Sweet Tea at Sunrise (17 page)

He was prepared to defend his position when Tom glanced over his shoulder.

“Uh-oh,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Here comes trouble,” Tom said.

Travis regarded him blankly. “Trouble?”

“Annie, and she’s evidently on a mission.”

“We could probably outrun her,” Travis suggested, only partially in jest.

“And then hear about it till our dying day,” Tom said.

Before Travis could decide whether to risk her wrath, Annie joined them.

“Jeanette told me I’d find the two of you here at the lake,” she said.

Travis frowned at Tom. “Your wife’s gone over to the other side?”

“I warned you the Sweet Magnolias stick together,” Tom said, his amusement plain.

Annie, however, did not look the least bit amused. She scowled at Travis. “We need to talk about this date you’re planning with Sarah.”

He faced her squarely. “I don’t think we do. I asked. She said yes. She’s an adult, who knows her own mind. Stop treating her like some fragile piece of glass.”

“That’s the thing,” Annie said. “She is fragile.”

Travis lifted a brow. “Obviously you don’t know the same woman I do. She’s been through a lot, no question about it, but she’s coming out of it stronger than ever. She’ll be even tougher once she starts making her own decisions about things, instead of listening to her friends.”

Annie blinked at his fierce response. “It almost sounds as if you respect her.”

“Well, of course I do,” he said incredulously. “Why wouldn’t I?”

His vehemence seemed to rattle her. “I just thought you were taking advantage of her. You know, the poor little divorcée could use a sexy man to throw a few compliments her way, take her to bed, that kind of thing.”

“That’s insulting,” Travis said. “To Sarah and to me.”

Annie glanced at Tom, who was listening silently. “And you think he’s being honest?”

Tom nodded. “Believe me, I’ve had a similar conversation with him. I live with a Sweet Magnolia. I’m not taking any chances on hearing about it forever if he messes with Sarah’s head.”

Annie seemed to be considering Tom’s response. Finally she nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll back off.” She waved a finger under Travis’s nose. “But if I get the idea that you’re playing a game with her, there will be hell to pay.”

Travis chuckled. “Duly noted.”

After she’d gone, Travis breathed a sigh of relief. “Did you deal with this kind of stuff when you were dating Jeanette?”

“Worse,” Tom said. “I had Cal, Ronnie and Erik on my case. They were sent by their wives, of course.”

“Then I guess I better call on my A game,” Travis said. “Anything less and I’ll probably be run out of town.”

“Now you’re getting the picture,” Tom said. His somber expression suggested he wasn’t kidding.

Saturdays and Sundays were two of the biggest days in the real estate business. Weekends were when people had the time to go shopping for new homes. And here Mary Vaughn was, stuck not only at home, but in bed. It was the third week since the incident at Liz’s and the doctor still wanted her to stay put. It seemed her blood pressure was still running too high to suit him.

She’d never been more frustrated in her life. The one activity which might have distracted her—sex—had been forbidden for the time being.

“Why don’t I go to the video store and rent a bunch of movies?” Sonny suggested, clearly at his wit’s end. He hated watching movies at home.

“Whatever,” Mary Vaughn said, not the least bit interested.

Sonny kept trying. “I’ll pick up some popcorn and a big tub of ice cream, too.”

“And then you can sit here and watch me get big as a house,” Mary Vaughn replied grumpily.

“Darlin’, I don’t know what you want me to do,” he said, finally letting his frustration show. “How about cards? We could play gin rummy, if you want to, or poker.”

“The only kind of poker that’s any fun is strip poker,” she said. “And what’s the point of that, when we’d just have to keep our hands to ourselves?”

“The library’s open for another hour,” Sonny said. “How about I get you some books? You’re always saying there’s never enough time to read. Now’s your chance.”

“I need to be selling houses. That’s what I need to be doing,” she countered glumly.

“Well, that’s out of the question, at least for the moment,” Sonny said.

Amazingly, he kept his cool, but Mary Vaughn regarded him with dismay. “I know I’m being a bitch. I’m just frustrated.”

“Understandable,” he said. “Nobody likes being confined to bed.” He got a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Unless they can do something interesting while they’re there.”

“Well, we can’t,” she snapped.

“I know that, darlin’. I was just sayin’…”

She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I know what you were saying. I’m sorry. I’m just in a miserable mood, and I’m taking it out on you because you’re handy. Tomorrow, when Rory Sue comes back to stay, I’ll probably be driving her to distraction, too. How are we going to survive six months of me being so horrible?”

“You’re not horrible,” he said. “Ever. And don’t worry about Rory Sue. You’ll be teaching her the ropes of the real estate business,” Sonny said.

