Travis's Gift (Riley's Pride #3)- Sandra R Neeley Page 0,44

all the scents that hit him when they’d walked in.

“Can’t have chili without cornbread,” Libby said.

Roman grinned. “I’ll forgive you. Homemade chili with warm cornbread is better than semi-cold pizza by the time you get hit here, every day!”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Libby said as she prepared their bowls with a huge hunk of cornbread in the bottom of it before ladling on the chili and adding chopped, sweet onion, and grated cheddar cheese. She walked into the dining room and placed their food on the table as they were sitting down. “You want sweet tea, or something warmer?” she asked.

“Tea, please,” they both answered.

A few minutes later she was back with tea.

“I feel like I should tip you or something,” Roman said as she set his drink down in front of him.

“Why?” Libby asked.

“Because you wait on me at the diner, I tip you. You’re waiting on me here,” he said.

“But this isn’t work. This is me cooking for you and Travis because I want to,” she said.

“It’s our home. You’re sharing a meal, so that makes it different,” Travis said.

Libby glanced up at Travis when he’d called his home, their home, but he was smiling at Roman. She hurriedly looked away and started talking. “I made some fliers on my laptop,” she said, walking over to the couch. “I’d like you to take a look before I go into town and print them out.”

“I’m sure whatever you think works is fine,” Travis said.

“But it’s your place. I want you to be happy with them, too,” Libby said.

“Libs,” Travis said, looking at her with his spoon poised over his bowl, “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long, long time. Whatever you choose is what I’d choose.”

Libby looked down at the laptop in her hands.

Travis realized she might want his praise on her designs. “But, I’d love to see what you’ve done, just because you did it.”

“Really?” she asked, smiling and getting to her feet.

“Of course,” Travis said, taking a bite and wiping his mouth on his napkin. “Show me what you’ve got.”

Libby went over and sat at the table with them, excitedly showing her designs for the Christmas flier for the businesses in town, and the fall flier to be handed out to everyone who came to the Christmas Village along with their receipt for their tree.

“They’re perfect,” Roman announced.

“You think so?” Libby asked.

“Yup,” he said, nodding for emphasis.

“You are very talented, Libby,” Travis said.

“Thank you,” Libby said. “I hoped you’d like them.”

“Roman’s right. You struck the perfect balance between look what we’ve got for you to do and Christmas warmth. We’ll be full to overflowing,” Travis said.

“Yay!” Libby said, raising her arms in the air and doing a little dance while still seated. “Okay, then I’m going into town. I’m going to have maybe fifty of the Christmas ones printed up, and two hundred of the fall ones printed up.”

“I think you should have double of each. That’ll give us enough of the Christmas ones to flood town with and a few leftover for putting on the check out counter at the feed store and the diner. The fall ones for next year… we can hand out to the customers, and still have some leftover for next year to advertise with,” Travis said.

“That’s a great idea,” Libby said. “I’ll do that.”

“We have the house finished, and the lights on the workshop, all we have to do is the barn and the fence. If you want, wait a bit and I’ll take a ride with you,” Travis said.

“If you don’t mind, I’d really rather go now. That way I have time to get them printed before the end of business today, and I can start putting them in the windows of all the businesses, and posting them everywhere I can today,” Libby said.

“Alright. Just be careful. Please be sure you have your phone with you at all times,” Travis said.

“I will. I always do,” Libby said.

“Yeah, but you’re going to be in and out of the truck a lot. Please keep it in your pocket or in your jacket. Just in case you need me,” Travis said.

“I will. You don’t mind me taking the truck again?” she asked, walking back over to the sofa to gather her purse and shove her phone in her back pocket before closing up her laptop and sliding it back into its carry bag.

“Not at all. What I do mind is that I never fixed the heater in it. I’ll take