Page 80 of A Shore Fling
“Travis, these burgers better be worth us interrupting your alone time with Nina.”
Travis just grunts, and the rest of us laugh.
I’m thankful for Reed’s interruption, but the question about New York lingers in the air between Travis and me like a foul odor. We’ve been carefully dancing around the topic, pretending our time together doesn’t have an expiration date.
“So, Nina,” Jordan says, plopping down in the zero gravity lounger next to mine. “Has my brother been behaving himself?”
I smile. “It depends on what your definition of behaving is.” I glance at him with a raised eyebrow. “I bet your definition is a lot looser than mine.”
He grins, nodding. “Oh, no doubt.”
Travis appears with a plate of chips and dip, setting it on the small table between the two lounge chairs. Jordan reaches for a chip, and Travis slaps at his hand. “Where are your fucking manners? Ladies go first.”
I wink at Travis. “Thanks, honey.” I take a chip, dragging it through the dip and then popping it in my mouth.
He winks back. “I’ve got your back.”
“I know you do.”
Jordan waits until Travis returns to the grill to grab a chip. “You know, I’ve never seen my brother like this before.”
“Like what?”
“So protective and so in love.”
My eyebrows lower, wrinkling my forehead. “Did you forget he was married before?”
“No, I didn’t. He and Jessica got together when they were too young to know any better.”
“Maybe so, but you don’t marry someone unless you love them,” I point out.
“I’m not saying he didn’t love her, but he shows his love for you in ways he never did before.”
“I think you’re misreading his feelings for me,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “I know my brother.”
The idea of Travis being in love with me sends a flutter through my chest, but it also fills me with a sense of panic. Love makes leaving so much harder.
“Jordan,” I start, but he holds up a hand.
“I’m only saying what I see. And what I see is my brother is happier than he’s been in years.” He takes another chip, crunching thoughtfully. “The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
Before I can answer, Travis turns around with a platter full of grilled food. “Food’s ready,” he announces, and we all migrate to the outdoor table.
“These are perfect,” Willow says after taking a bite of her burger.
Travis beams with pride. “Thank you. There’s nothing better than a grilled burger.”
“Except a grilled steak,” Jordan corrects.
Travis nods. “I’ll agree that, on the whole, steak is better. But sometimes you just want a juicy bacon cheeseburger.”
After dinner, we gather around the large stone firepit that Travis and his dad built. I love sitting out here with him. It’s so peaceful, and we’ve had some fantastic discussions about everything from our favorite songs to whether aliens live under the ocean or not. We’re both undecided on that one.
“Nina, I meant to ask you when you have time to help me with choosing some merchandise options,” Reed says.
“Just let me know what works for you, and I’ll be there.”
