Chapter 10
TEN
Travis
I turn around with my beer in my hand and almost run straight into Isla. My eyes land on her and I refuse to look away until someone else knocks my shoulder, trying to get through.
“Shit, sorry,” I grumble, then notice the guy at her side. My gaze flicks down to their joined hands, and it’s as though someone has gripped my heart in their fist, squeezing until I scream mercy.
“It’s okay,” she says in a soft voice. There’s an awkward silence for a beat before she turns to look at the shithead at her side. “Blake, this is Travis Abbott, one of my other bosses. Travis, this is Blake.” She motions between us with her hand. I can’t help but notice that her nails are painted a cotton candy pink.
I stick out my hand, if only for the chance to crush his. “Good to meet you.”
“Same.” He smiles in a way that makes me think this guy has never had a hard time in his life.
When our hands meet, I squeeze harder than necessary, meeting his gaze. I can tell from the way his eyes widen a bit and the way his nostrils flare that I’m hurting him, but I don’t let up.
“So are you excited you’re going to have a new sister-in-law?” Isla asks me, I think because she’s nervous.
Don’t worry, honey, I’m not going to tell shithead that you’ve had your hand wrapped around my fat dick before.
I shrug. “I guess.”
The truth is that I love Camila. She’s been great for Lucas. I’ve never seen him so happy. But finding someone as genuine and loyal as she is is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, and I’m just not that lucky.
Isla’s eyes narrow slightly, but she keeps the smile plastered on, sunshine as always. All Josh and Lucas ever go on about is how happy Isla always is. I swear those two worship the ground she walks on. It’s like they forget that she did a one-eighty and played games with their brother. What happened to blood first?
“Can I get you guys a drink?” I offer before Isla can say anything back. My mom would kill me if she thought I was being a crappy host.
“I’m going to have a glass of wine, but I can get it myself,” Isla says.
“Suit yourself. Bloke?” I nod at shithead.
“It’s Blake.” He gives me a forced smile. “I’d love a beer, but in a mug. Thanks.”
“Think you’ll have to rough it and drink straight from the bottle today, bud.” I wink at him.
Fire lights in Isla’s eyes, but she says nothing, pulling Blake around me toward the table.
I know I just met the guy for two seconds, but I can’t help but wonder what she sees in him.
My mood plummets further. It started when I first saw Isla in the parking lot of the race. I’d figured she might be there for the engagement since Lucas told me she and Camila are close now, but I’d hoped by some miracle she’d be sick or something.
It just brought home the reality that I’ll have to interact with her daily now and see her every day. Nine months may have passed, but I vividly remember what it felt like to have her hands on me. I also remember the sting of rejection when she bolted from my house as though it were on fire.
I talk to a few family members for a while, catch up, and meet some of Camila’s family. I see my gramps sitting off in the corner on his own, so I swing by to make sure everything is okay.
“You good?”
“Of course. Just taking a breather. Your grandma loves these things, but I’d rather be puttering around in my garage. Something I think you probably understand based on the glower on your face.” He chuckles.
“I’m not glowering.” I take a pull from my beer and do my best to smooth the wrinkles on my forehead.
“Whatever you say,” he says good-naturedly.
I shake my head at him.
“What are you working on in that shop of yours these days?” he asks.
“Putting the final touches on a farmer’s table. I need to deliver it next week, so that’s what I’ll be doing when I leave today.”
“Take a picture for me. You can show me next time you’re over.”
“Will do, Gramps.”
My love for furniture making started in my grandpa’s garage when I was a boy and he’d let me mess around. He taught me about safety first, then just let me have at it. He didn’t make furniture, but it was his garage where I first figured out that I enjoy working with my hands.
“Would you look at your grandma?” He chuckles, and I follow his line of sight and see my grams talking to Isla. Shithead’s standing right beside her. “She sure likes that girl you boys brought to work in the office. I swear, every time she calls the office to try to reach one of you boys, she talks to her for a half hour.”
“Really?” My eyebrows raise.
I don’t know why I’m surprised. Isla may have pissed me off, but she seems to be nothing but sunshine and roses to everyone else she comes across.
“Oh yeah. Thick as thieves, those two. I can see why, though. I’ve called the office a few times. Such a lovely girl.”
I don’t say anything about that. I just take a pull off of my beer.
We’re quiet, watching my grandma laugh at something Isla says. Shithead’s hand goes to Isla’s lower back, and he moves his hand up and down. I grip the beer tighter as my gut churns.
Why though? Despite what a fan everyone else is around me, I don’t even like the woman.
“I’m gonna make the rounds, Gramps.” I can’t sit around here watching this any longer.
“Have fun.”
I nod and head off in the opposite direction as Isla and her boyfriend. When I see Josh and Brady shooting the shit, I make my way to them.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Josh says.
Fuck me. How much longer do I need to stick around here?
I roll my eyes at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Brady gives me the once-over. “You are giving off ‘don’t fuck with me’ energy right now.”
“Yeah?” I arch an eyebrow. “Then why are you two trying to piss me off?”
Josh laughs and clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Because you don’t scare us. We know that underneath that grumpy exterior is a sensitive man.”
I shrug his hand off my shoulder. “Fuck off.”
In typical Josh fashion, he laughs.
“Hey, do you two know who the blonde is that Camila’s talking to?” Brady asks.
Josh and I look in the direction he’s facing.
“That’s her best friend, Amber,” Josh says. “And that is a hard no, my friend. Camila would lose it. Besides, I’m pretty sure Camila said she’s getting married.”
As Josh finishes speaking, a guy I don’t recognize walks over and joins their group, sliding his arm around Amber’s shoulders.
“Guess you have to remove that one from your hit list.” I take another pull from my beer while Brady grumbles.
“I’m just trying to have a little fun before my sister moves in,” he says.
“Nova’s coming back to town?” I ask.
Brady sighs. “Yeah, she thinks business will be better for her closer to Seattle. She’s been struggling, so I told her she could move in with me until she gets herself sorted.”
“What does she do again?”
“She’s a makeup artist. Went to school for cosmetology.” Brady shrugs as though he has no idea what that might involve.
“You meet Isla’s boyfriend?” Josh asks, changing the subject, I’m sure, just to irk me.
“Briefly,” I say.
“Seems kind of uptight,” Brady says.
Josh shrugs. “I thought he was a nice enough guy.”
Asshole.
“I’m gonna get another beer.” I don’t wait for either of them to respond, but as I walk away, my brother’s laughter rings out, causing the people I’m passing to look back at him.