Whispers of Moonlight (34 page)

Travis prayed on for some minutes and then finished by saying, "You know all about fatigue, Lord. Just give me the strength to go on. I know now what I'm supposed to do; just keep me going until I can get the job done."

The water was delivered by two of the hotel staff, and when he was alone Travis sank gratefully into the steaming tub. He was as hungry as he was dirty, but he knew he needed sleep more than anything. A young boy had come back to check on him just as he was finishing. Travis slipped a coin into his hand and asked him to tell the cook that he would need to eat early.

Rebecca's heart nearly stopped in her chest. It was the next morning when she heard the boys shrieking with laughter, a sure sign that they were up to no good. Hurrying to the front porch, she arrived in time to see Travis giving them a ride in a wagon. She could not make herself move as he pulled away from the front of the house and moved down the street, but just as she was getting ready to shout, he turned the team around.

Rebecca watched as Travis halted the team in front of the yard and then stepped down from the porch to have her say. However, her sons' eyes were glued to their father, and Rebecca stood on the fringe of their conversation for a few minutes.

"What's your name?" Wyatt wanted to know.

"Travis Buchanan."

"Our name is Buchanan," Garrett told him.

"Y
our mother told me. Now, who's Garrett and who's Wyatt?"

"I'm Garrett, but Wyatt calls me Gary."

"What do you like to be called?"

The dark-haired twin shrugged. "Garrett or Gary."

"You must be Wyatt." Travis turned to the blond, who nodded. "Do you like to be called Wyatt?"

"Yeah. Mama called me another name when I was a baby. I don't like it now."

"How do you know our mama?" Garrett now asked.

"I'm married to her," Travis said with quiet conviction. He forced himself not to look at Rebecca.

The boys stared at him with new eyes. He could tell that he'd shocked them, but that he was also something of a fascination.

"Mama," Wyatt spoke when he saw her. "Are you—"

"Go play," Rebecca cut him off. Something in her voice got their attention. "Both of you, go play." Surprisingly, the boys scrambled down from the back of the wagon and moved off. Rebecca waited until they had gained the front porch before opening her mouth to let Travis have it.

"Did you file for divorce?" The question was put so calmly that some of Rebecca's fire left her.

"What?"

"Did you file for divorce?"

"No."

They stared at each other.

"I thought you were leaving," she said at last.

"I did leave. I left your house."

"I thought you were leaving Pine Grove."

"Not
without my wife and sons."

Rebecca looked away in frustration.

"You're not wanted here, Travis."

"Then why did you write to me?"

Rebecca didn't answer him. Her attention seemed to focus on the wagon.

"You didn't come here in a wagon, did you?"

"No, I bought it this morning. The wagon and the team."

"Why."

"How else are we going to get your things back to the Double Star?"

Rebecca's face took on a longsuffering look. "You just don't get it, do you, Travis?"

"Of course," Travis went on as if she hadn't spoken, "I could wire Lucky and tell him to run things for the winter, since I'll be living here with you." His head went back to study the sky as if he had all the time in the world. "In fact, we might just be stuck here if we don't leave soon. I think it could snow anytime." Travis' head dropped back down, and he stared at her.

Rebecca felt panic claw at her throat. What in the world would she do in this small house with this huge man? And there were only two bedrooms!

She tried a new tactic. "You had no right to tell the boys we're married."

"Why did you write me?"

Rebecca shook her head in frustration. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Rebecca's eyes closed, but she admitted softly, "I got sick and nearly died. When that happened I found out that no one would take the boys if anything happened to me. I was afraid for them. All you ever wanted was the ranch, but I was afraid for my sons, so like a fool I wrote to you."

Travis was off the wagon seat in a flash. Before she even saw him coming he was standing in front of Rebecca, her upper arms in his hands.

"Don't you see, Rebecca? We need to be together. It's not right that you're not with me, and the boys need their father. What if something should happen to
me?
The Double Star is theirs, but they wouldn't be there to claim it."

Rebecca felt almost faint as all of her beliefs, beliefs she'd clung to for five years, crumbled to her feet. But it wasn't that easy. They couldn't just pick up where they had left off. It would never work.

"We can still try," Travis told her when she offered him the argument.

"And you're willing? You're willing to take us home with you on my terms?"

"As long as you don't ask me to go along with something I think is wrong."

"Such as?"

"Rebecca, we don't know each other any more. We never really did," he said reasonably. "I don't know what situations will arise, but whatever tomorrow brings I would hope
we could talk things through."

Travis bent his face lower to hers and transferred one hand to her jaw.

"Come home to me, Rebecca. I won't leave here without you."

