It Shouldn't Be You, page 4
Chapter Six
This was a sign of the times. Here she was just crossing the South Carolina line and making a call on a payphone in a dingy truck stop. Colleen had discovered some things. Travers could sleep anywhere and through anything. He’d stayed asleep while she had blasted her music to keep awake. He’d slept through the frost when she turned the air conditioner on high blast as well. Yes, it was confirmed, nothing would come between Travers and his sleep.
Maybe that was one of the reasons Colleen hadn’t felt bad about running through Travers pockets to find some change. She dropped the quarter in and called Elissa. The phone rang three times, and Colleen prayed that Elissa would pick up for the unknown number.
“Elissa?”
“Colleen? Is it you? Where are you and—?”
“Wait, I have to go first. I put in a quarter in a payphone, and I don’t know how much time I have.”
“Shoot.”
“I’m with Travers. We are looking into the factory. I left my phone someplace else.”
“Food, water, money?”
“Travers has money, and we have food and water. Texted Luis, and he called the police, so I’m leaving the state with Travers.”
“Cops came. You’re right, Luis is crazy. If you—"
Please deposit ten cents for another five minutes.
Colleen dropped in her last quarter.
“Sorry, this time goes way shorter. Back in the day, the telephone company was making a killing.”
Elissa chuckled. “Be safe.”
“I’ve got Travers.”
“Do you? Or does he have you?”
“Too much insight, not enough time. Love you, and don’t believe Luis.”
“Love you more, and I wouldn’t believe that weasel over you on any day. Be safe.”
Colleen hung up the phone and let out a breath. She looked over to the car and saw Travers moving in it. It was time to face the music, and she had a feeling he wasn’t going to be as compliant as he had been last night on the drive here. He especially wasn’t going to be happy when he found out he was now a kidnapper.
Food. Travers was so hungry. All through the night, he had weird dreams of being left in the artic as punishment for trusting his brother. Then Travers dreamed that he had been sent to the bowels of hell to listen to music only an 80’s child could love. There was even a time when he felt like his bed had shrunk, and it had been transformed into a rocking cradle. All of that was crazy.
Then he opened his eyes and made a discovery. He was not in his bed. He didn’t move, unsure of where he was or what the situation was. He listened for a minute and realized no one was around him. When he tried to flex his legs, Travers felt the immediate pins hit him that told him he was a lot of places, but he definitely was not on the couch or in his bed at Loretta’s.
He finally decided to open his eyes and take stock of where he was. Travers had no clue where he was or how he had gotten here. The only thing that gave him any modicum of relief was seeing Colleen coming to the car.
He touched the back of his head. Certainly, that would be the only reason he would be in the car. He must have hit his head, and Colleen and Loretta put him here. Why didn’t they just put him in the house? Travers had questions. He started to get a very strange feeling the closer Colleen got to the car.
Red’s smile was entirely too bright, and she was walking with a little too much pep in her step. Although if he were honest, he’d have to say that he was pleased about that extra dip in her hip. No matter when he saw her, Red had a way of brightening up his smile.
His smile dimmed a bit when he thought about the betrayal of his brother. Travers had to think; he’d be able to figure out some way to help Liam. Having the signature gift of the hotel made from outside the United States would not look good for the board.
The door opened, and Red slid in the driver's seat.
“I’m so glad that you’re up. I’ve never seen anyone sleep that hard.”
“After jumping from plane to plane, rescuing you, and driving here, it catches up with you, and a person can crash. Where are we?”
“Well, thank goodness it’s not serious. If you look in the back, I got a small selection of snacks for you to munch on. I suppose we can look for a diner though if you’re starving. I mean, after all that sleeping, you must be,” rambled Colleen.
“Where are we?”
“You know, my glucose could just drop if I don’t eat in small intervals.” Then Colleen turned and brought forward a snack box that had thirty-six bags of assorted snacks.
Travers looked around, trying to get his bearings. It was still warm for the early part of the year. Everyone he saw around him had on summer gear. He wasn’t that far from Florida. Travers just needed to know exactly where he was.
“I appreciate you wanting to feed me, but I’d appreciate knowing where are we?”
“Well, we’ve just left the state of South Carolina and made our first stop in North Carolina.”
Travers waited for her to continue. Indeed, there had to be more to this story.
“Please, don’t let me stop you. Go on and explain why we aren’t in Florida. I know I can crash, but normally what happens is when I crash in Florida, I wake up in Florida. I can see this is going to be a unique experience, and I’d like a little more explanation if you would?”
Red was looking everywhere but at him. It wasn’t like her not to face things head-on, so whatever it was, he knew it was serious.
“Come on, Red, help me out.”
“Well, in my defense, I want you to know that I would have consulted you if I could have woken you up.”
“I know,” he said as if he were trying to get closer to a dangerous animal. “What happened, and how did we get here?”
“Well, it started with your sister saying we had to get out.”
