Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) (2 page)

S
taff Sergeant Travis Stallion drew two fingers around the collar of his military dress shirt, anxious to lose the necktie and formal uniform. He would have given anything to have traveled home in his combat uniform, the casual, camouflage-colored attire far more comfortable, but he was representing the United States Army, and his dress greens were mandated.

As he threw his hand in the air, gesturing for a taxicab, he was counting down the minutes when he could pack away everything military and don his favorite jeans and white T-shirt. But he had one more stop on his list of things to do before he could officially begin his leave and simply relax for the next thirty days.

Stepping inside the yellow cab that had stopped in front of him, he leaned back against the vinyl seats and closed his eyes, purposely avoiding the conversation the young taxi driver was trying to have with him. He was too tired from his travels to talk, so he pretended to sleep to avoid the polite chitchat.

As the driver finally focused on maneuvering the car through the heavy traffic, Travis tapped his hand against his heart and the many mounted ribbons that adorned his chest. Confirming that he still had possession of the sealed envelope he’d placed in the inside pocket of his green dress coat, he took a deep breath, then slowly blew warm air past his full lips.

He’d given Private First Class Damien Porter his solemn word that he would deliver that sealed envelope to Porter’s girl, who lived in Dallas, where he would be staying for the next thirty days. The young woman’s downtown address would be his last stop before he found his way to his own family’s home for the month.

As the taxi pulled up in front of the Main Street address and the high-rise apartment building, Travis asked the driver to wait for him to return.

“Just keep the meter running,” he said as he exited the cab. “This shouldn’t take long at all.”

The taxi driver nodded, settling back in his seat to wait.

As Travis stood on the sidewalk, taking in his surroundings, he was impressed with the location. The neighborhood was an upscale one, and be somewhere he could eventually see himself living, he thought. He was just steps away from Neiman Marcus, the Urban Market Grocery and Café and the Main Street entertainment district, and he was in walking distance to the Arts District and Victory Park.

Inside the building he was greeted warmly by the building’s concierge.

“Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?”

Travis nodded with a quick flick of his head. A faint smile pulled at his mouth. “I’m here to see Miss Tierra Braddy, please. My name is Travis Stallion.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll let her know you’re here,” the man said as he reached for the telephone resting atop the marbled desk.

After a brief exchange, he pointed Travis to the elevators. Before the soldier could step inside, the man called out to him. “Excuse me, sir, I just wanted to say thank you.” He gave Travis a quick wave of his hand. “We really appreciate the armed forces and what you men are doing for us over there.”

Nodding his gratitude, Travis allowed the doors to close shut between them. Seconds later the conveyor stopped on the twenty-second floor. Heading down the carpeted hallway, he made his way to the young woman who stood waiting in her doorway, intrigue painting her expression as she watched him approach.

“Hi,” Tierra said excitedly, extending her hand in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Staff Sergeant Stallion. Damien has told me so much about you.”

And Damien had, extolling the man’s many virtues in every conversation the two had ever had. Her fiancé had been in awe of his thirty-one-year-old platoon leader, holding the man in high esteem. His descriptions, though, didn’t do the handsome man justice. Tierra was surprised by the smoldering stare that was eyeing her so intently. His pale, almond-shaped eyes seemed to draw her in like a moth to a flame. Tierra was slightly surprised by their intensity, and her reaction. She tried to shake the sensation from her thoughts.

Taken aback by the vibrant smile washing over him, Travis was briefly stunned himself. He hadn’t expected the woman to be so extraordinarily beautiful. But beautiful she was, with her deep brown eyes, caramel candy complexion and a full luscious pout a man could imagine himself kissing. Tierra Braddy was probably the most exquisite creature he had ever laid his eyes upon. A flood of electric energy surged through his spirit.

Travis was suddenly aware of her small hands clasping tightly to his own large appendage. His gaze fell to the perfectly manicured fingers that warmly caressed the back of his own hand, then rose back to the woman’s smiling face. The moment was strangely surreal, feeling as though it were playing out in slow motion. His tongue suddenly felt too big for his mouth, words caught deep in his chest.

So focused on her own rising anxiety, Tierra didn’t seem to notice Travis’s sudden discomfort. Fighting to stay focused, she eagerly pulled him inside, closing the door tightly behind them as she chatted nonstop.

“This is such a surprise. Damien didn’t tell me you were coming stateside. Where is he? Did you two travel back together? I’m so excited to meet you!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Ms. Braddy,” he finally managed to mutter, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears. “Please, call me Travis.”

She repeated her questions.

“No, ma’am, we didn’t. That’s why I’m here. Private First Class Porter asked me to personally deliver this to you,” he said, reaching inside his breast pocket for the letter that had traveled home with him.

