The Cowboy's Summer Love (34 page)

Studying her as she slept, Travis took in everything from her little pixie face and rosebud lips to her long eyelashes and tiny little fingers. The thought hit him that he might like to have one or two kids of his own someday and he knew exactly who would be the mother of those children.

The object of his thoughts caught his attention from the door where she watched him, her big brown eyes filled with warmth and love. Travis fought down the urge to let out a sigh of contentment.

“Hi,” he whispered, nodding his head toward Cass, cuddled against his side. “I think she might have worn herself out today.”

“I’d say so,” Tess said. “I’ll go get Trey to carry her to bed.”

“No hurry. I don’t mind having a little girl curled against my side,” Travis said, then shot Tess a devilish grin. “Or one very beautiful big girl.”

Tess blushed, but couldn’t help from smiling as she went to find Trey. He and Cady were putting away the last of Cass’ presents in her room.

“Cass fell asleep with Travis. He said he didn’t mind her there for a while,” Tess said, as they walked out of Cass’ room toward the kitchen.

“I’ll get her. Poor thing almost had more fun than she knew how to handle,” Trey said, grinning with fatherly pride as he recalled the evening’s excitement.

“I think it’s safe to say the pony was a hit,” Tess teased as she and Cady sat down with a glass of leftover punch.

“Everything was a hit. You know how Cass is. She’s never had anything, so every single gift is a huge deal to her,” Cady said teary eyed, thinking about her adopted daughter’s deprived childhood. “She loved the fairy costume. I thought she might insist on wearing the wings to bed.”

Tess laughed. “That would have proven interesting.”

“Just a little,” Cady agreed. “Did you see the book Travis made her? It was so thoughtful and sweet. He has so many amazing talents, doesn’t he?”

“He certainly seems to,” Tess said. The book Travis made Cass was beyond wonderful, but the talents that had her thoughts spinning wildly had nothing to do with computer or graphic skills.

They had more to do with his talent for making her cheeks flush, her knees to go weak and her thoughts scatter in a hundred different directions. He was going to be downright dangerous when he was no longer bedridden. She’d have to be more careful about teasing him.

“Um, hmm,” Cady said, with a knowing smile. “He also seems to have warm blue eyes, a strong jaw, and those kissable lips, doesn’t he?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tess agreed before snapping her head up in surprise. She looked embarrassed then let out a sigh. “Am I that obvious?”

“Not really, but being under the spell of a Thompson man myself, I recognize the symptoms,” Cady said, getting out leftover cake and cutting slices. “Just so you know, once you succumb to his charms you are supposedly enchanted forever.”

“Who told you that?” Tess asked, shaking her head in amusement.

“Denni. Her mother-in-law passed that nugget of wisdom down to her, who received it from her mother-in-law and so it goes.”

“Quite the legacy, then, isn’t it?” Tess said, enjoying the conversation immensely. She entirely liked the thought of being under Travis’ spell. Truth be told, she’d been enchanted by him since they were kids.

“Why don’t you take Travis some cake and punch while we tuck in the birthday girl. Trent should be back soon then he and Trey can help Trav get ready for bed.”

“Okay,” Tess said, continuing to mull over what Cady shared with her. She was still smiling when she walked into Travis’ room to find him looking through a farm magazine. Surprised it wasn’t race cars or motorbikes, she gave an approving nod to his reading selection. “I brought you a snack.”

“Thanks. I could use a little something,” Travis said, using his arms to push himself into a more upright position. Reaching over beside the bed, he snagged his lap tray and Tess set down the cake and punch. “Did you have some cake? It was really good.”

“Not yet,” Tess said, looking at the moist, chocolate cake on Travis’ plate. She was still stuffed from dinner, but suddenly the thought of a bite of his cake sounded delicious. Chocolate was one of the temptations she found hard to deny.

“Then you are missing out, honeybee,” Travis said, taking a big bite and closing his eyes as he savored the cake. “Um. This is moist and the frosting is not too sweet, really rich and creamy. It might be the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.”

Tess watched him fork up another bite and wave it under her nose before he ate it.

“You’re a cruel man, Tee,” Tess said, staring at the bit of chocolate clinging to Travis’ lip. Her gaze locked on his lips didn’t go unnoticed by him as he licked it away. He grinned then forked up another bite of cake. At the last second, he turned the fork and gave it to her.

“You’re right. That is delicious,” Tess said, wondering how Cady got her cakes so light and moist.

Travis, feeling drawn to Tess in ways that defied common sense, decided to keep things light instead of giving into his desire to kiss her until they both lost the ability to think or reason.

“Did you get any good photos of the birthday girl?”

“Sorry, I almost forgot,” Tess said, digging a digital camera from the pocket of her dress and holding it out to Travis. Scooting beside him, they scrolled through the pictures laughing at Cass’ funny faces.

For Travis it was almost as good as being there. He didn’t plan on missing out on any more major family events, even if his two brothers had to carry him there.

Chapter Eighteen

Love is being stupid together.

Paul Valery

Trent brought over Lindsay’s exercise bike and soon Travis was pedaling his way to recovery. The day he got out of bed and was able to walk using the crutches, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief at not being dependent on Trey and Trent for every little thing.

