Love and Glory: The Coltrane Saga, Book 3 by Patricia Hagan Read Free Book Online

close to it. “Is this why you brought me here tonight?”
    “Hold it, Travis.”
    Kitty looked up gratefully into Sam Bucher’s worried face. Sam lifted Travis’ hand from her shoulder and began to guide both of them through the ballroom, toward the French doors leading to a terrace—and privacy.
    The cooling night air was welcome. Maybe it would sober Travis.
    “Now talk, damn it,” Travis thundered.
    Sam stepped between them. “Now listen, Travis, Kitty talked to me about this, and I think it’s a nice idea. She doesn’t like being stuck out there on that farm, and she told me how the Widow Glass has agreed to look after little John so you won’t have to worry with him while you’re out in the fields.”
    “You think that’s all that matters?” Travis stared down at her incredulously. “Having someone look after John? What about me? You don’t like being stuck out there on that farm? Hell, woman, do you think I like it? You think I like stumbling through those everlasting fields behind that stinking mule till I start wondering which one of us is the animal? Hell, no, I don’t like it, but I’ve done it for you. Always for you.”
    It took all Kitty had not to confess her scheme, then and there. “It’s different for a man.” She forced herself to sound cool. “A man farms the land, but you won’t let me do anything but tend to John and the house. I get so bored.”
    She glanced away, unable to face him with lies. She had never, never been bored caring for him and their son. Except for the times she grieved over his misery, her life had been fine.
    “You get bored!” He spat out the words. “Jesus Christ, how could one woman change so much and me not realize it for so goddamned long? You’ve made a fool of me!”
    He shook her so roughly that Sam pulled him away. “Just calm down, boy. You’ve had too much to drink. I’ve been watching you tonight, and you’ve been tossin’ that stuff down like it was water. Tomorrow you’ll feel better. You and Kitty can talk then.”
    Kitty took a deep breath, lifted her chin in what she hoped seemed utter defiance. “We can talk,” she said coolly, smoothing the front of her green dress, “but my mind is made up. I start work at the hospital Monday. I have a right to live a part of my life just for me.”
    Travis stared at her for long, painful moments, during which Kitty and Sam did not look at each other. They knew they were about to hear the very words she had schemed to make him say.
    “So have I, Kitty,” Travis said coldly. “For too long I’ve given all my life to you, and now I realize it never meant a damn thing to you.”
    He turned to Sam. “I’m going with you. I don’t know if they’ll even let me be on that committee or not, but I’ll go with you if I have to be a stowaway. I’ve got to get away from here.”
    “Sure, Travis, sure.” Sam put his big arm across his friend’s shoulders and led him away. He chanced a backward glance at Kitty, pity in his eyes, and saw that she was biting her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears. She couldn’t give in now. “I’ll fix it so you can go along,” Sam was saying. “Maybe you two need to be apart for a little while to think things out. Then, when you come back, everything will be different. You’ll see.”
    They reached the door leading back into the ballroom and Travis stopped suddenly. Without turning around to look at her, he muttered, “Sam will take you home. I’m staying in town tonight.”
    Sam led Travis back inside and she could hold back the tears no longer. Sinking to her knees on the terrace, she covered her face with her hands and began to sob.
    Love something, set it free, she cried to herself. Please, God, let me have done the right thing, for it’s too late to turn back now.

Chapter Three
    Orange and pink streaked across the eastern horizon. Kitty stood at the window, eyes burning from the sleepless night just past and from squinting into the