It Shouldn't Be You, page 2
“It is! I can’t believe I was so blind,” she said disgustedly.
No sobs of despair. No words on how her love was wasted on him. He knew she was upset, but Travers had an idea it wasn’t because she had just left the love match of a lifetime. On the one hand, he had to admit he wanted to know, but when he thought about his calendar and what this meant, he kept his mouth shut.
There would be no dating for him, after all.
Red had done it again. She’d inserted herself in his life and messed up his life plans. How could he even look at any other woman when the one he wanted was right next to him?
“You brought me to the church?” Colleen asked, looking at Travers, confused.
“There are some benches in the back where they have picnics after service. I brought you here because no one will come here looking for you. And because my dad always said you could go to a church to think or talk. There was always an ear waiting to hear from you.”
They walked to the back of the church, and sure enough, there were some empty benches. A couple of older couples were there and some matrons from the church, but all in all, they were alone.
“So, you want to talk strategy?” Travers asked.
“Strategy? I didn’t even think to this point,” she confessed.
“I hate to be the one to say it—”
“You hate to be the one, but you’ll say it anyway. What is it?”
“You don’t seem to be emotionally crushed and crying your eyes out, so why agree to this in the first place?”
“Oh, Sunshine, the world isn’t as bright as it seems. Some of us have problems.”
“My world isn’t perfect, Red. However, I’ll try to listen with an open mind.”
Colleen folded her hands on the wooden table. She couldn’t believe she was going to talk to Travers. He was the last person she wanted to confess to, but he might be neutral enough to hear her.
“I’m tall,” she blurted. Then she looked at Travers. He raised his eyebrows and rolled his hand for her to continue.
“There isn’t a whole lot more. I’m tall. I’ve been the tallest girl in my class all of my life. That, with this red hair, has made me stand out.”
Travers' eyebrows scrunched together. Colleen knew she sounded crazy to Travers. He didn’t understand what it was like to grow up with a mother who kept telling her that true love existed and that her prince would look beyond her height and see her heart and accept her for who she was.
“So my height . . . right. It’s not considered an asset or attractive to most men in Chusada. It definitely wasn’t considered a great asset by any male in this town. So when I left Chusada early in my career and met Luis, I thought I was getting the best of both worlds. I found a man who didn’t mind my height, and he wanted to set up in my hometown.”
“Your height is negligible next to your mind and wit, Red!” Travers said as he looked across the table. “If the only thing a man sees when he looks at you is your height, he’s got other problems, and you don’t want to be bothered with him.”
She lifted her head and saw nothing but sincerity in Travers' eyes. She got a warm glow that brought a smile to her face. “You know that is the nicest—”
“As for the opinion of this town, let’s look at the preconceptions they have. Their thoughts on your height we can overlook because it just emphasizes they haven’t seen enough of the world to know how much of an asset your height is. Looking at Chusada, that is a different beast altogether, as there is no format or time when this small-minded town is acceptable.”
She was about to reply when her phone rang again. Colleen took it out and placed it on the table. It was Luis.
“Come on, Red, pick it up. It’s time to face the music and show the public why they should fear redheads.”
Chapter Three
There was an anxiousness in Travers that he couldn’t account for. He was Mr. Cool under pressure: give them a smile, and all the while do the research it takes to bring them down. Colleen was a different matter altogether.
When she put the phone down on the table and then pressed the speaker button, he should have gotten up and left. He thought about it, but when she looked at him with those sable-brown eyes, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Okay, she was having image issues. He couldn’t really imagine that being it, but what did he know? He wasn’t a woman. Did he really think he could figure this out and help Red? The fact that he hadn’t moved spoke volumes.
Travers could just see it now, him trying to explain to the board the reason he was running late on reporting the possible issues with their signature supply chain was that he was with a woman he couldn’t get out of his thoughts.
One of the possible issues happened to be with his family. If Butler Hotels didn’t fire him for being irresponsible, they would undoubtedly do so for nepotism. Everyone at Butler Hotels knew his brother was in charge of making the signature stuffed pillows and throw blankets that were in every Butler Hotels room. He’d run that gauntlet already, but now when someone was trying to take over Butler Hotels and discredit his friend Liam Butler into stepping down as CEO, everything was being looked at twice to prove Liam wasn’t the right man for the job anymore.
Travers would go to Plentiful to speak to his brother about the business concerns and resolve them. It would be an easy matter, and then he could go back to his life. He would have never given this job to his older brother if it hadn’t been for his dad. His dad had passed away from Alzheimer’s. Fortunately, his father had passed in his sleep, but not before setting Travers straight and explaining how family stuck together.
His thoughts were interrupted by the phone call that was happening before him.
“Luis—”
“Colleen, where are you?”
“It’s not important where I am. What’s important is—”
“What’s important is you need to get back here. You are embarrassing me.”
A picture was truly worth a thousand words, and if Luis could have seen Colleen’s face, he would have known this path was not the way to go.
