Rebel Song: (Rebel Series Book 3) ((Rebel Series))

by J. C. Hannigan

  My phone vibrated in my jeans. I pulled it out of my pocket, noticing I had a text message from Katie. All it contained was a link to an article on a celebrity gossip website. I clicked it, seeing several blurry pictures of me in Nashville. Then I read the headline;

  Notorious playboy country singer Travis Channing was spotted back in Nashville earlier this week with a blonde beauty.

  I snorted, shaking my head and sliding the phone back into my pocket. I looked up, catching Becky’s eye, and shook my head slightly. I was equal parts amused and pissed off.

  Of course she’d seen the article and would have taken it the wrong way, but it stung that she’d sooner throw up walls than talk to me about it.

  Shortly after dinner was served, Becky got up and headed to the bathroom. I waited a minute before standing up and walking to the hallway where the bathrooms were located. I leaned back against the wall, resting with my foot on it.

  The hallway provided enough privacy that even if someone from our table looked over, they wouldn’t see us.

  A moment later, the door swung open and she stepped out. She paused when she saw me waiting in the hallway.

  “What, Travis?” she demanded, crossing her arms. My expression somber, I stepped away from the wall.

  “I just wanted to let you know that the woman I was pictured with in Nashville is my mother, Becs. If you’re looking for a reason to be pissed at me, you’ll have to find another one,” I told her.

  Her eyes flashed with regret and embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to look at me.

  I stepped a little closer, tipping her chin so she’d finally look at me. “You are the only woman I’ve been with in two years.”

  “But…I thought…” she trailed off.

  “That I was carrying on with every girl I met?” I filled in the blanks she’d left, smiling sadly. “I tried to—you told me to, and I thought I meant what I said about not wanting commitment. I did mean it, when I said it. But...you were all I wanted, and you’re still all I want. One day—sooner or later—you’re going to believe that.”

  It took everything I had to pull my hand back and walk away, but I knew I needed to give her space to process.

  Becky

  After the rehearsal dinner, we headed to the Armstrong’s farm while the groomsmen went to Brock’s cabin. Tessa invited all of the bridesmaids to spend the night at her family’s farm so that her cousin, Cheyenne, could do our makeup and hair in the morning.

  I brought Aiden with me to Tessa’s, knowing that sleeping arrangements at Brock’s would be even more cramped than they were at the Armstrong homestead.

  “Why couldn’t I go with Uncle Brock and Uncle Braden?” Aiden asked when I tucked him into Tessa’s bed.

  “Because, you’re going to bed now anyway. You’ve got an important role tomorrow, and you need your sleep,” I responded, kissing him on the forehead. Aiden was the ring bearer, and he’d been excited about it ever since Brock had asked him.

  “Okay,” he said, yawning. He was already half asleep. Once his head touched the pillow, it would only be a matter of minutes before he drifted off. He’d always been that way. “Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you too, Aiden. Goodnight baby,” I whispered, kissing his cheek before I snuck out of Tessa’s bedroom. I closed the door gently and headed back downstairs.

  In my absence, the girls had spread out sleeping bags and pillows. I paused by the railing, watching the scene play out before me with a small smile on my lips. I’d never gone to a slumber party before, and I’d imagined this is exactly what one would be like.

  Elle was passing around glasses of wine, and everyone was chattering with excitement.

  “I can’t believe tomorrow is finally the day!” Tessa exclaimed. She was sitting cross legged on the floor with a large glass of wine in hand.

  “I know! How are your feet?” Cheyenne giggled, shoving Tessa’s foot with her toes.

  “Toasty warm!” she grinned.

  Katie motioned for me to join her. She’d spread out a sleeping bag for me beside hers, and held out a glass of wine for me. I sat down, accepting the glass gratefully. It had been a hectic, stressful last few days.

  “I told you there was more to the story than meets the eye,” Katie said low enough for only me to hear. My eyes flickered over to Cheyenne and Tessa.

  I felt embarrassed whenever I looked at Cheyenne. I’d jumped to my own conclusions when I’d seen the pictures of Travis with a blonde woman in Nashville, and when Cheyenne had sat down beside him…I’d actually thought she was the blonde woman in the photos.