Just the ability to get himself into the bathroom and tub without assistance made him feel like he was once again a whole man.

Travis also found healing for his troubled spirit. He reacquainted himself with the power of prayer and allowed himself to admit his need for help.

A lengthy visit with their pastor resulted in him connecting with a counselor in Portland specializing in post-traumatic stress disorders. Meeting via Skype since he couldn’t leave the house, Travis looked forward to the twice-weekly sessions.

Opening up and talking about his memories also seemed to have a healing effect. Travis noticed he only experienced one nightmare since he realized he had to get off the road he was on and find a new direction. 

Each day he could feel himself growing stronger and changing into the person he wanted to be. He attributed part of that to Tess and her loving presence in his life. She teased, bullied, encouraged, supported and loved him in a way that reached places in his heart and soul he hadn’t known existed.

The first morning he was able to hobble his way to the breakfast table, he turned the corner of the hallway into the dining area and was greeted with a huge round of applause from his family and the hired hands. Tess beamed such a warm smile at him, he nearly stumbled as he took the last cautious steps to his chair.

She moved back to the Running M Ranch and stopped twice a day on her way to or from work.  On days when she was doing home appointments, she sometimes ran by if she was out in the area.

Most days, Travis felt like he barely saw her. He didn’t count the time she was giving him therapy as time together, since it was spent with her in a driven maniac mode that made him want to call her Attila the Hun and beg for mercy.

She pushed him to the edge of his abilities, but never went over. Because of that, he was gaining strength, rebuilding his muscles, and healing much faster than anyone expected.

The only time they really spent together as a couple was on the weekends. Due to the fact he couldn’t go anywhere, she spent both Saturdays and Sundays at the Triple T.

Although she was there to see Travis, it seemed to him she often got sucked into his family’s activities and busy lives. One day she ended up going out riding for most of the day with the hands and Trey. The Sunday afternoon he wanted to sit and watch movies, she instead assisted Lindsay and Cady in making bows for the end of the chair rows for the fast approaching wedding.

 Tess helped Cady with the cooking, played with Cass, teased the hands, and fit into the household so perfectly, it seemed like she had always been there. Travis wanted to make sure she would always be a part of it, but until he could sweep her into his arms and carry her somewhere they could be alone, he was keeping his thoughts to himself.

Coming out of the office where he spent a couple of hours doing paperwork on a Saturday afternoon, Travis found all three girls sitting on the couch crying as they watched the end of a movie.

Terrified by the display of female emotion not to mention the flood of tears, Travis looked around in desperation, hoping Trey and Trent would suddenly materialize and offer some support. He felt a little like an abandoned wingman left on a suicide mission.

When his brothers didn’t wondrously appear, he fought down the urge to get himself as far from the sobbing females as possible. Instead, he slowly walked on his crutches into the great room and sat down on a chair as the girls sniffed and wiped their cheeks.

“If the movie was that bad, why did you watch it to the end?” he asked, trying to keep a serious expression on his face.

As one, they turned watery eyes his direction, glaring at him. It appeared that none of them were able or willing to respond to his question.

“I don’t know about you, but something that got me that upset, I’d throw away. Want me to put it in the charity box?” he asked, starting to get up to push the eject button on the DVD player.

“No!” they yelled in unison.

“Don’t touch it,” Cady said darkly, grabbing the movie and putting it back in its case before handing it to Lindsay. Swiping at the remnants of her tears, she looked at Travis. “As you well know, we’re crying because it was so good.”

“Are you sure?” Travis said, still teasing the girls. “It looks to me like you’re all worked up, mad, upset, and maybe even feeling a little violent. Now if I watch a movie and it’s really good, I’m probably going to be smiling and in a good mood when it’s over. Not looking like the lynch mob at a hanging.”

“Oh! You men are just so, so…” Cady stomped off followed by Lindsay. Tess stayed behind and shook her head at him.

Travis waited until the other two were out of earshot, before hobbling over to sit next to Tess on the couch.

“I thought they’d never leave,” he said, sliding his arm around Tess and pulling her close against him. “Now, tell ol’ Travis what’s got you all weepy.”

“Oh, Trav, it was just the saddest thing,” Tess said, her sobs muffled against his shoulder. “She was in a coma and woke up and couldn’t remember her husband or anything about the life they had together. He was so patient and kind to her and she basically stomped all over his heart. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and walked away. Then she started realizing, bit by bit, that maybe she was supposed to be with him after all. It was just so…”

“Sad,” Travis said, stretching out on his side on the couch and pulling Tess down next to him. He rubbed her back and let her cry. The storm finally passed and Travis felt her relax against him, softening at his touch. Kissing her temple, she looked up at him with her heart in her eyes.

“What would you do if I woke up and couldn’t remember you?” Tess asked, as her cheek rested against his chest, his heartbeat thumping comfortingly beneath her ear.

“Honeybee, I’d move heaven and earth to make you fall in love with me again and again and again. I’d charm you, tease you, woo you, and love you until you couldn’t keep from loving me right back. Besides, you forget you’re under the enchanted Thompson spell. You can’t mess with magic.”