Page 68 of Country Music Cowboy
Loretta was still processing the change in Travis. It wasn’t just the muscles, it was the skin tone and the eyes and the hair. All of him. He’d been handsome before. But now? Handsome didn’t cut it.
“What do you think, Miss Gram?” Guy asked.
“Travis King doesn’t need any help in the ego department so I’ll say, no comment.” She smiled.
Guy nodded. “How is this working?” He pointed between the two of them with his cards. “New partners, different dynamics. Have the two of you found your rhythm, shall we say?” He bobbed his eyebrows playfully.
She wasn’t sure what to say so she looked at Travis—who was looking at her, looking equally flummoxed.
“We are on the same page, musically,” she said. “Wouldn’t you say?”
Travis nodded.
“After your incredible performance at the International Music Awards, it came as no surprise that the two of you would be paired up.” Guy waited for the applause to die down before continuing. “Loretta, please accept my deepest sympathies about Johnny. You’ve come on the show a handful of times together and I remember the laughs he brought with him.”
Loretta nodded. “Johnny loved to make people laugh.”
“Such a shock to lose someone at such a young age,” Guy said, letting the silence linger.
“Yes.” She agreed. What else could she say?I can confirm that he did not commit suicide?I can confirm that he committed suicide? If he was looking for answers, she was sorry to disappoint him. Every day, she wondered the same thing. In time, she hoped she’d come to accept not knowing. “I miss him. I miss his laughter.”
“Of course.” Guy nodded. If he was disappointed, he hid it well. “And you, Travis. I’d like to think the muscles and the tan mean you’re taking care of yourself?”
“I’ve been sober for thirteen months, give or take a few days.” Travis grinned. “I sort of figured that’s what you were asking when you said taking care of myself.”
“Yes.” Guy smiled. “I wonder if you’d like to share what happened that night? What happened that made you realize things needed to change?”
Loretta stiffened. Was this an ambush? Or had Travis known this was coming?
“You might have heard I had a little bit of a drinking problem?” Travis smiled, his charm working overtime. “And, when I was drinking, I had a bit of a temper problem?”
There was general laughter from the audience.
Loretta forced herself to keep smiling.
“I was at a rodeo and this fellow and I had a…disagreement. I won’t go into details because I’m moving on but I made a choice that changed everything.” He shrugged. “I was drunk, which was my choice. The rest? I don’t know. I left, but I saw the guy’s truck and all I could think about was wanting him to understand he was wrong. I got a tire iron from my truck and did some serious damage to his truck. I still don’t regret that part. What I regret…” He swallowed, emotion catching him off guard. “I didn’t know the kids were filming me. I didn’t know until the one fell on the ground behind me and I turned on him.” He shook his head. “I didn’t hit him. I didn’t even think about hitting him. It was his face. This kid who’d been filming me acting like an ass—something I would have done at his age—only to get the sh-stuff scared out of him.” He shook his head. “I can be a jerk. I can fight, but I’d never strike out at a kid. Or a woman.” He shrugged. “That was it. The next morning it was everywhere. Video. Still shots. The kid, and his friends, phone videos… But the only thing I saw was that kid’s face.” He shrugged. “I checked in to rehab that day.”
“Well done.” Guy led the audience in a round of applause that ended with everyone on their feet.
Loretta too.
“We have a video.” Guy said, once they’d all returned to their seat. “This is from a woman who was there that night. I’d like to play it now.”
Loretta felt Travis stiffen at her side. She resisted the urge to take his hand and hoped that whatever was about to happen wasn’t some gimmicky stunt that could ding Travis’s steadfast determination.
“Hi, Travis.” A woman appeared. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I wanted to say how sorry I am about that night.” The woman was crying. “We were married then, you see. I was too scared to speak up, too scared of him. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit me, but it was the first time anyone had ever stepped in to stop him.”
Loretta was staring at Travis then.
“He did love that truck more than he loved me.” The woman was still talking. “He never cried over hitting me the way he cried when he saw what you’d done to his truck. For all the heartache this caused you, I’m sorry. I’m glad you’re sober and I hope you’ll stay that way. I’d like to think he’d never do the things he did if he wasn’t always drinking. Not that he’s my problem now since we’ve been divorced a few months now.” She waved. “You give your best to your family.”
Loretta wasn’t sure how to feel. He’d been drunk and lost his cool and made some seriously unacceptable choices… But it hadn’t been because he was a horrible person. Drunk, yes. Clouded judgment, definitely. But not such a dick move after all. She’d have likely taken a tire iron to the man’s truck sober.
“Did you recognize her?” Guy asked.
“I do.” Travis nodded, but he didn’t say anything more.
“I hear the two of you have a song for us tonight?” Guy asked. “Something the two of you will be singing on the tour and the new album you’re putting together for next year?”
