Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)

Compromise Me: Chapter 28

Chapter 28

An hour later, the contents of her closet were scattered around Josie’s bedroom floor.  She’d just placed a Mardi Gras hat on Travis’ head and a purple feather boa around his neck, giggling outrageously, when her cell phone rang.  Travis glanced at his watch.

“I’ll bet that’s Tristan,” he said.  “I hope you’re happy, or I’m going to get it.”

Josie looked at how ridiculous Travis looked, and she grinned.  “I’m ecstatic.”  She dug around for her phone and answered it.  “Hey, Little Man!  What’s up?”

Travis watched her speak to his son over the phone.  He liked the animation in her eyes and face as she laughed and chatted effortlessly.  He liked the love and attention she gave to Tristan’s questions, and he liked the wide smile gracing her perfect lips as she responded with utter joy at hearing his son.

“Yes...I got the cookie...it’s huge...chocolate chip with blue icing...sounds delicious, doesn’t it?  What?  A hug?”  Her green eyes found Travis’, and with a flush of guilt, he remembered that he hadn’t hugged her yet.  With a twinkle to her smile, she told Tristan, “Oh...of course he hugged me.  Your daddy wouldn’t forget something like that!”

Josie stuck her tongue out at Travis, and he grinned at her, mouthing, “Sorry.”

“Four baths, you say?” Josie said into the phone.  “Yes, I think I can be home in four baths.  But aren’t you going to the beach in four baths?  What?  You’ll wait for me?  Oh, that’s so sweet, but you should ask your daddy about that first.”

For the next ten minutes, Josie talked to Tristan.  Travis picked through the pile of yearbooks on the floor in front of him, flipping through them quickly before putting them into a box by his knee.  The last one he came to had the latest year written in bold numerals across the top, and he calculated that this one must be Josie’s senior book.  As Josie giggled and laughed with his son, he opened the cover and turned pages until he found her photograph.  Even at eighteen, she’d been beautiful.  Young, definitely, but beautiful all the same.  Next to her photo was her senior quote, “Cinderella never asked for a prince.  She asked for a night off and a dress.”

Travis smiled at that.  It was so Josie.  She tended to take whatever magic was given to her and make a dream-come-true out of it.  He glanced over at her.  She’d reclined backward on the floor, her legs still crossed, but she lay there so easily and comfortably that he was amazed.  If he tried that, he might break a hip bone or something.  She laughed again, and he flipped the pages of the yearbook, searching for another photo of her.  There were several, and in every one, he saw the same laughter and sincerity and honesty in her eighteen year old eyes that he witnessed almost everyday for the last month.

How did I miss it all those years?  Did I really only see a teasing Princess?

He looked over at her again.  She laughed and rolled her eyes at something Tristan said, and Travis tossed the yearbook aside to study the real life version.

He couldn't go back.  He could only go forward…