Chapter Two
* * *
IT HAD BEEN almost thirty minutes since she’d bumped into Travis, and Gemma still couldn’t relax. She’d changed into a pair of soft sweats and a tank top, swiping one of her new books as she passed the table. She’d thought about calling Gracie, but that implied she would be seeing Travis again, and even if she had to hide in her hotel room all weekend, she was going to avoid Travis at all costs. She could call Michael, but . . .
Shit, Michael. She’d hardly thought about her other best friend, but if he knew she’d seen Travis, he would be Jiminy Cricketing her right now. He’d wanted her to tell Travis about Charlie long ago, but she couldn’t do it. She hadn’t needed unreliable or untrustworthy people in her son’s life. Or hers.
But it wasn’t just his feelings regarding the truth that had her worried.
Michael was in love with her.
She’d known about it for a while, and the situation would’ve been perfect if only she could reciprocate his feelings, but she couldn’t. Despite how wonderful Michael had been to her and Charlie, or how much Charlie adored him, she just couldn’t love Michael the way he deserved, and it wouldn’t be fair to lead him on.
Lying across the bed with the book, she tried to get past the first sentence, but her mind kept wandering back to Travis and that night in Phoenix.
When he’d come off the bus to find her waiting, his face had brightened with such joy, she’d felt better about announcing her pregnancy. Clearly, three weeks hadn’t changed his feelings, and once he knew, they could tackle the problem together, just like they always had.
As Travis had swept her up into his arms and spun her around, she had laughed, holding on tight. When he’d stopped the motion to kiss her, her world had spun all over again the minute his lips touched hers. That kiss had told her that their love was real, that distance hadn’t changed anything and they could do this.
And then that snide voice had crushed her dreams and brought reality crashing down.
“Isn’t this sweet?”
Gemma would never forget the way her blood had frozen when she’d looked over Travis’s shoulder to see a thin blonde standing at the bottom of the tour bus stairs.
In Travis’s Toby Keith shirt. The one she’d had signed for him for his eighteenth birthday.
Gemma lay her head on the bed, squeezing her eyes tight against the threat of tears. He shouldn’t still be able to make her cry, but there it was. She only had to bump into him for a few painful minutes and all of the hurt and betrayal came back to her as if she was seventeen again.
A knock on the door broke through her misery and she wiped her eyes. “Coming.”
Anticipating room service, she picked up her purse and opened the door with a smile that melted the moment she saw Travis standing behind a cart.
“I bribed the guy to let me deliver it.”
Gemma groaned in frustration. Why was he still here? Was he trying to torture her?
“If you think I’m tipping you, you’re crazy.”
“No tip necessary. Just agree to have lunch with me.”
His smile was infectious, just like Charlie’s, and her heart contracted as she realized how much her son really did look like his dad. Even the devilish gleam when he knew he was wearing her down was the same.
“I think I’ll just stick with my chocolate cake,” she said.
“Gemma,” he said softly, just on the edge of pleading. She wanted to cave, to give in and hear him out. His face might be older, but Travis’s effect on her sure hadn’t faded. The little age lines around his eyes and mouth made him look ruggedly handsome, and they were doing crazy things to her libido. A libido that was telling her in no uncertain terms that ignoring it had not made it go away.
Charlie. Think about Charlie.
“I know how we left things, and I could have handled them better. I should have gone after you, but instead, I let my pride make all the decisions.” He took a step forward and tucked her hair behind her ear. Gemma’s cheek tingled where his fingers had grazed her skin. “I hear there’s a great Mexican restaurant inside one of the casinos a few blocks away. I would really love it if you’d take a chance and join me for lunch.”
A lump formed in Gemma’s throat, and her sane, rational side screamed at her to say no. What were they going to talk about? The way they had left things in Phoenix? That they had a nine-year-old son and she’d failed to tell Travis about him?
She could only stand there frozen as Travis leaned down and kissed her cheek. Moving his mouth against her skin, he whispered, “I’ve missed you, Gemma.”
Her eyes closed at his touch and her stomach flipped over like a flapjack. Swallowing the lump, she whispered, “Okay.”
“I’ll come back in about an hour,” he said, and she opened her eyes just in time to catch his smile, which seemed to have a triumphant edge to it.
