Page 18 of Things Good Girls Don't Do (Rock Canyon, Idaho 1)

Chapter Four

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KATIE WAS TIRED, her tattoo hurt, and she had a raging headache, which hadn’t gotten any better after having Mrs. Andrews’s high-pitched, nasal whine ringing in her ears.

“Hey, pretty, want a coffee?” Steph called as she walked across the grass.

They had decided to have the Rock Canyon Independence Day Extravaganza at Liberty Park. The large, grassy field held the town pool and a playground already, so all they needed to do was add a bunch of booths and a few bouncey houses to make it the perfect place.

Steph’s long, dark hair swayed around her hips and her green eyes were sparkling as she handed Katie the cup. “You look like you could use this.”

Katie could have kissed her when she took a drink of the sweet, blended caramel mocha. “Have I told you today that I love and adore you?”

“No, but I’ll forgive you for the lapse,” she said.

Katie checked to see where Mrs. Andrews was and whispered, “I swear, I was three seconds away from strangling the old bat before you showed up.”

Steph scoffed. “Yeah right, you? You wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Chase’s description of her came back in a flash. Playing with her clipboard, she asked, “Do you think I’m Jell-O? That I don’t have opinions?”

Steph looked at her in surprise, but there was a bit of guilt there too. “No. I just meant that you spare people’s feelings. You’re kind.”

“I’m a pushover.” Katie took a sip of her coffee to help fill the empty place her stomach’s sinking had caused. Even her best friend thought she was a marshmallow.

“No you aren’t! You give people your opinions. You just do it in a nice way.”

Katie shook her head and decided that this was it, this was the day she was going to unclog her filter. The next person to even look at her cross-eyed was going to be in for the sharp edge of her tongue. She could still hear her mother telling her to be nice, to respect her elders, but another voice had joined in. A very male, very sexy voice. She didn’t know why Chase’s opinion of her kittenish ways bothered her, but they did. She didn’t like that Chase, someone she hardly knew, had observed people treating her like she would just take whatever crap was dished out. If he had noticed it, then he was right about the rest of the town. They knew how to get around her.

She saw Mrs. Andrews heading back toward her with a bee in her bonnet, and Katie stiffened her spine.

Bring it on, you opinionated, gossiping old hag. I’m ready for you today.

“Katie, you have to do something! That . . . that woman wants to buy a booth! We can’t have her with all of those . . . things out for all and sundry to see!”

Katie looked past Mrs. Andrews to Becca Easter, standing about fifty feet away, watching them blandly. Becca had moved to Rock Canyon a month ago and bought the building next to Hank’s Bar. She’d opened a women’s clothing store called Sweet Tart’s Boutique, featuring intimate apparel and a black-curtained area in the far back. Some of the older people were having a wall-eyed fit about it, but Kate admired Becca for her screw-you attitude.

“Mrs. Andrews, Becca would never have anything in her booth that couldn’t be viewed by all.” Katie smiled at Becca, who watched them with dark eyes and a riot of black and red curls. Katie’s mother would have called her look strange, but Katie envied her brazenness. “Becca’s money is as good as anyone’s. Please apologize and put her next to the Jagged Rock booth.”

Mrs. Andrews drew herself up and snapped, “I will not be a part of this! It’s shameful what kind of derelicts we’re allowing to pollute our town.”

And with that, Katie unleashed the fury. “That’s enough! If you don’t want to help out, then leave. You’re being rude and insufferable and I’m done with it!”

Katie almost slapped her hand over her mouth as she took in Mrs. Andrews’s outrage, Steph’s drop-jawed expression, and Becca’s wide smile. It was the smile that gave her courage to walk past the other women to where Becca stood several feet away. “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding. We’ll put your booth between Chloe’s Book Nook and Jagged Rock Tattoo Parlor.”

Becca handed her the check. “Thanks. You know, you’re a lot cooler than I thought you would be.”

“Well thanks. I think,” Katie said, smiling.

Holding out a small white card, Becca said, “Come by my shop. It’s not all dildos and thongs. I’ve got this belt and a pair of jeans that would look awesome on you. You’ve got a great ass. It deserves to be shown off.”

Katie blinked at her and Becca winked, leaving Katie standing there, bewildered, with a two-hundred-dollar check in her hand.

KATIE HEADED BACK to the salon, feeling freer than she ever had. Even after apologizing to Mrs. Andrews for her outburst, she had been proud of herself for finally telling the cranky woman how she felt, and that she needed to stop being rude to people just because she didn’t approve of their lifestyle. If they paid, they got a booth. Mrs. Andrews continued to grumble, but that was the worst of it.

Steph had given her a big hug and told her how awesome it was to watch someone tell “Battle-ax Andrews where to stuff it”—out of Mrs. Andrews’s earshot, of course. Katie had to admit it had felt pretty incredible to speak her mind for once.

She walked in the door of the salon and Kitty looked up from the Rock Canyon Press, frowning. “Didn’t you get my message?”

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