony. . .”
The couple faced each other while the minister continued with the ceremony. When it was time, they vowed to love one another for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and in good times as well as in bad. They smiled and cried when it was time to exchange rings. Each of them murmured emotion-filled: “I do.”
Halfway through the ceremony, they gestured to Max to stand between them so that the three of them could light the eternity candle together — as a family. Once they’d lit the wick, Max moved back into position. Reverend Brown smiled as he brought his bible up to his chest.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he declared. Shifting his eyes between them, he added, “You may now kiss your bride.”
Travis placed his hands on the side of Penelope’s face and leaned in until his lips were almost touching hers. “I love you, Mrs. McCoy.”
&nbs
p; “And I love you, Mr. McCoy,” she whispered just seconds before he kissed her for the first time as his wife.
***
The
Journey
To
A
New Life
***
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
***
Chapter One
Surprises
Travis McCoy leaned back in his chair and yawned, drawing the attention of the fifteen students in his eighth period History class. The four boring, white walls had started to close in around him. Under normal circumstances, his classroom was a place of comfort, but today he had somewhere else to be — somewhere more important.
“Sorry,” he muttered, trying to hide his amusement as they all looked back down at their tests. Reaching for his cup of coffee, Travis grimaced when he took a sip; the bitter, cold taste was a disgusting reminder that he hadn’t refilled his cup since lunch. With a sigh, he began to tap his nails on his desk. The last hour of school always seemed to last forever, in particular when he was anxious for the bell to ring.
“Coach McCoy.” At the sound of Carissa Holland’s voice, Travis turned toward her. The fifteen-year-old, dark-haired freshman smiled. “You’re kind of freaking us out here. Are you okay?”
“Sorry,” he said, realizing that he’d just repeated himself and glanced at the clock. “I’m fine. You have five minutes left in the period so you’d better hurry.”
“It would help if you didn’t keep making so much noise,” she muttered, before turning back to her test. “Some of us are trying to concentrate.”
Travis wasn’t one to take such attitude from a student, but today he decided to let it slide for two reasons. First, he had been causing a distraction. As a rule, Travis didn’t tend to be so jittery, but today was the Friday before spring break and he was ready for the time off.
Second, Carissa was just one of those high-strung students, the kind who freaked out if she got a ninety-five on a test instead of a ninety-eight. Not that Travis blamed her — Carissa Holland had big shoes to fill. Her older brother, Cody, was finishing his sophomore year at Texas Tech University, where he was not just on the Dean’s List but also had led the Red Raiders to their first national championship in a decade. Cody had been one of the players on the Broncos’ football team the year Travis first came back from Miami. Considering the pressure he knew Carissa put on herself, Travis figured there were some battles not worth picking, and at the moment, that was one of them.
Five minutes later, the bell rang. Travis was on his feet, packing up his bag before his students had even looked up. At a slow, painful pace — according to Travis anyway — they began to lay their tests on his desk and made their way out of the room. Once Carissa placed hers on top, Travis gathered all the papers, shoved them into his bag, and followed her out. Travis made a beeline for the parking lot, climbed into his black, Chevrolet Suburban, and drove out of the parking lot. On the way home, he stopped by the junior high to pick up his son, Max.
As usual, Max was standing next to the front door with Jana Crosby. For two years now, they had been “dating”, as Max would put it. Travis often questioned how they could be dating when neither of them was old enough to go anywhere alone. Max would just roll his eyes and tell him that it was just a figure of speech.
Rolling down the passenger window, Travis yelled, “Max, come on!”
“Be right there,” Max called back, but he turned to Jana and said something that caused her to laugh. She brushed her long, auburn hair over her shoulder, and smiled at Max, causing Travis’ stomach to ache.
Huffing, Travis tried to keep his temper down. Max had been told this morning by him and Penelope to be ready the minute Travis pulled up in front of the building and now, he was wasting time. “Max McCoy, let’s go!”
Max glared at Travis before picking up his backpack and walked over to the Suburban. “I said I was coming,” he groused, climbing into the backseat. “Geez, have some patience already.”
“Yeah, well, you were being slow.” Travis pulled back out into traffic. “How’d your math test go?”
“I don’t know, not like we got our grades back today or anything,” Max mumbled.
Travis looked at him through the rear view mirror. At almost thirteen, Max had turned into a typical teenager. He mumbled answers under his breath, gave vague replies, and had developed a bit of an attitude, but even with all of those together, Max was still a good kid. He was just several inches taller and bit moodier than he had been at eleven.