The clothing and hair don't mean a thing to him. Not even the glasses. He still looks at me with desire. I've managed to put off every one of my male customers,
but in just a few minutes Travis has stripped it all away.

That was still the last thing Rebecca wanted. She took a step backward, and Travis immediately dropped both hands.

"I don't want that kind of relationship, Travis. Let's be perfectly clear about that. I don't need a man. The boys need their father—I'll go along with that—but I don't need a husband."

She was so hard. He had watched her eyes soften for just an instant, but now the wall was back up.

"None of that changes the way I feel, Rebecca. I still want you and the boys to pack your things today."

She hadn't known what he would say, but this was a surprise. He was completely serious about them packing up that minute. He watched her vacillate.

"Say, yes."

"I
don't know if I can do that."

"That's all right," he said, startling her again. "I'll head to the telegraph office and send word to Lucky about the ranch and to Lavena so she can send my things down."

Again Rebecca felt panic. She thought of the huge space at the ranch—the ranch home with more bedrooms than they needed and acres for the boys to run in and explore.

"We'll go with you." Rebecca's rush of words halted Travis in his stride. He had not been bluffing, so he was truly surprised
that she'd changed her mind.

"That's great," he told her sincerely. "The boys will love the ranch."

Rebecca took a huge breath. "I was thinking the same thing."
I
also know I'm going to love having a house big enough to keep you at a distance.

"Good. I think it's time we told them more about who I am."

"Now?" Rebecca's voice squeaked a little.

"Yes. I don't expect them to throw themselves at me, but they're already curious and I won't live a lie."

Again Rebecca sighed. She didn't like the idea, but neither did she have a good reason for saying no. It was with a heavy tread mat she turned back to the house, Travis behind her, to call the boys and get the job done.

"He's our papa, and we're moving?" Garrett asked again, his eyes going back and forth between
the adults.

"Yes. Travis . . . she hesitated and tried again. "Your papa and I own a ranch, and he wants us to come and live
with him."

"Why don't we live with him now?" Wyatt questioned.

"Because I wanted to live here for a while."

"But you want to live at the ranch now?"

"We're going to." Rebecca evaded the question and Travis' eyes.

"Are there horses?"

"Yes." All questions were still directed toward Rebecca.

"And cows?"

"Yes, many of them."

"Is there a school?"

"In Boulder there is, but the ranch is out of town a little way."

The boys were silent then, and Travis looked at their faces. It was a lot to pile on them at one time, but he still felt it was best. They had a few more questions for their mother, and sent many looks his way, but when Rebecca told them to go play for the fourth time, they finally did as they were asked.

"I really do want us to move swiftly, Rebecca, because of the weather. I think it's milder here than in Boulder, and I don't want to get halfway there and get caught in a blizzard."

Rebecca nodded. Suddenly she felt very tired, but not so with Travis, He was on his feet and talking. "We'll figure out just what you need for now. We can always come back and get the rest in the spring or have someone send it."

It was all too much, but Rebecca felt powerless to stop his relentless energy. She listened to Travis for a moment and then made an excuse to leave the room. He let her go. Rebecca moved through the kitchen and out the back door. Wyatt was standing at the back of the house, and she moved to kneel down in front of him.

"Wyatt, I want you to go get Angel. She was probably up late and will still be sleeping, but tell her Becky needs her."

"Can Gary come with me?"

"No, last time you guys broke her vase and she was mad for a week. Just go and tell her I need her to come here."

Wyatt ran off, and Rebecca made herself return to the house. Travis was waiting for her in the kitchen.

"I need to apologize to you, Rebecca. You obviously have a business here, and I haven't asked if you can leave it."

"I do laundry, and I won't have any trouble leaving it. I'm nearly caught up with what I have now, so I'll just finish what's here and return it tonight."

"And the house?"

"It belongs to a friend. I rent from her, but there's no obligation."

Travis had expected a battle, but Rebecca seemed resigned. Travis simply didn't know of another way to handle the situation. Had it been just Rebecca, he might have left and written letters to her, but seeing her raising his sons on her own had galvanized him into action.

"Why don't I go upstairs and try to figure out how many bags we'll need? The ranch house is so complete that I'm mostly concerned with collecting your personal effects."

Barely aware of his leaving, Rebecca sank down at the kitchen table and nearly jumped from her skin when Angel shot in the back door.

"I'll kill Wyatt," she said loudly when she spotted Rebecca. "He made it sound as if you were dying. I was sound asleep and—"

"Oh." Travis came back into the room and stopped dead when he saw his wife's guest. "I didn't realize you had company."