Page 37 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

“You’ve never left a girl’s apartment after a one-night stand?” Caroline asked, taking another step back.

“Not that I can remember,” he said, moving around her into the bathroom. Spreading toothpaste on his toothbrush, he added, “And I don’t usually have overnight guests either.”

“Aw, so Kirsten is special? How romantic,” Caroline said sarcastically. Without giving him a chance to respond, she walked out into the living room. She was angry again, wondering what had happened to Kirsten after Gabe had taken her back to his room. Had she woken up this morning with a fuzzy recollection? Had she realized what had happened and regretted it?

Needing something to do, anything to occupy her, she grabbed a few of the empty boxes left over from unpacking and headed for the front door.

“Actually, I’m just not as big of a dick as you seem to think I am,” Gabe called after her.

Caroline dropped the boxes to open the door and turned to snap at him. “Well, you certainly aren’t a good guy, or you wouldn’t have slept with a woman who could barely walk a straight line.”

His handsome face twisted into a glare. Had she struck a nerve?

“I wouldn’t be casting stones, princess. I heard all about your sins the minute I hit town.”

Furiously, she threw the boxes down the stairs outside and reached back for the knob. “I guess you know what I’m capable of, then.”

Slamming the door, she cursed all the way down the steps, her breath fogging in front of her as it hit the cold air. She saw frost coating the metal handrail and realized she was wearing only a thin long-sleeved shirt, pajama bottoms, and house slippers. She was too pissed off to go back and put on a sweatshirt, though. Picking up the boxes at the bottom of the stairs, she walked down the alley toward the Dumpster.

Gabe didn’t know her or what she had been through. He had no right to judge her.

You mean, the way you judge him?

Grumbling, she opened the Dumpster and had just dropped the first box inside when she heard a faint cry coming from within. She froze and heard it again. Heart pounding, her first thought was that it sounded like a baby. Someone had thrown a baby away.

No, that’s not right. Babies don’t mewl like that. It has to be an animal, right?

Caroline wasn’t much of an animal person, but the thought of someone taking something helpless and throwing it out like garbage infuriated her.

Looking around for something to stand on, she saw a stack of pallets behind the Local Bean Coffee Shop. It took her a few minutes to drag them over, but once they were stacked five high, she stood on top and looked over the Dumpster’s edge. It was pretty full, and reaching out, she moved the box she’d just thrown on top of the pile. At that moment, she saw a black plastic garbage bag move.

What if it’s a rat?

“What if it’s not?” she said aloud and climbed inside, crawling across the top until she reached the moving bag. Gripping it with both hands, she ripped it open wide and looked inside.

A lump formed in her throat as she stared at the tiny fuzzy bodies. A litter of kittens. She picked up one with fur the color of butter, but its body was cold.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Caroline looked up to find Gabe standing in front of the Dumpster, his expression blank.

“Someone just threw them away,” she said, her voice sounding hollow as she picked up the next kitten. And then the next.

But she’d heard a cry.

One of them must be alive.

To her surprise, Gabe took a few steps closer. “Here, hand them to me,” he said, holding his hand over the side.

She didn’t argue. Handing him the yellow kitten, she saw him grimace before he set it down outside the Dumpster. He he

ld out his hand again and one by one, she handed him the cool, lifeless bodies. When she reached the last two, a fluffy gray tabby and a short-haired, cream-colored kitten, she noticed that they were warmer than the others but still motionless. And then the cream one moved and meowed.

“Oh!” she cried, a wet laugh escaping. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. “This one’s moving.”

“What about the other one?” Gabe asked.

Her smile disappeared. “It’s warm still, but not moving.”

---