Sebastian smiles but still manages to look skeptical about the whole thing.
Will openly glares at Travis, and Dad just keeps eating.
Mom takes this opportunity to grill Travis on his background. It’s like she’s interviewing him for a potential son-in-law position. To my complete mortification, we discover:
A. He’s thirty (something I already knew).
B. He’s never been married and has fathered no children out of wedlock (yes, my mother really did ask him this).
C. Oh, yes, he wants to get married. One day. To the right girl.
After dessert, Mom takes Brittany by the hand. “Help me in the kitchen, dear. You too, Will. George, Sebastian, chop chop! All hands needed on deck.”
It takes Brittany a few seconds to catch on. Dad and Sebastian immediately do as they’re told. Will goes too, but he seems reluctant to leave Travis and me alone. My mother has to practically drag him out of the dining room.
Molly McGuffin is about as subtle as a freight train. If my face was red before, now it’s purple.
“What was that about?” I demand once Travis and I are alone.
“This is where you thank me for saving your bacon.”
“Saving my … we are not dating.”
“Only because you haven’t said yes yet, but you will.”
“What about Grace? The two of you seemed pretty cozy the other night at The Burger Barn.”
Travis grins. “Grace and I are just friends. But the fact that you’re jealous only goes to prove my point.”
“Your ego is unbelievable. I hope you know what you started here. My mother is never going to let this go. You might as well kiss your life goodbye.”
“No worries. Let me handle your mom. I like her. She reminds me of my mother.”
This shuts me up. It’s the first time Travis has mentioned his mother to me. I know she passed away last year. It must still be hard for him and his dad. I wish I knew what to say here, but I’m horrible at this kind of thing.
“Think of this as a temporary reprieve,” Travis continues. “She won’t harass you anymore about Young Catholic Singles, and you can take this time to figure out who you want to date, Cunningham or me. Have you told him? That you have feelings for him?”
&n
bsp; “Not that it’s any of your business, but no.”
“As your boyfriend, I’d say it’s definitely my business. You want to know what I think? I think the reason you haven’t told him is because you’re not so sure about those feelings anymore. Am I right?”
Talk about cocky! Travis’s arrogance knows no bounds. Although … I have to admit, it’s kind of sexy.
“First off, you’re not my—forget it. You said you had something to tell me. What’s going on with the case?”
He turns serious. “The preliminary lab results came back on your muffins. They found cyanide sprinkled on top.”
For the first time in my life, I’m speechless.
“The amount found probably wouldn’t be enough to kill Tara right away, but it sure would make her sick. Especially if she ate two of them.”
“Are you accusing me of trying to poison Tara?”
His eyes flash with something between anger and indignation. “Of course not. But it looks bad right now. Especially with Gilly running around telling everyone how you wanted to poison Tara.” He reaches out and places his hand on my arm. “You have to promise me something.”
“What?” I croak.