Page 28 of Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars (Rock Canyon, Idaho 2)

Gemma wished she could remember what that kiss had felt like, or the look on Travis’s face, but her mind was blank. Fresh tears filled her eyes; she had never imagined that when she got married she wouldn’t even be able to remember making her vows. Had she even walked down an aisle?

The thought that she might have been sitting during her wedding made her even more disgusted with herself. She went into the bathroom to clean up, taking her contacts out of her already irritated eyes and putting on her glasses instead. Pulling clean clothes from her bag, she changed quickly, and put the dress and shoes back in the garment bag. Gemma reached up to remove the diamond teardrop necklace, dropping it back into its velvet case.

She closed up all of her bags and then carried them from the room and back down the hallway to the elevator. As she waited impatiently, she closed her eyes against the throbbing pain in her head.

If I go to him now and tell him it was a mistake, he’ll probably agree.

But if he didn’t, where would that leave them? She had dreamed of marrying Travis every night for two years during high school, and if she was being honest, probably longer than that. But those dreams had changed when she’d held Charlie for the first time and decided to do everything in her power to make his life good.

“You’re a selfish little coward, Gemma Anne. You’re dead to me.”

If only her father was alive, he would see how true his words actually had been.

The elevator dinged, and she opened her eyes to find the same man inside. “Leaving so soon?”

“Long drive,” she said, her voice sounding raspy.

“I hear you. I drive home to South Dakota every Christmas. Seems like it takes forever some trips,” he said, giving her a smile.

Normally, Gemma would have been friendly and asked him about his family or hometown, but she just wasn’t up to it. So she said nothing, leaning back against the wall and trying not to vomit as the small box started to drop. When the elevator stopped, she carried out her bags and thanked him before making a beeline for the front desk.

Setting her keys on the counter, she said, “Checking out.”

“Of course, ma’am. How was everything?” the girl behind the desk asked, a wide, friendly smile on her face.

It was a dream come true, until I came back to reality.

“It was good, thank you. You have a lovely hotel,” she said. “Could I have an envelope and a piece of paper? I’d like to leave a note for another guest.”

“Of course, ma’am.” The girl handed her the paper, and Gemma pulled a pen from her purse. The diamond ring’s sparkle caught her eye, and she touched it lightly. It was beautifully elegant, but it wasn’t really hers. She had spent years imagining what it would be like to be Travis’s bride, to look at him on their special day and see him staring back with love in his eyes. It hadn’t been like that, though. She’d been drunk and impulsive, not really weighing what would happen the morning after, when the truth came out. Even if her feelings for Travis hadn’t changed, she had, and they never should have thought one spectacular day would prepare them for a lifetime commitment.

Besides, was that commitment even real if she barely remembered making it?

Gripping the ring, she tried to pull it off, but it wouldn’t budge. She tugged hard several times and then looked up at the receptionist’s confused expression. “Do you have any lotion or something?”

“No, ma’am, but I have some hand sanitizer.” She set the clear gel on the counter, and Gemma put a good amount over the ring until it slipped off easily. Avoiding the clerk’s obvious curiosity, she placed the ring inside the envelope and wrote Travis a short note. Sealing the letter and ring inside, she wrote his name on the front.

Handing it and the sanitizer to the clerk, she said, “Could you please make sure that this envelope and the garment bag get to Travis Bowers? He’s in Suite 1219.”

Gemma handed her a twenty and the woman smiled. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll be sure to take good care of them.”

“Thank you,” Gemma said. After paying her bill and grabbing her bags, she went in search of her car. She had a ten-hour drive home to Rock Canyon, and there was no time like the present to get started.

Looking down at her naked ring finger, she prayed that Travis would see what she was doing was for the best. She hoped he wouldn’t protest or come after her. Despite his apology for not fighting for her, she didn’t think he’d lose too much sleep over this. After all, he’d had ten years to find her—it wasn’t like her cell-phone number had ever changed. If he’d been thinking about her as much as he’d said, he would have apologized sooner.

No, it was just an intense, passionate impulse, and after a quick annulment, we’ll put it behind us, just like when we broke up before.

That’s what she told herself, but if that was the case, why did it feel like someone was ripping out her heart for the second time?

TRAVIS WOKE UP with an aching head and a dry mouth, sure signs that he’d drunk way more than he should have. Rolling over slowly, he grabbed another pillow, burying his face in the softness. It smelled fruity, with a hint of vanilla, and a smile stretched across his face.

Gemma. Last night had been incredible; from the dancing to the hot limo sex, it had been the most fun he’d had in a long while.

“I dare you.”

Travis’s whole body stiffened as he realized two things: one, there was a band on his ring finger, and two, he had flopped over onto Gemma’s side of the bed, but the sheets were cool to the touch.

Opening his eyes, he looked around, then sat up. His first sweep of the room revealed that it was empty, the only thing left of Gemma was a pair of white lacy panties on the chair in the corner.

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