They didn’t need to get into an argument over a woman they would never see eye-to-eye on.
“You’ve always got a full garage, Trav. C’mon. And I’ve always got work to do too. We help each other, but we don’t usually keep secrets.”
Travis sighed wearily. Miles was right. They didn’t keep secrets. He didn’t want to keep this one either, but for the time being, it was better this way. “Let’s drop it, all right?”
“No, I’m not going to drop it. Are you fuckin’ her? Is that why you’re acting like this?”
“Now that’s really none of your damn business.” He stood, stretched and grabbed the coveralls hanging on a nail behind the door.
Travis stifled a yawn and slipped into the tiny office bathroom. He’d been wearing the same clothes since yesterday and didn’t really want to sweat in them all day under his coveralls. Back in the office, he sat to put his work boots on again. It felt as though he’d just taken them off.
“Dammit. I knew her moving back here would be a bad idea. You’ve had a hard-on for her since the day her daddy brought in that Mercedes years ago. You got a look at that pretty face and those curves and lost your mind.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“In most things, yes, but on this I’m right.”
“Just lay off it.”
“Trav—”
“Miles!” His brother’s name cracked like a whip through the air and he glared. “It’s none of your business. Let it go.”
“It is my business.” Miles was undeterred. “ You’re my business, and I’m not going to let it go. Goddammit! Her family screwed ours over. They screwed a lot of people over. You’re sleepin’ with the enemy, Trav.”
“Jesus, Miles.” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “This isn’t a television drama. She’s not the enemy.” And sleeping hadn’t been what they were doing either. Miles didn’t need confirmation of that though.
“As close as.”
“Do you hear yourself? What is your deal? I understand being pissed that money was lost, but you’re going a little overboard, aren’t you?”
“ My deal? You’re pretty damn defensive, bro.”
“You’re the one who came in with accusations. Bella needed help. I offered. What I do with or without her after that isn’t any of your goddamn concern.”
“She’s not worth this,” Miles stated.
“Not worth what? You being an asshole? Look, she’s been through enough. She didn’t do anything to you or me or anyone else in this busybody town. She had her shit pulled out from under her too and she’s just trying to live her life.”
“You’ve got it bad.”
Travis’ patience had worn thin and the quiet, even thread in his voice betrayed it. “Either leave or get to work.”
Miles stared at him, anger suffusing his cheeks with red. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
When Travis didn’t respond, his brother finally turned away with a grumble.
“So?” Miles queried several minutes later, after grabbing his own pair of coveralls and silently donning them. “Are we gonna work or are you gonna sit there all day?”
Travis would have liked to sit there all day, but knew he couldn’t. He’d stayed at Bella’s until she fell asleep. Jesus, it was some of the hottest sex he’d ever had, but he honestly hadn’t thought beyond getting inside her that first time.
When she’d opened the door to him this morning, the disappointment in her eyes made him feel uncharacteristically warm and fuzzy inside. It also made him feel even more like an ass because he’d left without telling her he was doing so.
Travis strode out to the garage and popped the hood on the Jeep Wagoneer he’d been servicing the previous day and got to work. There weren’t too many things wrong with it. The owners wanted it tuned up—new belts, fluid flushes, the fuel system cleaned. It had been sitting in a garage for more than a decade, only taken out for an occasional spin around the block to keep it running, but she was due
Back in the Saddle (v5.0)