Travis forced himself to continue. “He stressed that it was very important you receive it as soon as possible.”

The look of fear that crossed the woman’s face suddenly tore at his heartstrings as she took the envelope from his fingers, her own hand shaking ever so slightly. Her confused stare met his.

“There’s nothing wrong with him, is there?” she asked, a rise of distress spilling into her tone. “Damien’s okay, isn’t he?”

Travis nodded. “When I last saw him he was doing just fine.”

Tierra exhaled a deep sigh of relief, pulling the letter to her chest. “You scared me,” she said, her voice dropping a few octaves.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Travis responded. He took a step toward her, the move unconscious as he suddenly wanted to pull her into his arms to ease the nervous edge that had gripped her spirit. “I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

Tierra giggled softly, mildly embarrassed. “I’m fine,” she said, brushing her palm against his forearm. “I’m also very rude. I haven’t even offered you anything to drink. Can I get you something, Travis?”

“No, but thank you for offering. Unfortunately, I really have to be going,” the man said, moving back in the direction of the door. “My taxi is waiting for me downstairs.”

“But you’ll come back? Right?” Tierra asked, the words slipping past her full lips before she could stop them. She stammered ever so slightly. “I…I mean, when Damien gets here tomorrow. You’ll come back and have dinner with us, and you’ll come to the wedding, I hope?”

That brilliant smile washed over him a second time. Travis suddenly felt like a match had ignited him on fire. He would have given anything for a cool wave of air to still the heat that had rushed from his head to his feet. “Certainly,” he muttered softly, trying to ignore an obvious wave of jealousy that was washing over him. “I look forward to it,” he said, the polite fib rolling like butter off his tongue.

“Thank you for stopping by,” Tierra said. “I know Damien really appreciates everything you’ve done for him. And this—” She gestured with the sealed mailer. “This was truly above and beyond your call of duty.”

Nodding his head, Travis excused himself, then stepped into the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he suddenly couldn’t help but wonder what had been secured inside the envelope he’d just delivered.

Locking the door behind her unexpected guest, Tierra moved from her foyer to the large windows that looked out to the lighted ball atop Reunion Tower and the neighboring Bank of America building. The stunning views had been a key selling point when she had searched for her first home. But Damien hadn’t been impressed.

Damien hadn’t wanted her to invest any of the money she’d inherited from her late grandfather into a home. The man had had a million get-rich-quick schemes that he thought would be more fruitful. But Tierra had erred on the side of caution, seeking out her grandmother’s advice and advice from the attorney who’d been hired to oversee the small fortune she and her brother had been blessed with. The security of real estate had proven to be exactly what she’d needed, despite Damien not wanting to support her decision.

Sliding a manicured nail beneath the sealed flap, Tierra tore open the envelope, anxious to read what was inside. She smiled to herself, hoping the sweet words Damien had written to pave his way home would endear him to their friends and family.

Pulling the neatly printed note from inside, she read it once, twice and then a third time. An hour later she was still reading it over and over again, the first of many tears streaming over the curve of her high-boned cheeks as she tried to make sense of the words that tore at her soul.

T
he taxi driver, still trying to make small talk about the political issues currently in the headlines, pulled his taxi past the gated entrance of Briscoe Ranch, maneuvering the circular driveway to the front entrance of the large home. With a quick nod of gratitude, Travis pressed two twenty-dollar bills into the man’s hand and made a quick escape from the backseat of the vehicle.

As Travis watched the car make its way back off the property, he turned around to take in his surroundings. Briscoe Ranch was well over eight hundred acres of working cattle ranch, an equestrian center and an entertainment complex that specialized in corporate and private client services. The ranch housed two 20,000 square-foot event barns and a country bed-and-breakfast. With the property being central to Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, Briscoe Ranch had made quite a name for itself. Travis was duly impressed.

Turning back toward the steps and the front door, he grinned widely when it suddenly swung open and his cousins Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Stallion all came barreling down to greet him.

The noise and banter was reminiscent of when they’d all been under the age of ten racing from one end of their late grandparent’s home to the other. Each and every summer the cousins would come together and play until they were all exhausted. Those had been some of the best times in their young lives.

Travis couldn’t help but note the deep family resemblance. The four brothers were the spitting image of his uncle, their father, David Stallion, and David’s brother Joseph, Travis’s father. All the men boasted imposing statures, black-coffee complexions, chiseled jaw lines and charismatic smiles. That striking family resemblance had skipped Travis, with him inheriting his mother’s café au lait complexion and her light hazel-green eyes. But even with their differences, side by side he and his kin looked like chocolate and vanilla reflections of each other.

“Yo, soldier boy!” Mark Stallion bellowed, wrapping the large man in a big bear hug.

