Page 116 of Seeing Harper

“Riley!” Maia exclaimed, gesturing to the waders he was wearing while tracking mud all over her house.

“What? It was this or barefoot, and barefoot has fish guts between the toes.”

“Then strip down outside and hose yourself off!”

“I would have, but I got the notification that your truck left the property, and that Libby’s car arrived, and just as I got close to the back yard I saw Travis going through the side gate so I wanted to get inside as soon as I could. What the hell is going on? And who’s been assaulted?”

“Nobody,” Libby said. “At least not assault in the way you’re thinking of it.”

“You’re sure?” Maia pressed.

“Yes. He tried to be overbearing, tried to coerce her into complying with what he wanted. Even insinuated that her lack of cooperation didn’t look good for any future business between his company and her father, but when she pushed him away and walked away, he didn’t follow,” Libby said.

“Are we talking about Harper?” Riley asked.

“Yes. She’s been staying with Summer because she and her father are in a stand off over several things, not the least of which is the man whose behavior Libby just described, and the fact that Travis didn’t believe her and invited the bastard to come stay in their home.”

“The fuck is wrong with him?”

“So much, Riley. But you’ve always known that,” Libby quipped. She caught herself and looked up at Riley wide-eyed. “Not that I don’t love my husband. But sometimes I wonder if maybe more than his leg was damaged overseas.”

Someone knocked on the door as it was opened, just as Libby had done. “Hey! Anybody home?” Travis called out.

“Yeah. Get your ass in here!” Riley said, still dropping little puddles of muddy water in the entrance way of his and Maia’s home.

Travis stepped inside, his eyebrows raised in surprise at Riley’s comment. “Hello to you, too.”

“Yeah, why do you have this asshole staying in your house despite the fact that your daughter ran when you invited him to stay? Doesn’t that tell you something?”

Travis sighed and pointed to the living room. “May I?”

“Yeah,” Riley said.

Travis sat on the sofa nearest to the chair Libby sat in. He looked at her with a beaten puppy look on his face. “I came as quickly as I could.”

“Mmhmm.”

“You going to talk to me at all?” he asked. “Where’s Harper? Summer said she’s safe, but wouldn’t say anything else other than she’s hanging around so she can keep sending Clay out to look for her even though she knows she’s actually safe now.”

Maia started laughing and couldn’t make herself stop. When her laughter finally died down, she looked around at the others watching her. Only Libby was wearing a smirk. “What? I can’t help it. I love that girl. She’s something else.”

Libby chuckled a bit as she nodded and sipped her latte.

“Libs?” Travis said.

“I don’t have to talk to you anymore. Harper’s safe. I haven’t decided about anything else. I might talk to you, but then again, I might not.”

“I know I was wrong. I do. I’m doing anything I can to make it right. But I can’t make it right if the both of you are living elsewhere.”

“Sounds like you have a problem to solve. How to make either of us want to be home again.”

“I admit I was wrong. I kicked him out. I called his company. I’ve done everything I can to make sure that everyone I know in the industry is aware of his actions, I sent out mass emails to all my contacts, details about his comments, and his behavior. He won’t have many friends when he tries to make the rounds again. Since there was nothing illegal done, there aren’t any charges that I can press, but I can make sure that nobody forgets any time soon, and I plan to.”

“So Harper wasn’t actually assaulted?” Riley said, asking for confirmation.

“No, just harassed, and put into repeatedly uncomfortable situations that she felt she couldn’t just walk away from, or even make her own wishes clear without disappointing her father.”

Travis lowered his head and started rubbing his forehead.