Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
When Travis woke, the sky outside the small window across the room was darkening, dusk filtering into the small apartment, casting everything in hues of blue.
Stretching, he smiled, pulling Roxy closer against him.
She groaned, stretching too, and then sighed, remaining where she was, as if she was just as content as he was to continue holding each other.
Out the window that they had left propped open to allow a breeze to come through the apartment, the sounds of country music on a speaker, laughing voices, and chatter drifted to them. The scent of bonfire smoke was just beginning to make its way toward them.
“I suppose we should probably go out and mingle with my new landlords,” she mumbled around a yawn, tightening her arm around his waist.
Travis swallowed hard, running his hands up and down her arms, her back. “Our new landlords.”
She propped herself up on her elbow, looking up at him with wide eyes. “You mean you actually want to stay?”
He nodded slowly, letting his fingers drift through the curls that were a flyaway mess around her head. “Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be, Red.”
“But you have a life in Texas—”
Travis braced his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb beneath her jaw.
His chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it, emotion tightening it.
Or maybe that was anxiety, as he whispered, “I have a job, one that my buddy will understand if I have to leave it. I have a house that sits mostly empty, because it’s never felt like home.
I have spent the last twenty years just going through the motions of life.
I don’t want that anymore, Roxy. You came into that gym and rocked my entire being.
I’m so fucking tired of fighting it, baby girl.
I want whatever this is, with you. For however long we can have it.
I can lay my head anywhere, as long as it’s next to you.
You asked me to stay… I’m saying yes, if that’s what you still want. ”
“You’d move, just like that? For me?” she asked, her brows furrowing over her eyes in wonder. He swept his thumb over her bottom lip.
“Just like that,” he whispered earnestly, staring at her. He continued to sweep his thumb over her lips, her mouth parting slightly.
“We’re going to need to find somewhere else to live,” she laughed, shaking her head. “This is just temporary, anyway.”
“And we will, but we can take our time, too. I’m in no rush.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What about any of this isn’t rushing, Travis?”
He shrugged, sweeping her hair over her shoulder and down her back. “Does it feel rushed?”
“No,” Roxy admitted, her eyes dancing in the deepening twilight that seeped into the room.
“To me either,” he said, then sat up, taking her with him. “If we stay in this bed any longer, I’m going to fuck you until neither one of us can move, and that would be rude considering we have a party we’re missing.”
She groaned, pouting, and he laughed as he stood from the bed, bending down to kiss her smackingly on the mouth. “Come on, Red. They’re waiting for us. You’re going to want to change into some pants before we go out. You’ll probably be cold out by the fire.”
“Hardy-har,” she deadpanned. “Big guy thinks he knows me.”
“I do know you. You’ll be a popsicle in ten minutes if you go out in shorts and a tank top, even if it is seventy degrees out.” He was rifling through his duffel bag, then pulled the hoodie out of it, throwing it at her.
She shivered in revulsion. “It’s only seventy out?”
Travis laughed out loud, shaking his head. “You poor, spoiled thing. Get dressed before they come and drag us out.”
Ten minutes later, hand in hand, Travis led her through the deepening twilight across the expansive yard toward where the fire had been built.
Cheers of welcome and more hugs—this family was a hugging family, apparently—greeted them as they stopped at the chairs that circled the ten-foot-wide fire ring.
Hand crafted Adirondack chairs were scattered around, some taken, others still empty.
A long, wide picnic table sat just to the side, lit by the firelight, and masses of food trays covered the top.
Roxy was pulled away by Jodi and Serenity toward the table, and Travis’s eyes followed, as if taking his gaze off of her was impossible.
There they were met by a taller version of Jodi, their hair the same dark brunette curls, though this woman’s hair was pulled into a loose French braid that fell over her shoulder.
Sisters, if he had to guess by the similarities between the two.
A Carhardt hoodie was pulled tight over a rounding stomach, just a touch rounder than Jodi’s.
