“I’ve got your number on this one,” Travis murmured to Rachel from the side of his mouth.
She lifted a shoulder and nibbled at her bottom lip. “You inspired me with the recorder idea.”
“I have a unique set of skills.” Travis leaned against the doorway so he wasn’t in her personal space. They were getting along great, and he didn’t want to fuck that up.
“I’ve heard about your unique set of skills.” Rachel crossed her arms. “Gavin told me all about them.”
Travis just bet. He studied her face, searching for details, but none emerged. His back teeth set on edge.
“Which particular skills are you referring to this time?” Rachel asked.
He filed away a mental note to quiz her sometime about exactly what Gavin had told her and when and why.
“Not only can I come up with unique ways to drive my brother nuts, I also have the ability to help the boys forget some of this shi—” He caught himself,since Kellan was possibly within hearing distance. “Stuff at Gavin’s place.”
“If you make it so those recorders stay at Gavin’s house, I’ll totally owe you.”
“How big are we talkin’?” Travis asked.
The wicked gleam was back, and he liked it. A lot. “Pretty big. I mean,thatwould be quite the feat.”
“Big enough you’ll come along to Twin Lakes?” He couldn’t help it. Rachelshouldcome and, as a bonus, if she agreed here, he could take full credit for getting her to tag along.
Everyone would end up a winner, except Gavin would be dealing with recorders, puppies, sand,andkaraoke.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You’re so much like your mother, it’s scary.”
“You mean I adore your children and don’t want them to miss the best summer ever?” he asked, hoping she understood that he was being totally serious with this insistence. “Then, yes, I’m exactly like my mother.”
Without the penchant for wearing hot pink and sleeping with his hair in curlers.
“To be clear, there will be no tree surfing.” She crossed her arms.
He huffed. “You take things way too seriously.”
“And maybe you don’t take anything seriously enough.” With that parting shot, she shooed her boys down the stairs.
He did so take things seriously. All the time. Just not the things she did. Frowning, Travis grabbed their duffel bags and followed.
“Call me tomorrow when you wake up.” Standing in the doorway, under herShut the Front Doorsign, Rachel pressed a kiss to Brady’s forehead.
Travis crossed his arms and grinned as she practically had to tackle Kellan to get him to slow down long enough for a hug.
He would’ve helped out but,sincehe didn’t take anything seriously,he held back. Rachel didn’t need his help, anyway. She managed the Frank hooligans like a pro.
Not that Kellan wasn’t affectionate. Travis just happened to know that he usually saved that for when he didn’t feel well, wanted something, or when Brady was the object of their mother’s affection.
There was no time for cuddling, thank you, there was a whole rainbow of things to do in the world.
The whole crew—Rachel and all the in-town Franks—spilled out onto the porch.
“Thanks for helping Rach out today.” Gavin pulled their mother into a hug. “I’m sorry, again, that I couldn’t be here when I should’ve been.”
Two apologies in one day? Over the same thing?
Travis looked to the sky to see if there were pigs flying.
Seriously, what in the Sam Hill was going on with his brother?
