The Bet (The Bet #1)(40)

“Travis? Did you hear what Grandma asked?”

Caught, he looked around the dinner table, every eye was on him, which was somewhat of a blessing, considering he’d most likely be embarrassed beyond words if they were to look at the state he was in under the table.

“Sorry, what did you say, Grandma?”

“I said…” She gave him a pointed stare. “…that last time I played Monopoly with you, you had the audacity to win.”

“That is the point.”

“I’m older. You should let the elderly win.”

“Grandma, if I remember correctly, you not only tried to get me drunk by spiking my soda, but you crushed a half a Benadryl in my drink when I wasn’t looking. We’re lucky I was breathing by the time the game ended.”

Grandma sniffed. “Nothing wrong with a little stiff competition or some manipulating to make things more interesting. Besides the Benadryl idea was completely Kacey. It’s her answer for everything. Just like that Greek wedding movie and Windex.”

“Pardon?” Travis leaned forward.

“Oh, you know.” Grandma waved her jeweled hand into the air. “Have a mosquito bite? Take a Benadryl. Can’t sleep? Take a Benadryl. Can’t perform in the bedroom—”

“I highly doubt Benadryl will help in that situation,” Travis interrupted.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Mr. Casbon added, a wicked gleam in his eye as he picked up Grandma’s hand and kissed it.

Travis jerked his head in his mother’s direction, willing her to change the subject.

She was flushed and playing with her food; his father was trying to stifle a laugh. Was he the only sane one at the table?

“So, you never answered me.” Grandma stabbed her salad with her fork.

“What was the question? Sorry I was distracted by the talk of extracurricular activities brought on by drugs.”

“Will you be Kacey’s partner? She always cheated as a child, and I need someone with a firm hand to spank her if she gets out of line.”

The water that should have, by all means, gone down Travis’s throat, spewed out of his mouth, landing directly in Jake’s face.

“Thanks, man.”

“S-sorry.” Travis choked, glaring at his grandmother. She gave him a saucy wink and sipped her wine. She knew exactly what she had said. If she didn’t watch it, he really was going to drug her, and it would be a hell of a lot stronger than Benadryl. She could count on that.

“I would love to.” Travis wiped his mouth with his napkin and smiled at his grandmother. “After all, I doubt Kacey will get out of line. She already knows it’s a losing battle when she tries to go up against me.”

“Oh but, Travis,” Kacey cooed across the table. “That’s exactly where I want to be.”

She was teasing. He knew she was teasing, but he still couldn’t force his heart not to leap, or his breathing to return to normal. Unable to speak, he merely lifted his water glass in her direction and prayed nobody would notice how jerky his movements were.

As the conversation grew quieter and people began to eat, Travis suddenly had a feeling of dread wash over him, as if something was about to go terribly wrong. He looked at each individual at the table, trying to figure out why he felt so, skittish. And just when he was getting ready to laugh it off, his eyes focused on his mother.

She had the look.

The same one small children fear.

The look that every mom has when she has something she needs to say but would rather freak the crap out of you before opening her mouth. It’s the silent look, the one that brings a man back to his childhood within seconds.

With dinner finished, everyone left to change into more comfortable clothes for the Monopoly game, but Travis stayed.

His mother cleared her throat and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. “What’s going on, Travis?”

“Nothing,” he lied, and looked away, an obvious tell.

“She’s not yours,” his mother said softly.

“What?” His head jerked up.

“Kacey.” She shook her head and pushed away from the table, slowly rounding it and taking a seat next to Travis. “Honey, she’s your brother’s fiancée.”

“I know that.” He also knew that Jake was a lying, manipulative bastard, but he kept silent.

“It’s just a crush.”

She was talking to him like he was fifteen, and suddenly he was angry. Hadn’t he grown up? He was a man, a man able to make his own decisions.

“Mom, I’m twenty-three.”

“You’re acting like you’re in high school, Travis. You’re constantly at each other’s throats, and I swear if you keep looking at her the way you were over dinner, Jake’s going to find out. He’ll be heartbroken.”

Travis snorted. “He’d have to have a heart in the first place.”

“Travis Titus!”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, feeling ancient and immature all at once. “It’s not a big deal, she means nothing to me, you know that. We’re just having fun.”

A dish dropped behind him. He whipped around to see Kacey standing in the kitchen. “Sorry.” Her smile was forced as she kneeled down and picked up the dropped dish. “I don’t know what happened. It just slipped. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything. I found this dish in the living room and wanted to make sure it got washed with the rest of them.” Kacey only rambled when she was really angry or nervous.