That was an understatement, but Mack didn’t reply, simply lifted a brow, urging Travis to continue.
“In my defense, I only do so when it comes to family. And while there’s no blood relation, I’ve always considered you family.”
Mack picked up his coffee, took a sip. More as a distraction than out of need.
“When I first learned you were gonna sell the bar, I was pissed. Not because I want the damn thing, either. Honestly, I don’t need the fucking hassle.” Travis clasped his hands together on the table, leaned forward. “I was pissed because I knew you didn’t want to sell it. Yeah, I staged that whole incident last week. Because I wanted to show you we have your back. I went to stand up for you if you needed me to. Of course, my best intentions are generally not thought out completely.”
Travis’s gaze swung to the papers sitting in the middle of the table.
“The offer was a way of showing you the same. I don’t want to buy the bar, but I will if I have to, because it’s your bar, Mack. And if you choose to leave, I can’t very well stop you, but I can damn sure make certain your family’s business continues as it always has. The folks in this town, we go there as much to drink as we do to be in your company.” He smirked. “Not that you’re the best company considerin’ your lack of conversation, but that’s not the point. Like I said, you’re family and Moonshiners wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Mack let the words sink in, but he didn’t know what to say.
“But that’s not why I’m here. I came to let you in on a little secret. A secret I unearthed recently. Yes, I know I stick my nose in when I shouldn’t because my husband and wife tell me that all the damn time. Doesn’t mean I’ll change, doesn’t even mean I want to. I wanted to give you the information and you can do with it as you will. It won’t leave this room, and I can assure you, I won’t say a word to Daniel.”
Mack frowned. “Daniel? What are you talkin’ about?”
Travis seemed to consider his words carefully before speaking. “I had someone look into Daniel’s background.”
“You had no right to do that,” Mack snarled.
Travis sat up straight. “No, I didn’t. Doesn’t change things.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket, set it on the table. “I’ve wondered for a long time why Daniel’s been so insistent to turn you into Michael Schwartz, the straight man who lives in Austin, under his thumb. It wasn’t until he brought that Chris guy to town to talk to you that I got suspicious. There was something off about that incident.”
There was a lot off about it, but again, Mack remained quiet.
“I noticed something about Daniel’s body language that day. Specifically regarding his interaction with Chris.”
Mack glanced at Jeff, noticed the man was hanging on every word.
“And when I’m curious, I tend to react. So, I did some digging. Did you know Daniel’s been dating a woman named Phoebe?”
Mack nodded. “I knew there was a woman. Didn’t know her name, but they’ve been on and off for several years.”
Travis held his stare for a minute. “No, they’ve been pretending to date for four years. Back around the time Daniel insisted you go straight.”
Gage chuckled, clearly amused by the turn of phrase.
“Phoebe and Daniel never dated,” Travis continued. “They’ve never been a couple at all. Phoebe is Chris’s half-sister. Different mothers, but they grew up together.”
Mack wasn’t sure where this was going.
Travis glanced at Jeff, then back to him. “Daniel’s been with Chris all along.”
Mack sat up, eyebrows shooting toward his hairline. “What?”
“Mack, Daniel’s gay.”
Shaking his head, he started to push his chair back. “That’s bullshit. I don’t know what you’re tryin’ to—”
Travis pushed his phone across the table.
There was a picture of Daniel and Chris on the screen. They were standing with several others, and while Chris had his arm around Daniel’s shoulders, that didn’t mean a thing.
Travis reached over, swiped across the screen, and another image appeared. This one showing Chris and Daniel in a lip-lock.
Another swipe, another picture.
Chris and Daniel staring at one another, the unmistakable look of love on both their faces.
