The Staying Kind (23 page)

She worked through, and very soon forgot all about possible discomfort in favor of the strenuous lesson Sadie had planned for her. They worked for over an hour before Sadie allowed her to cool Fleur off and lead her into the stall.

While she groomed the horse, Travis hauled hay bales into the feed room, the same smile on his face. He didn’t look sore or walk funny.

She’d make him pay for that.

“I’m fine out in the apartment,” Rio declared for the third time, no less adamantly. Sadie crossed her arms over her chest, giving Rio a hard stare.
Stubborn woman.

“No, ma’am. This is a family tradition. We all gather here Christmas Eve for dinner and stay over. Carla, Todd and the kids will be here. Travis will be here, and damn it, so will you.”

Family tradition.
Rio thought of those words with sour memory. There had been no family traditions in the Presley household. Whatever she managed to do for Storm when they were young couldn’t be called much of anything. Certainly he wouldn’t think so. Not now.

A cold sensation roiled in the pit of her stomach. Betrayal. Even after all this time. It was plain stupid to feel that way. He’d been out of her life longer than he’d been in it, but how could he stand to link up with their mother after the hell she’d put them through?

Irritably, she shoved the thoughts aside. Thinking about him did her no good and right now Sadie was staring at her, waiting for an answer.

“You’re staying,” the older woman declared, slapping her fists on her denim-clad hips.

Rio recognized the stance, the fierce set of Sadie’s jaw, the way her forehead crinkled. The same expression she had in the riding ring when she was pounding some point into Rio’s or Jessa’s head. Sadie’s fighting look.

The expression didn’t hold for more than a few seconds. Sadie dropped her hands from their perch and placed one on Rio’s shoulder. Her thin-lipped determination melted into a sympathetic smile.

“You’re a part of this family, whether you can handle it or not. And in this family we all stay here Christmas Eve. Big dinner, Christmas music, open one present each and then Carla and I, and any kid who wants to come along, attend midnight mass. You’d be a welcome addition.

“And Christmas morning, those kids wake us up before the sun does. They dig into their stockings while Carla and Todd make breakfast and Travis and I take care of the horses. Family tradition, my dear. It’s time you invited a little tradition into your life.”

Rio couldn’t find it in herself say no. And honestly, she didn’t want to. As scared as she was at making that kind of commitment, she had to acknowledge the fact she already had. Long ago when she accepted Sadie’s offer to ride Dante. When she had made love to Travis for the first time.

She was in up to her eyebrows.

“Fine. I’ll stay.”

Sadie’s smile broadened and she pulled Rio into a warm hug. “Of course you will. I didn’t have any doubts.”

Chapter 22

Rio whispered goodnight to Carla and Sadie and tiptoed down to her room. The house was as quiet as the famous Christmas poem, although the three of them had stirred enough to crawl into bed.

Leaving the light off, Rio closed the door and let loose the yawn she’d been holding in for the past half hour. Opening her eyes, she stared through the pale moonlight at the bed. Disappointment slid through her. She’d been half expecting, half hoping Travis would be waiting for her under the covers.

There were certain rules of etiquette they agreed to. Sleeping together under Sadie’s roof, especially when most of his family were practically in the next room, was number one on the list of things to avoid doing.

That hadn’t stopped him from holding her hand under the table after dessert, or kissing her before she left for church. Those few touches remained with her, simmering in her heart, tiding her over until there could be more.

Silently she removed her clothes and slipped the warm flannel nightgown over her head, then pulled back the blankets on the old spindle bed. She was about to slide in when a small, flat package stopped her. Quickly she switched on the bedside light and picked up the box. It was lightweight and beautifully wrapped in silver, green, and red paper with a matching bow made from silk ribbons. Almost too perfect to unwrap.

There was no card with it. She didn’t need a card to realize who had sneaked it under the covers.
Clever man.
Rio couldn’t hold back her smile. He sure knew how to surprise a girl.

Carefully, unwilling to ruin the ribbon, she slid it off the box and placed it on the table, then pulled the taped edge of the paper enough to reveal a black velvet box, about half the size of her hand.

Holding her breath, she opened the lid. Nestled in a satin bed was a sterling silver horse pendent on a beautiful twisted silver chain. The horse was leaping, as if over a fence. A tiny rider poised over the horse’s neck. Her and Dante?

Such a perfect gift. She didn’t understand why he didn’t give it to her in the morning when all the other gifts were to be exchanged. Maybe because it was so special and he didn’t want to share it with the world yet.

She removed the necklace from the box and clasped it around her neck so the horse rested against her breastbone.

It was too late to thank him, so Rio crawled into bed and curled on her side. In the morning she’d thank him plenty.

Travis couldn’t stop grinning. He felt like he was about fifteen and his first crush had just kissed him. Of course Rio was nothing like Barby Hobson, his actual first crush. No, his Rio wasn’t like any woman he’d ever met before or was likely to meet again.

