5. Travis

travis

. . .

C offee in hand, Cay, Pop, and I sit on the back porch, watching Inferno and Smitten frolic in the backyard with Cay’s kids. Since Caleb finished his time in the Navy, he’s a fucking grump, more of an old man than his own father. Sitting with the two of them is like visiting a retirement home. Not really, but it feels like it on days like today with their “remember when…” talk.

As ridiculous as their banter is, Pop was always a second father to me. Hell, Cay has always been like a brother to me. It’s part of what has me so twisted up about Cassidy being engaged. I waited too long, and it’s only a matter of time before Zack will be here on the porch, instead of me.

“What the hell is in your pocket?” Pop grumbles, gesturing to my leg. “Or are you just happy to see me?”

I nearly spit out my coffee. “Fucking hell, Pop.”

Caleb looks down at my lap which is tented by the engagement ring box, not my cock. When he glances up, his eyes narrow. “I carried one of those around for a while before I popped the question to Ingrid. ”

With his cup halfway to his mouth, Pop pauses and drops his hand. “You have a girl, Travis? Why haven’t you brought her by?”

“Oh, uh.” I rub the back of my neck, when I should be standing and running before they get a shot off. “She’s already engaged.”

“She’s already…” Pop’s eyes widen.

“Yeah,” I sigh.

“You’ve been fucking my sister?” Caleb growls.

Hands lifted in surrender, I insist, “No, we never.” Not a lie, we only slept together. “We just had a pact. About ten years ago, I promised her that if we weren’t married, we would marry each other.” I’m genuinely surprised he hasn’t murdered me yet, even if Cass and I never had sex. Though, naked cuddling a decade ago was more intimate than any sex I’ve ever had.

Pop purses his lips before asking, “Do you want to marry my Cass?”

“I’m too late.” I look off to watch the kids and dogs playing and add, “She would’ve said no, even if Zack wasn’t in the picture.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’d much rather have you as a son-in-law.”

Pop continues drinking his coffee while Caleb grinds his jaw. The tension is thick and I finally break the silence. “I’ve been in love with Cass since we were kids. It doesn’t matter how I feel, because I lost my chance with her.”

“You think?” Cay huffs. He mutters something under his breath, then lets out a deep sigh. “I don’t think she loves Zack. I don’t know how she feels about you, but she’s settling. He’s a good man, and he’s great with Smitten, but she deserves more than a nice veterinarian. I want my sister to have what I have with Ingrid. I love my wife so fucking much; she’s my soulmate. I’d be lost without her. Cass should have someone who will give her that same kind of love. I don’t know if you’re that man either, but why did you wait until she was engaged to tell her you love her? It’s selfish.”

“Are you done with your monologue, son?” Pop chuckles, and Caleb replies with a nod. “Does my daughter know how you feel?”

“No.” I shake my head.

A small smirk tugs at Cay’s lips. “She’s not married yet.”

“Why are you encouraging this?” When neither of them answer, I take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “Zack is a good man. She’ll be happy.” The admission sours on my tongue. It should be my ring on her finger, not his.

“Fuck that.” Caleb stands and marches into the house, leaving Pop and I behind, frowning. When he returns, he has a brown grocery bag and dumps it at my feet. As I peer inside, he explains, “Ingrid was going to donate these, since we have streaming services.”

I pull a few of the DVDs out. “You want me to donate a bunch of romantic comedy movies from the nineties and early two-thousands?”

“No, asshole. I want you to watch them.”

“He’s joking, right?” I ask Pop. He laughs, shaking his head.

“My sister deserves the grand gesture of grand gestures, before it’s too late.”

Sifting through the bag, I find most are romantic movies my mom watched when I was younger. How the hell is an old movie supposed to help me? “I’m not following.”

“Grand gesture,” he repeats. “That part of the movie or a book where one person shows the other how much they love them.”

Pop grins behind his coffee and adds, “You’re going to need it to win my Cass.”

I check the time on my phone. If Cassidy is working tonight, she’ll be home resting before her shift. Hovering my thumb over the message icon, I finally press it and find my thread with Cass. It’s mostly coordinating dog park dates, or occasional questions about what to buy someone for a birthday or Christmas.

Fuck it.

We need to talk, wifey.