Chapter 3

Did I just agree to go on a date with Travis Calhoun?

Penny was friends with JL and her neighbor, Ms. Hannigan, but for the most part, real adult interaction was severely lacking in her life. She needed to have fun, and Travis was all about fun. But he was so way out of her comfort zone, her head spun at her uncharacteristic and irresponsible decision to spend more time with him.

She had to get home to her daughter. Granted, she still had time. JL wasn’t expecting her for another few hours, since she was supposed to be working. And even if she did go pick up Belle now, it wasn’t as if they could spend any quality time together—it was late and Belle would be asleep. And, really, she’d had a crush of epic proportions on the man ever since she’d laid eyes on him her first day at the Pier. He was fighting dirty, using those blue eyes and those dimples on her.

That was what she’d first noticed about him when she’d arrived in town a year ago—his dimpled smile. And for months she’d tried to avoid him as best she could, mostly because he made her nervous. But he always set her at ease, sitting at the bar talking to her about everything and anything. He made her laugh, told her about his day, and asked her about hers, all while she tended to customers; they chatted almost daily.

“Hey, you okay?” Travis asked, tapping her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked around; she had been so lost in thought she hadn’t even noticed they were already at the Pier.

“Sorry. Dozed off, I guess.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the truck. Travis held the door of the bar open for her and they walked in.

“You got the wrong day again, honey?” Patsy hollered over her shoulder.

Penny looked around and took note that it was mostly empty. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you for a moment, if that’s all right.”

“Sure.” Patsy signaled for her to have a seat at the far end of the bar.

“I’ll give you some space, sugar. I’ll be right over there.” Travis gestured at the pool table and then gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking away.

Before her butt touched the stool, Patsy began, “So when are you going to start at Ruby’s?”

“What? How could you possibly know already?” Penny asked, slack-jawed.

“Joe just called,” Patsy answered as she wiped down the countertop. “I think this is a great opportunity for you, sweetheart. I’ve been watching you run yourself haggard these last months working two jobs.”

“I was coming in to tell you right now. It just happened. I’d never leave you hanging, Patsy. I am so grateful for this job and to you, and I—”

“Relax, honey. I know. I’m not upset. Not at all. In fact, I’ve been wanting to talk to you. You’ve been doing such a great job helping me with the books. I don’t have the patience for that anymore, and I can’t keep up with all those fancy computer programs. I think you should do that.”

“Do what? I don’t understand.”

“Since you’ve been handling the books and inventory, we’ve actually been saving money. So I’d like for you to keep doing that. You can even do it from home. Honestly, honey, I don’t care how you do it—I just want you to do it. Here, from home—hell, you can do it during your breaks at Ruby’s, for all I care. I’ll pay you double the hourly rate you were making here as a bartender, and you commit to fifteen hours a week for me between shifts at Ruby’s. Finding a bartender is easy. Finding a trustworthy person to do your books…now, that’s hard. And no offense, sweetheart, but you aren’t such a great bartender,” Patsy said with a wink.

“Patsy!” Penny laughed.

“It’s true. At one point I had no shot glasses left—they were all broken.”

“Goodness, Patsy, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I like you. You’re a good kid. Too good, quite frankly. You shouldn’t be working at a bar. Keep doing what you gotta do to get by, but don’t make it your career. Listen to this old bird. I know what I’m saying.” Patsy pushed two shot glasses toward her. “Give these to Travis,” she said, and winked at Penny as she gave the countertop one last swipe, then walked away to tend to a client on the other side of the bar.

Maybe things were finally starting to turn around for her. She could work mostly from home on her days off from Ruby’s. It was a perfect setup, and she’d get to spend more time with Belle. She couldn’t wait to share the news.

Penny was practically floating.

There was a skip in her step Travis hadn’t seen before. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, the heel of one boot propped against the wall, watching her with a big smile on his face. He couldn’t help it. She seemed out of place—still wearing the Ruby’s shirt, the unattractive headband, the formfitting pants, and those flat shoes—yet exactly where she should be. She ran toward him with two shot glasses, liquid spilling out over the rims.

She was so cute at being terrible that no one seemed to care much.

