Page 156 of The One With the Mountain Man

"Oh shit," Marley whispered. She slid her arm around my waist and tucked into my side. "I didn't think about the fact that Travis is a hugeTaking Tampafan."

Oh my god. Travis was fanboying.

"Was," Charley waved her hand at the brace on her knee. "Retired."

His eyes dropped to her knee. "I heard. I'm real sorry about that. I know how it feels."

She eyed his wide shoulders and pursed her lips. "Let me guess, one year in the NFL."

Close. So close.

"Oh, I like you, spitfire."

"Don't call me that." She looked pissed but there was something in her eyes. She wasenjoyingthis.

Travis leaned closer. "You usually make grown men cry, don't you?"

She shrugged. "When I want to. Do you want to cry, playboy?"

He grinned, his eyes all over her. "I sure would enjoy letting you try."

Marley cleared her throat. "Uh, Charles, before you eat Jackson's best friend for dinner, can I introduce you? Travis this is Charley. Charley, this is Travis Montgomery."

"Oh fuck me," Charley muttered.

"I'd love to," Travis replied quietly, but we all heard it.

"No." Charley stabbed the air in his direction. "I'm not on the market and it's against the rules of the space-time continuum for the best friends of a couple to fuck."

"It's a small town, spitfire. You know where to find me when you change your mind." Luckily for all our sakes he let it drop at that and returned to his seat at the table.

Charley eyed him the whole way. "He's seriously your best friend?"

"Like a brother." I had never, ever seen Travis act this way. Not once. Not even a little bit.

"Great. Just great," she muttered as she took the seat beside Marley. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"An adventure?" Marley shrugged. "He's not that bad. I like him. A lot."

"Hey."

She rolled her eyes at my teasing. "Like a brother."

"As you should."

Charley gagged while I signaled Scottie for two more glasses and made the universal sign for food. We were going to need it.

Charley glared at Travis some more. "Whatever you think you know about me from that show or whatever you've read online, forget it."

Her claws were out. Which...was the exact wrong thing to do if she wanted Travis to lose interest.

"Sugar," he leaned closer, "I know better than to read divorce gossip and believe it."

Her eyes widened. "Good because none of it is true. None of it!"

According to Marley, the tabloids didn't know the half of it. Charley's ex was a real piece of work and the divorce was beyond messy.

"You're in a small town now. The gossip is just as bad but it's entirely different. Think more along the lines of pie and book clubs than celebrities and money." He took a sip of beer.

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