Travis stood back, letting the two of them have a moment together. He smiled to himself, noticing how good Faith was with kids.
“Faith, who’s that?” The little girl asked, pointing at Travis.
“That’s Faith’s new boyfriend!” Faith’s mother suddenly appeared out of nowhere, pulling Travis into a suffocating hug. “Am I right?”
“Mom!” Faith’s eyes grew wide. “Let go of him before you choke him to death.”
“Calm down, honey. It’s just a hug. A big guy like him can handle it, can’t he?” She stepped back, looking Travis up and down. “I’ll say, honey, you’ve really impressed me with this one. He’s almost as handsome as your dad was when I first started dating him.”
“Mom, he’s not my boyfriend… he’s just a friend.” Faith emphasized the point. “Travis this is my mom, Charlotte. Mom this is Travis. Now you’ve been introduced, please, stop embarrassing me.”
“What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t embarrass my kids?” she said mischievously. “But I’ll let you two get settled into the party.” With those words, she waltzed off to another part of the lawn to start a conversation with an older couple.
Travis was still trying to orient himself after meeting Charlotte when suddenly, there was a tug on his shorts. He looked down to see the little girl staring at him with great big eyes. He squatted beside her, so they were eye level. “What’s the matter?”
The little girl leaned in and started to whisper in his ear. “Are you Faith’s knight in shining armor?”
“That depends, is Faith a princess?”
“Of course, she is!”
“Then one day, she’ll meet the perfect prince that will whisk her away and make her his bride.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.” Travis looked up at Faith and winked. “Any princess that pretty can’t stay cooped up in her castle forever.”
Crystal giggled. “Faith is pretty. Can I tell you something?”
The girl was absolute sweetness and light. Travis couldn’t refuse her a thing. “You can tell me anything you want.”
“I already found my prince.”
Travis held back a grin. Young love at what, five or six? What could be sweeter? “Can you tell me who?”
The girl’s eyes got very serious for one so young. “My daddy. He rescued me and took me to his castle. I have a mommy now and an annoying older brother.”
Travis smiled not sure what to make of Crystal’s words. Before he could answer, Faith scooped the girl into her arms and hugged her tight.
“Now you, little girl, should be nicer to your brother. He’s only trying to keep you safe.”
“But, Faith, he’s always telling me I’m too little.”
Faith grinned. “Well, you’re not too little to throw a water balloon at him. Why don’t you get one and then sneak up behind him? I bet if you’re really quiet you can get him.”
Crystal’s smile could have lit up the world. Travis loved it, and the fact that Faith had a devious streak in her. He would never have thought she’d suggest something like that to a little girl.
“I can be very quiet. Now, set me down,” Crystal demanded.
“Go on, now,” Faith said and set the girl down. She looked over at Travis. “So, about the prince thing…”
“Yeah, I didn’t get that.”
“I suppose I should mention it, now that Crystal brought it up. Crystal was just adopted about a year ago by one of my cousins. In fact, several of the kids around here are adopted and have some heartbreaking stories.”
“That’s really great of your family to be so welcoming.”
Faith nodded. “It all started with my brother, Emmitt. My parents wanted more kids, but for several reasons, it didn’t happen. They adopted Emmitt when he was young. His background was… well, let’s say he had a rough first few years. It spurred my mom into getting involved in helping kids… orphans… the poor… pretty much any kid with a need.”
Faith felt a shot of guilt flow through her. She’d been really involved in all her mother’s charities until Logan came along. She’d spent more time with him, which thrilled her mother, but then after… she’d been in so much pain that she couldn’t deal with seeing the kids’ heartbreaking stories. It was too much. Maybe it was time to start helping again.
“That’s really wonderful!” Travis’s words brought her back to the conversation.
“Yes, it is. Mom’s gotten almost everyone in our family involved in her charities. Many have taken kids into their homes either through adoption or fostering. I think my mother would take care of them all if she could. Instead, she does her best to raise money and awareness.”
