“It’s ringing!” I cried exuberantly the next morning as the telltale Skype ring sounded in Travis’s office and the computer screen came to life.
“I know, babe.” Travis chuckled at my excitement as he leaned against his desk beside me.
After weeks without communication, Ryan had been able to check in the previous day, and we’d set up time to Skype. I was so excited to see his face and to introduce him to Travis.
Finally, after another moment of connecting, Ryan’s face came into view. Dressed in his camos, with his hair closely shorn, he looked healthy if not a bit thin. “Hey, Emmie.” He grinned warmly, the video slightly delayed.
I’d take any communication I could get.
“Hi Ry, it’s so good to see you.” I beamed. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he assured me. “Everything went smoothly. Glad to be back in a bed again, even if it’s a cot.”
“I’m sure. You look a little thin, are you eating enough?”
He rolled his eyes. “Emmie, please. I’m fine. Where are you, anyway?” he asked, confused as he looked at Travis’s office.
“Well, that was one of the things I wanted to tell you,” I began, a bit nervously. “I met someone. I wanted you to meet him—even if it’s just over Skype. Ryan, this is Travis,” I introduced.
Travis ducked closer so he was on camera, and offered a friendly smile. “Hey, man. Nice to meet you. Your sister talks about you a lot.”
Ryan eyed him skeptically. I anticipated him being a bit protective and had warned Travis that he may not react well at first. I’d never introduced him to a man I was dating before. “How’d you two meet?” Ryan asked by way of response.
“I’m friends with his sister,” I explained. “Her son is in my class. Travis was a SEAL, you two probably have a lot in common,” I added hopefully.
Ryan’s brows rose. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I associate with jarheads on occasion,” Travis put in.
I looked at him in horror, but to my great surprise, Ryan laughed. “Yeah, well I guess I could be convinced to hang with a squid.”
“Oh geez,” I muttered at their macho banter. “Anyway,” I pressed on, “Travis runs a security company here in LA—you’d like his team.”
“There’s even a marine or two,” Travis grinned.
I elbowed him in the side. “And we, well, we moved in together a few weeks back.”
Ryan’s brows rose again. “You two moving at warp speed or what?”
“When you know, you know,” Travis replied. “We’re looking forward to having you back stateside,” he added, and I appreciated him so expertly changing the subject. “When do you put in your papers? Or are you re-upping?”
“Nah, four years was enough.” Ryan chuckled. “I’ll be stateside in two months if all goes well. We’ll land at MCRD.”
“Well man, I don’t want to presume. I’m sure you’ve made a lot of great contacts and have some things lined up, but I’d be happy to talk with you about some options when your enlistment’s up,” Travis offered, in a way that didn’t undercut Ryan’s ability to provide for himself but still offered opportunity. Once again, I was incredibly awed by Travis’s ability to read people and situations. I squeezed his hand discreetly.
“That’d be great. Appreciate it,” Ryan replied, his tone warmer toward Travis.
“You okay having your big sister welcome you home?” I asked with a raised brow.
“As long as you don’t try to kiss me.” He wrinkled his nose.
I laughed. “No promises.”
Both Ryan and Travis chuckled.
“All right, I gotta run. It was good seeing you, Em,” Ryan began, and after a moment continued, “and nice to meet you, Travis. Take care of my sister, all right?”
“Always.” Travis nodded seriously.
When the line went dead, I slumped back in my chair, relieved.
“What’s that look?” Travis inquired, looking down at me with a raised brow.
“That’s the look of someone who’s relieved that the two most important men in her life met and it didn’t go terribly.”
He dipped down to kiss me soundly. “Babe, that went great. He’s your brother, he has every right to be protective. I’d expect nothing less. He’ll come around. That went a lot better than it could have. We have time.” He grinned.
What a beautiful concept that was.