Read Online The Journey Collection by Lisa Bilbrey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lisa Bilbrey
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least I can admit that the mere thought of you with anyone else makes me come undone at the seams.”
“It’s been a long time,” she whispered. “I’m not a fool, Travis. There had to have been other women.”
“Not one,” Travis cooed, placing his hand on her knee. “Have there be other men?”
Tilting her head, Penelope looked at him. “Nobody ever made me feel like you did, Travis.” Smiling, he leaned in to kiss her. However, she pulled away. “But that doesn’t mean that I can just jump back into a relationship with you.”
“Baby . . .” The sound of the boys yelling pulled his attention away from Penelope. Travis turned just in time for Max to jump on him, pushing him to the ground.
“Did you watch me practice?” Max asked, eagerly.
“I did,” Travis laughed, rolling so that he was sitting on his knees. “You’re good. Better than me.”
“No way,” Max scoffed. “You can throw a perfect spiral. Mine still flops around like a dead fish.”
“What? No way.” Travis stood up and pulled Max to his feet. “Show me.”
Max ran over and picked up one of the footballs they’d used during practice. Running down the field about twenty yards, he stopped and gripped the ball with both hands. Travis stood down field from the boy, waiting for him to throw it to him. Max reared his arm back, bringing the ball forward and letting it fly through the air. Like he’d told Travis, the ball flopped around, but for a ten year old boy, it looked good — much better than Travis had been able to do at the same age.
Travis caught it, rotating it between his palms before tossing it back to Max. The look on the boy’s face was almost enough to send him to his knees: pure happiness. For several minutes, they played catch, an act that most fathers and sons took for granted. Guilt crept over him. If he hadn’t been a selfish bastard, then Penelope wouldn’t have felt the need to keep their son from him. Hell, she hadn’t even hidden him. Travis had put everything from Clarendon behind him, and in the process, he’d lost more than he’d ever known.
“Come on, guys,” Penelope called just after Max had thrown the ball back to Travis. “We don’t want dinner to burn.”
Max ran up to him. “Are you eating with us, Travis?”
“If that’s okay with you, little man,” he answered.
“Um, duh,” he scoffed. Snatching the ball out of Travis’s arms, Max ran over to Penelope. “Mom, can I ride with Travis?”
“I don’t know,” she fretted, shifting her eyes from him over to Travis. “Do you mind?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “No, I’d like it a lot.”
“Okay. Just be careful.”
Max began to cheer, which caused both Travis and Penelope to laugh. Travis helped her fold her blanket before carrying it over to her car, placing it in the trunk along with Max’s shoulder pads and helmet. With his hand on Max’s shoulder, Travis led him over to his car. When he climbed into the passenger seat, Max’s eyes were huge. Travis laughed, shutting the door behind him. Boys and cars — no matter the age, the effect was generally the same.
Travis climbed in behind the wheel, and once they both had their seatbelts on, he followed Penelope to her house. Max was bouncing in his seat the entire ride, chattering the whole way about how all the kids in his class were envious that Max had met him. Travis had never seen a child talk so fast or loud, and he loved every minute of it.
The minute Travis pulled up in front of the house Max was out of the car and up the front walk. Travis laughed and followed him. Penelope stood just inside the living room, ordering Max to pick up his backpack and place it where it was supposed to go. Max grumbled but did as his mother told him.
Sighing, she looked back at Travis. “Every day it’s the same battle. You’d think he’d learn.”
“Why? You didn’t.” Travis smirked when Penelope scowled.
“Whatever,” she muttered, heading into the kitchen.
“It’s been a long time,” she whispered. “I’m not a fool, Travis. There had to have been other women.”
“Not one,” Travis cooed, placing his hand on her knee. “Have there be other men?”
Tilting her head, Penelope looked at him. “Nobody ever made me feel like you did, Travis.” Smiling, he leaned in to kiss her. However, she pulled away. “But that doesn’t mean that I can just jump back into a relationship with you.”
“Baby . . .” The sound of the boys yelling pulled his attention away from Penelope. Travis turned just in time for Max to jump on him, pushing him to the ground.
“Did you watch me practice?” Max asked, eagerly.
“I did,” Travis laughed, rolling so that he was sitting on his knees. “You’re good. Better than me.”
“No way,” Max scoffed. “You can throw a perfect spiral. Mine still flops around like a dead fish.”
“What? No way.” Travis stood up and pulled Max to his feet. “Show me.”
Max ran over and picked up one of the footballs they’d used during practice. Running down the field about twenty yards, he stopped and gripped the ball with both hands. Travis stood down field from the boy, waiting for him to throw it to him. Max reared his arm back, bringing the ball forward and letting it fly through the air. Like he’d told Travis, the ball flopped around, but for a ten year old boy, it looked good — much better than Travis had been able to do at the same age.
Travis caught it, rotating it between his palms before tossing it back to Max. The look on the boy’s face was almost enough to send him to his knees: pure happiness. For several minutes, they played catch, an act that most fathers and sons took for granted. Guilt crept over him. If he hadn’t been a selfish bastard, then Penelope wouldn’t have felt the need to keep their son from him. Hell, she hadn’t even hidden him. Travis had put everything from Clarendon behind him, and in the process, he’d lost more than he’d ever known.
“Come on, guys,” Penelope called just after Max had thrown the ball back to Travis. “We don’t want dinner to burn.”
Max ran up to him. “Are you eating with us, Travis?”
“If that’s okay with you, little man,” he answered.
“Um, duh,” he scoffed. Snatching the ball out of Travis’s arms, Max ran over to Penelope. “Mom, can I ride with Travis?”
“I don’t know,” she fretted, shifting her eyes from him over to Travis. “Do you mind?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “No, I’d like it a lot.”
“Okay. Just be careful.”
Max began to cheer, which caused both Travis and Penelope to laugh. Travis helped her fold her blanket before carrying it over to her car, placing it in the trunk along with Max’s shoulder pads and helmet. With his hand on Max’s shoulder, Travis led him over to his car. When he climbed into the passenger seat, Max’s eyes were huge. Travis laughed, shutting the door behind him. Boys and cars — no matter the age, the effect was generally the same.
Travis climbed in behind the wheel, and once they both had their seatbelts on, he followed Penelope to her house. Max was bouncing in his seat the entire ride, chattering the whole way about how all the kids in his class were envious that Max had met him. Travis had never seen a child talk so fast or loud, and he loved every minute of it.
The minute Travis pulled up in front of the house Max was out of the car and up the front walk. Travis laughed and followed him. Penelope stood just inside the living room, ordering Max to pick up his backpack and place it where it was supposed to go. Max grumbled but did as his mother told him.
Sighing, she looked back at Travis. “Every day it’s the same battle. You’d think he’d learn.”
“Why? You didn’t.” Travis smirked when Penelope scowled.
“Whatever,” she muttered, heading into the kitchen.
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