“Oh, Travis!” She set the glasses on the tabletop, pulled him close, and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, then spun around. “It’s perfect.” She took a step back, as if realizing maybe she’d overstepped by being overly affectionate. But he wasn’t letting her get away so easily; instead, he wrapped an arm around her petite waist and pulled her back toward him, causing her to freeze.

“Keep talking,” he said, enjoying the feel of her pressed against his chest. If only she could relax.

“Uh, so, I’ve been helping Patsy with the books and with inventory since her accountant retired, and just now she gave me a raise and the job permanently! And the best part is that I can work from home. It’s a lot less hours, so I’ll still need to work at Ruby’s, but…” She jumped up and down, still in his arms. “It’s perfect!”

Her happiness was infectious, and he realized how easily this woman could be pleased. She just needed to get some weight off her shoulders and to let loose a little. He moved in closer, unable to resist. She smelled like vanilla and the alcohol she’d spilled on herself.

“Travis—”

“Shh, darlin’.” With one arm around her waist and the other one cupping the back of her neck, he leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips. “Just wanted to show you I’m happy for you.”

Her eyes looked glazed over, and her lips were parted. She definitely wanted more. More than she could handle, by the looks of her flushed face.

“Relax, Penny,” he whispered against her ear. “Breathe, darlin’.”

He set her down slowly. Still keeping eye contact, she inhaled deeply and then exhaled with a whoosh, causing her long bangs to fly away from her face.

He slid the glass toward her. “Have a drink with me. You can’t make any excuses today. You’re not workin’ and you got no other plans.”

Penny eyed the glass, which was full of an ominous-looking liquid, then eyed Travis. “I was bringing them to you. I don’t drink.”

“Never?” Travis asked as he reached up and tucked a wayward brown curl behind her ear.

“Never.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Mostly because I never had the occasion for it,” she admitted.

“You have the occasion for it now.” He winked and lifted his chin toward her shot glass.

She laughed. “You’re that guy parents warn girls about, aren’t you? Like the snake, seducing innocent young girls.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely. And you must be the forbidden fruit, sugar.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Come on, darlin’. Don’t stand there being all judgmental.”

“I’m not being judgmental. In fact, since moving to town I’ve done nothing but try to have an open mind. Just because I don’t blurt out the first thing that’s on my mind doesn’t mean I’m judging you. It just means that I’m thinking.”

He pointed to her headband and her shoes, then tipped his chin to her shot glass. “That’s you having an open mind? Your very conservative clothes and your no-drinking policy?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Jerk. Just because I’m trying to be open-minded doesn’t mean I have to change who I am or how I dress. Plus, you didn’t seem to mind how I dressed or acted before,” she added with a wicked smile.

He hit his knee and barked out a laugh. “That is exactly what I like about you! You dress and talk a certain way, but once in a while a little sass seeps out, and when you get to witness it…” He whistled. “It’s about the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”

She smiled, then bravely picked up the glass and tossed back its contents. “Ack!” she shrieked, scrunching up her nose.

He followed suit and winced. “That’ll put hair on your balls.”

She snorted out a laugh.

“Why would you order Jägermeister if you don’t drink?”

“I didn’t!” she said, wincing. “Patsy just handed it to me and told me to give it to you. It tastes like medicine.”

“I know. Nasty stuff.” He signaled for Patsy to bring another round.

“What are you doing?” she asked, sounding alarmed.

“Ordering more. We can’t stop now.”

She laughed again. “That’s a terrible idea. How about a beer?” She reached behind the bar and served them both beers, opening a tab for them.

“So, what now?” she asked, turning around on her stool, their knees touching. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Done what?”

“Dated,” she said matter-of-factly, causing Travis to choke on his beer.

She turned beet red, but before she had a chance to say anything, he placed his hand on her knee. “Relax, sugar.” He squeezed gently. “Just caught me off guard. How’s that possible?”

“Very sheltered life,” she responded.

“Hey, it’s Texas!” Jessica, the fiancée of one of the owners of Worth the Fight Academy, yelled from across the bar. Penny and Travis watched a group of his friends walk toward them: Jessica and Slade, Francesca and Tony, the other owners of the Academy, and Violet and Cain.

“Hi, guys,” Travis said as she waved to the group. “Y’all know Penny, right?”

“Of course we do,” Francesca said. “What are you doing on this side of the bar with our television star?” she asked playfully.

