A half hour later Rachael admired her appearance in Maysie’s mirror. This church thing looks good on me. Maysie had loaned her a long flowing skirt, sandals, and a knit blouse.
Minutes later she heard Mr. Baxter hollering, “Girls, let’s go!”
Since Amber and Alex had gone home early to go to church with their families, that just left her, Maysie, and Shannah.
“I’ve never really been the churchgoing type,” Shannah confided to Rachael as they made their way to the Baxters’ waiting SUV.
“Me neither. Could be fun,” Rachael murmured.
“I guess.”
When the girls climbed into the backseat of the SUV, there was no sign of Travis, but Rachael decided not to ask. This morning was about God and church, not time spent with Travis. The girls chatted on the way there about school and the dance team. Rachael had been suspended from the team for having skipped those practices earlier in the season. She would be eligible to try out again next year, and spending time with Maysie and Shannah had made her decision an easy one. She definitely wanted to continue dancing.
The church, a Baptist church, was in Bradenton. The few times Rachael had attended church it had been a Catholic mass, and boy was that different. Not bad, not good, just different.
She glanced around and saw Travis sitting in church with a group of guys, some of whom she’d never seen before.
“Who would have thought that church was a place to scope out hotties?” Shannah whispered.
Maysie elbowed her in the side, shushing her.
“I’m just sayin’,” Shannah protested.
Mr. Baxter cleared his throat and gave Shannah what Rachael had begun to think of as “the look.”
An hour or so later church had ended, and they made their way over to Travis and the group of guys.
“Guys, this is my girlfriend, Rachael. Rachael, this is Tim and Matt.”
Rachael extended her hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
“We’ve heard all about you.” Matt smiled warmly.
Travis shot him a look.
“Oh, you have?” Rachael was nervous to hear what they had heard.
“Sure have. All summer long. You were all Travis could talk about,” Matt teased.
“That’s good to hear.” Rachael smiled at Travis, who definitely looked embarrassed.
“Yeah. Okay. It’s the truth. I’m not gonna lie. This girl has me wrapped around her finger,” he joked back. “We’ll see y’all later. Rachael and I have a date involving some game feeders and a tree stand.”
“Sounds romantic,” Shannah said flatly.
“I think so.” Maysie fluttered her eyelashes at her brother in fun.
Rachael and Travis made their way outside. She was grinning from ear to ear at the thought of him talking to his church friends about her all summer. She was relieved to hear he hadn’t found a summer interest on the trip who enjoyed dancing the merengue.
“I like the Laura Ingalls Wilder look you’ve got going,” he said, eyeing the skirt and blouse.
“Sure you do. They’re Maysie’s. I didn’t exactly come prepared for church.”
“No really. You look sort of matronly.” Now she knew he was playing with her. “Old Worldish. I wouldn’t mind, now that we are dating, if you got rid of all of your shorts, tight jeans, and possibly the bikinis too. Traded them in for this new, less revealing apparel.”
“Not on your life. If anything, after those comments, I’m going to start wearing the tightest stuff I can find.”
“Seriously?” His expression revealed he thought she was only half-kidding.
“Of course not.” She rolled her eyes at him.
“There is one thing I’d respectfully ask you to never wear again.”
Is he serious?
“And what would that be?” She sarcastically cut her eyes at him.
“That tiny string bikini from the first day on the river. That thing was nonexistent.”
Rachael went from annoyed to blazingly hot and embarrassed in an instant. Oh, she remembered the suit. She’d worn it because it was all she could find on that first day here last year. All of her things were still in boxes and in the dark, at five o’clock in the morning, the string bikini that was two sizes too small was all she could locate. Should she tell Travis the truth or have some fun at his expense? She had given it away and didn’t even have it any more.
“That suit? One of my favorites. Especially for family or church outings.”
“It’s not that it doesn’t look nice on you. It’s just a little more revealing than I’d prefer. But if you want to wear it, be my guest. It does look good.”
“You’re sweet, Travis.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek as they drove down the road. “I don’t even have it any more. It was way too small but was all I could find that morning. You don’t have to worry about me wearing it ever again.”
“Oh, so now you go and disappoint me.” His eyes twinkled. “And to think that I thought all this time you wore it especially for me that first time!”
Now it was his turn to make her feel a little uncomfortable. Well, it worked. She was warm from her hairline to her toes.
Decided it was best to change the subject, she said, “So tell me about this hunting thing we’re doing today.”
“What will be most difficult for you is the not talking part of it.”
She smacked him on the leg and he just laughed. “So I bought you some special things,” he told her as they pulled up to the house. “Reach over the seat and grab that bag.”
Rachael’s excitement quickly faded as she opened the bag and peeked inside. “Camouflage?” She tried to hide her lack of enthusiasm.
“For the hunting trip. I hope they fit. I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes. Don’t lollygag.”
Inside the downstairs bathroom, Rachael pulled out the camo tank top and long pants. She modeled them in front of the mirror. I don’t look half bad. And they even fit. How does he know my sizes so well?
Rachael didn’t think it had taken her long to dress, but when she made her way outside, Travis already had a four-wheeler loaded and ready to go.