Free walked up to him then, holding out a bottle of beer. Travis took it with a smile. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” Free said, notching his chin toward the redhead across from them. The taller pregnant woman was handing Roxy a mixed drink of some kind, and Free shook his head. “Christ, don’t let Shaun make too many of those for Roxy. Shaun doesn’t know what a light pour is.”
Travis laughed, grinning. “That your wife’s sister?”
“Yeah,” Free chuckled, nodding. “That’s Shauntelle.
Her husband is, ahh—” Free stepped aside as another figure joined them where they stood.
He was tall, blonde, with storm cloud blue eyes.
Travis stared for a long minute, trying to place where he recognized the man from.
“This is my cousin, Kasey. Kasey is Shaun’s husband, they just got married what, two months ago? ”
The tall blonde extended a hand to Travis, and he shook it firmly. “Almost two months, yeah.”
“And both sisters are pregnant?” Travis asked, gesturing to both women’s rounding stomachs. Free laughed out loud, and the blonde, Kasey, groaned.
“Due four weeks apart,” Kasey muttered, shaking his head. “God help us. We’re due with twins in September.”
Travis’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow, congratulations.”
“So how do you know my cousin?” Kasey asked, notching his chin toward Roxy. Raising a bottle of beer to his mouth, he took a long pull, those gray-blue eyes laser focused on Travis.
“Uhh, I teach a kickboxing class that she was in. Roxy is your cousin, too?” Travis asked. He glanced between Free and Kasey, then to Roxy. “Doesn’t that make Roxy your cousin, Free?”
“Nah, Kasey is my cousin on my mom’s side of the family, and Kasey and Roxy are like fourth cousins by marriage on his dad’s side or something,” Free laughed. His striking aquamarine eyes came to Travis then, understanding lighting in those eyes. “I’m assuming she told you?”
Travis didn’t have to ask what he meant.
He nodded. The man standing in front of him was good looking, his dark hair worn slightly longer than was fashionable, and a dark, closely trimmed beard darkened the lower half of his face.
Despite the assurance from Roxy that their relationship had never been more than sex purely for maintenance purposes, he couldn’t help the flash of jealousy that coursed through him, knowing this man had been with her. “She did.”
“Good, I’m glad she did,” Free said quietly, looking over toward the redhead.
The hoodie that Travis had given her was huge on her, hanging down below the curves of her ass, and the too long sleeves had been pushed to her wrists. The sight of her in his clothing was enough to make him feral; she was his.
“I hope you understand that I love Roxy with my whole heart,” Free said.
“She’s my best friend, aside from Jodi—” Kasey made a disgruntled sound at that, and Free rolled his eyes before continuing quietly, “—and that part of our history is just that; ancient history. She knew before I did that my heart belonged up here with that little thing—” He smiled lovingly over at Jodi, who was talking animatedly to the other three women, who were laughing.
Travis watched as her hand dipped to cradle the swell of her belly, and he turned to witness the love radiating from the other man’s eyes as he watched.
The aching tightness in his chest eased slightly, that feral possessiveness tempering just a little.
Freeman turned his attention back to Travis, who took another long pull of the beer clutched tightly in his fingers, waiting.
“I’m in your debt for getting her here safely. I’m glad there were no issues.”
“Fuck, me too,” Travis chuffed roughly, rubbing the back of his neck with his empty hand. “After that blown tire in Kansas, I was sure that bastard was going to catch up with us.”
“It took two days for that tire to get fixed?” Kasey asked, and Travis’s attention was brought back to the tall guy with movie star good looks that stood with them. He still couldn’t place his face, but damn did he look familiar.
“Uhh, yeah. We had to stay an extra night,” Travis mumbled around another drink of his beer. Shit, would these two try and kick his ass for sleeping with their friend?
“Mmhmm,” Free hummed, chuckling, grinning knowingly. Turning to Kasey, he asked, “How long did it take you and Shaun to leave the bedroom after—”
“She hightailed it all the way from Colorado back home the morning after. And like you’re one to talk, fucker,” Kasey grunted, shifting on his feet. “Pretty sure you and Jodi were shacked up for like a week before either of you made a public appearance—”
“Was not a week,” Free protested, but he was grinning. “And my lady didn’t run away from me. Maybe you didn’t know what you were doing—”
An arm banded around Freeman’s neck in a chokehold, but the two men were laughing. “If I didn’t know what I was doing, how’d I knock her up that first fucking night, asshole? How long did it take you?”