Luke slapped his cousin’s palm. “Travis, my man!”

“Isn’t he pretty in his uniform.” Matthew laughed, his tone teasing as he embraced his cousin.

“Exceptionally!” John responded, he and Travis shaking hands as they bumped shoulders. “Welcome home, family!”

“It’s good to be back.” Travis grinned. “And look at you guys! I see this good life has been treating you four very well,” he said as he patted Mark’s abdomen.

John laughed. “That’s sympathy weight. Mark’s wife is expecting a baby, and for every pound she gains, Mark is gaining five.”

Mark flipped a finger at his older brother. “Maybe two, but definitely not five.”

“When did you get married?” Travis said, surprise showing on his face. “Weren’t you going to be a confirmed bachelor forever?”

The large black man laughed, his head shaking. “I was, but then I met Mitch. I just couldn’t help myself. The woman just took my breath away,” Mark exclaimed, joy shimmering in his eyes.

Travis nodded, the memory of his encounter with Tierra Braddy suddenly intruding on his thoughts. He could fully understand how a woman might take a man’s breath away, because Tierra had clearly left him gasping for air. He turned his focus back to the conversation and his cousins, who were regaling him with info about Mark’s mechanic wife and their whirlwind romance.

“My girl tamed this Stallion man big-time,” Mark said, his laugh a deep rumble that flowed from his midsection.

Matthew shook his head in agreement. “Brother finally had to turn in his little black book. But you know how Mark is,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Once John does something, he has to go and do it, too. Just like when we were kids.”

Travis locked eyes with John. “Your wife’s not pregnant, too, is she?”

John shook his head vehemently. “Oh, heck no!”

A soft voice called down from the top of the steps. “Why do you say it like that, John Stallion?” Marah Stallion asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down at her husband and his brothers.

John’s wide smile gleamed back at her. “I was just saying that we weren’t pregnant, baby! I didn’t say it like it was anything bad!”

Marah laughed, a wry smirk filling her face. “I bet you didn’t! You better watch yourself, John Stallion. You know I don’t play like that!” She turned her attention to their arriving guest. “Hey, Travis! Just leave those jokesters standing right there and come on inside here. We’ve been cooking all afternoon. I hope you’re hungry.”

Travis laughed as he tossed his duffle bag into Luke’s arms. “I’m starved. How are you doing, Marah?” he queried as he made his way to the top of the steps, leaning to kiss the woman’s cheek.

“I’m doing just fine. I know you must be good and tired after your trip.”

“I am. A good meal, a hot shower and a few hours of sleep and I might actually feel normal again,” Travis said with a wide smile.

Marah patted his back. “I think we can take care of that for you,” she said. She glanced over her shoulder, her husband shaking his head.

“You better be on top of your game tonight, Mr. Stallion. I’m not going to forget that ‘heck no’ comment anytime soon.”

John pretended to groan, still grinning as he and his brothers made their way behind Travis and Marah. “Don’t be like that, baby,” he said, his voice a low whine. “You know I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Marah giggled. “I don’t know anything of the sort.”

John leaned to kiss his wife’s mouth as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. “Let me make it up to you,” he said, his voice dropping to a low whisper as he nuzzled his cheek against hers.

Travis laughed. “I can certainly see what marriage and this good life has done to you!”

The sumptuous midday meal had left Travis full and satisfied. Marah had piled his plate high with fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn bread and peach cobbler and had supplied freshly brewed and sweetened tea. He’d eaten well and was still stuffed from the experience.

He stepped out of the shower, wrapping his muscular body in an oversize, plush white towel. A stark contrast to the rough army towels he’d been using, the soft cotton fabric felt luxurious against his skin. Travis closed his eyes, relishing the sensation. An image of Tierra Braddy suddenly flitted through his mind, and he couldn’t help but imagine how she might feel in his arms, her body pressed tight against his naked flesh. The imagery sent a spark of heat straight to his southern hemisphere, causing every muscle in his body to tense with frustration.

Moving to the sink, Travis turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold water. This was getting out of control. He had only met the woman for a brief moment, and here he was starting to fantasize about her. Besides that, she had a man, and chasing another man’s woman was not something he would ever contemplate. It had just been way too long since he’d enjoyed some female companionship on an intimate level. He was suddenly acting as if he were fifteen again, when raging hormones controlled his male impulses. He needed to regain some serious control.

Moving back into the immaculately decorated guest bedroom, he dropped down onto the bed and lay his body back against the padded mattress. Before sleep quickly consumed him, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the woman. And he couldn’t help but wonder if, just maybe, Tierra Braddy might be thinking of him, as well.

