Page 56 of Things Good Girls Don't Do (Rock Canyon, Idaho 1)

His brown eyes darkened and his mouth twisted into an ugly frown. “I was just trying to apologize again. For the other day and for . . . well, for before.”

Okay, New Katie was about to rear her angry head. “Before what, Jimmy? Before you wasted seven years of my life? Before you dumped me after cheating on me for God knows how long? Or was it before you sent me your wedding invitation? Tell me, which before are you talking about?”

“Damn it, why do you have to make this so hard?” he said.

She stood up and snapped, “I’m sorry, was I supposed to make this easy for you? What you did was reprehensible and unforgivable. You showed absolutely no remorse for the way you treated me before, so I have to wonder why you’re here now. The apology is just a little too late.”

“Please, Katie, don’t go. I just want to talk,” he said.

“You talked, I listened. Now, I have a client who has to pick up her kid, so if you’ll excuse me.” She turned away from him to walk back inside.

“What’s going on with you and that pretty boy?” Jimmy asked.

Facing him, she couldn’t believe his gall. “Are you serious? You came here to ask about my personal life?”

“That guy isn’t right for you. You’re too good for him,” he said.

Of all of the ridiculous, absurd . . . “You’re an idiot.”

“He has earrings like a chick, for fuck’s sake,” Jimmy shouted.

“Well, I think his earrings are sexy! So why don’t you get the hell out of here, go back to your perky little fiancée, and keep your opinions about my love life to yourself?”

“Come on, Katie-bear . . .” he pleaded.

“Do not call me that. Like I said before, you are nothing to me now, Jimmy. Just a walking, talking reminder of some really bad decisions.” She reached out to grab the door and threw it open, stomping into the salon, and avoiding the wide, curious eyes following her as she walked to her stylist chair.

Katie stopped behind Gemma, breathing hard, and said, “I’m sorry about that. Are you ready to get started?”

She barely heard Gemma’s answer, she was so focused on why Jimmy was acting so bizarre. He almost seemed jealous of Chase, but that made no sense. He had cheated on her, dumped her, and was currently engaged to someone else. So why was he coming around trying to give her dating advice?

“Men are moronic,” she grumbled.

Gemma let out a quiet chuckle. “Yeah, it’s tough. Can’t live with them, can’t shoot them. Unless you’ve got a real good place to hide the body.”

Katie laughed, feeling a little bit better. “Well what do you say we swap man troubles over some bleach and a Coke?”

CHASE WOKE UP alone in Katie’s room and looked at the clock. 9:36. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he picked his boxers off the floor, sliding them up over his hips. Padding out to the kitchen, he saw the bag of bagels and the slip of paper.

Morning, Hotstuff,

I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful. There’s cream cheese in the fridge and I’ll call you later.

Have a good day,

Katie

Chase plugged in the toaster and grabbed the cream cheese, whistling with a grin. Last night had been incredible, but at one point he’d had an epiphany so wild, it was like being kicked in the gut.

He wanted Katie to be his only, and he was having a hard time figuring out how to put that into words.

Tonight was his late night, and he probably wouldn’t see her. The idea of not being with her was a major mood killer. He finished his bagel and headed back to her bedroom to grab his clothes. He saw Katie’s evil-looking cat sitting on top of his jeans, glaring at him.

“What’s your problem, cat?”

The black animal hissed and scrambled past him down the hallway, his belly to the floor.

Chase shook his head, picked up his jeans to pull them on, and jerked his hand back.

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