Without waiting for her reply, Travis turned to amble back down the hallway, and Gemma was so frazzled, she almost forgot to pull the room service cart inside. She went back to shut the door and caught Travis’s gaze one more time before the elevator dinged open. He gave her a wink as he stepped inside.
Gemma closed the door and as she leaned back against the solid wood, it was hard for her to wrap her head around the serendipity of the past hour. She had come to Vegas for a little reading and relaxation, and now she was going to lunch with the man who had once been her whole world.
And she had no idea what she was going to say to him.
Of all the hotels in all the cities in all the world, Travis Bowers had to walk into this one.
TRAVIS HAD TRAVELED the world, was recognized by people every day, and women threw themselves at him constantly. Having perfected the ability to let nothing surprise him, he was known by his manager, handlers, and tour mates as having nerves of steel, even onstage.
But seeing Gemma again had rocked him to his core.
He’d grown up in the foster-care system after his mother had overdosed when he was five, and the only thing that had gotten him through eight crappy foster homes and schools had been music.
Until junior year, when he’d been moved to Rock Canyon and gone to the library at his new school to get a book for his English class. He’d asked a tall brunette with glasses for help, and Gemma had hooked him with her mossy hazel eyes and sweet smile. Travis had never had a problem getting girls, but he wasn’t the type to get serious . . . he’d never stayed in one place long enough.
But when Gemma had held out her hand and welcomed him to Rock Canyon, he’d been consumed by the need to find out everything he could about her. Most of the people he talked to had either called her a bookworm or “the fat girl in the library,” which had really pissed him off. The only helpful information he could get about her had come from his lab partner, Michael Stevens, a scrawny kid with long hair and glasses, who was a crack-up. They’d gotten on well which didn’t happen often for him, and he’d told Mike about the girl in the library.
“Gemma Carlson? Sophomore with glasses? She’s a nice girl; tutors kids after school, if you need some extra help,” Mike had said, giving him a sly smile.
Travis had taken the information and run with it, setting up an appointment with her the next week. When he’d walked into the library and their eyes met, her wide grin had been inviting and as warm as a fire, drawing him to her.
“Hey again,” she’d said as he’d approached her.
“Hey yourself. I hear you’re the girl to see if you need some help in English,” he said, coming around the table to sit next to her.
When they’d finished, he’d signed up again, and the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be near her. Still, he knew he wasn’t the right guy for her, not as a boyfriend, anyway. He was a mess of teenage hormones and other, deeper issues, but Gemma’s twinkling eyes made him forget about the past. She made him feel like maybe he wasn’t completely broken.
When he finally asked her to his first gig, she’d shown up with her best friend, Gracie McAllister. Gracie was a petite blonde with a big personality, and he’d liked her boisterousness, especially when he introduced Gracie to Mike and the two of them started sparring verbally. He’d come off the stage after his set and Gemma had given him a bear hug tight enough to crack a couple of ribs.
“That was amazing, Trav!”
Trav. No one had ever given him a nickname before.
After that night, the four of them had become a close-knit group, and for the first time in his life, Travis knew what it was like to have good friends. But the really special times were when it was just Gemma and him, when he told her things he’d never said to another person, or she read his mood without him having to say anything. She was the best friend he’d ever had, and he’d tried to resist messing it up, tried not to feel anything else for her, but it was inevitable.
He was meant to love Gemma Carlson.
Over a year and a half of friendship later, it took being dumped before prom to help him get over his reservations and ask Gemma out. Throughout the night, he hadn’t been able to look away from her, finding himself making excuses to touch her hand and dancing as much as possible, just to hold her against him. It was during Lonestar’s “Amazed” that he’d looked into those gorgeous eyes and dipped his head to kiss her. It had been like getting caught in an electric storm: shocks flew through him every time their lips touched. They hadn’t stopped kissing, even after the song changed.
For four months they’d been blissfully happy, talking about their future together and their dreams, all the way until he’d been signed to Off Road Records and left on tour. He’d told her it didn’t matter how far away he was, his heart was with her, and it seemed like she’d believed him.
And then Phoenix had happened.
As Travis exited the elevator, he was brought back to the here and now. For some reason, fate had brought Gemma back to him, and he was going to do everything he could to make her forgive him. When she’d left him, he’d been hurt and angry. He knew his past relationships weren’t the stuff of fairy tales, but with Gemma it had been different. He’d loved her. He would never have hurt her.
If only she’d believed that, where would they be?
