The Bet (The Bet #1)(67)

Kacey was still stuck on this whole bet business, and just as she was getting enough courage to ask…

The door burst open.

“Make that two of my least favorite grandsons.” Grandma seethed.

Jake flinched and sat down next to Travis.

“Arrested at an international airport for fighting!” Grandma Nadine put her hands on her hips. “Shame on both of you! To think I had to find out on national television where my sweet boys were.”

“She said sweet, that’s a good sign,” Jake said under his breath.

Grandma swore.

“Grandma!” The men said in unison.

“Poor Kacey,” Grandma said, walking over to Kacey and opening her arms. Kacey went into them willingly, comforted that Grandma was there but also finding it mildly amusing that both boys were getting the cold shoulder. Just how immature would it be to stick out her tongue?

“You, my dear, are coming with me.” Grandma grabbed Kacey’s purse.

“What about us?” Travis asked.

“I told the lovely security guard to let you sit and stew for a while. He’ll release you in three hours.”

“But—”

“No,” Grandma said, pointing a finger in the air. “When this is all over with, I’ll let you speak to Kacey, Travis. Until then, I suppose now is as good of a time as any to settle the score with your brother.”





Chapter Thirty-two




“Damn, she’s scary,” Jake muttered.

“Tell me about it.” Travis kept his eyes trained on the door, willing Kacey to come back through.

“So.” Travis felt air whoosh by his ears as Jake took a seat next to him. “We gonna have this out, right here? Right now?”

Why wasn’t she coming back? Why did he have to act like such an idiot? Why couldn’t he have just told her he loved her when she needed to hear it most. It was hard to remember that Kacey could be insecure. Hadn’t she just said nobody had told her she was beautiful since her mother had?

To sleep with her and then say nothing?

He hit his hand against the chair he was sitting in.

“So, no kiss and make up?” Jake asked.

“Sorry.” Travis swallowed the lump in his throat. “It’s not you…”

“It’s not you, it’s me? Are you breaking up with me, bro?”

Travis laughed despite the strong urge to strangle his brother. “No, and I’m not giving you the speech, though if I knew it would humble you, I’d damn well try.”

“I’m humbled after tonight. Believe me.”

Travis looked into his brother’s eyes, the same ones that usually reflected so much arrogance it made Travis want to become violent. Instead of their usual cockiness, all he saw was regret, and maybe a little shame.

Jake smiled sadly and shrugged. “I ruined the perfect girl. She wants you. She told me she wants you. Nobody else.”

“Not even the great Jake Titus?”

“God, I hate it when you both use my full name. I can’t even imagine how bad it’s going to be when it’s two against one.”

“Welcome to my childhood.” Travis slapped him on the back.

“I’m sorry, you know,” Jake said, shaking his head. “For everything. If I could take it back—”

“I wouldn’t want you to take it back. In your own sick way, you drove her right into my arms.”

“And the humility just keeps coming.” Jake laughed. “Go after her.”

“Didn’t you hear Grandma? We’re stuck in here for three hours.”

“Ten bucks says Grandma’s lying.” Jake nodded to the door. “Look for yourself.”

Travis got up from his seat and walked out the door. The guard nodded his head but said nothing. “Well, I’ll be…”

“Conniving little thing, our grandma,” Jake said, suddenly at his side. “Go get her.”

Travis wasn’t even sure which hallway to go down, let alone know where Kacey would be. “I have no idea where Grandma would take her.”

“Really? No idea? None at all?” Jake gave him a stupid look and frowned.

Travis searched his brain for any sort of recollection of where Grandma would take Kacey. Obviously, she’d want her to be able to relax and be happy and comfortable and…

“Home.”

****

“Are you sure he’d be okay with this?” Kacey asked, once she dropped her bags in the living room of the 6000 square foot ranch house.

“Oh honey, why else would he give me a key?”

“He didn’t give you a key. You lifted ten rocks to find the hide-a-key.”

Grandma shrugged. “Same thing.”

“Right.” Kacey looked around the room and wanted to cry. Everything seemed so familiar, yet different. It felt like home, even if it was someone else’s house entirely. After Grandma had taken Kacey away from the airport, she had told her about Travis as a little boy.

How he had watched her, tried to protect her. She said he’d felt like it was his duty to make sure she was always safe. So when her parents had died, he’d tried to preserve everything, even going as far as to put her parents’ belongings in the shed when Kacey sold off the house. He’d only kept a few things he knew she would want one day.