This morning she came downstairs, a huge smile lighting up her face and ready to head out into the barn, even before Sadie had dressed, which was unheard of at Cobble Creek. A silver chain peeked out from her sweater. The horse necklace he’d left for her. He could see it in her fascinating leaf-green eyes that sparkled as she wished everyone Merry Christmas.

As soon as they were out in the barn, Travis grabbed Rio around the waist from behind and lifted her off her feet.

“I love you,” he said and nuzzled a kiss on her neck.

Rio laughed. “You’re crazy! Sadie will kick us out of here for scaring the horses.”

Travis set her down. “No she won’t. She’ll tell us it’s about time.”

Rio turned to face him, a smile of pure contentment on her face. “It’s about time for what?”

As she gazed at him, the love evident on her face, Travis dropped to one knee, uncaring if the concrete was freezing against his jeans-clad legs. The discomfort was well worth what could be the most important moment of his life, with the exception of the birth of his daughter.

He took one of Rio’s gloved hands and grinned as her eyes grew wide. The smile faded from her face. While she didn’t pull her hand from his, there was a second when he thought she’d run.

From his jacket pocket he withdrew the box he’d put in there last night.

“Travis.” Her voice was barely a whisper. Her hand, tucked inside his grip, trembled. He squeezed her fingers, then released her so he could open the box.

Rio’s soft intake of breath assured him the ring met with her approval. It wasn’t anything fancy. The carat-and-a-half square cut diamond had two half-carat diamonds on each side, set into a simple gold band. It had belonged to Sadie’s mother.

Before Sadie had left for church the night before, she had approached Travis with the box.

“You’re in love, dear. And Rio loves you too. I want you to have this. I never had a chance to make use of it, and I have no regrets. But you, well . . . My parents had over seventy years of happiness. I think you and that girl of yours could give each other some of the same joy.”

So, here he was, ready to give Rio everything he had.

“Marry me, Rio. Please? We haven’t had much time together, but I think we know each other as well as anyone could. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You won’t ever have a reason to search for anything else in your life.”

Rio’s eyes were glued on his, wide, scared, yet full of love and hope. “What about Jessa?” she asked breathlessly.

“I talked to her last night after you left for church. She loves the idea. Really.”

“Oh, my God, Travis,” Rio whispered. “My life up to now has been a disaster. I don’t feel like I’m worth enough to be here half the time. How can I live up to being your wife?”

Travis squeezed her hand again. “Shh. It has not been a disaster. Since leaving your mother you have lived more courageously than nearly any other person I’ve had the honor of knowing. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Marry me, Rio. Please. I can’t imagine my life without you. I want to be by your side for all the wonderful things that are waiting for you.”

A smile bloomed across her face as a tear escaped the corner of her eye and trailed down her cheek. She swiped it away, not taking her gaze off him. Slowly she nodded, her smile trembling. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I still think you’re crazy and you’ll probably regret it, but yes. I love you and I would be honored to be your wife.”

Travis pulled off her glove, removed the ring from its velvet nest and slipped it on her finger. A perfect fit.

Then he stood and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you,” he murmured against her hair before seeking out her lips.

“Okay, kids. These horses aren’t going to feed themselves.”

Travis grinned, pulled away from the kiss he had begun, and looked over Rio’s shoulder at Sadie, who stood in the door, a smile lighting her whole face. He held up Rio’s left hand. “She said yes.”

“Of course she did.” Sadie strode down the aisle and caught them both in her embrace. “I told you she was a keeper.”

The three of them dealt with feeding the horses before heading to the house and a celebratory breakfast. Carla and Todd were both pleased and the only thing to put a damper on the day was the lack of Jessa’s company. Travis could only accept her word that she’d been enjoying her visit with her mother, but couldn’t wait to be home.

The day seemed to fly by in a flurry of colorful wrapping paper, snacks, festive music and kids playing with toys. Travis sat on the couch, Rio nestled against him, loving the way she gazed at her ring. The difference between her now, and the way she’d been when they first met, amazed him. The Rio who stood at the door to the tiny rental cabin, drenched to her skin, trying to pretend she had a key to the place. The woman who had stuffed everything she owned into one old, tattered backpack. That woman was long gone.

Tiny remnants of that former Rio peeked out now and then. The uncertainty, how a few times she’d teetered on the verge of flight when something she didn’t think she could deal with came at her.

Together they could change that, too.

After the traditional turkey dinner, Carla and her family hugged everyone goodbye and took their leave.

“Now, I expect you two don’t want an old woman around.” Sadie patted Travis on the cheek. “Why don’t you go to Shadow Oak and enjoy your engagement? When the holidays are over and Jessa comes home, there’ll be precious little privacy for you both.”