“You know she’s not interested,” Mary Vaughn said, not happy about that either. Rory Sue had made it plain she’d do it because of the circumstances, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“Well, she’s still going to have to learn,” Sonny declared. “Come on, darlin’, can’t you see how this is all going to work out for the best? We’ll have our girl here for the next few months. She’ll help you out with your business and around here. She’ll make a little of her own money, for a change. Maybe that’ll be just what it takes to get her to decide to stay here in town for good.”

“Or else she’ll be so sick of me, she’ll flee the second the baby’s born,” Mary Vaughn said, unable to stop this gloomy mood of hers from infecting every word she uttered.

“Now that’s enough of that,” Sonny said, then nudged her to move over. He stretched out on the bed beside her. “Now there’s no law that says we can’t sit here and snuggle like we did when we were teenagers. Put your head on my shoulder and close your eyes.”

“We did a lot more than snuggle when we were teenagers, Sonny Lewis,” Mary Vaughn said, but she did close her eyes.

It was amazing how safe she felt with this man. More amazing was how desperately she wanted to make love with him. That desire still had the power to overwhelm her. It hadn’t been there the first time they were married. Now, though, it was killing her to be this close and do nothing about it.

“I wish we could…you know,” she said, her voice thick with frustration.

“Me, too,” he said. “But this is nice.”

At one time Mary Vaughn had shuddered at the thought of anything between a man and woman being
nice.
She equated that with boring. She wanted excitement, passion, even a little danger. She’d craved the attention of the bad boys, Ronnie Sullivan back then being the town’s prime example.

Now, though, listening to Sonny’s heartbeat, feeling his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, nice took on a whole new meaning. Maybe, for a few months anyway, it would be enough, especially if she kept reminding herself of the stakes. At the end, she and Sonny would have what amounted to a miracle baby, a real testament to the depth of their love the second time around.

“I
can’t go out with Travis!” Sarah announced, emerging from her room after two hours of trying to find the perfect thing to wear.

Raylene merely nodded. “Okay, don’t go.”

Sarah stared at her in dismay. “You didn’t even ask why I couldn’t go,” Sarah replied, frustrated at not getting any argument from her friend.

“Because I assume you’re a mature, rational adult who has her reasons,” Raylene said, then grinned. “And not some flighty teenager who’s about to tell me she has nothing to wear.”

Sarah heaved a sigh and flopped into a chair. “Well, it’s true. I don’t have anything to wear. Sometime when I wasn’t looking, I apparently lost a few more pounds. Nothing fits. Nothing flattering, anyway. I can’t just wear the same old slacks and blouses I wear to work. Besides, they’re baggy, too.”

“Then go shopping in my closet,” Raylene suggested.

“What’s the point? You’re skinny.”

“So, my friend, are you. Stop whining.” She gave
Sarah an encouraging look. “At least try on a couple of things. Those fancy dresses I paid a fortune to buy ought to be seen out in public. They’ve been shut away in a closet for too long.”

Sarah opened her mouth to suggest that Raylene ought to be the one wearing them, but her friend’s scowl kept her quiet.

“Don’t even start with that,” Raylene said fiercely. “Just find a pretty dress, so you can knock the man’s socks off.”

“The goal is to have him keep his clothes
on,
” Sarah protested, though the thought of Travis wearing nothing made her mouth turn dry.

Raylene gave her an incredulous look. “You have to be kidding me. Even I want that man’s body, and I’ve taken a vow of celibacy.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t
want
his body,” Sarah retorted. “I just meant that I don’t intend to let things go that far.” She gave Raylene one last chance to take back her offer. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to try on something of yours?”

“Try it on. Wear it someplace fabulous, and if you have even half a brain, let the man strip it off of you. Somebody in this house needs to start living again.”

Sarah stared at her with surprise. “You don’t sound at all like Annie. She thinks this whole date is nuts.”

“Maybe because she hasn’t seen the way your face lights up when you talk about Travis,” Raylene said. “I have. After coping with Walter, you deserve to have the time of your life with a guy who treats you decently, and if Travis can give you that, I’m all for it.”

“He could also wind up making me miserable.”

Raylene shrugged. “That’s life. It doesn’t come with guarantees. Walter made all sorts of vows, yet he still made you miserable.” She grinned wickedly. “And I’ll bet you never had any of the highs with him that you’ll have while things are good with Travis. You have to take some risks. Otherwise, you’re not living. You’re existing.”

Again, Sarah opened her mouth, only to have Raylene regard her with another quelling look. “Not talking about me,” Raylene said flatly. “Now, scoot and try on some clothes. You can put on a fashion show for me.”

Though she still wasn’t convinced that she’d fit into anything Raylene owned or that she’d have the nerve to wear something with a designer tag that cost more than she made in a month, Sarah went into her friend’s bedroom and opened the closet door. Her gaze immediately went to a sapphire-blue sundress that matched the color of her eyes. It was stunning in its simplicity.