No use going over the might-have-beens. Concentrate on now.
He stood in front of Gemma’s door and rolled his shoulders back before knocking.
Gemma answered a few seconds later, wearing a simple blue top and a denim skirt. The neckline of her shirt dipped into a v, and he had a hard time not looking at the generous view of her breasts. His mouth kicked up into a smile when he thought about all the times he’d had his hands on them. If Gemma only knew the direction his mind had taken, she’d slam the door in his face. Again.
“You look great,” he said, holding out his arm to her. “Shall we?”
Her cheeks turned pink and she said, “Thank you.”
He was a little disappointed when she didn’t take his arm, but he tried to take it in stride.
Patience, Bowers. It’s been ten years. It’s gonna take longer than ten minutes to regain her trust.
“How far is this place?” Gemma asked, changing the subject as she shut the door of her room.
“Just a few casinos down.” Travis kept pace with her down the hallway to the elevator, pressing the button as he studied her. She’d taken off her glasses, so she must be wearing contacts, and her slim, pert nose had him itching to lean over and kiss it, like he’d done a thousand times before. It was hard to remember that he no longer had the right to touch Gemma freely, to hold her hand and kiss the back of her neck in that place that used to make her shiver in his arms. God, just thinking about the way she’d looked when he’d kiss and touch her, his mouth skimming the skin of her thigh. Her lips would part, her eyes barely opened as she’d wiggle under his kiss and hands . . .
When the door opened, he tried to discreetly adjust the ache of his erection. He was here to make amends, not fantasize about a woman who could barely stand his presence. He followed her in, catching a whiff of sweet vanilla and some kind of fruit, the scent doing nothing to abate his desire. Another thing that hadn’t changed about her, and it was comforting. As the elevator whizzed down, Travis inched closer to her until his arm brushed hers. He could tell by the way she held her shoulders that she was tense and nervous, and he almost reached out to rub them but had a feeling she wouldn’t welcome the gesture.
The doors opened, and Travis felt Gemma jerk beside him when several people pulled out camera phones, clicking pictures as they passed. Travis smiled at them and tried to get the door for Gemma, who had her head bent down, trying to conceal her face with her thick veil of hair, but the doorman beat him to it.
“Good afternoon, folks.” Travis watched the doorman’s eyes widen as he recognized him. He half-expected him to ask for an autograph, but the man seemed to decide against it. “You have a nice day.”
Travis smiled and noted his name. He like a man with discretion. “Thank you. You do the same, Gerald.”
Gerald grinned, and Travis turned his attention back to Gemma, who looked like she was going to jump at the first boo.
“Are you okay?” Travis asked as they walked along the crowded sidewalk.
“Is it like that all the time for you?”
“Like what?” He smiled at the people who stared as they passed and ignored a few more camera-phone flashes. He caught Gemma holding her hand up to cover her face and understood. Gemma had never been the type to seek attention, but for him, it came with the territory.
Lately, though, he had been impatient with the tight schedules and fake people constantly dogging him for one thing or another. He loved music and was grateful for his success, but he was definitely done with the users. He had been itching for some time off for a while, which was how he’d ended up with a few weeks off after this charity thing tonight. The only reason he’d agreed to go was because he was in town, and Callum O’Shea, the hotel’s owner and a good friend, had asked him to.
He realized Gemma had said something. “Sorry, what?”
“Do you always have cameras flashing in your face everywhere you go?” she asked.
“Sometimes. It depends. Not everyone recognizes me, especially if they don’t listen to country,” he said, holding open the door of the casino for her, leaving the adoring fans outside.
“Really? They won’t recognize you from that movie you did with Emma Stone?” she asked teasingly.
Travis shook his head. “I doubt it. I keep trying to forget that one.”
“Come on, it wasn’t bad. It was cute. What girl doesn’t dream of falling in love with a hot rodeo cowboy?” She raised her voice over the noise of the casino.
“Yeah, women loved it and men wondered what the hell I was thinking.”
As they wound their way through the slot machines and poker tables, Travis reached back for Gemma’s hand. When she tried to pull it away, he stopped and faced her. “I was just trying to make sure I didn’t lose you in the crowd.”
“I’ll make sure to keep up,” she said, starting off ahead of him, and he had to bite back a wave of irritation.
It’s not like I have cooties or something.