  When Travis cornered me outside of the bathroom to tell me the woman was his mother, I realized how foolish I’d been. None of those pictures had suggested a sexual relationship, but I’d let the so called article get into my head, like the insecure fool that I was.

  “We’ll see,” I sighed. “This is what I meant when I said I had way too many issues. Travis isn’t going to want to stick around.”

  “I call bullshit,” Katie retorted quietly. “He’s really into you.” I paused, thinking about our exchange in the hallway of the restaurant a few hours before. He’d been so sweet, so reassuring, although I knew my accusations had wounded him.

  Getting comfortable, I laid-back with my head on the pillow. My limbs were heavy with exhaustion, and it wasn’t long until I drifted off, the sound of quiet chatter a welcome lullaby.

  The ceremony had been breathtaking, there simply wasn’t another way to describe it. I was forever grateful that Cheyenne had brought her airbrushing kit and used waterproof mascara. Had she not, I likely would have cried off all of my makeup watching Tessa and Brock as they stood beneath the arbor and vowed to love each other in sickness and in health.

  I ached with sadness that Mom was missing out on this beautiful day, but I knew she’d want us to enjoy it. When Brock had asked me to stand in her place and dance with him during the mother-son dance, I’d been honoured, and though I’d had to hold the tears back from slipping down my cheeks the whole time, I felt her presence with us.

  Valerie picked up Aiden around nine to take him back to her house for the night so that I wouldn’t have to leave the reception early. I watched her taillights disappear down Tessa’s driveway before turning back to the reception tent.

  Tessa was standing on her tippy toes, trying to peer around with an urgent look on her face. I walked over quickly. “What’s wrong?”

  “We have ten minutes before we do the bouquet toss, and I can’t find Elle,” she answered. I’d just been outside to see Aiden off, but I hadn’t seen Elle. Of course, I hadn’t been looking for her either.

  “I’ll find her, don’t panic,” I said, gently squeezing her arm. I gave her a reassuring smile before I released her.

  “Who are you looking for?” Travis asked, appearing at my elbow when I was searching faces at the tables. We’d walked down the aisle together and posed together for photographs, but we hadn’t gotten an opportunity to talk to one another. But I was still aware of him.

  “Elle, or Alex. Or even Braden at this point,” I sighed. I didn’t have a good feeling about all three of them missing at the same time.

  “I just saw Alex leave the tent,” Travis supplied. “Want me to help you find them?”

  “No, that’s alright,” I told him, my lips curling up in the hint of a smile. “If they come back, tell them we’re going to do the bouquet toss soon.”

  “Will do,” Travis answered, his eyes twinkling. “Save me a dance, okay?”

  “Maybe,” I smiled back, relieved that he wasn’t angry about the way I had reacted when I found out about his Nashville trip and assumed the worst.

  I stepped out of the tent, spotting Elle and Braden standing just before it. “There you guys are!” I said, slowing when I saw Elle’s tear streaked face. “What did you do?” I demanded, glaring at my brother.

  “It’s not his fault,” Elle interrupted, trembling. “I-I think Alex and I just broke
up.”

  “Oh Elle, I’m sorry,” I said, hugging her. I shot Braden a suspicious look. He was totally at fault. I’d warned him to leave her be, and of course he hadn’t listened. Not that I’d expected him to.

  “What’s happening inside?” Elle asked, immediately slipping back into her maid-of-honour hat. I recognized the avoidance tactic.

  “We’re getting ready to do the garter and bouquet toss,” I answered cautiously.

  “Great,” Elle exhaled. I turned to head inside, assuming they’d be right behind me. Tessa was still waiting by the stage. She approached Elle and they talked for a minute. I wandered over to stand beside Katie near the dance floor to wait for the bouquet toss.

  Little White Church played while Tessa walked out to the middle of the dance floor and stopped, standing with her back to the crowd of single women behind her, myself included. She looked over her shoulder and grinned wickedly before looking forward again. Tossing the bouquet over her head, it sailed through the air and into Sue Thompson’s hands.