“That’s really something.”
“Yeah, mom’s good at getting her way. If she wants you to donate to the kids, you can’t refuse or if she wants you to bring a date to a BBQ…” Faith motioned to Travis. “Then, you bring a date.”
Travis laughed. “I suppose there are good and bad things to any trait.”
“True. How about some food?”
“I wouldn’t mind a burger.”
“I thought you were holding out for ribs?”
Travis looked around. He didn’t see anyone with ribs. “Are you sure they’re still on the menu?”
“Probably not done yet. Let’s go see when they’ll be ready.”
Faith led him toward a built-in stone grill. A large man was manning the restaurant-sized grill with an apron wrapped around his waist and a spatula in his hand. Travis eyed the scene. There was a good amount of smoke billowing from the grill. He hoped nothing was burning in there.
“Hey, Dad,” Faith said.
Charles Mason turned around, his face lighting up at the sight of his daughter. “Hey, honey, glad you could make it.”
“Of course, how could I miss our annual 4th of July celebration?”
They had hugged before her father noticed Travis. “Who’s this?”
Faith stepped back. “This is Travis. Travis this is my dad, Charles.”
“Nice to meet you, sir.” Travis stepped forward and offered a hand.
Charles tossed the spatula to his left hand and shook. “Good to meet you, too. Faith never brings anyone around, so—”
Faith broke in, “Mom insisted that I bring a date.”
Charles’s look of suspicion eased, and he glanced around until he spotted his wife talking to her sister. “That would explain all the whispered conversations she’s been having with her sister. You know she worries about you.”
“I know, but it’s unnecessary. I’m fine. Travis is just a friend who is kind enough to survive the Mason family BBQ.”
Charles turned his gaze on Travis, sizing him up. Travis resisted the urge to squirm. Charles nodded and smiled. “Well, he’s an excellent choice, tall too. Make sure he’s on our team for the volleyball competition.”
Travis enjoyed volleyball, but before he could agree Faith broke in.
“Don’t tell me that we’re doing that again this year.”
“Of course, we are! We can’t let Uncle Jim keep bragging about how he smashed us last year. We have to show him what we’re made of!”
“Dad, are you sure that’s such a good idea? You know how competitive you get. Last year, you nearly threw out your back.”
“I’ve been training. Did my stretches this morning.”
Charles demonstrated by flipping a burger then quickly following it with a bend to each side and one to the back. Travis had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Charles might be doing daily stretches, but the look on his face suggested he really wasn’t limber at all.
“Dad…” Faith groaned. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Kiss me on the cheek and tell me you love me.”
Faith had a look that was half frustration and half absolute adoration. She leaned in and pecked her father on the cheek. “I do love you.”
She stepped back, placing her hands on her hips. “Now, I promised T
ravis some of your famous ribs.”
“The ribs! I’d almost forgot.” Charles moved around the grill to tall, black box. He opened the door and looked inside. “Still okay. Give me a few minutes to pull them out of the smoker and put them in pans. Why don’t you both get drinks or chips and then come back.”
“Okay. Come on Travis. Mom makes great potato salad.”
Travis glanced back at Charles Mason, who was pulling racks of ribs from his smoker. They looked and smelled delicious. He turned back to Faith and smiled. She may think her family was too loud or outspoken, but Travis found her entire family dynamic compelling. They were so welcoming, generous, and made room in their lives for others. Travis hadn’t been around or had much of a family for a while now. He envied Faith.
“Famous ribs and potato salad. I think I’m getting the better end of the deal in this date.”
Faith shook her head. “Just wait. Someone here will do something that will change your mind.”
Travis doubted that but followed Faith to a long table set up with various salads, vegetables, wedges of watermelon and cantaloupe, chips, and an entire section of desserts that looked mouth-watering. He filled his plate but made sure to leave a space for a few ribs.
