holding her down to keep her still, as Travis finishes.
Once I get home, I’m bone-tired from the extra hours I worked. Though Darcy is perfectly fine and healthy now, the procedure took much longer than we originally thought. I stayed back with Travis to help clean and prep for tomorrow. A part of me wondered why he bothered staying to help. It was so unlike him. He strikes me as the kind of man who thinks he is too good to clean up. That’s always been the job for someone like me. It’s essentially what I was there for and what my job consisted of. I was pleasantly surprised, though, when he stayed to help. Atticus cleaned up the reception area, while Lucy and Kassandra handled the back rooms for the next shift.
We were all determined to head home and get some sleep.
Unlike the last time we talked, there seemed to be a better camaraderie between Travis and me, this time around. The conversation seemed to flow better, and overall, I felt like I might have misjudged Travis and who he was before now.
Was I interested in dating him? No. Definitely not. But without the prying eyes and ears of the rest of the staff, I felt like he was showing me pieces of his real self, and not the fake façade he shows off to everyone in the office. It was a welcome change and made the cleaning go that much more smoothly.
He walked me out of the office, telling a story about vet training, that included his father and a whole lot of fecal matter. I couldn’t help laughing. When we parted ways and I left, I couldn’t help but notice how different Travis was from Roman. Roman waited on me that night at the bar, and tonight, Travis didn’t.
I guess every guy is different.
When I pull into my driveway, I can’t help the way my gaze locks on the house next door. It’s past midnight, and all his lights are off. I have no doubt he’s already asleep, and if this was any other night, I’m sure I would be, too.
I have to tamp down the urge to go next door and apologize for my prank. A part of me wonders if I can nip his retaliation in the bud with my apology. It’s not likely.
I glance in my rearview mirror and frown when I see a flash of headlights. A car pulls up in front of my house, and I stiffen in my seat, going on red alert. Once I make out what kind of car it is, my frown deepens.
I shove open the door and get out. “Travis?”
He throws his car in park and climbs out, running around his rumbling truck. “I think you forgot this,” he says, handing my phone off to me.
My eyes widen, and I suck in a sharp breath. “Crap! I didn’t even remember losing it! Thank you.”
He shrugs. His gaze roams around the neighborhood, then takes in my house behind me. His lips purse, like he wants to say something, but he thinks better of it, shooting me a grin instead.
“It’s nice.”
Pride soars through me, as I glance back at my house. It may not be much right now, but it’s mine. While looking back, I quickly glance at Roman’s house, and my stomach drops, when I realize the light is now on in the living room.
What is he doing awake? He was just asleep.
Before I can ponder that any longer, I hear the sound of something clicking, then feel water. It sprays from all directions. I realize much too late where the source is coming from. I let out a screech and try to cover myself from the sprinkler spray, as Travis does the same.
When a certain aroma fills the air, Travis and I start to gag. We both fold over, hands on our knees, coughing and gagging. We pause and turn to look at each other. His brows are drawn in, confusion written all over his face.
“Is that…vinegar?”
I grit my teeth, unable to respond. Slowly, I turn, shooting a glare at Roman’s house. My gaze narrows, when I see his silhouette in the window, watching it all go down. I glance at the sprinkler system he must’ve bought at the local hardware store. It’s placed between our lawns, aimed directly at my house and grass. How the hell he managed to infuse the spray with vinegar us beyond me and my prankster capabilities.
Knowing he’s still watching, I shoot