Fail to Trust (The Casteel Trust Series Book 2)

by Scarlet Wolfe

  “Travis, I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I say we’re proud of you for the positive changes you’ve made this year. And Franklin, we’re equally proud of you for showing your uncle here a great amount of support.”

  Link snickers and punches me in the arm. I hate when they call me his uncle. It makes me feel old.

  Sarge hands me the wishbone. “OK, before you two get all soft and start cryin’ on me, make a wish and break the bone. We’re hungry here.”

  He winks, but I see the tears in his eyes. Without closing mine, I make a wish that Becca comes back to me.

  Having broken the wishbone before, I find it’s better to hold still and let your opponent pull on it. Link does just that, and it breaks apart. It goes in my favor, leaving me the long half.

  “Yes! Take that nephew.”

  Franklin grabs me and places me in a headlock. He rubs his knuckle back and forth on my head.

  “That’s enough. You’re settin’ a bad example for the kids here. Take your seats, and let’s say a prayer so it appears this family is semi-civilized.”

  I straighten my hair but not before driving my knuckle into Link’s bicep. My eyes flash to Becca, and she’s giggling. God, that smile of hers. If I had another chance, I’d be sure to make her grin like that every damn day.

  Everett begins to say grace, and I can’t help but open and tilt up my eyes to take a peek at Becca. Shit, she’s staring back at me, so I give her a lazy smile. Her face turns pink, but she smiles back.

  We’re like teenagers with a crush on one another, and it reminds me of when Becca was standing in my apartment begging me to let us have a fresh start. She said we could behave like we just met. I was an idiot to reject her that day.

  Becca

  I begin clearing leftovers off the plates and into the garbage can in the kitchen. I set them in a stack after, and it’s growing in size. I go to set another down, and a hand takes it from me.

  Travis turns and places it in the dishwasher. I don’t speak, and he doesn’t, either. We continue our teamwork until the dishwasher is full.

  “I guess the rest of these will have to wait until the next round,” he says. Wiping my hands off on a dish towel, my eyes flit around the room, and I discover we’re alone. I suspect it happened on purpose.

  Unsure of what to say, I smile at him, which I’ve done a lot today. He looks too handsome in his tan khakis and light blue button-up shirt, which pairs with his eyes perfectly.

  Travis seldom dresses up, and this look is hot on him. His sleeves are rolled up, and his hair is a tad damp in the front with sweat.

  “It’s like an oven in here. Would you want to step out back with me to get some fresh air?”

  Don’t do it.

  Don’t do it.

  “Sure.”

  He’s grinning. “Let me grab our coats.” You’d think the boy had ants in his pants from the way he’s scampering out of the room.

  I’m waiting by the back door when he returns. Once we’re on the porch, I realize how hot the kitchen actually was. The cool air is nice. It’s also dark and quiet, but I feel at home.

  “This property is comforting. I’d love to have a place this peaceful someday,” I say.

  “Me, too.” Travis takes a seat on the porch swing. It’s awkward to be standing at the door, so I walk over and sit next to him. The toe of his loafer presses against the concrete below, giving us a little push.

  “I’m glad you and your parents came today,” he says.

  “Me, too. Your big family is always joyful. It makes me happy to watch how much love each of you have for one another.”

  “I feel pretty lucky for that. I’m also grateful they forgave me for how I treated them after you and I broke up.”

  My hands grip the edge of the swing, and silence becomes heavy. I can see my breath with every exhale, so as a distraction, I study it and enjoy the peacefulness surrounding us.

  “I miss you every day, Becca. I gave you the space you asked for, but it didn’t change how much I thought about you one damn bit.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Will you answer a question for me?”

  I turn my head and stare into his eyes.

  “OK.”

  “I’m sure you think about me, since we get glimpses of each other daily at work, but do you ever really think about me … about us?”

  “Travis.” I’m shaking my head, not wanting to answer. He reaches down and takes hold of my hand.

