Return of the Bad Girl Page 21

  “I think they need another bath,” Gabe said, wrinkling his nose.

  “I’ll give them one before I leave,” Caroline said.

  “What time is your party?”

  “Five,” she said. Then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, “Would you wanna come with me?”

  He almost dropped the bottle, he was so surprised. “Family functions aren’t exactly my strong suit.”

  “Understood. I just thought that since you helped me with the cake, you might want to reap some of the benefits.”

  “Wouldn’t your family be upset if you brought me at the last minute?”

  “No, there’s going to be a bunch of people there,” she said, pulling the empty bottle out of Googlie’s mouth.

  Gabe watched her stand up, thinking about what the invitation meant. No woman had ever invited him home to meet her family.

  Realizing that Possum was sucking nothing but air, he pulled the bottle away. “Sorry, bud, I was thinking.”

  After taking the kitten into Caroline’s room and setting him in the litter box, he stood there for a minute. He’d decided last night that Caroline was what he wanted. Was this her way of showing him she’d changed her mind about this being “convenient” for her?

  When he was done washing his hands in the bathroom, he walked out into the kitchen and found Caroline washing bottles in the sink.

  Slipping his arms around her waist, he asked, “So, is this party casual, or do I have to wear a tie?”

  “It’s casual,” she said, drying her hands before placing them over his.

  “Hmm, so I should wear my T-shirt that says, ‘I am the party’?”

  “Please tell me you’re joking,” she said, turning in his arms.

  “Fine. I’ll pull out my shirt that looks like a tux.”

  “Okay, maybe I’ve changed my mind,” she said, frowning up at him. “I rescind your party invite.”

  “Shit, I’m just trying to class the place up,” he said.

  “Right,” Caroline said, wrapping her arms around his waist. “So, does that mean you’ll go with me?”

  “Yeah, I guess. It’s like you said; I helped make the cake,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly. “I should enjoy all the benefits.”

  “Hmm, so what do I have to bake to get you to take me to the airport on Thursday?” she asked against his lips.

  “You can’t bake.”

  “Okay, what can you teach me to bake, so you’ll drive me to the airport?”

  “I don’t know. That sounds like a lot of work, with very little re—”

  Her mouth dipped to take his nipple, T-shirt and all, into her mouth, stopping whatever he was going to say. Her hand slipped down and between them, cupping him through his pants, and he groaned, “Yeah, sure, I can drive you.”

  “Good,” she said, pulling away and wrinkling her nose. “Now, how about you just go shower, so I don’t show up with Stinky McGee?”

  “You gonna join me?” he asked, stepping away to pull his T-shirt over his head.

  “I already showered,” she said.

  Sniffing her playfully, he said, “I think you missed a spot.”

  When she smacked out at him, he grabbed her arm, dipped his shoulder to hoist her up, and carried her like a sack of potatoes. She laughed as she screamed, “Gabe, no! It takes forever to dry my hair!”

  “I never said anything about your hair. I said you missed a spot. I’m sure there are other places besides your head that need washing.”

  CAROLINE LED GABE up the walkway to the front door of Valerie’s house. Val had bought the little house on a few acres last year, when she’d moved from Boise, and although other houses were close enough to see, there was still space between them for privacy.

  “Lots of cars,” Caroline said when they reached the top of the porch.

  “Yeah, looks like the party is in full swing,” Gabe said, holding the cake in his hands.

  Caroline rang the doorbell before she said, “I apologize in advance.”

  “For what?” he asked.

  The door swung open, and Valerie squealed. “Gabe, I’m so glad you could make it.”

  “That,” Caroline said as Valerie came out and gave her a hug.

  “Come on in, you guys,” Val said, leading them into the house. “We’ve got the fire pit going out back, and Justin’s at the barbeque, although I saw his hot dogs, so I’d go with a hamburger.”

  “Who is this?” Ellie said from the couch.

