She followed him away from our table, looking back and winking as Liza and I shook our heads, laughing. We signaled the waitress for another round. I was already having fun.
As I tipped back my beer, a man just walking in caught my eye. His head was turned, but I could see his broad shoulders and long, muscular legs encased in a pair of well-worn looking jeans. Oh, wow. Just the sheer size of him, his build, and his wavy brown hair made me blink and train my eyes his way as he began to turn. He turned toward me, laughing at something the guy next to him said and our eyes met. Travis Hale. His eyes flared slightly, and his smile grew larger as he made a beeline for our table.
Two girls trailing along behind him stopped and looked dejected when they saw where he was headed. They turned to the group behind them.
"Bree Prescott," he said, his eyes lowering to my breasts for a flash before returning to my face.
"Travis Hale," I answered, smiling and taking another pull on my beer.
He grinned at me. "I didn't know you'd be here tonight." He glanced over at Liza and said simply, "Liza." She took a sip of her drink and said, "Hey, Trav."
Liza stood up and said, "I'm gonna go to the ladies room. I'll be back."
"Oh, okay, do you want me to go with you?" I asked, starting to stand.
Travis put his hand on my arm. "I'm sure she can manage," he said.
"I'm good," Liza said, her eyes lingering on Travis's hand on my arm. "I'll be back in a few." And with that, she turned and walked off.
Travis looked back at me. "So I thought I was the one who was supposed to give you the welcome tour."
I laughed and then shrugged, looking up at him through my lashes.
He grinned again. He had a really nice grin. Somewhat predatory, I supposed, but was that a bad thing? I supposed it depended. But I had two drinks in me, and so for right then it felt good.
Travis leaned in. "So, Bree, this road trip you're on… when's it going to end?"
I considered his question. "I don't really have a specific plan, Travis. I suppose I'll turn around and go home eventually." I took a drink of my beer.
He nodded. "Think you'll stick around here for a while?"
I smiled. "Depends," I said, frowning slightly.
"On what?"
"On if I keep feeling safe here," I blurted out. I didn't necessarily mean to say it, but the beer was hitting my empty stomach and my bloodstream like a truth serum.
I sighed and peeled up the edge of the label on my beer bottle suddenly feeling exposed.
Travis studied me for a couple beats and then smiled a slow grin. "Well, that's good then because as it turns out, safety is my specialty."
I raised my eyes to his face and couldn't help laughing at his cocky expression. "Oh, I have a feeling that you're anything but safe, Officer Hale."
He faked hurt and slid his body into the seat that Liza had vacated a few minutes before. "Well that hurts me deeply, Bree. Why would you say that?"
I laughed. "Well, for one," I leaned forward, "if those blondes who came in with you could shoot poison arrows with their eyes, I would have been dead about fifteen minutes ago. And the redhead to my left, she hasn't taken her eyes off of you for one second since you got here. I even think I saw her wipe a little drool off of her lip. I have a feeling they all have plans for you tonight." I raised one eyebrow.
He kept his eyes trained on me, not glancing at any of them. He leaned back in his chair, cocking his head and bringing one arm over the back. "I can't help the ideas other people get in their heads. And anyway, what if my plans are different? What if my plans involve you?" He smiled lazily.
God, this guy was good. All cool charm and self-confidence. But it felt good to harmlessly flirt with someone–I was glad I hadn't completely forgotten how.
I smiled back at him and took a sip of my beer, keeping my eyes on him.
His eyes narrowed in on my lips around the neck of the bottle and flared slightly.
"Do you play pool?" I asked after a minute, changing the subject.
"I do anything you want me to do," he said easily.
I laughed. "Okay then, impress me with your geometry skills," I said, starting to stand up.
"Absolutely," he said back, taking my hand.
We moved over to the pool tables and Travis ordered us another round as we waited for our turn. After a little while, Melanie and Liza, and the guys Melanie had met all came over, too, and we spent the rest of the night laughing and playing pool. Travis was way too good at pool and won every game easily, clearly taking pleasure in showing off his skills.
Liza had switched to water early on so that she could drive us home, and I did as well close to midnight. I didn't want the next day, which was my day off, to be spent recovering in bed.
When the lights flashed indicating the bar would be closing, Travis pulled me in to his body and said, "God, Bree, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." His voice was like silk. "Let me take you out to dinner this week."
The drinks I had had earlier were wearing off, and I suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable by Travis's smooth moves and forward flirting. "Um…" I hedged.
Liza interrupted us suddenly saying, "Ready, Bree?" and Travis gave her an annoyed look.
"Everyone has to eat," Travis offered, looking back at me and smiling charmingly. I laughed and hesitantly wrote my number down on a napkin for Travis, making a mental note to buy more minutes. I had left my cell phone back in Cincinnati when I left and had picked up one of those toss-away cell phones. It worked for me, but I just kept forgetting to keep it stocked with minutes.
I said goodnight to everyone, and Liza, Melanie, and I left, laughing all the way to the car.
Once we got on the road, Melanie said, "Travis Hale, Bree? Geez, you went straight to the Pelion dating big leagues, didn't you? Hell, the state of Maine big leagues."
I laughed. "Is that what Travis Hale is considered?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, he gets around, but I don't blame him. Girls usually throw themselves at him–trying to pin him down. Maybe you'll be the one that finally does it." She winked back at me and Liza laughed.
"Have you girls…"
"Oh, no, no," they both said simultaneously. Then Liza continued. "Too many of our friends hooked up with him and then thought they were in love. We've seen the destruction he leaves in his wake. Just be careful."
I smiled, but didn't say anything. Careful was my middle name these days. However, despite the fact that Travis's flirting had made me feel slightly uncomfortable at the end of the night, I was proud of myself for taking a few steps in that direction at all. And I'd had a fun time.
We chatted a little more about the other guys they had met and before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of my cottage.
I climbed out, whispering, "Bye! Thank you so much!" not wanting to wake any of the neighbors.
"We'll call you!" they called, waving back and then driving away.
I washed my face and brushed my teeth and that night, I went to bed smiling, thinking, hoping, maybe I'd wake up smiling too.
CHAPTER 8
Bree
I woke up gasping. Before I could even sit up, I was catapulted straight into the mother of all flashbacks. It had the strength and vividness of the ones I had had directly following my father's murder–complete with my dad lying in a pool of blood, his lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. I gripped the bed sheets and rode it out, that same loud screeching sound filling my brain until reality finally took hold and the world around me cleared.