Page 79 of Things Good Girls Don't Do (Rock Canyon, Idaho 1)

But the other part, the girl who was still in love with him, wanted to go to him and hold him. And beg him to never leave again.

KATIE FINISHED GETTING ready that night, her stomach feeling tight and churny. A group of them were heading to Buck’s to celebrate Justin’s birthday, and Katie had put on her slinky new halter dress for the occasion. Not because she thought she would see Chase. She could care less if he showed up on her doorstep with flowers; she was done with him.

So over him you’ve been looking out the window all afternoon, hoping he’ll show up?

She grabbed her keys and purse, ignoring the taunting voice. She opened up the front door to find Chase at the end of her driveway, hands in his pockets.

“Hi,” he said.

Turning away to close and lock the door, she tried to think of something clever to say, but all she came up with when she faced him again was “Hi.”

His mouth tilted up into a small smile, making her heart skip a beat of its own volition. Drat the man and his ability to make her melt.

“Guess I caught you at a bad time,” he said.

Fiddling with her keys, she said, “I’m heading out to Buck’s. It’s Justin’s birthday and we’re meeting up for drinks.”

Chase lost his smile. “So are you two dating now?”

She realized he’d taken that to mean just the two of them, but she didn’t correct him. “After two weeks without a word, do you really think you have the right to ask?”

“I deserve that. I did leave you a note, explaining,” he said.

Melty smile or not, that was the wrong answer. “Oh yes, the note that said you had a family emergency and we’d talk when you got back. Not an ‘I’ll call you tonight’ or even an ‘I’ll text you when I get there.’ And then nothing for two weeks. Were you abducted by aliens and couldn’t get cell service? How is it okay that one minute you’re talking about wanting more and the next you are taking off with no word?”

“My mother was sick and when I got her husband’s message, I just panicked,” he said softly.

She took a step toward him, hearing the pain in his voice. “Chase, is she okay?”

Chase shook his head. “She died. I couldn’t do anything to help her and she just . . .”

Katie came all the way down the step and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face in her hair and his shoulders shook with sobs. Her own eyes teared up sympathetically as she said, “I’m so sorry, Chase.”

She rubbed his back as he clung to her, and she felt a bit of her resolve to not forgive him chip away.

After long minutes of her just talking softly, he pulled away and said, “I’m sorry for breaking down on you. I don’t deserve your sympathy or your kindness after the way I treated you.”

Being this close to him, gazing into his eyes, she’d almost forgotten. “I thought you were gone for good.”

“No, I just handled things badly.” He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Would you give me a chance to make it up to you, Firecracker?”

No. No way! Absolutely not! “I don’t know, Chase.”

“What do I need to do to prove to you that I’m in this? I’ll do anything you want,” he said.

She pulled back from him and said. “I’ll think about it.” Walking around him to her car, feeling his gaze following her, she got an idea. Reaching her door and unlocking it, she looked up at him over the hood and said, “Chase?”

“Yeah?”

Smiling, she said, “Maybe you should make a list.”

He looked confused. “What kind of list?” he asked.

“Surprise me,” she said, opening the door and climbing inside.

CHASE

DROVE HOME from Katie’s house, resisting the urge to go to Buck’s to make sure Justin kept his hands to himself, but the last thing Katie wanted was him making a jealous scene.

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