Marah nodded, her eyes meeting Tierra’s directly. “The last time you needed some time to yourself, I had to go looking for you, John Stallion.” She smiled. “Tierra, the man had me flying from one coast to the other to track him down because he was pouting about absolutely nothing. Finally, when we caught up with each other, our families locked us in a limousine until we got over needing some time apart.”
Tierra smiled back at the woman.
John smirked. “If you hadn’t been driving me crazy in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to go anyplace.”
“Is that Travis’s problem?” Marah asked, her gaze still focused on Tierra. “Has a woman driven him crazy?”
Lowering the newspaper into his lap, John looked from one woman to the other. Tierra’s face was red, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. The man shook his head. “I think that whatever is bothering Travis will work itself out when it needs to.” The man locked eyes with his wife as he directed his comments at Tierra.
“Tierra, please do not let my wife talk you into anything foolish. Marah thinks playing matchmaker means interfering in other people’s business. I’m sure you and Travis will work things out when you’re both ready.” He winked an all-knowing eye at her.
“It’s not like that,” Tierra exclaimed. “I mean…” She paused. She honestly didn’t know what she meant. She only knew that she was missing Travis. She was missing him very much. She blew a deep sigh, pushing her plate away.
Marah was still staring at her. “Well, it’s definitely a pretty day to spend out on the lake. Did Travis say when he was coming back?”
John rose from his seat, folding his newspaper neatly before resting it against the tabletop. “Stay out of it, Marah!”
As he moved to the door, Marah giggled. She called out her husband’s name. “John Stallion!”
Turning back to face her, John grinned broadly. “He’s staying in the Austin area until Monday. Something about tree houses.” He turned to make his exit, and as he eased out the door he called out over his shoulder. “And you didn’t hear that from me!”
When she was certain the man was out of hearing distance, Marah leaned toward Tierra, the gesture almost conspiratorial. “So, what do you plan to do, girl?”
Tierra eyed her curiously. “I don’t know what you mean. What do I plan to do about what?”
“About Travis. What do you plan to do about getting your man?” As Marah answered, her sister Eden came waltzing into the room, joining in the conversation.
“Well, I’m glad someone is asking her!” Eden exclaimed.
Tierra’s eyes widened. “You both have lost your minds.”
Eden laughed. “Tea, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that something’s been growing between you and Travis. You two have been tossing each other lovey-dovey eyes for days now. So what happened?”
Tierra sighed. “We…well…nothing…not really,” the woman stammered, her face flooding with crimson color.
“She’s fighting it,” Eden said matter-of-factly, turning to her sister.
“Big-time,” Marah said in concurrence. “Denial is always telling.”
Eden nodded. “Sounds like the two of them need a little helping hand. What do you think, sister dear?”
“I think we need a plan,” Marah answered. She looked at Tierra. “What do you think?”
Tierra’s eyes skated from one friend to the other as she tossed her hands up in frustration. “I don’t know what to think!”
Two hours later, Tierra was comfortably ensconced in the interior of the Stallion family jet. She still couldn’t believe how quickly her friends had pulled everything together, confirming Travis’s travel itinerary and coordinating Tierra’s schedule to join him. The flight from Dallas to Austin would take about thirty minutes. She couldn’t believe that she would be in the man’s presence in less than an hour, hopefully making amends for what had happened between them. Or maybe apologizing for what she hadn’t allowed to happen.
Twisting in her seat, Tierra brushed both her palms against her thighs. Travis had been right. She wanted him. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man. More than she had ever wanted Damien Porter. If he had pressed her, she would have willingly opened herself up to him. But he hadn’t pressed. He’d walked away without as much as a backwards glance. Then he’d disappeared, leaving her alone and frustrated.
As she played everything over and over again in her head, Tierra found herself having second thoughts. Marah and Eden’s brilliant idea was starting to dull considerably. Maybe chasing after Travis Stallion wasn’t such a good idea after all.
There was a cool breeze blowing over the blue-green waters of Lake Travis. The man stood thigh deep in the chilling water as it washed over the rubber waders he wore. He looped his thumbs behind the suspenders over his shoulders.
Lake Travis was one of his favorite places to be. His parents had named him after the lake, the summer vacation jaunt high on their list of places to visit. As a little boy he’d sworn the lake was his, named aptly because he possessed the rights to everything from one shore to the other. He still felt a kinship to the land and the water, both calming his spirit with little effort.
Travis took a deep inhale of air. The fresh air filled his lungs and nourished him. Thoughts of Tierra skipped through his mind. He’d been desperately trying to ignore all thoughts of her. Their last encounter had left him speechless, his frustrations exposed as he’d stood practically naked in front of her.
He couldn’t begin to understand what held her back. The Tierra he’d come to know was too spirited not to act on her desires, and he’d been certain she had wanted him. For a brief moment she’d allowed herself to relax and enjoy the easy caresses that had danced against her skin. He suddenly remembered how she had pressed her pelvis against him, gyrating her body gently against his own. Heat flushed his groin at the memory.
