Page 20 of Travis

“I’m not jealous.” He says, with an edge in his tone. “I just want to know who this punk is who’s hanging around with my wife.”

I purse my lips together. “Travis, I’m your ex-wife, for starters, and secondly, I never saw you getting bent out of shape like this before, when I had several other male clients.”

“Yeah, well, they were all getting married. What’s this guy’s deal? Is he married? Gay? What’s his problem?”

“I have no idea, and it’s none of my business. Just like it isn’t your business, either.”

“Becky, you don’t know this guy from Adam, man. You’re too trusting. Where does he even come from? I’ve never seen him before in town.”

“That’s because he’s not from here.”

“Shocker. He doesn’t look small town to me.” he says, giving Greg a sideways glance.

“He’s from Dallas, and he’s been all over. He’s been to Europe, too. Worked in an art gallery there. He’s just here to help me with this huge wedding I’m about to undertake, and he also has a photographer connection that will come in very handy on such short notice.”

“What, your usual photographer isn’t available?”

“No, Travis. They want engagement pictures, too, and the wedding is only weeks away.”

“So, this photographer can’t be all that good, if they’re that readily available.”

I place a hand on my waist. “Travis, are you going to give me a hard time?”

“No.” he hesitates. “This guy just…he gives me a bad vibe.”

“Well, your vibe is skewed on account of us not being together anymore.”

He looks at me, almost wounded, and I feel badly for rubbing his nose in it. Clearly, I’m taking this breakup a lot better than he is, and I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.

“Just be careful, Becky.” he warns, and the way he looks at me, I almost feel bad for coming down on him so hard. He stares at the floor, and then he changes the subject. “My folks know.”

I’m at a loss for words. “I’m sorry, Travis. I know how hard that must have been for you.”

“Do you?” he asks. “I’m not sure that your folks took it as hard.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know that. But based on how easy it must have been for you to tell them, that’s what I’m gathering.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little insensitive? I mean, it’s no different for my folks than it is for yours.”

He’s silent for a beat, pondering that thought. “Well, I watched my daddy’s face turn pale when I told him. And then he made me drive over and tell my mama in person, because he was afraid that she’d have a stroke.”

My face sobers. “How is she? How did she take it?”

He looks at the ground again. “She cried. I cried. Dad cried. Buck cried, too, man. It was fucking heartbreaking.”

“I’m...God, I'm so sorry, Travis.”

“And now my mama has no idea how to get through Christmas. Y’all know how excited she gets around the holidays. I don’t know how I'm ever going to get her past this.”

“I don’t honestly know what to say, Travis.”

He slides the back of his thumb down his lip, and then he changes the subject again. “What’s this guy’s name? Greg?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I just...I want to check him out, that’s all. Make sure he’s legit.”

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