“The story sounds a bit familiar,” he replied ruefully. “Now, as much as I enjoy having you in my arms, do you think we could get some work done before I lock us in that bathroom and make love to you?”
“All right, but don’t expect anything spectacular,” she warned.
Travis knew differently, but he preferred to prove it to Kali the same way he had before.
In the beginning Kali moved stiffly under the lights. Travis kept her talking, encouraging her to move at her own pace as he kept shooting. He wanted it simple; therefore she was dressed in a plain dress of wild-rose-colored silk that floated around her ankles. He wanted nothing to detract from her serene beauty. He ordered an assistant to turn on the stereo, and the rock music kept the mood on an upbeat. He was prepared to halt at the first sign of Kali’s tiring, but she didn’t appear to tire easily. In fact, she looked as if she were having fun. He also insisted on taking several serious poses, some whimsical ones with her seated in a large wicker chair, and others perched on a stool. More and more, Travis wished he had photographed her years ago.
“Enough,” Kali announced finally, collapsing on a stool. “I’m too old for all this!” Larry came forward to blot her perspiring face.
Travis handed his camera to one of his assistants. “Okay, why don’t you change. I know I got what I need from these.” He walked over to check the rolls of film he took, counted each roll and marked them. He quietly informed his two assistants that if any of the rolls were tampered with or any of the pictures turned up anywhere but in his files, he would fire them both. One look at his dark features told them he meant every word. He didn’t bother to tell them he would personally process the photos that night and make sure the negatives and prints were locked away. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not after what Jenny had told him about Kali’s reaction to the pictures and accompanying article in that supermarket rag. He had been furious when he saw it and read the innuendos about how he and Kali had carried on a torrid affair for years under her husband’s nose. If he’d had the writer of the article in his office, he would have throttled the man. He could understand why Kali wanted to stay away from Los Angeles if all she saw was filth like that.
“Travis?” Kali approached him hesitantly when she noticed the fierce expression on his face and wondered what could have angered him so quickly. “You didn’t discover that you left the lens cap on, did you?” She tried a bit of levity in hopes he would lose his dark scowl.
He looked down at her and couldn’t help smiling. “No, we’re safe there. I’ve got some work to do here, so if you want to go on home or do some shopping, feel free.”
“What I want to do is go to the movies,” Kali announced. “It would be nice to see something on a large screen that hasn’t been out for six months. I know I’ve resisted going out so far, but today I feel in the mood.”
“If you want company, Jenny can go along with you,” he offered, not wanting her to be out alone.
“Don’t you think she should have the choice of saying yes or no?”
“Would anyone really want to give up a fun-filled day here to go to the movies?” Jenny broke in, having heard the last part of their conversation. “Let me get my purse. I know a theater with six screens not far from here. We can load up on popcorn and junk food while drooling over some hunks on the wide screen.”
Travis looked as if he didn’t like the idea.
Jenny grabbed her purse and came back to wait for Kali to change her clothes. “Since this is your idea, boss, I guess I get the day off with pay,” she declared mischievously, guiding Kali to the front door. “You are so good to me.”
“I’m surrounded by mercenary women,” he muttered, walking back to the darkroom after giving instructions that he didn’t want to be disturbed.
Kali loved the idea of six movies in one place. She and Jenny ended up watching four of the films that day.
“I think I’m in love with Jeff Bridges,” Kali announced when they finally walked out of the theater in the early evening.
“Don’t let Travis hear you say that, or he’ll lock you away,” Jenny joked as they walked to her car.
“In a way, that’s what I’ve done with myself these past two weeks,” Kali mused. “And Travis has fought me on it all the way. Now it’s time to prove that I’m made of tougher stuff.” She glanced down at her watch. “Could we stop by the studio and see if Travis is still there? That would save you driving me home if he is.”
“Sure.” But a swing by the studio showed it was closed up, and Travis’s car was missing from the parking lot. Jenny insisted it was no problem taking her the rest of the way home and swung out onto the boulevard.
But when they arrived at the house, they found it dark, save for the outside light that came on automatically in the early evening.
“Good thing I have a key,” Kali said with a cheerfulness she didn’t feel inside.
“He didn’t mention any other appointments,” Jenny muttered. “But then Deke or Bull could have stopped by and insisted he go out for a beer. With them, anything is possible.”
“Deke or Bull, those are friends of his from his motorcycle-riding days, aren’t they?”
Jenny nodded. “Deep down they’re very nice men, but they have the mentality of teenagers at times. They like nothing better than to chase girls and drink beer. I used to wonder how Travis got hooked up with guys like that until I finally realized he was probably their stabilizing force, because I can’t imagine him ever acting like them.”
“And now all he has are the memories, a tattoo, and his bike,” Kali mused as she got out of the car. “Thanks for spending the rest of the day with me, Jenny. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, I should be thanking you.” She laughed. “I know very well I’ll be walking into a mess tomorrow, but it was worth it. I’ll call you in a few days about getting together for lunch.”
Kali entered the house and looked around in vain for some kind of message from Travis. When she found none, she decided to take a quick shower and change her clothes. She would put off dinner until she had an idea when he would be home. She couldn’t imagine he would just take off without telling her first. That wasn’t his way.
