Stronger By Your Side (Great Love Book 2) (9 page)

I looked down at my paper and then back at him. “Hi.” He cleared his throat. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

I looked around. “Hey, Terry, could you finish taking role and grouping the kids?” I asked my group mom.

She smiled. “Of course!”

I looked back at Sawyer, who looked a little smug. “Whatcha think of the presentation, Pumpkin?”

I chewed on my lip, trying not to puke on his shoes. “I, um . . . I thought it was . . . educational.”

He smiled as he whispered down. “I can’t believe I found you.”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah . . . I’m a little thrown.”

He nodded. “Me, too. But I’m glad. Can I have your number?”

My eyes shot up to his and then looked cautiously around the room. “Umm, SJ . . . no, bad idea.” I looked around and then back up at him.

“Megan, I finally found you after eight years. I’m not asking you to marry me, just for your number so we can catch up.”

I rolled my lips in and looked up at him, thinking about it.
Nope, terrible idea.
He gave me a curious look, and before he could speak, I acted. I put out my hand to shake his. He hesitantly shook my hand as he gave me another odd look.

“Thank you so much for having us! Great tour, we appreciate all you do!” I made sure I said it loud enough for the entire room to hear, and then I turned on my heels and booked it to the front of my students. “Okay let’s go!” I said with too large of a smile.

I turned around and blew out a breath. I had forgotten how anxious those tingles that Sawyer gave made me, but I knew that even though I wanted more, it was a dangerous anxiety. I had left Sawyer alone all those years ago. I was tainted, and he knew all too well how. He needed someone whole. I was more broken now than ever before. I loved him, I always had. I realized in that moment, that no matter how much I fought it, I probably always would. The issue was and always would be that I was not what he needed. He had been, and always would be, too good for me.

It was the Saturday after the field trip. I sat on Cal and Emerson’s balcony, enjoying the late summer breeze, still unable to stop thinking about Sawyer. His smirk that day played over and over in my head, and I tried with everything I had to ignore the emotions it stirred inside of me. My thoughts were interrupted with Cal’s voice.

“So, how’s work going?” He asked as he handed me an iced tea.

“Thanks, and it’s going well. Some of the kids are . . . interesting, but I love it of course, and I love them.” I smiled up at him, taking a sip of my tea.

“Glad to hear it, Meg.” He nodded as he took his daughter, Mariam, from Emerson’s arms. “I’m going to go lay her down with Maxi.”

Emerson nodded and then relaxed when her arms were finally free from the wiggling toddler. “Hey, Meg, where’d you go?”

I looked up at her with blank eyes. “Hmm? Oh, sorry, just tired.”

Emerson raised her eyebrows, and then, to cut her off before she dug more, I smiled. “Hey when’s Sarah coming?”

Emerson eyed me for a moment and then shrugged. “She should be here any minute.”

I nodded as I took another sip of tea. Cal came back out on the deck and started up the grill. Just then, Travis and Charlotte came running up the hill. “You’re so fast, Princess!”

Charlotte laughed and clapped as she came running up to me. “I pet horsy.”

I squeezed her. “You did?”

She nodded. “I go play now?”

Emerson got up. “Here, honey, I have some cool toys.” Emerson grabbed some dolls and placed them on the floor near us. Charlotte became entertained immediately and allowed us to talk.

As Cal and I were talking about his job as a paramedic for the Auburn Fire Department, I couldn’t help but think about Sawyer. Had they possibly run into each other? I knew the local stations worked together. Did they know each other? How long had Sawyer been here? How long had he worked there? All things I could ask him, if I had given him my number. However, I chose not to because I knew that was a terrible idea.

Travis broke my train of thought when he came up behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders. The pressure of his hands felt like they were burning through my clothes. “You guys worried about the drought? It was a pretty hot summer.”

Cal nodded as he flipped the burgers on the grill. “Yeah, we’re expecting some fires. Hopefully people are smart and don’t contribute to the problem.”

I felt Travis nod his head, and then he leaned down and placed a light kiss on my cheek. My body went completely stiff and my hands clenched onto the armrest. Travis’s mouth hovered an inch from my face as his eyes stared at me in confusion. Why he was confused, I didn’t know. I had seen him about twice a week lately, and we had been back to normal, back to how it was before we kissed. Now he was kissing me on the cheek in front of our friends? What was he doing? Just then, someone cleared their throat, and my eyes flew up to see Sarah standing there.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Sarah said dryly. Cal chuckled quietly to himself as he continued to flip the burgers and hot dogs.

Charlotte flew up. “Auntie Sawa!”

