Me And Mrs Jones (22 page)

For the first hour of the showing, Dana and Cruz tried staying at her side and keeping her entertained until she pushed them into mingling with everyone else. Her two best friends meant well; however, she was way too old for a babysitter. Yes, Travis had broken up with her but she wasn’t about to let it break her. Sure, she was still saddened by the fact he hadn’t even stayed and talked things out with her, but all of that was in the past now. Travis had made his decision not to listen to her. Now, it was time for her to deal with it and move on with her life.

The sound of the office door opening and closing behind invading her much needed privacy caught her attention.
Damn,
Renee thought. Why couldn’t she just get a few moments to herself? Of course someone wouldn’t be able to wait a second before following her back here to Dana’s private office.

“Do you mind giving me a minute or two and then I’ll be back out there?” Renee asked with her back to the person invading her solitude.

“I can’t give you a minute. I already made a huge mistake by being away from you for an entire week.”

TRAVIS!

Spinning around, she found Travis standing with his back against the door blocking her only means of escape. His dark blue suit molded every line of his muscular body to perfection.

“What are you doing here?” She blurted out, scarcely aware of how her own voice sounded. “I thought you’d shoved me out of your life. Why did you even bother showing up for this?” Travis couldn’t just come back into her life like nothing happened between them.

“Do you think you can forgive me?” There was a faint tremor in his voice as though some emotion had touched him. “I know I made a huge mistake with what happened between us and I want a second chance with you. I shouldn’t have overreacted when you were nervous about meeting my parents. You had every right to be apprehensive.”

“Travis...I’m not sure if we—”

When Travis spoke again, his voice was tender and soft. “Sweetheart, I know I was wrong and I’m so sorry for being an asshole to you that day in my apartment, but I’ve missed the hell out of you. You were all I thought about while I was gone.” Easing away from the door, Travis made his way towards her until he was standing mere inches from her body.

Moving away from Travis crossed Renee’s mind, but she couldn’t find the strength to put any distance between them. Why did he have to smell so good? What was he wearing that had her thinking about ripping his clothes from his body?

“I went by your house several times and you weren’t there. I even drove out to your campsite, but you were nowhere to be found,” Renee said. “How can I believe you were so lost without me if you stayed in hiding for seven days?”

“Sweetheart, I was too disappointed with myself to come back here before now. I came off like an immature jerk. I didn’t think there was a chance you might take me back until I realized how lonely I was without you and couldn’t stay away any longer. Don’t tell me I’ve ruined everything with my stupidity,” Travis stared at her in waiting silence.

For a long moment, she looked at him wondering what she could tell him. Renee studied Travis’ face unhurriedly, feature by feature. “Right now, I don’t know what to think, Travis. I never thought you would get so irate with me about not wanting to have a surprise dinner with your parents.”

The tensing of his jaw betrayed his deep frustrations over the situation they were in. “I know and that is the same thing I told them last week when I was there for a visit,” he confessed.

Renee’s eyes widened with astonishment. Travis traveled to his parent’s house and talked about her? She was extremely curious to find out what their reaction had been.

“What did they say about me?”

“If you’re willing to come out of the office you can find out for yourself,” Travis said. “They came here for the gallery showing. They didn’t want to miss the first gallery premiere of my paintings and my mother was dying to meet the woman I was in love with.”

“Your parents are out there waiting to see me?” Shock wasn’t the word Renee would use to describe how she felt.

“Why did you do this? I have enough going on tonight without you showing up out of the blue and with your parents in tow. I haven’t even decided if I’ve forgiven you for tossing me out of your apartment.”

Sliding his arm behind her waist, Travis pulled her to his body. “Please forgive me, Renee. I know now what I have with you. It’s better than anything I’ve experienced in my entire life. Baby, give me another chance.”

She eased her hands between their bodies and placed them on his chest trying to keep a little bit of space between them. “Why should I? What do you have to offer me that I can’t find with someone else who’ll understand me?”

