The Staying Kind (9 page)

Travis didn’t wait for the kid to respond, but swung around and walked away. He flexed his fists at his side, tension bristling off him in waves. He wouldn’t have hit the boy, but he wanted to hit something.

This couldn’t be where Jessa wanted to head in life. Not his daughter, the sweet girl who’d been fascinated by horses and fairies and writing stories. He understood she’d become interested in boys at some point of her teenage life, and fifteen certainly fell within the appropriate age group. He always hoped she’d be attracted to the decent guys. Not the troublemakers.

Now he had to decide what to do about it. Ban her from ever walking down the road alone? Ground her for life? Send her to work at Sadie’s every day after school? Locking her bedroom door?

So many options. Unfortunately, none of them made any sense or would stop her from leaving again. No, he had to dig to the heart of the problem. Why was she so hurt now? Laura had left years ago.

Jessa had been crushed after her mother left, but not broken, not defiant. So it had to be his fault. For staying in the service and being sent to Afghanistan. That had been the catalyst for her current behavior.

Somehow he had to make amends.

When he arrived home Rio sat alone in the kitchen, dressed and ready for work, drinking coffee at the table. While she didn’t say anything when he walked in, he felt the weight of her curious stare.

“She did come back, didn’t she?”

“I heard her go upstairs. I’m leaving for Sadie’s now. Don’t flip out on her.”

Travis frowned, and she shifted under his gaze.

“I know I have no right to put my two cents in, I just know yelling won’t accomplish much. Believe me.”

Rio carried her mug to the dishwasher and put it away, then grabbed her jacket and left.

No, he didn’t want to accept advice from her, didn’t need her to know anything about the situation between him and his daughter. She already knew enough, and probably wasn’t the kind of woman to sit around and observe when she might be able to help. Travis didn’t know whether to be thankful or resentful of that fact.

You invited her here. Whether you like it or not, she’s a part of your business
. He couldn’t very well justify resentment toward Rio. If anything, she’d been forthright in offering advice and stayed out of something that didn’t concern her unless invited.

Travis headed upstairs to Jessa’s room. Something had to be said right now. When he knocked he didn’t receive an immediate response. He raised his hand to knock again.

“I’m getting ready for school,” she told him, anger in her voice clear even through the closed door.

“Be downstairs in fifteen minutes,” he told her firmly. “We need to talk about this.”

Not bothering to wait for her reply, Travis went to his own room. He had to get ready for work as well. He grabbed a quick shower and dressed in his uniform, then headed downstairs. Jessa sat slumped at the kitchen table, picking at her cereal. She glanced up at him through narrowed eyes.

“Can we hurry up? I don’t want to miss the bus.”

Travis sat across from her and rested his elbows on the table.
Cool head, stay calm.

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t decided to take off this morning you wouldn’t have to worry about missing your bus. What in the world were you thinking, Jessa?”

She stared at her cereal bowl, stirring the spoon through the milk and remaining cereal. “I was thinking I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to go over and talk to a friend. It’s not like I was going to get lost walking to Danny’s house.”

“Okay, first of all, Danny is eighteen years old. That’s enough for me to say you cannot see him. Then I have to consider the type of kid he is.”

Jessa raised her gaze to him. “Please, so what if he’s eighteen? He’s only three years older than me. Big deal.”

“It
is
a big deal. Three years at your age is a huge deal. And, Jessa, he’s bad news. You’ve known them nearly all your life. You know what kind of family they are, you know the problems they cause. Why would you want to be involved with a boy like him? There’s nothing but trouble to be had over at their house.”

“I don’t care,” she replied defiantly, a slight tremor in her voice. As tough as she tried to be, the little girl inside still poked through.

Her attention dropped to her food, her face hardened with anger.

“I
do
care. When I was on the police force we were called over there more than any other house in town. You know what I’ve had to deal with from those kids over the years. I love you, Jessa, and I hate to see you hurting like this. I’m so afraid you’ll do something you’ll regret.”

Travis covered her hand with his. “I know you won’t like it, but I forbid you to go to their house. I’ve already told Danny he’s to stay away from you. I mean it. You are not allowed over there. I’ll be driving you in and picking you up from school every day and I’ll drop you off at Sadie’s after school. You can work for her during the week. I can’t have you home by yourself anymore. Not until I know you won’t run off again.”

