Page 34 of Trick or Treat with the Mountain Man
“Yes,ma’am. You found me out.”
He said it in a way that made me think it wasn’t true… and that warmed my heart.
Travis glanced over again, and squeezed my hand, his eyes full of warmth.
“Keep your eyes on the road before you drive us into a ravine.”
“I’m a good driver, Ava. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve never been in an accident.”
It was a seven-hour drive before we’d get home. And while I had him captive in this truck, I was going to get to the bottom of what he thought aboutus.
I opened my mouth to start steering the conversation in that direction when my phone rang.
It was Abby.
She sounded breathless. “Are you alone?”
“What? No, Tyler and I are driving back from Saint Louis.”
“I have to tell you something,” Abby said.
“Go for it.”
“I don’t want to upset you. Should I wait until you’re back home?”
My heart fell into my stomach. “Did something happen to my dad?” His health had been shaky recently.
“No. No. Nothing like that. Everyone’s fine. It’s just… Silas told me something today. He didn’t think it was important.”
“I won’t be home tonight. We’re stopping over at a hotel room in an hour or so. Let’s not wait. Tell me what’s going on.” I said.
She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Ava. I know you like Tyler a lot. But I’m afraid he might not be as long-term as you’re hoping for. Silas told me that Tyler’s thinking about selling his property and moving.”
“M-m—.” The word wouldn’t come out of my mouth.
Moving?
I pulled my hand free from his.
“What do you mean, Abby? Give me details.”
Abby said, “I don’t have a lot. You know the day both of you came over for lunch? Well, when the guys were hanging out in the man-barn, Tyler asked Silas if he might be interested in buying his property. Silas didn’t think anything of it, so he didn’t pass that on to me. Then it came up. He’s making plans for how to turn it into an artist’s residency if Tyler sells it to him.”
“But…” The word slipped out soft and quiet, and just like that a heart broke in Missouri.
I’d thought…well, I’d thought a lot of things.
“Abby, thanks for letting me know. Can I call you back later?”
If I talked any longer, tears would threaten to spill.
After I hung up the phone I sat there in shock, staring out the side passenger window so Tyler couldn’t see my face.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said weakly.
“You sure? You don’t sound all right.”
