Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(52)

“What are you laughing about?” Travis asked, a smile in his voice.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Tease.”

“Mmm.” Geo rolled onto his side and slung an arm over Travis’s middle. Immediately, like a dog with a new toy, Travis started playing with Geo’s forearm, stroking it lightly with both hands.

And then Geo remembered. And his pleasure faded. Oh. “Tomorrow is the last day of camp.”

Travis stiffened, his stroking pausing momentarily. Then he began again. “Yup.” He sounded resigned.

Geo swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to joke. “I don’t suppose I’ll see you, huh? We live so far apart. This whole week will be like the essays I get from my students. ‘What I did at summer camp.’ By Geo Anderson.”

Travis stopped petting Geo’s arm and turned onto his side to face him. His expression was sad but resolved.

“Geo… I can’t come out.”

“No, I know.” Geo went for breezy and didn’t even get close. He tried again. “I know you can’t, not in your profession. But…” He hesitated. Well, hell, it wasn’t like he had much to lose. “Maybe when you’re on break sometime… I dunno.” Geo rolled his eyes at himself. “Someday I talk good.”

Travis’s lips curved up a little. He reached out to rub Geo’s jaw with his thumb. “That’s not great for you. Seeing a guy a few times a year. In secret. But I can’t do more than that, Geo. I just can’t.”

Wow. That was an interesting few sentences. Travis started out sounding wistful and sweet, but by the end he’d turned firm and distant. A psychologist could have a field day with that. But as the person that speech was aimed at, Geo knew he should run screaming. Phrases like closet case and broken heart burst like sirens in his head.

His chest ached. Damn it. This felt so wrong.

“Well.” He sighed, trying to find words. “Jayden and Lucy like you. And they definitely like Max. So maybe you could visit as a family friend? Occasionally? When you have free time? If you want. And you and me…you know.”

Sure, offer the guy everything he wants on a silver platter with no strings attached, and never mind your own feelings. Geo’s higher self was incensed. But Geo didn’t much care. Because right then he just wanted to cling to Travis Mayhew anyway he could get him.

Travis’s face softened. He stared at Geo for a long moment, then leaned forward to kiss him, hard. Then he rested his forehead on Geo’s, eyes closed. “I like you. A whole lot. You’re amazing. I should probably just let you go, let you find someone who can give you more. But if you can put up with me… I’d like to see you again.” He swallowed. “I want to.”

Relief and fear blossomed in Geo’s chest. Relief that this wasn’t the end. Fear that he was going to only dig himself further into a hole, loving a man like this.

Shit.

“Hey. I have nearly a month off over Christmas,” Geo said in an upbeat voice. “Maybe we could take the kids on a short hiking trip then.”

Travis said nothing, just breathed against Geo’s cheek. His beard was soft but it still felt scratchy in that moment, like the situation itself.

“Just a thought. We can wait and see,” Geo said after a moment.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Travis said, sounding a little broken.

And then they didn’t talk anymore. There were no other promises that could be made, nothing else to say.





Chapter 26




The knocking on his door was insistent. “Travis.”

Travis lifted his head and looked at the clock. The room was dark. The glowing numbers confirmed it was way-ass early. 5:46 a.m. And his dad was knocking on his bedroom door.

Shit.

Travis sat up in a hurry. What was wrong now? Was there another fire? Medical emergency?

Wearing only the boxers he slept in, he jerked open the door. His dad was in his robe. “Marcia called the office phone. Said she’s been trying to get ahold of you. She made it sound urgent.”

“I turned off my phone.”

His dad grunted. “Well, son, I think you’d better turn it back on. I’ll make coffee.”

Travis shut his door and stood there for a moment, hand on the knob. He was chilly after having been in a warm bed, but that wasn’t the reason for the goosebumps that washed up his arms.

Why was his agent calling him this early? She wouldn’t. Not unless there was something very wrong.

He’d plugged his phone in the night before and set it to airplane mode. Now he turned on the 4G and watched as a flurry of text, email, and voicemail notifications hit. Most were from Marcia but there were a few from numbers he didn’t recognize. Shit.

Instead of reading the texts or emails, he called her back, heart thumping. “Marcia?”

“Jesus Christ, Travis.” She sounded harried. “Fucking hell.”

“What’s wrong?” Now his heart was in his throat. Marcia loved to cuss, but he’d never heard so much anger in her words.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Goddamn it, I should have been ready for this shit-fest.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Slow down.”

He heard her take an exasperated breath. “A story broke late last night. I sent you a link in an email. Read it, Travis. I’ll wait.”