“Okay,” I agreed readily, more than a little curious to see the business he owned.
We finished our meal and moved to the couch, wine glasses in hand. “That was delicious, thank you,” I said sincerely. “I’m only sorry I didn’t help out by making something for dessert.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m mean on the grill, but anything involving the oven is all you.” He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me gently into his side. Buster immediately hopped up to join us as Able lay at our feet. It felt so natural to sit with him like this.
“They certainly made themselves comfortable,” he commented.
“Yeah, I’m surprised—especially with Buster.” I looked at my persnickety feline.
“And how about you?” he murmured.
“How about me what?”
“Are you comfortable here?”
Was I? I looked around his home, so opposite from mine. “I’m comfortable with you,” I clarified.
He chuckled over a groan. “So, no.”
I looked up at him. “You have a beautiful home, Travis. It’s just not my personal style. But being comfortable with you is a big deal,” I admitted quietly.
He squeezed me gently. “I get that, and I’m glad. We’ll figure out the house part later.”
I was about to ask him what he meant by that, when his doorbell chimed. “Who the hell is that?” he grumbled. “Stay here.” He stood up, stalking toward the front door.
A second later I heard the chorus of female voices, followed by a groan from Travis. “Sam, there’s this thing called a phone,” he complained.
“Yes, but then there’s thing called answering.” She sang as she walked into the room with Danny. “We won’t stay long,” she assured him. “We both have to get back to the kids. Just wanted to check on our girl.”
I smiled over the back of the couch at them. I’d texted a few times with both of them, but was touched they’d gone out of their way to see me in person. “I’m okay,” I assured them immediately as they plopped down on the couch, eyeing me with concern.
“Your neck,” Sam breathed, her eyes wide.
I touched the bruise lightly. “It feels much better today.”
“And they didn’t catch the guy?” Danny demanded.
Travis and his team were the only ones who knew that Mabel’s son was my attacker.
“Not yet,” I replied, feeling guilty for not sharing all the details. The less people knew, Travis had told me, the safer I’d be.
“We’re working on it,” Travis put in gruffly, seeming irritated by the question.
Sam looked at him with a raised brow. “I don’t doubt it, oh protective one,” she assured him tartly, before turning back to me. “Will you be getting a sub this week?”
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. I’m fine now,” I insisted. “But I’ll take the extra day to rest.”
“You definitely should,” Danny agreed.
“I’ll go check in with the guys, twenty minutes, tops,” Travis grumbled with an eye toward Sam. Clearly he wasn’t pleased with the interruption.
She held up her hands. “Twenty minutes, promise.”
With a final heated glance at me, he left the room.
Sam watched him go with a playful twinkle in her eye. “We didn’t mean to interrupt,” she apologized. “Honestly, I’m not used to my brother being like this.”
“Like what?” I asked in confusion.
