Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars(35)

“I call you his baby mama.” Gracie said, trying to be funny, but when Gemma didn’t laugh, she added, “Gemma, why do you care what a bunch of reporters say? Sticks and stones.”

Except sticks and stones can still leave invisible bruises that last a lifetime.

“You don’t understand. What’s it going to do to Charlie to have cameras shoved in his face, or reporters asking him if he thought his mom got pregnant on purpose?”

Gracie gasped. “Shut up! No one would ask Charlie that! First of all, how would he have any idea, and second, I’d kill their ass and drop them in the Snake River!”

Gemma almost smiled at that. “I can only imagine what they will ask. They get paid to take the juiciest pictures and get the best dirt on people. You really think they’ll hold back and be discreet just because he’s a kid?”

Gracie didn’t respond right away, which was answer enough. “I don’t know, but I do know that Travis needs to be told.”

“I know that. I’m going to do it, I swear. I just need to find the right time.”

Gracie released a weak laugh. “Is there ever a good time for something like this?”

“No, and if I don’t do it, someone else will.”



TRAVIS WAS TIRED, but then, it had been an eventful few days.

After he’d left the hotel in Vegas, he’d taken a cab to the nearest car dealership. Maybe it was a sign of his inability to settle down, but he was at his apartment in Nashville so rarely, he didn’t feel the need to own a car or truck. But, in this instance, he’d wanted his own vehicle. He’d walked right over to a black, lifted 4x4 and told the salesperson he wanted it. He’d made it to Rock Canyon at around one a.m. and tossed and turned most of the night.


In fact, he was about to cut his trip down memory lane short and head back to the hotel for a nap. He’d driven around Rock Canyon after leaving Gemma’s shop, checking out his old foster home and the other places he’d haunted in his youth. As he drove back into town, he tried to imagine what his life would have been like if Thomas and Vanessa Warren hadn’t taken him in at seventeen, but nothing good came to mind. The Warrens had saved him, and for that he would always be grateful. They were good people with big hearts, now living in Florida and enjoying the warmer climate. He talked to them every once in a while and sent them a Christmas card every year, but besides them, there was no one else he considered family.

Until now.

He came up to Mike’s computer shop and thought about the tension he’d felt radiating off his former best friend. If he was going to stick around, they needed to clear up a few things, mainly what he’d done to get under Mike’s skin. He pulled over and parked, thinking he might just invite him out to lunch, or maybe to have a beer tomorrow. Having a heart-to-heart in Mike’s store probably wouldn’t be the best idea. Lord knew it hadn’t worked with Gemma earlier.

He got out of the truck and went inside. Mike’s dark head was bent over a laptop, and he called out, “Be with you in a second.”

“Hey, Mike,” Travis said.

Mike’s head flew up, his expression suddenly wary. “Hey, Travis. What’s up?”

“I was coming by to see if you wanted to grab lunch.”

Mike hesitated. “You know, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on—”

Travis held up his hand to stop Mike’s excuse. “Look, I know I stepped in something between Gemma and you, but I was hoping we could just put that aside and catch up.”

Mike’s lips kicked up in a small smile. “There’s nothing going on with us. I’ve been into her for years, but she’s never felt that way about me.”

Travis breathed a sigh of relief. “Fine, then how about we do lunch and talk about anything but Gemma?”

The tension in Mike’s shoulders eased, and this time his smile was genuine. “Okay, just let me get my coat.”

Travis waited, picking up a picture frame on Mike’s desk. He turned it around and saw Mike smiling, holding up several lines of fish, his arm around a little boy flashing a gap-toothed grin. The kid looked a little familiar, but for the life of him, Travis couldn’t figure out why.

“All set.” Travis looked up to find Mike shrugging into his coat.

“Great.” Travis set down the picture and asked, “Who’s the kid?”

“Charlie.” Mike’s voice sounded clipped, which only made Travis more curious.

“Is it a mentor thing or something?”

“Something like that,” Mike said as he opened the door and waved Travis through.



JUST BEFORE SEVEN, Gemma paced the bookshop, trying to think of the best way to tell Travis.

“So, hey, Travis, we have a son; his name is Charlie and he looks just like you.”

He’d said three dates, but she didn’t trust someone not to tell him about Charlie in the meantime. She had to pick Charlie up next Sunday, and she wanted this dating business over with before then.

If tonight went as planned, she’d get a better idea of where Travis stood about having kids of his own and, depending on his answer, she might be able to cull the second and third date. Getting caught up in lust and romantic notions was fine for Vegas, but being back in Rock Canyon . . . well, she couldn’t think only of her own desires.