Nicole Edwards - Travis

“Aren’t you tired of driving?” Kylie asked by way of an excuse.

She so didn’t want to take her sister to Coyote Ridge. Not only was she not working on Gage’s house, but there were other risks with taking her sister to the town her husband lived in. No one, including Jessie, knew Kylie was married. She doubted they’d understand now if she told them, so she intended to keep her lips sealed until the divorce was final. Then it would be history and Kylie wouldn’t be hiding anything.

“Nope, I’ve actually enjoyed it. Gave me some time to think,” Jessie replied. “Come on, sis. Take me there.”

Kylie wasn’t sure how to argue with Jessie at this point. If she told her that she wasn’t working on the project, she’d have to explain the why of it and she wasn’t interested in doing that either.

Resigning herself to the outing, Kylie put her foot on the accelerator. After all, showing her the house she would’ve been working on had Gage not pulled his underhanded stunt was the lesser of two evils.

Right?

♂♂

“Damn, woman. You take all the fun outta playin’ pool, you know that?” Beau chided V as she once again kicked someone else’s ass at the pool table.

Travis had given up a couple of hours ago, resigning himself to nursing a beer after he’d given up on the Scotch. He had to be prepared to drive home which meant no more hard liquor for him. Although he could’ve easily convinced one of his brothers to take him home if he absolutely wanted to. Now that they were all there, at least one of them would’ve obliged him.

In fact, he could’ve convinced his father as well.

Exactly why Curtis Walker showed up at Moonshiners was still a mystery. Travis figured it had something to do with Zane, but he didn’t question the man. His father had every right to hang out with his sons, have a beer or three and get his ass handed to him at pool by his future daughter-in-law.

“What are you sulking over here in the corner for, boy?” Curtis asked as he clapped Travis on the back, jarring him hard enough that his teeth rattled and he damn near spilled his beer.

“Not sulking,” he lied. He was brooding. There was a difference.

“Still trying to bullshit a bullshitter, huh, boy?” Curtis laughed, a booming sound that had people turning to look his way.

“It’s my life’s mission.”

“I’ve noticed that.” Curtis signaled the waitress to bring another beer as he pulled up an empty stool and took a seat at the small table Travis was currently leaning over.

“What’s going on with you?” his father asked, turning to face him and looking entirely too serious.

Travis considered telling his father what was going on, but that thought was fleeting. The last thing he needed was to have his father giving him advice. He doubted Curtis would understand what was bothering him, even if he did explain himself. He also wasn’t interested in putting a shamed look in his father’s eyes.

Nope, this was his secret to keep, and as far as he was concerned, if Curtis never learned about Travis’ warped way of thinking, the better off he would be.

“Nothin’,” Travis answered, peeling back the label on his beer bottle and staring at it like he’d just found gold.

“Horseshit,” Curtis said, his voice low and menacing.

Travis slid his eyes up to his father’s, realizing his father was trying to keep his voice low enough that no one else could hear. To ensure no one had heard, Travis peered over his shoulder. His brothers were lined up around the pool table, watching Brendon play Braydon, the twins giving one another hell as they went along.

Nope, no one seemed interested in the conversation he was having with his father.

“How’s the resort coming along?”

Travis was surprised his father had opted to forego the confrontation he felt was coming. Being the oldest, Travis had developed a close relationship with his father over the years and there’d been a few occasions when Curtis had managed to pry details out of him that he hadn’t wanted to share. Granted, he was a little more private about his life at this point, but he knew if Curtis tried hard enough, he might just get Travis to crack under the pressure.

“It’s ahead of schedule,” he told his father. “Seems my daily rants are keeping them on their toes.”

“That’s my boy,” Curtis said with pride. “Ever come up with something I could do?”

Travis grinned. His father had been pestering him about giving him a job at the resort as soon as it opened. Even after he’d been brutally honest about what would be going on there, Curtis had still been interested. His exact words, “Son, you think I had seven boys because I winked at your mother?” Travis hadn’t taken the bait because the last thing he wanted to think about, much less talk about, was his parents’ sex life. No thanks.

“I’m sure I’ll come up with something by the time it opens,” he answered. It was the same answer he’d given him time and time again. He fully intended to give his father options, but he still didn’t understand how the man would have time to do anything more than manage the ranch. Sure, they had a full time ranch foreman and plenty of help to handle the day to day, but Curtis always had liked keeping his hands in the pot so to speak.

“I’m sure you will.”

Just when he was going to change the subject, the front doors opened, and Travis’ heart went from a continuous, even thump to a heart pounding throb.

The mere sight of Gage Matthews after all this time jump started his heart and made the palms of his hands itch. He forced himself not to ball them into fists, not wanting his father to pick up on his sudden change in mood.

Travis tracked Gage through the bar, pausing while he ordered a beer, doing his best to avoid the grabby hands of Ellie the waitress as he did. Gage wasn’t nearly as successful as Travis was however. As it would appear, the two might’ve had a history together. For some reason, Travis didn’t like the idea of Gage with that woman. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of Gage with any woman because he’d had some seriously lewd fantasies about him, Gage, and Kylie together, so yeah, he had an open mind. Just not with that woman.

When Gage was on the move again, Travis kept his eyes glued to his well-built frame, noticing he looked much better than he had the last time he’d seen him. He also noticed that the man was going out of his way to avoid looking at him.