  “Becca, give me this one please. Answer me honestly.”

  “Yes. I think about our past. I notice you every day at Casteel and wonder how you’re doing. I still think about the future we can’t have.”

  “If you think about it, then that means a part of you still wishes for it. We can have it, beautiful. At least be my friend. Spend time with me and see how much better I am.”

  “I already see it … in your eyes and smile. Your body appears healthier than when I saw you back after Labor Day.”

  He flashes me his signature grin, and the porch light showcases his straight white teeth.

  “You’ve noticed my body. There’s hope yet.”

  Pushing his shoulder, I flush crimson.

  “Travis, I like Clay, too.”

  “But you like me more.” He shifts sideways on the swing to see me better, so I do the same. “You maybe even still love me.”

  His fingers latch onto a curl of mine hanging over my chest, and it reminds me of Clay doing the same thing only hours ago. Pangs of guilt leave my stomach feeling sick.

  “I already feel as if I’m betraying him being this close to you.”

  “Are you two in a relationship?” There’s panic in his eyes for the first time tonight.

  “We haven’t said it aloud, but he thinks so.” I turn my head away from him. “He’s moving to Washington in January and wants me to move with him.”

  “Fuck no, Becca. Are you going to do it? Are you going to leave Casteel, too?”

  “I don’t want to go, but he’s been nothing short of amazing to me. I owe it to him to consider it. He’s only going to become busier as the election nears, so our only shot at making it work would be for me to move there.”

  “If you think Clay might be worth moving to Washington for, then you have to believe it’s worth seeing if there is a future for us, too.

  “You want it to be me, Becs. I feel it from you. You’re nervous around me and fight to keep your guard up because if you don’t, we’re going to fall deep all over again, and that scares you.”

  “And there has to be a reason it scares me. I can’t ignore that something is holding me back from you.”

  “You’re fearful I’ll let you down again, but I won’t. I regret the decisions I made after your accident. I should’ve seen you right when you returned from Europe. I should’ve been there for you, comforting you through your grief and miscarriage.

  “I was too busy blaming myself, and I kept making poor choices so I could hate myself more. It’s the only reason I was drinking excessively and screwing around with women.”

  He takes hold of my chin and turns it toward him.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you how sincerely I mean that, so please let me show you. Spend time with me.”

  I can’t take my eyes off of his as they plead a case for him.

  “OK, but I have to tell Clay, and I don’t know what I’ll say. If he’ll still have me, I’m going to continue to see him.” I shake my head. “At least … until I sort out my feelings.”

  “That’s why we need to spend time together. I want you to allow yourself to feel everything with me so you can make an honest decision.”

  “Alright.”

  Travis leans in and kisses my cheek. His warm breath lingers near my mouth, warming more than my skin.

  “Are you going Black Friday shopping or seeing Clay tomorrow?”

  “Neither.”

  “Will you come here in the daylight? There’s something I wa
nt to show you.”

  “Sure.”

  He gazes at me, and his eyes hold an intense gleam.

  “Becs, I could never grow tired of admiring your gorgeous face. I’ll try to refrain from kissing you, but I can’t make any promises.”

  His fingers rub my back as he lures me in. His breath is blanketing my mouth, our bodies are close, and I realize I don’t have much fight left in me. Friends he says … We’ve always been more than that.

  “I can’t promise, either,” I breathe.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Becca

  As I drive to Everett’s, I’m thinking about Travis and what he could want to show me at his brother’s home. My mind drifts to Clay, too, and I wonder what he’s doing today.

  Once I was home last night, he texted me to ask if I enjoyed my family dinner, which he thought was taking place at my parents’ house.

  He thanked me for accompanying him to his mother’s, but after I replied, he didn’t text again, and I found it odd he didn’t mention when he’d like to see me next.

  Relief swept over me when our messaging ended. I won’t hide from him that I’m spending time with Travis, but it’s not a conversation I’m looking forward to having. He’ll become angry or sad or a cocktail of both.

