“I’ve got meetings today,” Rachel said. “I was hoping the boys could go swim at the lake or something with the rest of the family.”
“They can come with us,” Bob said. “We’ll have a good time.”
“Travis and Dane can come along, too, and you can have the whole place to yourself.” Evelyn gave Travis a don’t-you-dare look; not subtle at all.
“Nope.” Travis chomped his raspberry tart. “I’ve got an R&D committee meeting at ten. Then a Distribution meeting at two. I’ve got to hop on the conference calls.”
Bob and Evelyn went still.
“You’re meeting with Distribution?” Bob asked.
Evelyn looked like someone had smacked her in the face. “And R&D?”
Does he even know what that means?
Travis finished chewing, looking between his parents and Rachel. “Don’t look so shocked, I’m technically the vice-president of distribution. I get the email reminders.”
Evelyn’s eyes stayed wide. “But you never go to the meetings.”
From what Rachel had heard, he never did anything when it came to work.
“Yeah, well, had some ideas I drew up to run past the team.” He lifted his remaining tart. “Can we not make a big deal about this?”
“What’s an R&D meeting?” Brady asked, looking at Rachel.
“Research and development,” Travis answered, ruffling her son’s hair. “Where they decide what flavors are coming up next.”
“Maybe tell them not to do the pumpkin,” Brady said quietly, the words solemn. “It’s not good.”
“Where’s Dane?” Bob asked, changing the subject but obviously having a silent conversation with Evelyn.
“Probably sleeping.” Travis said around another bite of tart. “He had a late night.”
Evelyn tsked. “Bob, you should go wake your son.”
“I wouldn’t,” Travis said. “When I say he had a late night, he showed up around three this morning. I caught him sneaking in when I took the dogs out.”
Bob didn’t budge. “After I drink my coffee.”
“I guess Dane can stay here, too,” Evelyn said, resigned. “We’ll take the boys with us.”
Bob looked up at Rachel. “That okay with you?”
After Evelyn got them good and sugared up?
Yes, it was totally fine. After an hour in the car with that amount of blood sugar, Evelyn might rethink her stance on the abundance of breakfast pastry the boys consumed.
“Sounds like they’ll have fun.” Rachel did her very best to smirk only on the inside. “Thank you, that would be great.”
“And the dogs,” Travis added. “You’ll want to take the dogs. Don’t leave them out.”
Bob glared at Travis over the top of his mug. “How’d I wind up on mutt duty?”
“You married me,” Evelyn said, cheery.
Travis’s eyes met Rachel’s and the heat beneath the surface was enough to…well…toast a breakfast pastry all by itself.
Without any other options apparently available, Rachel grabbed a pumpkin pie tart for herself.