Travis’ mouth dipped into a deep frown. “First, I won’t allow there to be anyone else in your life. You are mine and have been from the moment we first made love,” he pointed out. “Secondly, I can offer you fun, excitement, caring and understanding but most of all I can offer you my undying love because I do love you Renee.”

The tenderness in his expression amazed her. She looked at him with surprise, remembering how Travis had wanted her gone from his life so fast after their first argument.

How did she know this was for real?

She couldn’t jump back into his arms because of a few sweet sounding words. She had made that misjudgment with Robert and she wasn’t going down that same road again.

“How can I believe what you’re telling me?” Renee demanded. “You were so adamant about me leaving you alone after our disagreement and now here you are. How can you expect me to just go back to the way things were?”

Renee heard Travis’ quick intake of breath and she regretted her jibe at him but it had to be put out there.

“I’m not saying that we forget about how I blew off the handle over nothing. I know I was wrong and I’m man enough to admit it. All I want is for another opportunity with you.

“My parents have come all this way to meet you,” Travis said, rubbing his hands up and down her bare arms. “You were all I talked about when I was visiting them last week and I got them wondering about you. Please, do this for me...for
us
.”

Again, Travis stunned her by being so unpredictable. He was constantly doing and saying things that she didn’t think he would. She was amazed at the thrill it gave her knowing Travis brought her up to his parents.

If they were going to move on as a couple, she sooner or later would have to come into contact with Travis’ family. She couldn’t think of a better place to do it than in a room full of people.

“Okay, I’m ready to meet your parents. I can’t stay hidden in here all night long or Dana might come searching for me,” Renee said as she tried to move out of Travis’ arms, but he tightened his grip.

“Wait a minute. Can I at least get a welcome back kiss from you? Haven’t you missed kissing me at all?”

“I’m not sure if you qualify for a kiss or not,” Renee teased, smiling up at Travis.

“Well, I think I do qualify.” His mouth covered hers hungrily sending her stomach into a wild whirl. Her calm was shattered by the passion of the kiss.

Moaning softly, Renee wrapped her arms around Travis’ wide shoulders kissing him back with a hunger that belied her outward calm. How could she deny herself this moment with Travis? He knew how to make her body sing like no other man had in the past.

“Baby, I should get you back out there before someone comes looking for you.” Travis breathed against her swollen lips. “I would love to stay in here too and catch up on all of the time we’ve missed, but we can’t.” Sighing softly, Travis grabbed her upper arms and moved her away from his body.

“Damn, I’ve missed kissing you,” Renee admitted still feeling the warmth of Travis lips on hers.

“God, don’t tell me that or I won’t be able to head back out there and talk to my parents.” Moving over to Dana’s desk, Travis ran his fingers through his hair and pulled his suit jacket over his erection.

“Are you going to be alright? Will you be able to go out there and represent your beautiful art with me at your side?” Renee asked as she tried to get her own racing hormones back under control.

Travis stared at her from across the room. She didn’t miss how his eyes were brimming with tenderness and passion. “With you at my side, I can do anything.”

Coming across the room, he closed the distance between them giving her another quick kiss on the mouth. “Let’s go beautiful. We got this. Let’s show the entire room what an outstanding couple we are.”

“Are you sure that you’re ready to be tackled by collectors who are falling in love with your talent?” Renee teased. “Once they get you into a conversation, you might not move for over an hour.”

“I’ll be able to handle anything if I know you’re thinking about forgiving me. Are you?”

Renee wasn’t quite sure if she was completely over what Travis had said to her, but tonight wasn’t the night she would allow it to be the foremost thought in her head. She had paintings to sell and parents to meet.

“How about we get through tonight and we can talk about it after the show is over?” she suggested.

“I’ll take what I can get for now, but I’m not giving up on having you back in my life one hundred percent and nothing less,” Travis admitted to her as he escorted her back towards the door.

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Renee, I’m so glad I got to meet you,” Mrs. Cole told her as they stood at the entrance to Dana’s café. “Travis was right. You are perfect for him. I don’t recall the last time I saw him this happy with someone. The next time he comes for a visit make sure to come with him.”

