****
“It’s ringing!” I cried exuberantly the next morning as the telltale Skype ring sounded in Travis’s office and the computer screen came to life.
“I know, babe.” Travis chuckled at my excitement as he leaned against his desk beside me.
After weeks without communication, Ryan had been able to check in the previous day, and we’d set up time to Skype. I was so excited to see his face and to introduce him to Travis.
Finally, after another moment of connecting, Ryan’s face came into view. Dressed in his camos, with his hair closely shorn, he looked healthy if not a bit thin. “Hey, Emmie.” He grinned warmly, the video slightly delayed.
I’d take any communication I could get.
“Hi Ry, it’s so good to see you.” I beamed. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he assured me. “Everything went smoothly. Glad to be back in a bed again, even if it’s a cot.”
“I’m sure. You look a little thin, are you eating enough?”
He rolled his eyes. “Emmie, please. I’m fine. Where are you, anyway?” he asked, confused as he looked at Travis’s office.
“Well, that was one of the things I wanted to tell you,” I began, a bit nervously. “I met someone. I wanted you to meet him—even if it’s just over Skype. Ryan, this is Travis,” I introduced.
Travis ducked closer so he was on camera, and offered a friendly smile. “Hey, man. Nice to meet you. Your sister talks about you a lot.”
Ryan eyed him skeptically. I anticipated him being a bit protective and had warned Travis that he may not react well at first. I’d never introduced him to a man I was dating before. “How’d you two meet?” Ryan asked by way of response.
“I’m friends with his sister,” I explained. “Her son is in my class. Travis was a SEAL, you two probably have a lot in common,” I added hopefully.
Ryan’s brows rose. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I associate with jarheads on occasion,” Travis put in.
I looked at him in horror, but to my great surprise, Ryan laughed. “Yeah, well I guess I could be convinced to hang with a squid.”
“Oh geez,” I muttered at their macho banter. “Anyway,” I pressed on, “Travis runs a security company here in LA—you’d like his team.”
“There’s even a marine or two,” Travis grinned.
I elbowed him in the side. “And we, well, we moved in together a few weeks back.”
Ryan’s brows rose again. “You two moving at warp speed or what?”
“When you know, you know,” Travis replied. “We’re looking forward to having you back stateside,” he added, and I appreciated him so expertly changing the subject. “When do you put in your papers? Or are you re-upping?”
“Nah, four years was enough.” Ryan chuckled. “I’ll be stateside in two months if all goes well. We’ll land at MCRD.”
“Well man, I don’t want to presume. I’m sure you’ve made a lot of great contacts and have some things lined up, but I’d be happy to talk with you about some options when your enlistment’s up,” Travis offered, in a way that didn’t undercut Ryan’s ability to provide for himself but still offered opportunity. Once again, I was incredibly awed by Travis’s ability to read people and situations. I squeezed his hand discreetly.
“That’d be great. Appreciate it,” Ryan replied, his tone warmer toward Travis.
“You okay having your big sister welcome you home?” I asked with a raised brow.
“As long as you don’t try to kiss me.” He wrinkled his nose.
I laughed. “No promises.”
Both Ryan and Travis chuckled.
“All right, I gotta run. It was good seeing you, Em,” Ryan began, and after a moment continued, “and nice to meet you, Travis. Take care of my sister, all right?”
“Always.” Travis nodded seriously.
When the line went dead, I slumped back in my chair, relieved.
“What’s that look?” Travis inquired, looking down at me with a raised brow.
“That’s the look of someone who’s relieved that the two most important men in her life met and it didn’t go terribly.”
He dipped down to kiss me soundly. “Babe, that went great. He’s your brother, he has every right to be protective. I’d expect nothing less. He’ll come around. That went a lot better than it could have. We have time.” He grinned.
What a beautiful concept that was.
Chapter 21
“Do you think he’ll be mad?” I fretted, not for the first time, as Sam and Danny helped me wrangle the mangy puppy into the bathtub.
