Page 64 of Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars (Rock Canyon, Idaho 2)

No. No one was going to harass her son and disrupt their peace. If anyone tried, they’d be in for it. Her family and friends didn’t call her Mama Bear for nothing.

“Gemma, you gonna put down roots or you want me to ring ya up?” Nancy teased from the check stand.

“Sorry,” Gemma said, blushing as she pushed her cart forward and started unloading.

“Everyone’s talking about Travis and you tying the knot. I gotta say, he’s quite a looker. And that voice of his is enough to make me wish I was twenty years younger,” Nancy said, giving Gemma a wink.

Gemma gave Nancy a polite smile. She liked her a lot, but if one more person mentioned how lucky she was, or how good Travis looked, she was going to melt down in a bad way. The man was like a walking hormone inducer, with those deep blue eyes and the way he filled out his T-shirt, and she didn’t need to be reminded that all that sexiness was living under her roof ten times a day. At least Nancy wasn’t being crude, unlike Michelle Benson, who’d prodded Gemma about whether there was any correlation between Travis’s height and his penis size. Appalled, Gemma had asked her how big her own husband was, and walked away from the red-faced hussy.

“He is nice to look at,” Gemma said.

“I bet he looks even better in formal wear. Everyone’s talking about your reception, even Marcie Andrews, and that woman never gets excited about anything,” Nancy said, scanning the last item and totaling her out.

“So I’ve been told,” Gemma said and ran her debit card. “But I don’t know if we’re going to have a reception. We’re already married, and it just seems like we’re being greedy, taking up everyone’s time.”

“Nonsense; that’s crazy talk! Any excuse to throw a party, that’s all I’m saying. Plus we’re all just so proud of you finally hog-tying that boy,” Nancy said.

What was she? A desperate man chaser finally having browbeaten Travis into marrying her?

“Have a good one, Nancy,” Gemma said as she gathered up her bags, knowing her voice sounded testy but not caring anymore. Did no one in this town ever think before they spoke?

“You, too, Gemma. Oh, and don’t worry about the rolls for the reception. We’re going to supply some of those fancy ones that Kimmi makes at Christmas,” Nancy said, obviously missing the fact that she’d put her foot so far back in he

r mouth she was deep-throating it.

Gemma left the store, loaded her groceries, and climbed into the car. The minute the door slammed shut, she let out an ear-piercing scream of frustration. Sadly, it didn’t make her feel any better.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, Gemma walked through the front door, loaded down with groceries, and called, “I’m home.”

A loud bay made the hairs on her neck stand up, and Gemma screamed as a huge dog came barreling around the corner, skidding to a halt at her feet. Sucking in air like a vacuum, she looked down at the monstrous beast with floppy ears, currently tilting its head to the side as if studying her for her edibleness. Pounding feet sounded down the hallway as Charlie came around the corner to stand behind the hellhound.

“Mom, this is Annie. Dad got her for me today!”

Travis came into the room with a sheepish grin on his face, holding something in his hands. Fighting for patience, Gemma looked from her husband to the dog before finally focusing her attention on her son. “Charlie, I thought we said we would get a dog when the right one came along.”

“But she’s perfect! She’s already potty trained and she knows all of her commands. She likes cats and other dogs. And she was trained as a hunting dog. Isn’t that cool?” Charlie said, giving the dog a hug.

Gemma’s gaze shifted to the man responsible, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but words failed her when she saw the small, silvery white kitten in his big hands. Its little ears stood up and it was honestly kind of ugly, but Gemma’s outrage faded a bit. “And who’s this?”

“This is Stormy.”

Setting her groceries on the couch, Gemma reached out and took the tiny kitten from Travis. Their hands brushed, causing zings of electricity to erupt between them, and she tried not to show her reaction. Bringing the kitten against her chest, she nuzzled its soft fur, and a rumbling purr erupted from its body. Looking up at Travis, Gemma fought a smile as she said, “You are clever.”

A wide grin spread across his handsome face. “What do you mean?”

“Bringing home a kitten with the dog,” she said.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” he said, reaching out his hand to scratch the kitten’s batlike ears. “I had already picked her out when Charlie fell in love with Annie. She was just so sweet and all alone.”

Damn him. How could you not melt over a man who adopted a kitten so she wouldn’t be by herself? “As cute as she is, you really should have asked me first.”

Something clouded over Travis’s face, and she thought he would argue. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, “You’re right. I apologize.”

She was surprised, and wondered what else had happened today.

Gemma looked down at Charlie, whose eyes were starting to water, and his lower lip stuck out half an inch. It was a lost little puppy look if she ever saw one, and she reassured him, “It’s okay. It seems like you picked the right one.”

“Yes!” Charlie said, rushing around the dog to grab one of the paper grocery sacks off the couch. “Thanks, Mom!”

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