“It’s my day off,” Penny replied. “I knew the show was popular, but I didn’t realize he was a star.” A few months back, HBO had contracted with the Academy to film the fighters for a sports docu-series called Fight Night while they trained for their biggest bout, which was coming up in the next two months. A few times a week the HBO crew would come in, do quick interviews, and film them training. Travis had somehow become the unofficial star of the show—mostly because he was the only one who was single. Initially only the local media had shown any interest in them, but when E! did a piece on him, attention from other media outlets across the country had started to really pick up. Now paparazzi had begun following him around outside of the Academy, and it was both annoying and exciting.

“Yep. Tarpon Springs’ very own playboy is creating a big buzz for the Academy,” Tony said.

“What rock have you been hiding under, honey?” Francesca asked. “Travis is all over the media.”

Violet chimed in. “Don’t listen to Tony. I’ve known Travis since we were in high school—he’s harmless. And he’s definitely no playboy.”

“Harmless? Please, that man’s fucked his way through every chick in Tarpon Springs,” Slade commented.

Jessica slapped the back of Slade’s head.

“Ow! What the fuck, babe?” Slade protested.

“You dummy. Don’t you see they’re on a date?” Jessica said.

“They are?” Tony added.

“God, men are dense.” Francesca rolled her eyes.

“It’s okay,” Penny said. “Travis can date whomever he pleases.” Her cheeks reddened, though, and Travis wanted to kick Tony’s and Slade’s asses.

“Thanks, guys. Really ’preciate you coming by and fuckin’ up my night.” Travis slung an arm around Penny and leaned in to whisper to her, “When’s the last time you saw me with a woman? I’ve mostly been hangin’ round here, asking you out.”

“It’s fine, Travis. Really.”

“No, it’s not. We were having a good time. I finally saw you relaxing. I don’t want you thinking I’m some sort of playboy that just wants one thing.”

She shook her head, but pulled back nonetheless. “I don’t think that. But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, cowboy. Like I said, I don’t date. This was a one-time deal.”

“This isn’t going to be our last date,” he said confidently. “I want to pick you up, bring you flowers, and take you out to a nice place.”

“Your mama taught you well, huh?”

“Nah, I just know how to treat a woman who’s worth treating well. Got nothin’ to do with my mama.” Which was true. His mama had been a drug-addicted bitch who’d recently passed away from a drug overdose.

Cain, who was quiet, broody, and looked like a Viking, brought over a tray full of shots and handed them out. One by one they took the drinks and tossed them back.

“So…how long has this little thing been going on?” Francesca asked, circling a finger around the two of them.

“There’s nothing—” Penny began to protest.

“You’re interrupting our first date,” Travis said in a mock-harsh voice. These were his friends; the only missing pieces were his sister, JL, and his best friend, Enzo, but JL was very pregnant with twins and obviously couldn’t go out drinking. Any woman who wanted to have a long-standing relationship with him would have to accept his friends and the fact that he was far from a loner—he liked being surrounded by loved ones, having fun.

“Really? How sweet,” Jessica squealed.

“Does your sister know?” Violet said with a smirk. She pulled out her cell and began to type something—undoubtedly to JL, who was her best friend.

“Vi…,” Cain warned her. He looked so serious that it almost seemed threatening, except that his eyes shone with adoration for Violet.

“What? She’s been wanting these two to get together forever. She has a right to know,” Vi said, typing away.

“How’s she doing? Heard she wasn’t feeling well,” Cain asked Travis.

“Who knows?” Travis said with a shrug. “I mean, it’s crazy enough that she got knocked up and that she’s having not one but two babies. Of course she’s going to feel like shit.”

“Babies are gifts from God,” Penny said.

“Yeah. What she said,” Francesca put in, with a smile at Penny. “Not to mention that Enzo and JL are adults and clearly head over heels in love. That’s what adults do. Procreate.”

“Travis thinks having kids is contagious,” Slade revealed.

“Hell yeah. I’m staying the hell away from those two.”

“Oh, hush. Once your nieces or nephews are born, you’ll be putty in their hands—you’ll see,” Violet admonished him.

“Dunno. Maybe.” Travis downed a shot. “I just got my head above water with the advance from the TV show. Life’s fucking fantastic. I want to travel, buy shit, come and go as I please, you know? Kids just tie you down.”

Penny shook her head and looked down at her glass of water.

