Magnolia Dawn (5 page)

Anna flushed, even as she told herself she had nothing to feel guilty about. Standing, she crossed to him. “I'm so sorry, Travis. If I'd known, I would have waited.”

She kissed his cheek, then slipped her arm through his and drew him into the kitchen. “Sit. I'll make you a sandwich.”

“No. You're an angel for offering, though.” He squeezed her hand. When she winced, he looked at her in concern. “What's happened?”

“It's nothing.” She pulled her hands from his, aware of Rush's amused gaze upon them. “A silly accident with a hammer.”

“Let me see.” Travis caught her hand gently, his expression the picture of worry. “It looks pretty nasty. Maybe you should see a doctor. I could call—”

“Nonsense,” Anna said crisply. “You're as bad as Rush.”

“Rush?” Travis repeated, turning his gaze to where Rush sat.

Rush smiled and saluted. “That's me.”

Anna made the introductions. “This is Travis Gentry, an old friend.”

“I see that,” Rush said, arching an eyebrow, deliberately looking at their still-joined hands.

Anna flushed and drew her hand out of Travis's. “Rush is working for me this summer.”

“That's right,” Travis said. “Anna's…handy-man.”

Rush inclined his head. “Yeah, Anna's handy… man.”

Travis frowned slightly, moving his gaze from Rush to Anna and back. If Anna didn't know Travis better, she would have thought he looked uncertain. “Where'd you say you're from?”

“I didn't.” Lifting his lips in a slow, satisfied smile, Rush pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “I'd better get back to work. See you on the roof, Anna.”

Anna watched Rush walk away, a soft breath shuddering past her lips. What had gone on just now? She had the feeling that left to their own primitive instincts, the two men would have been at each other's throats.

“Anna?”

She jerked her gaze back to Travis's. His eyes upon hers were openly curious. And too observant. She shook her head and smiled. “I'm sorry. I'm a little tired. What did you say?”

“I asked where the man's from.”

“Boston,” she murmured. “He's done a good bit of restoration work up there.”

“You don't say,” Travis murmured, sounding anything but convinced.

“I can't believe my good fortune.”

“Hmm.” Travis drew his eyebrows together. “Annabelle, honey, are you sure it's safe letting that man into the house?”

“Rush? Of course. Why?”

“What do you really know about him? He's a drifter.”

Annoyed, she moved away from her old friend, crossing to the sink. “That doesn't mean he's a criminal, Travis.”

“But it does say something about his character.” He closed the distance between them once more. “I worry about you being out here, all alone.”

“I have Blue.” Anna smiled. “And that snub-nosed .38 you insisted I have. What more protection do I need?”

“A man living here with you.”

“I'll run an ad,” she teased. “Come on, Trav, I'm fine. Let's drop it, okay?”

He did, but reluctantly, she could tell. “I just don't want anything to happen to you.”

She smiled. “I know. You're a good friend. Now, have a seat and tell me what brings you out here today. Something more than lunch, I'll bet.” She poured him an iced tea, then refilled her own glass and sat across from him. “Did you finally propose to the widow Grace? Or did she dump you for taking too long?”

“I came because of Lowell.”

Anna's heart sank. Travis must have seen it on her face because he murmured, “I'm sorry.”

She took a deep breath. “What happened?”

“He came to me for money again.”

“Oh.” She trailed her finger around the rim of her glass. “How much?”

Travis hesitated. “A lot.”

“I'm a big girl, Trav. I can take it. How much?”

“Ten thousand.”

“Oh, my God.” Anna stood and crossed to the sink and the window above it.
Ten thousand dollars.
Her salary wasn't much more than that, yet Lowell wanted Travis to just…give it to him.

She brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed at the tightness there. Why did Lowell need that much money? What would he do with it?

She turned back to Travis. “Did you give it to him?”

Again Travis hesitated, then he shook his head and met her eyes. “Not this time. I hope you don't think less of me, or that I'm not his friend—”

She shook her head. “I would never think that.”

