Return of the Bad Girl

by Codi Gary

Gabe ran his free hand over his strip of hair, as the other held onto the top of his towel. “Got it. You’ll have to introduce me to the other one so I’ll know who to stay away from.” Nodding at Val, he said, “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Likewise,” Val said as he turned and went into his bedroom.

  When they were alone, Val laughed. “You are in so much trouble.”

  “No, I’m not,” Caroline argued.

  “Are you kidding me? He is H-A-W-T.”

  “I’m going to tell Justin.”

  “No, you won’t, and besides, I’m just making an observation. I love Justin, and I know he’s it for me.”

  Caroline’s chest tightened. She was so happy that her sister had found love after everything their father had done to keep Val and Justin apart. Val deserved it.

  Just then, she thought of something. “That reminds me, I was hoping I could stay at your house one more night. My bed comes tomorrow, and as uncomfortable as your couch is, it’s better than the floor. Unless you’re going to be with your man, in which case I am stealing your bed.”

  Val looked sheepish. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I came over tonight.”

  “Good, then can we get out of here? I want to avoid run-ins with my unwanted roommate as much as possible.”

  “Sure you do.”

  Caroline wasn’t amused.

  Chapter Six

  “If one person says it, it’s a rumor. If two people say it, it’s gospel.”

  —Miss Know It All

  “YOU’RE LIVING WITH Caroline Willis?”

  Gabe’s beer stopped inches from his mouth when he caught the look on Katie Trepasso’s face. It was as if he’d just told her he’d decided to go on a homicidal rampage.

  “Yeah. Something I should know?”

  Katie’s big blue eyes swallowed up her face as she cleared her throat and got up from the patio table. “Nope. I’m just surprised. She just got back and everything. I figured she’d be staying with her sister.”

  And before he could ask her anything else, she high-tailed it into the house. Giving Chase a questioning look, Gabe waited for an explanation.

  “Don’t ask me. I’ve lived here over a year and never heard of her.”

  Gabe let it go and looked out over the flat farmland behind Chase’s white house, searching for something to say. Things had been tense between the two of them since he’d arrived for dinner half an hour ago. He knew he had a lot to make up for, but he hated that it was so hard. So awkward.

  The elephant in the room loomed over them both, but neither wanted to talk about it. Katie came back outside then, carrying a platter of chips and salsa and another beer for Chase. Setting down the platter, she handed him the bottle over his shoulder. “Here ya go.”

  “Aw, thank you, beer wench,” Chase said, looking up at her with a wide grin.

  She reached over his shoulder to slap his chest, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. When her head was almost on his chest, Chase turned his head to kiss her.

  Gabe looked away. He’d never been comfortable with public displays and such. Of course, the last woman he’d ever been with long enough to get like that had been Cherise, but that hadn’t lasted much longer than it had taken him to get back on his feet after being released. Cherise had been one of those women who liked to take care of people, to fix them. When she’d realized he didn’t want or need her help, she’d lost interest in him. It was nothing to break his heart over.

  Not that he had been looking for the white picket fence, the sweet wife, or the handful of kids since he got out. Things that everyday Joes—and now, even Chase—had just weren’t in the cards for him after what he’d done.

  He’d lost any chance he had at having a normal life the minute he’d driven his bike that night.

  “So, Gabe, Chase said you want to open a custom motorcycle shop?”

  “I said bike,” Chase said, pulling Katie down onto his lap, despite her yelp of protest.

  “But you hate that word,” Katie argued.

  “When you talk about my baby, yes, but we’re talking about his.”

  Gabe laughed while Katie rolled her eyes.

  “I was actually hoping your husband might want to stop in a few days a week and help out with some of the artwork. He designed the emblem on the first bike I built from scratch.”

  “How old were you?” Katie asked, leaning across Chase to snag a chip.

  Gabe didn’t miss the shadow that passed over Chase’s face. “Seventeen.”

  Seventeen. They’d been seniors and best friends, getting into trouble and partying together.