Her hands actually shook as she took it off the hanger, then held it up in front of her. Her complexion immediately looked rosier, and her eyes seemed even larger. Stripping off her shorts and T-shirt, she slid the soft-as-silk fabric over her head and let it drift over her body. The bodice caressed and emphasized her breasts. The skirt skimmed her hips and swirled at her knees. It fit as if it had been custom-tailored for her. It was the kind of dress that could be fancied up with the right jewelry or made more casual with a summery scarf or wrap.

Sarah stood in front of Raylene’s mirror, staring at herself with shock. Her hair was a mess and she didn’t
have on so much as a hint of lipstick, but she actually looked radiant. And even more startling, she was thin! The vision actually overrode Walter’s voice at last. She could hardly deny the evidence right in front of her.

Swallowing hard, she walked back into the living room and stood hesitantly in front of Raylene. She knew her friend wouldn’t hold back. Whatever she said, it would be honest.

Raylene’s eyes lit up. “You look amazing,” she said softly. “That dress never looked half that good on me. The color is perfect for you. What do you think?”

“I fell in love with it before I got it off the hanger. I can’t believe it actually fits,” Sarah admitted.

“It fits like a dream,” Raylene assured her. “Try some more.”

“But I love this,” Sarah said, fingering the fabric.

“Why stop with one? I’m betting you’ll have more than one date. You might as well have the outfits all picked out.”

“But I shouldn’t be raiding your closet for an entire wardrobe,” she protested.

Raylene waved off her argument. “Those clothes represent nothing but bad memories for me. I only brought them over here after Paul was locked up because they were too nice to toss, and I didn’t have the strength to box them up and give them away to someone who’d look as fabulous in them as you do. Take whatever you want.”

She gave Sarah an imploring look. “Please, Sarah, do this for me. It makes me feel better knowing they’re being worn by someone who matters to me. After all you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do for you. It’ll make me feel like a fairy godmother.”

An hour later, Sarah had a half a dozen dresses they’d agreed were meant for her. “Now I can’t decide
which
dress to wear,” she told Raylene.

“But you have to admit, that’s a much nicer problem to have,” Raylene said with a grin.

Sarah laughed. She hadn’t felt this excited about a date since her very first one with Walter. She hadn’t felt this good about herself since back then, either. Maybe she really was about to have a whole new beginning. Hopefully, though, the ending would be a lot happier.

Travis and Sarah had agreed to have dinner at Sullivan’s, rather than driving over to Charleston. He’d been relieved when she said that was her choice, because he’d taken one look at her in a blue dress that bared her shoulders and clung to her curves and come very close to swallowing his tongue. He was pretty sure he didn’t belong behind the wheel of a car on a long drive, not the way he was fighting the temptation to touch her.

“You sure do clean up pretty,” he’d murmured in what had to be the understatement of the century.

As inept as the compliment had been, she beamed. “Thanks,” she said in a shy voice that was barely above a whisper.

At the restaurant, heads turned when they arrived. Alerted by the hostess, Dana Sue came dashing out of the kitchen even before they were seated and demanded that Sarah twirl around and show off her dress.

“Sweetie, you look absolutely beautiful. Tell me where you got that dress. It definitely wasn’t here in town.”

Sarah chuckled. “You’d be surprised what’s available in Serenity if you know where to shop.”

Dana Sue looked bewildered by the comment, as was Travis.

“Raylene,” Sarah told them. “It seems she has an entire wardrobe of things she doesn’t want to wear.”

“Well, she couldn’t have chosen anything more perfect for you,” Dana Sue said. “Now what can I bring you to drink? Champagne? Wine?”

“Iced sweet tea,” Sarah said. She glanced pointedly at Travis. “I need to keep my wits about me.”

Travis gave her a rueful look. “Hey, I’m totally trustworthy.”

“In what universe?” Sarah teased.

Dana Sue laughed. “So, two sweet teas?”

“I suppose so,” Travis said. After she’d gone, he said, “Do I really scare you that much?”

“No, I scare me. I haven’t felt like this in a long time, kind of giddy and out of control.”

The uncensored, totally vulnerable admission made Travis’s heart do an odd little stutter-step. “Sarah Price, what am I going to do with you?”

“Probably not what you’d like to do,” she said, again catching him off-guard with another daring display of her heretofore unknown wicked sense of humor.

Travis laughed. “You really are full of surprises tonight,” he said, just as his cell phone rang. Annoyed, he yanked it out of his pocket, intending to shut it off, when he saw that it was Tom. His cousin would only be calling if there were some kind of emergency. He knew how important this date was.

“Excuse me,” he said to Sarah. “I have to take this.” He punched the talk button. “This better be good.”

