“But,” she continued, pointing a finger at Travis and me. “When you meet the right one, it’s never settling.”
Travis winked at me. “Yes, ma’am. I agree.”
After we ate, Travis and I cleared up while May went upstairs for a moment. “I think I’m going to stay with her tonight,” I told him quietly. “She looks like she’s handling this, but I know better.”
Travis looked at me, concern warming his brown eyes. “Then I’ll stay, too.”
“Honey, you don’t have to do that.” I shook my head. “You’ll be more comfortable in your own bed.”
“Not without you, I won’t,” he argued. “And anyway, it stopped being my bed the moment you slept in it—it became ours.”
My eyes popped wide. “But my bed is out there,” I protested, pointing toward where my cottage lay somewhere beyond May’s house.
He stepped closer. “I’m hoping you’ll change your mind on that.”
“You’re asking me to move in?” I gulped.
He watched me intently, nodding once. “I love you, Em. I want to share my home with you, my life with you. Please?”
I stared at him wide-eyed, completely floored by the turn in our conversation. Just as I was about to speak, May walked back into the room with a bottle of brandy in hand.
“I knew I had this stashed somewhere,” she muttered to herself, pulling some glasses down from the cabinet. She looked at me expectantly. “Nightcap? Or do you need to get going?”
“We’ll stay,” I replied. “Let’s pop in a movie.”
She narrowed her eyes. “As long as you want to stay and don’t feel like you have to babysit me.”
I threw up my hands. “Hey now, none of that. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”
Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being a crotchety old lady, aren’t I?”
“Yes,” I answered without delay, eliciting a shocked chortle from Travis.
“At least you’re honest.” She grinned, raising her glass in salute.
We got settled on the couch. After arguing thatSteel Magnoliaswas probably about the most depressing movie she could want to watch, we settled onBonnie and Clyde, the classic version with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.
I glanced at May inconspicuously a few times and could tell she wasn’t watching the movie. Her gaze was far off in the distance, and my heart ached for her. I couldn’t imagine what might be going through her mind.
Travis squeezed my hand, observing my concern, and I settled further into his side, needing his quiet strength.
“The movie’s over, May,” I murmured, not for the first time after she’d continued to stare blankly at the credits.
She seemed to shake herself before nodding and pulling herself up. “I’ll just head up to bed then. You’re staying?” she verified.
“We both are.” I nodded.
“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I knew she really wasn’t herself because she didn’t argue with me about babysitting her.
“Shit.” Travis sighed after she’d headed upstairs. He knew May well enough now to come to the same conclusion.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’ll check on her later. Let’s head to bed. We’re in the guestroom down here.”
He stood up, reaching a hand out for me and pulling me up. “Theo got Able out?” I asked as we turned off lights and placed our glasses in the sink.
“Yeah. He went over an hour ago.”
I continued to be pleasantly surprised at how much Travis’s friends operated like a family, or what I’d always imagined a family would be like.
