Page 56 of Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars (Rock Canyon, Idaho 2)

The furniture was made of cherry and tasteful. When Gemma had slept here, there had been an iron bed frame and a white vanity dresser with stars painted along the side. Gone were the posters of *NSYNC, wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with books, and the bright purple butterfly bedspread. A simple navy comforter with several blue-and-white-striped pillows adorned the bed, and there was a nightstand and dresser, but nothing else.

“Wanna set your stuff down and grab an ice cream bar?”

Turning to his son, who was practically hopping from foot to foot, he said, “Sure. Ice cream sounds awesome.”

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

GEMMA HAD CALLED Rico’s Pizza before leaving work for a to-go order, but she wasn’t really hungry. Her nerves were too frazzled to think about dinner. She had tried calling Mike several times, but he kept sending her straight to voice mail. Callie and Gracie had come by for lunch, and Callie had told her to give him time. Gracie hadn’t said much, which was unusual for her. Then again, she had already voiced her opinion and Gemma had ignored her, so maybe she figured there was nothing more to add.

All day she’d been stressing and worrying about how she was going to handle this whole crazy situation. In one weekend she had turned her entire life upside down, and all because she couldn’t say no to her ex-boyfriend.

He’s not my ex-boyfriend anymore, he’s my husband. My super-hot husband, with whom I’ve broken my long-standing celibacy and who is now living under my roof.

Not that he was interested in her anymore; he’d made that perfectly clear. But when he’d grabbed her hand, she’d still felt that tug in her lower abdomen. How could something so strong be one-sided?

Don’t go there again. This situation is about Travis and Charlie, not your reawakened hormones.

Walking into Rico’s, she wished she could quiet that little voice in her head. It had absolutely no problem saying exactly what it meant, and it was annoying.

Rico stood behind the counter, a scruffy Italian man with silver at his temples and a thick New York accent, even though he’d been living in Rock Canyon for nearly twenty years.

“Hey, Rico. I called in an order,” Gemma said.

“I saw it, and don’t you worry, I fixed it for you,” Rico said, putting two large pizza boxes and a plastic salad container on the counter.

Gemma stared at the enormous amount of food. “But I only ordered a medium pizza and a salad.”

“Yes, but your new husband used to finish a whole one by himself, so I made him a special pie. You tell him to come see me soon, okay? Oh, and don’t you worry about the salad for the party; Vicky is making a spinach salad with fresh strawberries, feta, and candied walnuts, with a red wine vinaigrette.” Kissing the tips of his fingers, he added, “Fantastico.”

“Party? Rico, what party?” Gemma asked, handing him her debit card and dreading his answer.

“Your reception. Hope Weathers told Vicky, and Vicky told me that we were in charge of the salad, although just so you know, I make excellent gnocchi with a spicy cheese sauce, if you want an Italian menu instead.” He swiped her card and handed it back to her, smiling at whoever had just walked in behind her.

“Rico, there’s been a misunderstanding; there is no . . .”

The phone rang and he picked it up, gesturing for her to hold on. Gemma picked up her pizzas and salad and turned, almost running smack into Mrs. Andrews.

“Well, Gemma, I heard that boy finally made an honest woman of you. I’m glad to hear it.”

Gemma’s face burned, and she wanted to run for the door. “Thank you, Mrs. Andrews, but I have to hurry. The guys are waiting on dinner,” she said, inching toward the exit.

“Well, pencil me in for Saturday at nine. I’m your party planner, and we have a lot to do so your reception goes off without a hitch,” Mrs. Andrews said, walking up to the counter as Rico put down the phone.

Oh, what fresh hell is this?

Gemma stared in horror at the back of her head, trying to process the high-handed announcement. Mrs. Andrews was her party planner?

What else did fate have in store for her?

ARMS FULL, GEMMA came through the door to find her son and Travis sitting on the floor, playing Monopoly. Travis jumped up and came over to help her, taking the pizzas.

“Thanks,” she said, dropping her purse and laptop bag on the couch.

“Who else is coming over, the Rock Canyon football team?” Travis asked.

Her gaze met his, and his smile was real. Relaxing slightly, she said, “No. Rico decided that my order wasn’t adequate for such a big, strapping man. And he suggested that you come see him while you’re in town, but I’m pretty sure it was a command.”

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