Just as Travis was deciding if he should grab a brownie or wait until later, Faith’s dad brought a tray of ribs to the table.
“First set of ribs are out!” He shouted and then said to Travis. “Better hurry and grab a few before the crowd descends.”
Travis had barely put two on his plate before he was surrounded by people, grabbing at the tray of ribs. He had to hold his plate above his head to keep the masses from bumping his plate. They were like ravenous wolves. He’d barely made it out when he heard a laugh.
“See. Right there is an example of the craziness of the Mason family. Good thing you were right there or you wouldn’t have gotten one,” Faith said, eye shining with mirth.
Travis looked back and saw the crowd was thinning. Probably because the tray was empty. He saw that Faith hadn’t managed to get one. “I only got two, but I’ll share if you’d like one.”
“It’s okay. I’ll eat what I have and wait until round two. Dad should have another tray out soon. There’s more than enough, even for my family.”
“If you’re sure.”
Faith smiled, motioning for Travis to follow her. “Positive. You were promised ribs, and you shall have them.”
“Craziness aside, I really like your family.” He remarked as they sat down on a lawn chair together not far from the lake’s edge. A few people were splashing around in the shallow water, and some were soaking up the sun in their bathing suits.
“Yeah. I guess I’m blessed in that way. My family has always been very supportive and loving. It’s nice to get together with all of them like this. It’s always a blast.”
“I bet.” Travis took a bite out of one of his ribs. It practically melted in his mouth. “This really is good.”
“I know.”
“You sure you don’t want the other one? I’d hate to be eating this in front of you and make you jealous.”
“That’s very considerate, but no thanks. I promise there are more of those in your future.”
Travis eyed the other rib on his plate. He really didn’t want to give it up, but he had been raised with manners. Luckily for him, Faith was patient enough to wait for the next set. He finished off the rest of the meat on the bone and reached for the second one. Suddenly, he noticed a commotion coming from the group of older gentlemen playing cards on the patio table.
“Chuck! Put your shorts back on!” Charlotte was running across the lawn, desperately waving her hands in the air at an older gentleman, who was twirling in a circle. “There are children here.”
Adults rolled their eyes or shook their heads like they knew what was coming. Choruses of children’s giggles filled the air, followed by high-pitched squeals of, “Run, Pops, run!”
Travis wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the whole scene. He’d heard Charlotte mention something about shorts but was still shocked when he realized Chuck was heading straight toward them in nothing more than his boxers and a t-shirt.
“You’re going to hurt yourself!” Charlotte yelled.
Chuck ignored her, still heading toward them. He streaked past, throwing his shirt at Faith.
“Hold that, dearie,” he called over a shoulder and then ran down the dock, jumping into the lake. It wasn’t a graceful jump either. It had the makings of a painful belly-flop. There was a deafening slap of water, followed by utter silence.
The man didn’t move for a second, his arms outstretched and still. Travis held his breath, thinking something had happened to the man.
Suddenly, he sprang up, gasping for air, a wild smirk on his face. His dentures had fallen out and as he smiled, his bright red gums mashed together. Quickly, he fished his dentures out of the water, shook them dry, and popped them back in place. Moving his jaw back and forth, his cataract-filled eyes sparkled with delight. “You owe me fifty bucks for that, Manny!”
A man at the poker table stood up and yelled, “I could barely hear the splash from here. I only owe you twenty!”
“Cheapskate!” Chuck yelled and then proceeded to float on his back in the water.
“He did all that as a bet?” Travis asked in utter surprise. He had never seen someone so old do something that crazy.
“Every year.” Faith laughed to herself. “He drives my mother insane. It’s pretty funny.”
“You can say that again. I can see what you mean about not being sure if he’s telling the truth about how the house came into your family.”
“Pops is just one of many crazy characters in this family. Take my great-uncle, Manny, for instance. He decided to be a commercial fisherman instead of following in the family business of banking. Big family uproar and all that, but he built a successful business out of it. One of the biggest fishing boat companies in the northwest. He used to take Emmitt and me out on one of his boats all the time. He even taught us to fish.”