  “Who’s the lucky guy, Sue?” Tommy joked. Sue waved her hand, her face red with embarrassment. Tommy called all of the bachelors to the dance floor, and I moved to stand off to the side. I passed Travis, and the back of his hand brushed against mine. He winked at me, clearly enjoying himself and the open bar.

  Kenny Loggin’s Danger Zone blasted out of the speakers as Brock dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his back. His head disappeared beneath Tessa’s dress, and he painstakingly removed the garter with his teeth. He stood up, flinging it over his shoulder. It flew straight at Tessa’s dad and landed on his shoulder.

  “Was that intentional?” Tommy asked, laughing. Bill buckled forward and laughed deeply.

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “You know, that’s not a bad idea…” Katie said thoughtfully from beside me. “Bill and Sue, I mean.”

  “Everybody knows Bill never got over his wife,” I responded.

  Katie shrugged. “If I ever died, I wouldn’t want Ben to be married to my memory. I’d want him to move on.”

  “You can’t force people to move on,” I sighed, watching as Braden took Elle’s hand and lead her out on the dance floor.

  Before Katie could respond, Ben grabbed her from behind. “Dance with me, wife,” he said, his lips close to her ears. She laughed and sent me an apologetic look.

  “Go on, have fun!” I told her, smiling. I was content to watch everyone around me enjoy themselves.

  My eyes found Travis’s across the dance floor. He brought the beer he was drinking to his lips, taking a deep sip. He licked his lips sensually, his eyes full of promise and lust.

  “You look like you needed a drink,” Sam exclaimed, appearing out of nowhere and offering me a tall glass. I’d seen her sitting at the ceremony and during speeches, but I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her.

  “That I do,” I sighed gratefully, reluctantly pulling my eyes away from him. I smiled at Sam and took the drink from her. “It’s good to see you again! How have you been?”

  Sam looked beautiful in a deep purple lace dress, her brown hair curled and held back in intricate braids.

  “I’ve been good! Quite the wedding, huh?” she remarked, watching everybody on the dance floor. Tommy was wearing his tie on his forehead, dancing like a baboon.

  “Yeah, it is,” I smiled, relieved that everything had gone so wonderfully for Brock and Tessa. Sure, we’d had a few hitches—like the slight tear in Tessa’s dress after the last bathroom trip, and the whole Alex and Elle situation. It was the first wedding I had been a part of, but I’d heard a lot of horror stories from the girls at work.

  “That first dance song was incredible, wasn’t it?” she asked, her eyes darting back to mine and twinkling.

  “Yeah, it was incredible.” My gaze drifted back to Travis. He sat at a table with Brock’s old friend from work, Grayson, and his fiancé—Everly Daniels, the lead singer of one of my favourite bands. To say I’d been shocked when I saw her walk up to the microphone to join Travis in a duet was an understatement. I hadn’t even known my brother knew her, let alone that she’d be coming to the wedding to sing with Travis.

  They’d sounded incredible together, and I’d been reduced to tears while I watched my brother and his new wife spin around on the dance floor and listened to their soulful duet.

  “Did you figure it out with him yet?” Sam asked tentatively.

  I bit my lip and shrugged with one shoulder, glancing back to her. “Not really. Did you figure it out with Tommy?”

  “Not really,” she responded with a small laugh. “He still looks at me like a friend.”

  “But he invited you to the wedding. That has to mean something.”

  “It means he didn’t know who else to ask and didn’t want to show up alone,” Sam shrugged. “It’s cool though, I have a secret addiction to weddings. They’re so beautiful and dream-like.”

  “Well, I’m glad you came,” I told her earnestly.

  “Sam! Come dance!” Tommy called out, waving her forward.

  Sam downed her glass of wine and gave me a timid smile. “At least everybody’s drunk enough to not notice how terribly I dance.”

  “And with Tommy as a partner, I’m sure you’ll look like a pro,” I laughed, watching as Tommy did the sprinkler. She smiled, shaking her head as she walked out to join him.