Travers put his hand to his forehead, and bits and pieces came back to him of Loretta yelling about the past and him and David not respecting her sacrifice. He knew that Loretta felt a little lost, but he never knew how underappreciated she felt. Still, with all of that, she threw him out?
“Okay, that gets me on the street in Florida. It doesn’t mean we have to leave the state and travel over two others for things to calm down between my sister and me.”
“You’re right, but then Luis texted me.”
“I should have known he wouldn’t give up so easily. What was it? Was he on the way to Loretta’s house in order to start trouble? I could have handled that. In fact, the way I’ve been feeling lately, that would have been a stress reliever.”
“The other reason I left is that Luis has put out a bulletin saying you have taken me hostage, and I’ve been kidnapped.”
Travers looked at her, waiting for the punch line to come. There had to be a punch line.
“You don’t just leave a joke there, Red, you have to finish it.”
“It’s no joke. I don’t know how extensive it is, but I thought it would kill two birds with one stone if we just left Florida.”
“Leaving Florida, I see, but this path seems a little more directed to a goal. Where are we going? Do you have a hideaway house in North Carolina?”
“Well, the long and short of it is when Loretta finished talking, I figured, we’d come this far, we could go on and see this factory. There, it’s out and said.”
“You can’t just move a factory,” Travers said in a very calm voice. Travers felt anything but calm. Move a factory; it was ridiculous.
“Travers, you won’t know what he did until you get there and look,” she protested.
“I disagree. When a crazy person says they have moved a factory, we have to accept that they have lied. They are taking the money and getting it manufactured someplace else and probably living very well off of the rest of the budget.”
“Or we can—”
Travers held up his hand and cut off Colleen.
“This isn’t a game. You can’t just decide you want to fix someone’s life because you don’t want to deal with yours. I am not a therapy project for you!”
After the words were blurted out, Travers wished he could pull them back.
“So let’s go over it, Sunshine! You could have left me at any time. I didn't ask for your help. I was trying to get away on my own. As for the factory and your brother? You don’t know crap! You are so blind that he tricked you.”
Travers wanted to yell back and tell her that she didn’t understand and that it wasn’t her place, but he realized that as soon as he brought her to Loretta’s house, he had made her a part of this. It didn’t help that she was right. He was ready to believe the worst of his brother. Travers knew if he did, he wouldn’t have to worry about the disappointment in him not being able to reach out and have any kind of relationship with his brother since their father died.
“I’m sorry, Red. This is hard, and I wasn’t ready for it.”
Colleen reached out and put her hand over his.
“I can’t say I completely understand, but what I can say is that I get an eccentric family. However, this trip isn’t just about you. We should confront your brother one way or another. You need to know so you can make a plan.”
Travers thought on what Red was saying, and she was right. Instead of just accepting fate, he pulled back to what he knew and decided to brazen it out.
“Well, since we’ve decided to go on the road trip, let’s get it underway. It’s not every day that we can say we’re wanted by the police and going to see a fairyland all in the same trip,” he said sarcastically.
“Sunshine—”
“Let it go, Red. This is going to have to do. Let’s fill up, go take care of your business and then get back on the yellow brick road to see my brother.”
Chapter Seven
They got back on the road, and Colleen was grateful that Travers wanted to drive. There were so many questions to be answered, and her life was in turmoil, but she’d never felt calmer. Colleen was sure she must be going through some type of denial. Denial was the only reason she could come up with for her carefree feeling.
“So, what is it that you like about me, Red?”
Colleen almost choked when she heard the question.
“You know, I was just sitting here thinking that I must need some type of mental help to be here with you with everything else that is going on. Then you ask me that question, and I know I have to see my therapist when this is over, and we get back.”
“Come on, there must be something about me that you like?”
“Fishing for compliments, Sunshine?”
“No, I’m hoping to pass the time with some type of engaging conversation as I go to my uncertain end.”
“Well, when you put it that way. I like your height.”
“My height. I can’t really control that, but I’ll take it in these times. I like your loyalty, Red.”
Colleen turned towards Travers in the driver's seat.
“I don’t remember asking you what you liked about me.”
“Well, quid pro quo counselor. I don’t want to be seen as shirking my responsibility.”
Colleen shrugged. “You know my therapist would say that because you mentioned loyalty first, you’ve had some negative experiences.”
Travers laughed. “Actually, no. I’m loyal to my friends, but I don’t have a lot of family who want me to be involved in their lives.”
“So which is it? Yes, a woman has betrayed you, or yes, a friend has?”
Travers laughed. “It would be a yes to the betrayal in a relationship.”
“Woohoo. One point for the house. So was it in the last year or two?”
“Nope, I’m sorry, the girl who jilted me was when I was in elementary school.”
“Elementary school?” she echoed.
“Listen, I only need to learn a lesson once no matter the age. The girl’s name was Peggy Lou.”
“You called me that!”
“Remember, don’t hit the driver—you did look like you were having a major problem with loyalty.”
