“That’s okay.”

He looked around. “You need me to do anything?”

She laughed. “Just go.”

“Alright. I’ll be back as soon as I can. You going to wait here for me?”

“More than likely. I’ll let you know if I go home.”

He ran his hand over her hair. “I love it when you call it that – home.”

“That’s what it is to me now – want to know why?”

He chuckled. “I know already – because it’s where I am.”

She nodded happily. “Yep. But go on. I’ll see you later.”

~ ~ ~

As he drove away, Travis watched the cabin in the rearview mirror until it was out of sight. She’d be fine. He needed to relax. She’d managed by herself her whole life. She was getting around well with the boot and the crutches, he needed to let her get on with it.

He smiled. And besides, he’d managed to round the guys up this morning. It was unusual that they were all able to take an hour out at the same time and he needed to make the most of it. He loved that they already had a tradition established, and that he got to include them. He needed to find the right ring for Retta. He wasn’t going to be able to hold back from asking her to marry him for much longer. He wanted to wait until Callie and Kolby got back. He wasn’t sure that he needed everyone there when he asked, but he wanted her to be able to share the news with her daughter as soon as she had his ring on her finger – the ring that he was headed to town to find. He smiled and put his foot down.

His phone rang and he hit the button to answer. “Zeke! What’s happening?”

“I’m on the way. Should be there this afternoon. Will that work for you? I can find a hotel if …”

“No you won’t. I’m headed into town right now. Where are you; do you want to meet up?”

“You mean Livingston? I’m coming in from the other direction – I’m driving up through the park.”

“Okay. Well, give me a call when you’re getting close. If I’m not back, we’ll figure it out – get you set up with a cabin. Retta’s there, and Ty should be around.”

“No worries.” Zeke chuckled. “There’s no rush on the cabin, although I’m looking forward to meeting your Retta.”

“She’s awesome, you’ll love her.”

“No doubt. I’ll see you later.”

Travis grinned to himself as the call ended. His life just kept getting better and better. He was looking forward to having Zeke around. He was hoping he might be able to persuade him to stay for a while.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Retta sat on the sofa and looked around the cabin. She was excited about this one. It was a shame that she wouldn’t have it ready in time for Travis’s friend Zeke. From what he’d told her, Travis was hoping that Zeke might stay for a while, and she thought this would be the perfect place for a longer-term stay. Maybe he could move into it when it was done.

She reached for the big legal pad that she made all her notes on and stretched her legs out on the sofa. She’d been on her feet for too long again. She unfastened the boot and put it on the floor. She was getting tired of wearing it all the time. She was hoping that at her next appointment with Trip he’d say that she didn’t need it anymore.

She’d gone through all the cabinets in the kitchen, and the cupboards in the two bedrooms to see what was already here and what she’d need to buy. She smiled as she started to make her list. She wasn’t going to hold back on this one. Although they hadn’t talked about the details yet, she and Travis had agreed that she was going to become a partner with him in the business – and with that in mind, she wasn’t going to worry as much about the budget. She wanted this cabin to feel special.

She leaned back against the cushions and enjoyed the warmth of the sun shining through the windows on her. She couldn’t wait until she was able to get around properly again – those windows needed a good washing.

She must have drifted off because the next thing she knew the door to the cabin was swinging open. She had to blink a few times. That wasn’t Travis standing in the doorway. It was a woman. It was …

“Jamie?”

Retta struggled to sit up as Jamie came storming inside. She didn’t even have the time to react before Jamie’s hand flew through the air and delivered a resounding slap to her face.

“You bitch! I knew he was coming to see you.”