Page 101 of Seeing Harper

“Why would I do that?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Nobody knows what those messages were, except for Clay, and she hasn’t spoken to him about them yet,” Libby said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Joel said.

“The times they were received and then only seconds later deleted are during the time you were having breakfast with Harper in the hotel’s restaurant, and only you and she were at your table. She went to the restroom before you left for the show that morning and left her phone out on the table. And according to you, the waitress or some stranger came by, picked up her phone and deleted only two of the messages from someone’s phone they don’t even know, returned it to the table and left. All without you seeing them as you sat there waiting for her,” Libby said.

Travis, having looked in depth at the photo on Libby’s phone, looked at Joel. “Explain all this to me, Joel. Help me understand why I shouldn’t feel like a piece of shit for dismissing my daughter’s claims and believing your explanations.”

“Travis, you know I wouldn’t hurt her. So I got a little more invested in trying to gain her attention. She’s a beautiful girl. Who wouldn’t have done a little work on the sidelines to gain the upper hand over anybody else she might have been dating? It was obvious the messages were more than just friendly. I just evened the playing field so I had time to win her over. It was just a couple of sappy little messages!” he said with a laugh. “You know how it is, right?”

Travis handed Libby’s phone back to her, but remained seated for a few moments as he went over everything in his head.

“And so you know, Travis, I don’t care how angry you are. I lived through the worst of it when you came home from the military hating everybody. I’ve bitten my tongue when you refused to acknowledge that Harper has a right to her own life, her dreams and her own future because I hoped you’d both find some common ground. But no more. I don’t care if she’s a cashier for the rest of her life. I’ll be there for it. She is not indebted to you for helping to give her life. She doesn’t owe you a damn thing except respect, and despite the unbendable dick you’ve become regarding her own personal future, she still holds that for you. Though I have no idea how she does, because I’m bordering on having had efuckingnough! I don’t care what happens with this asshole or his company. I don’t care what happens to the fucking trees in the fields. I don’t care how angry you are with me for telling you you’re an asshole. All I care about is my daughter and her well being. If you don’t, let me know now so I can pack my shit and go. I will be a part of my daughter’s life and future. She is and always has been my priority. If she’s not yours, I’ll happily walk away from this place and you. I’ll have no problem doing it. I resigned myself to living my life without you once. I can do it again.”

Travis shoved his chair away from the table and stalked out of the room. He returned shortly with Joel’s luggage, clothes hanging out of the edges where he’d forced it closed. He opened the front door and tossed it outside. “Get the fuck out.”

“What are you doing? Those are my things!”

Travis allowed just a touch of his Tiger to show through — a little hairier, a little more gruff, his nose just a little flatter — and a growl under his voice when he leaned over Joel where he still sat the table. “Get. Out. Of. My. Fucking. House,” he said low and deadly.

Joel quickly got to his feet, leaning backward to avoid making contact with Travis.

“I didn’t do anything!” Joel yelled as he tried to skirt Travis and get to the door that stood wide open waiting for him to leave.

“Sure you did. And you planned to do more. And I bought your bullshit, hook, line and sinker because I was so focused on what I wanted that I didn’t want to hear what my own daughter was trying to tell me. Get out before I lose control and they won’t able to find your body because I’ll feed it to my friends.”

Joel rushed through the door, eyes wide, seriously afraid. “You people are not normal!”

“No, we’re fucking not! And I’ll tell you what else we are! We’re petty! The next phone call you receive is going to be from your company advising you that you’re fired. And if they don’t, I’ll make sure the entire fucking industry is aware of your actions. Either way, your reputation is ruined,” Travis yelled at him, and slammed the door.

He turned to Libby, his mannerisms apologetic as he reached toward her with one arm. “Libs, honey…”

“Don’t talk to me. I’m still so fucking angry with you and your selfishness that I can’t see straight.” She grabbed her purse, snatched her keys off the pegboard by the door and stomped outside, slamming the door behind herself.

Travis quickly stepped out of the front door. “Libby!” he called out, she tossed a glare over her shoulder at him.

“When are you coming back?”

“Who says I am?” she asked, slammed her car door and started her engine.

Travis sighed as he stood there and watched her drive away. Once she was out of sight, he turned his focus to Joel, who was already carrying his suitcase across the yard, moving as quickly as he could in the direction he remembered Travis driving in from. Joel looked back at Travis when he heard the door open and the exchange between Travis and Libby, but he didn’t say a word, just put a little pep in his step to move more quickly away.

Travis stood there scowling long enough to scare the hell out of Joel, then went back inside the house and sat down to make a call to Auxin Bio Sciences. They needed to know what kind of man worked with them. Considering that it was a corporation, they may not care. But then again, they might, and he wanted them to know what Joel had tried to pull on his daughter.

Chapter 17

Clay carried the last of his clothes out of the apartment he shared with Cruz and laid them on top of the belongings he’d already loaded in his car. He paused to lift his face to the sky and soak in the warmth of the sun.

“So, that’s it. I did a quick walk through and other than the furniture, you have it all packed,” Cruz said.

Clay turned around to look at him. He smiled.

“You look more relaxed than I’ve seen you in a long time,” Cruz said.

“It’s crazy how much lighter I feel knowing I’m not coming back here.”

“I get it. I’ll probably feel that way in about fifteen years,” Cruz quipped.