“Travis,” Curtis’ deep voice boomed, grabbing his attention and causing him to glance over at his father.

“What?”

“Well, if I didn’t know what the source of your problem was before now, I’m pretty sure I just got my first clue.”

Travis’ eyes went wide, unsure exactly what his father was referring to. He knew he’d been fixated on Gage from the moment he stepped foot through the door, but surely he hadn’t done anything to give himself away, had he?

Rather than lying again, Travis shrugged his shoulders, forcing himself not to turn around and see where Gage went.

“Boy, I’ve got one thing to say and then I’ll leave you be.”

Travis steeled himself for his father’s wrath. If Curtis had any idea that Travis was lusting after a man, he’d surely be ready to tear him limb for limb.

“Whatever it is you want, whatever it is you need, I suggest you go after it. Sitting back and pretending otherwise will get you nowhere in life, boy. And if you ever need to talk, about anything, you know your mother and I will always listen.”

Travis swallowed hard. As much as he’d tried to keep his personal life private, he got the sneaking suspicion that his father knew. At least on some level.

And if that was the case, that meant Travis had spent the last ten years using everyone else as an excuse. If they might accept him, where did that leave him? He wasn’t sure he had the balls to own up to what he’d been fighting all these years.

Because if he did, that would mean he’d been wrong.

And Travis was never wrong.

♀♂

“I don’t know about this, Jess.” Kylie had no desire to go into… Moonshiners – according to the rough metal sign.

“Come on, Ky. Live a little. It’s a bar, the parking lot’s full. Oh, and add to that the hot cowboys who just walked inside. What could possibly go wrong?”

Kylie had heard that before. She also knew there was no way she could persuade her sister from going anywhere else. They’d passed the place on their way out to Gage’s house and Jessie had mentioned it the first time around. After spending a total of two minutes rolling past the historic farmhouse she wasn’t going to be renovating, Kylie had wanted to get the hell out of dodge.

However, she also didn’t want to look like she was fleeing, no matter how true it was.

“Come on. Just for a little while,” Jessie said, pinning her pretty blue eyes on Kylie’s face and making her feel guilty. Even without trying, Jessie always did make Kylie feel guilty. Not in a bad way though. Kylie wanted to make her sister happy. Always had.

“Fine,” she answered as she unclicked the seatbelt and turned off the truck’s engine.

Kylie had to almost run to keep up with Jessie’s much longer stride. Her sister had gotten the height in the family, and what Jessie got, Kylie must’ve given away because topping out at five-foot-five-inches she found herself looking up at her sister. Even if she was only three inches taller, it was enough that Kylie envied her.

Jessie pulled open the front door, and the quiet sunset was suddenly filled with the din of conversation and laughter, the clack of pool balls hitting one another, and the pleasant country beat coming from a jukebox that Kylie spotted just inside the front door.

Sending up a silent prayer that she wouldn’t run into Gage or Travis, or anyone who might know them, Kylie followed her sister inside, the battered wooden door slowly closing behind her.

“What do you want to drink?” Jessie asked as she made a beeline for the bar, her graceful, easy gait disguising her urgency. “Never mind, silly question.” Jessie stood at the edge of the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to look her way. And just like usual, the instant the older cowboy slinging beers behind the bar spotted Jessie, he smiled and headed her way.

Jessica Renee Prescott had a way with men. She was stunning, smart, and sincere. She was a triple threat. She was also very single. At least Kylie thought she was. She’d never known her to date much, but she’d also never thought to question her sister either. Figuring asking questions would only be asking for someone to start prying into her own life, Kylie did her best to avoid being nosey.

“A Corona with lime for my sister, and I’ll have Grey Goose and 7-Up if you’ve got it.”

“Sure thing, honey,” the burly bartender smiled as he turned away.

“This place is great,” Jessie said as Kylie stepped closer.

It actually was. Kylie liked the down home feel, the rustic wood and iron lacking the intimidating vibe a lot of bars gave off.

“Here you go. Oh, and those are on the house,” the bartender winked, and Jessie smiled brightly.

“Thanks.”

Kylie was pretty sure that her sister had no idea how many men flirted with her on a daily basis. Whenever they were together, Kylie saw one or more men nearly trip over their own tongues when Jessie walked by.

“Want to play pool?” Jessie asked, using the thin straw to stir and sip her drink as Kylie simply wrapped her hand around the ice cold beer bottle. Turning toward the sound of the billiards balls clanging together, Kylie stopped in her tracks.

Her breath came in violent pants, her heart began pounding like a bass drum in a marching band. She had to close her fingers around her beer to keep from dropping it.

There, standing near one of the pool tables in the back was Gage. He was surrounded by a handful of cowboys and a couple of women. Those around him were smiling and laughing, but he didn’t seem to be doing the same.

Movement to her right caught her attention, and Kylie turned to see what it was.

That’s when the shaking ensued. Heading straight for her was none other than Travis Walker.

“You ok, Ky?” Jessie asked, turning to face her.

No. No, she definitely was not.

Kylie couldn’t pull her eyes away from Travis as he moved toward her with purpose. Oh, God. He was going to think she came to see him. What was she supposed to say? How did she get out of this?