  Only . . . the last few months of high school had tested their tight bond. All Gabe had been able to think about was how Chase was getting out, but he was going to be stuck there, working for the local mechanic, with nothing but a small-town future ahead of him. Something he could only dream about now, but at the time, he’d envied Chase so much that his jealousy had started to consume him.

  And then he’d caught Chase kissing his baby sister, and he’d lost it. How could Chase make the moves on Honey when he was just going to take off and leave her? Like he was leaving Gabe.

  He’d been a fucking idiot.

  The scene still played through his head like it was yesterday, even though sixteen years had passed.

  “Come on, man, I’m sorry,” Chase had said, stepping back from Honey, his hands in the air. Gabe had been too drunk to care that Chase was his best friend; he’d just been kissing his sister. His sister, who was only a sophomore. She was smart, talented, and deserved more than a guy who was just going to take advantage and then leave her behind when he took off.

  The bastard had to pay.

  “Fuck your sorry,” Gabe had roared, charging Chase and knocking him to the ground.

  Sitting on his chest, Gabe had thrown punch after punch until his sister had jumped on his back, screaming in his ear, “Stop, Gabe! I like him!”

  He’d climbed off Chase and grabbed Honey’s arm, dragging her to his motorcycle. Chase had yelled at him, tried to stop him from driving, but he hadn’t listened.

  It was no wonder Chase was reluctant to accept his apology, even now. The day after the accident, Gabe had woken up in the hospital, handcuffed to the bed. Chase had been sitting in the corner.

  “What happened? Where am I?”

  Chase had stood up grimly. “You’re in the hospital. You wrecked your bike last night and broke your arm.”

  Dread had pumped through him as he’d tried to remember, to shake the clouds from his brain. His bike, Honey flying through the air . . .

  “Where’s Honey?”

  Chase’s expression had darkened. “She was stable and talking when they brought her in, but then she started seizing. They missed a bleed on her scans, and her brain swelled. They took her back up to surgery and put in a shunt to drain it, but they aren’t sure if she’ll wake up. And if she does . . .”

  “If she does, what?” Gabe had shouted.

  “She probably won’t be the same girl.”

  Gabe had gone berserk, throwing whatever he could reach until nurses had come in and sedated him. He’d cursed Chase, blaming him, and Chase had left.

  Only none of it had been Chase’s fault. It was his.

  Maybe moving here had been a mistake. It seemed like any time he was around Chase, memories flooded up and crashed over him.

  Trying to change the subject, Gabe asked, “So, Katie, why did you freak out when you heard I was rooming with Caroline?”

  Katie blushed. “It’s nothing, really—”

  “You might as well give up,” Chase said. “My wife doesn’t like to gossip.”

  “It’s not gossiping; it’s sharing intel,” Gabe said, relieved when Chase grinned. If he could just break down this wall between them, he could start mending the rift. And then, maybe, they could be real friends again.

  Katie opened her mouth, probably to shoot him down, but then Chase said, “Don’t you think he should
know what kind of character he’s living with?”

  Her cheeks flushed, and she slid off of Chase’s lap into her own chair. “Caroline and I went to school together and would have graduated the same year, but she took off and left town. Nobody really knows why, except that she had a falling out with her father just before.”

  Gabe didn’t get why that alone would make Katie look like she was going to shit her pants.

  “There’s got to be more to it than that.”

  Sighing, she continued. “She just had kind of a wild reputation in high school.”

  “Oooooh, a reputation,” Chase teased, and Katie smacked at him.

  “What kind of reputation?” Gabe asked.

  “With parties and”—Katie paused, looking very uncomfortable—“guys.”

  Gabe sat back in his chair with a smile. “So?”

  “Nothing. I just remember rumors flying a lot where she was concerned and was surprised when you said you were living together,” Katie said, adding, “I just kind of got the impression you were trying to fly under the radar.”

  Ah, so Chase has told her about your past.

  Why wouldn’t Chase tell his wife who was coming to dinner? She deserved to know, and the fact that she’d been warm and welcoming made him like her even more. Chase was right about his wife. She was special.

