Travis's Gift (Riley's Pride #3)- Sandra R Neeley Page 0,71
and efficient?” Travis asked.
“Had to. Everybody’s gotta grow up sometime,” Scotty answered.
“Hey, why don’t we see if we can get the heater looked at in town since we’ll be there anyway?” Libby said.
“We can do that. Just for an estimate, though. I think it needs more work than can be done in a couple of hours. We need to be back for 10:30 A.M.,” Travis said.
“Okay,” Libby said. “Let’s go ahead and go. We can grab something to eat while we’re out and about.”
“See ya in a little while,” Libby said, hugging Scotty before she grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and slipped it on.
“Ya’ll be careful,” Scotty said, watching them go out of the front door together.
Travis followed Libby to his truck, and waited while she scooted in across the seat, before getting in beside her. “So, I was thinking,” he said.
“Yeah?” Libby asked.
“With Christmas coming, I’d like to get Scotty something special for Christmas,” Travis said.
“Me, too!” Libby agreed.
“Was thinking I’d like to get him his own truck,” Travis said.
Libby’s eyes went wide. “Yes! That’s perfect! He’s such a good kid. He really deserves it,” she said, hugging Travis as he tried to put the truck in gear and back out of their driveway.
Travis laughed at her exuberance. It’d been a long time since he, or anyone else had seen this side of her. “And,” he said.
“There’s more?” Libby asked.
“There is. I was wondering what you’d like Satan Clause to bring you,” he said.
Libby looked at him with surprise, then fell apart laughing. “Other than the mug in your cabinet the other day, I haven’t thought about Satan Clause in a long time,” she finally said, still chuckling.
“Our cabinet. And I’ve thought about him often,” Travis admitted.
Libby sat so close to Travis that their thighs touched. She waited until he pulled out on the highway, and got the old truck up to speed, and laid his hand on her leg until he’d need to shift gears again. She took his hand in hers and laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t need anything at all, Travis. Everything I want, I already have,” she said, bringing his hand to her lips to press a kiss to it.
Travis looked down at her head resting on his shoulder. “I love you, Libby.”
“Love you, too,” she answered.
Chapter 22
The clanging sound of a buzzer releasing the door jolted Talie out of her distracted state. She turned to watch the door, to see who walked through it.
“Good morning, Talie. How are you doing this morning?” Ms. Autry asked, as she set her briefcase and purse on the table beside her. She looked around the bare, gray walls, the single barred window, the plain steel desk bolted to the floor in the middle of the room and Talie handcuffed to a chain leading up and through a hole in the desk itself.
“I’m okay. How is Darcie? Have you seen her?” Talie asked.
“I have. She’s doing as well as can be expected. Asking about you,” Ms. Autry answered.
“Please. You have to get her out of there. I grew up in a place like that. I know what it’s like,” Talie begged.
“Unfortunately, there are too many kids that need fostering right now. There’s nowhere else to send her. But she’s managing. She’s clean, and she’s being fed, and she’s going to school and learning to adapt.”
“She doesn’t belong there,” Talie said. She looked from her hands, handcuffed and resting on the table in front of her. “I don’t belong here. I should be out there working my butt off and taking care of Darcie.”
“I know. I believe you. But no one else does. The evidence is compelling.”
“I didn’t rob anybody. And I certainly didn’t kill anyone!” Talie insisted, her voice rising in her alarm at the situation.
“Like I already said, I believe you. But the prosecutor doesn’t. Your fingerprints were on everything we recovered. Your prints were on the murder weapon. You were even covered in blood when the paramedics arrived.”
“Of course I was! I tried to do CPR. And my fingerprints were on everything because I lived there. Only for a month, but I lived there. My prints are also on most places in the house. I lived in it. I cleaned it. I moved all the electronics from the living room to the shed in the backyard. The knife was one I used almost daily when I cooked.”
“How can I prove that? Tell me and I’ll pursue whatever lead you give