Travis smiled kindly at her. "You sure you want to hear this?"
She nodded. "I know it was weeks ago, but it's been driving me crazy. I've tried to talk to him, but he's so uncomfortable around me now. What did I do?"
Travis set his tea on the table, took her hand and led her to the sofa. "Two things," he said. "The first thing is your fault."
Emma rolled her eyes. "I was not pressuring him toward marriage," she growled.
"Yes, you were. It's all you ever talked about. You even stop in front of the bridal store and gawk at the dresses every time you pass. You made him double date with your parents. You were ready to skip the fun, exciting dating stage and go straight to old married couple."
Emma folded her arms over her chest. "I don't feel that I did those things."
"You don't?"
She stared at him for a moment and then let her arms drop. She looked away. "It's just, I know already that he's the man I want to marry. I don't see the point in dragging the whole thing out."
"Emma, I know exactly how you feel. But when the other person isn't at that stage, you have to let him set the pace for the relationship. If you do that, you'll ease a lot of the tension."
She nodded slowly, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "Okay. So what's the second thing."
"This isn't your fault," Travis said. He tilted her chin toward him with the tip of his finger. "You're a little too perfect."
She laughed. "What? Did he say that?"
"No. But I know it's a problem for him. He doesn't like women waiting on him. He doesn't like women being in positions of servitude. Our mom walked around with her shoulders hunched and her eyes averted and obeyed the every command of our old man. Dustin hated that more than anything else the old man did. He even hates going to restaurants and having waitresses bring him food. He half stands out of respect every time one comes by. And he tips ridiculous amounts just to ease his conscience."
Emma gawked. "My homemaking capabilities are one of my strongest attributes. And it's a turnoff for Dustin."
Travis nodded. "Sorry, babe. He's weird."
"Why wouldn't he just talk to me about this?"
"I don't think he really understands it himself. He likes to work things out in his mind before he talks about them out loud."
Emma pondered for a while. "Do you think I should ask him for another try? Would it be completely beneath my dignity?"
Travis put up his hands, stood and stepped away. "I draw the line at interpreting. I'll tell you what's going on in someone else's head, but I don't give advice. You'll have to answer that question for yourself."
"Thanks a lot," Emma said sarcastically. "You do not make a very good girlfriend."
"Glad to hear it. I need to get back to work. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Emma shook her head. She thanked him and walked him out the door. It felt kind of good waving good-bye to him from her very own front stoop.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Emma was babysitting that day. It was a Saturday and Travis usually took Emily to work with him since it was only a half-day and there usually wasn't much work to do. Half of his office looked like a nursery anyway. There was a swing and a bouncy chair, some toys and a bassinet. Sometimes around three he'd go to the daycare and pick Emily up and keep her with him the rest of the day. He hated to spend all day away from her.
But this Saturday Neil was down sick and the workload was extra heavy. Travis called Emma up on impulse and asked if she would sit with the baby at his house. She cheerfully accepted, as always. So Travis relaxed into his day, knowing Emily was in the best of hands.
When Emma called crying around noon, Travis's initial reaction was to get her calmed down. He couldn't make out what she was saying.
"They took her...I couldn't stop them!" she said in a brief pause between bouts of panicked crying.
"Who..."
"Tonya and her boyfriend! They just came in..."
But Travis quit listening. He felt immediately sick. He grabbed his keys, hollered at Dustin to come home with him, and then climbed in his truck and drove.
His heart pounded violently in his chest. His ears were ringing. And he was already accepting the probability that what Emma had told him was true. He swung into his driveway, turned off the truck, left the keys and went inside.
Emma met him at the door crying and clutching at him. She was in hysterics. Travis barely heard her. He brushed her gently off and then headed for his bedroom. Empty bassinet. The third room they used to use for storage had slowly been transformed into a nursery. There was a crib and toys and a changing table. No baby.
Travis gripped the frame of the doorway to steady himself. He heard the front door slam open as Dustin arrived. He heard Emma sobbing and explaining to him how Tonya had just barged in and snatched the baby up out of her swing. She told how she had tried to stop them but Tonya's boyfriend backhanded her across the face and she was so stunned and afraid that they were gone before she could get back to her feet.