“It wasn't the money, Anna. I have plenty of that. It's Lowell. I'm worried about him. He's out of control. He's…” Travis made a sound of frustration and dragged a hand through his dark hair. “I don't know what his problems are. But it…hurts to see him this way.”

They had all been close growing up. Like siblings. Travis and Lowell had been inseparable, although by the end of high school they had drifted apart. By that age, the differences in
the men they would become had already become apparent. Travis had drive and ambition, a fire in his belly to succeed; Lowell had nothing but anger and bitterness. Those differences had driven the two apart.

Anna sighed. “He's after me to sell Ashland.”

“Again?”

“Worse than ever. He…” Anna lowered her eyes. “He said some …cruel things. Ugly things.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him no. That I'd never sell Ashland.” Anna met her old friend's eyes. “Maybe I'm being selfish. Maybe I—”

“Hell no, you're not. Don't even think it. It's Lowell who has the problem, not you.”

“So, what do I do?”

“How can I tell you that when I'm wrestling with that same question myself?” Travis made a sound of frustration. “But I don't think giving him money is the answer. I never should have in the first place.”

Although they never spoke of it, Anna knew that over the years Travis had lent Lowell thousands of dollars. Ironic that growing up Travis had been the poor one, and they the rich Ameses. Now Travis was one of the richest men in the state. And she and Lowell had nothing. Except Ashland.

“You've already done too much for us,” she murmured.

Travis turned to her, his eyes hot with an emotion Anna didn't recognize. “You've never asked me for anything, Anna.”

“Your friendship is all I've ever wanted from you. It means more to me than you could know.”

“I'd help you in any way I could. I'd give you…anything you asked for.”

“I know, Travis. I do.” Suddenly uncomfortable, she swung back to the window and the bright day beyond. A little brown sparrow sat on the roof of the birdhouse, chest and feathers puffed out, as if protecting her home.

“I offered him a job.”

Anna turned. “What?”

“Lowell. I offered him a position. Actually, the choice from a number of them with my various holdings. To my way of thinking, that's what he needs.”

She drew in a deep breath, hope blooming inside her. “What did he say?”

“I'm sorry.” Travis lifted his hands in a gesture of futility. “He said no.”

Anna let out her breath, disappointment hitting her with the force of a blow to her chest. “You're right, he needs to work. He needs a purpose in his life.” Tears welled in her eyes, clogged her throat.
“I don't know what to do, Travis. I don't know how to reach him. Every time I try, he lashes out at me.”

Travis stood and crossed to her. He held her to his chest and stroked her hair. “I know. I wish I had the answer.”

She tipped her head back and met his eyes. “This isn't even your problem.”

Sadness moved over his features, and Anna was reminded again of their childhood together. Sometimes Travis had looked exactly this way, sad and so lost. As it had then, his sadness twisted at her heartstrings.

Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek. “You're such a dear. I don't know what I would do without you.”

He opened his mouth, then, as if changing his mind about what he wanted to say, cleared his throat. “I need to get back to the office.”

She smiled and stepped out of his arms. “And my roof's waiting.”

They took the back door, descended the stairs and walked toward his car in silence. When they reached it, Travis stopped, frowning. “Be careful, Anna. I don't want to see you hurt.”

“Lowell's my brother. He wouldn't—”

“I wasn't talking about Lowell.” He lifted his gaze to the roof and Anna followed it. Rush crouched on the edge of the roof, looking down at them. She felt rather than saw the intensity of his gaze, and a shiver moved over her, a sensation that had nothing to do with fear.

“You don't have to worry,” she murmured. “I'll be fine.”

“You're a big girl, right?”

She smiled. “Right.”

Travis touched her cheek lightly, then opened the car door and slid inside. “Let's go out to dinner. Soon.”

“I'd like that.”

He started to close the door, then stopped and met her eyes again. “If you want me to give Lowell the money, Anna, I will.”