“Do you think you passed?” Travis pressed, turning left onto their street.
“I guess,” Max replied.
Travis sighed and parked in front of their house. Just as he was about to push down on the horn, the front door flew open and his wife, Penelope, came rushing out with her arms full of luggage. Max reached across the backseat and opened the door for his mother.
“Thanks, honey,” Penelope said, hanging the two garment bags on the hook just inside the door. Closing the back door, Penelope slid into the passenger seat and leaned over, giving Travis a kiss. “You’re late.”
“Don’t blame me,” Travis snickered. “Lover-boy back there couldn’t pry himself away from Jana.”
“Dad,” Max whined, pulling his T-shirt up over his face in an effort to hide his rosy, red cheeks.
“Ah, don’t be embarrassed, Max,” Penelope soothed. “I think it’s sweet.”
“Ugh, you’re not helping, Mom,” Max complained, tugging his shirt down just enough to expose his mocha-brown eyes.
Penelope smirked. “I know.”
Max growled and pulled his shirt back over his head, causing Travis and Penelope to laugh. Shifting the Suburban into drive, Travis headed toward the highway. Today, they were on their way to Red River, New Mexico to witness Russ and Nadine getting married.
~*~*~*~
The next morning, Travis stumbled out of bed, being careful not to wake Penelope, and walked outside of the small cabin they had rented for the weekend. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the fresh air, feeling the tension in his shoulders dissipate. They had driven straight from Clarendon the night before, stopping just long enough to pick up McDonald’s on the way through Amarillo. Four hours later, they drove past the City of Red River sign. A smile lifted the corners of Travis’s lips when he thought about why they had made the trip to the New Mexico mountain town.
Russ McCoy had proposed to Nadine on Christmas morning. Travis, Penelope, and Max were in the middle of opening their gifts when they came bursting into the house. Nadine thrust her hand out, showing them the small, oval-shaped diamond ring resting on her left ring finger. The look of happiness and joy on Russ’s face when Travis stood up and hugged his father amazed him. Letting go of Travis’s mother, Loralie, and allowing himself to be happy had been a huge step for Russ, one that Travis knew his father would make in time. He just wasn’t prepared for it to happen so soon; nonetheless, he was glad Russ had someone to take care of him.
Since both Nadine and Russ had been through big weddings before, they opted to get married in Red River. Travis, Penelope, and Max were happy to come and bear witness to their day.
“Nice out here, isn’t it?”
Travis smiled and looked over his shoulder at Russ. With wispy brown hair and blue eyes, Russ stood about an inch taller than Travis.
“A little chilly, but not too bad,” Travis murmured. “Are you getting nervous yet?”
“Nope,” Russ said, moving over and standing next to his son. “The last time I felt this confident about a decision, I was getting ready to marry your momma.”
“And that turned out okay,” Travis teased. “After all, you did get me out of the deal.
”
“Yeah, well, nothing’s perfect.”
“Dad!” Travis huffed and shook his head. “I see how it is.”
“Oh, calm down, boy,” Russ snickered. “I’m just joking. You’re the best gift that woman ever gave me, Travis.”
Grinning, he turned toward his father and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “In case I haven’t told you this enough, I’m happy for you, Dad. While you and Nadine sicken me a little with your gushiness, you also inspire me. You’ve both faced losses in your lives, and have managed find someone to love.”
“If you’d left out the part about us making you sick, I would have said that was the sweetest thing you’d ever said to me.” Russ laughed and hugged Travis. “Thank you, though. It means the world to both of us that you’re here.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Travis whispered, meaning every word.
“If you two are done being sappy, we have a wedding to organize.”
Travis and Russ looked back to find Penelope leaning against the doorframe with her arms wrapped around her body and a smile on her face.
There was something different about her today — Travis just couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Yes, ma’am,” the two men replied together.
Following Penelope into the house, they prepared for the biggest night in Russ and Nadine’s lives.
~*~*~*~
At the brink of dusk, Travis held his arm out to Nadine. She smiled and slid her fingers around his bicep, clutching onto him. They were standing at one end of a covered bridge in Brandenburg Park, at the base of the Red River Ski Area, while Russ, Max, and Penelope stood at the other end. They had placed lanterns and candles along the way to offer a soft, sensual ambiance.