  I must be careful with both Clay and Travis. They’re fragile right now; Clay from losing his father and Travis with his recovery. Neither deserve to have their heart broken.

  I fear I could drive Clay away with my admission only to realize later it’s him who I wish to be with. If I choose Clay, my friendship with Travis will be doomed. Maybe in the end, I’ll be the one with a broken heart.

  Parking in Everett’s driveway, I look in my visor mirror to make sure my updo is not falling. Travis always liked my hair piled on top of my head.

  I smile as I recall him telling me I was adorable almost every time he admired it that way. After applying a couple of swipes of pink lip gloss, I walk to the door and knock.

  Reese opens it and gives me a lazy smile. Her hair is down and tousled, and she’s in one of Everett’s t-shirts and a pair of pajama shorts.

  Casteel Motorsport is closed again today, which is unusual for their type of business, but their motto is family comes first. It’s one of the many qualities I love about the Casteel brothers.

  “Travis is out back.”

  “He told you?” I ask bashfully.

  “He told Ev. I hope you know what you’re doing?”

  “I haven’t a clue, but Travis deserves a chance, too.” I give her a pouty expression. “Do you think I’m a slut?”

  “Are you already sleeping with both of them?”

  “No, but I feel like I’m doing two men.”

  “This isn’t the best situation to be in, but I don’t feel you can commit to Clay until you’re certain whether or not you and Travis have a future together.”

  With my hand on my hip, I chew on the inside of my mouth.

  “I’ll have to hurt one of them,” I murmur.

  “Yes, you will, and I’m sorry you have added stress in your life, but in the end, I believe you’ll feel good about your decision.”

  My sister rubs her arms. “OK, I have to close this door. It’s cool out today.”

  “I guess I’ll head to the backyard. Wish me luck.”

  Her arm reaches out from the doorway and circles around me.

  “I love you, and let’s go shopping this evening. Maybe by then all the crazy shoppers will have gone home.”

  “Sounds good.” I leave her alone and trek around the side of the old white home. My eyes roam the property, and I spot Travis to the left of the dirt bike track. I squint, trying to decipher what he’s doing. Is that a chainsaw he’s holding?

  The closer I get, I see the goggles and hearing protection headphones he’s wearing. He’s in deep thought, studying a log in front of him. He looks up, and after seeing me, he yanks off the safety protection he’s wearing.

  “Hi,” he says. Setting down the chainsaw, he closes up the distance between us.

  He’s in a black sweatshirt, jeans and brown boots, and a beanie is stretched over his head. Pieces of his blond hair are sticking out around his ears, and damn, he looks hot today.

  Enclosing me in his firm biceps, he holds me near his toasty body, and it warms the chill away. Pressing my cheek against his chest, I sigh.

  This right here feels like home: Travis’s warm body, this property, and the late fall air.

  Simple.

  It’s all I need, and I wasn’t aware of it until this very moment. Realizing how many seconds have passed, I pull away and notice the light brown wood shavings sprinkled on his dark sweatshirt.

  He looks down. “Shit, I got them on you. Sorry about that.”

  My red college sweatshirt and the black fleece jacket I’m wearing over it are sprinkled with shavings, too.

  “It’s OK. I’m curious to see what you’re doing here.” I begin looking around, and there are two sculptures that appear finished and another he’s working on.

  The logs are standing upright, and Travis has carved them into beautiful art pieces. “Trav, did you make these?” My round eyes flash to his.

  As his face flushes crimson, he looks down at the ground.

  “Yeah, I did. Dad taught me when I was about twelve. It was our hobby until he died. I hadn’t touched the chainsaw since, but Ev talked me into trying it again about a month ago.

  “It’s an amazing stress reliever. I don’t think about much else while I’m doing it.” He laughs. “There’s something about wielding a chainsaw that makes me feel like I’m releasing some of my anger, too.”

