by Eve Gaddy
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Tobi asked Travis. That kiss shouldn’t have affected her at all. But it had. Just a touch, a taste, a hint of heat and now she wanted more.
You can’t have it.
Why not?
You tried it before and it didn’t work.
Maybe it will this time.
Why do you think it might? It’s not like you’ve changed and have no issues.
“Yes, thanks. Is there anything else you want me to do?” Travis asked as he followed her into the kitchen. He stopped on the threshold and looked around. “Wow.”
“Charming, isn’t it?”
“It’s…bright.”
“Bright and hideous. There are a lot of things I want to do in here but I’m going to need a contractor. For some of it, anyway. Realistically for most of it.” She made the coffee as she talked. “There. It should be done in a minute.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
“For the remodel? No. Got any suggestions?”
“Yeah. My brother Harlan.”
“Your brother who owns Whiskey River Construction? Harlan, the big-league builder who made a fortune in Dallas?” She knew all about Harlan’s previous success. Everyone in Whiskey River did. Not to mention, she’d lived in Dallas when Harlan had been making his mark on Dallas real estate. “He won’t want a piddly job like this.”
“Sure he will.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call him right now.”
“Travis, wait. If you ask him he’ll feel obligated to do it. I’ll call his office Monday if you really think he’d take this small of a job.”
He hesitated, then shrugged. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.” He tucked his phone back in his pocket.
Seeing the coffee was ready she poured it into a couple of mugs. “Do you take it black?”
“Yes, thanks.” He accepted the mug and sipped at it. “I’m sure Harlan will be glad to do the job. Is the kitchen all you want to remodel?”
Tobi sat at the kitchen table and gestured for Travis to do the same. “I’m not sure. I’ve got to figure out the logistics, since I’ll be at work most of the time. But this is Whiskey River so I’m not worried about leaving a crew in the house without me being here.”
“No, that shouldn’t be a problem. Especially not with Harlan’s crew. I’d hate to see what happened to the person who stole from one of his projects.”
That didn’t surprise her since Harlan had always struck her as honest. Travis was too. “I heard Harlan got married recently.”
“Yes, a couple of months ago. He married Savannah Taylor.”
“Weren’t they in the same class in high school?”
“Yep. Dated too, only they kept it secret.”
“Really? Why?” Before he could answer it dawned on her. “Oh, Savannah’s father.”
“The very one. I sure wouldn’t want him for a father-in-law but Harlan deals with him very well.”
It was clear to her that Travis admired and loved his brother whole-heartedly. He always had, from what she remembered. Travis liked to act like a hard-ass, or at least he had in the past, but things like this proved he was a sweetheart.
“How is your sister? I haven’t seen Laurel since I moved back. Does she still live here?”
“She does. She’s divorced with two kids. Works all the time.” His brow furrowed and she could tell he worried.
“How about giving me her phone number? I’d love to catch up.” Tobi had always liked Travis’s younger sister, though she hadn’t known her well. Laurel had always been so fun and full of energy.
“I’ll text you her contact info. But I’m warning you, finding a time she’s free is hard to impossible.”
“It won’t hurt to try.”
“Want to grab some dinner tonight?” Travis asked.
Yes, she wanted to. But dinner was entirely too much like a date. And she’d already decided dating Travis would be a mistake. Travis was a good guy. Not to mention, good-looking, sexy, and appealing. Getting involved with him beyond friendship wasn’t in the cards. For a number of reasons, not the least of which was fear that even if it did work out something would happen to make it all blow up in her face. “That sounds nice but I’ve already made plans.” She didn’t specify what plans since she had none.
“Okay, maybe another time, then.”
Tobi smiled noncommittally, knowing this likely wouldn’t be the end of the matter.
Travis stood and took his mug to the sink, rinsed it out and asked, “Dishwasher?”
“Just leave it in the sink. I have one but it doesn’t work. I knew there were problems or the house wouldn’t have been priced so well, but at the time I didn’t realize it would require so much work. Color me dense. I had no idea exactly what fixer-upper meant.”
Travis washed his mug with soap and put it in the dish drainer. “Want some help unpacking some of those books? Or loading the shelves?”
“You’ve already done enough by anchoring the bookshelves. I hate to admit it but I’m not sure I could have done it alone.”
“You could have. But why try when you have an offer of help?”
“I don’t like to be dependent on anyone.” Self-sufficiency was important to her. She’d fought long and hard to feel strong again. At first she’d wondered if she ever would.
“Is that a hint that you want me to leave?”
“No, of course not. But I’m sure you have better things to do. Don’t you have students or clients today?”
“No. I have some lessons scheduled for tomorrow but today I’m free.”
What could she say after that but ‘thanks’?
They started with the books that she’d already unpacked. Once that was finished she and Travis both opened other boxes marked either books or living room. Hers was a box of paperbacks, mostly her fiction keepers. Romance, mystery, true crime, women’s fiction, SF/fantasy—she liked it all and more. Knowing if she started pulling those out she’d be likely to look at every one and never finish, she closed it up to take to her bedroom.
