Chapter Twenty-Six
Travis had spent the day at theresort, doing his best to focus.It hadn’t been easy when the only thing he wanted to do was call Brantley to find out what his cousin had found.If anything.At the same time, he was intent on ensuring his brothers didn’t find reason to question him.It wasn’t easy because they were fairly astute, usually catching on to any shift in his mood.
Somehow he managed to make it through the day without calling Brantley and without raising eyebrows.The urge to make that call was still there, growing more persistent by the minute, but he was determined to let it go.He was fighting the hope that was building, refusing to believe that Kylie could be alive.It wasn’t possible.No matter how much he wished it were.
Now, as he made his way up the stairs, he noticed Kate’s light shining under the door.
He stopped, rapping his knuckle on the wood once before opening it.“Shouldn’t you be asleep?”
She was sitting up in her bed, a pillow behind her and a book resting on her raised knees.
Kate glanced over and smiled.“I’m not tired yet.”
Jerking his chin in the direction of the book, he said, “What is that?”
She turned the book so he could see the cover.“Mommy used to read this to me.”
His chest tightened as it did whenever he heard pain in his children’s voices.
“I remember.”He walked over to the bed, sat on the edge by her legs.“You miss her, I know.”
Kate met his gaze.He expected to see pain in her light brown eyes, but it wasn’t there.
“What’s on your mind?”he asked, curious.
She looked away.“Nothin’.”
Travis patted her knee.“Talk to me, kid.Or I’ll tickle you.”
Kate jerked her knee away, giggling.“Don’t you dare.”
“I will,” he warned, grinning.
“I’m thinkin’ about Mommy.”
“What about her?”
There was a glimmer of reservation in her eyes before she finally said, “Mommy came to me in a dream.”
He understood that all too well because Kylie came to him in his dreams, too.Often.
“She was kinda there,” Kate explained.“Kinda not.”
“How so?”
Kate shrugged.
“Did you see her?”
“No.”She shook her head.“But I could hear her.She sounded far away.”
“Was it a good dream?”
She nodded.“She told me everything’s gonna be okay.”
“Mommy was always right,” he told his daughter.
“Is,” Kate corrected.“Mommyisalways right.”