He tried to understand her reaction, to see it from her point of view, and caught up to her. “I’m sorry. It’s kind of hard not to touch you.”
She stopped and swung around, her eyebrow raised. “Considering we haven’t seen each other in ten years, it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Maybe that’s what makes it so hard. When you spend years thinking and dreaming about someone and have them fall back into your life? Sounds like fate to me.”
His words shocked even him. Though it was true—he’d thought it was bizarre that they had run into each other—he was sure she’d take the sentiment as a line.
Only it hadn’t been rehearsed or even thought through; it had come straight from his heart.
I can’t do this. I can’t be that guy again, especially when she can barely stand to look at me.
Gemma’s pale face was pinched, and he said, “Gemma, I know you think something happened in Phoenix with that woman, but I swear nothing did. I have no reason to lie about it. I’ve already lost you, right?”
Her silence ate at him, and he almost offered to walk her back to her hotel room, but she surprised him. “I’m trying really hard to believe you, but it isn’t easy to just change your point of view in an hour.”
“I remember you used to get me to see things your way with little effort,” he said, teasing gently.
Her smile was small, but the tension around her eyes was gone. “I remember things differently. I spent a lot of time going along with whatever wild plan you cooked up for us.”
“I seem to remember that the idea for legendary Dreyer’s Ice Cream caper came from you. Mike, Gracie, and I were just along for the ride.”
She gasped and put her hands on her hips, drawing his gaze to the indentation of her waist.
“I said let’s get some ice cream! I didn’t say let’s shoplift a gallon in our jackets!”
“Nope, I remember it clearly. You were the first one out the door.”
“With no ice cream!” she said, shaking her head with a laugh. “You three snuck out, and I went back inside to pay for the two gallons Gracie and you took.”
“Just because you chickened out doesn’t mean it wasn’t your idea.”
“Wrong. If it was my idea, you wouldn’t have ended up with cookie dough ice cream crushed against the front of your T-shirt.”
He had to give her that one. By the time they’d gotten outside, the ice cream had started melting, and when Kirsten Winters had seen him in the parking lot and given him a huge hug, the ice cream had exploded under his jacket and oozed down his body. Gemma had thought it was hilarious, until he’d unzipped his jacket and chased after her with it.
This time when Travis reached for her, she didn’t jerk away. Smoothing his thumb over the back of her hand, he said, “There’s a lot of good history between us, and we were friends for a lot longer than we were lovers. Can you try to remember that and just come to lunch with me? I’m trying to make amends here, but it won’t work if you won’t meet me halfway.”
When she kept her hand in his, he squeezed it, and then started walking again, coming around the corner to see a bright green sign that read LA FIESTA.
They reached the little cantina, and a woman in a bright dress greeted them with a friendly smile.
“Table for two?” she asked.
“Actually, we’re in the VIP room. Reservation is for Bowers,” he said, smiling as her eyes widened.
“Of course, Mr. Bowers. Please follow me.” The hostess turned, swishing her ample hips in a sexy sway, but Travis ignored it.
They went through a pair of wooden double doors, and Gemma dropped his hand as they reached a large booth behind a heavy curtain. Sitting down, they took their menus from the hostess, and when Travis dismissed her with a smile, she left pouting.
“I think you hurt her feelings,” Gemma said dryly, but her expression was less than amused and Travis almost grinned.
She wouldn’t be irritated or jealous if there was nothing left between them, right?
“She’ll get over it.”
Gemma tucked her hair back and asked, “So, besides making nine awesome records, one chick flick, and dating a host of hot, famous women, what have you been up to?”
“Forget me; you can read about my life in the grocery store magazine aisle. I want to know about you. What do you do in Rock Canyon?”
Gemma hesitated before answering. “Miss Addie left me her used bookstore. I renamed it Chloe’s Book Nook,” she said.
Travis felt like she was holding something back but didn’t press her. Instead, he gave a little laugh. “Chloe? As in that ornery calico cat you had to have put down?”
“Hey, I loved that cat. She was only cranky because she was old and in pain.”
“Okay, okay. How come Miss Addie left it to you?” he asked.
“I got a job working there after you left,” Gemma said softly. “We were close.”
After you left. Had her tone been accusatory, or was he imagining things? “Well, that’s great. Are you seeing someone?” He asked.
Smooth, Bowers, very smooth.
