Page 45 of The Cowboy's Unshakeable Love

Deacon’s phone beeped, and he picked it up off the table with a smile.

Ace grinned at Travis when their phones both beeped too. Travis dug his out of his pocket.

Retta: We’re all done. And THANK YOU for dinner. You didn’t have to do that!

Travis: I was happy to. Did you have a good time?

Retta: The best! I LOVE these ladies!

He chuckled. He didn’t know if she was so enthusiastic because she’d had a great time or because she’d had a few drinks. Either way, he was happy for her.

Deacon and Ace both put their phones away and Clawson jumped down and stalked away into the kitchen.

“We all good to go?” Deacon asked.

“Yep,” said Ace.

“Do you do it this way every time?” Travis asked. “I mean, go in separate vehicles?”

The other guys laughed.

“We do,” said Deacon.

“And when you pick Retta up, I reckon you’ll understand why,” said Ace.

“Give me a clue?”

Deacon laughed. “They like to have a glass of wine or three. And on the drive back home, you’ll have as much as you can handle. No one man should ever have to drive two or three of them together.”

He had to laugh. “Well, alrighty then. I’m glad you told me. And thanks for letting me pay for them.”

Deacon grinned at him. “Not a problem. I reckon it’ll have earned you some brownie points.”

Before they climbed in their vehicles, Ace asked, “Are you taking Retta home with you tonight? Did you move her in already?”

“I am. We talked to Callie and Kolby about moving her this morning, and we’ll go back and collect her stuff over the next few days, but I made the most of the fact that we didn’t know howlate she’d be out tonight to say that she might as well just come back with me.”

“Good for you,” said Ace.

“It is,” Deacon agreed as he climbed into his truck. “But it won’t be good for any of us if we take too long getting up there to collect them.”

“Are you saying that Candy would get mad at you?” Travis asked. “I can’t imagine that.”

Ace laughed. “No. He’s worried about them ordering another bottle of wine if they have to wait too long.”

Travis laughed as he climbed into his own truck. He was loving this. He loved hanging out with his friends, loved seeing them in their new roles as partners to some amazing women – and loved even more that he was hopefully on the verge of joining them in that role.

When they reached the restaurant and went inside, he could see what the guys meant about no one man having to drive all the women home. Ari was chattering away with the girl behind the bar, Candy threw her arms around Deacon as though she hadn’t seen him for months, and Libby and Retta were giggling together as though they were sharing the funniest secret.

Travis frowned as he approached them. “Tell me you’re not thinking about driving home, Libb?”

“Pft!” She waved a hand at him. “You know better than that, Trav.”

“How are you getting home then?”

She pointed to the end of the bar. “Brent’s going to give me a ride.”

Travis narrowed his eyes. Brent was someone they’d grown up with, but he’d never been one of their close friends. He was a decent enough guy from what Travis knew of him, but it just sat wrong. It was the starkest reminder he’d had yet that Libby and Mav really weren’t together anymore.

---