The door handle rattled. “Mom?” Brady called from the other side of the oak. “It’s locked.”
Rachel pulled away from Travis. “Hang on, sweetie.”
“Can you lie down with me?” Brady called. “I can’t sleep.”
“Be right there.” Rachel seemed to be doing an inventory of her clothing—which was, unfortunately, in order,given he hadn’t had a chance to remove any of it.
The door handle rattled again. Travis made a mental note to thank Dave for his intrusion earlier. Better Dave than Brady.
After adjusting her shirt, Rachel leaned forward and gently, so very gently, pressed a light kiss to Travis’s lips. “We can continue this conversation tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” he said against her mouth.
She smiled, bit at her bottom lip, and nodded, their noses brushing with the small movement.
“One second.” She turned to head toward the door.
Travis watched her walk away.
He didn’t move for a long while after she’d left the room, distracting Brady and heading down the hallway toward his bedroom.
Travis swallowed and glanced at the dogs, then to the new linens he needed to swap onto his bed, and then to the blank space where Rachel had been earlier on the sofa.
The memory of her mouth against his had his insides pooling into melted sunshine.
Pure Rachel.
He closed his eyes, and he smiled.
Chapter Fifteen
“I love you dearly but no questions until I have had my first cup of coffee.” — Darla, Texas, USA
Rachel
“Mooom,” Kellan said, milking theOin her name. “They come two in a bag for a reason.”
“One tart, and then you have to eat real food.” Rachel was careful to keep her voice low so that if Evelyn or Bob happened to be nearby, they wouldn’t hear her.
Evelyn took special offense to Rachel’s assertion that the toaster tarts did not, in fact, merit consideration as a solid breakfast option. Mostly, though, sugar wound her kids up tighter than red dye in gummy bears, so she tried to keep it to a minimum.
After popping a couple of the cinnamon-sugar-cream-cheese tarts into the toaster—one for each kid—she started cracking eggs. A scramble would contain enough protein, she hoped, that it would counter the sugar filling, pastry dough, and frosting.
“Good morning, all.” Travis sauntered into the kitchen, looking rather dashing with his hair totally messed up.Still in his black pajamas from the night before, now they were rumpled from sleep. He looked great rumpled. Unshaved, he sported impressive stubble, too.
Rachel liked men fresh from the razor.She did. Stubble, however, was her favorite.
She glanced up mid-crack, and the eggshell collapsed in her hand with the pressure she inadvertently used.
Shoot.
Pete and Re-Pete followed Travis into the kitchen, ignoring everyone and going immediately to the kibble in their bowls.
“Good morning,” she replied, cheery, despite egg goo dripping down her wrist.
The warm smile Travis gave her made this all feel so domestic. And right. And her stomach did the flippy thing.
“Did you boys sleep well?” Travis asked, sitting down at the table.
