“Where’s Becky tonight?” I asked. I was done with the conversation of my guests, and impatient as all hell. My eyes roamed the room again, seeking out her silky hair. I studiously ignored Tasha and Sandra, who gazed at me with star-struck longing.
“She just left,” Elle said through narrowed eyes. “Unlike some people around here, she has responsibilities.”
She was pissed, and I couldn’t figure out if she was mad at me or mad at her ex-boyfriend sitting at the table beside me, but usually Elle’s greetings were a little warmer.
“Ouch,” I drawled, easily hiding my disappointment and regret. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed Becky slipping past me. “She’s feisty tonight,” I added, sending a knowing look to Brock’s younger brother, Braden. He had dated her for the longest time when they were both still in high school. Four years ago—around the time of the first legendary hook-up with Becky—they broke up. I hadn’t seen them together since then, but damn, the sexual tension rolled off them both in waves.
“That she is,” Braden said, his eyes fixated on her. I left them to it, trying to press down on the uneasy swirl of disgust I felt over my own actions. I was laying it on thick, but really—it was a defensive mechanism.
My public persona was an easy going flirt, and I’d gotten used to the mask.
“Let’s go, I think we’ve done enough planning tonight,” Elle said to Tessa, nodding to the door. The two friends looked at each other, seeming to communicate without speaking. I used to call them the terror twins when they were kids.
“Alright, later everyone,” Tessa said, wrapping her arms around Brock’s waist when he stood up. They kissed, molding into one. “Brock, get your groomsman in line,” she warned.
“Yes ma’am,” Brock grinned, kissing her again before they separated. The girls left, and I slid into the booth beside Braden.
“Anybody need another beer?” Grady asked, standing up.
“I need one,” I nodded. “Tell O’Riley to put it on my tab.”
“The whole night’s on your tab,” Gordon joked.
“So be it,” I shrugged, unaffected. I didn’t mind sharing my wealth, but he was just kidding. None of these guys would let me pay for their beers without a scrap. Pride ran deep in this town.
“Alright, let’s plan this shit. What are we doing for the bachelor party?” Grady asked once he had returned to the table with several bottles of Budweiser. He slid one across the table for me, and I grabbed it gratefully, drinking it back.
“We could go to Vegas,” I suggested a moment later, deadly serious. I loved Vegas. Even though I’d just come from there, I’d be willing to go back tomorrow.
“Or we could go to the strip club,” Gordon countered, grinning widely and waggling his eyebrows.
“There’s strip clubs in Vegas, dumbass,” I pointed out with a smirk.
“I don’t want a bachelor party,” Brock cut in, shrugging. “And I definitely don’t want to go to Vegas.” He stole a quick glance at his younger brother. Braden was still watching after Elle like a lovesick puppy, but I caught his reference. I knew Brock didn’t want to make it difficult for him.
“Travis, are you ready to go yet?” Tasha’s singsong voice rang out just as her hand landed on my shoulder, and I fought the urge to wince. I’d forgotten they were still there. “Sandra and I are super tired,” she hinted, biting down on her lower lip and giving me fuck-me eyes. The old me would have found it sexy as hell.
Now, I just found their routine tiring. Tiring and fake.
“Paul will take you back to the hotel,” I told them, flashing them a cheeky grin to lessen the blow a little. I gestured to the burly man lingering near the door. “I’ll join you later.”
I had no desire to go back to the hotel to meet them later, and I wouldn’t. I’d still make sure they got to the airport to catch their flight, and I’d cover everything because I felt like a fucking jackass for inviting two girls I didn’t even want around in the first place, but I definitely wasn’t feeling the hookup vibe.
My thoughts were firmly rooted on someone else.
“If you insist,” Tasha pouted, linking arms with Sandra. Paul stepped toward them and they allowed him to lead them away, and I turned my attention back to my friends.
“You’re fucking crazy,” Gordon remarked, shaking his head ruefully. “You’ve got two gorgeous girls practically begging you to screw them and you’re hanging out with us? What the fuck?”
