Patricia Thayer - Travis Comes Home

Three hours later, Josie was settled in the big bed in the ivory-colored guest room. She felt strange about staying at the Circle B. The last thing she wanted to do was intrude in Hank Barrett’s life. She’d only planned to come and see the man that her mother had loved all these years. Josie’s father.

But her mother, Elissa Romero, had never told Hank about the child she carried twenty-five years ago. Instead, she had married Raul Gutierrez to give her daughter a father. It hadn’t been a happy union. Although when Raul had wanted to marry the pregnant Elissa, and promised that his love would carry over to her baby, it hadn’t. He couldn’t handle a child of mixed blood with hazel eyes. A constant reminder that his wife had loved someone else. Raul had never been physically abusive, but his cutting words had hurt Josie and her mother.

Maybe that was the reason Elissa Gutierrez had given up so easily when she had been diagnosed with cancer. Even all Josie’s prayers had failed to instill in Elissa the will to live. She was too weak to fight the fatal disease, and Josie lost her. But there had been one thing she had given her daughter before her death. She had revealed the name of her father.

The soft-spoken, widowed rancher from San Angelo, Hank Barrett.

Tears formed in Josie’s eyes. She had wanted to hate her mother for so much, for keeping her father from her…and for dying. All her life, people had abandoned her. First her father and now even her baby’s father.

Frank Hobbs had worked on a ranch outside El Paso. He’d come into the diner one night. Josie had been working double shifts during her mother’s illness. It wasn’t long before his good looks and charm worked on Josie, and they began to date. But Josie’s first concern was her mother and a career in photography. Frank only wanted her in his bed. The night of her mother’s death, Josie had turned to Frank, and they ended up making love. And making a baby.

“I’m just like my mother,” she breathed as she wiped the tears off her face. “No, I’m worse.” She hadn’t even loved the man she had given herself to so easily. And Frank was grateful that she didn’t want to marry him. There was one thing Josie was sure of, she wanted this baby. She already loved her or him. The baby had been the reason she’d come to San Angelo. She needed to see her biological father, to form some connection between him and the child. But by the looks of things, with Chance, Cade and Travis, Hank Barrett had all the family he needed.

A knock sounded on the door, and Travis walked into the room, carrying a tray. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she answered. A warmth traveled through her body as she watched the good-looking man come toward her. He had showered and changed into a pair of new jeans and a starched blue shirt. His sandy-brown hair was damp, falling over his forehead, making his espresso eyes stand out.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said. “Joy, Chance’s wife, along with Abby and Ella are downstairs cooking up a storm. That’s a good thing because it isn’t safe to leave Ella alone in the kitchen.”

“But isn’t she the cook and housekeeper here at the ranch?”

He actually smiled at her. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you’re feeling better.”

She was having trouble with his sudden kindness. “I will be gone by then.”

Travis set the tray down on the bed and drew a calming breath. Why did this woman have to be so argumentative? He glanced at her wrapped ankle and the bag of ice resting on top of it. She wasn’t going anywhere—not anytime soon. Besides, she didn’t have a drivable car.

His gaze returned to her face. Although still a little pale, Josie Gutierrez was strikingly beautiful. Her long dark hair was braided and hung down her back, while strands of curls had sprung free and circled a heart-shaped face. Large green-gray eyes revealed a lot, sadness and fatigue. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t help but feel a kinship with her. She looked as lonely as he felt. And although it would be wiser to send her away, he couldn’t.

Not when he’d been responsible for her accident.

“Let’s wait a few days and see how you feel,” he suggested. “Now, eat. That’s orders from the kitchen.”

She stared at the big bowl of stew, green salad and homemade biscuits. “I can’t possibly eat all this.”

“Just give it a try,” he suggested. “I can guarantee it’s good. Besides, I can’t face the ladies downstairs unless you’ve made a dent in some of that food.”

This woman didn’t give in easily. He watched her finally pick up the spoon and dig into the stew. He held his breath until two large bites disappeared. “Oh, don’t forget your vitamins,” he said as he reached for the bottle on the bedside table. He handed her a pill, then held out a glass of milk.

She took a long drink, then made a face. “I hate milk.”

“Well, you’re going to have to change that, because the baby needs it.”

Josie’s spoon played in the stew. “Does everyone know about the baby?”

He shrugged. “Ella saw the vitamins. If you think they’re going to judge you…”

Her hazel eyes locked with his in a fiery stare. “I’ve been judged all my life,” she said. “I was just concerned about my chances for the brochure job.”

Travis hated to admit he’d been wrong about Josie. She hadn’t been a photographer from a Houston paper. While he’d been waiting at the hospital, he’d looked at her driver’s license, telling himself that he might need to contact family. Josie Gutierrez’s home address was in El Paso.

His mistake made him feel like a heel. He grimaced, remembering the cruel things he’d accused her of. He’d tried to chase her off the ranch out of vengeance. He was damn lucky that she hadn’t been seriously hurt.

“Look, we’ve all been judged at one time or the other.” Hell, he didn’t want to think about how his situation was affecting the family. “If your pictures are good, then Abby and Cade will hire you.”

“If I don’t get that job, I’ll need to find something. What about my car?” she asked.

“Your car is fine,” he lied. “I’ll handle it myself.”

“I have insurance, but the deductible…”

He raised a hand. “I said, I’d handle it.” He headed for the door, then paused. “Now finish that dinner and get some sleep. If you need anything just holler. My room is right next door.” Before she could protest, he walked out. But he knew he hadn’t heard the last from Josie Gutierrez. To his surprise, he was looking forward to the next time.

After dinner, Travis went out to the backyard patio. The evening was still warm as he took a seat at the table to enjoy some peace and quiet—something that had escaped him since he’d been home. But maybe Ms. Gutierrez’s crashing into their lives would draw attention away from him. Ella sure was crazy about having another person to care for. But how long was their house guest going to be around? The doctor wanted to recheck her ankle in five days. She couldn’t leave before then. Not without her car. He’d had it towed to a body shop, praying that the battered vehicle wasn’t going to be totaled. He knew that Josie was traveling with limited funds. She’d hadn’t minced words when she told him she needed a job.

Earlier, he realized that Josie wasn’t as tough as she tried to make people think. He could see the fear in her eyes. She was pregnant. And alone. He shook his head. How could a man not want his own child?

Travis tensed. He knew firsthand not all people were cut out to be parents. His mother, Dana Barnes-Randell, was great, as much as he could remember of her. But not his daddy, that was for sure. Hell, Jack Randell couldn’t stay out of trouble long enough to take care of his boys. The man hadn’t thought twice about what was going to happen to three sons when he got sent to prison. Chance, Cade and Travis had been lucky, though. Hank Barrett had come along and taken them in. For twenty years the widowed rancher had been the only father that they’d known, or claimed.