“Just terrific,” Jessa snapped, yanking her hand away. “So, I’ll have no life at all.”

“You’ll have a life. I don’t want you throwing it away. We will work through this, Jessa. We’ll do it together.”

Jessa shoved her chair back violently and stood, flashing an angry glare at Travis. “It’s no wonder why Mom left you,” she spat and ran out of the kitchen, leaving Travis to stare after her in stunned silence.

Chapter 8

“Another early morning?”

Rio glanced up from the feed bin where she scooped out Fleur’s and Barnaby’s breakfast, and smiled at Sadie. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. I figured I could start early since I lost time yesterday when I rode.”

“Oh, my dear, riding is never lost time. I’m sure you’ll learn that soon enough. Mucking stalls? I call mucking stalls lost time. A necessary evil, in my opinion. So, did you love it?”

Rio chuckled. “Riding or mucking?” Sadie had already asked her opinion of riding, as if she really worried about Rio’s thoughts while up on Dante’s back.

“Riding, silly girl. I hardly need to know how you feel about mucking.”

“I did,” Rio replied honestly, glad she could put Sadie’s mind at rest.

“Wait until you learn more. When you take a jump for the first time up on Dante you’ll know what flying is like.”

“I can’t imagine reaching that point anytime soon.”

“Wouldn’t be too sure. I bet you’ll be there before you know it. I plan on making this happen.”

Rio smiled. “Well, I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

“Oh, now I have a good feeling about you. You may be keen on leaving here, but there’s something in your eyes telling me you want to settle down. And why not here?”

Rio shrugged. She had no answer. She also wasn’t as convinced as Sadie about her desire to stay put. Resting had been nice, but once Rio realized she’d started to set down roots, the antsy sensation wrapped around her mind.

How could she find enough to hold her here? She couldn’t stay with Travis forever. After only one day, she noticed the tension in the air. Whether it had anything to do with her, or came solely from the situation with his daughter, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t change the fact she was an intruder and interrupting their lives and problems.

“I want to stay,” she replied, hoping she sounded convincing. “If I do I’d need permanent accommodations. There’s not too many rentals in town, and I can’t stay with Travis forever.”

Sadie waved her off. “There’s plenty of room in this old farmhouse. If it comes down to it, you can move in here. In fact, I think it’s a fine idea.”

One Travis would not go for.
At least not until he realized she wasn’t some troublemaker out to destroy lives.
That’s unfair.
If he’d thought so lowly of her then he wouldn’t have insisted she stay with him.

“We’ll see.”

“Humph. You’re a tough nut, Rio. I’ll get through to you. Or Dante will. After he’s done feeding why don’t you saddle him up and we’ll put in an hour while the sun is shining? Then after the stalls are mucked we can have another hour.”

Rio grinned. “You are a slave driver.”

Sadie winked. “I hate to think you’ve wasted away all these years. We have a lot to catch up on.”

Sadie’s words certainly weren’t too far from the truth. Rio had a heck of a lot of catching up to do, and she was convinced Sadie meant to get her through it quickly.

Once Sadie had her and Dante in the riding ring, she transformed from sweet old lady to tyrannical coach. For over an hour she drove Rio relentlessly. Without being nasty or overly critical, Sadie didn’t let even the smallest mistakes slip past.

Rio discovered her boss was a perfectionist and she expected Rio to share those qualities. By the end of the session she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to thank Sadie for getting her involved in something she had started to love, or to curse at her for involving her in something so consuming, both physically and emotionally.

After Sadie released her from the lesson, Rio walked Dante out, gave his dark coat a vigorous brushing, then set him out in the paddock with Barnaby and two more horses, Dusty and Angel.

The rest of the morning she cleaned stalls and hauled bales of wood shavings. It felt satisfying to bury her head in this hard, physical work. Her mind tried to wander in directions she wanted to shy away from. Unfortunately, no direction was acceptable. She didn’t want to think of settling in here. If she became too comfortable then maybe she wouldn’t ever want to leave. And if things turned sour, she’d have to live with it. Best to burn her bridges before they burned her.

