Chapter Twenty-Six
* * *
BY THURSDAY NIGHT, Travis couldn’t wait to get back to his room and sleep until the concert on Friday. After negotiations with George, a video chat with the head of Off Road Records, and the long list of interviews and events he’d done that day, he was ready for his tour to be over.
He’d also put in a call to Sally Barrett of Rock Canyon Realty, who was getting him a list of land for sale in the area. If he had some time, he might as well build his dream house, and for that he needed the perfect spread.
Pulling out his cell phone, he called Gemma’s home phone. He wanted to talk to Charlie to see how he was doing.
And tell Gemma how much I miss her.
Of course he missed her. He missed her lying next to him, running her finger over his stomach as she talked to him. He missed the way her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose, and the way she cursed as she pushed them back up. The warmth of her hand in his, the smell of her skin, and the way she laughed. Everything about being away from her reminded him of how much he wished she were there.
“Hello?” an older woman’s voice sang on the other end of the line.
“Hello. I was calling to talk to Charlie.”
“I’m sorry, he’s not here right now. Travis? Is that you? It’s Gemma’s mom.”
“Mrs. Carlson? How are you?” he asked. He’d always liked the older woman; she’d been a lot friendlier than her husband.
“I’m fine, Travis, and I think you can call me Jeanie. After all, we’re family now.”
Awkward. “Thanks, Jeanie. Do you know when Charlie’s going to be back?”
“Not sure, maybe in a few hours. That kitten you brought home is just the sweetest thing,” she said.
Home. Clearing his throat to cover the emotion in his voice, he said, “Yeah, she is. I miss the little squirt.”
“I think she misses you, too. I know Charlie sure does . . .” Jeanie said, before adding, “and Gemma.”
I doubt that. “Can you just let Charlie know I called?” Travis asked, avoiding her subtle hint.
“Sure can, Travis. Thanks for calling,” Jeanie said.
As he sprawled across the king-size bed, his hand smoothed the empty place next to him, and for the hundredth time in the last two days, he wished Gemma was there.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, and with a sigh, he stood up to answer it.
He looked through the keyhole and pulled the door open. “Hello, Chelsey.”
“Hey, Travis,” she said, reaching out to hug him. He sidestepped her, her eyes narrowed, and he wondered why he’d ever thought it was a good idea to mess around with her. It had only happened once, and he’d stopped it before anything serious had happened, but it was also the last time he’d invited her out drinking with the rest of the crew. He’d tried to let her down easy, but, apparently, she’d been holding a grudge.
“Heard you wanted to see me,” she said, placing a hand on her narrow hip.
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know you won’t be opening tomorrow night,” he said, thinking about all the hell this woman had caused because she was angry with him. She was about to find out that you didn’t mess with him.
He could tell the minute his words registered and her self-assurance melted away. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re off my tour and off the label, effective immediately,” he said, pulling a beer from his mini-fridge and popping the top.
“You . . .” she stammered, “you can’t do that!” Her voice rose on the last word, and she looked like she was on the verge of stamping her foot.
“Honey, I’ve been with this label for ten years and have made them a lot of money. You’re nothing but a jealous twit who likes to talk to the press when she doesn’t get her way. If I see you again on my tour, or find out that you talked to the press about me or my family, I’ll do more than send you back to singing in bars. I’ll make sure you never work in Nashville again.”
Chelsey’s skin turned a milky green as her voice broke. “Come on, Travis. I wouldn’t do that. It’s not even like I knew your little girlfriend’s last name, anyway.”
“But you knew we went to high school together,” he said, tipping back the beer and chugging half of it down. “The thing about reporters is, they say their sources are confidential, but as you proved firsthand, everybody has their price.”
No longer playing the victim, she smirked. “You think you’re untouchable, Travis? I’ve got friends, too, powerful friends, and they won’t let you fire me.”
“If you’re talking about any of the studio executives you’ve f*cked or even your manager, believe me, they won’t help you.” He finished up his beer and smiled. “Everyone has their dirty little secrets, Chelsey, and it turns out yours is married men. I don’t need to tell you that although people love a good cheating song, homewreckers are never tolerated.”