It was three days later, after yoga, and I’d invited them back to the house to hang out. Sid had tailed us, and Caden would be along shortly with the kids.
Travis was still at work, and for the first time, I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to him coming home.
I’d discovered the puppy a block from our house, shivering and clearly underfed. I’d made Sam pull over and had pulled him into my lap and taken him home.
“Mad? I don’t know about mad. I also don’t think he’ll be pleased,” Sam replied with a grunt as the slippery puppy wriggled under her hands.
Sid let out an amused chuckle as he watched our ministrations from the doorway.
“You could help, you know.” Sam shot him a glare as she leaned over the tub.
“I could,” he allowed. “But I’m enjoying the view too much from here.” He grinned, his eyes lingering on her backside.
“Typical,” Sam huffed, though her cheeks reddened with a pleased blush.
“What kind do you think he is?” Danny asked as we gave him a final rinse, and I wrapped him in a towel.
“Hard to tell,” I mused, looking him over. “Maybe some sort of lab mix?”
Able gave him a lick as I dried him off. He’d been watching the activity with curiosity ever since we’d brought the puppy home. Buster, on the other hand, couldn’t get farther away.
“All right, you look much better,” I murmured to the puppy, who wriggled in my arms, trying to lick my face.
“Hello?” Travis’s call sounded from downstairs. “Em?”
Sam and Danny stood up immediately. “See ya.” Sam waved as she and Danny made a beeline for the door. “We’ll make you a cocktail!”
“Good luck.” Sid chortled as the three of them left the room.
“Gee, thanks guys!” I called after them.
“Hey, man,” I heard Sid greet Travis as they passed on the stairs.
“Uh, hey,” Travis replied in clear confusion. “Babe, what’s everyone doing up….” He broke off when he saw me sitting in our bathroom with a wriggling puppy and very excited Able.
“Hi, honey,” I offered with a hesitant grin. “How was your day?”
He lifted a brow. “Clearly not as eventful as yours.”
“We don’t have to keep him,” I blathered. “I found him a block from the house, and he’s so skinny and was shaking… I couldn’t not bring him home.”
“Of course not,” Travis replied dryly, but his eyes were lit with humor.
The puppy squirmed out of my lap and went straight to Travis, his tail wagging so hard it wriggled his entire little body. It was as though he knew this was his moment to campaign for his forever home.
“He’s cute,” Travis admitted begrudgingly as he bent to pick him up, getting kisses of gratitude all over his chin.
“He is,” I agreed readily.
He looked down at me. “You want to keep him.” It wasn’t a question.
“I do,” I answered.
“He could belong to somebody, baby.” He sighed. “We should at least post some notes around the neighborhood. He could be some kid’s puppy.”
Shit, I hadn’t thought of that. I was already attached to the little rascal, but I knew Travis was right.
“You’re right. I’ll do that. But if no one claims him, we can keep him?” I asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” Travis chuckled. “Man, this will piss Buster
off.”
I laughed. “Oh, he’s pissed all right. I’d be surprised if he graces us with his presence anytime soon.” I rose to my feet, stepping close to Travis. “Thank you, honey.”
He leaned in, kissing me softly as the puppy wriggled between us. “Well, my answer isn’t entirely selfless.” He grinned against my lips. “We can consider him practice for when I put my baby in you.”
My heart thudded in my ears as I took a step back to regard him with wide eyes. He’d never mentioned children. “You want kids with me?” I breathed.
He grinned. “Baby, haven’t you been paying attention? With you, I want it all.”
****
I pressed the doorbell, shifting my weight nervously from one foot to the other. The cherry pie I’d made felt heavy in my hands as I listened to footsteps approach from the other side of the door.
Travis stood a few paces back, giving me space all while making it clear he was there.
Detective Harris opened the door with a wary glint in his eye. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and it was the first time I noticed the man and not the detective. I realized with a jolt that he was handsome and not much older than Travis.
He looked down at the pie in my hands and then back at me, his head tilted in confusion.