  “Umm . . .” Caroline said, unsure how to introduce him.

  “I’m Gabe.”

  “Oh, you’re Gabe,” Ellie said, getting up from the couch and walking over to them slowly.

  Caroline noticed her sister’s wrist was wrapped with a nude nylon bandage and anger burned through her. “What happened to your wrist?”

  “Oh, I just sprained it trying to change my tire.”

  “Yeah? Well, that sucks,” Caroline said, blown away that her super-confident and sexy sister would let someone abuse her.

  Why not? You did the same thing, letting Kyle get away with what he did.

  “If anyone wants a dog, I believe they’re ready,” a male voice called from the back of the house.

  Gabe touched her arm and said, “I’m going to grab some food. How many hot dogs do you want?”

  “One, thanks,” Caroline said, waiting until Gabe had walked away before she grabbed Ellie’s good wrist. “Come with me.”

  Ellie started to protest, but Caroline ignored her until they reached Val’s room. She pulled her sister inside and shut and locked the door.

  Turning to face Ellie, she said, “This has to stop.”

  “I told you—”

  “And I’m telling you, I know what it looks like when my sister is getting knocked around,” Caroline said, thinking of a bartender she’d employed. The woman’s husband was a mean son of a bitch and had beaten her so badly, he’d put her in the hospital.

  “You need to tell someone what he’s doing to you, Ellie.”

  Ellie laughed, though there was no humor in it. “Who are you to tell me what I need to do?”

  Ellie sounded so hostile that Caroline hesitated, and for a minute, she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “I just don’t like seeing you hurt, that’s all.”

  “You don’t know anything, so why don’t you just mind your own fucking business?” Ellie snapped, heading for the door.

  Caroline blocked her way. “I know you deserve better than black eyes and bruised wrists. You deserve a man who wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

  “Oh, ’cause it’s so easy for you to give me advice. ’Cause you’ve never made any mistakes or messed up, right?”

  “Of course I have, which is why—”

  “Why, what? You think you can give me advice ’cause you’ve been there?” Ellie countered. “You don’t know anything about what I’m going through, so don’t start butting in on my business and telling me what I should do, Caroline.” Ellie pulled Caroline out of the way and left the room. Several seconds later, the front door slammed.

  Way to ruin the party, Caroline.

  Everything Ellie said was true. Caroline didn’t have any right casting stones.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Val asked, peeking her head in.

  “Nothing,” Caroline said, clearing her throat. “I suggested that maybe Ellie needed to see a doctor about all this clumsiness, and I guess I overstepped.”

  “She has been crazy accident prone,” Val said, coming fully into the room and shutting the door. “I invited Daddy.”

  “What did he say?” Caroline asked, surprised.

  “He couldn’t come to the phone, but I gave all the details to Teresa,” Val said sadly. “I was just hoping he might make an effort, you know?”

  “I know, honey,” Caroline said, wrapping her arms around her sister. Caroline could’ve told Val that they’d spent too many years as kids, waiting for their dad to make an effort, but considering how well
her most recent sisterly advice had gone over, she stayed quiet.

  “Speaking of Daddy, have you heard anything else on why he’s digging stuff up on Kyle?” Caroline asked casually.

  “Nothing new, but I imagine Senator Jenner is very thorough at hiding things. Why are you asking?”

  “I’m just curious. Dad’s adored Kyle since we were kids.”

  “That’s because they’re both assholes, and like follows like.”

  “Dad is nothing like Kyle,” Caroline snapped.

  “Trust me; they are both cruel, unfeeling bastards. You don’t know—”

  “I do know,” Caroline said, avoiding Val’s gaze.

  Val paused, studying Caroline’s face, and then she turned white. “Son of a bitch!”

  Val headed for the bedroom door, and Caroline knew exactly what she was doing. “No!” Caroline landed on top of Val, pinning her against the door.

  “Get off me! I’m going to kill that motherfucker and roast his dick on my barbeque!”