Free’s hands were clutching the forearm around his neck. Travis watched on, a shocked grin tugging at his mouth. The women had stopped chatting and were now watching the two men as they struggled. “We weren’t actively trying until after the wedding, you jackass, and it only took—”
“Welcome to the chaos,” Roxy muttered as she sidled up to him, sliding her hand in his. He turned to look at her, though she was watching the two men as they continued to grumble at each other. “I see you’ve met Kasey. He’s taking a hiatus this upcoming season to be here for Shaun and the babies.”
“A hiatus from what?”
She glanced up at him. “K.C. Corcoran? Nascar driver? Number 33?”
“Shit, I knew he looked familiar, just couldn’t place the face,” Travis muttered, shaking his head. “K.C. Corcoran is your cousin?”
Roxy shrugged, lifting the red solo cup to her lips.
“I think his dad’s uncle’s kid married my mom’s second cousin or something.
It’s confusing. I’d have to draw it out to explain it better.
We didn’t even know about the connection until after I’d met Freeman—who is Kasey’s first cousin on their mom’s sides—it’s weird.
” She turned then. “Travis, this is Shaun, Jodi’s sister and Kasey’s wife. ”
Refusing to let go of her hand, he simply nodded at the woman that stepped up beside her. “Nice to meet you.”
Shaun knocked her shoulder into Roxy’s and grinned up at him. “Hello, handsome.”
“Woman—” Kasey’s dark growl cut through the air and he finally relinquished his chokehold on Freeman, straightening.
Shaun rolled dark, sapphire blue eyes, still grinning widely. “Oh please, do you not have eyes? Good lord, Roxy, please tell me you’ve—”
Kasey’s menacing growl turned feral and then she was being swept up in her husband’s arms and carted off, her barking laugh bouncing around them. As Kasey hauled her away, Travis heard him growl at her, “I’ll turn this ass pink, wife.”
“Promises, promises, husband,” she purred back as he set her down on the opposite side of the fire, looping her arms around his neck and pressing her rounded belly against his abdomen. Travis swallowed and looked away. This family was certifiably insane.
It was amazing.
Having grown up the way he did, the life he’d lived, he didn’t have any experience with a big, loud family such as the Kendall’s.
It was bizarre and overwhelming, but damn was it entertaining, and the love and caring he could sense pouring out of all of them for each other was a welcome change from the solitary life he’d always led.
And they had just absorbed Roxy into it, no questions asked, as if she’d been part of it forever.
“Shauntelle and Kasey, we have company,” Serenity’s voice cut through, chastising lightly, but the two just laughed. “You’ll scare poor Travis off.”
“I doubt that,” Roxy laughed, looking up at him. “If I haven’t scared him off yet, I don’t think it’s possible.”
“I don’t scare easily,” he responded, winking down at her. She shivered, curling her fingers into the long sleeves of his hoodie and holding the red solo cup between her material clad hands. Draping his arm over her shoulders, he pulled her against his side. “Are you cold?”
“A little,” she admitted, but lifted her hands—swathed completely in the long sleeves—and took a drink from her cup. “I’ll just move closer to the fire. Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” he murmured quietly against the shell of her ear, and when he felt her shiver against him, he knew it wasn’t from the cold.
His cock jumped in his jeans. Fuck. Groaning into her ear, he husked, “We’re surrounded by your family and all I can think about is how badly I want to eat this pussy as my meal. ”
“Travis,” Roxy hissed under her breath, but her eyes met his and he recognized the hunger in them. It matched his own.
A hard slap to his back startled him, and he looked over to find Levi Kendall had sidled up to the both of them, his blue eyes twinkling in the firelight. He leaned down close to both of them and rumbled roughly, “Didn’t anyone ever teach you kids to eat your dinner first, and then dessert?”