“Embarrassing you? Do you think I care about you being embarrassed?”
“Is it that time of the month—?”
“That time of the month? No, it’s that time in my life! It’s the time in my life when I decide you are not the one!”
“Colleen, don’t do anything rash again. Where are you so I can talk some sense into you?”
“If you think me leaving was rash, you’re going to think the next move is just crazy! I’m done, Luis! You can find another woman to step over to become D.A.!"
He watched her end the call and then sit back, fuming on the bench. She was quicker than a customer trying to leave before paying the bill. In moments, Colleen had slammed her phone on her past and just signed up to be a part of Travers' future.
Travers looked from the phone to Colleen.
“Well, I would have never been able to predict that conversation. What happened to the cool, calm, and collected lawyer?”
“You heard him! He was acting like a caveman.”
Travers could hear the defeat creeping into her voice, and it churned something in him that he wasn’t ready to look at.
“He doesn’t even really want me, and that’s the whole problem.”
“Hey, we can make a break for it. You can be the red-headed Bonnie to my debonair, Clyde.”
“I’ve got nothing, Sunshine,” she moaned.
Travers tapped the table and then stood back and posed. “You’ve got me, Red. Ask anyone, that’s a winning hand every day of the week.”
“I’m hoping it is a winning hand because until I get a chance to call my bestie, you’re going to be footing the bill for this trip.”
He held out his arm for her to take as they walked back to the car.
“So, do I get any benefits for helping out a damsel in distress?”
Colleen put her hand to her mouth in mock surprise.
“I’ve seen your rap sheet. You should be paying me to let you help me out because you need to get in some good deeds,” she smirked.
“So you say. Do you have any ID or money in your house?” he asked.
Colleen looked at him with an odd look. “I have money, but my ID is in my car with my bag.”
“Well, that just means we need to break into your house and get you some clothes. I’ve got money, and we’ll get your ID later.”
Colleen stopped and looked at him. “Break into my house? I have to ask, Mr. Straightlaced, do you even know how to break into a home?”
Travers smiled. “You said it yourself; I’ve got a rap sheet a mile long.”
“I was joking. Do you?”
“Ah, Red, come on. Let’s get your clothes so I can get on the road.”
Her apartment looked clear if you ignored Luis’ car sitting in the front of her place.
“Do you see anyone?” Travers whispered.
“No, but I see Luis’ car. He won’t go anywhere without that car, so he must be here,” she whispered back. She wanted to run-up to the front, get her spare key, and go into her place. Travers thought the plan was too simple and that by now, someone had taken the key to stop her.
“Are any of your windows open?”
Colleen thought about it. “Yes, my bedroom window is open. We can squeeze in there.”
Travers looked around the front. “I’m telling you if this was a heist, I’d call it off, and we’d have to try another day.”
“Well, we can’t! You need to go. I need to getaway. But I won’t live in these clothes for who knows how long.”
Colleen watched Travers shake his head. “This is why you don’t bring amateurs to the game,” Travers snorted.
“Hey, maybe I haven’t been breaking and entering on my downtime, but I can get into my place. If we follow the hedge line, it will take us to the back of my apartment.”
Travers nodded. “Thank goodness you live on the first floor.”
They snuck around the building by going through the bushes. Colleen was sure this would not be a quick in and out.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she heard Travers exclaim. Colleen looked around him to see what the problem was.
“What? And lower your voice.”
“Lower my voice? Look at the window. It’s not a regular size.”
Colleen looked up, and she had to admit, when management had the window installed, she thought it was dainty. Not that she would be trying to break into her own apartment.
“Well, since we are sharing the good news. I have to tell you I can’t open the window from outside. It’s a bit stuck, and the maintenance guys were coming to fix it, but I was never home. On top of that, it’s a little high.”
Travers looked up. “The height isn’t a problem, but getting through the window . . .”
Colleen looked at the window and then back to him.
“Take your shirt off. I’ll get the step stool the gardener always leaves around here. If you take off your shirt, you should have enough wiggle room to get in.”
“I don’t know, Red—”
“It’ll work, trust me,” Colleen said as she unbuttoned his shirt. When Travers was standing there shirtless, she had to take a moment to breathe. It wasn’t just his eyes that were hypnotic. This was definitely a gym body. She quickly turned away, hoping that he couldn’t hear how rapidly her heart was beating.
After she had positioned the step stool and looked over her shoulder, she patted it.
“Should I bark and wait for a fish?” Travers said, aggravated.
“Please, Travers. I know it’s a pain, but please.”
Travers grumbled, but he took a step up and pushed the window. At first, Colleen thought he wouldn’t be able to move the window. If he couldn’t, it wouldn’t be a loss as far as she was concerned. Colleen never knew there were so many muscles in the back. Watching him flex and stretch was an education in and of itself.
Finally, it opened. He turned back with a smile. He pushed it all the way up and then hoisted himself into the window. Travers turned and put his hand out of the window with a smile. Just as she was taking a step on the stool, she saw another body ram into Travers and throw him to the ground, if the thud was to be believed.
