Morning Comes Softly Read online

  “I don’t want to go on any rides,” Beth Ann announced in a thin, sad voice.

  “They probably won’t let you because of your cast anyway,” Scotty informed her, appointing himself the authority on such matters.

  “Why don’t we just wait and see.” Mary suspected Scotty was right. But surely there’d be something special for Beth Ann. The kindergartner was doing as well as could be expected, dealing with a cast that stretched from her fingertips to her elbow. Mary knew it was upsetting that Beth Ann’s right arm was the one broken. Nevertheless, the little girl was making a gallant effort to write and dress herself. Having the Harvest Moon Festival to look forward to had helped ease her frustration. Letting Beth Ann attend the wedding shower held in Mary’s honor had helped.

  The local newspaper had been filled with details of the annual festival for two weeks running. The Grange ladies were responsible for baking the cakes for the cake walk. Mary had baked one herself and delivered it earlier that afternoon. While she was there, she’d signed up as a volunteer for Fish, one of the games that involved the younger children. From seven to eight on Friday night, she was responsible for tucking a prize on the end of a fishing pole.

  All day the children had been excited about the community festivities. They’d chatted like magpies from the moment they’d stormed into the house after school. The three hurriedly finished their chores, anxious to be on their way, unwilling to miss a single minute of fun.

  “Let’s eat first,” Mary suggested when Travis parked the station wagon. The football field at the high school had been transformed into a huge parking lot since the smaller school lot was being used for the carnival rides.

  Huge spotlights were set up at the far end of the field and crisscrossed the evening sky. The school gymnasium housed the games and other activities, including sit-down space for eating.

  “I’m hungry,” Scotty admitted enthusiastically.

  “When aren’t you?” Jim demanded, and Beth Ann laughed as if her oldest brother had told a hilarious joke.

  “Enough,” Travis interrupted for the tenth time as they piled out of the car.

  “Can I have cotton candy and a candy apple and popcorn?” Beth Ann asked, tucking her good hand into Mary’s, tugging her along.

  “Not for dinner.”

  Beth Ann sighed with mock disappointment.

  “You go on ahead,” Travis instructed, walking several steps in the opposite direction. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

  Mary hesitated, surprised. Then she nodded, doing her best to suppress her disappointment. Like the children, she’d been looking forward to this family outing. Mary had hoped they’d present a united front, Travis, her, and the children, for the inspection of the good people of Grandview. Perhaps then the inquisitive looks, the unasked questions, and the curious stares would cease, and their marriage would be accepted. To have Travis wandering off by himself, leaving her with the children, was sure to cause speculation.

  “Where’s Uncle Travis going?” Scotty asked, walking backward in order to watch his uncle.

  “I…I’m not sure.” Mary glanced over her shoulder and noticed her husband, his hands stuffed in his pockets, moving slowly down the line of parked cars. Every now and again he paused to study a vehicle before moving on reluctantly.

  “Can we have hamburgers?” Beth Ann asked, tugging at Mary’s hand to gain her attention.

  Mary turned back to the children and nodded absently. Her wistful gaze returned momentarily to Travis. She’d put a lot of stock in this outing.

  “Mary?”

  “Hamburgers? Of course, hamburgers would be great.”

  “With lots of curly fries.”

  “With curly fries,” she agreed, amused. No doubt their menu would extend itself as they passed the various booths.

  “Lemonade, too.”

  “That won’t be any problem,” she continued.

  “Corn on a stick and big pretzels with lots of salt?”

  “Ice-cream bars?”

  “Later,” she promised, laughing, “if you’re still hungry.”

  “I will be,” Scotty assured her, then turned a bright shade of pink as Jim and Beth Ann glared at him.

  They waited in line a good fifteen minutes for their hamburgers. It seemed everyone else in town had gotten the urge for a hamburger at the same time. Mary guessed it had something to do with the appeal of the huge barbecue that was set up just outside the doors of the large school gymnasium. The aroma of fried onions and beef with barbecue sauce scented the evening air.

  The Harvest Moon Festival reminded Mary of the crayfish celebration in her own town. Folks from miles around flooded and overfilled the streets of Petite. At the memory, she experienced an unexpected rush of homesickness. She corresponded regularly with Georgeanne, but she’d been so busy in her new life with Travis and the children that she hadn’t had time to miss Louisiana. Georgeanne’s letters had been filled with welcome gossip. It seemed that Mary’s best friend was waiting patiently for her to announce she’d made a mistake and would soon return home. It was what Georgeanne expected.

  Purposely Mary turned her thoughts from her best friend. As the line approached the grill, she glanced over her shoulder, hoping to find Travis.

  He still hadn’t joined them by the time they’d reached the front of the line. Mary ordered for the children, deciding she’d eat later with Travis.

  The children followed her, each carrying thick paper plates, to the beige folding chairs set up along rows of paper-covered tables. Mary helped Beth Ann with the ketchup and mustard, all the while keeping her eye on the door, waiting anxiously for Travis. Scotty wanted chocolate milk instead of lemonade, so Mary saw to that.