“You can fish?”
“I know how to cast a reel, but I’ve only ever caught a fish one time, and it was only about this big.” Faith held out her pointer fingers, measuring a space of about three inches. “It was pathetic, really.”
Travis chuckled. “Even so, I’m sure you were really proud of it when you were a kid.”
“Oh, I was, for about five seconds before Emmitt caught a three-footer.”
“Which one is Emmitt? Is he here?”
“Oh, right, you haven’t met him yet.” Faith scanned the yard, looking for her baby brother. She found him on the porch, under the shade of a large umbrella with his girlfriend, Tasha. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Faith reached out and grabbed for his hand before she realized what she was doing. She wiped her palm against her dress to play it off, but it was obvious what she had tried to do.
Travis smiled but didn’t say a word about it.
Together, they climbed the steps to the porch. “Faith, I didn’t know you were here.” Emmitt immediately got up, hugging his sister. “And I see you heeded mom’s advice and got yourself a date.”
“You act as if I had a choice in the matter.”
Emmitt ignored her and walked up to Travis, holding out his hand. “Name’s Emmitt.”
“Travis. It’s nice to meet you.”
“My sister hasn’t been too harsh with you, has she?”
“What do you mean?” Travis asked, scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion.
Emmitt wrapped his arms around Faith’s shoulders, squeezing her against him. “My sister tends to be more comfortable with books than with people.”
“Not at all, I’ve really enjoyed her company.”
“Really?” Emmitt looked surprised, his eyebrow raising in question. “That’s new. I—”
“Emmitt, stop. I’m not that bad. I’m capable of having a pleasant conversation.”
Faith was shooting her brother
daggered looks, and Travis had no desire to be a source of contention. He jumped in before they could argue more. “No, no. It’s great here. You have a lovely family. It’s been really fun so far.”
“Just wait until my dad recruits you into the volleyball game. You’ll have bruises for weeks.”
“He already did.” Travis laughed. “Seems like he really wants to beat Uncle Jim.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Emmitt finished his bottle of soda before he pulled his girlfriend off her chair and into his arms. “I’ve been rude. Let me introduce you to my girlfriend. She can be a little shy sometimes. This here is Tasha.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Tasha said, glaring at him in a playful manner before she held out her hand in Travis’s direction.
Travis took her hand and introduced himself. He wasn’t usually one for big social events like this, but he was really enjoying himself. Faith’s family was fantastic. It was obvious how much she loved them, even though they seemed loud, chaotic, and, yes, just a bit crazy. Still, they were wonderful and accepting. A part of him felt like he could stay there forever.
As he looked at Faith, her golden hair reflected the sunlight, making it shimmer. Her sharp features softened slightly as she spoke with her brother, giving her an innocent countenance. Travis found himself mesmerized.
He was clearly falling for the whole package. The woman and her crazy family.
Chapter 8
Toward late afternoon, things were winding down. Faith had changed into a pair of capris and a light tank top, getting rid of her uncomfortable dress. By the time she came outside, Faith’s father had put up the volleyball net.
On a mission he searched the yard, rounding up all the players. There were about twelve people in total, including Faith, Travis, Emmitt, and Tasha. Once they were all lined up, Faith’s father and Uncle Jim stood on opposite sides of the net as team captains.
“Alright! You kiddos ready to flip a coin?” Faith’s grandfather, Chuck, had put his clothes back on and held a quarter in his hand. “Jim, heads or tails?”
“Tails.”
The old man nodded, flicking the quarter into the air. He held out his palm to catch it but missed completely. The quarter landed somewhere in the tall grass, and Travis bent down to help him, but the old man stuck out his hand, hitting him in the chest.
A Cherry on Top (Cupid's Cafe Where love is on the menu Book 7) Page 5