Page 58 of Willow Vale

“Thank you…for staying.”

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my temple. “I never left, darlin’.”

I watched him closely from across the table while we all sat at the table for breakfast. The sharp line of his jaw when he laughed at something River said. The way he genuinely wanted to know more about my little brother, not because of what he meant to me but simply because his affection toward River was as clear as day. And when he felt my gaze on him, he lifted his eyes to find mine, letting them linger on me. A gentle caress that slowly turned searing until I had to look away.

I think I finally understood why I could never truly get used to the way Travis’s unwavering attention made me feel. It reminded me of the way I felt whenever I saw a sunset on the horizon settling behind the mountains. Speechless and in awe.

Travis looked at me as if I was a sunset. Beautiful. Remarkable. Irreplaceable. Something worth stopping in your tracks and admiring in its entirety.

Worth loving.

Travis made mewantmore, and that was the most terrifying, most exhilarating thing I’ve ever experienced.

I knew that if I allowed myself to fall for him again, Travis would catch me. He would never hurt me. That was never the problem. I’ve trusted him with my heart for years ever since we were children.

However, could I allow myself to take that chance now after everything that happened between us?

The answer came to me in a resoundingyes.

CHAPTER 22

Lila

The crowdin The Rusty Pint was once again buzzing with excitement.

Travis had the local band playing in the bar to entertain everyone who would eventually head out to watch the rodeo. The band was currently covering Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” That caused a chain reaction of Saul and his buddies at the bar requesting one song after another of country classics. The locals loved it, and some even got up to dance. There wasn’t a single empty table. Seats and booths were filled with familiar faces and new ones.

The bar was full of life and laughter, as if this place had always been meant to bring people together. Not to let them lose themselves in alcohol daily until they couldn’t see straight like most—like my mother did—but to catch up with old friends and simplybe.

Seeing the satisfied smile on Travis’s face when he walked out of his office and took in the wonderful chaos all around, I knew that was exactly what he’d meant to do all along.

For the longest time I’d wondered why he’d bought TheRusty Pint in the first place. Not anymore. Not when I could see how happy it made him to spend his time here. Travis may have loved working on the ranch with Finn and their dad, but there was no mistaking where that passion laid. It was here. He’d taken something that was ugly and made it beautiful.

He’d created a community where people could come together and have a good time in each other’s company. Sure, it was still a bar and there were drinks being spilled on the floor constantly, but it was his.

Ever since he took care of me while I’d been sick, there’d been a shift between us. A closeness that I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years. Every night after my shift, Travis would take my keys out of my hands and offer to drive me to the ranch. Then we’d have dinner with his parents, catching up on everything I’d missed. River loved spending time with Travis and Finn. And when Wren came over, he’d ask her dozens of questions about horse training. Not that I minded. He was happy. Happier than I’d ever seen him.

After dinner, when River fell asleep either in my arms or on the couch curled up next to Desmond, we’d load him into the Bronco and Travis would drive with us back to the apartment. He always came in to lay River down on his bed, ruffling his hair once as he whispered good night. I never thought I’d find a man interacting with a child as attractive as I did. Then again, Travis wasn’t just any man and River wasn’t just any kid.

Then, when I walked him to the front door to say good night, he’d pull me into a kiss that left me breathless, making the world around us melt away. His tongue sweeping in and caressing mine until my legs threatened to buckle. It had been like that nearly every night, and every night that we spent together, I found myself wanting more.

We never talked about what we were to each other now. We hadn’t had a conversation about what this meant for the both of us. Did he want a relationship with me? Did I want one?

Yes.

He never pushed for more, but I knew sooner or later, one of us would take that first step.

It was like he’d heard my doubts before I’d voiced them, and he was doing everything in his power to prove me wrong. Chasing away my fears one day at a time, giving me the courage to do the same.

Boots stomped against the oak floors as patrons danced, sending vibrations all the way behind the bar where Desi, Jake, and I kept busy serving a never-ending stream of drinks. Eventually, I spotted Finn by the pool tables, once again surrounded by a group of friends I saw him hanging around from time to time.

Finn shot me a wink as I passed him, heading toward the booth in the far corner to wipe the table down when people finally started to clear out. The band was still going but when eight o’clock rolled in, a few people had started to head home. When they started covering a Kenny Rogers song, requested by someone who wasn’t Saul—finally—people started dancing to the familiar beat of the drums and the twang of the guitar. I immediately recognized one of my favorite songs and smiled.

I gathered the empty glasses on the table and loaded them onto the tray when I heard Finn call my name over the music. I turned and found him leaning against the pool table while the rest of the guys took their turn. Travis was behind the bar, frowning at whatever Desi was saying, which wasn’t anything new. She was probably making fun of him about something he did since it was her favorite thing to do.

“You know, I was just looking for a dance partner,” Finn said with a grin. “You care to join me for a song, Lila?”

I hesitated, “I’m on the clock.”

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