“Camo never looked so good.” He smiled at her.
“Thanks. I don’t have to carry a gun or anything, do I, Travis?”
“Of course not! I don’t want to get accidentally shot!”
“No. In all seriousness, I’m afraid of guns.”
“Well, then, let’s not take one. Today we’ll just get you acquainted with the woods.” He motioned to the four-wheeler. “You want to drive?”
“Sure.” Rachael jumped on and, with careful guidance from Travis, was soon making her way across the ranch. After a short ride they pulled up to a game feeder and checked it. It was still half full of feed. Next they continued further into the woods where it was denser and she couldn’t see much except for the trees. Travis motioned for her to park the four-wheeler and whispered in her ear, “We’ll walk from here.”
Rachael figured out from the whispering that talking from this point on was a no-no. Travis was right. This would be harder for her than she had realized. At least they could hold hands.
The woods were very quiet, with only their own hushed breathing to be heard. Travis’s footsteps didn’t make any noise. Rachael’s footsteps, however, resembled a herd of elephants making its way through the woods. Twigs snapped. Leaves rustled. No, Rachael was certainly no expert hunter. With each step she thought, Run, Bambi! Run!
Of course they didn’t have any gun, so what was she so nervous about?
I’d actually like to see an animal or two.
Rachael worked at quieting her footfalls. They made their way the remaining distance to the tree stand. Travis motioned for her to climb up first. She did, making her way to the platform at the top. He came up the ladder to sit beside her.
Ten minutes later they were sitting there, listening for Rachael couldn’t imagine what. Travis kept cutting his eyes at her, making her laugh.
&nb
sp; “Sshh. If you keep laughing like that,” he warned, “we’ll never see anything.”
“I can’t help it. When you look at me like that, it cracks me up.”
“Look at you like what?”
“Like that.” Then, in that moment, he leaned in and kissed her like he hadn’t kissed her before. Long and soft. Rachael wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but she was actually dizzy, her heart racing when it ended.
“I figured that would shut you up,” he whispered into her ear.
She shocked him and grabbed him again. This time she really laid one on him. When he pulled his head up, he said quickly, “Okay. Time to go.”
“So soon? I was having fun and learning all about hunting too. And why can’t we talk up here?”
“Sure. I can tell you want to say something. What is it?”
“Well, last night at the slumber party the girls all got into this ‘it’ conversation.”
“It conversation?” He appeared confused for a minute. Then a knowing look crossed his face. “Oh. The ‘it’ conversation.”
“Yes. It was kind of uncomfortable for some.”
“Why?”
“Some girls have boyfriends who are really pressuring them to do ‘it.’ ”
“Not Maysie, right? I don’t have to go kick Adam in the rear, do I?”
“No! Chill out O, ye protective one!”
That made him laugh out loud.
Rachael continued, “It’s just that, at sixteen, we’re finding ourselves on all different sides of the same subject.”
“Okay.” Travis raised his eyebrows, as if wondering where all this was leading.
Rachael sat with her legs dangling off of the tree stand. “There are those who have no interest in ‘it.’ Those who have thought about it and know that any time before marriage is not the right time. And finally those who are planning on doing ‘it’ in the near future.”
“Okay.” Travis still looked calm and collected. Whether he was or not Rachael couldn’t tell.
“So what do you think?”
“About what? I don’t know what you are asking me, Rachael.”
All of that sharing and that’s the only thing he has to say on the subject? Rachael was about to climb down that ladder and walk home.
He nudged her. “I’m just playing with you, girl. So you want to know what I think about all of ‘it’?”
“Yes.”
“And the ones who are planning on doing ‘it’ in the near future are not you or my sister. Correct?”
“Of course not! Travis, I’d think you would know us both better than that!”
He was laughing again. He loved to aggravate her. “I just had to make sure. If you have some secret plans here that I need to be aware of, my mother and father are going to want to talk to you. After that kiss you just gave me, they’ll want to know what kind of girl I have chosen here.”
She backhanded him in the chest and started to get to her feet. “Forget I brought it up, Travis.”
“No. I’m only playing, baby. Please sit back down.” He took her hand and pulled her back down to sit beside him.
“I think that this is the age where all of our friends find themselves at a crossroads. A point where they begin to make decisions that could affect the rest of their lives. Once they turn that corner they can’t turn back, and if they can it can prove to be really difficult. It’s a big decision and one that no one should take lightly.”
“I agree. I told one of my friends that she should talk to her mom, or even her dad about it.”
“Her dad?” He coughed into his hand.
“Yes. Her dad. My dad and I have that kind of relationship. He likes to use the word nookie to describe ‘it.’ It might surprise you to know that all of my recent nookie conversations have been with him.”
“Fantastic. Have I been the subject of any of those talks?” Travis evidently couldn’t bring himself to say the word.
“Only that I felt guilty over almost kissing you last year.”
Travis nodded in agreement, but there was a question in his gaze.
“Dad said I have time to date dozens of boys if I want to.”
Travis frowned. “I don’t know if I agree with him there.”
