Page 3 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

Caroline stopped in her tracks. Six feet in front of her—and holding a bundle of celery so tightly that Caroline imagined it would snap in half any second—stood her former best friend, Shelby Donovan. She definitely couldn’t blame her for being tense, though. They hadn’t exactly ended on the best of terms.

What with Caroline having stolen Shelby’s boyfriend and all.

On second thought, maybe today hadn’t been a good day to venture out of her sister’s house and brave the world. Judging by Shelby’s red-faced, lemon-sucking expression, Caroline had every reason to hide, but she wouldn’t back down from Shelby’s anger now. She’d embrace it and attempt to make amends. It’s what she’d told Valerie she would try to do. Take the high road. Turn the other cheek.

“What brings your skanky ass back here?”

Sparks of temper prickled Caroline’s skin. Sucking in a calming breath, she forced a smile. “That is so classy, Shelby. Congratulations, by the way; it looks like your boobs finally came in. Or was that a little surgical gift from Mom and Dad?”

Okay, so maybe the high road was overreaching.

Shelby’s cheeks flushed an unhealthy shade of violet, probably because despite the obvious surgical enhancements, she had gained about thirty pounds. Shelby had always moaned and groaned about her lack of curves in high school, voicing her jealousy over Caroline’s hourglass frame, but it looked like she had finally gotten her wish. Only where Caroline’s body had always been toned, Shelby looked a bit . . . lumpy.

“Well, Marcus doesn’t seem to think there’s anything wrong with me,” Shelby said, smirking.

Ah, Marcus Boatman. Shelby’s dream man was the same guy who hadn’t hesitated dumping her like a hot potato the minute he’d thought Caroline was interested.

“I find it interesting that you’re still holding a grudge against me, when your supposed boyfriend,” Caroline said, making air quotes, “cheated on you. How come you forgave him?”

“Because men are weak. Besides, he has more than made up for his one transgression, where as you violated the rules of friendship and sisterhood.”

Caroline had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. “Okay, first of all, you were never my sister in any way. And you, of all people, know that I was not in a good place. Where were you when I needed you?” Caroline shook her head. “Face it, Shelby. We both failed each other in a big way, and I apologized a long time ago for my part i

n it, but don’t you think it’s time to just let it go?”

Obviously not, if the flush of her former friend’s face was any indication. “You haven’t changed at all!” Shelby said. “You act like you’re God’s gift—”

“Is there a problem here, ladies?”

Caroline looked over her shoulder to find Mr. Hall glancing between them sternly.

“Yeah, there is. You let this tra—”

“Actually, Mr. Hall, I was just picking up a few things to take over to my dad and bumped into Shelby,” Caroline broke in, shooting Shelby a warning look. Obviously, age had not matured the spoiled, entitled little snot, but if she thought Caroline was going to stand there and be bad-mouthed to her face, she was wrong. Caroline could only be pushed so far. “It seems we still have some things to work out, but unfortunately, I am in a hurry.”

Shelby huffed and tossed the celery back onto the pile. “We have nothing to work out, and you can be sure I’ll be doing my shopping elsewhere from now on.”

Caroline wanted to tell her exactly how ridiculous she sounded, but before she could, Shelby stomped around the two of them toward the exit.

When they were alone, Mr. Hall ran a hand through his silver hair, clearly uncomfortable. “How’s your dad doing?”

Caroline smiled. She’d always liked the kindly grocer. “As far as I know, he’s ornery as ever. We’ll see if he lets me through the door.”

“Yes, he can be stubborn,” Mr. Hall said, his eyes shifting away.

His whole demeanor screamed that he had something to say and was struggling with it. Caroline tried to put him at ease. “It will all work out, I’m sure. I am sorry about the way Shelby spoke to you, and I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said about shopping elsewhere.”

Although, Mr. Hall, it shouldn’t surprise you if she does stop coming here . . . the spiteful little bitch.

“Yes, well . . . I understand you’re moving back here.” He paused a second, as if waiting for her to confirm his statement, so she nodded. “You know I don’t listen to gossip, but I can’t afford to lose my regular customers. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

So much for thinking at least one person might give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Sure. You’re saying if I offend the respectable people of Rock Canyon, you won’t let me through the door,” she said, no longer smiling and hanging on to her temper by the skin of her teeth. “And that’s called discrimination. I thought you were better than that, sir.”

Without waiting for him to stop blustering, she walked back toward the front of the store and down to the candy aisle, trying to hold on to her dignity. It shouldn’t surprise her that Mr. Hall would warn her off; she was a fly in the ointment for quite a few good citizens, and he had a business to run.

Still, did he have to make her feel like some kind of second-class citizen? It wasn’t like her money was worth less. As she stopped in front of the candy display, she realized she’d been squeezing her hands into fists so hard that her nails had dug into her palms. She opened them to find purplish-red crescent moons indented into the flesh and winced.

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