Her expression was a little guarded, and disappointment pooled in the pit of his stomach. It had been ten years, and she was gorgeous. Of course she was with someone.
“No, not really. What about you?”
Pleased, he flashed her a wide grin. “Nope, not seeing anyone.” The silence stretched between them. “How are your parents?”
The small smile on her lips dissolved, replaced by sadness and pain. “My dad died of a heart attack.”
Reaching across the table, he took her hand. “Gemma, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay; it’s been five years, and we were never really that close anyway,” she said, focusing on her menu.
Travis remembered how turbulent the relationship between Gemma and her dad had been. Dick Carlson had been the morning show host at the local radio station, and although he was amazing on the air, amiable and funny, he was the complete opposite at home. He’d once sat in her room listening to the old man scream at her for so long, it had taken all his willpower not to walk out there and deck him. Most of the time the guy had been okay, but when he was angry, her father was like the Hulk. Nobody wanted to see him like that.
Travis squeezed her hand, sorry that he’d brought it up.
“And your mom? Does she still live in town?” he asked.
“No. My mom moved to Boise to be closer to James, Drew, Dawn, and their families. She said she couldn’t stay alone in that house without Dad. So I took over her mortgage payments, got a loan, and now I’m a home owner. Yay, me.” Her laugh was a little forced, and it reminded him of all the times she’d brushed off a bullying comment someone had made about her. Gemma had always feigned indifference when he knew it really tore her up inside.
Wanting to get back the light atmosphere, he changed the subject. “Are you still friends with Mike and Gracie?”
“Yes, I am,” she said, her tone and demeanor brightening. “Gracie bought the coffee shop and renamed it The Local Bean, and Michael has his own computer business. We head out to Buck’s Shot Bar once a week for drinks, or to Hank’s for karaoke.” Smiling, she added, “You know, Buck still has a picture of you and the rest of the guys from the band up on his wall.”
Laughing, Travis said, “Ah, Buck’s. I miss that place. Used my first fake ID there, and he threw my ass out ten seconds later.”
“I remember. I had to come down and talk him out of calling the cops,” she said, shaking her head.
“I remember a pair of Toby Keith concert tickets being involved to bribe him. And you convinced him that he’d be better off using me for free entertainment.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Afterward, I believe we went down to that spot down by the river and you let me—”
“Travis!” Gemma blurted, squeezing his hand hard.
Laughing, he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles lightly, ignoring her attempt to jerk her hand back in surprise. “If it hadn’t been for you, I might not have made it out of high school, let alone had the career I’ve had. I owe you.”
Gemma’s eyes drifted down, but she stopped trying to pull away. “You deserved it. You’re very talented, Travis.”
“So, I take it you bought a couple of my CDS?” he asked.
“Try all of them and your movie. I thought they were amazing.” The smile she gave him was sweet and soft. How many times had he closed his eyes and seen that exact smile? Too many to count.
When they’d been friends, Gemma had been his biggest fan, pumping him up when he’d been ready to quit, and he’d adored her for it. In return, he would have died before letting anyone hurt her, and those that had dared had ended up with their asses kicked. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was a bully.
Sure, he’d been just a dumb kid in love, but he was a man now, and those feelings were still there between them. If only he could get her to forgive him for not fighting harder. He should have followed her back to Rock Canyon and not given up until they’d at least had closure. They might not have stayed together anyway, but they wouldn’t be in this awkward limbo of polite conversation and stolen touches either.
But really, she should have believed me when I told her nothing had happened.
It was true they’d both made mistakes, but they’d both been young, too. And now they had both grown up.
Only one thing hadn’t changed: when he touched Gemma, she still felt like his.
AFTER THEY ORDERED, Travis continued to ask Gemma about what she’d been doing for the last ten years, and she was exhausted. She’d nearly mentioned Charlie half a dozen times. It was hard to hold back such a big part of her life, but the only other option was telling Travis.
His life is way too crazy to include a kid; what happens the first time he blows Charlie off for an interview?
The thought of her happy child being hurt sent cold fury through her body, strengthening her resolve. She wasn’t trying to be cruel, but she had to put Charlie first.
But is sitting here eating lunch with his dad putting Charlie first?
If he knew she’d seen Travis and didn’t tell him, Charlie would be brokenhearted anyway.