Tears sprang to her eyes; once more, she fought them off. “No. He needs…” She shook her head. “No, Travis. But thanks. I appreciate your concern.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something else, then shook his head. Lifting his hand in goodbye, he started the car and drove off. Anna watched until he disappeared from sight, a strange sensation balling in her chest, at once bittersweet and sad, and yearning.

Something had been on Travis's mind—something other than Lowell's troubles. She'd had the sense that Travis wasn't happy, that he needed something from her she wasn't able to give him.

She frowned. Travis was the most self-assured man she knew. Everything he'd ever wanted, he'd gotten. But today—

“Touching reunion,” Rush said from behind her. “I was moved.”

Anna whirled around, startled. “I didn't know you were standing there.”

“Obviously.” He dropped a broken drill bit into his pocket. “Did you and your little friend have a nice visit?”

Little friend?
She stiffened. “Yes. Very.”

Rush tipped his face toward the sky, squinting against the light. “What is he? Some sort of local wheel?”

Anna folded her arms across her chest, annoyed at his sarcastic tone. “You could say that. He's one of the richest men in the state. Certainly the richest in the Delta.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” She met his gaze evenly in challenge. “And everything he's done, he's done on his own. His daddy was a field hand who drank more often than he worked. He barely kept a roof over their heads.”

“An absolute paragon,” Rush muttered, taking a step toward her. “But he doesn't have everything he wants. Does he, Anna?”

“And just what's that supposed to mean?”

“Figure it out.”

Her heart began to rap uncomfortably against the wall of her chest. He couldn't mean that Travis wanted…her? She thought of the look in Travis's eyes as he'd gazed at her, of the way she'd felt as he'd driven out of sight.

She shook her head. The thought was as ludicrous as it was insulting. She lifted her chin. “Travis and I are just friends. Good friends. He's never made advances. He never would.”

“Just because he hasn't made one, doesn't mean he hasn't wanted to.” Rush leaned toward her, so close she felt his breath stir against her cheek. “Better be careful, Annabelle. The guy was practically salivating. But maybe that's what you want.”

She glared at him. “What damn business of yours is my and Travis's relationship?”

“None.” Rush returned her glare, and Anna had the sense that he was furious. “Just trying to help you out. Thought maybe you'd set your sights on this guy.”

“Well, I haven't. We're just friends.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. “Right.”

Anger and frustration bloomed inside her. She placed her fists on her hips and faced him. “You probably think men and women can't even be friends because of—”

“Sex,” he finished for her. “They can't. It always raises its ugly head. One or the other of the `friends' is always hurt.”

Had she hurt Travis in some way? Was that why Travis had seemed so sad?
She narrowed her eyes.
Nonsense. Rush Cousins was nothing but a troublemaker. And for whatever reason, he wanted to aggravate her.

Well, he wouldn't, Anna vowed. Not this time.

“You don't know anything about me and Travis. We grew up together. It was Travis who taught me to ride a two-wheel bike and to drive a standard shift. It was Travis who took me to my senior prom when no one else asked, and it was Travis who held my hand at Daddy's funeral.”

“I know what I see.”

The blood rushed to her head, the urge to hit him along with it. She took a deep breath, fighting to keep her cool, knowing she'd already lost it. “This conversation is totally inappropriate. Excuse me.”

She moved to brush by him. He caught her arm, stopping her, forcing her to look at him. She felt the heat of his fingers to the center of her being. “Take your hand off me.”

He tightened his grip. “Totally inappropriate because I'm the hired help?”

Anna cocked up her chin, furious. With him. With herself for allowing him to get to her, for almost kissing him not thirty minutes ago. For wishing he would kiss her now. “Yes,” she lied. “Because you're the hired help.”

“You are one cold princess.”

“And I could fire you.”

“You could.” He smiled, the curving of his lips slow and confident. “But you won't.”

“Are you so sure?”

His gaze lowered to her mouth for one dizzying moment, then he lifted it back to hers. “Yes. You need me, Anna. You hate it, but it's true.”