  Someone started pounding on the other side of the door, and Caroline stumbled back as it was pushed open.

  “Is everything okay?” Justin asked. Gabe stood just over his shoulder.

  Val pushed past them, with Caroline hot on her heels.

  “Val?” Justin called.

  “Caroline?” Gabe echoed.

  Val was halfway down the walkway outside when Caroline caught her arm and swung her around. “Will you just stop?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? I can’t believe you didn’t kill him after it happened,” Valerie cried, sucking in air. “When did it happen? Did you tell Dad?”

  Caroline saw Justin and Gabe in the doorway and pleaded, “Can we not do this here?”

  “Answer me!”

  Caroline grabbed her arm hard and snapped, “You listen to me. This is my business, and you will not embarrass me.”

  “Why would you be ashamed of anything?” Val asked. “You didn’t do anything.”

  “There are reasons why I didn’t tell you or anyone else about this.”

  “But did you tell Daddy? Is that why he really made you leave?” Val asked insistently.

  “No. I only told him recently.”

  “Oh my God,” Val said softly. “You’re the reason he’s digging shit up on Kyle.”

  Caroline took a deep, shaky breath. “Please, Val, just stay out of it, okay? I don’t want you involved.”

  “But—”

  Caroline shook her head. “I promise I will tell you everything, every reason why I never said anything, but now is not the time.”

  Val said nothing for several long minutes, and then: “When I told you what he did to my roommate, why didn’t you tell me then?”

  Tears stung Caroline’s eyes. “I was afraid you’d blame me for what happened to her. Because I never told.” Caroline looked away from her sister, ashamed by her admission, but when Val wrapped her arms around her, she froze.

  “I don’t blame you.” Val’s softly spoken words made Caroline sag against her, sobbing. “Shh, it will be all right.”

  “I can take her,” Gabe said, next to them, but Caroline looked away from him. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

  Val squeezed her again and shook her head. “She’s my sister.”

  “I know,” Gabe said, before adding, “I promise I’ll take care of her.”

  Val released Caroline, and Gabe scooped her up in his arms, carrying her toward the car.

  Caroline looked up in time to see Justin come down the walk and hold out his arms to Val. She went into his embrace, wrapping her arm around his waist and looking up at him with so much love. Caroline was happy for her, glad she had come out of their dysfunctional childhood whole and made the best of it. Hell, Val had made the best of it and then done better. She was happy.

  Happiness had been elusive to Caroline for most of her life.

  When they reached the car, Caroline whispered, “Did you hear?”

  Gabe let her slide down his body as he took her keys from her.

  “Did you hear?” she asked, louder, angrier.

  “I had already guessed,” Gabe said, opening her door.

  What?

  “But . . . how?” She felt his rough palm brush her hair back, but Caroline couldn’t look him in the eye.

  “It was just a feeling I had. I didn’t want to ask you about it, in case I was wrong.”

  “And now? Do you want to ask me something?” she said, climbing into the front seat.

  Still outside the car, he squatted down next to her and took her chin in his hands, forcing her to finally meet his gaze.

  “Whether you tell me or not is up to you,” he said, stroking her cheek. “It won’t change the way I think of you.”

  Raw emotion choked her. “How . . . how do you see me?”

  He leaned forward, brushing her lips with his. “I see a woman who was hurt and lashed out at others because of it.” She bit her lip as he continued. “And then that woman overcame her pain, grew from all that anger, and turned her life around. And I see a woman who, because of everything she’s been through, can look at the people around her and find the good that she thought was lost a long time ago.”

  With a sob, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, cradling the back of his head.

  He returned the kiss for a minute or two before he pulled away and squeezed her hand. “To be continued.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Being loved is not the greatest gift. The greatest gift someone can give is acceptance.”

  —Miss Know It All

  CAROLINE HAD NOT been blissfully happy in her entire life—except for brief times during her childhood—but lying in bed now with Gabe was pretty damn close.

