Breaking Travis (The West Series Book 5) (5 page)

“It’s okay.” She looked off towards his friends. “Are you going to hang with those two again?” she asked, frowning.

He looked towards his old friends, who were now making a scene by squirting ketchup at one another. “Hadn’t planned on it.” He frowned and turned back towards her as the waitress came to take his order. He ordered the potato soup and a salad. He knew he had to cut back on calories since he wasn’t training right now. His stomach growled and demanded that he order more, but he’d learned to discipline himself.

“What other changes have you made?” She reached for his clipboard and he let her take it. He sipped his water as she read over the new list.

He’d crossed a few items off and had added a few others during his meeting with Roger. He felt the building was in good hands after talking to the contractor. At least his father had done his research and hired the best around.

She frowned as she read over his list. He liked the little crease that appeared between her eyebrows. She had a cute little dimple near the corner of her mouth that he wanted to taste again. If he focused, he could still taste her sweet lips on his, feel her soft body next to his. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else.

“I guess I can live with these changes.” She interrupted his thoughts. He looked over at her. He’d been expecting a fight from her.

“Really?” He sat back as his food was delivered.

“Sure. I mean, some of these Roger had suggested.” She pointed to a few items on his list. “Here, he wanted the bookshelves to go along this back wall instead of this one. We’d talked about redoing the fireplace and converting it to gas, so that was already in the works.” She glanced up at him. “I thought about adding a small stage, here.” She pulled out a floor plan from her bag and pointed to it. He scooted closer and looked down at the paper, trying to see where she meant.

“In the back corner?”

She nodded and looked at him.

“Why did you kiss me?” The question threw him off balance. He continued to look at her, not knowing how to answer it. “I mean, I know why I kissed you back. It’s been almost a year since I’ve gone on a date. But why did you kiss me?” she asked again.

He was mesmerized by her eyes, and he couldn’t stop himself from watching her bite her bottom lip with worry. “I wanted to.” He shrugged his shoulders. She sighed and leaned back when he made no move to explain himself further. “A stage for what?” he asked, causing her to blink a few times and refocus on the meeting.

“Bands, poetry readings, book signings.” She shrugged and reached for a French fry. “There are lots of reasons to have a small stage.”

“I guess we could make it work. I’ll talk to Roger after lunch.”

“I can do it.” She took another fry and nibbled on it. The slow motion was hypnotizing him.

“No, I’ll do it. I’m in charge now.” He leaned in and started eating his soup and salad, wishing desperately for a cheeseburger instead.

“Is there something wrong with the soup?” she asked. He realized he’d been frowning down at his bowl.

“No, just wishing it was a cheeseburger instead.”

She smiled. “I know what you mean. I had a New Year’s resolution that I’ve been good at keeping so far. I’ve only eaten fish this year, no other meat.” She shook her head. “I’m dying for a burger or a chicken breast. But I’ve lost ten pounds so far and kept it off.”

“I try to save meat for when I’m not training.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Boxing?” When he just looked at her, she blushed a little. He liked the look of her cheeks turning pink. “I saw you hitting the bag yesterday.”

He smiled a little. “Yeah, I’ve been fighting the last few years. It helps me stay focused.” He frowned, remembering his conversation with Randy.

“Really?” She leaned forward a little. “Where?”

He shook his head, wanting the conversation to end. “I’ll talk to Roger about adding the stage.” He tossed a few dollars on the table and stood up.

“Don’t bother. I’m heading over there now.” She looked at him.

“No, you’re not. A construction zone is no place for a woman.”

She laughed at him. He looked down at her like she was crazy.

“Listen.” She stood and crossed her arms over her chest, and he realized how much smaller she was than he’d thought. The top of her head reached just below his shoulders. She was already thin and the fact that she’d just confessed to losing ten pounds this past year had him frowning. She didn’t need to lose weight; if anything, she could stand to gain a few pounds. He liked his women soft. “I’ve been on site since the first sledgehammer was swung. I have no intention of leaving it until it’s finished. This is my store, my apartment. If you want me to leave, you’ll just have to get used to disappointment.”

He didn’t feel like arguing in front of everyone in the diner, so he grabbed her arm and started walking out.

“Wait.” She pulled on his arm, stopping him. “You can’t push me around.” She stopped and grabbed her bag from the floor near her chair, and then reached over and grabbed another fry from her almost-empty plate. Then she turned and followed him. “Now I’m ready.” She marched to the door and opened it and then turned and waited for him to join her. He tried not to chuckle.

As they walked back towards the store, she talked about some of the other changes she’d been thinking of.

“I had a list going of new items, but after your father died, I didn’t think I should change any more.” She bit her lip and he again found himself watching the sweet motion. “But now that you’re here”—she looked over at him with a slight smile—“I would like to go over a few of them with you.”

“As long as it doesn’t slow down the process.” And didn’t cost him too much more. In the back of his mind, he was thinking of the bottom line—what would it cost him and what could he gain from it once he put the place up on the market. He wasn’t telling Holly, but after construction on her place and the theater were done, he was going to slap a “for sale” sign on them both as fast as he could.