“This is for you,” I blurted, gesturing to the pie. His less-than-friendly nature had always made me nervous, but I was determined to thank him. He had been a part of saving my life, and I felt guilty for how badly I’d misjudged him.
His brows lifted, and I swore I saw a smile threaten at the corner of his mouth. “Cherry?”
I nodded.
“My favorite,” he mumbled. “Come in.” He gestured inside. “I suppose you can come in too, McAllister,” he added dryly.
Travis chuckled at his surliness and followed us inside.
His bungalow was small but impeccably neat, and had large windows that let a lot of light in. It had a warm, lived-in feel to it. I looked around curiously as I followed him into a galley-style kitchen.
“Your house is lovely,” I complimented sincerely.
“Thanks,” he muttered as I placed the pie on the counter. “Coffee?”
“Sure, thanks,” I said as Travis nodded in agreement. “Can I dish you up some pie?”
“Sure,” he replied, and I got to work.
“Want any, honey?” I asked Travis, knowing the answer.
“No thanks, babe,” his deep voice replied. I still couldn’t believe my man genuinely didn’t like sweets.
I plated two pieces as Harris poured our coffee. The three of us sat in the small eat-in kitchen. Harris eyed me expectantly, still wondering, I was sure, why I’d showed up on his doorstep.
“I wanted to thank you,” I murmured. “I know you were a big part of how Trav and the guys were able to find me.”
He shrugged, looking uncomfortable with the praise. “I just did what anyone on the force should have.”
“But not all of them do,” I argued. “You were trying to do the right thing all along. I didn’t realize it. I misjudged you, I’m sorry.”
He sat back in his chair, clearly taken aback by the apology. After a moment, he cleared his throat and took a bite of pie, before regarding me again. “Don’t worry about it,” he said finally. “Lots of people do. I know I don’t always give off the most approachable vibe.” He smiled then, and I was surprised again at how handsome he was. I’d never noticed before.
“Plus, I really didn’t do much. I knew your man had reach,” he continued, cocking his head toward Travis. “I was happy to be able to help how I could.”
“Thank you,” I repeated firmly.
“This pie is thanks enough. It’s fucking good,” he complimented around a mouthful. “You sure you don’t want some, McAllister?”
Travis shook his head. “I don’t like sweets.”
“You’re crazy.” Harris shook his head with a snort.
“He is,” I agreed emphatically as I finished off my own piece. It was delicious, if I did say so myself.
“What’s the latest on Anderson?” he asked about Roy, his eyes on Travis.
Travis’s jaw clenched. “In the wind. The leads we got from Morales were cold.”
“I’m sure those were given willingly,” Harris interjected dryly.
“He was quite enthusiastic,” Travis agreed with a dark glint in his eye. “The locations he gave us looked like they’d been occupied by Anderson at one time but they were cold by the time we got there. Have you heard anything?”
Harris shook his head. “I’m keeping an eye on things, but the department isn’t as interested in Anderson now that Morales was brought in. He was the prize.”
“I figured,” Travis ground out, clearly frustrated.
“Anything I can do?” Harris offered.
“Just keep your ears open. Let me know if you hear anything. I’d appreciate it.” Harris nodded as Travis continued, “We’ll get him. He’s out of money, out of support. He’ll get sloppy.”
“They always do,” Harris agreed.
After a beat of silence, I spoke up. “We won’t keep you.” I rose to take the plates to the sink. “I just wanted to thank you and to apologize.”
“No need, but I appreciate it,” Harris replied. “You need anything, let me know.”
“Likewise,” Travis said, extending a hand to shake.
“Thanks again for the pie.” Harris replied his eyes on me as he shook Travis’s hand. “I’ll have it polished off in no time.”
“No problem, glad you liked it.” I smiled back as Travis took my hand, and we made our way to the front door. “See you soon.” I waved in parting.
We walked to the curb hand in hand, the sun warm and welcome on my skin. “Feel better?” Travis asked with a gentle smile as he fired up the Jeep.