It was just as well that she didn’t go to any trouble fixing dinner. Travis didn’t come home until late that night, sporting a black eye and smelling of too much beer.
“Wonderful,” Kali muttered, evading his amorous embrace. “You’re drunk.”
He looked down at his feet and saw that they were swaying before his very eyes. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he said slowly.
“I want you in the shower posthaste,” she ordered, ducking his beery breath before he could kiss her. “Ugh, Travis, you stink! Couldn’t you call to say you’d be late?”
“Nah, then they would want to come here to meet you, and I don’t think you’re ready for those guys yet.” He allowed her to take off his clothes. “Hey, honey, I’m not that kind of guy.”
Kali rolled her eyes. She was just grateful he was a cheerful drunk and easy to handle—a far cry from what she had endured after her father’s binges.
Travis loudly protested the cold shower but stood under it long enough to sober up fractionally.
“I didn’t want to go,” he told her as she heated up a pot of coffee. “But these guys are hard to refuse sometimes, and this was one of those times.”
“Jenny mentioned that Deke and Bull might have called.” She placed a steaming mug in front of him.
He swallowed the hot coffee in two gulps. “Yeah, she’s not a real big fan of those guys. It takes women a while to get used to ‘em.”
Kali sat down across from him. “Travis, I’m afraid.”
He looked up at her sudden confession. “What are you afraid of?” A cold feeling invaded his bones. “Did you hear from Malcolm about Cheryl? Did someone harass you while you were out?”
She shook her head. “Everything is going too well. Except for that newspaper article, of course. But for the most par
t, it’s all so easy. That’s what frightens me.”
Travis put down his mug and reached for her hand. “That’s ridiculous and you know it,” he said harshly. “You’ve had to shoulder these burdens alone too long, and you’re still afraid to relinquish them. Just give me a chance to help you. That’s all I ask.”
She stared down at their linked hands. What he said made sense, but it was so hard to let go of her fears… .
“If you think you’re sober enough, I’d appreciate it if you would take me to bed and make love to me,” she said in a small voice.
He heaved a silent sigh of relief. “Thank God you asked for something I could do even if I was dead.”
But Kali’s fears couldn’t be easily resolved by Travis’s lovemaking. She tossed and turned in bed that night, dreaming horrible dreams about Blayne and Cheryl. When she awakened in a cold sweat, Blayne’s demonic laughter was ringing in her ears. Sensing something was wrong, Travis opened his eyes instantly.
“Honey, what is it?” He saw her rigid figure.
“Hold me,” she implored, curling up against him. “Make me warm again.”
He obliged by holding her tight and rubbing his hands up and down her cold skin. He didn’t ask for details, just comforted her until her shivering stopped.
“Want to talk about it?” he prompted quietly when he felt her body finally relax.
She shook her head. “It was just a bad dream.” She cuddled even closer, needing his warmth to feel whole again.
Travis felt it was much more than a bad dream bothering her, but he didn’t pressure her into telling him. For a long time they lay together with her back nestled warmly against his chest.
“Kali …” Travis hesitated, warring with himself whether this was the right time to tell her or not. “I think there’s something you should know.” He stopped when there was no response, only the sound of her soft breathing. She had fallen asleep. Perhaps it was better that she didn’t know he was also looking for Cheryl. He didn’t want to raise any more false hopes for her. She’d had enough of those in the past.
While Travis was gone the next morning Kali spent the time doing laundry and puttering around the kitchen making bread. She was in the midst of putting the second loaf in the oven when the phone rang. She listened to the answering machine clock on, and when she realized the call was for her, she picked up the receiver.
“I’m here, Malcolm,” she said in greeting.
“What is going on, Kali?” He spoke in his usual brusque fashion.
“I have no idea unless you give me a clearer picture.”
“Namely, why is your boyfriend making inquiries about Cheryl?” Kali stiffened. “My office got a telegram from Blayne stating bluntly that if you don’t call them off, he’ll tell Cheryl you’re dead and you’ll never see her again. He seemed to insinuate that he was going to send her back to you soon, but he’s taunted you with this before the few times we’ve heard from him, so it really doesn’t mean anything, I hate to say.”
Kali dropped into the chair before her legs could give out from under her. “Travis hired detectives?” she asked weakly.
“It appears so—and not the best sort, either. At least not the kind of men I would think about hiring. As much as I have to admit it, though, he’s had better luck than my men have in getting close to Blayne.”
She shook her head, unable to comprehend. “Forgive me for sounding dense, but what you’re saying is that Travis is also looking for Cheryl?”
“And without checking with me first,” Malcolm rumbled, indicating that was what angered him. Knowing how he always insisted on being in charge, Kali could understand his irritation.
Kali pressed her fingertips hard against her forehead to stave off the rapidly approaching headache. Why would Travis do this without saying a word to her? She knew Blayne better than anyone, and his threat was very real. As for the insinuation that he was going to send Cheryl back to her soon, she couldn’t believe it. If she’d thought it would have done any good, she would have gone to Europe long ago, but Malcolm always dissuaded her, saying it would only make matters worse. Now she wondered if she shouldn’t have gone ahead with her first impression.