  The next few hours slipped by quickly, and around midnight, Tessa and Brock left for the airport. Soon after, the night started to wind down as more and more people began to leave the dance floor. Tommy and Sam left when she could no longer stand, and Katie and Ben had taken off shortly after. Gordon, Annaka, Grady, Paige, and to my complete surprise—Bill and Sue—were still tearing it up on the dance floor.

  My feet were throbbing and my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. I had danced a lot, although not with Travis. I’d wanted to, but I hadn’t trusted myself to keep it PG, and I wasn’t ready to come out in the open with whatever it was we were doing.

  Our eyes met from across the dance floor, and the look within his hazel depths had me putting my glass down and turning to leave the reception tent. His desire roared through me, tangling with mine and adding fuel to the fire within me. I knew if we met out on the dance floor, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off him. The seven glasses of wine I’d consumed throughout the night made certain of that fact.

  I could hear someone following me, and I knew without looking that it was Travis. The gravel crunched beneath his dress shoes, and he came to a stop just behind me.

  “Come back to my place,” he whispered, catching a curl and tucking it behind my ear. I couldn’t help but melt against him, the feel of his lips on my neck made me grind my ass against his thickening erection.

  I turned into his embrace, my hands tightening their hold on his crisp dress shirt. “Okay,” I whispered. He kissed me. I responded ardently, my tongue dancing with his, my teeth gently biting into his bottom lip. My need was blinding my ability to take things slow.

  “I want you; so fucking bad it actually hurts,” he told me.

  “Let’s get out of here then,” I said, swallowing hard as I gazed up at him. I was drunk enough on him to not care where we ended up, so long as we were together.

  “Rob’s already pulling the car around,” Travis admitted with a sly grin, his hands massaging my ass as he tugged me closer to him. “Come on,” he added, seeing the slick Escalade pull out of its parking spot. He grabbed my hand and we hopped into the back seat without a backwards glance.

  I half expected him to maul me on the drive to his place, but Travis kept a respectable distance between us. His arm was slung around my shoulders, and my head rested against it, my chin turned to look at him while he watched me with quiet reverence.

  He lowered his lips to my ear, his tongue gently flicking out to lick along my lobe. “I can’t wait to see that dress on my floor,” he whispered.

  Travis

  “Travis Channing.”

 
“Kimberley Channing,” I said, matching my mom’s stern voice with one of my own. I arched a brow at her, trying to keep the arrogant grin from my lips, lest I earn a slap in the back of the head.

  “I already told you to stop spending money on me,” she lectured, hands on her narrow hips. Mom had always been thin, especially back when I was a kid. She’d sacrifice everything on her plate so I could have a full meal in my belly.

  “Mom,” I sighed, bringing my hand up to massage my temple. I was a little hungover, my head was pounding from lack of sleep, and I was more than a little desperate to get back up to my bedroom. But naturally, Mom had no pity for me and had gone straight for my metaphorical balls when I’d gone downstairs to grab some coffee. “Can we talk about this later, please?”

  I glanced toward the stairwell that led to my bedroom. Originally, that room had been used as an entertainment room, but I’d liked the fact that it was separate from all the other bedrooms. It had made sneaking Becky in the night before really easy.

  “No, we’re talking about it right now,” she insisted, pressing her hands down against the marble countertop and forcing me to pay attention to her.

  “Fine,” I said, pressing the brew button on the coffee maker while I arched my brows at her. “I paid for your schooling to a program of your choice because you’re smart and you deserve to have a career.”

  “I have a career,” Mom sounded a little hurt, but she masked it well enough. Most people wouldn’t have even detected it, but my mom was one of my best friend’s, and I knew her. “I like my job, Travis. I like the people I meet.”

  Mom had worked as a waitress at a diner on the outskirts of town practically my whole life. She’d gotten pregnant with me when she was fifteen years old, knocked up by some guy that left town before she could even tell him about me. As a result, I grew up poor. Mom worked as hard as she could, but it was never enough. We often had to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. Shelter was important, especially during the cold Northern winters, so that came first.