“She’s mine!”
Colleen recognized the voice. It was Luis.
“I’ve invested in her, and I plan on collecting!”
Never in her life had she wished she was just an inch or two taller. It took her two attempts to pull herself to the ledge. She was grateful she put on her old jeans because as she threw her leg over the side, she could hear them tear. She wouldn’t fret now. Depending on where the rip was, she could still wear the jeans. Finally, she rolled onto the floor and barely missed the two men fighting in her bedroom.
Travers and Luis were like two wary lions sizing each other up. It was the first time she’d ever seen anything but a happy look on Luis’ face, and it was not a good look for him. He was in a blue t-shirt and blue jeans, and both of them were grappling with one another on her bedroom floor.
Colleen couldn’t let this go on. Travers had gotten into this mess because of her.
“Hey, Guys? Can we pretend we’re adults and break it up?’ she said to them both. It was as if she hadn’t spoken at all, and she had to take a step back because she thought they were coming towards her.
Time being of the essence and determined to address this issue, she looked around the room looking for something to help Travers with. Behind her, she could hear the blows being exchanged between the men. Her options were few. She picked up the night-light beside her bed and got behind the men. When Luis was on her side, she smashed the small night-light over his head.
Luis put his hand to his head, turned to see Colleen, and then fell onto her bed. After he had dropped, she looked between him and Travers.
“Is he dead?”
“I had him!” Travers said. Travers reached over and touched his neck. “No, he’s just knocked out.”
Her adrenaline was high, and she kept looking for a sign from Luis that he was well.
“I can’t see him breathing, Travers! I—”
Then she felt Travers pull her into his embrace.
“It’s the aftershock. Let it pass. I’m here.”
Colleen trembled in his arms for a moment and then buried her face in his shoulder.
After a minute or two, she pushed away.
“I have to get clothes.”
“He could wake at any moment. We don’t have a rope,” Travers said.
Colleen smiled. “We have something better than rope. Colleen went to her closet and pulled out her corset.
“What is that?” Travers asked.
“And you call yourself a man of the world. It’s a faja, or in layman’s terms, a corset.” She laid it on the bed, and she and Travers rolled Luis in it. She closed the metal clasps and made sure Luis’ arms were straight down.
Travers looked dubious when they were done. “Is that going to hold him?”
Colleen gave him a sly look. “That corset has held more in place than this guy.” She went to her closet and pulled out some pants and a couple of tops.
“Okay, let’s go,” she said. Just then, Luis started to wake. Colleen could tell when he was aware because he tried to get up and immediately fell back to the bed.
“Luis, I need you to listen to me. I’m not marrying you. Not now or ever.” Every time he got ready to speak, he couldn’t get enough breath.
“I know, I know, Luis. You and every woman understand how hard it is to talk in a corset. What I can tell you is, you can get out, but until you do, my suggestion is to take very small breathes. Goodbye, Luis. Please forget me.”
Chapter Four
They had been driving for three hours listening to nothing but classical music. Colleen thought she was cultured, but if she had to listen to one more soprano hit a high note, she was sure she was going to go mad.
Finally, the highway gave way to a town, and then the town gave way to lanes of well-manicured lawns.
“What are we doing here? I thought you were going to check out your plant where you did the manufacturing.”
“I am, but it’s run by my older brother, David. So I have to go back to meet him first.”
Colleen nodded as she looked at a town that could have been any town in the USA. She recalled asking her mom how come they couldn’t live in a nice house, and she’d always said they had enough. As a young woman always being picked on, their lack was consistently a sore point with her. The children would tease that she didn’t have a home or clothes that fit right because she was so tall that as soon as her mother got them, she outgrew them. Colleen remembered the taunts of those kids. She remembered and, as a result, always bought her size or got her clothes custom made.
“Not a bad neighborhood,” she said.
“I’ve always thought it was nice,” Travers said as he continued to drive. Colleen waited for him to pull in to one of the homes. Instead, he drove past them all. Travers went past a garbage dump site, and on the other side of it, Travers drove very slowly. Colleen wasn’t sure why he was driving slow. Was it because the road was in such disrepair, or did he not want to attract attention?
Finally, he pulled in to a little driveway next to a rusty pickup truck.
“Why are we here?” Colleen asked.
Travers smirked. “Because my older brother, like my father, didn’t believe in using your money to live better. They thought it would make you weak, and so there was no need to move from here, the house works just fine.”
“With your silver tongue, I’m surprised you couldn’t get them to move,” Colleen said, looking dubiously around the yard.
“If it offends you, you can stay in the car. I wouldn’t be surprised that at the first sign of real drama, you stayed in the car.”
Colleen turned to him and looked confused. “Did I deserve that?”
Travers ran his hands through his hair. “Sorry, I’m home, that means I’m on edge. Either way, you didn’t come out here to be caught up in the Warner family drama, so again, I apologize.”