“I haven’t seen you guys in months,” I shrugged, taking a swig of the beer. I ignored Gordon’s imploring eyes and looked at Brock. “Why don’t you want a bachelor party? It’s a rite of passage.”
“It’s unnecessary,” he responded. “I’d much rather go ATVing or fishing.”
“We can do both,” I told him. “We could go ATVing this weekend, then still throw a wicked bachelor party that will rival all other bachelor parties before it.”
“I’m down for ATVing this weekend,” Grady grinned. “Feels like we haven’t been in forever.”
“That’s because we haven’t,” Gordon pointed out. “Jesus, when did we all get so goddamn boring?”
“Speak for yourselves, Travis is living the life still,” Braden smirked, glancing toward the door where my guests had just left.
“Well he’s a fucking millionaire, so no shit. Some of us have to work real jobs with shit pay,” Gordon retorted, grinning at me to show he was just kidding.
His dig pissed me off a little. I worked damn hard for my money, sacrificed sleep and time with my loved ones to bring albums to life. I spent hours on the road travelling and had paparazzi all up in my business every time I turned around.
When you’re in the public eye all the time, it was very hard to make mistakes, and the rumors that float around are vicious.
Some days, I wish I had a normal job like my friends.
“So Sunday, after the chili cook-off?” Grady suggested.
“Sounds good,” I nodded.
“Let’s make it a group thing. Unless you’re all cool with Tessa kicking our asses for leaving her out,” Braden suggested.
“Smooth, little Miller,” I called out, reaching over to give him a noogie. I was impressed with his nonchalant, smooth deliverance. It was obvious that he was looking for an excuse to spend more time with Elle. I admired his tenacity.
“Shut the fuck up, Travis,” he scowled, hitting my arm away.
I loved the Parry Sound Stampede, I’d been going since I was a little kid. I used to participate in the talent shows, and when I got older they’d set up a small stage and I’d play by the beer tent. When my first album went platinum, I continued playing every summer out of nostalgia and tradition.
The little stage by the beer tent turned into a massive stage that drew in crowds by the hundreds.
The week before the stampede was full of radio interviews and other promotional gigs that would bring in waves of fans from all over Ontario.
I was full of pent up energy. I could barely go anywhere without one of my bodyguards present, which kind of put a damper on enjoying my time back home. It was necessary, though, as a lot of the tourists were fans of mine here to watch me perform at the stampede. I couldn’t walk a foot into town without being spotted.
A few weeks after the stampede, having both Paul and Rob in the Muskoka’s wouldn’t be necessary. But during the height of tourism season, with people coming from all over to attend the renowned Parry Sound Stampede, the label didn’t give me much of a choice.
All of the bridled energy was put to good use during my show; I owned the stage, the crowd, the night.
I would never tire of performing music live. There was something about it—an energy in the air, a magic in the moment. I was in my element on stage.
After the show, I had little time to gather my wits before I headed to the Clayton’s barn for the after party. I didn’t know for certain that Becky would be there, but I hoped she was.
My eyes immediately spotted her the moment
I walked in. She was standing up in the loft, leaning against the railing beside Braden, watching the dance floor. It reminded me of the past three summers, how we’d escape this party separately the first chance we got, only to meet up in a hotel.
Our eyes locked, and she stiffened, squaring her shoulders. I made a move toward the stairs that would take me up to the loft, take me up to her, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned my head to look, seeing Elle Thompson and a tall guy with dark blond hair I’d never seen before.
“Hey Travis! Great show!” Elle said, giving me a huge hug that I knew was her way of apologizing for the harshness she displayed the other night. “This is my boyfriend, Alex Hastings.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Alex grinned, shaking my hand. “I’m a big fan of your music.”
“Thanks man,” I said, pumping my arm a little harder than necessary. I was tweaking out being so close to her yet unable to see her. We made small talk for a few minutes about the concert turn out and the weather.
