Kacey looked ready to explode.
Not good.
“You cut my hair.” Her tone was clipped as if that was the final straw in her book.
“I did,” he confirmed, slowly inching farther down the counter toward the door. “But in my defense, I was trying to get the gum out.”
“THE GUM YOU PUT THERE!”
“You can’t prove that!” Why was he yelling? “Besides! You told everyone my junior year that I only pretended to stutter to get extra help from the teachers!”
“You did!”
“One time!”
“That’s nothing compared to what you put me through.” She pushed his chest. Travis reached behind him. A carton of eggs were on the counter. His mom must have been getting dinner ready.
Slowly, he reached inside and grabbed two. “Well, I guess I just like to be one step ahead of you, Kacey.” With that, he plopped the eggs onto her head.
And tried to take off in the other direction.
Kacey tripped him. He went sailing to the floor.
Cursing, she grabbed for his arms, pinning him to the floor. “I’m going to murder you!”
“Kacey, I was kidding, I’m sorry, I—”
Her eyes were blazing as if possessed. She frantically looked around the room, and a smile erupted across her face. “So… you want to do this here? Now? Get all that childhood angst out? Fine, let’s go.”
“Go?” Oh God, he could feel the stutter coming on, as his tongue felt thick in his mouth.
“Yeah, go.” She reached onto the counter and grabbed two eggs, then skillfully, while he was still frozen in fear, pulled at his jeans and stuffed the eggs into the front, straddling him as they cracked and oozed down his legs.
He closed his eyes. Never had he been so angry or aroused. Really? What was with him and food? First, chicken at the dinner table, and now eggs. He’d probably never eat a normal meal again without getting painfully turned on.
“That’s it.” He knew he was stronger, bigger, tougher. He grabbed her arms and flipped her onto her back, egg staining his pants. Damn, that was uncomfortable.
She squealed and tossed her head from side to side. He pinned her arms on either side of her head. Egg was beginning to dry on her face.
“Say you’re sorry and I’ll let you go.”
“Never.” She smiled.
“Fine.” Arms still pinned, he leaned over her and gathered some spit in his mouth.
“No, no, Travis, don’t you dare.” She struggled underneath him. Damn she felt good.
“All you have to do is say you’re sorry.”
Her eyes flashed.
“Fine.” He let the spit fall from his mouth just slightly. She screamed.
And suddenly he was getting pulled off of her.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Jake yelled.
His parents came running into the room.
And he could only imagine what they thought. Travis with wet stains on the front of his pants as if he’d had an accident, Kacey with egg in her hair, and Jake with a black eye.
As if on cue, Kacey and Jake both pointed to Travis. He cursed.
His mother clenched her fists at her sides. “Travis Titus!”
“Uh-oh, she used his full name,” Jake interjected.
“He’s dead now,” Kacey added.
Travis wanted to roar.
His mother shook her head. “Really Travis, it isn’t like you to be so immature! Oh heavens, Kacey, is that egg on your head?”
Kacey nodded solemnly.
Travis clenched his teeth.
His mother inspected him more closely. “Honey, did you have an accident?”
Jake chuckled and began coughing wildly next to him. He looked to Kacey, and she bit her lip and looked away.
“Yes, I’m twenty-three, and I had an accident. Really, Mom?”
“Well, honey, I’m sorry it just looks like—” She pointed then blushed. “—and then I know how you were when you were little.” Oh no.
“How exactly was he?” Kacey asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Oh, he used to have little accidents and nightmares, nothing serious.”
Kacey beamed. “Really? Well I’m sure the bunny he slept with was a huge comfort during those difficult times.”
“Bunny?” Jake and his dad said in unison.
The only people that knew about the stupid bunny were Kacey and his mother. It had been a gift from his grandpa before he died, but he had named it after Kacey, not that he’d ever told her that.
After one careless night of sleeping with the damn thing in junior high, Kacey had wandered into his room and found it.
It was the only time they had been civil.
Now, all bets were off. “Really, Kacey, I doubt it’s any worse than that stupid lamb you used to sleep with. You know, the one you refused to let anyone wash?”
“It wasn’t dirty!” she argued.
“It was gray.”
“So?”
“Its original color was white.”
Kacey’s mouth went into a firm line, and she raised her hand.
Travis’s mom clapped. “Children, really. Goodness. Everyone go wash up and be down here in the next hour. We’re going to have an early supper and go over wedding plans, and then have family game night, a normal family game night.”
“Fine,” they all snapped and walked in different directions.
Chapter Twenty
Jake had tried to appear unaffected by Kacey’s little speech, but after going to his room and feeling sorry for himself, he’d realized he needed to give her a real apology.