“I’ll bet he got himself a good laugh out of it,” Tierra exclaimed loudly as she paced the floor from wall to wall. “I can just imagine what a fool he thought I was, me going on and on about the wedding and the whole time Damien wasn’t planning to show up.”

Tierra brushed her tears away with the back of her hand, smearing her mascara and the blush that highlighted her cheeks. The magnitude of her situation blanketed her spirit. “How could he do this to me!” she moaned sadly, dejection masking her face.

Eden Waller and her younger sister, Marla Baron, both shook their heads, clucking their tongues in sympathy. Eden leaned forward in her seat, meeting Tierra’s teary gaze as she passed the yellow sheet of lined note paper back to her friend.

“Tea, sweetie, you know better than anyone how Damien is. He’s hurt you before. You know he was capable of doing that to you and worse. The guy is scum.”

Tierra tossed her hands up in frustration. “Not Damien!” she wailed. “His sergeant… How could the man just drop news like that in my lap and walk away? He seemed so sweet. How could he do that to me?”

Eden stole a quick glance toward her sister, the two women exchanging a confused look between them.

“Are you sure he knew?” Marla asked. “I mean, do you think he read the letter?”

Tierra stomped to the other side of the room. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. I’m sure he knew. I just find it hard to believe Damien didn’t tell him what he was up to. You know how men are. They put their business out there more than women do.”

Both Eden and Marla took a deep inhale of air at the same time, the two women sensing that nothing they could say would give their friend any comfort. Neither of them had been surprised when a hysterical Tierra had shown up at the ranch devastated by the Dear John letter her beloved fiancé had sent to her. No one expected much of anything from Damien. They’d tried for too many years to get Tierra to see that the love of her life wasn’t a man worthy of her heart. Eden had said it best: men like Damien Porter were what bad sperm produced.

Marla rose from her seat, offering Tierra a tissue for her runny nose. She shook her head. “What can we do to help you, Tea?”

Tierra finally collapsed into a chair, the hurt of it all weighing her down. She, too, shook her head. She couldn’t begin to fathom how anyone could do anything to make any of this well ever again. “I guess I won’t be needing that chapel now,” she muttered softly.

Eden tapped a comforting palm against Tierra’s knee. “Why don’t you stay here at the ranch with us for a few days? Take some time away from your normal routine to get some perspective. Next week you might actually see that this was for the best. Better it happened now than later, Tierra.”

Tierra briefly closed her eyes, tears pooling behind her eyelids. “You sound like my grandmother,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “She said the same thing.”

Tierra’s grandmother, Deloriann Braddy, had never been a woman who bit her tongue. Mama Dee had been saying loudly, and often, how she didn’t support Tierra’s decision to marry Damien. She also hadn’t bit back her glee in learning the wedding was off. It was just as the old woman had predicted would happen. Damien had betrayed her.

Tierra nodded her head. “Are you sure it won’t be any inconvenience? I just don’t want to be alone in my apartment, and I’d rather live out of my car than go to my granny’s and have her and Tingin say they told me so one more time.”

Marla nodded. “It’s no problem at all. You know we have a ton of space here, and right now the only other guest we have is John’s cousin visiting for the month.”

“John?” Tierra queried

“Our sister Marah’s husband. I don’t think you’ve met Marah yet, have you?” Marla responded.

Tierra shook her head. “Not yet.” There was a moment of pause while Tierra contemplated what she should do. Finally, she answered, “Well, if you’re sure it won’t be a problem.”

Eden wrapped her arms around Tierra’s shoulders. “We are. Come on. I’ll show you where your room will be.”

Following behind her friend, Tierra swiped at the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes for the umpteenth time. She hated that she couldn’t stop crying, but it hurt to admit that she had been wrong. It hurt even more to think that after all this time Damien hadn’t really cared about her at all.

At the top of the stairwell, Tierra turned to her friend and gave a sincere smile. “Eden, I really appreciate this.”

Eden grinned. “Everything’s going to be all right, Tea. Just keep believing that.”

As Tierra turned back toward the hallway, she wasn’t prepared for the large man who suddenly bounded from behind a closed door, stepping directly in front of her path. The duo slammed harshly into each other.

Instinctively, Travis reached out to grab the woman he’d just bowled over, intent on keeping her from falling to the floor. “I am so sorry,” the man exclaimed, his voice echoing loudly around them.

“Ouch,” Tierra muttered at the same time, gripping tight to the large arms that held her firmly by the shoulders. “Excuse me.” She looked up into the man’s face, recognition washing over her. “You!”

Travis’s eyes widened with surprise. “Ms. Braddy!”

The couple stood staring for just a brief moment, then before she could stop herself, Tierra balled up a tight fist and slammed it hard into Travis Stallion’s abdomen.