“I think getting yourself out of a dangerous situation is more important than some stupid birthday party,” he said, with feeling. “There’s nothing selfish about asking for help when you desperately need it.”
Courtney’s gaze skimmed his face, the strength of his reaction clearly surprising her.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “I still felt bad, though. Little did I know that while I was sitting in a café with my uncle, pouring my heart out about all my troubles, his family were wondering why he’d run out of his own surprise party without explaining where he was going or why. My aunt Lorraine and my cousin, Rosie, ended up following him to find out what was happening, and that’s how we ended up meeting each other for the first time. When I realised I’d hauled him out of his birthday party, I could’ve died of embarrassment.”
Travis listened to all this, amazed by Courtney’s concern for other people and how her actions impacted on them. She’d described her uncle as kind and caring, and although he knew Courtney had only met the man recently, it was obvious that she shared those valuable traits with him.
“Anyway,” Courtney continued, “to cut a long story short, once my aunt and cousins got over the shock of discovering who I was, they insisted on helping me. My uncle hated that I was living in the bedsit in the first place, and with everything out in the open at last, he explained how he wanted to help me find somewhere new to live, instead of waiting on the council to identify a flat for me, which might not have happened until after the baby was born.”
“And that’s how you ended up living with your cousin?”
“Sort of. I was only supposed to stay with Rosie for a few nights, just to get away from the bedsit situation for a bit, but then I lost my job and…”
She trailed off, colour flushing her cheeks. “This is a real sob story. You must think I’m completely hopeless.”
Travis shook his head. “Not at all. I think it sounds like you’ve had a terrible time. A really terrible, awful, heart-wrenching time. I can’t imagine it.”
He trulycouldn’timagine it. When he put all the tragic pieces of Courtney’s story together, he was amazed she was still functioning.
“It’s been a tough year,” she said, her voice small. “When I found out I was pregnant and that the father wanted nothing to do with the baby, it was really hard. But with my mum on my side, I thought everything would be okay. It wouldn’t beeasy, but it would be okay.”
She let out a sad sigh and shook her head. “And then my mum died. And then I had to move out of our house and couldn’t afford anywhere to stay. Living in the bedsit was awful, and being attacked there was…”
Travis watched the panic swim into her eyes and saw what it took for her to push back against the frightening incident and not relive it.
“I could have done without that happening, let’s put it that way,” she said with a half-smile. “But from that awful incident, good things somehow happened, because it led to me finally meeting my aunt and my cousins, and I ended up staying with Rosie for the weekend and having such a lovely time. It was wonderful to escape the bedsit for a few nights, and leave behind my worries for a little while. And then my aunt and uncle said they wanted to help me find a new place to live, and help with the costs, too, which was like a gift from heaven…”
Her voice cracked with emotion. “It felt like maybe my life had turned a corner after all the upset and bad luck I’d gone through.” She gave him a weary look. “And then I lost my job because the shop where I worked went out of business. I mean, how is that fair?”
“It’snotfair.”
“With the job gone, I’ve probably lost my rights to any maternity pay, too. And as I’m so close to having my baby, I don’t think I have much chance of landing a full-time job, which means Istillcan’t afford to find a new place to live, even with help from my aunt and uncle, and…”
Courtney paused and blew out a breath before giving him a wry smile. “And if you think you might like to write a tragic epic saga novel one day, Travis, you should feel free to jot down some notes about my tale of woe to save you from having to come up with a properly melodramatic plot.”
Travis laughed, even as he wondered how she could find humour in any of this. It was, he supposed, a coping mechanism, a way to get through the tough times and fend off the darkness.
“Anyway, at least I’m not on the streets,” Courtney said. “I have a roof over my head and I’ve found family I never knew I had and who I already love so much. And I’ve got this job working for you, Travis. It might only be a few hours a week, but you’ve no idea how much it means to me to be doing something and earning a little money. Working as your assistant has saved my self-esteem and made me feel useful.”
“Youareuseful. If it wasn’t for you, my readers would be getting ripped off right now by some social media scammer.”
She gave a demure nod of her head, conceding the point even as she blushed. It wasn’t easy for her to accept the compliment, he realised. After everything that had happened to her lately, she found herself questioning herself and her decisions and herabilities, even although Travis knew instinctively she had no reason to.
“I hope things have turned a corner for you, Courtney, and that life gets better.”
“Me, too. And anyway, even in my darkest moments, I’ve always had this little one to look forward to. She’s what kept me going.”
Courtney rubbed her baby bump, and Travis saw how the light returned to her eyes as she thought of her child. It made her look even more beautiful, if that was possible. Travis felt his heart punch against his chest again, a hard staccato rhythm of pure longing.
I’m in serious trouble,he thought.
“Your baby will be very lucky to have you for her mother,” he said. “You’re a fighter and a warrior and far stronger than you realise.”
Surprise filled her features as her eyes held his for a long beat.
“Thank you, Travis. That’s a lovely thing to say.”
He could’ve happily sat at the kitchen table with Courtney for hours, just talking and learning more about this woman who had bewitched him. But when she glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and set her napkin down on her plate, he understood it was time for her to leave.
