Travis's Gift (Riley's Pride #3)- Sandra R Neeley Page 0,36

looking at him curiously.

“Good,” Travis answered, picking up one of the dishtowels from where it hung next to the sink and using it to take the cookie sheet from her.

Libby laughed again. “You could put them on a plate,” she said.

“Not necessary,” he said, as he polished off yet another donut.

“I made eggs and bacon, too,” she said. “I figured Roman would be here early and we promised breakfast.”

“Okay,” Travis said, picking up another donut. “I can eat eggs and bacon, too. But I’m not sharing my donuts,” he said like a spoiled child.

“You don’t have to. I already put a few of them away for later when Scotty gets home and starts looking for leftovers — I don’t want him to be disappointed. I’ll just give Roman a couple of those,” Libby said.

“Okay,” Travis said, taking his rapidly cooling sheet of donuts with him to the table to sit down. Realizing that the cookie sheet was barely warm to the touch now, he hung the dishtowel on the back of one of the chairs before he sat down at the table and placed the donuts right in front of him.

Libby was standing beside him before he knew it with a mug and a pot of coffee. She poured his coffee, then picked up the towel. “I’m going to take this. The pan wasn’t that hot, I put them back on the cookie sheet after I fried and frosted them.”

Travis opened his mouth to answer, but a knock interrupted him.

“Come in!” he called out around his donut.

The door opened and Roman stuck his head in. “Hey! Ya’ll up?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Libby said. “Come on in, breakfast is ready, and the coffee is hot.”

“Thanks, Libs,” Roman said, walking in and closing the door behind himself. His nose flared as he scented the air. “What have you been cooking already?” he asked.

“Donuts,” Travis said. “My donuts.”

“You know what? You need to be nice,” Libby said, chuckling. “Have a seat, Roman,” she said as she went back into the kitchen. Minutes later she was back with two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and buttered toast. She placed a plate in front of each male, then she went back into the kitchen again, coming back with a cup of coffee for Roman, silverware for both of them, and a plate with four more donuts on it. “Ya’ll enjoy.”

Roman looked down at his breakfast and then at Travis. “You don’t ask her to marry you, I will,” he rumbled in that deep, resonant voice of his.

Libby laughed, Travis growled, and Roman happily ate his breakfast, while he grinned at Travis.

“Ya’ll are funny,” Libby said, taking a seat between them and sipping on her own coffee.

Travis instinctively tried to feed her as he ate but she refused.

“I already ate, Travis,” she said, shaking her head again as she refused for the fourth time, “long before you got up.”

“Then just have a slice of bacon,” he insisted, holding out a strip so she could take a bite.

Libby pursed her lips and looked at him.

“You may as well give in and eat it. He’s not gonna stop until you’ve taken some food from him. His Tiger needs to feed you. It makes him feel like he’s taking care of you,” Roman explained.

“Is that it?” Libby asked, looking over at Travis.

Travis nodded slightly as his Tiger looked at Libby through his eyes, the golden color of them shining brightly as he held out the bacon to her again.

Libby leaned over and took a bite of the bacon which made Travis beam happily. She chuckled, then took another bite and another until the bacon was gone.

Travis smiled at her then went back to his breakfast as he purred happily.

Roman grinned at the two of them as he ate his own breakfast. “So, today we decorate?” he asked.

“Yes!” Libby said excitedly. “There are so many decorations to put up. Everything we bought along with all of Travis’s parents’ decorations that I found in the barn.”

“It’s gonna be a huge electricity bill,” Roman warned.

“It’s okay. It’ll be worth it,” Travis said.

Chapter 12

Riley was on a ladder stringing lights around the perimeter of his house while Lucas worked on stringing lights all down the fence row, and on the trees and shrubs in the yard. Lazarus worked on outlining the second floor windows and attached spotlights for the Grinch they’d just put up.

Riley felt the vibration of the monitor in his back pocket letting him know that the monitor picked up movement,