Breaking Travis (The West Series Book 5) (13 page)

“Ten thousand dollars.”

He gasped and looked over at her. “You? You won ten thousand?”

“Yup.” She smiled. “Who would have thought that I’d be good at blackjack?”

He laughed and shook his head. “Man, remind me to take you to Atlantic City next time I go.”

“I’d love to. You know, I think I could possibly make a career out of it.”

“What? Gambling?”

“Hmm…” She thought about it. “Well, maybe not. I’m not sure I could stand it if I lost.” He smiled.

“I’m glad you went along with me.”

“Oh?”

“You made something good come out of something not so good. If you hadn’t come along, I wouldn’t have had the guts to go into Martin’s office and set up the sting. Do you know that he remembered me?” He shook his head. “He told me that I had turned out pretty well.”

“Of course you have.” She leaned back in the seat and looked at him.

He glanced over at her. “He talked to you a lot. I think he liked you.”

She smiled. “He couldn’t stop talking about how much you reminded him of his son. I guess he lost him overseas in the gulf war. He even felt somewhat responsible about you getting caught up in the whole cage fighting mess.”

“Really? He had nothing to do with it.”

“Yeah, he said after they’d let you go he’d meant to check in on you, but he’d gotten caught up in a case.”

“You know it’s strange how a stranger can affect your life so much.”

She nodded and let out a large yawn. “I’m sorry. “I haven’t been this tired in a long time.”

“I know what you mean. Just another hour and we’ll be home.”

“That sounds good.” She looked out of the window and all she could see now were pine trees zipping by her.

“Why didn’t you go away to college?” she asked, trying to keep her mind alert.

“I was too busy partying with my friends.”

“I always wanted to go to college. I think I would have enjoyed it.”

“What did you want to study?” he asked, glancing at her.

She smiled over at him. “Business, I suppose. You?”

“Architecture. Like my dad. I guess it’s in the blood. I did take a year of online classes before I left town. But when my grades started slipping due to my drinking…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I wouldn’t mind going back. I’ve enjoyed working the last few weeks on your place and the theater.”

“Do you think you’ll stay in town, now that you don’t have to pay Randy off?”

He looked over at her. “No. I don’t belong there anymore. I’ll finish my dad’s projects, sell everything, and move on.”

She felt her heart drop a little. “Where will you go?”

He shrugged his shoulders again. “Not sure, yet. I guess I have some time to think about it, though.”

“Yeah,” She looked out the window and tried to hide her disappointment.

By the time they drove into town, Travis’ eyes were burning, and he wished more than anything that he’d gotten a good night’s sleep. But instead of drifting off like Holly had, he’d lain awake, staring at the ceiling and replaying everything that they’d been through that evening. It had been too close.

One thing he’d promised himself since leaving Fairplay four years ago was that no one would ever get harmed because of him again.

Last night had made him realize that he was no better than his mother. Sure, she had flipped her lid mentally, but he’d allowed himself to be sucked into a dangerous world and then he’d taken Holly into that world, and she could have been killed.

He knew he had a few more months in town, but he had to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid again to put her in danger.

When they pulled into Mama’s, his stomach growled loudly, causing Holly to laugh. “I know how you feel. Those pancakes have already worn off and I’m starved.”

“Maybe it’ll be meatloaf night. I haven’t had good meatloaf since I left town.” He raced around and opened her door.

“Willard does make the best in Texas,” she said, talking about the cook at Mama’s. The man had a knack for making barbeque meatloaf. No one in town knew his secrets. There was a rumor that not even Jamella, aka Mama, knew what he put in there to make it so good.

They sat at one of the only empty booths near the back. “I guess you are a lucky charm,” he said, nodding to the menu board. “Meatloaf night.” Half the town was in Mama’s, filling themselves with barbeque meatloaf and Jamella’s homemade apple pie.

Holly waved at Alex and Grant, who were sitting across the room with their daughter. He didn’t know the little girl’s name, but she was the spitting image of her mother.

“They’re having another,” she said, smiling over at the family. He frowned and looked over at the couple.

“Another kid?”

She nodded. “I know you guys were engaged, but I just wanted you to know that she found a good man.” She nodded to Grant. “Some things are just meant to be, you know?” She leaned her chin on her hands. “Just like you were meant to go to Vegas and get cleaned up.”

He thought about it and for the first time he could see the pattern. He knew that he’d been no good for Alex. Hell, he’d cheated on her more times than even he could remember. But in his mind, he had loved her. Loved being in love. Maybe that’s why he had avoiding being with another woman for so long. He looked across the table at Holly and realized he’d fallen in to the trap again. Not that he was in love with her. At least he didn’t think he was…yet. But he had strong feelings for her already. Like he’d had for Alex and even Savannah in a twisted way.

He took a sip of his iced tea and tried to think about something else. But as Holly looked across the table at him, he kept telling himself that he was getting in too deep.

Just as they were finishing up their dinner, Billy and Corey walked in with two girls on their arms. His old friends were dressed in their nice Levi’s and button up shirts. He didn’t recognize the girls, but guessed that they were probably a few years younger than they were.