“Okay, I will,” she replied.

Everyone else at the gallery show had left thirty minutes ago and Travis’ parents were the last to leave. Meeting them had gone a lot better than Renee imagined it would. Neither one of them treated her like the older woman who was trying to corrupt their innocent son.

Truthfully, both of them were very nice and welcoming. She saw now that she had no reason to be nervous.

“Okay, mom, it’s time for you and dad to leave because if you don’t you’ll miss your flight back to Ohio,” Travis said, walking up with his father.

“Honey, I know but I was just telling Renee how much I enjoyed meeting her,” Mrs. Cole said, smiling at her son.

“I feel the same way. I hope to see both of you again.” Taking a step back, Renee gave Travis some privacy while he told his parents goodbye and promised to call them in a couple of days.

“What did you think? Were they as bad as you thought they would be?” Travis asked coming up to her after his parents had left.

“No, they were very nice. Your mother even invited me to come for a visit with you next time. I guess I was wrong about them having a problem with our age difference.”

Wrapping her up in his arms, Travis kissed her on the mouth before pulling her against his chest. “Yes, I told you they wouldn’t care about that as long as I was in love with you.”

Leaning back in his arms, Renee stared up into Travis’ eyes and saw the truth there. “You are really in love with me, aren’t you?”

“You better believe it. I love you more than anything else in this world. How about we head back to your house so I can make up for missed time? Do we need to tell Dana and Matt we’re leaving? I think I saw them heading for the back office about ten minutes ago.”

Renee seriously doubted Dana wanted to be interrupted for a goodbye from them. “No, I think they’re good. Anyways, Matt is a sheriff. If any kind of problem comes up he’s here to protect her. Let’s head on out of here. Cruz will come back tomorrow to pick up the few paintings that didn’t sell tonight.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Travis complained as he stepped away from her. “I would have ushered my parents out with everyone else and we could already be at your house by now.”

“Sweetheart, patience is a virtue. We still have the rest of the night to make up for lost time,” Renee told Travis patting him in the middle of his chest.

“Remember those words for later when you’re begging me to stop teasing you,” Travis warned her as he walked around her and went for the door.

****

Travis pulled up in front of Renee’s house, turned off his jeep and turned around in his seat, so he could face Renee. Words couldn’t describe how ecstatic he was that she was giving him a second chance. He wasn’t going to be dumb enough to ruin it this time.

While he’d been gone something became very clear to him. Renee was the woman he was going to marry. His parents already knew his plans and after meeting Renee tonight they gave him their blessings.

“I think tonight turned out really well, don’t you.” Sliding his arm behind Renee’s seat he played with the ends of her hair she’d left loose around the back of her neck.

“Yes, I do too. A couple of people even added a little extra to their checks to help with the rebuild of the gallery. Everyone was so supportive of me tonight. I loved it.”

“How could they not be supportive? Your gallery was impressive and Wicker Valley needs it to be up and running again,” Travis said. “Let me tell me what else I—” He instantly stopped talking when a faint light going on and then off upstairs in Renee’s house caught his attention.

Did he just see a light upstairs in her bedroom? An uneasy feeling clawed at his stomach. Were his eyes playing tricks on him or was there really someone inside of Renee’s house?

Moving back from Renee, he leaned around her to get a better look but he didn’t see the light again. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t quite right. There was someone in Renee’s house, he was sure of it.

“Stay here,” Travis told Renee as he moved back from her and reached for the driver’s side door of his Jeep. “I need to check on something inside of your house.”

“Travis, what’s wrong?” Renee’s head swung back in the direction of her house and then she looked at him. “What did you see?”

“It might be nothing, but I’m not going to chance it. Stay here while I check it out.” Opening the door, Travis got out and closed it as Renee yelled his name. Staying in the shadows of the house, he quickly made his way towards the front door. Once he got on the porch, Travis tried the front door and it swung open without a problem.