Travis straightened up with an armload of photo albums. “Where do you want these?”
“Put them on the bottom of that second shelf.”
“Oops,” he said a moment later.
“What happened?”
“I dropped one and some of the pictures fell out.”
She turned around to look. “Some?” It looked like almost the entire album had fallen out. Tobi went over to help him pick them up.
“Hey, look at this.” Travis held up a photo. “You must have taken this when you were in college. Who’s your friend?”
For a moment she froze, but she shook it off and took the picture from him. Though she didn’t need to see it to know who was in the picture. “Shannon Waverley. We were roommates.” Until she died.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“You looked really sad for a minute there.”
She closed her eyes, then opened them and looked at him. “This was…during our sophomore year. Shannon died not too long after that picture was taken.”
“Damn, I’m sorry, Tobi.”
“That’s all right. It happened a long time ago. It’s just—I still miss her sometimes. Especially when something reminds me of her.”
Travis put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. Just gather up the pictures and stuff them back in the album as best you can. I’ll go through them later.” Or not. Most likely not.
They worked a while longer, not saying a lot until Travis said, “I’m starving. Want me to pick up something for lunch and bring it back?”
The least she could do was feed the man. “I can fix us something here if you want.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
Tobi laughed. “I was thinking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
“My favorite.”
“
You’re in luck, then.”
By late afternoon Tobi had reached the limit of her unpacking. “I’ve done as much as I can do today. You were a big help. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I guess you need to get ready for your date.”
“What date?”
“You said you had plans tonight.”
Oh, right. “I do, but it’s not a date. I’m meeting a girlfriend for dinner. Jasmine Sanchez. You know her, don’t you?”
“Sure, I know Jasmine.”
Jasmine would be interested to know they were going to dinner. But she had run into Jasmine at kickboxing and they had made vague plans to get together, so Tobi had gone with that. Besides, she could still call Jasmine and see if she wanted to go to dinner.
“Don’t forget to call Harlan,” Travis said as he was leaving.
“I won’t. And Travis, thanks again for your help.”
“Anytime, babe.”
She shut the door behind him wishing she hadn’t turned him down. Or wishing she hadn’t felt compelled to turn him down.
You’re an emotional chicken. Afraid to like anyone too much.
No, I’m not. I like lots of people.
Fine. Then you’re afraid to fall in love.
I lived with Steve for a year, remember? We were engaged.
Yes. But did you love him?
I…I thought I did.
Then why did you break up with him?
Damn, she really needed to quit arguing with herself. The rational, practical, and snarky side of herself always won.
Chapter Four
Travis loved his niece and nephew. Cody, at six, was a real pistol. Katrina, four, was a little quieter, at least according to her mother. Travis wasn’t so sure he agreed. Though it was Wednesday and not her regular night, Laurel had taken an extra shift at Jalisco’s restaurant. Usually she only worked her second job one night a week on Saturdays. Only tonight her babysitter had come down with the flu and his sister had, very reluctantly, asked him if he could stay with the kids.
Since Laurel rarely asked for help Travis knew she was desperate. So even if he’d had plans, he’d have done it. But he had no plans beyond wondering what Tobi was doing.
Early that evening Travis went over to Laurel’s. “Where are the kids?” he asked after she let him in.
“They’re playing in Cody’s room. Thanks, Travis,” Laurel said. She looked tired and harried, which she did all too often lately. Laurel was as blonde as Travis and Harlan were dark, and petite where they were both tall. “I hated to ask you but I didn’t find out about the sitter until right before I called you. And I’d already been through my other sitters before getting this one.”
“Not a problem. Cody, Katrina and I will get along great.”
“Well, I owe you.”
He smiled and chucked her under the chin. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something to collect.”
She smiled at that. “I’ll bet. I shouldn’t be too late. We close at ten.”
“Laurel, you know I’m happy to help you whenever you need me, and Harlan is too. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way—”
“Here we go again,” she said, hands on hips and frustration in her expression. “Look, Travis, I know you and Harlan don’t want me to work as much as I do. But if I’m ever going to pay off the debt Stan left me with I have to. So I’d appreciate it if y’all would shut up.”
Travis clenched a fist. He wanted the bastard to come back so he could beat the shit out of him. Stan not only left Laurel with debt, but he’d also cleaned out their bank accounts before he left. And though he’d signed divorce papers, he’d never paid a penny of child support. “We worry about you. We’re your big brothers. It comes with the territory.”
“I know.” She put her hand on his arm and patted it. “But you need to let me manage my own business.”
“If you’d let one of us pay off that debt then you wouldn’t have to be in such a hurry to do it. You could pay us back at your convenience.”
“No, I couldn’t. I need to be independent. I need to know I can support myself and the kids.”
“It would be a lot easier if that bastard hadn’t saddled you with so much debt.”
“But he did,” Laurel said. “I’ve got to go, Travis.”
His timing could have been better, Travis thought. So sue him. He wanted to help his sister.
As soon as Laurel left he discovered his niece and nephew were in a mood. As in they were squabbling over everything possible.
