“You don’t want to talk about it right now, that’s fine. But sooner or later it all comes out. And if it has to do with me…I need to know so I can make it right.”
Except it wasn’t a problem he could fix.
“Mind if I talk to Tyler about Brandon?” he said, in the face of her silence.
“Tyler?” Her brow twisted in confusion. “Your brother?” He nodded. “Why?”
“He’s a family law attorney. Damn good one.”
“I guess I never realized, just knew he wasn’t going to inherit the Legacy and could never figure out why. He went to college when we were, what, fifteen? Sixteen?”
“My pops didn’t exactly advertise it. I think he secretly held out hope that Ty would change his mind about the ranch. What most people never knew about Tyler is he was a master debater,” he chuckled. “Debated our pops on everything, just got away with it unlike Toby and me because he’s skilled at twisting words around until even our pops didn’t know which side was up. He once laid out this entire argument about buying a truck”—he panned his hand wide—“market value research, Blue Book research, notarized description of the vehicle’s pedigree from its owner. That’s when our dad caved and realized Ty was straight-up determined and would make a helluva lawyer.”
The joking blessedly eased the moment’s upset.
“He helped Toby on an issue for his fiancé recently, and I don’t know what advice he could offer here, if any, but…” He shook his head, thinking. “I wonder if we’ve got a case to make for Brandon and if maybe it’s time we call in the big guns.”
“We?” she prompted, hope flipping within her. He’d said that as if he had some skin in this game, as if they were fighting for Brandon together.
“Any kid of yours is part of this package deal. Listen, Sky…” He shook his head. “I handled everything poorly last week. About riding, about a lot of things. I set a bad example for Brandon, quittin’ like that and lashing out you. I wasn’t mad at you. Deep down, I was still mad at the world and myself. But I’ve been itching to get back out here, to get back up in the saddle, to…be present with you and Brandon and make it right and not just say I’m gonna hit the ground running but prove that you can depend on me.”
“What changed?” She searched his eyes for the source of this revelation. Their chats all week had been superficial. She’d not wanted to prod the sleeping dragon again.
He looked at her thoughtfully, arms tightening around her waist, resting on the rise of her rear, so comfortably, as if they were old hats at this affection thing.
He shrugged, nestled her snugger against his chest and front as if getting cozy. He chuckled to himself. “The shrug. Sorry.” But the chuckling faded, and she waited, as her heart twisted up in knots at what he might say. “I just realized you were right. I was giving up, ’cause it was hard… You gave me a good kick in the ass. I can see why these animals thrive here. You believe in them and don’t take their shit, which is why you’re a helluva foster mom, too.”
She shook her head. “No, Trav, I pushed you. I didn’t know how bad things were, I—”
“Shhh.” He laid a finger across her lips. “I count on people’s sympathy a lot more than I realized. Having you pity me was the last thing I wanted. So I don’t want that pity now, either.” She looked down, redness creeping up her neck. “It ain’t ever gonna be the same as it used to be, and for so long, I’ve been clinging to that. But I’m starting to realize that maybe…” He caressed back her hair in the way she loved, in that doting way that made her feel special and made butterflies stomp a line dance in her stomach, as he chewed his cheek and kissable divot. “Maybe that ain’t a bad thing. Maybe things happen for reasons we can’t understand. But as long as I ain’t dead, then I shouldn’t live like I am. If I’m gonna teach people with disabilities how to ride a horse, well…I oughta cowboy up and own this decision as my new purpose so I can show patients like me that it’s possible. And if I’m gonna be in your and Brandon’s lives, I’ve gotta let you in.”
She smiled. “This is the Travis I know. Not quite as hotheaded as you used to be”—she nudged him playfully—“but determined.” She nodded at his conviction, pushing up on her toes. “I’m proud of you.”
She pressed her lips to his. A soft, gruff sound rolled up his throat, reverberating through her skin. Delicious. His arms tightened on her—
“What if Brandon walks out here and sees?” she worried, breaking the kiss she’d barely initiated.
Travis laughed. “Pretty sure the kid knows we’re into each other, babe, but yeah, let’s go saddle up the horses and hit the trail. We can kiss where he’s not lookin’,” he added, earning a playful arm slap.