Baby For The Mountain Man

“What can I get you?” the barista asked.

“Could I get a large coffee with caramel flavoring, please?” I asked.

“Room for cream and sugar?” she asked.

“Room for just cream, thanks.”

I stood there as the woman made my coffee. She handed it to me and I grabbed the creamer, pouring it in until my black coffee was a light brown in color. I grabbed a straw and made my way for a table so I could enjoy my newfound sense of freedom.

And maybe sit and watch Travis a little while longer.

But when I sat down, he was nowhere to be found. Just like that, he had vanished. The man in the suit was gone, Travis had left, and I sighed as my straw pierced the top of the cup.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

I jumped at the sound of Travis’ voice before I started to giggle. He sat across from me as I held my heart, trying to get my nerves to calm down. As frustrated as he had been only a few moments ago, he seemed relaxed now. His face was calm and his brow was smooth. There was a playful grin on his cheeks as he lounged back in his chair. My eyes scanned him with purpose, taking in the breadth of his shoulders and the strength of his arms.

“Everything okay?” I asked. “You looked frustrated in that meeting.”

“Ah, so you did notice,” Travis said.

“You don’t have to talk about it. I just want to make sure you’re okay,” I said.

“You’re a very sweet girl.”

“Girl?” I asked. “I think I’m hardly a girl. Young woman, maybe. But not a girl.”

“Sticking up for yourself already. I take it things with your dad went well?” he asked.

“If I talk about that, then you have to talk about your meeting,” I said.

“Deal. But ladies first.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It went as well as could be expected. Turns out that my father was also trying to marry off my brothers.”

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah. That was a fun revelation. They stood up for me though. Or beside me. However you want to phrase that. I told him that I wanted to make my own decisions in my life. I wanted to choose who I wanted to marry and I wanted to get an education. Or at least be educated.”

“I bet he didn’t take that well.”

“Not at all. He almost hit me for it until my brothers stepped in.”

“He did what?” he asked.

“It didn’t actually happen.”

“But it has before, hasn’t it?” he asked.

I took a sip of my coffee as I watched Travis straighten up in his chair.

“Has he done it recently?” Travis asked.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s under control. Mostly.”

“It is a big deal. To me, it is. A man should never be laying his hands on a woman. Especially a father to his damn daughter.”

“It happens more often than you realize,” I said.