A Bravo Homecoming by Christine Rimmer

found someone they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. That his parents had worked out their problems and still held the seats of honor at either end of the table, that they were still giving each other tender glances, so proud of their children, so pleased with their grandchildren.
    The next toast was for Abilene and Donovan. Abilene was expecting their first child in May. Donovan caught his wife’s hand as they all raised their glasses again.
    And he brought it to his lips. “You changed my life,” he said. “Thank you.”
    Abilene’s eyes were definitely misty. “You’re welcome.”
    “You’re a complete sentimentalist.” Donovan’s voice was husky.
    And she answered, grinning through her tears, “You bet I am. A big bowl of emotional mush…”
    Everybody laughed, though Travis didn’t think the rest of them got the joke any more than he did. It was clearly a private thing, between Abilene and her husband.
    Travis watched them together, thinking how they had it all. Just like his other sister Zoe and his half sister, Elena. Zoe and her husband, Dax, had a happy toddler. And Elena and Rogan had a big, handsome baby boy.
    And then there were his brothers. All six of them. Each had found the woman for him and then been man enough to work through whatever crap got in the way of a good life with the right partner. They were brave men, his brothers. They’d fought to claim their happiness.
    Travis realized he admired them.
    Maybe he needed to take a lesson from them—and from his sisters. And his mom and his dad, too.
    Maybe it was time to let the pain of losing Rachel go. To accept that he’d made a big mistake with Wanda. And move on. To stop turning away from the possibilities life offered for fear of what might happen if he dared to take another chance.
    He turned to catch Sam’s eye. She gave him a glowing smile that had his heart beating crazy-hard inside his chest.
    And when he reached for her hand, she gave it. Willingly. Without a second’s hesitation.
    She amazed him. She could hold her own with the toughest roughneck around. And then, inside of a single week, with a little coaching from an expert, she’d turned out to be one hell of a gorgeous, tempting, sexy woman, as well. Every time he looked at her now, he didn’t want to look away.
    He wove his fingers with hers as his dad raised his glass again. “And now, to Samantha and Travis. Samantha, we are so glad to welcome you as part of the family. Travis, congratulations. My son, you are one very lucky man.”

Chapter Seven
     
    A t a little after midnight, Sam stood at the bay window in the yellow bedroom. She could see the waxing moon, riding high in the dark sky above the softly rounded overlapping hills.
    It had been a great day and an even better evening. Travis had stayed close to her after dinner. He’d been frankly affectionate, taking her hand in his, laying his arm casually and possessively across her shoulders when they all sat together in the living room for after-dinner coffee. And then later, in the game room, when the two of them played checkers, he took any slightest excuse to catch her eye, to share an intimate glance with her.
    He also touched her knee under the table. And he brushed her leg with his. He acted like he couldn’t keep his hands off her, like he didn’t want to let her out of his sight.
    She’d basked in his attention. And she didn’t really care if he was faking it for the sake of the family. She was having the best time of her life and she’d decided to just go with it. To love every minute and not worry about what would happen when the week was over. The end seemed a long way away. After all, it was just midnight, barely the beginning of the second day.
    She heard the hallway door open in his room. Because she’d left the adjoining door standing wide in invitation, it took only a glance over her shoulder to see the light go on when he flicked the switch in there.
    “Sam?”
    “In here.” She