“Yes.” I sighed emphatically. The need to apologize had weighed heavily on me. “I feel like maybe you two could become friends,” I mused as we pulled away from the curb.
He chuckled. “Baby, I have plenty of friends, and he’s not a stray you need to take in.” He shot me a warm smile.
“I know,” I replied defensively. “Still, couldn’t hurt to reach out.”
He sighed. “I won’t be able to stop you, so I might as well go along.” He chuckled. “We have a little pipsqueak at home as a reminder of the last time I went along,” he reminded me, though his tone was full of humor.
The still unnamed puppy had yet to be claimed. Despite Travis’s grumblings, I knew he loved the little bugger. Hell, he’d sat next to his crate the night before talking to him when he was crying.
“You love him.” I grinned.
“Maybe,” he allowed sheepishly. “It’s been a few days. Think it’s time to name him?” he asked, and my heart warmed at his boyish grin.
“Sure.” I beamed, thrilled that we’d officially have a new addition. A new addition who desperately needed to be potty trained and who chewed on anything within sight, but a welcome one regardless.
“You’ve been calling him Pipsqueak, how about Pip?” I threw out.
“Pip.” He mulled my suggestion over. “I like it. That was easy.” He looked over at me with a smile.
“That’s good, because I have a feeling he’ll be giving us a run for our money otherwise.”
“True enough,” Travis agreed as we hit the freeway.
My phone pinged, and I looked down at the text from Sam asking if we wanted to come over for dinner tonight.
“Your sister’s inviting us over,” I informed him.
He glanced over at me before his eyes returned to the road. “You know what? I think I’d prefer to have you to myself tonight. That all right with you?”
I loved our friends and his sister, but there was nothing I loved more than our quiet nights in. Just us and our fur balls.
“That sounds more than all right,” I murmured. “Sounds perfect.”
If only I’d remembered that perfect only lasted so long.
&
nbsp; Chapter 22
I was half asleep, sprawled across Travis’s chest as we lay watching a movie later that evening. Buster was nestled in the crook of my legs. Able and Pip were snoozing on what had become a shared dog bed in the corner.
When Travis’s phone rang on the coffee table, he made no move to answer it, and I nestled further into his warm body.
When it ceased ringing only to start up again immediately, he shifted me gently so that he could answer. “Yeah?”
His body immediately tensed underneath mine. “When?” I moved off him, sitting up to look down at him worriedly. “Yeah, we’re here. You got Armstrong and Hale en route?” He listened a beat. “Good. Might come to nothing, but I’ll get prepped. Roger that.” He hung up and immediately put a gentle hand on my face. “Roy showed up at May’s place tonight. He probably needs cash. Sid didn’t want to leave May unattended, so he didn’t give chase when Roy took off. On the off chance he’d head here, Dec and Theo are en route, and I’m going to go get myself armed.”
My eyes popped wide with worry. “Should we leave?”
He eyed me steadily. “Fuck no. Let him come. I’d be fucking thrilled if he was stupid enough. It would let me end this shit once and for all.”
The sheer ferocity in his expression had me nodding. I trusted Travis without question and knew he’d keep me safe. I also knew he could handle himself.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” I asked, determined to sound stronger than I felt.
His gaze softened with pride. “That’s my girl. If he comes, I want you upstairs in our bathroom. Shut the door, and don’t come out until I come to get you.”
“The bathroom again?” I groaned dramatically.
He cracked a smile before delivering a firm kiss to my lips. “I’ve got this, babe, no worries.” His easy confidence was infectious, and I relaxed a bit. “Give me a second.” He stood, scooping up Pip and calling to Able. I assumed he’d lock them in the office when he went in to get his weapons.
I sat on the couch, the movie a blur in the background as I tried desperately to keep my fear in check. Travis was essentially a trained weapon. I knew he’d never let anything harm me.
It was a good thing, too, because a moment later Able let out a low growl and the lights went out.
Claim (Talon Security Book 2) Page 15