  “Where’s Uncle Travis?” Beth Ann asked, looking around when Mary returned. Using her left hand, she awkwardly dipped a curly fry in the glob of ketchup, then carried it to her mouth. “I want him to ask about the rides.”

  Mary was also anxious to learn exactly where her husband was. The last thing she expected when they arrived was to have Travis abandon her with the kids. She was reminded of what had happened to her on their wedding night, when he’d up and disappeared and left her stewing.

  “I’ll be right back,” Mary murmured, thoroughly impatient by the time Travis had been gone nearly twenty minutes.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To find Travis.”

  “You’ll be back, won’t you?”

  Mary smiled down at Scotty and Beth Ann, who were both looking up at her anxiously. Jim didn’t seem concerned one way or the other, at least not outwardly.

  “I’ll be back so soon you won’t even know I’m gone,” Mary promised. The gym was filling up, and the sound of laughter and good cheer echoed off the walls. The country-western radio station from Miles City was broadcasting live, and the songs rang out over the school’s loudspeaker system. Everyone around her was filled with the spirit of celebration, but Mary felt immune to the gaiety.

  Edging her way outside the crowded gym proved to be something of a task. She paused and scanned the sea of faces, looking for Travis. It could be that they’d simply missed each other, and that he was searching for her and the children, not knowing where they’d gone.

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep a slow, burning resentment from brewing. They’d come to the festival as a family. In years past, Mary was convinced, Travis had probably gone off with his cronies, drinking and carousing. If he assumed he could continue with his bachelor ways, he had another thing coming.

  She searched the carnival area. Brightly colored lights flashed, and the cheers and screams echoed through the excitement of those participating on the wide selection of daring rides. Several attempts were made to entice her to try her hand at small tests of skill. Mary ignored them. Popping balloons with a dart and tossing pennies into fishbowls were low on her priority list at the moment.

  Discouraged, she hurried past the rides and games to the farthest end of the festivities. She sc
rambled between a row of trailers at the far end of the football field.

  “Hello there, pretty lady.” A lanky man with dull brown eyes smiled at her approach. He was sitting on the steps leading into a trailer, studying her as she approached.

  “Hello,” Mary said with little enthusiasm. She didn’t want to appear unfriendly, but there were three children waiting for her. And a husband to locate.

  “You’re looking mighty pretty this fine evening.”

  “Thank you.” She hurried onto the field, which was quickly filling with cars. Already nearly every space was occupied. It was by pure chance that she happened to catch sight of Travis. He was in the parking lot, walking between the lengthy rows of vehicles, almost exactly where she’d left him.

  “Travis,” she shouted, and raised her hand, wanting to attract his attention. She purposely stepped away from the trailer area.

  Apparently Travis didn’t hear her.

  She called out to Travis again. This time her voice must have carried with the wind, because he turned around abruptly, his face illuminated in the light from the two huge spotlights.

  He started walking in her direction, and Mary raced toward him, meeting him halfway.

  “I’ll have you know, Travis Thompson, I don’t appreciate this,” she flared.

  “Appreciate what?”

  “Your…abandoning me and the children.”

  Travis frowned. “I didn’t abandon you.”

  “What exactly were you doing, then?” she demanded.

  “I was busy,” Travis answered. His frown darkened, as though he resented her questions.

  He could be downright angry for all Mary cared. The children were waiting and no doubt restless by this time. They didn’t have time to dawdle or argue.

  “I was looking at the cars.”

  “Why?”

  “I wanted to see if any had recently been in an accident,” Travis explained, his voice dropped several degrees toward ice. “Sheriff Tucker may have forgotten about Lee and Janice, but I haven’t.”

  “Travis,” Mary whispered, sick at heart, “for your own sanity you’ve got to lay what happened to rest.” Nothing would bring back his brother and sister-in-law. It had been several months, and if Sheriff Tucker had found no leads in all that time, it wasn’t likely Travis would, either.

  “No, I won’t forget,” he said between clenched teeth, gripping her shoulders and pivoting her around so they stood face to face. “I’m not ever going to forget it. Not until I’ve found whoever was responsible. I promised the children, but more important, I promised myself. Whoever drove Lee off the road is going to pay for what he did.”

  “Travis, please…”

  “Please what?” he said, his eyes as hard as steel. “Forgive whoever’s responsible and get on with my life?”

  “Yes,” she pleaded, gazing up at him. His eyes were dark and so fierce that he would have terrified her if she hadn’t known him better.

  “You can forget that right now, because I won’t give up. Not this year or the next. I’ll keep looking if it takes the next twenty years. Not you or anyone else will persuade me otherwise. Understand?” This last bit was shouted, the words dark with emotion and spoken from a man who’d stared into the fires of hell.

  Mary blinked at the barely restrained violence she saw and felt in Travis. His fingers dug into her shoulders, but she was certain he was unaware he was hurting her.

  “I…I have to get back to the children,” she said, stunned by his vehemence, unsure of how to respond.

  Travis closed his eyes momentarily, breathed in deeply, and then exhaled. “This shouldn’t take much longer.” He pushed back the pain from his eyes and stared down at her, his cold anger dissipated.

  Mary looked toward the gym, fearing she’d left the children far too long. “I…need to get back.” She turned to leave, but Travis caught her fingers, halting her.