The moment had been heated and consuming, and it had taken every ounce of fortitude he’d had not to have taken her right there in that shower stall. Then she’d said she really didn’t want him. Tierra had told him no, and once told, Travis had to walk away, no longer certain about what he’d seen in her eyes.
He blew out a deep breath of exasperation. A part of him had wanted to stay, to make Tierra admit what she was feeling. Logic had moved him out of that room and as far from the woman as he could manage to go. As he’d packed his bags, sound judgment had assured him he’d made the right decision. Boarding the Stallion family jet and disembarking in Austin had given him just enough time to rationalize that he’d done the one and only thing he could possibly do.
Chasing after Tierra would have been a big mistake. Probably his biggest, and Travis was not a man who was inclined to knowingly make a mistake when such could be avoided. He’d seen too many men fall victim to their emotions, and he was not looking to be added to the statistics. The military had served him well in that respect.
He heaved another deep sigh, suddenly thinking about Jordan Burke, one of his closest friends. Jordan had been a fellow soldier whose love for his country and his service to the military had almost rivaled Travis’s. The two men had graduated high school together, both enlisting in the military the moment they were able. Travis had joined the ranks of Army, his friend devoting himself to the Marines. The two had kept in touch despite their friendly rivalry, and Travis had been thrilled when Jordan had earned the rank of hospital corpsman, a position he knew his dear friend would excel in. Then a brief deployment in South America and a Brazilian beauty named Daniella had veered the man so far off course he’d been unable to find his way back.
Jordan had allowed his emotions to get in the way, and now, just a few short years later, the man was married, father to three little girls and operating a family convenience store somewhere in the Midwest. Jordan’s initial dreams of retiring from the military had no longer been an option for him with the arrival of baby number one and a wife who wanted him home full-time.
Tra
vis remembered the disappointment in his friend’s voice the day the two had talked about his decision. Right then and there, Travis had sworn on everything he believed in that the military would be his first and last love, no woman ever getting in his way.
For just a brief moment he’d allowed Tierra to get under his skin. But common sense had slapped him back to reality the moment she’d rejected him. And even if he was still scratching his head at her reasons for doing so, he was willing to accept that it was for the best. It all made sense in his head, but he couldn’t stall the lingering feeling in the pit of his stomach that none of it made any sense at all.
He heaved another deep sigh. Reaching for the fishing rod that rested against his leg, Travis checked the baited hook, then cast his line into the water. Fish he understood. He didn’t have a clue about anything else, much less that woman.
The short balding man with the beer gut who stood waiting for her to step out of the plane smiled warmly, an amused expression blanketing his sun-kissed complexion. Tierra could tell by the smirk he was trying to hide from her that things were quickly about to go from bad to worse. She was seriously starting to rethink this impromptu trip.
“Hi,” she said as casually as she could muster, trying not to draw attention to her nervousness.
“Welcome, Ms. Braddy. I’m Tucker Wells,” the man said as he extended a calloused hand in her direction. “Mrs. Stallion wants me to make sure you get to your destination okay.”
His deep Southern accent tickled Tierra’s ears. She smiled in response.
As Tucker looked her up and down, his curious stare made her nervous. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her own gaze dropping to the knee-length black skirt, white button-up blouse and black flats that she wore.
Tucker shook his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but did you bring something more comfortable to wear?”
“This is comfortable.”
His head continued to shake. “I understand, but where you’re going you might be much more comfortable in jeans and sneakers.”
Nervous energy sprouted a head and tail in Tierra’s abdomen, swelling through her body with a mind of its own. “Where exactly am I going? Mrs. Stallion only told me I’d be in Austin.”
Tucker continued shaking his head, the unconscious tick doing nothing to ease Tierra’s anxiety. “Cypress Valley, ma’am. Mr. Stallion is tree zipping.”
Tierra blinked her eyes. “Tree zipping? What the heck is tree zipping?”
The man gripped her by the elbow as he led her to the jeep waiting at the end of the airstrip. “It’ll be easier, ma’am, if I just show you. But first, we need to get you changed.”
Chapter 13
Standing atop a wooden platform some forty feet high in a tree, Tierra stared out over the Texas hill country. She couldn’t believe what she was about to do just to see Travis Stallion. She couldn’t believe she was about to do what she was for any man.
She turned her attention from the tree-lined path to the guide who was preparing her for the next step in her adventure. “Are you sure I have to do all this to reach Mr. Stallion? I mean, can’t we just call him and have him come here to us?”
The young man chuckled softly. “Sorry, ma’am. Mr. Stallion doesn’t have a cell phone with him, and there are no phones in the tree houses.” The teen’s deep blue eyes and dimpled cheeks seemed to tease her as he smiled a deep smile.
Tierra shook her head. After she had changed into jeans and a T-shirt, Tucker had dropped her off at the Cypress Valley Canopy Tour site, where the owners, David and Amy, had welcomed her warmly. After a few minutes of casual conversation about their love of nature and the vision that had inspired their treetop adventure, they’d placed her in the hands of their oldest son, the young man with those deep blue eyes who never stopped smiling. Now she was fitted into a harness and helmet and about to be cast off that platform on a steel-cabled zip line.