“No, they shouldn’t. Most are just small items.”

“Like a stage?” He looked at her in question.

“Well, okay, that one was big.” She smiled up at him and he found himself smiling back.

Just then they heard a car horn honk, and Savannah Douglas pulled her white Jeep to their side of the road.

H
olly held her breath as Savannah got out of the Jeep and walked towards them. The last time she’d talked to the woman, she’d been drunk and had given Savannah a broken nose. Ever since that night a few months ago, she’d been avoiding the woman. Savannah for her part had stayed in hiding. Her father had tried to sue the Rusty Rail, the only bar in Fairplay, claiming that Savannah had tripped on a broken tile instead of being almost knocked out by a woman half her size.

“You’re back in town,” she exclaimed right before she threw herself at Travis and kissed him square on the lips.

Holly felt her stomach turn and tried to look away, but for some reason her eyes were glued to the couple.

Travis with his classic rugged cowboy look, his dark hair, dark eyes, and the sexy cleft in his chin. Savannah with her long, blonde, perfectly styled hair, and her large breasts, which were always highlighted in tight, expensive clothes. In the last few months, since the nose incident, Holly had noticed that she’d gained some weight, but she was still gorgeous.

“Yeah, just got back the other day,” he said, taking a step away from Savannah and looking over at Holly. She’d taken a few steps away and was trying to escape the awkwardness that she felt.

“You remember Holly.” He motioned towards her, and she wanted to be anywhere but on Main Street with Savannah Douglas and Travis Nolan, easily the two people in Fairplay that the town had talked about the most. Travis and Savannah's affair had caused a lot of loss in the small town; his mother had lost her sanity, his father had lost his job, and two of her best friends has almost lost their lives.

Savannah didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead she pulled Travis closer and ran her hands over his shoulders. “It’s so good that you’re back in town to stay. You simply must come to the house for dinner,” she purred, leaving Holly wishing she could make her voice sound that sexy. Maybe with some practice?

“I’m not staying,” he said, pulling her arms from his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Savannah, but I have some business to tend to right now.”

Savannah’s lips formed into a pout, and Holly noticed that the emotion didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, okay. How about I stop by later?”

Travis shook his head. “No, not this time. I’ll see you around.” He turned and looked at her. “Ready?”

She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded and matched his steps as they walked to the bookstore together. She desperately wanted to turn around and stick her tongue out at Savannah, but she knew better than to stoop to that woman’s level. Besides, she was no longer a child and didn’t want Travis to see her acting like one. But part of her had to admit, it felt good to see Savannah struggle.

“I heard you two got into a fight recently.” He looked down at her. “Broke her nose?”

She swallowed and nodded. Everyone in town knew about the fight, which was one of the reasons Mr. Douglas’s attempt to sue the Rusty Rail had failed. “She talked bad about someone I love.”

He chuckled. “Savannah is always talking bad about someone.” He glanced at her sideways. “I hope he appreciated what you did.”

She stopped and looked at him. “He?”

He stopped and turned to her, then nodded.

She laughed. “The ‘he’ is a ‘she.’ Melissa Holton.”

His eyes shot up, and she watched as understanding flooded them. “Ohhhh,” he said, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“My best friend, not my lover.” She giggled.

“Oh,” he repeated and he smiled. “Well, you never know. I’ve been to a few places where you always had to question it.”

“Oh?” she said as they began to walk again. “Like where?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Mainly Vegas. I spent my first year after leaving here there.”

“I’ve always wanted to go. I’ve heard it’s fun.” She sighed and stood back as he opened the door for her.

“It has its moments, but I hope to never return.” He stepped in and motioned for Roger to come over.

She wanted to ask him more, but the conversation turned to work for the next hour. The three of them hashed out ideas, went over costs, and by the end of the meeting had finally agreed upon the changes that would be made.

She stood near the back and looked at where her new stage would go. It was a perfect spot. She could just imagine the small tables and chairs around the floor, all facing that direction. The fireplace was off to the side and would provide for a quaint and romantic setting for those close to it. The large windows in front would provide plenty of light during the day, and she planned on having a few rows of lights strung around to help make evenings enjoyable.

Roger had informed her that he’d ordered her bar top and it was ready to install. It was a large chunk of granite that she’d chosen from a local business. She couldn’t wait to see it on top of the long bar the men were building. There was plenty of room for the homemade wine racks she’d convinced one of Roger’s men, Aaron Miller, to make. She’d known the man since childhood and he made beautiful cabinets and furniture. She had tried to convince him to make her bar stools, but so far he’d been too busy to give her an answer.

Travis had left, saying he had to check in on the theater and the park. She didn’t like that he was investing so much time in her project but had to admit that so far he hadn’t done any harm. Then she remembered her bathroom and gasped. Rushing around, she found Roger in the back room and quickly asked him what Travis had changed upstairs.

When he informed her that there were no changes to her apartment, she couldn’t help but smile. Maybe he wasn’t as big of a jerk as she’d thought.

Travis stood back and looked at the mess that used to be the theater. This project was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.