  For a long moment he said nothing. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

  “I know.”

  He mumbled something under his breath and then hauled her into his arms, as if he were in desperate need of her softness. His arms banded her waist, and for a moment he did nothing but hold her against him.

  “Mary,” he whispered huskily as his mouth swept down on hers. His tongue sought hers as he pressed their bodies together intimately, flattening her breasts against the hard wall of his chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “You were looking to have fun this evening, weren’t you?”

  “It’s all right. I understand.”

  “Come on,” he said, tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Let’s go find the children and enjoy ourselves.”

  Tilly couldn’t remember a date she’d anticipated more eagerly. Logan was scheduled to pick her up at the house shortly before five. She’d spent nearly the entire day getting ready for their first official outing together.

  Having been cheated out of her high school prom, she’d spent as much time and energy on this evening with Logan as she would have had she been seventeen all over again.

  The morning began with a hair appointment, followed by a shopping spree that netted her a pair of classy designer jeans with white leather stars that decorated the two hip pockets and a row of leather fringe that stretched from hip to cuff. A bright red western-style shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows and a scarf were the perfect accents.

  Logan came for her promptly at five. When she opened the door he paused and gazed at her, and in true classic form his mouth fell open.

  “Tilly, my goodness, you’re beautiful. Why, you look good enough to eat.”

  Tilly had long assumed she’d lost the ability to blush, but she did so now. The pleasure of his words soaked straight to her heart.

  “Do I dare kiss you?”

  It was as if he were seeing her for the first time and was afraid to touch her. Tilly couldn’t have been more pleased by his response.

  “We can kiss as long as you don’t mess my hair.”

  The kiss was long and sweet and shockingly thorough.

  “Oh, Tilly, you taste so damn good,” he murmured, reluctantly pulling his mouth away from hers.

  “We don’t have to go,” she offered, afraid and unsure all at once.

  “We’re going!” With his hands on her shoulders, he kept her at a safe arm’s distance. “There’ll be plenty of time for making love later.”

  With a heavy heart, Tilly glanced over her shoulder toward the bedroom. “We could be a few minutes late. Nothing says we need to be there right at five-thirty.”

  Logan’s hungry gaze followed hers. “You’re not going to distract me this time.” Having made the decree, he relaxed somewhat. “And when we do make love, it’ll be at my house, and you’re spending the night with me. All night. When I wake up in the morning I want you with me, Tilly. Understand?”

  Tilly went stock still. They’d been lovers for several months and she’d never been inside Logan’s house. Not once.

  “No arguments, understand? It’s high time you saw my place.”

  Tilly thought her heart would burst wide open; such happiness was too much to hold to oneself.

  “Tilly,” Logan said with a groan. “Don’t do that.”

  “What?”

  “Smile at me like that.”

  Tilly blinked. “Like what?”

  Logan ground a hungry kiss over her lips. “Like you just did. That sweet, womanly smile.”

  Tilly was thrilled. “I have a sweet, womanly smile?”

  “Yes, baby, you do. It drives me crazy.”

  “Like this?” She tried it again and was gratified by a low moan from Logan. He grabbed her arm and literally pulled her out of the house.

  “Shouldn’t I bring a pair of pajamas?” she whispered, although there wasn’t anyone close to overhear.

  Logan laughed outright. “Whatever for? You certainly won’t be needing a stitch of clothing as far as I’m concerned.”

  Tilly laughed an
d accepted Logan’s hand as he helped her inside the car. She nestled on the passenger seat and reached for the seat belt, stretching it across her front and snapping it into place. The leather scent reminded her the car was new. He’d purchased it shortly after his arrival in Grandview. Tilly remembered being impressed with the leather interior. To the best of her knowledge it was the first time she’d ever ridden in a brand-new car. Her own vehicles had been sorry excuses for cars, abused and discarded by their previous owners. In many ways Tilly was like those secondhand cars. Try as she might, she couldn’t understand why a Mercedes would fall in love with a Ford, but she wasn’t going to let the questions plague her, not tonight.

  The carnival was crowded and fun. Tilly wasn’t sure what she expected. For the first hour she waited for someone to comment about the two of them together, but it never happened, and she soon relaxed.

  Logan insisted they go on a variety of wild and daring rides. Tilly had never found much excitement in being whirled about in every direction, but Logan insisted. And because she was so happy, she couldn’t make herself refuse him. Countless times Logan had assured her it would be fun.

  Tilly suffered her first doubts while they were suspended thirty feet above the ground, hanging upside down. Her carefully styled hair fell over her eyes and mouth. “For this I spent two hours at the beauty parlor?” she muttered.

  Logan chuckled. “I promise to make it worth your while later,” he whispered, and kissed her neck.

  Tilly stared down at the ground far below them and was surprised by how high they were. From this distance it was doubtful anyone recognized them, and that lent her courage. Her hand unhurriedly wandered up the inside of Logan’s thigh.

  “Tilly,” Logan whispered, his hand stopping her, “behave yourself.”

  “I am. My oh my,” she whispered, smiling at how tightly his free hand was gripping the bar.

  “What are you trying to do to me?”