The Staying Kind

by Cerian Hebert

  She couldn’t protest anymore. If she did she might as well admit to everything she’d been doing since arriving in town. Perhaps she could still deceive the man. He could drop her off at the cabins and leave before she pretended to go inside one of the small buildings. It was her only hope.

  “Fine,” she murmured, and quickly finished up so she could get this over with.

  Silently, Rio climbed into the passenger seat of Travis’s truck, wishing she could sit in back with the equally despondent Jessa. The girl slouched against the door, looking as miserable as Rio felt.

  Thick splatters of rain on the truck broke the utter silence hanging heavily in the small space. As soon as Travis opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat, the air bristled with an energy that was inescapable, no matter how far Rio pressed herself against her door.

  Travis didn’t speak until he steered the truck down the driveway. He glanced into the rearview mirror. “I’ll drop you off first. Start your homework and I’ll bring a pizza home.”

  Jessa didn’t respond. Rio swore silently. She’d be alone with him. This was it. The time had come for him to put her in her place, make sure she understood he didn’t trust her.

  He pulled into a driveway less than a quarter mile down the road from Cobble Creek, leading to another farm. Unlike Sadie’s place, however, this one didn’t appear to be a working farm. The beautiful old house sprawled out over a green, leaf-scattered lawn. A wraparound porch surrounded the home, along with deep green bushes that would no doubt be rich with flowers in the spring. Even in the sullen rain, the place was lovely and welcoming.

  Before he had a chance to put the truck in park, Jessa shoved the door open and climbed out, running through the rain toward the front porch. Travis waited until his daughter closed the door behind her before he swung around and they headed toward the center of town, and the cabins she was supposedly staying in.

  Rio didn’t dare look at him. She kept her attention pinned to the rain-washed road, as her mind worked quickly to find a way out of this predicament.

  She’d tell him to drop her off at the store a few doors down from the cabins. The weight lifted slightly from her heart. Then he wouldn’t know or be able to prove anything. She’d make her escape. Hike to the cabin in the woods. He had his hands full at home, surely he wouldn’t bother to follow her tonight.

  Unfortunately, when he pulled into the parking lot at Two Maples, he pinned her with a single glance. “Which one is yours?”

  “Over there,” she replied, vaguely pointing in the direction that could’ve indicated three different buildings. “I need to run to the store so you can drop me here. Thanks for the ride.”

  “I’ll drive you to the store,” he replied.

  Rio fidgeted. She hadn’t expected this. She supposed she should’ve, but for a brief moment she’d been secure in her newly hatched plan.

  His eyes seemed to penetrate right into her brain. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t appear angry either. Just questioning. Waiting.

  Rio gripped the door handle with icy, shaky hands. “I, uh, have to grab my wallet and jacket. It’s okay, I’m fine. The store is right there.”

  Travis’s regard held steady. “No, I’ll wait. I want to make sure you’re home safely.”

  Rio chuckled in an attempt to cover her growing discomfort. “In this town? I’ll be fine. Really.”

  “I insist.”

  Damn. He had no plans to let her off the hook. Rio pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold, beating rain. Quickly she surveyed the cabins. Out of the three, two didn’t have a car parked in front of them. One was smaller, so she headed toward it, praying by some miracle the door would be unlocked. Naturally her prayers weren’t answered. The knob wouldn’t give, no matter how hard she jiggled it.

  “Please go,” she muttered under her breath. She shoved her hand into her jeans pocket, pretending to fish for a key. Anything to buy her some time.

  Through the thick downpour, she felt the weight of his stare on her back, waiting for her to fail. In despair she sagged against the door. Now what? Admit defeat and ask for help? Pretend she forgot her keys? Then she could tell him she had to go to the office to ask for another key, and he could leave. If he would leave.

  When she turned to face him, a rush colder than the pounding rain spilled through her entire body.

  Travis had rolled his window all the way down and he held up her backpack.

  The one she’d left stuffed under the bed at the cabin in the woods.

  Chapter 6

  Travis had wondered how long Rio would go at the door before she’d have to admit defeat. She’d dug through her pockets for a solid minute before her shoulders drooped.

  Reaching behind him, Travis grabbed the backpack he’d retrieved from the cabin before he picked Jessa up. He rolled down the window, held the bag up and waited for Rio to give up the charade.

  When she finally did, her face paled visibly. Standing there, black hair plastered against her cheeks, looking defeated, he actually felt sorry for her for the first time since they’d met.

  “Get in the truck before you’re drenched,” he commanded. Rio hesitated, then gave in.

  Like she had so many more appealing choices. The way he saw it, she had none.

  Finally, she stepped away from the cabin, her arms wrapped around her body. She returned to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. “I’m soaking wet.”

  “I don’t care. You can’t stay out in this rain. Get in.”

  She did as she was told and Travis handed her the backpack.

  “You could’ve given it to me before,” she muttered and hugged the bag to her chest. “Why did you put me through that?”