He saw that he finally had her scared and walked to the door, holding it open for her. “So, here’s the deal: You get the hell off my tour, and as long as I never see your face again, I won’t be tempted to sling my own dirt around. Are we clear?”
She stomped past him in a rage and hissed, “F*ck you, Travis.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
ON FRIDAY MORNING, Gemma was twisting her hands nervously as she got off the elevator in Travis’s hotel. Charlie had wanted to come with her, but she’d told him she needed to talk to his father by herself first. Gracie had dropped her off at the Boise Airport on Thursday afternoon, but she hadn’t been able to get on a flight to Sacramento until six a.m. that morning.
Walking down the hallway to his suite, she took a deep breath before knocking. She waited a moment, listening for rustling inside, but there was nothing. Tapping on the door a few more times, she finally heard grumbling.
The door jerked open, and Travis, looking handsomely rumpled in a pair of boxers and nothing else, said, “Gemma? What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you,” she said. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure, come on in,” he said. Stepping back to let her pass, her shoulder brushed his chest, and she had to remind herself that stopping to snuggle against him was no longer her privilege.
Closing the door behind her, he reached down to grab his jeans off the floor. Sticking one leg in, he said, “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Straight to the point. “I wanted to apologize for blaming you for those reporters. I was out of line and I’m sorry.”
Buttoning his pants, he seemed to be weighing her apology. “Okay.”
That hadn’t been the response she was looking for. “Okay? That’s it?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know. Something besides okay,” she said, knowing she was being ridiculous but unable to stop herself.
“I appreciate the apology. As it was, you were partly right. It was my fault we were leaked to the press.”
“You know who it was?” Gemma asked.
“Chelsey Cooper. She leaked your first name and our high-school connection to the papers after she saw the picture of us leaving the chapel. The media must’ve dug up the rest,” Travis said as he pulled a T-shirt out of his bag and put it on.
“Why would she do that?”
“Apparently, she holds a grudge and has issues with rejection.” Travis crossed his arms with a triumphant smile and said, “But after this little stunt, she’ll think twice before making trouble.”
If the woman hadn’t created a permanent black mark in Gemma’s mind, she would feel bad for her. “There’s something else.”
Travis sat on the bed. “Yeah?”
“I lied when I said I didn’t love you. I was angry about the reporters, and scared that when you went back to this life, it would be over anyway. I know I’ve probably screwed up beyond repair, but I just needed you to know that I was a coward. You are all I’ve ever wanted from the time I was sixteen, but I spent my life keeping my heart trapped away in a little box, afraid of it getting trampled, and I never truly opened it. I came here to tell you that I’m ready. I’m all in, if you’ll have me, because if you won’t, I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life. No one could ever love me the way you do. You’ve forgiven me when other people wouldn’t, you’ve loved me when I couldn’t even love myself, and you’ve shown me that some things are worth fighting for. I accused you of not fighting for me, but the truth is, I’ve never fought for anything. It’s been easier for me to wrap myself in my protective bubble, so I don’t get hurt, but that’s not living. I want to live my life to the fullest . . . and I can’t do that without you in it.”
Halfway through her speech she’d started crying, but she didn’t try to wipe the tears away; she just waited for him to say something. Anything.
Finally, he stood up and ran a hand through his tousled hair. “Okay. I appreciate your apology and your honesty; I do. And I hope you understand that I need some time to think.”
Gemma couldn’t blame him for his doubts and reluctance, but it still ripped her insides apart. She wanted to beg and plead, wanted to get down on her knees, but she had a feeling Travis wouldn’t appreciate her falling apart on him. “How much time?”
“I don’t know. When I saw you in Vegas, all I wanted was to have you. I was all in; even after I found out about Charlie, I was willing to move on. And you looked me in the eye and told me to leave. So, I need some time to figure out if I have anything left in me that wants to make this work.” Slipping his hands in his pockets, he said, “I’ve decided to settle down in Rock Canyon so I can be close to Charlie, and when I have my next break during the tour, I’m hoping to come see him for a few days.”