Sarah bent down and put her arms out wide. “Hey, Goldilocks!”

They hugged as Emerson walked out with both daughters squirming in her arms. “That was short-lived,” Cal mumbled, and I laughed to myself, understanding how they had their hands full.

Sarah received hugs and hellos from everyone until she got to Travis. She stopped and gave him an evil up and down glance, shook her head, and walked away. “I need a drink, anyone want one?” She yelled over her shoulder.

I chuckled again and threw my hand up in the air. “Me!” I stood up and followed her.

I heard Travis yell, “Nice to see you too, Sunshine!”

Sarah walked into the kitchen, followed by Emerson and myself. She pulled out a bottle of wine and began opening it with a little more aggression than necessary. “What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Emerson asked.

Sarah laughed sarcastically. “Ha!”

Emerson’s eyes narrowed a little at Sarah as she handed us both a glass of wine. “You know I can’t read minds,” Emerson stated.

Sarah drained her glass of wine, poured herself another, and nodded before taking a sip. “Yeah, sorry, Em, just a long day, and that”—She pointed out at the patio to Travis and took another slow sip of her wine, and then she shook her head—“I . . . it’s just . . . Uh, you said he wouldn’t be here. I was just caught off guard.”

I looked between Emerson and Sarah. “What’s going on? Travis and you are even more hot and cold lately. Are you guys dating?”

Sarah huffed and then patted my hand gently. “No—God, no—Nothing, I’m just having a rough day and he just knows how to piss me off. Don’t worry about it, Meg.”

I furrowed my brows at her and then nodded, taking a slow sip of wine. “I’m going to check on Lotte,” I announced, and then, feeling the obvious tension in the room, I left Emerson to talk Sarah down.

I knew Sarah had feelings for Travis, and now that was even more obvious. What I couldn’t get a read on was Travis. He was still slightly convinced that he could follow through with Charles’s plan, which was for us—Travis, Charlotte and me—to be a family. However, like I had told him a thousand times, that wasn’t going to happen. It had nothing to do with Sawyer, it had everything to do with the fact that Travis didn’t love me and I didn’t love him. I had experienced what real love felt like, not once, but twice. I wasn’t willing to settle, and I wasn’t willing to let Travis settle. Whatever was going on between Travis and Sarah interested me. Maybe I could get one of them to open up about it and give them a little nudge in the right direction.

I stopped by Charlotte and plopped on the ground next to her. She stopped playing with her dolls and looked up at me. “No, Mama. I play all by myself.”

I sighed and smiled. “Okay, baby.” I leaned down and kissed her on her head, then I stood to go to the patio.

I stopped right outside the door as I heard Travis raise his voice a little. “I don’t know, Cal! What the hell am I supposed to do? I made a promise to Charles that I would do whatever he asked in his letter, just like you did. Are you telling me you would back out on your promise?” I slyly peeked around the corner. Cal paused and then took a long pull of his beer. That stupid promise again.

I slipped back to where I was unseen, and I strained to listen to Cal as he lowered his voice. “Well, crap . . . no. I don’t know. Sarah and you obviously have something. I know you care for Megan, but do you love her? Does she love you? I know you made Charles a promise, but damn, man, I don’t think he would want you messing with your life like this.”

My heart dropped into my stomach and my face felt hot. Was I messing with Travis’s life? I didn’t want to. I wanted him to be happy. I kept telling him that! I wanted nothing to do with the unfair promise Travis made to my late husband. Shaking my head in confusion, I backed up, and because I had the best luck in the world, I tripped on an end table, sending my wine glass crashing onto the floor next to me.

My butt hit the ground and I winced, knowing that I just blew my cover.
Great
. I heard Travis mutter “Shit” under his breath, and then him and Cal were in front of me. Emerson and Sarah walked in from behind me, laughing.

“Jeez, Meg, you really are a lightweight,” Sarah stated with a laugh.

Travis gave her a scowl and then bent down with a concerned look on his face. He put his hand out to me, but I just shook my head and pushed myself up using my hands. I laughed casually. “I guess I am.” I gave Travis a half-smile, trying to play it cool, and then walked out to the patio.

Cal shrugged his shoulders and announced that the food was ready.

“Thank God. I’m starving.” I smiled.

Emerson went over to the playpen by Charlotte and grabbed the twins. They clapped and laughed as they wiggled in Emerson’s arms. Emerson grunted with a smile as she handed one baby to Cal. They placed both in their highchairs and buckled them in.

“Alright, you two rascals, no escaping for you,” Cal said as he slid cut-up hotdogs and watermelon on their trays.