  He shrugged. “I was curious to see how far you’d push it.” With the engine running and the heat cranked to full blast to warm her up, he made no move to drive out of the parking lot. “Where were you planning to go if I’d left you?”

  She stared straight ahead wearing an expression as stormy as the weather outside. Slowly her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. I would’ve figured something out. I always do.”

  “Did you plan on returning to the cabin?”

  “Only for my stuff. I wouldn’t have stayed there anymore.”

  Travis sighed, at a loss. He didn’t know what to do with her now. He could bring her down to the police station, or tell her to leave town. Unfortunately, neither of those choices were options he’d choose. He wasn’t heartless and his aunt had a real fondness for Rio. Sadie knew her much better and wanted her to stay right here and ride Dante. That certainly was trust.

  “So, now what?”

  She refused to meet his steady gaze.

  He could see her sinking further into misery. “Why didn’t you rent one of those cabins here? Would’ve been a lot more comfortable than mine.”

  “I don’t have a credit card. Without a credit card one doesn’t have a lot of choices.”

  “How long have you been running?”

  Finally, she shot him an angry glare that should’ve sliced him right down. He felt up to the challenge.

  “Who said I was running?”

  “You’re squatting in some hunting cabin in the woods. I bet everything you own is in that bag. You obviously don’t stay in one place long enough even to start a bank account. Sounds like you’re running.”

  “I’m not running. It’s none of your business anyway.”

  “None of my business? Let’s review things. You broke into my cabin on my land, you’re working for my aunt who I happen to love very much. I’d say that makes you very much my business.”

  “I don’t need this,” Rio seethed and grabbed the door handle. Travis took hold of her arm and held tight.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

/>   Startled, Rio stared at his hand and then up to his face. The emotion in her wide eyes shocked him. Hurt and fear. She wasn’t afraid of him. But what awaited her if she gave in to him, or if she left the truck, scared the heck out of her.

  The hurt written on her face moved him more. He would’ve expected coldness from a woman like her. The abject sadness made him realize he knew nothing about her, and he’d been too quick to judge on the bare facts he had.

  Somehow this woman had become important to his aunt, He wasn’t about to offer up his trust up to her as Sadie had. If Rio chose to stick around, then he planned to keep close tabs on her.

  “You’ll have to come up with some answers pretty quick, Rio. Is that your real name?”

  She laughed. It held no humor. “If I wanted to make up a name do you honestly think I’d chose Rio? Yes, it’s my real name. Presley is my real name. I’m surprised you haven’t already done a background check on me.”

  Travis didn’t want to admit he’d already started digging up information. He felt a little guilty about it. He did it to protect his aunt, and he’d make no apology for that.

  “Fine. Look, my aunt said she asked you to stay on for the winter. Have you made your decision?”

  Though Rio smiled, he had a feeling the smile wasn’t about happiness. She was struggling with something.

  “Against my better judgment I planned to tell her I’d stay,” she began. “I don’t know how I’d manage it. I’d think of a way. I always do.”

  “You know you couldn’t live in the cabin all winter. There’s no heat, no insulation. No running water or electricity.”

  “I noticed. Listen, I’ll leave. I should anyway. This is too crazy and I should’ve known better. Let me out of the truck and I’ll be out of town by tonight. I’m sure Sadie will understand.”

  Travis shifted gears. “Belt on.”

  Rio didn’t move. “Why? Where are you taking me?”

  “First of all we’re picking up a pizza and then I’m taking you home.”

  “Excuse me?” She sounded as astounded as he felt, but he’d made his decision. I might live to regret it.

  “I said we’re picking up a pizza and then heading to my house. You have nowhere else to go. At least if you’re under my roof I can keep an eye on you.”

  “You’re crazy. What will your aunt think?”

  “She’ll think I’m a wonderful guy for giving you a place to live so much closer than Two Maples, and then she’ll try to talk me into letting you go live with her, which I’ll promptly say no to.”

  “You’re crazy,” Rio repeated. “But I’ll pay you whatever I can. I think the going rate at Two Maples is seventy a week. I’m sure your place is a lot nicer.”

  “We’ll work something out,” he assured her. Suddenly tired of trying to sort through everything and with no idea what he was getting into, he’d leave it alone for now. “What kind of pizza do you want?”

  Half an hour later, they pulled into his driveway. Pizza in hand, Travis strode to the house, Rio following behind him slowly. The rain had stopped, leaving a damp chill hanging in the air. Rio looked more like a drowned kitten than a tough vagrant.

  Before he opened the door he paused on the front porch and swung around to her. “This is my home. My daughter is inside and she means the world to me. Aunt Sadie has taken a real liking to you and for now I’m trusting her judgment. If you prove her wrong in any way I won’t hesitate to remove you from her life and ours. Do you understand?”

  The pitiful kitten disappeared and Travis again faced the hardened, lost young woman who couldn’t quite hide the pain. Her jaw tensed and her lips thinned as she struggled to control her breathing.

  “Completely,” she replied shortly.

  “Good. Now come on in.”

