The River Float lasted about three hours. And it was perfect. The sun was shining, but the breeze was enough to take the edge off the heat. When Ruby stripped down to her bikini, Travis barely managed to keep his shit together long enough to slap some suntan lotion on her back. He’d arranged for a deluxe raft rental at the starting point, as well as a picnic basket full of Ruby’s favorites, grapes (green), kielbasa, old cheese (the kind that smelled, but hey, she liked it), and the pita biscuits she used to eat like nobody’s business. Cold wine and beer, as well as water and iced tea were also in the mix, and Travis made a mental note to thank Regan, Wyatt’s lady, who’d helped him get it all organized.
As in past years, there were literally hundreds of rafts clogging the river, including Dalton and Tim’s, and by the time they reached the downtown area where the float ended, they’d become friendly with several couples.
Kate and Marcus were new to the area and considering a permanent move to start their family.
Blake and Shayla were locals, celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Kimmy and Johnny were teenagers who could barely keep their hands off each other long enough to contribute to the conversation.
And of course, Dalton and Tim proved to be as entertaining as Travis’s first impression suggested.
It was early afternoon by the time their rafts approached the end of the float. Tasha had pretty much slept the entire way and was full of spunk. She shook with the effort it took to keep still, and could hardly contain herself as their raft pulled up alongside the bank. Travis hopped overboard and reached for Tasha, trying not to let his gaze linger on Ruby as she shimmied back into her dress.
“Your little dog is an absolute cutie pie.” Tim scratched the animal under her chin, and Tasha happily angled her head so the man could keep going and find that elusive sweet spot. “So tell me,” Tim said once they were on solid land. “What’s your story?” He nodded to Ruby, who was laughing at something Dalton was saying to the teenagers.
Her hair was still loose, hanging down her back, and he ached to sink his hands into it. The dress fit her like a glove, the soft material caressing curves he knew by heart. It had been so long. Years. And she still had the power to make him weak.
“We were married,” he said. “And now we’re not.”
“Well, isn’t that the most scandalous thing I’ve heard today.” Tim’s eyes were wide. “Details, please.”
Travis looked down at Tim.
He couldn’t believe he was sharing this stuff with someone who was a virtual stranger. Hell, he hadn’t even told Zach where he was headed today or with whom. The only thing he’d told his current roommate was that he might not to be home for a few days. Zach hadn’t asked any questions. He shrugged, told him he was going to chill for a while longer if that was okay, and that they’d hook up when Travis got back to town. God, men were easy. It was the women who complicated things.
“It’s a long story,” Travis said.
Tim was nodding. “The good ones usually are.”
“And kind of complicated.”
“Ah-ha. Sounds about right.”
They both turned toward the water. Dalton must have said something funny, because Ruby erupted in the kind of laughter that made people look her way. It was unbridled. Honest. Full bodied and real. Travis couldn’t help but smile watching her. He was saved from his conversation when Dalton and Ruby made their way over. The two men were meeting Dalton’s family for happy hour and said their goodbyes.
“What’s on the schedule now?” Ruby asked when they were alone.
“Art in the park?”
Her face lit up. “They still have it?”
“That’s what I hear.”
They walked up from the river and followed the path until it opened up into a large area filled with vendors of all kinds. Food. Art. Crafts. Junk. It wasn’t his usual thing, but it was Ruby’s and therefore, today, his.
They meandered through the crowds and eventually stopped at a tent filled with hand-sketched, framed artwork. He took the dog and let Ruby wander the aisles, content to just watch her. He loved how her eyes moved over the displays. How her fingers gently caressed the frames and she cocked her head to the side to study them.
Travis stood there patiently, holding on to a dog with a pink collar and bows in its hair and not giving a crap that people were staring. It wasn’t until a small boy approached him that he realized maybe it wasn’t the dog garnering the attention. Maybe it was Travis himself.
The kid looked to be about nine or ten and was sporting a Red Wings T-shirt. Travis recognized the look on his face. Heck, it was one he’d worn more times than he cared to count when he was younger. It was a big deal for a young kid to meet someone in the pros. Hell, he’d had the same look even after he’d been drafted.
“You a Red Wings fan?” he asked casually, looking down at the boy, who was now joined by a girl about the same age.
“We both are,” she answered for them. “Caleb told me you’re Travis Blackwell, but I don’t think you are.”
“No?” Travis smiled and let Tasha down. “Why’s that?”
“Because Travis Blackwell doesn’t have a dog?” She looked at him with a duh expression on her face.