“Fine, go on. Tell me the dirt!”
“Well, it turned out, every day I would share my lunch with Peggy Lou. She gladly ate my snacks.”
“Smart girl, saving early.”
“Then Deacon Jax moved into the neighborhood. He took a liking to Peggy Lou. She told me my homemade snacks wouldn’t cut it anymore. Deacon took her to the store and let her buy stuff.”
“Wow, Peggy Lou was a bit vicious.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I learned I shouldn’t have to buy people or friends. I learned that I could buy things and keep people around. If I did that at the beginning of the relationship, I knew my feelings wouldn’t be returned so it wouldn’t surprise me when they left for someone offering prettier trinkets or someone who had deeper pockets.”
“My goodness, that is the saddest thing ever.”
“Don’t feel bad. Peggy Lou grew up and married three times. Her divorce rate is probably a statistic on its own,” he joked.
Colleen looked out the side window. The pieces of Travers were coming together, and she was scared that the man she discovered beneath the mask might be the man she’d been looking for.
The only sure thing on this trip for Travers was that Colleen was the woman for him. Okay, it was done. It was finally out in the open in his head.
“I’m getting tired, Red. I think I’ve got another hour max, in me. So I’m going to start looking for a hotel, you good with that?”
“Sure, you’re paying,” she quipped back with a smile in her voice.
“Well, now that the niceties are out of the way. Why don’t you tell me again what was so appealing to you about Luis?”
“Ouch! This is the price of bed tonight, raking me over the coals of my bad decisions.”
“Now, now. You know my ticky-tacky family drama. You will probably know more before this is done, as my family never does anything halfway. I’m not looking to rub the decision in your face. I’m just saying if a guy like me wanted to win a gal like you, I’d like to know what would be appealing, at least.”
“Really, Sunshine?”
“Come on, indulge me until I find us a place to lay your head.”
She was silent for so long Travers was worried that she wouldn’t answer the question at all.
“If I were honest, I picked him because I had no chance of being hurt.”
“Come on, Red, you’re stronger than that.”
“Hey, who is telling this? Anyway, I met Luis at one of the conventions where lawyers get together and say they are talking strategy, but really, they are looking for jobs and big money. Being a lawyer doesn’t pay the money it used to.”
“Okay, so you went to a job fair for lawyers, and you saw Luis and decided that he was the one?”
“He took me to dinner. Luis said I was pretty, but the thing I liked the most was he took me out in the day time.”
“Red, we’ve been going out all day long, and I haven’t heard you fall over yourself professing your undying love yet?” he joked.
“No, silly. I know a lot of dates happen at night, but I always thought that men were uncomfortable being seen with me in the day time because I usually tower over them. So one of the things that stood out was he wanted to go out on a date in the daytime.”
Travers didn’t know what to say. He imagined that whatever happened when she was a kid was really traumatic for her.
“I know you probably think I’m crazy or that it was so silly.”
“No, I’m not. I’m thinking that if I could, I would go back in time for you and beat up all those kids who made fun of your height. You’re beautiful now, and I can’t imagine you being anything but beautiful then.”
“Sunshine,” she said in a whisper. “Thanks.”
“That being said, I’ve been with you for several days, and we’ve been going around in the day. You can profess your love anytime you want. I want you to know I’m open.”
“Dream on, counselor. Keep driving. With talk like that, it seems you need a bed more than I do. It must be that jet lag still affecting your brain.”
Chapter Eight
Travers found a hotel, and it was still light outside. Colleen was impressed that Travers found a hotel so quickly and beyond thrilled. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen for dinner, but she was starved. When they got into the room, she saw the double beds and was satisfied.
Travers had been on the hotel phone for a minute when he turned to her and asked.
“Red, what do you want to eat?”
Colleen wasn’t a dainty eater, no matter who she was with.
“I’d love a burger with cheese, bacon, and some fries,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
“You know they have a full menu with steak and seafood.”
Colleen gave him a smile. “I’m good, Sunshine. At the end of the day, I like burgers and fries.” He nodded and then went back to the phone.
He took a quick shower and then rushed her along to go take hers.
“Red, let’s go!” he called out.
When Colleen was done with her shower, she looked at him, confused.
“The food isn’t even in the room, yet what is the big hurry?”
Colleen hurried up and put on her blue jeans. Travers was dressed in blue jeans as well.
“I didn’t even know you could wear jeans?” she teased.
“I can blend in with the locals,” he replied. “Let’s go.”
“Where’s the food?”
“We are going to it right now.”
Colleen got into the elevator. They took it to the top floor and then got out and walked up the emergency exit. She looked over her shoulder.
“You’re sure it’s dinner and not getting back at me for the trip?”
When she exited the steps, she was on the roof, and a waiter was there.
“Hello, Ms.,” the waiter said. “We’ve been waiting for you. You’ve made it just in time. The last tendrils of sunlight are still visible.”