“Oh, damn. Sorry, Penny. My filter sucks. I know that women are into rainbows, butterflies, babies, ’n shit.”

“Are you saying that all women are that superficial?” Penny asked.

“No. I’m saying that this is not good first-date conversation,” he clarified, and Penny rolled her eyes.

“Oh! I love this song. Come on, babe, dance with me,” Jessica squealed, pulling Slade to the dance floor. The other couples followed suit.

“You mad?”

“No,” she said, but he knew enough about women to know that no meant yes.

“I take it you want kids at some point?”

She snorted.

“Okay, dumb question. Every woman wants kids.”

“But not men, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m sure some men do. It’s not that I never want kids. It’s just not something I’ve really put a lot of thought into. Listen, I know JL’s told you that our mom was completely whacked. Fucked our childhood up. I don’t want to do that to a kid, you know?”

“You wouldn’t have to. You could choose to give a child a great life. Kids aren’t burdens. They’re special and bring joy to your life. You’ll fall in love with JL’s kids.”

“Yes, but mostly because I can visit them and then leave. No commitment. Anyway, this isn’t something I want to think about tonight. Right now kids just seem like more of a bother than a blessing. I’m sure they’re cute and all, but they shit all over the place and cost a fortune. Not to mention they’ll fuck up my plans. I want to see the world. That’s my dream. One day—many, many years from now—maybe I’ll be up for kids.”

She shook her head as if trying to understand what he was saying.

“I mean, come on. Tell me it wouldn’t be nice if I called you next weekend and whisked you away to the Caribbean to soak up some sun by the beach. That’s what life’s about. Can’t do that shit with a kid.”

She didn’t respond, and he sensed that he needed to lighten the mood immediately. “I mean, I can’t think of a better view than you in a little bikini lying next to me on the beach, all shiny from the sun. Although, darlin’, I can’t imagine what you would do to me if you smelled like salt and sun. I think I’d have to take you right there on the beach.”

Her gasp reminded him that she was sheltered and probably not used to his forwardness.

He pulled her close again. Damn, she smelled so good—and she felt even better in his arms. His dick sprang to attention. She definitely wasn’t drunk, but she was a lot looser then he’d ever seen her.

He ran his nose along her neck and right below her ear. “Wish we didn’t have company.”

“You do?” she said, surprisingly breathless.

He ran a finger down her neck to her collarbone. “Yes. I want to do things to you, sugar.”

She swallowed, her brown eyes wide.

“Fuck,” he growled against her neck. “That Goody Two-shoes thing you have going on gets me so hot. Dunno why, but it does. I can’t be the only one feelin’ like this.”

The truth was, she wanted him too. She knew it wasn’t the time to let loose. It wasn’t the time to have a one-night stand. It wasn’t the time to be irresponsible. But for the first time in her life, it was the one thing she wanted. She deserved to be a twenty-one-year-old woman. She had desires, desires she never acted on.

And that was what made the scale tip. She had desires! She didn’t know when she’d have an evening without Belle again or be on a date with a man who wanted her. A hot man who wanted her. A hot man she wanted just as badly. Plus, for some reason, she felt safe with him. He would be gentle if she needed him to be gentle. Once she made that decision, she felt butterflies take flight in her stomach.

His arms were still wrapped around her, and his eyes were fixed on hers. She threw her arms around his neck, got on the tips of her toes, and pressed her lips against his. For a split second he didn’t respond. He must’ve been as surprised by her move as she was. Unsure how to proceed, she froze—until he pulled her in even closer and coaxed her mouth open with his tongue. Her hands somehow ended up fisted in his hair, pushing his cowboy hat off his head. As the kiss intensified, his hand wrapped around the back of her neck and the other slipped under her shirt, touching the skin right next to her spine.

“Get a room!” someone catcalled.

Embarrassed, Penny tried to push back, but he wouldn’t let her go. He rested his forehead against hers. “Damn it, sugar. That was all on you,” he said, his breath labored.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” He kissed her forehead first, and then the tip of her nose. “It needed to be you. I’ve been doin’ all the work for the last year. Even though you started the kiss the other night, you pushed me away at the end. You needed to come to me. And now you have, and I want to take you back to my place. You ready for that?”

“You talk too much,” she said with a smile. “Take me to your place before I change my mind, cowboy.”