She smiled. “Of course that was before I started dating you. He couldn’t be happier now that we are dating.”
That last part seemed to make Travis feel better.
“Is there anything else you wanted to share with me about last night’s conversation? Or anything you’d like to ask me?”
“No. Do you want to know which of the three categories I fell in to?”
“I think I can guess. So there was the no interest in ‘it’ category, the wait until marriage category, and the going to do ‘it’ in the near future category.”
Rachael nodded.
“We’ve already established that since you aren’t in the third category, you must be in the first or second,” he reasoned, sounding like Sherlock Holmes. “If you were in the first category, I might be worried. I’m not sure I’d want to be in a relationship with someone who is in no way interested in ‘it.’ After all, I am a guy’s guy and have plans for ‘it’ being a part of my life after marriage.”
When Rachael just smiled at him, he clarified, “Marriage to a woman in the first category would be boring. So I’m hoping you’re in the second category—that you are interested in it, someday, with the right person, but married first. If so, we are a pretty good match, Rachael Harte.”
He leaned in to kiss her gently but passionately.
After her head stopped spinning, he whispered, “I’m glad we had this talk.”
“Me too.” She leaned back into the embrace of his shoulder, his arm around her.
The other girls had been right. Travis was the perfect guy. He even made the “it” conversation a pleasant, interesting, and fun-filled one.
13
“HEY, RACHAEL, I’m going fishing with Gabe in half an hour. Would you like for me to pick you and Michael up?” Travis said when he phoned the following Saturday morning.
“Sure. Hunting, fishing…when do I get to go on a romantic, girly date?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Last weekend you tackled hunting, this weekend fishing. You’re becoming a regular outdoorsman. Or woman. Besides, Michael will love it.”
“Okay.” It was considerate the way Travis was trying to include Michael. With their dad in prison, and after the situation with Colten, and then Ty, it was important for Michael to have a few other positive male role models.
Rachael and Michael headed out for a day of fun-filled fishing. When they jumped into the truck, Travis greeted them both. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothing much. So where are we going fishing?” Rachael asked.
“The lake behind Jason’s house. He’s going with us too,” Travis said.
Michael and Travis talked freshwater fishing the entire way there.
When they pulled into Jason’s driveway and walked to the dock out back, Rachael was shocked that Jason was there with yet another fishing boat, in addition to the one he’d brought with him that first weekend on the Peace River. Both were very nice and quite expensive.
How many boats does this kid have?
“Morning y’all,” he called down the dock as they approached.
“What’s up?” Travis asked.
“Wow, it’s a beautiful day for fishing,” Rachael said wryly. She wasn’t overly excited about this opportunity to enhance her fishing skills. “Maybe I’ll get some good sun.” Out of the corner of her eye she could see Travis crack up.
Everyone slipped on life jackets and climbed onboard. Soon the boat was cruising into the water.
Rachael was using one of Travis’s rod and reels. On second thought, she realized it had to be Maysie’s, because it was hot pink. Casting was something Rachael needed to work on. She always wanted it to sail out there a good twenty feet or more. Instead, she was lucky if it made it three fee
t.
Rachael watched as the guys all cast. Yep, there they go. Why won’t mine go that far? There must be some trick to it.
Travis immediately came to her rescue. “Need some help?”
“Yep.”
He stood behind her, gently took her wrist, and helped her to draw her rod and reel back behind her and to the side. Then he flicked the rod forward in one smooth motion. Her line and bait cast out about twenty-five feet.
“Not bad.” She was quite impressed.
“See, it’s all in the wrist and forearm. Not the whole body.” He smiled.
“Yeah, I was kind of throwing my whole upper body into it. And coming from over the top instead of from the side.”
“Yep. Once you get better, we can teach you to cast that way.”
Michael did an exaggerated cast using his entire torso and casting from over the back of his head. His bait sailed straight down, landing only about two feet from the boat. “Look, I’m Rachael,” he said with a flourish.
All the guys were laughing.
“Real funny. I told you before fishing wasn’t my thing, but I’m getting better,” she defended.
Rachael reeled her line in a short time later, and something had stolen her bait. Great, I have to put another worm on there. She took another worm out of the can. It wrestled with her every step of the way. She was holding the critter tightly between her pointer finger and thumb when she realized, I just can’t do it. “If only you would jump on that hook all by yourself,” she whispered to the worm.
At that instant Travis leaned over and put the worm on the hook for her. He didn’t say a word, but his grin spoke volumes.
Rachael cast her line again—this time without his assistance. It sailed out about fifteen feet. Wow! Now I’m even impressing myself!
She relaxed, not paying any attention to her line. Suddenly she saw a small pull on her bobber.
What was that?
There it goes again.
Then her bobber moved through the water in the opposite direction of the boat.
“Hey, guys,” she said in a very calm voice, “I think I’ve caught a fish.”
“Reel him in!” Michael called.
In all the times Rachael had ever gone fishing, she’d never caught anything, and she liked it that way. Now she had to reel something in. There could be anything on the other end of that line.
Cowgirl Down (Redneck Debutante) Page 15