  “I am trying to keep a low profile, but I also miscalculated my expenses, and she was there, willing to pay half the rent. I just couldn’t pass it up.”

  “I understand,” Katie said.

  “So, was she as notorious as her little sister is now?” Chase asked, popping a chip into his mouth.

  “Valerie?” Gabe said.

  “You met Valerie?” Katie asked.

  “Yeah, she came by the apartment earlier.”

  “No, not Valerie. Ellie, the youngest. She’s . . . what?” Chase paused, turning to his wife. “Twenty-one?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, what’s this girl done? Screw the football team?” Gabe joked.

  “Probably, but her latest stunt—”

  “It’s not nice to gossip, Chase Trepasso,” Katie teased, her blue eyes sparkling.

  “I’m just sharing intel.”

  Gabe waited for Chase to continue and finally prodded, “Come on, man. Don’t leave me hanging.”

  “She was screwing the Thompson brothers, and when one caught her with the other, they started fighting. They plowed through a wall and almost took down the whole barn. I heard from one of my clients that Mr. Thompson was going to sue Ellie’s dad for damages.”

  “I didn’t hear that. Who told you?” Katie asked.

  Chase pretended he was buttoning his lips. “I cannot reveal my sources.”

  While Katie tried to get the truth from Chase, Gabe couldn’t stop his mind from mulling over what kind of dirty deeds his uptight roomie might have committed in high school. Had she been wild like her sister? He’d known from their first meeting that she wasn’t a straight-laced goody-goody, but she was so uptight, he had a hard time imagining her cutting loose and wreaking havoc.

  Whatever it is, it’s in the past. Don’t dig at hers, and she won’t dig at yours.

  “What did you think about her, Gabe?” Katie’s question broke into his thoughts.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “What was your impression of Caroline?”

  That she would look great on her back, lying across your bed.

  “Just that she’s stubborn, angry, and probably going to be a giant pain in the ass.”

  They both laughed, and Katie patted his hand. “Don’t let her get to you. Remember, it’s only a temporary arrangement.”

  Gabe appreciated the encouragement, but it was hard not to react to Caroline, especially when she got all bossy. Man, was she hot with her eyes flashing and that long dark hair falling around her shoulders. She was definitely the type of woman men chased after.

  But not me.

  Chapter Seven

  “The Spice Girls once sang, ‘Friendship never ends.’ Apparently, they’d never fallen for the same guy. Or seen the movie Heathers.”

  —Miss Know It All

  CAROLINE WAS CURLED up on her new couch the next day, running her hand over the soft leathery fabric. She’d spent one last night at her sister’s house, only to be woken at two in the morning by Ellie and a few of her friends’ raucous laughter. It had gone on so late that Caroline hadn’t fallen back asleep until six o’clock and almost missed her alarm to let the movers in. When she’d arrived at the apartment, Gabe was gone, but the truck had arrived right on time.

  Looking around the blank walls, she thought about checking out the thrift stores and maybe even an art studio. It would be nice to bring in some artwork to match the colors in the coffee table and the rest of the furniture. She’d already picked up sheets for her new bed and some other things at Target, and after unpacking her meager belongings into her new dresser drawers, she was eager to get out and do something.

  What she should be doing was promoting the consulting business she was trying to get off the ground. She’d already been getting plenty of interest online—especially from several bars in Chicago and New York—but she also wanted to work locally, which meant hitting up the local bars and pitching her abilities.

  After a brief shower, she threw on a tunic sweater and a pair of comfy jeans with her tennis shoes. It was April in Idaho, and the weather was unpredictable; by the looks of the dark clouds rolling in, she assumed rain was coming their way. She grabbed her business-card holder, figuring she’d stop off at Hank’s Bar—since it was right on the Main Street—before she shopped for décor.

  She stopped by Chloe’s Book Nook first, pasting a pleasant smile on her face. She definitely wasn’t over the mistake Gemma and her husband had made, but she was in such a good mood, she was willing to overlook it. The bell over the door dinged as she entered, and Gemma stopped talking to another woman to glance her way, blinking behind a pair of black-framed glasses.