  They’d come home from her sister’s and fallen into bed, taking their time with each other until they’d been too sated to move. Now, in the afterglow, Caroline’s mind drifted to all the things she hadn’t shared with Gabe. It didn’t seem fair that he had told her about his mother and sister, about his accident, and yet she had shared nothing about herself.

  Had she closed herself off from true intimacy? Was she cutting Gabe short because she really didn’t think they were right for each other or because vulnerability scared the shit out of her?

  Clearing her throat, she took a chance. “My dad didn’t really have much time for me or either of my sisters when we were growing up. Not until Mom died just after my fifteenth birthday.”

  Gabe’s hand stroked over her back. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, it was just . . .” Caroline swallowed hard, trying to ease the emotional ball welling up in her throat. “Sudden. I mean, one minute we were chasing each other around the backyard and the next, she was on the ground.”

  The memory still played out in her mind, clear as day, and she could remember the panic that engulfed her as she yelled for help. Kneeling down next to her mother’s body, she had grabbed her shoulders to shake her, pleading with her. “Ellie was screaming, and Val was . . . She just stood there like a statue. I had to call nine-one-one and take care of my sisters until they got our dad. It’s funny,” Caroline said, sniffling, “the police officer who notified my dad only told him there had been an accident, so he didn’t leave the office right away; he didn’t think it was an emergency.”

  Gabe’s arms tightened around her, and he murmured into her hair, and she couldn’t deny how much she craved that. The understanding and the comfort. Snuggling into his chest, she continued. “The doctors said she’d had a heart murmur, but that it wasn’t life-threatening.” Laughing bitterly, she whispered, “I guess they were wrong about that, huh?”

  “They make mistakes; they’re human,” Gabe said, rubbing her back. “Believe me, I cursed doctors for the longest time after what happened to Honey, but it didn’t do me any good to blame other people.”

  “Instead, you continue to blame yourself,” Caroline said, looking up from his chest to meet his gaze. Gabe’s eyes shift
ed away, and she lifted her hand to touch his cheek. “Stop it.”

  He heaved a huge sigh and said, “We’re not talking about me right now.”

  The gentle reminder made her wonder if he thought she was trying to avoid talking about Kyle.

  He’s probably right, but once you tell him, you can’t take it back.

  “It’s . . . hard to talk about. Before a few weeks ago, I’d only ever told one person, and that didn’t go quite how I expected,” Caroline said, sliding her hand back down until it lay on his chest. “I just don’t want you to look at me differently.”

  Gabe shook his head and rolled to his side, kissing her gently. “Crazy girl, I think you are one hell of a woman to have overcome the cards you got dealt. A lot of people would have made worse mistakes to deal with their pain.”

  Gabe’s words warmed her, and she kissed him again, just a short press of her lips, but it meant so much for him to try to put her at ease. “Thank you.”

  He pulled her close again and kissed her hair. “What happened after your mom died?”

  You can do this. You’ve come this far.

  “Well, I was a wreck for months, and then my father started asking me to attend political functions with him.”

  “Political?” Gabe asked.

  She tilted her head back and said, “My father was the mayor of Rock Canyon before he started aiming for higher offices in the state.”

  “Look at that. You really are a princess,” he said teasingly. She slapped his abs, and he groaned.

  “Be nice.”

  “I’m always nice,” he said, threading his fingers through hers. “But actually, I already knew that about you.”

  “You did?” she asked, surprised. “How?”

  “Hanging with Chase and Eric. I asked why Eric called you Trouble,” Gabe said.

  “Oh, really? You didn’t beat it out of him?” Caroline said, feeling like her emotions were all over the place. One minute she was crying and the next she was smiling.

  “I didn’t have to.” Gabe traced his thumb across her palm. “But I did warn him if he kissed you again, I was going to beat the shit out of him.”

  Caroline choked. “You did not tell Eric Henderson you were going to beat the shit out of him.”