  Travis led her into the house and set the pizza on the dining room table. As expected, Jessa wasn’t anywhere around. She was probably in her bedroom where she’d remain until he drew her out with dinner. At the moment it worked for him. It would give him a chance to get Rio somewhat settled before explaining to Jessa how they’d have a houseguest for an indefinite amount of time.

  “Come on, I’ll show you the guest room.”

  Tucked in the back of the house, it would give her some privacy, and though it didn’t have a private bathroom, there was one right next door. Years ago it had been his sister’s room. After Carla moved out, their mother had made it into a guest room. Travis hadn’t changed it over the years. It came in handy during the holidays when family came to stay.

  “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a lot warmer than the cabin. There are towels out in the bathroom. You can take a shower and then come out for some pizza.”

  Rio stopped in the middle of the room, clutching her backpack to her chest. “How will you explain me to your daughter?”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  Travis left her alone in the room. Rio could settle in. Other things needed his attention.

  Rio stood in one place for nearly a full minute, holding her backpack against her chest like she was afraid someone would come in and steal it away from her. Her mind whirled as she tried to figure out how in the heck she’d gotten to where she was right now.

  What in the world possessed Travis Lithgow to play the hero and take her in off the streets? An hour ago he’d been her biggest adversary and now he turned out to be an unlikely savior.

  She didn’t want to stay, but her options at the moment were pretty limited. If this was the price she’d pay to keep working at Cobble Creek, then she’d give it a try. Something about living under the same roof as Travis disturbed her more than it should have, however.

  Although she didn’t want to think of the reasons why, her brain focused on them. He was a cop. That was the number one, main reason why he made her nervous. She’d never done anything seriously illegal. Well, nothing he didn’t already know about. Travis could find out about her past which would make things unbearable if he wanted her to explain.

  Then there was the fact he was her boss’s nephew. He was obviously more than a little fond of the woman and he’d do anything he could to make sure nothing hurt Sadie. While she felt much the same, she couldn’t blame him for keeping Sadie’s best interests in mind. And Jessa’s as well.

  The one thing she didn’t want to think about, fought against in her head because it shouldn’t have mattered? He was damned handsome and so intense. A constant fire flickered in his eyes, and energy bristled from him. Whenever he was near her, it radiated. It could’ve been her imagination. Even so, it wasn’t any less real or less potent. How on earth would she handle this attraction?

  You ignore it. Rio pulled her pajamas from her backpack—nothing more than a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt—and headed to the bathroom.

  Thank goodness the part of the house he’d put her in seemed deserted. She could hear voices from another room. They sounded distant. Maybe Travis explaining to his daughter why Rio was there. How would Jessa respond to her presence?

  Well, she couldn’t worry about that. Travis didn’t have to bring her here. He wouldn’t want her involved with his dealings where Jessa was concerned. Let him sort out his own problems.

  Right now all she wanted was to strip out of her cold, wet clothes. Two hot showers in two nights. Life was good, she thought sarcastically, as her body relaxed when the hot spay of water hit her skin.

  Five minutes later she stepped out of the shower, now warm and clean, and dried off. She picked up her sweatpants, then decided she’d be more comfortable in regular clothes. She’d change into the sweats and tee later.

  When she finally made it to the dining room, Jessa was setting plates out. She gave Rio the same look she bestowed on her earlier in the day, with a bit more curiosity, and a heavy dose of suspicion, which Rio could well under
stand. She smiled awkwardly. “Can I help with anything?”

  Travis, holding the pizza box, stood in the door to the kitchen. His gaze traveled the length of her. Rio stood firm under his scrutiny, unwilling to show him how out of place she felt.

  She constantly felt out of place. It was par for the course in her life, but she survived by staying strong. Sometimes by not being noticed. She wouldn’t be able to do that here.

  “Yes, grab the napkins from the counter by the refrigerator and set them on the table,” Travis directed.

  The three of them moved around the kitchen and dining room silently. She supposed they were all lost in their own thoughts about what was happening here. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a normal family night.

  Then again, for Rio there was no such thing as a normal family night. She wouldn’t know one if it bit her on the nose, and this wasn’t any less bizarre than some of the situations she’d gotten herself into over the past twelve years of being virtually homeless.

  When they finally sat down, she followed Jessa’s lead and took two slices of pizza, eating in silence. No one spoke. A heaviness lay in the air, pressing down on them all, filled with questions wanting to be asked. Questions that Travis no doubt wanted to ask.

  Rio kept her eyes off him. To look at him would cause her nerves to jangle, and the knot in her belly to form again. She hadn’t gained enough ground with him to risk losing it so soon.

  She longed to be away from him and his scrutiny. Which wouldn’t be any time soon, since living under his roof meant she’d be under his constant watch.

  After dinner, Travis sent Jessa off to finish her homework. Rio studied the way he was with the girl. Despite the teen’s cold attitude, Travis treated her tenderly, especially when he touched her shoulder and gave her a probing stare. Rio could see how much he wanted to hug his daughter, break through the icy wall that prevented him from making any kind of move.