“We have a problem with going out.” She sifted her fingertips through the still-damp hair on his scalp. “Someoneherewill notice we’re gone.” Or, to be precise, multiple someones.
“Already handled.”
He couldn’t just have it handled. That would be a lot of handling.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Mom and Dad don’t know it yet, but they’re taking the kids to a magic show at the Twin Lakes resort. Dave is going to cover for us here. I already asked him—bribed him—and he agreed.”
“Dave is good with us?” she asked. Ever since the night in the den, she hadn’t said a peep to him about it. He, likewise, had pretended it hadn’t happened.
“Dave is, officially, staying out of it,” Travis said carefully. “But I had somethin’ he wanted, so we negotiated.”
“What exactly did you have that he wanted?” she asked, cautiously.
Travis shrugged. “Some things are better kept between brothers and air traffic control.”
She shook her head with a bit too much force for trying to stave off a headache. “I’m not neglecting my clients again so you and I can go dancing.”
He did a push-up over the top of her. “Bring your phone and check it between songs. If we have to head back here, we can. I won’t say a word about it.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
He grinned a shit-eating grin. “Just wait.”
Chapter Twenty
“It’s not my job to entertain my kids. I love them and keep them alive. The rest is up to them.” — Julie, Idaho, USA
Travis
The dirt parking lot wasn’t well lit at all—just the full moon above, the stars, and the light coming from a dilapidated old barn that could seriously use a coat of paint and new lumber, but did have a big, professional sign announcing the barn name asCome As You Are.
Under that was a piece of canvas hung along a thick rope with wide hand-painted letters announcing the evening as open mic night.
“This is it?” Rachel didn’t seem impressed.
He wasn’t impressed,either. He’d have to have a talk with Dave later. “Apparently so.”
“Give me a second.” Rachel had brought her laptop along and was returning emails from a hot spot she’d created with her laptop and her cell phone. “Almost done.”
She needed to set some pretty substantial boundaries with her clients,because they were walking all over her. He’d asked her what they paid for the kind of service she provided—as in, always available to drop everything and do whatever they needed at literally any time of the night. She’d dodged the question.
The only thing she was more committed to than her work was her kids.
Travis was hopeful that soon she’d find room in there for him, too.
He stretched across the interior of the SUV and kissed her on the temple. “Whatever they’re paying you, it’s not enough.”
She gave a soft shake of her head. “You know what I’d like to do?”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to have staff.” She was fidgeting with the dangly bracelets on her arm.
He got the feeling this conversation was of the important variety. So he turned in his seat to face her. “Yeah?”
“So it’s not just me.” She went back to typing away at the keyboard. “I guess that’s my dream. So whenever anyone needs anything—at any hour—someone is monitoring the inbox. And they could be from all different time zones so it’s not a big deal if a three in the morning request comes through. Where they are, it won’t be bedtime.”