“So, tell me again, this is safe, right?” she questioned, the nervous tension rising in her voice.
“Yes, ma’am. Very safe.”
“And just how high are we again?”
“We’re just about forty feet off the ground.”
“And how much weight do these things hold?” Tierra asked, pointing to the steel hooks she was being attached to.
“Twenty-six thousand pounds, ma’am.”
Tierra could tell those blue eyes were trying not to laugh at her. She took a deep breath. “Okay…okay…I think I’m ready,” she said, sucking in air as if she might be taking her last breath.
“It’s going to be just fine,” the man said as he gave her a gentle push.
Suddenly Tierra was zipping along a cable between the trees. She felt herself holding her breath, not sure if she wanted to scream or not. At the other end, another young guide stopped her from slamming into the tree, greeting her with a “good job” as she came to rest atop the next platform.
The boy with the blue eyes zipped in behind her, landing easily at her side. “See,” he said teasingly. “Told you it was a piece of cake!”
Tierra laughed. “Okay, so now where are we going?” she queried.
The guide pointed off into the distance. “You have to traverse six more zip lines and three sky bridges to get to Lofthaven. That’s where Mr. Stallion is staying. It’s our tree-house bed-and-breakfast.”
“In a tree?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Tierra heaved a deep sigh. She couldn’t begin to fathom what she had gotten herself into.
Travis heard her scream before he saw her. His cousin John had sent a message through the front office that Tierra was coming. For a brief moment he’d actually considered packing up his things and leaving, but he had to admit he wanted to see her. He wanted to see her bad. He was also amused that she would go to such an extreme to see him. Although it was a lot of fun, zipping wasn’t for everyone.
Peering out through the open air structure, he waved his hand at the guide who had just sent Tierra in his direction. That last glide onto the tree-house platform was close to three hundred feet in length. Tierra was still screaming when he reached out to pull her atop the landing. Her eyes were wide, exhilaration pumping energy through her bloodstream.
“I used to be afraid of heights,” Tierra said, meeting his gaze, her body pressed against his as he made sure she’d gotten her footing.
“And you’re not anymore,” Travis answered softly.
She shook her head. “No.”
The two stood quietly together, neither moving. Around them the afternoon sun glistened through the leafy canopy of trees, light filtering over the land in streams. A bird chirped loudly from one of the tree limbs and water rippled over the rocks in the creek ravine below.
“Hi,” Tierra said finally.
“Hi.”
“So, are you surprised to see me?” Tierra asked, trying to fight the nervousness that was threatening to swallow her whole.
Travis shook his head. “No.”
“They told you I was coming?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Tierra didn’t say anything else, her stare never wavering. Travis smiled.
“I’m glad you did,” he said finally. “I’ve missed you.”
Tierra blew warm breath past her parted lips. “I missed you, too,” she whispered, as she suddenly leaned up to meet his mouth with her own.
Travis dropped deep into the kiss, emotion swelling thick and full from his spirit. He’d been dreaming about kissing her since that first time, and now here she was, wanting him to kiss her again. His lips danced with hers, moving in perfect sync. It felt like an eternity before either of them broke the connection, the sweetness of it too beautiful to let go of.
“I’m sorry,” Tierra said, panting ever so slightly. “I was scared.”
Travis nodded. “You don’t need to be scared, Tierra. I will do whatever it takes to prove to you how much I love you.”
“Is it really love?” Tierra closed her eyes, shaking her head as she t
ried to take everything in. She was suddenly on emotional overload. “I don’t know what it is I’m feeling,” she said softly, her gaze meeting his evenly as she reopened her eyes.
Travis nodded. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Tierra. You’ve been through a lot, and this is happening very fast.”
She nodded. “Too fast. That’s why it’s petrifying me,” she said, turning to eye the space around her.
The open-air enclosure was more than she’d expected with its queen-size bed canopied in mosquito netting and sheer white linens. Two wicker chairs adorned the corner. With the exception of there being no windows or doors, the spot was very romantic with its soft decor and the natural foliage surrounding it.
“This is pretty,” she said, changing the subject.
Travis chuckled. “If you say so. I figured you’d be more comfortable here than in a sleeping bag down on the ground.”
She giggled with him. “I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m really not the outdoorsy type.”
“A little.” Travis stepped in behind her and pressed his hands to her shoulders. “There’s a bathroom with a shower on the other side of the sky bridge there,” he said, gesturing with his head.
“Thank goodness for that,” Tierra said with a slight laugh, suddenly unnerved by the nearness of him. She loved his hands against her skin, the appendages so strong and firm, yet soft and gentle at the same time. She gave in to the sensations sweeping through her spirit, relaxing back against his broad chest.
Travis continued to caress her shoulders and the length of her arms. “You’re so tense,” he said, muttering softly against her ear.
Tierra didn’t answer, unable to form any coherent words. She wasn’t ready yet for what was starting to happen between them. But she didn’t want to push him away again, either.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Can a girl get a tour?”
Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) Page 9
