“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations. I’m glad you won… sounds like you had fun… Oh, me? Nothing too exciting.”
Hearing Kevin’s voice while being so close to Travis was pulling her in two directions. She tried to concentrate and listen to Kevin, while sorting through what had just happened with Travis. The situation was too surreal to absorb.
“I’m sorry to hear that… I know, I get sunburned, too… Uh-huh… uh-huh… Yes, I’ve thought about the trip to Miami, but I don’t get any vacation days until the end of the year… Maybe, I don’t know…”
She released Travis’s leg and leaned back against the couch, trying to keep her voice steady, wishing she hadn’t answered, wishing he hadn’t called. Knowing she was only becoming more confused. “We’ll see, okay? We’ll talk about it when you get back… No, nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired, I guess… No, nothing to worry about. It’s been a long weekend…”
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth, either, and she knew it, which made her feel even worse. Travis was staring downward, listening but pretending not to.
“I will,” she went on. “Yeah, you, too… Uh-huh… yeah, I should be around… Okay… I do, too. And have fun tomorrow. Bye.”
Hanging up the phone, she seemed preoccupied for a moment before leaning forward and putting the handset on the table. Travis knew enough not to say anything.
“That was Kevin,” she finally said.
“I figured,” Travis said, unable to read her expression.
“He won the best ball tournament today.”
“Good for him.”
Again, a silence descended between them.
“I think I need some fresh air,” she finally said, rising from the couch. She made her way to the sliding glass door and stepped outside.
Travis watched her go, wondering if he should join her or whether she needed to be alone. From his spot on the couch, her image against the railing was shadowed. He could imagine heading out to join her, only to hear her suggest that it might be best if he left, and though the thought frightened him, he needed to be with her, now more than ever.
He made his way out the door and joined her against the rail. In the moonlight, her skin was pearly, her eyes darkly luminous.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for.” She forced a smile. “It’s my fault, not yours. I knew what I was getting into.”
Gabby could sense that he wanted to touch her, but she was torn about whether she wanted him to. She knew she should end this, that she shouldn’t let the evening progress any further, but she couldn’t break the spell that Travis’s declaration had cast over her. It didn’t make sense. It took time to fall in love, more time than a single weekend, yet somehow, despite her feelings for Kevin, it had happened. She sensed Travis’s nervousness as he stood beside her, and she watched him fortify himself with a last sip of wine.
“Did you mean what you said earlier?” she asked. “About wanting a family?”
“Yes, I did.”
“I’m glad,” she said. “Because I think you’d be a great father. I didn’t tell you before, but that’s what I thought when I saw you with the kids yesterday. You seemed so natural with them.”
“I’ve had a lot of experience with puppies.”
Despite the tension, she laughed. She took a small step closer to him, and when he turned to face her, she slipped her arms around his neck. She could hear the little voice inside warning her to stop, telling her that it still wasn’t too late to end this. But another urge had taken hold of her, and she knew it was pointless to deny it.
“Maybe so, but I thought it was sexy,” she whispered.
Travis pulled her tight against him, noticing how her body seemed to fit against his. He could smell a trace of jasmine perfume on her, and as they stood holding each other, his senses seemed to come alive. He felt as if he’d reached the end of a long journey, unaware until this moment that Gabby had been his destination all along. When he whispered, “I love you, Gabby Holland,” against her ear, he’d never felt more sure about anything.
Gabby sank into him.
“I love you, too, Travis Parker,” she whispered, and as they stood in each other’s arms, Gabby couldn’t imagine wanting anything more than what was happening now, all regrets and reservations swept aside.
He kissed her, then kissed her again and again, leisurely exploring her neck and collarbone before rising to meet her lips once more. She ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, feeling the strength in the arms that held her, and when he buried his fingers in her hair, she shivered, knowing that this was what the weekend had been building toward all along.
They kissed on the deck for a long time. Finally she pulled back, and took his hand to lead him inside, past the living room and toward the bedroom. She motioned toward the bed, and as Travis lay down, she pulled a lighter from the drawer and proceeded to light the candles she’d set out earlier. Her bedroom, dark at first, gave way to a flickering glow that bathed her in liquid gold.
With shadows accentuating her every movement, Travis watched as Gabby crossed her arms, reaching for the hem of her shirt. With a single movement, she pulled the shirt over her head. Her breasts pressed against the satin outline of her bra, and her hands drifted slowly downward to the snap on her jeans. A moment later, she stepped out of the crumpled pile at her feet.
Travis was mesmerized as she moved toward the bed and playfully pushed him onto his back. She began to undo the buttons on his shirt and pulled it over his shoulders. As he wiggled his arms free, she undid the snap on his jeans, and a moment later, he felt the heat from her belly as it slid against his own.
His mouth met hers with controlled passion. Her body felt right against his, more right than anything she’d ever known, like missing pieces in a puzzle finally coming together.
Afterward, he lay beside her and said the words that had been echoing inside his head all night.
“I love you, Gabby,” he whispered. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He felt her reach out for him.
“I love you, too, Travis,” she whispered, and upon hearing her words, he knew that the solitary journey he’d been on for years had somehow reached its end.
With the moon still high in the sky and the silver light illuminating the bedroom, Travis rolled over, knowing instantly that Gabby was gone. It was almost four in the morning, and after noting that she wasn’t in the bathroom, he got up and slipped on his jeans. He walked down the hall and peeked into the guest bedroom before poking his head into the kitchen. All the lights were off, and he hesitated for a moment before noticing that the sliding glass door was cracked open.
He stepped out onto the small deck, catching sight of a shadowed figure leaning against the deck railing off to the side of the house. He took a hesitant step toward her, unsure if she wanted to be alone.
“Hey,” he heard a voice call out in the darkness. Travis saw she was wearing the bathrobe that had been hanging in the bathroom.
“Hey there,” he answered quietly. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. I woke up and tossed and turned for a while, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
Stopping just short of her, he leaned against the rail as well, neither of them speaking. Instead, they simply watched the sky. Nothing seemed to be stirring; even the crickets and frogs were silent.
“It’s so lovely out here,” she finally said.
“Yes, it is,” he answered.
“I love nights like this.”
When she said nothing else, he moved closer and reached for her hand. “Are you upset by what happened?”
“Not at all,” she said, her voice clear. “I don’t regret any of it.”