Travis
Two days after I took Blair home from Karleah's, I was still wondering about her. Worrying about her damn hand and her walking everywhere. I was trying like hell to shake it. She wasn't my responsibility.
Karleah handed me Adelia Jane after she rescued her from her car seat. I held the little miracle baby close in my arms, because she was still so stinking tiny. And the way Dave hovered over her like she might break made me think she just might. I was careful.
"You carry her. I'll get the diaper bag," Karleah said, reaching for the large bad full of Adelia Jane's travelling supplies. The bag was bigger than the baby.
"We're just going to meet the Stevenson's for lunch. She really needs all that stuff for the whole two hours we're gone?" I asked, wondering how it was possible that Adelia Jane required a bag that big.
Karleah just grinned and put the strap over her arm, then locked up the expensive SUV our father had given them when Adelia Jane was born.
"Let's go."
I followed Karleah towards the entrance.
"Why didn't we just use the valet?" I asked, thinking it would have been easier.
"Because it takes a while to get Adelia Jane and all her stuff loaded. I hate holding up the line."
I glanced at the valet, and there was no one there. I didn't comment, though.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Peterson, Mr. Miliani," the guy at the door said, as he opened it wide for us to enter. I wasn't a member of the Country Club, but Karleah, Dean, my father, Dean's father, and, of course, De, were all members. I think people assumed I was, too.
"Mrs. Peterson, Mr. Stevenson and his wife are already seated in the back room. You've been given privacy," the hostess said, before we even reached her. We followed her through the dining room into a room with three glass walls overlooking the gulf and tennis courts.
Jessica stood up immediately and made her way over to me. She wasn't coming for me, though. That much i knew.
"Give her to me." Jessica all but squealed, holding out her arms for Adelia Jane.
"Hey, Trav!" Sammy Stevenson said, as he stood on his chair and waved at me. The kid looked more and more like his father every time I saw him.
"Hey, little man." I walked to give him a fist bump.
"B'whoa it up. Like dis," Sammy said. Then he made a sound with his mouth like something was in fact, blowing up, and opened his fist.
"That's an Uncle Dave thing," Jessica said, laughing.
I made sure to blow it up and took the seat across from Sammy and Dean. Dean was grinning like Sammy was the most entertaining thing in the world.
"Sit in the seat. No standing. Remember?" He corrected.
Sammy plopped down, and Dean ruffled his hair, then looked at me.
"Enjoying your visit?" He asked.
"Yeah. It's good to see Karleah doing so well. And happy."
Dean nodded in agreement.
"Dave, too. He's always smiling these days."
"Glad I don't live here. You guys look happy and all, but you're falling like dominos. You, Nick, Dave, and now Tate." I leaned back and grinned.
"It's in the water here, so I can't stick around too long. Not ready for that yet."
Dean chuckled and looked over at Jessica, who was cooing at Adelia Jane. Jessica was a beauty. No doubt about it. When Dean decided to settle down, he picked a winner. But, still, this wasn't something I wanted. Not yet, at least. I was only twenty-five.
Family life couldn't be all fucking roses, the way this bunch made it appear.
"You just haven't met her yet," Dean said, as he looked at Jessica.
"When you do, it doesn't matter what you think now. She'll be all you want in life."
I was sure he felt that way, but I worked on a ranch with horses all day. Not much time for women or interactions with females. I was too busy making a living and building on my own land.
Sure, I had needs. I am a man. But I had a fiend who handled those needs, no strings attached. It worked for us. Celleste had lived at the next ranch over for most of my life. She and I understood each other.
"Oh, Dean, she's perfect. I think I want a girl. I'm not sure how much longer I can wait." Jessica said, as she kissed Adelia Jane's nose.
"Baby, when you're ready for another, I'll make it my number one goal in life to make that happen." He said, with a wink at his wife.
Jessica's cheeks turned pink, and she tried to frown at him but failed.
"Well, looky who they gave me today. I figured it must be VIPs, since I was given the job," a male voice said.
I turned to see him smiling at Jessica. He bent over Adelia Jane.
"Hey, sweetness. You don't have your stingy daddy here today. I might get a urn holding you." He said.
"Hey, Owen," Sammy called out, and waved."
Then he held out his little hand in a fist. Owen knew the drill and blew it up with him.
"You want a vanilla Coke, bro?" He asked Sammy, who nodded.
"What can I get for the rest of you?" Owen asked.
He walked back to Jessica, took her drink order, and made his way around the table.
When he turned to leave, Karleah called out.
"Owen, you're friends with Blair, right?"
I snapped my attention to my sister to see what she was about to say. She'd asked me about Blair casually, and I knew she had been digging for the reason behind my helping Blair. But I had ended that. Or so I thought.
Owen grinned brightly.
"She's my neighbour and my new Prison Break watching buddy."
"Isn't that the person you mentioned tome about cleaning the house?" Jessica asked.
"Yep, that's the one," he replied.
Karleah looked at Jessica.
"She's wonderful. You'll be really pleased with her."
Then my sister looked back at Owen.
"I was wondering about her hand. Is she doing OK?"
Owen's smile fell.
"She's doing good. She did go to work today, though. I could've beat her sexy ass. But she's a stubborn one. I don't think she has any family at all. Hell, I don't think she has friends. She told me I was her first girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. But then we were sharing a bottle of Chardonnay, so it could have been the wine talking. Regardless, she's a good girl. A sweet thing. I can't figure out why she's single. God knows, every hot man in our building has made a pass at her. Even the married ones." He shook his head in disgust.
"That's so bad," Jessica said, looking crest fallen.
"Being alone isn't easy, I'm glad she has you." Owen winked at Jessica before turning and walking out of the room.
There was a heavy feeling in my chest. I tried to shrug it off and focus on the conversation around me. But the thought of Blair being alone with no family bothered me. No one but Owen was checking up on her.
How was that possible? The woman could stop traffic without trying. Hell, she had married men hitting on her. I would wonder if she was more into girls, but I'd seen her look at my bare chest. I knew better. She hadn't wanted to look, but she'd looked anyway.
When Owen came to clean our plates away, I saw Karleah's mind working. She was worrying about Blair, too.
"Do you know how Blair is getting home today after work? Are you driving her?" Karleah asked Owen.
He frowned and stacked another plate in his arms.
"No. She had a smaller house today. She's probably finished by now and heading home."
Karleah turned to look at me.
"Would you go find her and give her a ride? Adelia Jane and I can stay here and have desert."
I was already standing before she had finished asking.
"Blair ain't real good with men. They make her nervous. It's sweet of you to send Travis, but she won't just climb into the car with him." Owen said, looking at me warily.
"It's okay. She knows Travis. He took her to get her hand stitched up, and he took her home the other day from my house, too." Karleah assured him.
I watched Owen's face as he swung his gaze up to me. His eyes widened, and he grinned.
"Well, at least she's got good taste. About damn time." He mumbled.
"Ignore Owen. He's a romantic. He will make something out of nothing. Just go give her a ride. Please." Karleah begged.
She was worried that I wouldn't go because of Owen's comment. I grinned at Owen.
"I wanted to talk to you about her walking. That needs to stop. Drive her to her houses. Don't make her walk from the club."
Owen's eyes got big, but I didn't wait around for a response. I knew the rest of them had heard me, and I knew what they were all thinking. But I didn't care. It was going to take more than that to keep me from going to see Blair again. She needed me. Hell, she just needed somebody. And fuck if I didn't want to be there to help her. This was my mother's fault. She raised me to be this way. That was the only excuse I had.