Page 81 of Country Music Cowboy
He swiped the card and opened the door. Emmy Lou’s suite was large, large enough that he could hear his sister talking before he could see her.
“But Sawyer’s mother?” Emmy Lou was talking. “Are you sure that Ruby is Sawyer’s mother?”
Ruby?The name was familiar. Travis slowed. Ruby as in Daddy’s ex-girlfriend… Sawyer, what?What did she just say?
“That’s what the private eye said.” Krystal’s voice. “He couldn’t find anything that shows Daddy knows Sawyer is his son, though. Which we’d basically figured out.”
Travis froze.Daddy knows Sawyer is his son.
“I have so many questions. Why wouldn’t Ruby tell Daddy about Sawyer? No matter what happened between them, Daddy had the right to know he had a son.” Emmy Lou was upset.
What the hell?He braced a hand against the wall.What the fucking hell?
“We don’t know, Em. Sawyer’s a couple of years older than Trav. For all we know Ruby tried to reach out to Daddy and Momma did what Momma does.” Krystal’s tone was sharp. “We just don’t know.”
“What do we do now?” Emmy Lou asked.
“Like I know? It was one thing when we thought he was Daddy’s. Now we know.” Krystal paused. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, Em, but I can’t take the secrets. It’s not right. Daddy should know. Travis should know.”
Travis shook his head, leaning into the wall.Then why didn’t you tell me?
“I know. I know.” Emmy Lou’s voice was tight. “What about Sawyer? Is this our news to tell? I keep thinking about Daddy. And Trav… Travis is doing so well. I want everyone to stay okay.”
He couldn’t do this—not now. He’d come here looking for a refuge. Not this. He pushed off the wall. If he went in there, he’d say things he’d regret.
Better to do what he’d set out to do. Clear his head. Get some perspective. He almost laughed then.
But none of this was funny.Fuck this.He left the way he’d come in. He didn’t head to his room; being alone right now wasn’t smart. He knew that. Instead, he pulled open the door to the stairs and jogged down the twenty-two flights of stairs to the lobby. He’d broken a light sweat by the time he’d reached the ground floor, but he was still on edge. The lobby was mostly empty. The restaurant was closed but the bar was open.
Fuck it.
He headed for the bar.
The bartender nodded a greeting. “What can I get you?”
“Sprite and cranberry.” Travis sat on one of the empty stools and scanned the menu. “And two orders of cheesy fries.”
A quick sweep of the bar told him he’d been noticed. But he wasn’t exactly giving off welcoming vibes so, hopefully, everyone would keep their distance. Right now, he needed distance.
How did he wrap his head around this? All of it. For the first time in his life, he was in love. That, alone, was enough. But, no, why stop there?
He stared into the non-cocktail the bartender slid his way, wishing it was something stronger. Not because he wanted it—he neverwantedit. He just wanted the numb it could give. It’d be a hell of a lot easier to deal with all of this if he wasn’t so twisted up over it.
Not only was the woman he loved possibly involved with his best friend. Come to find out his best friend and bodyguard, Sawyer, was his fucking half brother? A half brother his sisters knew about? His sisters knew. But they worried about what he’d do if he found out.
Then again, there was video proof of how well he handled himself when things didn’t work out so well.When I was drinking.But he wasn’t drinking.
He’d made a commitment to himself. He wasn’t going to break it.
Just like they’d made a commitment to him. No lies. No matter what.
“Travis?” Sawyer was standing beside him.
Sawyer.
“I could use some space right now,” Travis said, his grip tightening on his cranberry and Sprite.
Sawyer’s eyes darted from Travis’s face to the drink and back again. “You sure that’s the best idea?”
