Free Love Unclaimed by Jennifer Benson Page A

clanging of metal hitting the barn wall, but refused to turn back to him. This time it wasn’t him leaving without a word; she was the one leaving. She called Ruby to tell her she was heading back to school, and if she wanted a ride, she needed to be ready in twenty minutes.
     

 

    Present Day…
    “Audree, are you sure you are okay with him staying here?” Travis asked as he carried a case of beer to the barn.
    “He’s your brother and he doesn’t want to stay with your dad or in town, so where else would he stay? Clint’s place is all locked up and the utilities are off,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him. “Besides, I have the room. If the guest house wasn’t under construction, he would be staying there.” She hoped the nervousness was apparent only to her ears.
    “You are a shit liar, Audree. You  always have been.” Travis shook his head. “If it makes you uncomfortable he can always stay with me.”
    “You have a one room studio with one bed. Where exactly would he be staying?”
    “He could sleep on the floor.”
    “Yeah, okay. That sounds totally like something he would do. More like you would be on the floor and he would be in your bed, which I don’t he would do. God knows what goes on in your bed.” She knew there was no way in hell Gavin would be staying with Travis or sleeping on any floors or the bed. He would sleep on the barn floor before he slept on Travis’ floor or bed.
    “After all, he is a silent partner in all of this wonderfulness around us,” she said, raising her hands in the air around her.
    “Are you going to call him out on the silent part crap, too?”
    “Nope, let him think he is still getting away with fixing things behind my back. He has been doing it for years, why let on now?” She laughed.
    “Momma?” a little voice called from the inside of the barn.
    “Yes, Eva?” Audree put down the tray of plates, cups, and plastic silverware she had brought down from the house.
    “Why can’t I stay for the party? I don’t want to go to Grammy and Grandpa’s, I want to stay and dance with you and Aunt Ruby,” she said with a wiggle of her hips.
    “We already talked about this. You may stay for a little while and then you are going to spend the night with Grammy and Grandpa. This is a big people party.” She scooped Eva up in her arms. “I promise you can dance with me and Aunt Ruby before you leave.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead and swayed her hips back and forth.
    “Hey, what about me? Don’t I rate a dance with my favorite niece in the whole world?” Travis scooped Eva out of her mother’s arms and started moving around the barn.
    “You are very silly, Uncle Travis,” Eva laughed.
    “I know, but that is why your momma loves me so.”
    “She loves you because you are her best friend, like Carrie is my friend, but she is a girl,” Eva laughed as Travis dipped her back.
    “Okay, you sillies, let’s get the rest of this place together so we can go for a swim before the crowd gets here.” Audree watched as Travis swung Eva around onto his back.
    “Giddy up, Uncle Travis.” Eva tapped his shoulder and he trotted off, with Audree trailing behind, shaking her head as the two played.
    “Momma, I heard Aunt Ruby telling Grammy that Uncle Gavin is coming tonight and that he is staying with us,” Eva stated, as she bounced up and down in the water in front of Audree.
    “He is supposed to be here tomorrow. He is helping Uncle Travis clear some land out by his daddy’s house so Uncle Travis can live there after the wedding.” Audree swam over next to her daughter.
    “Momma, can I tell you something?”
    “Always.”
    “Promise not to get mad?”
    “No, but I promise to listen before I decide if I should get mad.”
    “I don’t like Uncle Travis’ girlfriend, Trudy. I don’t think that Uncle Travis should marry her.”
    “Oh.” Audree held back a chuckle and tried to hide her smile. Audree was in no way a fan of Trudy’s