Chapter Twenty-Two
Parker
When Parker had placed her hand in Travis’s, she had no idea what to expect beyond feeling that same familiar zing that happened whenever they touched.The fact that they’d just had their first fight hadn’t tempered how she felt about him.The first make-up kiss they shared certainly hadn’t hurt either.She had kind of hoped that make-up sex was going to be next on the list, but after the sincere apology he’d given her for his having misjudged her, Parker couldn’t deny him anything.Her forgiveness had been easy enough to give.The care he showed for her and Kit was no less than he showed for the land he spent his whole life on, and even though it had hurt to have him looking at her like a thief, even for those few brief seconds, she understood why he’d thought that.
Travis was just like one of the trees he cared for so deeply.Solid and strong, with deep roots and a way of providing for those around it, and just like those trees, he too needed care, attention, and love.He’d gotten a great deal of it from his family, but that wasn’t quite the same as getting it from another person romantically.Parker was proud to be the one to provide him the type of love he’d been missing for too long, just as she was proud to know that he would be that for her.Even through the misunderstanding earlier, they’d worked through it and declared their love for one another.They’d moved past old hurts to be flexible with one another, and now they moved through the orchard toward a future that was brighter than the sun that beamed down on them from above.
The further they walked, the thinner the group of trees became until they were crossing a small expanse of empty land.The brush and dirt underneath looked like they hadn’t been stepped on for nearly one hundred years, and when they came to a stop in front of a small home that looked about as old as the land, that timeline was basically confirmed.The design of the house itself was solid but definitely from another era.Dulled white siding that was cracked, chipped, and covered with dirt wrapped around the exterior walls while the inside remained a mystery, hidden behind windows that were covered with a century’s worth of grime.A screen door with a deep gash in the mesh door hung off its hinges, the frame bent and bowed from years of being exposed to the weather, and the porch itself looked like it not only seen better days, but that those days had occurred more than two lifetimes ago.
Parker stood next to Travis, looking at the old Victorian style home that was in serious need of some repairs if not a total rebuild and wondering what they were doing there.Turning to him, she smirked when she saw that he’d been looking at her the whole time.He was so handsome, and the fact that he found her worthy of staring at too gave her a bit of an ego boost.
“I’m not having make-up sex in this house, Travis.”Travis barked a laugh and wrapped his arm around her, holding her body tightly to his.The warmth pouring off his body had her tempted to retract her statement, but one more glance at the neglected home had her holding firm to it.“That place looks like it’s one stiff breeze away from collapsing, and as much as I love you, I haven’t had my tetanus shot in too long to risk it.”
Travis smiled at her indulgently.“Not here for that.Not yet anyway.”At her raised brow, he turned them to face an expanse of land that stretched out far and wide with only a few trees occasionally dotting the landscape.“Was thinking about what you could do at the farm once the season’s over.”
Parker’s breath caught.“There’s a job for me?”There was no way she would be leaving anyway, even if she had to beg Lottie for help finding a job washing dishes at whatever greasy spoon would take her.She and Kit had made a home here and Parker wanted to keep it forever.
Travis leaned down and kissed her temple.“If you want one, but if you want to take some well-deserved time off, you’ve got that too.”He took her hand, lacing their fingers together as he walked them around the property.“Been working for a long time, and like you, I don’t need more than a roof over my head, food in my belly to be content.My salary will more than cover that for the three of us.”
Parker’s heart soared at his automatic inclusion of her daughter.“I appreciate that, but I like to stay busy.”The pulled Travis to a stop and reached up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.“Not that I wouldn’t mind a few breaks during the day to get in a little rest with you.”
Travis’s chest rumbled as he leaned back down and took her mouth in a deeper kiss, the kind of kiss that makes your toes curl and your mind wipe clean.“Keep distracting me.”He winked at her before stepping over some fallen barbed wire and helping her across.
“Not sorry about it.”Parker smiled as she followed him.“You know for someone who seemed pretty big on property rights, you have no qualms about trespassing on someone else’s.”
Travis tugged her hand until she bumped into him.“I am very respectful of other people’s property.”He rubbed the back of his neck before gazing down at her, his expression nervous yet hopeful as he licked his lips.“This one happens to be mine now.”
Parker gasped at the admission, barely noticing when he’d stopped near one of the trees, plucking something off of a branch and showing it to her.The shriveled lump rolled around in her palm, looking more like a raisin than anything that grew on a tree.The longer she studied it, stared at its dark, wrinkled skin having no idea what she was looking at, the deeper the frown on her face became.
“What is this?”she finally asked.
Travis bumped her with his shoulder, his eyes teasing.“Well past its season, but thought even you’d recognize your favorite fruit.”He held his palm under hers and rolled the small dried ball around in her hand.
Parker gazed back down at stale fruit, seeing what once would have been a lovely, ripe cherry.When the full impact of what he’d done, taken something special from her past and brought it into her present, her eyes watered.
Clutching onto the old fruit, Parker sniffled when she met Travis’s gaze once more.“You bought a cherry farm?”
Travis cupped her cheek, his bright green eyes shining with love for her.“Yup.Bought it for us.”He pressed a kiss to her lips as his thumb stroked her cheek.“I know it’s early, but I thought you, me, and Kit could have a life here.”
