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Alaska stood, holding Eugene in her arms.
“I can carry the baby in for you,” Travis said, his face unsmiling.
Ellen didn’t have a problem reading what was on it. He was reluctant, but resigned. Alaska nodded, and Ellen waited while he disappeared into the house. She was reluctant, yet resigned as well. And even though she knew that if Alaska came back and wanted her baby, it was for the best, it still hurt.
She could only imagine what it was doing to Travis. He had been on board from the beginning, had risen to the challenge without complaint. Ellen had helped, but she hadn’t thought from the beginning that the baby was going to be hers. At first she thought she was going to be finding a nanny for it.
That hadn’t happened.
And she assumed, after what had transpired between Travis and her, that...that wouldn’t be necessary? She wasn’t sure. Maybe they should talk about it. She didn’t know how quickly he was going to want to move. As for her, she felt like she’d been waiting forever, and wanted to take the next step immediately. But, that didn’t necessarily adhere to the world’s idea of wisdom, and she knew Travis would rather do things right than do things fast. After all, it had taken him eight years to finally tell her that he loved her.
Then too, there was also the fact that Travis could relate to being abandoned and neglected as a child. That would affect the way he treated the children that had landed at his doorstep, but it might also affect the way they moved in their relationship. It might be hard for him to trust that she wouldn’t leave him. That she meant what she said when she said she loved him.
Of course, he might also be concerned that she didn’t really believe that the child wasn’t his. After all, if the note declared that he was the dad, most people would believe it.
“Are you ready?” he said as he came out the door. His voice was heavy with sorrow and concern.
“I think it will do us good to get away. Were you able to get some rest?”
He nodded. “I woke up in a panic, because I forgot that you had taken the baby.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s fine. I’m glad. But, you know how you’re in a deep sleep and all of the sudden you think you might’ve missed something that you were supposed to be responsible for.”
“Yeah.” They went down the steps together, Chewy at her heels and as they walked the short distance to his truck, he took her hand.
Their fingers slid together, and he squeezed. She looked up, and he was looking down at her, a serious expression on his face.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he said simply.
She knew exactly what he was saying. She probably wanted it for just as long, if not longer. After all, she was crushing on him when he was crushing on Shanna.
Thinking of Shanna made her eyes rove over his face. Most of the bruises had disappeared, the scab had fallen off. There was a small scar where his face had been cut, but she bet that it would heal over eventually. His stubble mostly hid it, anyway.
“You healed up well.”
“I’m baring my heart to her, and all she can think of is the guy who hit me.”
She smiled, knowing he was teasing her. “I was thinking of your face, not of Chalmer. I actually haven’t seen him since that night.”
“Me, either. But I have a feeling I’ll be seeing him again. Maybe in some back alley some dark night he thinks he can get a jump on me.”
She was silent. That sounded like something Chalmer would do. It made her a little scared for him. She didn’t believe in going around, living life with fear, but she also believed that it was wise to take precautions and being careful.
“I can see that happening. I...hope you are careful.”
“Of course.” He gave her a grin that said that his idea of being careful was probably not the same as hers.
But she wasn’t going to give him a hard time about it. There really wasn’t a whole lot she could say beyond that, and he most likely wasn’t going to listen to her anymore than what he already did.
“I called your uncle this morning.”
“Oh?” she said, as he walked to her side of the truck, and opened the door for her.
It was an unexpected courtesy which made her smile, as she lifted her face to his.
“Thank you,” she said, her hand on the door, although there was something on his face that made her stop.
