''I Do''...Take Two! Read Free Page B

Travis had agreed it was a fantastic opportunity, too good to pass up. He’d also acknowledged that they’d put his career ahead of hers up to that point. What neither of them could admit was that her move to DC had signaled the beginning of the end.
    Even then they’d tried to make it work. He’d flown in between deployments for short visits. She’d zipped down to Florida for the ceremony awarding him the Silver Star—despite the fact his plane had taken hits from intense antiaircraft fire, Travis and his crew had managed a daring extraction of a navy SEAL team pinned down and about to be overrun. An air force general and a navy admiral had both been present at the ceremony. Each had commented on how proud Kate must be of her husband.
    She was! So proud she often choked up when she tried to describe what he did to outsiders. Pride was cold comfort, though, when he grabbed his go kit and took off for another short-notice rotation to Afghanistan or Somalia or some other war-ravaged, disease-stricken area of operations.
    Then there were the ops he couldn’t tell her about. Highly classified and often even more dangerous. Like, she guessed a moment later, the present one. She got her first clue when he glossed over her question about how long he’d be in Italy.
    â€œWe’re not sure. Could be another month, could be more. What about you? How long are you staying?”
    â€œI fly home on the twentieth.”
    He cocked his head. “Two days after our divorce becomes final.”
    â€œDawn and Callie thought it would be easier to... That is, I wanted to...” She played with her glass, swirling the dark red chianti, and dug deep for a smile. “I couldn’t think of a better distraction than touring Italy with the two of them.”
    â€œHow about touring it with me?”
    Her hand jerked, almost slopping wine over the edge of the glass. “What?”
    â€œI owe you this trip, Kate. Let me make good on that debt.”
    â€œYou can’t be serious!”
    â€œYeah, I am.”
    Stunned, she shook her head. “We’re too far down the road, Trav. We can’t backtrack now.”
    â€œTrue.” He leaned forward into a slanting beam of sunlight, so close and intent she could see the gold flecks in his hazel eyes. “But we can take some time to see if there’s enough left to try a different track.”
    â€œThat’s crazy. All we’ll do is open ourselves up to more hurt when we say goodbye.”
    â€œNo, Kate, we won’t. Despite Dawn’s snide comment a few minutes ago, I hold to my word.” Reaching across the table, he curled a knuckle under her chin. “When and if we say goodbye, I promise you won’t regret this time together.”

Chapter Two
    â€œK ate!” Dismay chased across Dawn’s expressive face. “Tell me you’re not actually going to traipse off with the man!”
    â€œI said I’d consider it.”
    â€œBut...but...”
    â€œI know,” Kate admitted with a grimace. “The whole idea of this trip was to help me remember there’s a big, wide world out there that doesn’t have to include Travis Westbrook.”
    â€œNow you want to narrow it down again?”
    â€œMaybe. For a week. Or not. I don’t know.”
    The less-than-coherent reply had Dawn swiveling on the crimson brocade sofa lavishly trimmed with gold rope. It was one of two plush sofas in the sitting room of their suite at the five-star Rome Cavalieri. A member of the Waldorf chain, the hotel sat perched on fifteen acres of private parkland overlooking the Eternal City. With its elegant decor, breath-stealing view of St. Peter’s Basilica in the near distance and shuttle service to the heart of Rome, the Cavalieri provided a home base of unparalleled luxury and convenience. The stunning vista framed by the doors of their suite’s balcony was the last thing on the minds of anyone at