Alex wasn’t a bad guy, by any means, but it was obvious that Elle wasn’t digging him as much as she was pretending to. The chemistry between her and Braden the other night had been off the charts. She held Alex’s hand, but she might as well have been on the other side of the room. Her eyes kept going up to the loft where Braden stood.
“Well, we should head on up to see everyone. Catch you later, Travis,” Elle said, leading Alex toward the loft. I watched them go, my eyes raising to the railing. Becky was no longer leaning against it. She’d taken several steps back and was resting against one of the wooden beams that supported the roof, engaged in a conversation with Tessa.
I did my best to keep moving through the crowd quickly, but several more people stopped to talk to me. They were buzzing from the concert still, amped up and excited to talk to me and snap pictures with me. These were the people who got me where I was, and I couldn’t blow them off…even if I wanted to.
Finally, after what seemed like hours later, I was able to break away from the adoring townsfolk. I passed Brock and Tessa on the dance floor, completely enthralled with each other. It didn’t look like they’d be staying for much longer. Chuckling, I made it up to the loft.
Becky was still leaning against the wooden support beam, a drink in her hand that she occasionally sipped from while watching the people dancing below.
She wore brown cowgirl boots, a denim jacket and a sundress, the white lace falling just above her kneecaps. Her dark hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, with soft curls falling just above her shoulder blades. Her outfit was cute and classy, and it made the lust stir acutely in my veins.
“Do you want to dance?” I asked, startling her from her thoughts.
“Travis,” she sighed, her tone one of warning.
“Come on Becs, one little dance won’t hurt. Bet it’d be a lot more fun than just leaning against that beam. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Her eyes darted back to the dance floor. I followed her gaze, watching as Brock led Tessa through the throngs of dancers and out the door. I had a feeling they wouldn’t be coming back.
She looked back at me and bit her lip, debating as her blue eyes searched mine. She could tell that I wasn’t going to so easily give up—especially with both of her brothers gone. Sighing, she tossed back her drink and set it on the bar. “Alright, fine. Just one dance.”
I took her hand and she allowed me to walk her down the loft stairs to the dance floor just as The Zac Brown Band came on with Whatever It Is.
Gently, I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her toward me. She reached up, encircling my neck, her hands resting between my shoulder blades. She kept her back straight and a respectable distance between the two of us. Her eyes skirted across the crowded dance floor nervously.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said, biting her lip, the white of her tooth sinking in to the natural pink flesh. I brought my thumb up, freeing it. “People are staring.”
“People always stare, there’s nothing else to do in this town,” I pointed out. She laughed reluctantly, her eyes softening as she looked at me.
I could very well lose myself for hours in her eyes, but she looked away. For the rest of the song, her head rested against my chest. I didn’t ever want to let her go, but when the song ended…I had no choice.
“Thanks for the dance, Travis. I’ll see you around,” she told me, pulling out of my embrace. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the back of her hand. She paused, looking down at our hands before glancing back at me.
I wanted to tell her that I missed her; that I wanted a chance to prove to her that what we had between us was real and deserved a chance, but I choked.
“It was good seeing you again, Becs,” I said instead. She bit her lip, nodding at me before disappearing into the crowd.
Becky
“Oh good! Braden and Elle just pulled up,” Tessa called out the next afternoon.
“Braden and Elle? As in... together?” I asked, raising my head to glance at her. She was staring out the open screen door, but she turned to look at me over her shoulder. Her honey coloured hair was pulled into a long, somewhat messy braid that hung thickly down her back.
“Yes, together. I may have sent him to fetch her,” she answered, a mischievous glint in her eyes and a wicked little smile on her face.
I opened my mouth, but before I could ask what her motives were, the screen door was already slamming behind her. It didn’t really matter, I sort of knew what her motives were.
Although she didn’t say as much, Tessa kept throwing Braden and Elle together, as if she hoped they’d work out their differences. I adored Elle, having gotten to know her when she was dating Braden and almost a permanent fixture in our house. She used to be great for Braden, but that was then.
