“But . . . who would run the estate until then?”
“The lawyer seems to be running it well. Let him handle it.”
Josie bit her inner cheek. “Are you sure? That’s an awful load to carry for at least twenty years.”
Travis placed his hand over Josie’s. “God will take care of it all, just as He did this week. I trust our Heavenly Father more than before, and I will never be doubtful again.”
Josie turned her head towards Travis. “Me too.”
Travis’s arm slowly came around her, bringing her closer to him. As the right side of her body pressed against his, warmth traveled from her chest all the way to her toes. Josie’s heart skipped. She didn’t know whether to speak or move. She stayed still, staring into his eyes. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Jo,” he whispered. “I want this to work between us.”
Her lungs pinched. She tried to inhale a breath, but she didn’t know what to do. Had she heard him correctly?
“Me too.”
The words slipped out effortlessly, without thought or restraint. Josie’s pulse raced in her throat as Travis leaned closer, his mouth inches from hers. She ached for his touch, she longed for his kisses, but fragments of her nightmares echoed in her mind, drowning out her desire. A cold shiver raced down Josie’s spine, bumps rising on her skin.
Marcus’s hand latched around her throat, his scarred eye glaring with intensity.
The sound of him hitting the floor, the pool of blood running down the marble tiles.
Josie ripped away and turned her back to Travis, clutching the sheets as her breath hitched unevenly. The law would come for her eventually—it was only a matter of time. How could Travis hold her so closely, so intimately, when he didn’t know the wholetruth? She couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him again, not when he wanted so badly for this to work.
Lingering in his arms or treading another step forward in their marriage felt impossible. She wasn’t quite free from her past, not when she could be arrested any day. Josie wasn’t sure when that day would come, but she craved freedom more than anything.
“I’m sorry . . . I-I can’t . . . Not now.”
Travis scooted away until their bodies were no longer touching. “I’m sorry, Jo. I shouldn’t have acted so forward.”
Josie shook her head. “No . . . It’s my fault. I desperately want to make this work but . . .”
Tell him, tell him now.Josie shut her eyes, fighting her urge to cry. Her efforts were in vain as a tear drizzled down her cheek. The truth would set her free, but why was freedom miles away? How could she put this family through another heartbreak? It was better to remain distant once again than to submit to her growing feelings. This was the best choice for both of them.
Travis rolled onto his side, facing her back. Just him looking at her was as comforting as his touch, but she couldn’t bear to look at him.
“I think some rest would do us good,” he whispered.
Josie laid still on her side, staring at the wall. After rejecting him, she couldn’t bring herself to see the sadness she sensed in his voice. “Yes.”
Silence returned as though it was their companion. Josie pulled the covers to her chin. She was so close to having a real marriage with Travis, but now she was at the very beginning. Every bit of healing she believed she had gained vanished. Josie had believed her darkness would fade the day Nathan was born, but each ounce of light she gained was replaced by a sliver of gloom.
Josie looked over her shoulder. She wanted the man more than anything, but her pain and secret pushed him further fromher reach. Perhaps a life together was all a hopeless dream, even if she told him the truth.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Travisawokethenextmorning with a rush of energy. After days of rest, he felt strong enough to shovel all the snow from his front yard. Though still recovering, he sensed his strength slowly returning. Rolling over, he spotted Josie sleeping beside him. She looked absolutely breathtaking, her blonde hair tousled and her eyes closed in peaceful slumber. Propping himself on his elbow, Travis rested his head on his hand and gazed at his wife. He had feared that inviting her into his bed might fill him with guilt or discomfort, but instead, all he felt was peace.
He was determined to make this marriage work. Not just for the children, but for each other. There couldn’t be any more distance between them. Travis refused to miss another blessing from God, not after being given a second chance at life. He would dedicate the rest of his days to making Josie happy.
What troubled him was the way Josie had acted last night. Perhaps he went too far. After all, she was the one who rejectedhim. Perhaps an evening meal with candlelight could have been a better solution to bring them together. Josie wasn’t ready for physical touch or intimacy. One moment, she looked happy; the next, fear flashed in her eyes. He must have misread her intentions.
The thought of her past life disgusted him. Travis wished he could turn back time and confront Marcus, take him down with his bare hands—but that was impossible. Fate had served justice the day Marcus was buried in the ground. Josie didn’t deserve the treatment she endured, and Travis would spend each day proving she was safe. More than anything, he wanted to hold her, kiss her, and show her there was more to life than fear.
Travis raised his hand to caress Josie’s cheek but caught himself just in time. His heart stopped as Josie’s eyes fluttered open, and he quickly pulled back. He longed to offer her tenderness every morning, to show her how much he cared. But for now, he would rely on words of affirmation.
“Good morning, my beautiful wife.”
