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“We’re just friends,” I said, because that part was at least true. We’d come a long way since we first established our truce. A long,longway. So far we were now friends who apparently kissed. Passionately. With tongues.
“Daddy also told Uncle Jason that Dee’s ex is a dickhead,” Amie stated, nodding to all of us before looking up at her grandmother. “What’s an ex, Grandma? And what’s a dickhead?”
“Amie, that is not a nice word!” Mavis hissed and extended her hand to the little girl who refused to leave my side. “I think you and I need to go to the bathroom and have a little discussion, young lady.”
“Aw! Do I have to? I wanna stay and talk to Dee,” she whined before turning back to me. “Will you come over to my house and play Fashion Show with me again? I like you playing with me better than Daddy. He brushes their hair all wrong and can’t walk the runway right.”
“Amie Marie, let’s go.” Mavis said with enough force, but still remained gentle. Amie stomped her foot, but one raised eyebrow from Mavis had the cutest little girl begrudgingly accepting her grandma’s hand before being escorted off towards the bathroom.
“Sorry about that,” Arthur apologized and blushed as if embarrassed. There was no need for him to feel that way. Kids were like parrots and sponges. They absorbed everything and often repeated it.
“It’s okay. I know how kids can be.”
Arthur cleared his throat before glancing at Runa then back to me. “Travis has said some wonderful things about you,” he offered. “He says you’re the best attorney at Harrington and that he’s learned so much from you.”
Really?
“Really?” I echoed my thoughts, absolutely flabbergasted.
“He speaks so highly of you.”
My cheeks burned. I was blushing because not only was I flattered, but also because Amie and his parents’ presence took me back to when Travis’s lips consumed mine. The feel of his hands tracing the lines of my hips before daring to go lower.
The sound of a throat clearing pulled me from the memory and suddenly, I was scrambling.“Oh, right. Arthur, this is my sister, Runa, and I’m sure you know Casey.” I tried to cover as if I hadn't just fantasized about his son and all the wonderfully naughty things his kiss promised.
Arthur shook their hands before turning back to me. “Well, I better go see what my girls are up to. It was a pleasure to meet you, all. Especially you, Dee. It’s nice to put a face to the name. I hope we see you again soon.” The three of us were silent as Arthur shuffled off towards the bathroom to meet up with his wife and grandchild.
“He told his parents about you!” My sister all but shouted as she slapped my arm. “Itoldyou he likes you. He wouldn’t have told his parents about you if he didn’t.”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but Runa’s right.” Casey grinned like the kid who’d stolen the cookie from the cookie jar and got away with it. “When he had dinner with us the other night, he kept bringing you up. It was so cute how hecasuallywould mention your name and use that to ask questions.”
“What was he asking?” I had to ask. There was no way I could not ask.
Casey’s grin grew wider. “Oh, things like what you did in your spare time. Whether you were seeing anyone. What you liked to do for fun? He also mentioned several times how much he liked the fact that you adored children.”
“He did?” Again, I was surprised.
“He did. Jason told me that whenever they go out, all he talks about is you.”
I was flattered, and I was scared. Scared to let another man in. Scared to give someone the power to hurt me all over again. Scared by at how I felt about him.
“You’re not still treating him like he’s the enemy are you?” My sister pulled me back from the rabbit hole I was about to jump down. Runa followed it up by taking a sip of her wine. Casey nodded in agreement.
“No,” I defended. “Like I told you, we’re friendly now. I talk to him at work when I have to, but I haven’t really talked to him since the game, but I’m going to talk to him at the engagement party.”
“Don’t you think that’s kind of a bad place to be having such a serious discussion?” Casey asked as she took a bite of hersole meuniere. Sole fish in clarified butter with lemon.
“I’m going to ask him if he wants to go to a diner or The Pancake House. Someplace neutral so we can talk.”
“That would work. Do you think he’ll say yes?”
“I hope so,” I said, feeling a bit guilty for keeping him at arm’s length. Especially after that smokin’ hot kiss he planted on me. I swear my panties were sporting some serious singe marks when I took them off that night. “I know I should have done this sooner, but I don’t know if I’m ready to go there again with someone so soon. But, I think I want to see where this goes. I’m just—”
“You’re scared and you have every reason to be, but don’t let your fear put you at risk of losing something good. Travis is a good guy. A good guy that really likes you. A guy who’s solidly had your back up to this point. I think it’s fair to say that he’s nothing like Dennis.”
My sister had a point. Traviswasn’tDennis. The two couldn’t be more different. Travisdidhave my back, no questions asked. He also knew how a broken heart could shatter you into thousands of irreparable pieces. He knew what it was like to have what you thought was a good relationship go bad. From what he’d told me about his ex-wife, he’d lived through a nightmare and had managed to come out okay. The more I thought about letting him in, the more the grip my fear had on me lessened. Sitting there with my support team, I realized that Iwantedto see where this thing between us was going. I also knew if I asked Travis to go slow, he would. He’d give me time if I said I needed it. So why was my stomach all in knots? Why did I break out in a cold sweat from just the thought of taking that chance? Taking that leap?
One word.