“How about the fact that your father showed up here
with his fiancée looking for you?” Tom said. “Is that good enough?”

Travis sighed. “Where is he now?”

“On his way to Sullivan’s. It seems he and the bride-to-be have an announcement that can’t wait.”

“And you told them where to find me? Are you nuts?”

“Believe me, I tried to send them away, but Greg was having none of it. Since he was getting on my nerves, I figured the best thing was to let you deal with him. I’m guessing you have about five minutes to make a run for it.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Travis said, then cut off the call.

Sarah studied him intently, then asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It seems my father’s on his way over here with his fiancée.”

“You don’t look happy about that. Is it because he’s here or because he has his fiancée with him?”

“Both, to be perfectly honest,” he said. “Care to sneak out through the kitchen with me?”

Her jaw set stubbornly. “After he’s come all this way? That would be rude.”

“This is going to be awkward and unpleasant,” he warned her.

“Only if you want it to be,” she said. “I want to meet your dad. I’ll be able to see for myself if you’re anything like him.” Her expectant gaze went toward the front door.

Travis just shook his head and waited. Less than a minute later, his father strolled in with Trina on his
arm. Travis glanced at Sarah and noted that her jaw had dropped.

“She’s…”

“Younger than me,” Travis supplied. “In fact, she and I went out back in college. I thought I’d mentioned that.”

“You did, but I guess it didn’t really register.”

There was an oddly worrisome expression on her face as she watched the couple cross the dining room, but Travis didn’t have time to question her about it.

“Hello, son,” his father said jovially. “Sorry to interrupt your evening, but we wanted you to be the first to know our news.”

“You should have let me know you were coming,” Travis said. “As you can see, I’m on a date.”

Sarah put a hand over his and smiled at the couple. “It’s okay. Join us. I’m Sarah Price.”

To Travis’s dismay his father beamed at her and took the invitation at face value.

“Don’t mind if we do,” he said, pulling out a chair for Trina. “Sarah, I’m Greg McDonald, and this is Trina Phelps.”

“We just couldn’t wait to fill you in,” Trina said, beaming. She actually slid her chair closer to his father’s and clasped his hand. She drew in a deep breath and then announced in a triumphant tone, “We’re having a baby.”

This time it was Travis’s jaw that dropped, though Sarah looked a little shell-shocked as well. So much for worrying about a prenuptial agreement, Travis thought. These two were now going to be tied for eternity.

“You’ll have a little half-brother or sister,” Trina gushed. “Isn’t that fabulous?”

“Fabulous,” Travis muttered. Even as he spoke, he heard the sound of the trap snapping closed, his father now firmly ensnared. His mother’s heartache was about to get much, much worse.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. By the time he and Sarah had been left alone, his mood was sour.

“You weren’t very pleasant to them,” she said accusingly.

“Because that little witch did this deliberately,” he said, drawing a shocked look from Sarah.

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t be that naive. The last time the three of us were together, I was encouraging my father to get a prenuptial agreement drawn up. Now this? I’m more convinced than ever that she’s after his money.”

“He really looks as if he loves her,” Sarah said.

“He’s besotted,” Travis said succinctly. “He’s always besotted with one woman or another. It never lasts. Usually, though, they’ve been more age-appropriate, and he’s always had his eyes wide open when it comes to the gold diggers.”

As soon as the harsh assessment crossed his lips, he saw something in Sarah’s expression shut down.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, determined not to let his father’s visit or his own sour mood destroy the evening.

“How many times in your life have you been
besotted,
just like your father?”

“Never,” he said at once. “At least not until you.”

“Come on. You’ve always been a self-admitted player.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Travis said, though he could see exactly why she might think it was. “Come
on, Sarah. Neither of us knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. We’re dating. We’re trying to figure out where this could go. It’s the first time I’ve cared about anyone enough to even think beyond a single date.”

Her expression remained bleak. “How can I believe that?”

“Because I’ve never lied to you,” he suggested. “Not about my past, not about anything.”

He thought for a minute he’d reached her, but he could see the second that doubts started crowding out facts.

“This was a mistake,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. I need to go.” She slid out of the booth. “Stay. Finish your dessert. I’ll catch a ride home with someone.”

Travis’s temper kicked in. He wasn’t sure if his exasperation was directed at his father for showing up, at Sarah for having so little faith in him, or himself for believing that they might have a real chance.

“You came with me,” he said quietly. “I’ll take you home. And don’t you dare create a scene. It’ll be bad for the station if the two of us are seen fighting in public.”

Her eyes, which had been dull with resignation, now sparked with fury. “That’s what you care about? That we don’t do anything that will reflect badly on the station?” Despite her scathing tone, she did lower her voice. “Maybe everyone was right about you, after all, Travis. I thought you had integrity and depth, but now I have to question that if your only concern is for your precious public image.”