“I can’t tell Travis what to do or not to do,” she said faintly. “He has a mind all his own.”
Malcolm’s comment to that was pithy. “Tell him to get the hell out of a matter that has nothing to do with him,” he ordered.
Kali couldn’t help smiling. “Malcolm, you are the epitome of the arrogant male.”
“Just tell him to knock it off before he screws it up!” He slammed the phone down.
“And goodbye to you too,” she murmured, putting her phone down a bit more gently. She wasn’t happy with Travis taking matters into his own hands and intended to tell him so just as soon as he got back.
The more she thought about Malcolm’s phone call, the angrier she grew with Travis. She knew it was a kind gesture, but the least he could have done was talk it over with her. She could have told him what the detectives had found and where they had looked, and she also would have told him this was her problem and not his. She was standing under the shower still fuming when the shower door suddenly opened and a grinning Travis stood in front of her.
“Now this is what I like to come home to,” he told her, beginning to unbutton his shirt. “A naked woman in my shower. A man’s dream come true.”
Kali’s eyes narrowed. She picked up her soapy washcloth and threw it at him with all her strength. It landed against his shirt with a wet plop and slithered down to the floor.
“Who the hell do you think you are, looking for my daughter without telling me?” she demanded shrilly, still standing under the water, her hands on her hips. “Who died and put you in charge?”
“Does this mean we’re going to fight?”
She stepped out of the shower, shouldering him out of the way as she picked up a towel and wrapped it around her body. “A fight? Buddy, prepare yourself for World War III!”
Chapter 16
Travis followed Kali into the bedroom, watching her rub her wet body dry and pull on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Her movements were uncoordinated and jerky, indicating that she was still angry with him. He had a pretty good idea this was the kind of anger he couldn’t tease her out of.
“I knew how badly you wanted to find Cheryl, and I figured if there was something I could do to help speed the process up, you wouldn’t mind.” He preferred getting it all out in the open. “I’d sure like to know how you found out.”
She spun around to face him. “Malcolm called me today. He isn’t at all happy that you’ve stuck your nose into this business.”
Only the tightening of his jaw indicated he was impatient. “Kali, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Now, I figure that gives me a few rights in your life, including helping you find your daughter,” he said quietly.
For the first time she was speechless. That was the last thing she’d expected to hear from him.
He stepped forward and grasped her shoulders firmly. “How many times have I told you how much I love you?” he demanded. “How many times have I proved it? That’s what gives me the right to try to help you when you need someone. I love you more than life itself, and I’ll protect you and yours with whatever it takes. I love you so much, I can’t see life without you. I’m even willing to compromise by living a few months of the year in Virginia if you’re willing to live here with me. And just to make it all very clear, I’m talking about marriage, not just a long-term relationship.” Travis lowered his head. “It won’t be easy for us. We’re both too stubborn for our own good,” he said softly, “but if I’m willing to give it a chance, why can’t you?”
Kali thought back over the many days they had spent together at the cabin. He had given her so much, and what had she given him? Had she given as much to him emotionally as he had to her? That answer was very apparent, and she felt ashamed.
“I do love you,” she said fina
lly. “I’ve been afraid because I didn’t want to get hurt, even though I knew you’d be the last person to hurt me. I’d like to try living here, and perhaps we could keep the cabin as a vacation home.” She raised her face to look up at him, her eyes glistening, her lips parted. “And I cannot think of anything more fulfilling than to be your wife.”
For the first time she saw a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. “You’re not mad that I’ve been trying to find Cheryl for you?” She shook her head. “Then I suggest we crack open a bottle of wine and plan a wedding to end all weddings. If you’re a good girl, I’ll give you a month to plan it but no more, because I don’t intend to lose you again.”
She laughed, unable to take it all in. The last thing she’d expected when she was yelling at him ten minutes ago was a marriage proposal!
“One month,” she agreed. “Just be prepared for one very special wedding.”
He bent and kissed her swiftly. “Good, because it will be one to last forever and a day.”
Where did the month go? Kali wondered as she dressed in the rose-pink suit she had chosen to wear for the ceremony. There had been so many details to take care of, and she often felt she needed more time than thirty days. Most importantly, where had Travis gone? He’d told her four days ago that he needed to take a quick trip but would be back in plenty of time for the wedding. Well, the wedding was now a little under two hours off, and there still hadn’t been word from the groom.
“Here’s your something borrowed.” Jenny entered the room with the handkerchief she had carried in her own wedding.
“Have you heard from Travis?” Kali demanded, spinning around.
“He called from the airport a little while ago.
Don’t worry, Kali. He said he’d be here in time, and he will be.”
She clenched her hands together. “If he isn’t, I swear I’ll kill him.”
Jenny chuckled. “Don’t worry, he’ll be here.”
Kali was still worrying all the way up to twenty minutes before the ceremony. She had vivid thoughts of being abandoned at the altar. She paced the chapel’s anteroom, thinking up dire ways to get even if Travis didn’t make it in time.
Only Love Page 21