It was selfish of her to have said yes to Travis, but despite her reservations, there was still a pull for her. She was still drawn to him, and it was hard to fight, especially when he kept touching her, challenging every defense and reason she had for not trusting him. Like asking her about the last ten years, instead of dominating the conversation. What could she say that could possibly compare to the life he was living or the people he had met? They’d always been polar opposites in personality and social standing, but now it was like they were from two different planets.
Too bad her heart didn’t understand that. Every time he reached out to take her hand or gave her that crooked grin, her heart skipped, hopped, and jumped in her chest like a jackrabbit. It was as if she was seventeen years old again, staring into the eyes of the same nineteen-year-old guy she couldn’t seem to believe loved her. It had been one thing to be the unpopular sophomore with a penchant for romance novels befriended by the new junior with the killer blue eyes, but to be Travis’s girlfriend? To be his love? It had never made sense, but her dad had once told her, “Love doesn’t have to make sense. Love can be patient and kind, but it can also be a real bitch. Just try not to piss it off.”
My dad the philosopher.
Dick Carlson hadn’t always been angry and combative. He’d had his moments of humor and had been an excellent showman until his death. People around town had loved him and still missed him, but for his wife and children, the feelings had been mixed up and sometimes wrong. For Gemma especially, it was like a two-sided coin: heads—she loved and missed the funny guy who had taught her to fish; tails—she didn’t miss the awful times when he lost control and took his anger out on her, calling her his biggest disappointment.
Her brother James had graduated with a business degree and was the district manager for a grocery chain in the Boise area. Her sister Dawn had gone to nursing school in Colorado but moved back to Idaho after graduation, married a nice, successful lawyer, and was the perfect wife and mother. Drew, who was just three years older than Gemma, had been an all-around athlete, but his sweet spot had been football. After getting a full ride to Boise State, he’d been drafted to the NFL, and her dad had been over the moon.
Gemma hadn’t been athletic and had preferred books to extracurricular activities, but the first time she’d brought Travis home to study, her dad had puffed up proud. Tall and lean, Travis had played football, basketball, and the guitar like Brad Paisley, and her dad had thought he’d be a good influence on her.
Then again, he also used to ask Travis to take her running so she would lose some weight, and she’d wanted to die of embarrassment.
Travis had ignored those little digs while still being polite to her dad, but never too friendly. When the mean girls had said the only reason Travis was friends with her was because of what her dad did for a living, she hadn’t believed it. Most of the time. If that had been the case, he could have bailed on her any time after he signed with Off Road Records, but he hadn’t. It had been up to her to end things between them.
That night was still painful, still in the top three, coming in right after her dad kicking her out of the house when he found out she was pregnant and the night her mom had called to tell her he was dead.
The night she had ended things with Travis was a hard one to forget, especially when he sat across from her now, larger than life. She could feel Phoenix there between them, like the big pink elephant in the room that no one wanted to acknowledge.
The server came back with their food, and Gemma took the first bite of her burrito, moaning, “Damn, that is so good. I haven’t had Mexican food in forever. The flavor is so . . .” Travis’s smile caught her eye, and she asked, “What?”
Chuckling, he said, “Nothing. I just can’t believe you still make that noise. That little growling moan, like when you’d bite into those nasty Cadbury egg things. I would go to the store right before Easter and buy a ton of those things for you, remember?”
“Yes, I remember. I used to bitch at you that I didn’t need a hundred Cadbury eggs lying around, tempting me,” she said.
“I never knew what was so good about them. I always liked Peeps myself,” he said.
Gemma twisted her face into a look of disgust. “Peeps are vile.”
“And chocolate eggs filled with sugary cream aren’t?” he shot back.
“Nope, they are to be savored and enjoyed, like this burrito.” She took another bite, and said, “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”
She hardly ever ate Mexican anymore, and when she did, it was usually a taco salad or tostada. Becoming Fat Gemma again was always in the back of her mind when she ate anything, and she hated it. Every humiliating childhood moment seemed to haunt her when she ate something unhealthy. The boys who’d made pig noises in high school, or when Bobby Gillingham had taken her to homecoming only because he’d lost a bet and then ditched her when they arrived. Or when she’d had Travis, Mike, and Gracie over for her birthday, and her dad had told her mother she didn’t need a cake. Or the girls in their little booty shorts at the fair, who’d flirted with Travis in front of her like she wasn’t there.