He’d gotten to thinking. What if? What if he could change? What if he could be the man Kacey needed? What would life really be like with her? Would he be bored out of his mind? Or did he owe it to both of them to at least try?
Confused, he had run downstairs only to see his older brother straddling Kacey and attempting to spit on her face.
Their immaturity knew no bounds, but at least now he knew there was absolutely nothing romantic going on between the two.
Travis was twenty-three, and at that age, if he used violence to still attract girls, well, then no wonder he was still single. And a girl like Kacey wouldn’t fall prostrate for a guy who still resorted to childhood pranks in order to win her favor.
Geez, if Jake were a nicer guy he’d actually give some tips to his brother. He desperately needed them.
Maybe everyone would be safer if he just kept Kacey and Travis away from one another. It seemed they brought out the worst in each other.
By the time they had all returned to the dining room, his mother had actually put name cards on the table.
Classy.
Kacey was sitting between him and Grandma. Good choice.
Travis was sitting on the opposite end of the table with— Wait! Why was there another place setting?
“Company tonight?” Really? Did his mother think that safe after the escapade in the kitchen? Not to mention his brother punching him in the face for no reason.
Okay, so he punched him because he was upset with Jake for not paying attention to Kacey. It’s possible he kind of deserved it, but only slightly.
“Oh, Grandma invited Mr. Casbon.”
Jake choked on his laugh. “Our neighbor, Mr. Casbon? The one who lives for Grandma’s smiles? Well, this should be interesting.”
“That’s an understatement,” Travis muttered, entering the kitchen.
“Good to see you changed your pants, bro.”
Travis glared. “At least I can change my clothes. You, on the other hand, are stuck with that wonderful personality.”
Jake clenched his fist. His brother smiled.
Kacey entered. “Well, I think my hair looks the shiniest it’s ever looked. Thanks, Trav. I owe it all to you.” She winked.
Travis rolled his eyes. “Yes, and my balls are—”
“Travis!” Bets almost screamed. “We’re going to have company any minute. Could you all at least try to act your age? Goodness, Jake, you’ve been groomed to take over the company, act like it! Travis, you’ve owned that ranch of yours for years, by all that is holy, be mature!”
“You own a ranch?” Kacey asked. He watched the exchange. Travis shifted his feet as if uncomfortable, then cleared his throat.
“Yes, a small one. No big deal.”
“Oh, that’s rich.” Bets laughed. “You own one of the largest ranches on the west coast, but if you want to pretend it’s small, I guess that’s your prerogative.”
It was a new feeling, being ignored, but Jake was interested to see how Kacey would respond. He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.
“But, you said you were a ranch hand.”
Jake laughed. “Him? A ranch hand? Babe, he’s no more a ranch hand than I’m a janitor.”
“But…” Kacey’s brow furrowed.
“It’s no big deal.” Travis shrugged and began filling the glasses with water.
Kacey turned to Jake. “Any other family secrets?”
Probably not the best time to tell her that his grandmother was manipulating all of them.
“Um…” Jake shoved his hands in his pockets. “Travis used to have a crush on you? At least that’s what I assumed, considering he stuttered every time he was around any female.”
Travis froze. “Yeah, rewind to about an hour ago, and you’ll see how she reacted to that certain piece of information.”
Jake chuckled. “So that’s what started the fight. I see…”
Kacey looked angry all over again, so Jake decided to make it better. Slowly he walked to where she stood. “Kace, I’m sure it upset you, but what you don’t know is that even though he did some awful things… Emphasis on awful—”
“Thanks, Jake.”
“No problem.” He smirked. “He’s also the reason that your sixteenth birthday party was a success.”
“What do you mean?” Her shoulders relaxed.
“Well…” Jake put his arm around her tiny frame. “This one over here, the one with the stutter, was so angry that your boyfriend at the time didn’t show up, that he begged Dad to call in a favor.”
“What favor?”
Travis glanced at them nervously and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Jake. It was a long time ago.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to help. But yeah, Travis was the one that convinced Dad to get that local band to come play at your party. You know, the one everyone was so obsessed with?”
Kacey nodded. “Everyone heard they were playing exclusively at my party, so they came, even when my idiot boyfriend Tanner told everyone to blacklist me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
“Yeah, well…” Jake shrugged. “Travis also took care of that guy.” Why the heck was he being so nice to his brother? If he’d had any suspicions that they were physically attracted to each other he wouldn’t be helping at all, but he didn’t like it when they were fighting so much. It stressed him out. And he didn’t want to get wrinkles before his time, or gray hair.
“Jake!” Travis waved him off. “Don’t.”
“He beat him up, threatened him, and then told everyone he had an obsession with vampires.”