Page 94 of Country Music Cowboy

Travis glanced at his sisters again.

“But I need you to know that I know you’ve got yourself sorted. There was a change in you the day you came home, but it was Johnny’s death that clinched it. The morning we all heard about it? I remember your face. I knew then, you’d never go back.” His father took his hand. “Ever since you were little, you set your mind on something and that was that. You wanted to learn to ride a bike, you did it. You wanted to learn the banjo, you did it. You want Loretta Gram, you go after her.” He cleared his throat. “She’s not the sort of woman to drive you to drink. She’s the sort who will whip your ass if you even think about it.”

Travis chuckled.

“I need to tell you more often that I’m proud of you.” He squeezed Travis’s hand. “I am. I’m proud of how you’ve weathered this storm. Proud that you’re my son.” By now, his voice was weakening. “And I love you.”

“I love you too.” Travis squeezed his hand in answer. “But you need to rest your voice now.”

His father nodded.

“You want anything, Daddy?” Krystal asked. “Some fruit? Emmy Lou cut up a fruit salad.”

“Sounds good,” their father wheezed.

“Dad,” Emmy Lou said. “How about we bring it to you on the back porch, if you’d like?”

Their father gave a thumbs-up and headed from the kitchen.

Travis didn’t move. He couldn’t.

“You did the right thing.” Emmy Lou’s hand rested on his shoulder. “Travis… I—we—can’t bear this. Please, please forgive us.”

Travis ran his hands over his face.

“You’ve made your point.” Krystal sat across the table, her green eyes pinned on him. “You’re right. We were horrible, micromanaging sisters—”

“Who can’t lose you, Trav. We can’t,” Emmy Lou said. “It was stupid and wrong not to trust that you could handle it but…I was scared.”

“You’re going to have to give me some time.” He stood. “I love you both and I know you meant well but what you did means you don’t trust me to stay sober and take care of myself.” He shook his head. “Worse, I hate knowing this and keeping it from Daddy. It’s not okay.”

“Is Sawyer coming back?” Emmy Lou asked. “He is, isn’t he?”

Krystal was chewing on the inside of her lip. “If I were him, I wouldn’t. We’ve been nothing but trouble for him from day one.”

“He said he’d let me know.” Travis ran a hand over his face again. “He’s got some decisions to make. I told him he’d have to tell Daddy the truth if he was going to stay. If he’s leaving, I’m telling Daddy. Either way, the truth is coming out.”

Emmy Lou and Krystal stared at him, surprised.

“Daddy deserves to know.” Travis shook his head, beyond frustrated. “How can you think otherwise?”

Emmy Lou shook her head. “You’re right.”

“One more thing, Trav.” Krystal paused. “The day you disappeared with Sawyer?”

The day Sawyer had been a badass and helped track down the incredibly thorough information his mother had collected on Loretta.

“We were all freaking out.” Krystal sighed. “Jace even called Archie. You don’t just disappear like that.”

He nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t like it, but it made sense.

“Loretta said you wouldn’t drink. She was adamant about it.”

“She was.” Emmy Lou agreed. “You might want to consider keeping her around because she believes in you.”

He smiled. It felt good knowing Loretta believed in him.

It was only later, when they were sitting on the back porch, that Travis went back through the conversation with his mother. With any luck, there’d be some big reveal that gave him hope about Loretta but that hadn’t happened. Yes, she’d stayed away from him after Momma had threatened her but it had everything to do with protecting her career—and nothing to do with protecting him. But then she’d been honest with him since the beginning. And, as much as his heart wanted more, he respected that.