Now she was seeing another guy, and the last thing I wanted was for my brother to get hurt again. Braden didn’t handle hurt well.
Neither one of us did.
Pushing the overbearing, protective big sister thoughts aside, I continued laying out the bread for sandwiches on Brock’s wooden cutting board.
Nervous anticipation danced in the pit of my belly as sounds from out front drifted into the kitchen. It was the calm before the storm; Travis would be joining us at any moment.
Aiden was the only child within the group, as Katie and Ben had a birthday party to attend for Katie’s niece, and it looked like I would be the only single person, unless Travis came without his groupies. I almost hoped he would bring someone, ridding me of the temptation I felt when around him. After the dance we shared the night before, I was having an even harder time sticking to my resolve to end our arrangement.
His touch had evoked strong desires within me, and I knew if I had stayed any longer…I’d let those desires take the wheel and end up right back in his arms again. So I’d left, returning home to send the babysitter on her way and bask in the silence and my thoughts.
My head wasn’t any clearer after all that thinking.
Tessa walked back into the kitchen, followed closely by Elle. They came to stand in front of the island, where I’d set out three coolers and spread out all the condiments I’d need to make sandwiches.
“You’re such a mom,” Elle grinned at me, affectionately shaking her head.
I froze. Even though she meant no harm with her statement, her words had struck a nerve within me. I was such a mom. There wasn’t anything wrong with that, either. I smiled and lifted my shoulder in a shrug. “You can’t turn it off.”
We worked in compatible silence for the next ten minutes, quickly putting together the sandwiches and packing the coolers.
“That should be enough.” I closed the lid on the food cooler with an inward sigh. No more hiding out in the house.
Grabbing the first cooler, I carried it outside while Elle and Tessa grabbed the remaining two. I tied my cooler to the storage racks on the back of my ATV while Tessa tied the one she was carrying to hers and Elle secured the
final cooler to Brock’s ATV.
I glanced around at the people gathered by the garage. Brock, Braden, Grady, Gordon, Tommy, Peter, and Ezra were busy talking about all the work Brock had done with Gordon’s crew. They’d built the cabin a few years ago, and had just completed the detached garage that housed our ATVs and the two snowmobiles Brock bought.
Aiden was beside Braden, trying to stand as tall as his uncles and be included in their manly conversation. Hunter lumbered over, nudging Aiden’s hand with his large head, looking for attention. I smiled at the way my son’s eyes lit up as he kneeled to pet the dog.
When Brock first brought Hunter home, I’d been hesitant to let a wolf mix hang around my son. But he had never so much as growled at a child, and he was the most well behaved dog I’d ever been around.
He was happiest when Brock was around, but Aiden was a close second. Hunter watched out for him ever since meeting him four years ago. Any time they were together, the old dog would place his body between Aiden’s and any potential threats—be it the road or a stranger.
“He’s really shot up,” Elle remarked, smiling in his direction.
“He did,” I agreed, nodding as I gazed at my son. At seven years old, Aiden was fiercely independent. His attempts at sneaking into my bed at night were less frequent. Now, he only crawled in with me if he’d watched a scary movie and couldn’t fall asleep.
“I bet he doesn’t even remember me,” she sighed. “Four years is a long time…”
“He remembers you,” I said, unintentionally sounding gloomy. Aiden had a remarkable memory. When Elle arched a brow in question, I shrugged. “There’s pictures of you in Braden’s room. He never packed anything away before he left, and I wasn’t about to do it.”
Tessa chose that moment to drag Elle away to meet the girls that her brothers’ had brought along. I remained near my ATV, watching the scene carry out before me, as I had already introduced myself when they first arrived. Paige and Samantha had seemed very friendly, and to her credit—Annaka did too. She was just intimidating with her artfully made up face, beautiful tattoos and ash-purple hair.
Rebel Song: (Rebel Series Book 3) ((Rebel Series)) Page 10
