Page 45 of Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars (Rock Canyon, Idaho 2)

“Most of it,” Gracie said with a sheepish grin.

“Now who’s withholding information?” Gemma said crossly, holding up her hand to stop Gracie’s no doubt witty rejoinder. “Can we play ‘The Roast of Gemma Carlson’ later? I’ve got to get Charlie.”

GEMMA KEPT LOOKING over at Charlie’s blackening eye and w

ishing she could have had a chat with the other boy’s mother. The only reason she hadn’t was because the bully had looked worse than Charlie, who had had several inches on him.

Charlie caught her looking at him and rolled his eyes. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“You get this look on your face when you’re about to go all supermom.”

Gemma laughed as she kept her gaze on the road and off her son. “I can’t help it. Mama bear’s mad.”

“I would have let it go after he hit me, but he called Kaylie the B word when she said she was going to tell.”

Gemma’s jaw clenched. She sometimes wished she could keep Charlie in a bubble, away from the world and all of the bad things that could happen to him. Every time she watched the news and heard about another school shooting, a cold sweat broke out when she pictured Charlie in a situation in which she couldn’t protect him. He had begged her to go to camp this year, and she had only agreed after talking to the owner and the camp director, and asking about the counselors’ background checks. And even then, it had taken Mike telling her she was being paranoid to get her to say yes. She knew she needed to relax and let Charlie be a kid, but it was hard to let go. Especially when the world around her told her every day to keep him sheltered.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

Gemma realized that Charlie was still talking to her. “Sorry, honey, got lost in thought for a moment there.”

“Can we stop at Stampede Burger? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, we can do that, but I need to tell you something kind of big,” Gemma said, trying to keep her tone even.

“What? Did you get me something? A four-wheeler?”

Typical boy. “No, I didn’t get you a four-wheeler. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Charlie was silent, and she caught his scowl out of the corner of his eye. “Your new boyfriend?”

“No, no boyfriend.” Taking a deep, strengthening breath, she continued, “It’s your dad. He’s in town.”

“Really?” Charlie’s voice was so soft, she could barely hear him.

“Yeah. He got in yesterday, and I was going to talk to him about introducing you two.”

In typical Charlie fashion, he said, “We don’t have to stop for food; I can eat when we get home.”

“Charlie—”

“Please, Mom.”

Gemma sighed. “I’ll grab the burgers to go, but Charlie, I have to talk to your dad first. He’s not thrilled with me for keeping you to myself.”

“Do you think he’ll like me?”

“Are you kidding?” Gemma reached over and ruffled Charlie’s hair. “He’s going to love you.”

Chapter Twelve

* * *

TRAVIS HAD BEEN sitting on Gemma’s front step for hours. He looked out over the view of the Magic Valley and took in the flat fields that gave way to the Sawtooth Mountains to the north. People didn’t always appreciate the beauty of southern Idaho, but he’d never been anywhere else that compared.

Last night he’d left Gemma and gone for a drive. He’d ended up on Highway 30, driving until he passed Bliss, and took a dirt road down to the river. Getting out of his truck, he’d sat on the hood and listened to the water as his mind raced.