  I approach one of the logs that are complete. My fingers graze the intricate cuts that have formed an eagle perched on a log.

  “These are amazing,” I utter. My eyes are roaming over the design, and I’m mesmerized by Travis’s talent. The other one is of a bass fish, and it’s equally as impressive.

  “Thank you.”

  Sauntering back to him, my eyes prowl along his sexy manliness, and I don’t even care if he catches on because he looks that damn good, and I have to soak it in.

  “I feel honored that you wanted to share this with me.”

  He grips my waist and stares down at me.

  “You want me. Say it.” His mischievous grin is his sidekick, goading me.

  “I do, but is that enough?” I whisper.

  Because of my response, solemnness substitutes his grin.

  “I was an idiot for rejecting you awhile back when you came to my apartment and said we could have a fresh start.

  “So this is me showing you something you didn’t know about me.” He smirks. “See … it’s like we just met.”

  My eyelids flutter up at him, and I feel the butterflies in my stomach like we did just meet. His blue eyes transmit a sincere message, and instead of self-loathing, I see only hope and love. I bury my face to his chest and hug him.

  “Trav … I don’t know what I’m going to do. You and Clay are both so sweet. I don’t want to hurt either of you.”

  Grabbing my shoulders, he holds me out to see my face.

  “I need you to be happy, Becs. After everything that happened, you deserve it more than anyone I know, so do what you feel in your heart. As long as I’m given a fighting chance first, I’ll accept your decision.”

  I pull away from him and turn. My nail goes to my mouth, and I bite down. His arms stretch around me from behind, and he gives me no choice but to fall back against him. His heated breath penetrates my ear, and I shiver.

  “Please, baby, give me a chance to show you what we could have.”

  I slant my head to the left, but this only gives him more access to my skin. His lips stalk down my neck, his nose soon dipping into the collar of my sweatshirt.

  “I can’t have sex with you,” I whisper.

  He freezes, his arms stiffening around me, and my heart rate skyrockets. I imagine him getting angry like he did in the Casteel parking lot
a month ago, so I stiffen, too, waiting for his outburst.

  “OK … I can wait until you make a decision, but please don’t sleep with him again until you have. The thought alone is killing me inside,” he murmurs.

  Turning me, he pulls me against him and hugs me, transmitting his gratefulness for this opportunity to hold me, and I feel it to my bones.

  Travis penetrates to the deepest depth of my soul where the longing I feel for him is sprouting once again. He’s nurturing it the way he did when we first met.

  My Travis is back.

  Reese

  “What are you doing?” Everett asks as he comes up behind me at the kitchen sink.

  “Don’t let them see you,” I say in a hushed whisper.

  “They can’t hear you, and you shouldn’t be spying on them.”

  I grip my shirt over my heart.

  “But they’re so sweet. Look how Travis is holding her. They’ve been standing like that for a solid minute.”

  Spinning me around, Ev squeezes my hips and yanks me close.

  “And I want to hold you. Now that my stomach is full from those fattening holiday leftovers, I need to snuggle up to you in bed and take a nap.”

  I giggle and kiss his lips. “Snuggle and nap. Is that what we’re calling it now?”

  “Spoon with me. I promise not to poke you with my dick.”

  Laughing hard, I fall against his chest that is bouncing with mine from his forwardness.

  “I could use a nap before I go shopping tonight.” I take his hand and lead him to the bedroom. Strolling around to the opposite side of our bed, I stare into his eyes and lift his shirt I’m wearing over my head.

  Next, I ever so slowly slip off my thin pajama shorts and panties. Now naked, I give him a coy smile.

  “I guess you’re looking for a poking.”

  I shrug. “If you’re offering.”

  “Buttercup, I’m never not offering.”

  I admire the hottest man on earth with his solid bare chest, disheveled hair and massive grin. He strips off his blue pajama pants, and I see his dick overheard our conversation. He’s attentive and ready to partake, and I have to snicker.