Wiping at her nose, she nodded. “Of course you can see him as much as you want.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m hoping we can be friends, but if not, at least civil. For Charlie’s sake.”
“We’ve never had any trouble being friends.” Starting for the door, she paused and looked up into his eyes. “Thanks for hearing me out. I’ll tell Charlie you’ll see him soon.”
Turning away from him, she walked out of the door, trying to control the dam that threatened to burst.
“FIFTEEN MINUTES TO showtime, Mr. Bowers,” Kenny said, poking his head into the dressing room.
“Thanks, Kenny,” Travis said as he put his Stetson on his head. Checking his phone again, he wondered if Gemma had flown back home. He kept telling himself he’d made the right move. He wasn’t lying about wanting time to decide whether he was willing to give it another chance, but it had been so hard to let her walk away when she’d been laying her heart out for him.
The last few days, all he’d thought of was what he’d say when he saw her again. When he’d opened his mouth to respond to her heartfelt apology, he hadn’t planned on telling her he needed time. He’d had no idea what was going to come out, but he now knew time was exactly what they needed. Time apart. Time to figure out whether this was something worth saving. No sense in rushing back into things and repeating the same mistakes.
Kenny popped his head in again. “Hey, boss, someone says your wife’s on Music City News right now.”
“What?” Travis grabbed the remote and flipped the TV on, hollering, “What channel is that?”
“Channel 10, I think.”
Travis changed the channel, and sure enough, Gemma was sitting in her living room with a big-haired blonde.
“Gemma, you decided not to tell Travis about your son. Why?” Big Hair asked.
Gemma swallowed nervously. “Why? I used to have a lot of reasons I told myself to justify my actions, but I guess the biggest reason was fear. I was scared that he wouldn’t want us, or that he would eventually resent me and then our son for holding him back. I was terrified of him going out on the road and finding someone better. I guess it just boils down to me being selfish.”
“I think those all sound like rational fears for a pregnant seventeen-year-old,” Big Hair said kindly.
“Rational perhaps, but that doesn’t make it right. He should have had a chance to decide if he wanted to be a part of mine and Charlie’s life, but I didn’t give him that,” Gemma said.
“So, all the stories about you blackmailing him for money . . .?” Big Hair prodded.
“The first time Travis found out he had a son was two weeks ago, right after we were married,” Gemma said.
“Why didn’t you tell him then? You were already married.”
“Well, I didn’t think we would stay married, and with how crazy his life was, I wasn’t sure if I wanted Charlie around all the chaos, but I was wrong again. I didn’t trust Travis to put his son first.”
“That’s a hard thing to admit, I imagine,” Big Hair said. “What was your wedding like? Is it true you were both too drunk to remember it clearly?”
Gemma’s eyes widened, and Travis cursed. If the look on her face was any indication, they hadn’t rehearsed that question.
Then Gemma’s surprise melted into a soft, dreamy smile. “No, that’s not true. In fact, I just received our wedding video in the mail. Would you like to see it?”
Travis sucked in his breath.
As the feed cut to the wedding video, Travis watched with a heavy heart and a knotted stomach. Everything he had felt during the ceremony came flooding back.
The clip lasted a few short minutes, and when it was over, Big Hair said, “That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us. You both look like you were very happy. I understand your hometown is putting together a reception for you. Did you ask them to do that?”
“No, but I appreciate their support. Our first wedding was spontaneous and romantic, but it wasn’t right,” Gemma said.
While Travis digested that, Big Hair pounced. “What do you mean, it wasn’t ‘right’? Do you mean you shouldn’t have gotten married at all?”