“Hey, Travis,” Corey called out and moved towards them. “Wow, man. Who gave you that shiner?”

He’d forgotten about his eye and reached up to touch it. “Happened in Vegas,” he said, absentmindedly.

“Wow, did you just get back from Vegas?” Billy asked and then looked at Holly. “The two of you?” Billy waved his eyebrows in a way that only Billy could. Travis wished he could reach up and yank the furry things from his face.

“Yeah, business trip,” he said and tried to dismiss the group. “Shall we get going?” he asked Holly, who nodded and stood up.

“Oh, man. Don’t run off on our account. We were just going to grab some grub and take the girls up to the cabin. Maybe you guys would like to join us?”

“Not tonight.” He stood and took Holly’s hand in his. “Night.” He nodded to his old friends and went to pay for dinner.

“I understand you don’t want to hang out with your old friends, but you could have been a little nicer about it,” she said when they were in the car.

“What?” He glanced at her as he drove the block and a half to the house.

“Travis, you were rude to them.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him.

“They’re used to it,” he said, parking in front of the garage. “I’m heading in to get some sleep.” He nodded to the big house and then walked around and grabbed their bags from the trunk.

“That’s fine with me.” She grabbed her bag from him. “I understand you being rude to them, but there’s no reason to be rude to me.” She started walking away. He dropped his bag and spun her around.

“I’m not being rude to you.” He shook his head. “Can’t you see I’m like those guys?” He ran his hand through his hair, thinking about pulling it out. “I’m trouble. I’ll probably cheat on you. I might even fall back to my old smoking, drinking ways.” He took a few steps away and threw his arms up. “Go.” He waved his arms away. “Go get some sleep.” He grabbed his bag and rushed into the house.

When he shut the door behind him, he felt like punching something. The door pushed against his shoulders hard. He stepped aside and threw it open to see a very mad Holly standing there.

“How dare you walk away without giving me a chance to talk.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. Then she stepped into the house and pointed her finger into his chest. “You think you’re the only one who has issues.” She took another step towards him when he backed up. “You think you’re so bad?” She used both hands to shove him back another step. “I’ll tell you something, Travis Nolan. I’ve dealt with you before. You may not remember every time you were an ass to me, but I do and I can assure you that you’re not the same person.” She shoved him again until he fell back and landed on the couch sideways, his legs hanging over the arm. She moved around until she stood over him. “You may think that you’ll have a lapse, but I know you better than you know yourself. You’ve spent the last four years cleaning your body of all the poisons you shoved into it because of those two baboons. You are not like them and will never be again.” She turned to leave. “And if you think this is over, guess again.”

He stopped her before she reached the door and spun her around. When she opened her mouth to yell some more, he covered it with his own. He put everything he’d been feeling since seeing her standing in the doorway of the old car wash in the sexy red number behind the kiss. He pushed her up against the doorway, almost knocking down several of his mother’s paintings on the wall. When he yanked her jacket off her shoulders, she gasped. He heard something rip as he pulled her clothing from her quickly.

Finally, what seemed like hours later, she stood before him naked, and he pulled her up and walked back towards the couch. When they fell onto the soft cushion, she moaned and pulled his jeans from his hips.

“Now,” she groaned. “Now, Travis.” She looked up into his eyes and he realized he would have given anything to her at that moment. Anything.

“
T
ell me everything that happened in Vegas,” Missy said with a look of anticipation on her face. Holly had needed a little time to herself, but having dinner with her best friend and her fiancé was second best to eating a whole cheesecake alone.

She laughed. “Where to begin?” She leaned back on the deck chair and started to tell her friend everything that had happened as she looked off to their back yard. Reece had bought the old place earlier that year and they were still doing major repairs to the place. But, like the bookstore, it was coming along quickly.

“Oh my god!” Missy looked at her with her eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

Holly laughed. “I’m fine, really.”

“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “I’ve never met anyone who’s lived through something like that. It’s almost straight out of a movie.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She giggled. “Underground in Vegas,” she said in her best broadcasting voice.

Melissa chuckled. “Well, I can’t believe it. You actually look great.” She leaned back and took another sip. “If something like that had happened to me, I’d be a wreck.”

“Oh, please. You’re Miss Cool under pressure. I’ve seen you work at the clinic, remember?”

Missy smiled. “Being a nurse doesn’t mean you know how to keep your cool when there are people kidnapping you or shooting at you.”

“They weren’t actually shooting at us.” She shook her head. “Anyway, your place is coming along great.” She waved her glass to the back of the house.

“Yeah, Reece is in there hammering away on the bathroom. He wants the new bathtub installed before we get married.” Melissa set her glass down and then squealed. “It still gets me.” She shook her head. “Sorry.”

Holly laughed. “That’s okay. Have you found out anything about Ryan yet?”

Melissa shook her head no. “We heard from the private investigator’s daughter that they were working on it, but other than that, nothing more.”

She leaned back. “I’m sure you’ll find Ryan before your wedding.”

“I just hope he’s okay.” She leaned forward and whispered. “The last time I saw him he had two bullet holes in his stomach.”