“Well, hell, darlin’, don’t want you to feel obligated. There’s no pressure. We can just stay and play pool.” He said it without even a hint of disappointment.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I want it. I want you to take me home and make love to me,” she confessed bravely.

“I think I like the idea of that.” He tipped his glass and finished up his drink, then took out some money and left it on the table, all with one arm still wrapped around Penny’s waist, as if she’d escape if he let her go even for a moment. “But I need to say something first.”

“Didn’t I already say you talk too much?”

“I know, but before we do this, I want to tell you that I want to spend time with you, but I can’t promise you forever. I don’t want you regretting anything in the morning. You need to know that before I take you home.”

“You’re really a good guy, Travis. Most men probably would take advantage and worry about the repercussions later. I have a lot going on right now.” And you don’t like kids, she almost added. “I can’t do forever either. Not right now. So no, I won’t regret it in the morning,” she said confidently.

“I like you, but don’t take that to mean that I’m a nice guy. I’m not. Fair warning.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I don’t have the best past and I probably should stay the hell away from someone as sweet and innocent as you, but I’m not.” He took her hand. “Let’s get the hell outta here, sugar.”

While Travis said his goodbyes, Penny sent a quick text to JL to make sure Belle was okay. JL replied almost immediately that Belle was already asleep and that everything was fine.

Travis couldn’t believe he had Penny in his car and that they were on the way to his house. And he also couldn’t believe how excited he was about it. He chuckled out loud.

“What’s so funny?”

He reached for her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Nothing. Just didn’t see this evening playing out this way, is all.”

“You didn’t? I kind of thought this was a normal kind of thing.”

“What?”

“Two people drinking at a bar, then making love,” she said, just as he was arriving at his house.

He turned around and looked at her, really looked at her. Was she fucking with him?

“Okay, darlin’, you need to tell me at least a little something about yourself so that I don’t feel like I’m completely taking advantage of you, because I don’t even know how to begin to address that crazy-ass sentence. Where’d you grow up, in a convent or something?” he laughed.

She gave him a grimace.

“No shit? You grew up in a convent?”

“No! It wasn’t a convent,” she corrected him. “But my stepfather’s a preacher and I grew up very sheltered. Very!”

“Guess that makes more sense. So, you’re like, what, religious?” That’s probably why he always felt judged by her, he thought.

“Well, I believe in God. I have a lot of faith, and it’s what gets me through the bad times. But I wouldn’t say I’m a fanatic or anything. Before moving to Tarpon Springs I thought I had a clear understanding of what’s right and wrong, but over the past year I’ve learned that I didn’t really know anything about the real world. I haven’t gone to church in over a year, but I pray every day, and it does make me feel that if I put my trust in God I can conquer anything. How about you?”

“Wow. That’s pretty serious stuff. Do I believe in God?” He shifted his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “The best way I can put it is that I do not not believe in God. I lived with our grandma for a few months when I was little, one of the times when my mom disappeared, and she would to take us to church on Sundays. It was…” He thought about those days. “Nice. It was nice.”

She looked at him in a way that made him feel exposed. He needed to change the subject. “So in response to your crazy question, two people who just met in a bar and have been drinking and decide to go home together wouldn’t be making love. They’d fuck. But two people can go out and have drinks and not do anything except plan a second date. That is still an option, Penny. I never expected you to come home with me tonight; that’s why I said that this evening has been a surprise.”

“I want to. Really, I do. It’s been a stressful year and all I’ve done is work. I haven’t really had any fun. I need fun. You’re fun, right?”

He laughed. “Oh, darlin’, that I am.” Sometimes he felt that fun was all that he was.

“I need to be someone else tonight. Help me be wild, cowboy.”

“I can help you be wild, but I’m sure as fuck not helping you be someone else, Penny. I like who you are too much.” He looked over at her and saw that her eyes were once again on him. Assessing him. “What?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just that you curse a lot.”

“Sorry. Is that a problem?”

“No. I’m just not used to it yet. I mean, I was taught that cursing was a sin, but I’ve found out that there are good people who curse, so I’m not judging. It’s just still a little shocking to hear.”

He stepped out of the truck and went around to open her door and help her out.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she admitted.

“I know.” He pulled her close and kissed her gently. “Thank you for letting it be me you experiment with.”