  “Hey, Caroline. How are you?”

  “Fine. Just stopping in to see what you’ve got,” Caroline said, smiling at the other woman. “Hey, I’m Caroline Willis.”

  The woman brushed dishwater blonde hair out of her face, the wild ringlets a hair dresser’s nightmare. She took Caroline’s hand and said softly, “I’m Callie Jacobsen. I host the morning show down at the local radio station. Kat Country.”

  Suddenly, the woman was a hell of a lot more interesting, and Caroline beamed. “Awesome. I am starting a consulting company targeting bars, honky-tonks, and nightclubs. Maybe I could come in and talk a little bit about my experience and what I do. Do you mind if I give you my card?” Before Callie could open her mouth to say anything, Caroline added, “And I could probably swing a sit-down interview with Jax Dillon.”

  “Jax Dillon? He’s—”

  Caroline had the DJ’s attention now. “Yeah, Jax is predicted to become bigger than Tim McGraw and not just for his hard-partying ways and crowd-pleasing hits. I met Jax six years ago. He played in the bar I was renovating before he got picked up by Big Machine. Jax is a great guy, down-to-earth. We became friends, both of us from small towns, and he is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet,” Caroline said with a secret smile. “We keep in touch.”

  The two women exchanged a look, Callie probably assuming Caroline had slept with Jax, but the truth was, despite the smooth-talkin’ Texan’s attempts to charm his way into her pants, she’d said no. As much as she’d liked Jax, she just hadn’t felt that zing she usually did when the chemistry was rocking.

  Like what I feel with the bad boy sharing my living space?

  She wanted to slap the stupid voice in her head for even suggesting that. Thinking a man is hot and feeling a zing were two different things.

  “If you can swing it, you’ve got yourself a deal, but I would have given you air time regardless.”

  Callie’s words sank in, and Caroline blushed, something she rarely did. The words were spoken so softly
, they were almost a reprimand, as if Callie was trying to say that Caroline didn’t need to bribe anyone or use her feminine wiles to get what she wanted.

  But she was wrong. Everyone wanted something.

  “I appreciate that,” Caroline said, handing over the card she’d fished out of her purse.

  Gemma piped up. “Oh, you should head over to Buck’s tonight. Travis is doing a show, and it’ll be packed. You can network and give Eric Henderson your pitch.”

  Caroline smiled. Eric worked for her family when he was a teenager, doing yard work and such. She didn’t think she’d have any problem convincing him that he needed her services.

  Still grateful for the tip, Caroline warmed a little more toward Gemma. “Thanks.”

  “Also, Hank’s is a few doors down and pretty quiet this time of day. You should stop off there too,” Callie suggested.

  “I’ll do that. Thanks for the help, ladies. I’m also looking for a cute place to get some inexpensive paintings and knick-knacks.”

  Gemma’s face lit up. “Oh, I love Canyon Classics down the street. They have some great stuff, but if it’s not what you’re looking for, you could take the ten-minute trip to Buhl. There are several little shops I love there.”

  Caroline wasn’t sure if she wanted to drive anywhere, but she thanked them just the same. As she walked out the door, she almost plowed right into a couple.

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see—” She stopped talking once she recognized the icy blue eyes glaring at her with blatant dislike.

  Ah, shit. This is gonna be bad.

  Shelby’s face was twisted up into a scowl so dark, Caroline was tempted to warn her that it might freeze that way.

  “Didn’t anyone tell you that bitches aren’t allowed off leash?” Shelby said, gripping the arm of her companion tightly. Caroline wondered if Shelby was imagining her neck as she squeezed. Probably.

  Caroline followed the arm up to a pair of wide shoulders, and the irony almost made her laugh. Marcus Boatman, the whole stupid, meat-headed reason for their falling-out, was staring down at her with an expression Caroline didn’t like at all. It was a mix of astonishment and lust.