The Lithgows’ circumstances didn’t help much. She couldn’t become involved, yet ignoring it while living under their roof seemed downright impossible. She had to stay out of it and play by his rules until she could find a place of her own.
If
she found a place of her own.

Best to leave, no matter what I’ve already said to Sadie.

When she was riding Dante later in the day, the motion of the big horse cantering underneath her, Rio knew she couldn’t go anywhere.

By her third riding lesson she’d fallen madly in love.

“This is ridiculous,” Rio said with a sigh.

She sat against the headboard of her bed, surrounded by at least a dozen bags and feeling about two inches tall. Never in her entire life had so much money been spent on her. By anyone. Yet here she was, like some spoiled debutante, wanting for nothing.

Jessa had helped her to her room with all her purchases, and now perched at the edge of the bed. In the living room there were about half a dozen bags belonging to her.

“That’s Aunt Sadie,” Jessa said with a chuckle. “Share the wealth, it’s her motto.”

“This isn’t sharing the wealth, this is giving it all away.” Rio grabbed the first bag, one with the logo of a galloping red horse. She pulled out a pair of black winter riding gloves. She’d be needing those soon, Sadie had assured her. And the two pairs of breeches and winter paddock boots. A rider needed to be properly attired. And that’s why she now had her own riding helmet, a new winter jacket especially for riding, fleece-lined sweatshirts, a dozen pairs of socks and new, heavy-duty duck boots. She could finally trash the old, used pair.

And those purchases had only been made at the tack shop. As if all that hadn’t been enough, they’d headed to the nearest department store.

“You can’t go through the winter with only three pairs of jeans and a few shirts. You’re a pretty young woman and a pretty young woman deserves some pretty clothes,” Sadie had declared while she pulled clothing off racks left and right, not even looking at the price tags.

Rio couldn’t seem to talk her out of it. And really, the woman had enjoyed herself so much it wouldn’t have been right to squash such joy.

Jessa had come along with them, as sullen as usual. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem to mind Sadie’s lavish generosity. Maybe she was used to it, and had realized long ago that arguing against it was futile, because as much as Rio had protested, Sadie kept on shopping.

What did she need all this for? Okay, the riding gear would come in handy if she had to ride Dante throughout the winter. The gorgeous bomber jacket, however, for “non-horse occasions” seemed over the top. A trip to the local Salvation Army would’ve been sufficient, and she’d have spent a fraction of the money.

How in heaven’s name would she be able to move on now?

Despite her newly discovered love of riding, anxiety prevailed each time she thought about sticking around. Her stomach tightened and the sensation of being trapped overwhelmed her. Would she ever move past that?

“You need help hanging it up?” Jessa asked.

Rio glanced up at her and gave her a distracted smile. “Don’t you have a new wardrobe of your own to deal with?”

“Yeah. Then I have to start dinner.”

“I’ll put all this away and come help in the kitchen.”

Jessa nodded and stood. Rio watched her closely, wishing the girl would smile. They’d been living under the same roof for two weeks now, and sometimes Jessa seemed as detached as she had been the first night.

Today, while they’d been out shopping, Jessa had dropped her defenses slightly, but as soon as they walked through the door she began to build them again. Rio wondered if Travis would ever be able to breach it.

She dug out the packs of coat hangers they had picked up at Wal-Mart and started hanging up the clothes, then filled the small dresser with other items. She left her old clothes where they were. Just in case. If she ever had to leave she’d take what she came with. It wouldn’t be right to keep anything Sadie had bought for her.

Jessa had already started making the sauce for their spaghetti when Rio joined her in the kitchen. Travis was working late again. He’d need something for dinner when he arrived home. She pulled out the makings for a salad and began chopping up tomatoes.

This was the closest thing to a normal home she’d ever been in. While she often felt as if she shouldn’t be there, she had to admit she could get used to this.

I won’t. I can’t.

A loud knock on the front door drew her out of her thoughts. Jessa left the kitchen to answer it. Rio stayed put. Even when she heard a woman’s voice she didn’t recognize, she continued chopping a cucumber and added it to the bed of lettuce. The guest didn’t concern her, and she didn’t want to be nosey, even when the newcomer’s voice rose in apparent outrage.