“Uncle Travis,” Cody said, “Katrina wants to keep my Captain America forever.”
“Captain America, huh.” Travis looked over at his niece, whose chin was thrust out belligerently. “Just let her play with it for a while. You won’t keep it, will you, sweetie?”
“Yes she will! I told her she couldn’t have him forever and she cried and said she could.”
“I’m gonna keep him fuh-evah,” Katrina announced.
“See, I told you!” Cody said.
Travis hid a smile. Katrina ran off with the doll and Cody followed. Travis went to the kitchen to start dinner for the kids. He was no cook but Laurel had told him all he needed to do was heat up macaroni and cheese in the microwave and cut up some fruit.
He heard the two bickering in the other room. Cody came in. “Uncle Travis, make her give my Captain America back. I don’t want her to keep him forever.”
“Cody, she’s four. She doesn’t even know what forever means.”
Cody went off again, returning not long afterward. “I told Katrina she didn’t even know what forever means and she said she did too.”
Katrina came in, still clutching the doll. “Yes I do and I’m gonna keep him fuh-evah!”
Travis drew Cody aside. “Look, just let her play with it for a while and she’ll forget and you can have it back.”
“Why do I always hafta do what she wants? She always gets her way.”
“Number one, she doesn’t. Number two, she’s four, Cody. That’s life. She’s the baby, which means you have to be the big kid.”
Cody grumbled but he appeared to be resigned.
“I’m fixing y’all dinner. Macaroni and cheese. How about some apples and peanut butter with it?”
“Yum,” Cody said.
“Don’t like apples,” Katrina said.
“Since when?”
One hand holding the doll, the other with her finger stuck in her mouth, she said, “I dunno.”
“You liked them just fine last week. I’m making apples and peanut butter. Eat it or don’t.”
Travis put the macaroni in the microwave and started cutting up an apple since he knew the kids liked them sliced and without the peel.
Cody and Katrina began squabbling again. Then they started tug-of-war with the hapless doll. “Mine,” Katrina said.
“No mine!”
He loved his niece and nephew but at times like this they drove him nuts. “If you don’t quit fighting Captain America is going away forever! And I’ll tell your mom too, so don’t think she’ll let you have it back.”
They paid no attention to him, instead they were standing next to him and trying to yank the doll away from one another. He’d almost finished slicing the apple when Katrina pulled the thing out of Cody’s hand and careened into Travis.
The knife slipped, slicing the pad of his hand instead of the apple. Travis bit down on the curses he wanted to utter. “Da—darn it, stop that right now!” He sucked in a breath. “Where does your mom keep the dish towels, Cody?”
“Uncle Travis is bleeding and it’s all your fault,” Cody told his sister but he opened a drawer and retrieved a towel.
Katrina started crying.
Travis wrapped the towel around his hand and squatted down beside the little girl. “Don’t cry, honey. I know you didn’t mean to. But that’s what happens when you fight and don’t listen to grown-ups. Cody, that goes for you too.”
Cody started crying.
Great. His ha
nd was bleeding a river. Cautiously, he unwrapped the towel and looked at the cut. Pretty damn deep. He wrapped it back up and washed his other hand. One-handed, he took the macaroni out of the microwave and managed to spoon it into separate bowls.
While they ate, he washed the cut with soap, which hurt like a bitch, and re-wrapped it with a clean towel. By the time the kids finished eating, Travis had gone through two more towels and knew he had to do something. Pressure alone was not going to stop the bleeding.
“Uncle Travis, are you gonna bleed to death?” Cody asked.
“No, Cody. You two go put on your socks and shoes and grab a jacket.” Typical Texas weather, today the wind was blowing and it was cold. Yesterday had been balmy. “Help your sister, Cody. We’re going to run up to Urgent Care.”
His nephew looked like he was about to argue but apparently thought better of it.
Travis wondered if Tobi was working. It wasn’t the ideal way he wanted to see her again, but it would have to do.
*
“Dr. Robinson, there’s a patient for you in exam one.”
“Thanks, Tina,” Tobi told the receptionist. She opened the exam room door and walked in, saying, “Hi, I’m Dr. Robinson. What can—Travis?”
“Hey, Tobi. I wondered if you’d be working tonight.”
Two children, a boy and a girl who she assumed were his sister’s kids, were with him. The little girl clung to his leg, staring at her suspiciously. Her older brother was binging around the room in typical small-boy fashion, asking questions all the while.
Travis looked a bit harried. No wonder, since he was holding an extremely bloody towel wrapped around his left hand.
Tobi washed up at the sink, then pulled on a pair of disposable gloves. “I’d ask what happened but I’m guessing you cut yourself.”
“Sliced the sh—heck out of myself,” he said cheerfully. “Cody, if you’ll share with Katrina you two can play a game on my phone.” He pulled it out of his pocket with his uninjured hand and pulled up a game. Holding the phone away from them he said, “Only if you share. No fighting or I’ll take it away.”
“We won’t. We promise,” Cody said.
“Promise,” Katrina said solemnly, crossing her finger over the general position of her heart.