Rio frowned. She slid her arm around Travis’s waist. “I hate to leave you alone on Christmas night.”

Sadie waved her hand. “Never mind. I’m going to keep up my own tradition and spend a few hours with some friends. Don’t worry about me. Now head home.”

Rio pulled away from Travis and moved to hug Sadie. “Thank you for today. And last night. I love you, Sadie.”

“Oh child, I love you too. You’ll make a fine addition to the family.”

Travis helped Rio gather her stuff and they made the short trip to Shadow Oak in silence. The moon glittered against the snow. He’d never paid much attention to those things. With Rio next to him, her fingers intertwined with his, a whole new world emerged and he was eager to take it all in.

As soon as they closed the door behind them at Shadow Oak, Travis took her hand and silently led her upstairs to his room. No, to
their
room.

What a nice ring that had.

The sound of the phone jarred Travis out of sleep. Carefully, he dislodged his arm from around Rio’s body and rolled over. Through blurry eyes, he gave the clock a quick glimpse. Barely three a.m.
Not a good sign
. He grabbed the phone, praying it wouldn’t have anything to do with Jessa.

The voice on the other end belonged to Oscar Radcliffe, his second in command. “Sorry to bother you. We received a call in from your aunt’s place. It’s bad. There was a break-in. I think you should get over there.”

A cold fist hit him straight in the gut. He pushed it aside. “I’ll be right there.”

Before Oscar could respond, Travis hung up and scooped up the clothes he discarded on the chair the night before.

“What’s wrong?” Rio murmured sleepily.

“Didn’t mean to wake you. There was a break-in. Need to go.” Right now he didn’t want to fill her in on all the details or Sadie’s involvement. No need for her to worry unless there was something to be concerned about.

“Go to sleep. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“Okay. Be safe. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Travis bent over and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She sighed contentedly.

The red lights strobing through the night filled Travis with more dread as he pulled into the Cobble Creek drive. They blended in with the blues from two of the town cruisers. An ambulance. He didn’t expect that—

Dread and urgency pressed against his chest.

“Where is she?”

Oscar, shoulders slumped, met Travis in the middle of the yard. “She’s still inside. She was assaulted during the break-in. Must have walked in on it. She got in a shot at one of them before they knocked her out. They beat her up pretty bad, Trav.”

As Oscar spoke, two EMTs came through the front door, Sadie strapped down to a gurney. Her face was an ugly array of red, both from bruises and blood.

“Dear God,” he muttered. “How is she?”

“Unconscious. Lots of bleeding from a laceration to the back of the head and at least two to the side. Busted arm.”

“Who the hell?”

“One suspect inside. Another got away.”

Travis watched as Sadie was loaded into the ambulance, torn as to what to do next. He was Sadie’s closest relative, he needed to be with her, but a strong need to stay tugged at him relentlessly, to go into the house and confront the suspect. Find out what the hell happened. He pushed a hand through his hair, then balled it into a fist.

Oscar glanced down at Travis’s hand. “Trav, go with your aunt. Let me handle this. We’ll book the suspect into the station. When things are settled at the hospital, call Carla and have her come down for Sadie. Right now, your aunt needs you.”

Travis nodded. “Call me as soon as you hear anything and I’ll be back when Carla arrives. Oh, damn. Rio. I need to tell her. She’s coming over to feed the horses in a few hours.”

When Oscar frowned, Travis clarified. “Yeah, she usually stays in the apartment over the barn, but she stayed over at my place last night.” He sighed. “It’s not common knowledge that we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I don’t have time to explain my love life to you. I do have to give her a heads up.”

“No, it’s not that. The suspect, Travis, she identified herself as Katrina Presley. Rio’s mother. I thought, well . . . since Rio wasn’t around, she might be involved.”

The information was like a slug straight to Travis’s gut, followed by a kick in the ass. “You’re kidding me. Tell me you’re kidding me.”

“Wish I could, man. Doesn’t change anything. Get your ass to the hospital. We’ll iron out the rest of this shit later.”

Oscar was right. Travis needed to be with Sadie. As soon as he felt she was comfortable and Carla was able to sit with her, then he’d sure as hell have a few words with Katrina Presley.

Rio’s phone woke her up five minutes before the alarm should’ve gone off. Disoriented, it took her a moment before she remembered she was in Travis’s bed and not her own. Travis hadn’t come back after his early morning call. A break-in. This would be a frequent occurrence, she supposed sleepily, and reached for her phone. Probably most policemen’s wives woke up alone at one time or another.

Wife.
The word sent a curl of warmth through her body.

“Hello?”

“Rio, it’s Travis.”

The warmth spread, heated up. “Hi. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. But I have to tell you something, and you need to listen closely.”

The warmth immediately evaporated, replaced by an icy feeling of dread.
This is it.
Her happiness was going to be short lived. She fingered the ring he gave her.

“Okay. I’m listening.”