Free Not a Chance by Carter Ashby Page B

break-up."
    "Sure it was. What went wrong?"
    Emma glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch Shannon's eye and get some help, but she was in the kitchen.
    "No one to save you, dearest," Travis said with a wink.
    Emma felt her knees go weak. It was impossible not to swoon around this man. He seemed to see into your very soul.
    "So? What went wrong?" he asked again.
    Emma sighed. She really didn't like having personal conversations with...well...with anyone, really. "Same thing that always goes wrong. Every guy I date seems to think I was put on this earth to save him from himself. They want an angel, not a woman."
    Travis shook his head. "Damn fools. You're a hell of a woman, Emma. I'm sorry you keep getting stuck with these losers."
    She blushed at his compliment and was about to change the subject when Travis continued.
    "You know who isn't a loser? And doesn't need anyone to save him from himself? And is looking for a woman, not an angel?"
    She batted her eyelashes up at him. "You?"
    He grinned. "Well yes, as a matter of fact. But you're altogether too sweet for me. I'm talking about Dustin."
    "I'm not interested."
    Travis's expression fell. "What? Why not?"
    "Why not? Because I've been nothing but nice to him and even flirted a little bit and all he does is look at me and then walk away. He's way too much work. I want a guy who's easy to be with."
    "Hey, none of us are easy to be with. He's crazy about you, Emma. Come with me and talk to him."
    "Nope."
    He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Please, Emma. I'll do anything. He keeps dragging me here and it's nice and all and no offense to Shannon, but it smells like flowers and all the food is dainty. I feel like there's lace all over me, it's disgusting." He shivered as though he were shaking off a spider web.
    Emma laughed. "So you're saying the reason you want Dustin and I to get together is so you can go back to eating bologna sandwiches out of your He-Man lunch box back at the garage."
    Travis closed his eyes and exhaled. "Good. You understand. Let's go talk to him." He took her by the arm and she was about to object when Alice and Arden came in.
    Arden saw them and double timed it over.
    "Travis, what are you doing here?" she asked, her expression angry.
    Emma watched as Travis's expression darkened to a mix of frustration and sadness. Then he turned to face Arden.
    "Am I not supposed to be here?" he asked, surprising Emma with the bitterness in his voice. "Is this place only for uppity former cheer captains? Because I can go."
    Arden drew herself up, threw her shoulders back and glared up at him, one brow raised. Emma took a step back and tried not to grin. "Travis, I know you're hurt and that's why I won't stoop to name calling even though you're acting like a jerk."
    He laughed sharply and then stared hard at her and suddenly there was electricity and Arden seemed to shrink. Her eyes were wide and round and uncertain. Travis's expression was hard and unyielding. And then it softened. Emma watched in amazement as Travis slowly, sadly smiled.
    "I actually have a fireplace in my house," he said to Arden. "And you know I don't drink, but you can have all the wine you want. I'll buy a big-ass box of it. Red or white. Your choice. Real classy shit. And I've never in my life listened to anything that had a cello in it, but I'd sure as hell be willing to give it a try."
    Arden's eyes brimmed with tears and she was smiling bigger than Emma had ever seen her smile. "You sure know how to sweet talk a girl," she said. Emma thought she was going for sarcastic, but the joy radiating from her was too sincere.
    Travis suddenly looked slightly tense, which was out of character for him. He opened his mouth to speak.
    Arden shook her head. "Don't do it," she said.
    He slammed his mouth shut and looked away.
    "I want to be friends," she said, touching his arm.
    He nodded, still not looking at her.
    "But you can't use that to try to get me to leave Nick."
    Travis scoffed and looked down at