I hated the idea of him leaving, but I’d brought up more than once that I felt guilty that he had to stay behind because of me. One of the other guys could stay with me, I’d suggested. I could go stay with Travis again. Those options were always met with a curt head shake. “No one takes care of my girl but me.”
I’d stopped bringing it up after hearing the same answer more than once. And really, that was fine with me. I was in no hurry to be parted from him.
I sat in the training facility trying to not to blatantly stare at my man as he heaved a huge tire across the large space. His muscles rippled and his skin glistened with sweat as he moved with graceful intensity.
The other guys climbed rope or lifted weights but I barely noticed them, only having eyes for Sid. After a few hours where I actually managed to write a bit despite the distraction that was Sid, Sid and Theo wandered over, freshly showered. It was late and I was starving.
I turned my eyes up to my man. “We should probably pick up a few things from the store. I’ll make a list; any requests?”
“Bananas.” He nodded.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, Sid, youalwayswant bananas, they’ll be on the list. Along with that gross protein powder you like and a gazillion eggs.”
The man ate like a caveman, but with the way he looked, I wasn’t complaining.
“You liked that last smoothie I made,” he replied, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
I wrinkled my nose. “Loved it.”
Theo threw back his head and let out a laugh loud enough to shake the windows. He slapped Sid on the back. “All right man, I’m outta here.”
“Later.” Sid nodded, giving a chin lift to Trent and Declan as they too headed toward the offices, ready to get home.
When we walked back into the office, Travis was the only one left, still bent over his desk intent on his task.
I worried about my brother. He worked too much and didn’t allow himself to have much fun, if any at all. He was going to go gray before his years if he didn’t let up a bit. “You almost done?” I asked him, trying not to sound like a nag.
He looked up as though surprised to see us standing there. He’d clearly been deeply absorbed in whatever he was doing. “Yeah, just about.”
Declan, Theo, and Trent were headed out on this next job. From what I’d overheard, it sounded like they were headed to Nigeria. Even though Travis wasn’t joining them, he prepared as though he was. He felt responsible for them and I knew it weighed on him.
“All right, boss, we’ll catch you tomorrow,” Sid said, offering a chin lift as he took my hand. “He’s all right, babe, let the man be,” he murmured in my ear when he caught my worried expression.
I bit my lip and nodded, following him out into the evening air.
“Oh, crap,” I groaned when we were fifteen minutes down the road. “I forgot my phone.”
Sid sighed with practiced exasperation. “I take it you need that?”
I gave him my best beseeching expression. “Yes.”
He shook his head with a chuckle as he cut the wheel. “Christ, baby, I swear if your head wasn’t attached, you’d forget that too.”
“I did once. It was really awkward.”
He burst out laughing, the sound loud and rich in the cab of the truck.
“Trixie should be okay for a little while longer.” I continued. I was still getting used to the idea that we were keeping her. Brad had called the week before and albeit reluctantly had agreed to my terms. I’d promised him he could visit her whenever he wanted.
When we pulled back up to Talon, I hopped down from the truck with as much grace as I could muster, which wasn’t a lot. “I’ll be right back.”
He nodded with an amused grin.
I gave him my best glare. “Hey buddy, it’s a big truck.”
He chuckled. “Baby, we both know the truck didn’t give you two left feet.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I laughed as he grinned back at me, his expression so warm it stopped me in my tracks. “You can tease me,” I murmured, as though this was some sort of epiphany.