“I can’t believe your father has done this.” The stranger’s voice got closer to the kitchen, pulling on Rio’s curiosity. She fought it and instead stirred the sauce. Her gaze slid to the door anyway.

A woman strode into the kitchen like she owned the place, then stopped abruptly. Her cold gaze fell on Rio.

“So it’s true,” she said in a voice as chilly as her icy grey eyes. She examined Rio up and down, her lips curled slightly.

Rio didn’t respond. She returned the older woman’s stare. Rio had been through enough in her life, met plenty of people in her life who looked down on her. This was just one more.

“Gram, this is Rio. She’s working over at Aunt Sadie’s,” Jessa tried to explain, coming up behind the woman.

Rio saw the resemblance between the girl and the older woman. She figured this must be Jessa’s maternal grandmother, although the title “grandmother” hardly fit the woman who appeared anything but grandmotherly. Tall and slim, her silver hair swept up in a neat twist at the nape of her neck, she looked elegant and well off.

Her derisive stare should have made Rio feel inferior. Rio gathered herself up and stood firm under the contemptuous examination.

“Yes, I’ve heard all about her. I could not believe Travis would have so little sense or care than to invite her to live under his roof, with my granddaughter.”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Rio said politely and set down the ladle. She kept her own regard steady, refusing to show any sign of being rattled. “I would prefer if you didn’t speak about me as if I weren’t standing right here.”

Rio’s suggestion didn’t seem to help. A delicate blush colored the woman’s cheeks and she lifted her chin. “I will not be addressed in such a fashion. Sadie Kerr may choose to employ vagrants and keep them in any manner she sees fit, but I’ll be damned if my granddaughter will share a home with one.”

Vagrant?
Well, okay, that was more or less true. Still, the woman made it seem so dirty. So vile.

“I can assure you I don’t intend to cause any trouble for Travis or Jessa. They’re simply being helpful until I can find a place of my own.”

“Where? Never mind, I don’t want to know and I certainly don’t think Jessa should be exposed to the kind of life I’m sure you’ve lived.”

Grandmother or no, Rio’d had enough. She held on to her manners as best as she could, but she refused to be insulted by someone who didn’t even know her.

“I’m not exposing her to anything.” Rio took a step toward the woman. “I don’t act in any way that would harm anyone, especially Jessa or her father. They have been nothing but kind to me and I wouldn’t repay it by acting in a disrespectful or hurtful manner.”
Not like how you barged in and attacked me, lady.

Jessa’s grandmother, whatever her name was, understood too. She straightened her back and stared down her slim, regal nose at Rio. Her lip curled more. Rio didn’t care. She’d stood against worse.

She should have cared, because this wouldn’t be happening if she had moved on weeks ago. No matter; she was here and she planned on defending herself.

The scene awaiting him when he came through the front door amazed Travis.

No one heard him walk into the house. He’d done it quietly on purpose. As soon as he saw Daphne’s Cadillac in the drive, he knew trouble brewed inside. What kind of trouble, he wasn’t sure. Daphne didn’t lower herself to visit him for anything menial, so this had to be something big.

He should’ve known word of Rio’s living situation would reach his ex-mother-in-law’s ears. Although the woman hadn’t lived in New Forest for more years than he could count, had moved before Jessa had been born, she kept her fingers on the pulse of the town. Plenty of her old friends would be more than delighted to pass along tidbits, the more damning the better.

And so she had decided to take it upon herself to come and check out the situation, making sure to stir things up.

Most people quaked under the cold glare of Daphne Montague. Even Laura hadn’t stood up to her mother. That’s what made this scene so amusing. Rio, a slip of a thing, stood nearly toe-to-toe with the tall woman, matching glare for glare. He tried not to grin at the sight of the two women staring each other down. He’d put his money on Rio.

He couldn’t let this go on. He had a responsibility to deal with his ex-mother-in-law, no matter how unpleasant. No matter what he thought of Rio, she didn’t deserve to be left to the woman’s mercies.

“Okay Daphne, I think you’ve made your point.” He strode into the kitchen, glancing at Jessa, who stood by the stove, stirring spaghetti with tense shoulders. His attention swung to Daphne. “If you want to discuss this, can we please do it quietly? You and me, alone.”