Travis knocked mud from booted feet before stepping up on the porch. Was a little weird coming out here without Dylan, but she'd gone to see friends, so it was time for a beer or three. He went through the doors and cut a path for the bar, through tables and around chairs.

Behind him, Ford eased inside the inn, phone to his ear, and glanced around. ?Yeah, Summer. It's me. You weren't home. What's the deal?" Don't make me check the hospitals, yeah? Call me. And no 'Maybe,' Smurfette."

The familiar voice got Travis?s attention. He waved to Ford, then went through the break, grabbing a couple of beers.

"Hey man," The Daniels brother jerked his chin up and sliding his phone back into his pocket, he headed for the bar.

"Hey. How's it going?" The contractor twisted the cap from his bottle.

Ford shrugged, pulling the snaps of his coat apart with a pop-pop-pop. "Think I got stood up for supper. Where's Dyl?"

"I think with Harper or something? She just said girls night and left." He took a swallow from the bottle. "We have been working out arses off on the new place, and I think she's had enough of me."

He grunted at the idea of Girls Night and reached for his beer. "It's good to take a break once in a while. For both of you."

Chuckling around the lip of his bottle, Travis shrugged. "Yes, it is. But the house looks amazing, the way she takes care of everything."

He reached up and tugged his cap off, dropping it on the bar counter beside his spot. "You've domesticated my cousin. I don't know whether t' congratulate you or punch you."

"Domesticated? Wasn't she already?" He reached up and scratched at the stubble on his chin. "I mean her place was spotless, and the pies... food, everything? Or was she wild before I came along?"

"Nah. She was pretty much that way before. I was just messing with you. Now, my sister, on the other hand..." Ford didn't need to finish that. Jackie's exploits were the stuff of legend.

"I started to say, if I domesticated her, then I wasn't aware, or it was easier than I thought!" He lifted the beer for another swallow. "Your sister...that's Jackie?"

He nodded slowly, and took a quick swig from his bottle. "That would be her. You have any sisters?"

"Has she not calmed with that guy?" He was bad with names at times, "Ken?" Travis shook his head with the question. "None that I am aware of, brothers either."

"Ben? Man, I have no idea. Not that I've seen when I've seen her. She's been laying low for weeks, ever since he brought his kid back with him at Thanksgiving." He said it casually, but it worried him. Everything about his family worried him these days, at least since he'd found out where they all were. It shadowed his face, clouded eyes that weren't accustomed to that constant level of anxiety. He cleared his throat and took another swallow from the bottle.

"Ben? I was only off a little." He didn't pry into the look but opted for another drink from the bottle. "I haven't seen Chunk since the night he announced his engagement, we are supposed to get together in the morning for a match." He was trying to lighten that look away from his friend's face.

"Yeah. Think I'm heading over for it, too. He ever answer your text?" A mischief of a grin ghosted across Ford?s lips before he took another drink.

He shook his head and checked his phone. "No? I've not heard from him. I even asked if he needed my help, and no reply."

Ford damn-near choked and pushed the bottle away from himself with the laugh that broke loose. "No way!"

Travis grinned and nodded his dark head. "I did." He squinted at Ford then. "Or...is this one of those things like shaking my head at Dylan?"

"Dyl deserved that," he was still chortling, "So did Colt."

"I take it he didn't need my help then?" He drained the beer and chucked the empty into the bin, before going to get another, chuckling.

Ford sucked in a deep breath to collect himself and toasted Travis with the beer bottle. "Not that he'd admit to anyone. Might ought to ask Ten that question."

He made the "o" with his mouth then just cracked up laughing. "He's not going to be happy with either of us."

"He'll get over it. We'll bring beer."

Another nod. "Win him over with beer." Travis was still laughing. "God, he's going to think I'm off my rocker...offering to help." He wiped his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Good thing I blamed you for that."

Ford waved that off, eminently unconcerned, with an easy grin and a casual and good-natured lie. "I'll just tell him it was your idea."

"Mine? Get me punched in the face, thanks!"

"Man. His girl just came home. You an' I both know what he's doing. He's not punching anyone tomorrow."

"Be drinking a lot of water, trying to rehydrate," He chuckled.

"And, it's not like we drove out there to ring the doorbell and run away..."

"Yeah. That would be stupid." Agreeably.

There was a moment of contemplative silence between them that Ford broke first. "Wanna?"

Travis?s grin grew devilish. "How fast can you run?"

"Faster than that lard*ss. While he was bulking up for football, I was running track."

"I didn't do either, but I'm up for a run, especially should he get to the door before we are gone."

The left corner of Ford?s mouth turned up. "You know we sound like a couple of damned kids, but give me a minute to finish this beer and we can go if you're serious."

Travis nodded. "It's what friends do to friends when their girl's home. Kids or not, you have got to stay young at heart. Hell, as long as we are out, being kids we could go hunting the girls, and scare them too." He was feeling like stirring the pot.

Ford raised the bottle again, holding up a finger to agree. Man had a point. His throat worked in a couple of long swallowed before he broke off to ask. "You think you can find Dylan?"

"I think she invited Harper to the house, if they are not there, it really couldn't be that hard to find them." He lifted his second beer he'd forgotten while plotting for a swallow.

He grunted again. He made it sound easy enough, and the blonde was interesting to watch walking away. "All right."

"Have to park the truck a ways from Colt's. Sneak in, hit the door, and run back. With Dylan, we could park in the living room and still scare her." Travis grinned.

"We can leave the truck up at the end of the drive by the road. We taking yours or mine?"

"Yours, I'll let you drive." Travis laughed. "I don't get to be a passenger much."

"What, you don't let Dylan drive that bus of hers? She loves that thing."

"Reba?" He grinned. "Her pride and joy, but she usually wants me to drive. I picked up a magazine the other day that has all of those old hunks of iron that are on the itty bitty tires and this high off the ground," He held his finger and thumb close for reference. "There was a? 67 in there. Lowered, velvet interior, fuzzy balls hanging all around the windscreen, and I suggested that her Reba would look good that way." He mimicked a shiver. "That look would have killed a normal man."

Ford just shook his head as he stood and reached for his coat. "That friend of hers bought her a gun for her birthday. Probably should remind you of that, but I'd be more worried about that Bowie knife of hers. She may be crack at baking, but she's no slouch cleaning' fish or dressing a deer either."

"I've wondered about going fishing with her. I think she needs to reconnect and refresh her batteries." He too stood up, and drained the beer. Last swallows of liquid courage. "Just hope he doesn't come out shooting." Carharrt was thrown on, and he laughed again. "I'm living the childhood I never got to."

"Who? Colt?" Ford snapped his coat up on the way to the door. "He wouldn't shoot a kid."

Travis followed and stepped out, laughing all the more.

--
((Played by a couple of idiots in the RDI. It was all Travis's idea. Honest.))