Free Riptide Love ( by Melissa Lopez

quiet. About two hours into the flight, Nate had to piss in a baggie, after which he then declared, “I like peeing in baggies.”
    Travis didn’t let Ethan off the hook though. During their fuel stop, the young man turned on him when De took Nate inside for a break. “What the fuck is going on?”
    “Listen, mate, I need to talk to M and Mum first.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Can you understand that? Let me do this.”
    “You want me to dump her in Miller’s lap? No warning. No nothing. Just have her show up? After what she did.”
    “No. It’s nothing like that. Just get me there so I can talk to Miller. And my mum.”
    “I remember her. What she did…” A tic beat in Travis’s cheek. “Big M deserves to be warned.”
    Christ, Travis was mature. Far more mature than Ethan had been at seventeen. “Tell me, mate, what kind of day do you think Miller’d have if I call him with a by-the-way, I’ve got De with me? And it’s hours until we’re home.”
    “A shitty one.”
    “Exactly, so why ruin the entire day for him when it can be avoided?”
    “To hear M tell it, he has a lot of shitty days, I don’t think telling him about…” Travis’s mouth twisted. “ …her and that ankle biter is going to make things worse. I’m calling M. No matter what you say. I won’t surprise M like this.”
    “Christ, mate”
    Travis pulled his cell out.
    “Nate is my son. Not Miller’s.” He exhaled noisily. That’d felt good. Nate was his son and he’d not hesitate to announce it again.
    “What?” Travis turned storm-filled eyes on him. “What the fuck did you say? Yours?”
    “You heard me.” He clasped Travis’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Now, I need to talk to my brother in person. I can’t tell him this over some fucking phone. And it’s my place to tell him.”
    “This is fucking bullshit.” Disgust shone clearly in Travis’s gaze. He shook his hand off and climbed back into the plane.
    Sickness churned in his belly. He couldn’t imagine M’s reaction. Or his mum’s. Or Co’s. Oh, bugger me. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply before he released the breath slowly. Somehow he’d make it through this. For Nate.
    “You okay?” De walked up to him holding Nate’s hand.
    “Yeah.” He nodded, not feeling the least bit okay. “I had to tell Travis… T wanted to give M a heads-up. It’s important I talk to him in person.”
    “I know.” She picked Nate up. “Well, let’s get this behind us.”
    Travis didn’t speak a single word to them the rest of the trip. And Ethan didn’t blame his cousin. Hell, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself. Still the situation might be harder on Travis than some. The young man had never known his mum. Aaron-Matthew had had Travis long before he should have. A few weeks later Travis’s mum had disappeared.
    Too bad there were never any do overs in life. He sure would take one. Looking back—and knowing what he now did—he might not have chosen a brother’s loyalty over a woman’s love. He’d been bloody serious about De.

Chapter Five
    “Where are the puppies?” Nate’s wide eyes scanned the yard as they approached the house.
    Not a hound in sight. This time of day, they’d be out working the animals. He’d make up for disappointing the little mate later. “We’ll have to search for them after a while.” Ethan hefted the boy up on an arm. “I’ve got to say g’day to my mum first.”
    “I like puppies.”
    “Eh, me too.” He patted his son’s back. “I promise to show you some.”
    Ahead of them, Travis dropped the bags on Mum’s porch and left them without a word.
    Ethan tried not to notice, but he did. Tension knotted his muscles. He disliked discord among his family. It’d been one reason he hadn’t told M when he should have. Not only had he not wanted to disappoint, to hurt M, but he hadn’t wanted to face the conflict.
    “You okay, Ethan?” De brushed his upper arm. “I’m nervous.”
    He reached down and