Page 4 of Travis

“Alright. I’ll feed Grant and put him down for a nap, and then I can deal with this.” Laura states. “Grayson, I think Lois has some lunch prepared in the kitchen.”

Grayson nods and obediently heads for the kitchen, while Kurt and I head back to work. “Phew. Sidestepped that landmine.” Kurt comments.

“Yeah. I figured she’d blame us for that one.”

“Well, the kid softens her up some, see. Lisa’s like that with little Quentin, too. Just like Laura, my Lisa’s a real spitfire, but when little Quentin starts hollerin’ or laughing, she’s right there and all bets are off. No exceptions.”

“I’ll bet. That’s how come me and Becky wanted to have a baby so bad.”

“I get it. Lisa and I got in there, just like Laura, before it was too late.”

I don’t want to comment any further. We start working again, around the pasture, and then mucking the stalls, doing the usual thing. Grayson goes back to the office, and we can hear Laura screaming at someone on the phone from outside. “Bet that place with the Christmas bells is getting an ear full.” Kurt says.

We help some of the other hands with the horses, getting them cleaned and back into the stable, and then we call it a day. I’m the only ranch hand that lives on site. So, I’ve got the quarters all to myself, which is sometimes a good thing, and sometimes a bad thing. It gets lonely sometimes, but Laura and Grayson invite me inside often. In fact, depending on what’s going on, I only come back here to sleep. But tonight, there’s nothing going on, so it’s real quiet. It’s fine, since I’ve got a bunch of homework to do for school, and a forthcoming test to boot, so the time doesn’t stretch on like some nights, when my head is swimming with thoughts of Becky.

I’m not gonna lie. I miss her all the time. I’ll never love anyone the way that I love her. And I’d rather kill myself than hear that she’s moved on to someone else. The love that I have for that woman can never be matched. When she asked me to leave it broke my heart in two, but I’d still take her back in my next breath. The knock at the door is what forces my mind back to reality, and off my wife. Part of me always hopes that some day I’ll see her face on the other side of the door, but every day that that doesn’t happen, I lose a little more hope.

Turns out it’s Grayson. He’s got a piece of pie on a plate. “Laura thought y’all might be hungry.”

“Sure. I could eat.”

“Saw your light on out here. Figured you were studying.”

“I was.” I say, taking the pie from him.

“It’s crazy, this couple having their wedding here.” Grayson starts.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. This girl’s got a wedding planner and everything. They’ve got more money than they know what to do with, I suppose. From Dallas, see. Not locals.”

I smile. “You’re local.”

“Yeah, but this is Laura’s ranch, not mine.”

I tease him. “Technically, it’s half yours now, my friend.”

He snorts. “I suppose you’re right about that.” He picks up one of my textbooks off the coffee table. “Listen, I just want to give you a heads up, see. Because Laura’s worried that you’ll think she’s got something up her sleeve.”

I lift a brow. “What do you mean?”

“Y’all know that my wife likes to match make, see.”

I lift a hand. “Grayson, I already told you, I’m not interested in anyone else.”

“I know that, Travis.” He smiles.

I don’t want to hear any of this. “Look, there’s still hope, man. There’s something I didn’t tell you.”

“That’s not what I’m getting at, Travis.” He does a double take. “What is it that you didn’t tell me?”

It’s something I haven’t told anyone. I promised Becky. If she found out I told someone, she’d never forgive me, and what little shred of hope I have will be for naught. “I…” I hesitate. Weighing my odds. I don’t want word getting around town that Laura’s fixing me up, because that would be another nail in the casket for me and Becky.

“Travis, dude, y’all have nothing to worry about. Laura’s just worried because there’s something that y’all don’t know about this couple and their wedding planner.”

I look at him. My face is blank. Oh, God, it can’t be. He sees the look of horror on my face and knows that I know what he’s getting at. “Laura’s not trying anything. That’s all she wants you to know. She just found out today.”

Now it’s worse. “Oh, shit, Grayson. You’ve got to be kidding me.” I plead.

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