When Roses Collide

Chapter Fifty-Three

Karma. Travis had never given much thought about it, or its implications in his lifetime. Yeah, he wasn't an idiot. He had heard of it, and knew all the clever quips and quotes about it. Hell, he'd even cracked open a few fortune cookies pertaining to the very subject, but he had never given it a second thought. Until now. Right now, at this very moment, it was staring straight at him with a pair of simpering blue eyes, puffy pink glossed lips, and an inflatable rack big enough to float down Clarks Creek on. He could honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt, the rumors where true, Karma was indeed a bitch.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, he once again tried to separate himself from Cyndi's hold. Every time he managed to pull one part of his anatomy free, she'd snake out another hand, and would latch back on. She was worse than trying to fight an octopus. The more he wrestled with her, the closer she got, and she kept giving him those flirtatious smiles that made his skin crawl. After all these years of knowing her, of her constantly making advances towards him, of watching her increasingly bad behavior over and over again, had left him with no sense of feeling towards her. He was indifferent, and it showed in how he spoke, his cold demeanor, and his refusal to have anything to do with her. Nobody would mistake his behavior towards the girl as anything but polite contempt. The only one who didn't seem to get it, was Cyndi, and right now...he no longer cared if he was polite or not.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he growled down at her, freeing his arm. "We don't need your help. Why are you even here?"

"I told you, I was worried," she whined. "I heard what happened, and I thought you were," she gave a small sniffle, "hurt. I came rushing over as soon as I could."

Her blue eyes began to fill with what Travis knew where fake tears. He'd witnessed them too many times in the past to count to believe they were real now. The foolish girl missed her calling in life, she could have been one hell of an actress. Everything about this little show she was putting on repulsed him, and made him suspicious as hell. If there was one thing well known around town, was Cyndi Rafferty didn't do anything to be generous or helpful, not unless it benefited her in some way. There was no such thing as being charitable in Cyndi's vocabulary.

"As you can see, I am fine," he said through gritted teeth. "You can go now."

"I'm so relieved. If anything ever happened to you..." Pausing she shook her head as if she was unable to go on. Instead, she let out a loud wail, and plowed into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "I don't know what I would do without you, Travis," she proclaimed loud enough for every person in the fucking county to hear. "I love you so much!"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Addie huffed, rolling her eyes.

His eyes flew to the front porch where Addie and Harley stood. The elderly woman seldom cursed unless she was beyond angry, and right now...he could tell Addie was fuming. Harley, on the other hand, seemed utterly confused, shocked and hurt. Dammit all to hell. This was not how he had planned this little homecoming going. Scratching an irritated palm over the growth of beard on his face, he glared back down at Cyndi.

"Addie, take Harley inside, and get her settled. I will get this sorted out, and be in shortly." He didn't want Addie making things worse, and he sure as hell didn't want Harley to hear any more of this bullshit spewing from Cyndi's mouth. He figured he would have enough to explain when he finally was able to get rid of her.

"I wasn't exaggerating when I told ye that lass had a mind like a closed book," Addie grumbled, taking a reluctant Harley by the hand, and ushering her quickly into the house.

"Are you going to let that old biddy talk to me like that?" Cyndi asked, snapping her head up to frown at him.

"You should know by now with as many times as you've turned up here unannounced, Addie says whatever she damn well pleases." Travis placed his hands on her shoulders, and pried her off him. "Stop making an ass of yourself. What do you want, Cyndi?"