Charlotte came running outside. “I so hungy, Uncky Travey!”

Travis leaned down and grabbed her. “Alright, my love, let’s get you fed.”

Everyone grabbed their plates and loaded up on hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad and watermelon. We had easy conversations and the air filled with laughter.

Surprisingly, Sarah and Travis didn’t kill each other. The late summer air was warm and the bright sun was in the middle of the sky when Travis stood. “I have an announcement.”

Everyone froze and stared at him. He smiled wide. “I’m putting my degree to use. I’m starting the police academy in Sacramento next week. If I do well, I will have a job by Christmas.” I smiled wide while everyone shouted and hollered.

“Awesome, man, Congrats!” Cal said as he patted Travis’s back.

After everyone else hugged Travis, I rushed over to give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Sarah’s snort did not go unnoticed, but I ignored it. I wanted to celebrate with him. He deserved my congratulations, a sincere one.

I had watched Travis bust his butt for two years going to school full-time at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He transferred there when he moved out with me and changed his major from agriculture to psychology and criminal justice. He went to school full-time while working full-time on a ranch nearby. All the while, he supported Charlotte and me, in every way imaginable, even when I told him not to. Travis had been a little overbearing at times, but he had been extremely helpful as well.

I knew that his pregnant mother was murdered in a burglary when he was eight, and he lost his Mom and unborn brother that day. Travis didn’t think I noticed, but I caught a glimpse of him stopping at his mother’s and brother’s grave stones when we went by to see Charles. I noticed fresh flowers and couldn’t help but wonder if they were from him.

I know he wanted to be a police officer ever since the day he lost them, and I knew that his father wanted him to take over the family farm instead. It was a battle he would most likely have to fight with his father, Frank, when he found out. I figured Frank was not going to like Travis leaving his job at the pumpkin farm or bailing on taking over for him one day. He would understand eventually, and one day it would be okay. I was just happy that Travis was finally doing what he wanted. I smiled out loud at my happiness for him. I was so proud of how hard he had worked to accomplish his dreams. It hadn’t been easy, but it was obvious that he was driven by something. I knew that his mother’s death was what fueled his passion for upholding the law. However, it seemed like Charles’s death sparked a match in him. He became a man on fire.

When Sarah congratulated Travis, the care in her eyes looked genuine. I knew she was happy for him, it was obvious. The words Cal spoke earlier to Travis kept playing over in my head “Sarah and you obviously have something . . . ” Watching them now, I could see the sparks between them, and I knew that it wasn’t one-sided like I’d thought. Oh, No, Travis tried to hide it, but I could see the care in his eyes. I couldn’t help the mischievous smile that pulled at my lips.
Oh, is going to be fun.

I was filled with hope for them, that maybe, just maybe, they could have what Charles and I once had, what I knew Sawyer and I could’ve had, what Cal and Emerson always had.

Charlotte began running around the table, breaking my concentration. “I’m a pretty princess.”

Travis’s eyes lit up as he watched her with wonder. He was the only father she knew, and he loved her. That didn’t have to change. He could still be Uncky Travey. He would always have a special place in our life, in her life. I needed to show Travis that, so he could drop the whole us being together thing and finally be happy with Sarah, or at least give it a real shot. I sighed and Emerson shot me a look. I smiled at her and gave my attention to my food, hoping that I wouldn’t give away my thoughts too easily.

Later that night, after the sun had gone down and Charlotte had fallen into yet another sugar coma, Travis pulled up to my apartment. He had only had one beer and was fine. Although I only had one glass of wine, I didn’t like to drive after drinking anything.

Travis began to get out of his truck, and I stopped him with a light touch on his arm. “Travis . . . ” His eyes looked up at me in question. “It’s late, and I still have work to do in the coffee shop.”

He paused for a second. “Lotte is asleep.”

I shrugged. “I know. I usually head down there after bedtime.” Travis’s eyes went wide, and I cut him off before he could freak out. “I put the baby monitor on, lock the upstairs down, and leave the doorway to the downstairs open. It’s the same as if we had a two-story house, and it’s the only time I can get my work done.”

He nodded in understanding. Charlotte may not be his biological daughter, but he cared for her like she was. His worry for her was never ending. “I can watch TV upstairs until you’re done—”

I cut him off. “Travis, you are not staying the night.”

He sighed and then gently placed his hand on mine and looked into my eyes. “You sure about that?”

Oh, I’m sure
. He would be with Sarah if I had to march through hell to make it happen. He would be happy, damn it. I smiled. “Yes, I’m”—I cleared my throat—“I’m sure, Travis.”