Gemma looked right into the camera. “No, I’m not saying that. I love Travis. He’s the only man I’ve ever loved. I meant it wasn’t right because we should have waited until there were no more secrets. We should have been married in our hometown church, surrounded by our friends and family. I wanted to have our son walk me down the aisle and share in our vows. Afterward, I’d laugh as I watched everyone do the chicken dance, and we’d cut the beautiful cake my best friend Gracie would make. Travis would pretend like he was going to smash some cake into my face, but in the end he’d be sweet. And when it was all over, we’d head off on our honeymoon. That’s how we should have done it.”
Travis watched, mesmerized, as Big Hair asked, “Where would you honeymoon?”
“In Stanley, at this little log cabin in the mountains.”
“Time to go, Mr. Bowers,” Kenny said.
“Shhhh.”
“Of all the places in the world, why there?” Big Hair asked.
“Because it’s where I realized that I’d never love anyone else,” Gemma said.
Gemma had gone on national television and told them everything, including about her feelings for him. If she had stood in a crowd with a homemade I LOVE YOU sign, it couldn’t have been more romantic or clearer.
Turning to the open door, Travis handed Kenny his cell phone. “I need you to do something for me.”
GEMMA HAD BEEN back home for two days and hadn’t heard a thing from Travis. That morning she’d gotten up early to open the shop. Charlie had headed back to Boise with her mom for a visit, and in all honestly, Gemma was glad for the time alone. Except she would be a little sad to go home tonight to that big house by herself. Maybe she would invite Gracie over for a slumber party.
Picking up a stack of books that needed shelving, she went to the romance aisle and started searching the author names.
Just as she was finishing, the bell on the front door jangled.
“I’ll be right with you,” she called, slipping the last book into place before standing up. As she walked around the corner, she froze.
Standing in the doorway with his guitar in hand was Travis, looking tired, rumpled, and so damn good she wanted to run to him.
“Hey.”
Taking a slow step toward him, she said, “Hey, yourself.”
He swung up the guitar and strummed the strings. “So, I’ve been working all weekend on this new song, but it didn’t feel right. I was hoping you could give me a second opinion.”
Gemma swallowed hard before answering. “Why don’t you play it for me?”
The smile he flashed her made her hold onto the bookshelf, her legs were trembling so bad. “I thought you’d never ask.”
His fingers worked over the strings as he sang clearly:
“It couldn’t be real, falling that young,
That’s what I was told by everyone,
But there was something about you,
That stayed with me through,
My lonely nights and months on the road,
And when I saw you again, I couldn’t let you go.”
Gemma’s eyes filled with tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“I love you, I know you; don’t want to forget you,
’Cause you’re the one I want, yeah I always knew,
No other woman in the world could
ever make me feel the way you do.
You got to me. Oh darling, you got to me.
And I just can’t shake you.”
As he finished the song, he walked toward her, taking his time until he stood right in front of her. Gemma was crying so hard she could hardly see, and she stood perfectly still as he reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek.
“What did you think?”
“Oh, Travis, it was so lovely, I . . . does it mean—”
“Gemma, I’ve had some time to think.” His hand cradled her cheek. “I’ve decided that if you’re in this, then so am I.”
“I’m in this, I swear, I’m in this all the—”
Cutting off her vehement assurances with his kiss, she could do nothing but wrap her arms around his waist and return it. The kiss continued for several minutes, neither of them wanting to let go. Finally, Travis took her shoulders in his hands and laid his forehead against hers.
“I thought I blew it. I thought . . .” she gasped.
“I love you. That’s all I know, all I’ll ever know.” Sliding down to his knees, he held onto her hand and kissed her knuckle as he reached into his pocket to pull out the diamond ring he’d bought her in Vegas.
“Gemma Anne Carlson, you’ve put me through the ringer, there’s no doubt about it. Our life will never be simple or easy, but I’m ready to take on every obstacle it wants to throw at us, as long as I get to spend the rest of it with you.” Slipping the ring onto her finger, he continued, “We share a bittersweet past and a roller-coaster present, but I have a good feeling that the future is going to be a smoother ride. So, I’m down on my knees, asking you for the second time if you’ll marry me. What do you say, Gem? You in?”
Squeezing his hand hard, she said, “I’m in.”