Page 24 of After All

“I know how that goes.”

“You do?”

“Sure. I’d take anyone on over anything for my wife or one of my girls.”

Travis was madly in love with his wife Lauren and his two daughters. Everyone in town thought it was hilarious that Travis, one of Sapphire Falls’ best-known flirts, was raising girls. Peyton thought it was great. Men who were awesome dads were her personal heroes. Every little girl deserved a dad who would kick ass for her.

But that didn’t explainherreaction to this whole thing with Scott. “It’s not love,” she said. “I would have felt this way no matter who Chase had shot. An eleven-year-old shouldn’t be around guns.”

Travis nodded. “You might have felt the same way. And knowing you, if you ran into him somewhere, you would have said something. But you wouldn’t have seen his truck and come stomping in to confront him in front of half the town.”

Peyton opened her mouth to say she most definitely would have…but she wouldn’t have. Probably.

Just then, Reed came through Dottie’s door.

“I want to tell you that Chase was scared to death about what happened,” Reed started before anyone else could say a thing. “He doesn’t even want to learn to shoot now. But MacKenzie convinced him to try it out. He’s not even going to look at a gun until we get out there for lessons.”

Peyton thought about the little boy, and the fact that seeing a grown man bleeding from a gunshot right in front of him would have been scary—and way worse, knowing he’d caused it.

The rest of her temper dissipated. “I’m sorry, Reed. I might have overreacted a little.”

Reed gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. I would have done the same thing if something like that happened to someone I love.”

Again, she opened her mouth to protest, but she caught Travis’s eye over Reed’s shoulder. He gave her a small grin with one eyebrow up, and she realized that protesting she wasn’t in love with Scott might make it even more obvious that she was. Or, at least, that she wanted to be.

Yeah, that was it. She mightwantto be in love with him. A little. Maybe. If things were different. Ifshewas different. But she was also a hothead who often spoke before she thought things out, and who really did think that an eleven-year-old shouldneverhave access to a gun he didn’t know how to use.

“Well, tell Chase that Scott’s going to be fine,” Peyton said to Reed. “In fact, maybe in a few days, Chase could come over and do a little yard work or something and see for himself.”

Reed brightened at that. “That would be great. It would make him feel like he was doing something to help Scott out. Wonderful. I’ll give Scott a call.”

“Oh, call me. I’ll be staying over there, helping Scott for a while. I can let you know when would be a good time to visit.”

Too late—way too late—she realized what she’d said. And given away.

Both men’s eyes widened, but, to their credit, neither of them said anything directly about that.

“Okay, I’ll do that.” Reed pulled his phone out and Peyton inputted her number.

“See you later,” she told him as he turned to go back into the diner.

“Let us know if you need anything,” Travis said. “Casseroles or help around your—Scott’s—house or anything.”

Peyton could tell he was fishing a little, and gauging her reaction. And what was with the clear assumption that she couldn’t cook or manage the house? She’d managed to get almost to twenty-four years old without dying, and Lord knew it wasn’t because her mom and dad were super doting. “Lauren doesn’t cook,” Peyton pointed out.

Travis grinned. “No, but my mom does.”

That was actually an understatement. Kathy Bennett was one of the best cooks in the county—if not the state.

“Well, in that case…” Peyton could absolutely fake not being able to cook if it meant Kathy might bring something over to Scott.

Travis laughed. “I’ll stop over in a couple of days. Let you guys get…settled.”

Yeah, “settled” sounded very much like an innuendo right there. Peyton shook her head. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“You’re going to make me go back intoDottie’swith no juicy gossip for us all to speculate about?” Travis asked. “Come on.”

She pretended to consider that. Then she said, “Okay, I heard a rumor that Scott’s home health aide has a huge crush on him.”

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