Through it all, Travis had been her champion. Pulling her onto the dance floor in front of Bobby and everyone else to dance like a dork, despite his date’s angry glares. Telling her dad that he thought she looked great and, the next day, taking her to Jensen’s for a large piece of chocolate pie. And Travis wrapping his arm around her shoulders and introducing her to those thin, pretty girls, by saying, “This is my girlfriend, Gemma.”
He had always surprised her with his ability to look people in the eye, say whatever he wanted, and not care what they thought. She’d spent most of her life just trying to stay invisible so she wouldn’t be made fun of, so Travis’s confidence had been a big draw for her. It had been hard to believe he’d wanted that girl ten years ago. As for wanting her now, Travis was a flirt and obviously hadn’t changed.
“People make noises when they eat,” Gemma said, blushing at the way her thoughts had shifted. Travis hadn’t said anything except that he was sorry about the way they’d parted and wanted to catch up. With all the women in the world undoubtedly throwing themselves at him, why would he be into her now?
Because when he touched my hand, I felt it. That spark is still there.
The problem with sparks was that they were both bright and short-lived. She needed to remember that.
Gemma suddenly realized Travis was speaking and she’d missed it. “I’m sorry, what?”
His grin was mischievous. “I said people might make noises, but your food noises are the same as the noises you used to make right before you—”
Her fork dropped onto the plate loudly, and she squeaked, “Travis!”
Innocent blue eyes stared back at her. “What? I was going to say before you bought a new book.”
“Uh-huh. Don’t play innocent with me! You always had a dirty mind, but I’m sorry to see you haven’t matured,” she said.
UGH, I AM so full, I’m going to bust out of my skirt.
A bit later, Gemma set down her fork with a sigh. “That was amazing.”
“It was a burrito,” Travis teased, taking the last bite of his fajitas.
“It was an amazing burrito,” she countered as she watched the server approach. The woman’s bold gaze was eating Travis alive, and Gemma wished she could send her packing with one of Gracie’s sharp quips.
“Hello, folks. Did we save room for dessert?” she asked Travis, barely glancing at Gemma.
Travis raised his eyebrow at her, and she shook her head. “I’ll explode. I swear. Like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man at the end of Ghostbusters.”
“And with that mental picture, I think we’re good,” Travis joked, reaching for his wallet and handing the server his card.
“All righty, sir, I’ll be back with your check.” The woman skipped away without asking Gemma if she wanted a box for the rest of her meal. Figured.
“When she comes back, will you ask her if I can have a box? I need to go to the ladies’ room,” she said, scooting out of the booth and smoothing down her skirt.
“Sure,” Travis said, standing like a gentleman along with her.
Moving past him toward the main dining room, she tried not to look back to see if he was watching her. She didn’t really want to think about whether her butt looked big.
Why am I worrying about this stuff? It’s just lunch with an old friend.
Ignoring the way people stared as she came out of the VIP room, she bolted into the restroom and closed the stall door with a sigh. She really hoped people weren’t snapping photos of her after having seen her come in with Travis. The last thing she needed was to be on the front page of every magazine in the world and have everyone in Rock Canyon know what she was doing.
Especially Charlie. And Michael.
She didn’t want to think about how her friend would feel. She was just giving Travis a chance for old times’ sake. Besides, going to lunch was a lot different from turning your whole life upside down for your kid, and Gemma just didn’t think Travis could do it. He had always put his music first, and with how successful he was and his lack of serious relationships, it looked like he was still doing it.
It’s not fair to judge Travis when he doesn’t even know about Charlie. Maybe he would be attentive, and . . .
She cut off her inner voice, shutting out the meddlesome ideas. Gemma had spent a little over an hour in his company, and in that time she’d been photographed and stared at. She didn’t want that for Charlie; she wanted him to have a normal, happy childhood.
After this lunch, they could shake hands and say good-bye, and she’d never have to see him again. It was perfect for everyone.
As soon as we’re done, I’ll do just that.
She couldn’t get behind the lie, though. There was too much unfinished business between them, and she couldn’t deny that she was still wildly attracted to him. Indeed, if she spent any more time with him, she was going to forget why being near him wasn’t one of her better ideas.
Walking back to the booth, her knees shook a little as Travis stood there smiling at her. God, the way he still got to her was crazy.
He handed her a little green bag that held a Styrofoam container and offered his arm. “How about I walk you back to your room?”