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

Since she began running her own businesses years ago, she’d tried different tricks to control her temper. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn’t, but at least she hadn’t popped anyone in the face today. That was progress.

Caroline pulled a gold-and-yellow bag off the shelf, ignoring her sore flesh. Her father loved these disgusting butterscotch candies, and she was hoping a bag of them might ease his hostility. He definitely hadn’t been as receptive of her last visit to the hospital a few weeks ago.

At first, she’d laughed off her father’s refusal to see her as a sign that he must be feeling better, but when he’d denied her a second time, irritation had settled into the pit of her stomach and simmered. Why couldn’t he just set aside some of that stubborn Willis pride and put the past where it belonged?

After three days, she’d barged into his hospital room and faced off with Edward Willis for the first time in twelve years. After a few minutes of telling him exactly what she thought of his rejection, the nurse had shoved her out the door. But not before she’d had the satisfaction of watching her father’s face turn purple with rage after she’d said, “You’re the one who missed out, Dad. I survived without you. In fact, I thrived in spite of you.”

Edward Willis never liked to be wrong, especially when there was proof.

Of course, if he’d known anything about those first two rough years after being kicked out, he probably would have glowed with satisfaction. Within just the first few weeks, Caroline had had less than fifty bucks to her name and had been sleeping in her car outside of Las Vegas, eating a lot of dollar tacos.

And then she’d run out of money.

But when she went around to local businesses, none of them would hire a high school dropout who was living in her car. None except Diamond of the Desert Gentleman’s Club.

Caroline had hated stripping more than she could express, but she couldn’t deny that it paid well. Within a year, she’d saved enough to move on, and when one of her favorite patrons, a kind, lonely man named Carl Jackson who owned a bar nearby, asked if she’d be interested in a bartending position, she’d agreed—with the stipulation that there’d be no dancing, stripping, or teasing involved.

Caroline ended up working for Carl longer than she’d thought she would. Along with getting her GED and taking college classes online, she found her calling in drawing people to Carl’s bar, the Whiskey and Wine Saloon, using fun theme nights. Soon she was managing the bar and eventually, two years and one bachelor’s degree in business later, Carl offered to sell it to her. Three days after her twenty-sixth birthday, she was able to sell the bar for a profit and leave Nevada in her rearview mirror.

After that, she’d taken on five more failing bars around the country, leaving every one of them in a better place than when she started and making enough for the next project in the process. But the work was exhausting and after a while, it started being more labor than love.

When her father had his heart attack, she’d already planned to stop flipping. But once she decided to move back to Rock Canyon, it had been Carl who’d suggested she start a consulting business for bars that were struggling. Now, she already had a few consultation jobs lined up in Chicago and New York, but she wanted to get settled before she did any traveling. All in all, she had high hopes for her future and her business. With little thanks to Edward Willis.

So no, Caroline hadn’t been putting on a brave face when she’d thrown her success in her father’s face. She had survived without his help. Without his money. She had worked hard, done whatever it took, and even graduated from college. His lack of approval or forgiveness hadn’t broken her, and no way would the opinions of a few idiots tear her down now.

Pulled back to the task at hand, Caroline walked up to the checkout stand and saw that the three biddies were still there, standing at the front of Hall’s, watching her.

“Good morning, ladies,” Caroline said, oozing sweetness. “So lovely to see you again.” Mrs. Andrews sniffed and headed toward the exit with her cart, the other two hurrying after. Innocently, Caroline handed the blonde clerk her candy and debit card. “Was it something I said?”

Chapter Two

“The past will always catch up to you, no matter how fast you run.”

—Miss Know It All

CAROLINE STOOD AT the end of the walkway leading to her childhood home. The April breeze blew her hair into her eyes, obstructing her vision as she stared up at the two-story ranch house. It hadn’t changed much besides a fresh coat of paint, but the perfectly landscaped fortress still seemed like a strange place instead of the warm, welcoming hearth that coming home was supposed to be.

Reaching up to tie her hair back in a loose ponytail, she rotated her shoulders and cracked her neck, trying to ease the tension.

You can do this. You just have to face him, to show him that you’re here and you aren?

?t going anywhere, no matter what a bastard he may be.

Caroline headed up the path and the steps, the hard candy in one sweaty hand. She shouldn’t be this nervous, especially since she’d already faced his anger in the hospital.

But there, they’d been in a less personal setting, neutral turf. Now, she was stepping into the lion’s den, where a thousand memories, both good and bad, would be waiting to add to her already emotional state.

It was funny. She’d spent three years hating him before she left and another two blaming him for everything that went wrong once he was out of her life. Yet he was still her dad. Though the times he’d been there for her were few and far between, those were the memories that stuck out to her. Like the time he’d coached her for the state spelling bee, which she had lost. But for a week there, having his complete attention had been all she cared about.

Yeah, he definitely hadn’t been the dad of her dreams, but she was almost thirty-one. She didn’t need him to be a dad now. But she would at least like to have some kind of relationship with him. If only so she didn’t add any more regrets to her list.

Once she stood on the stoop, she knocked twice and waited, expecting their housekeeper, Teresa, to open the front door.

Only when the door opened, it wasn’t Teresa.

Caroline’s heart stopped cold before resuming at an unhealthy tempo, beating against her chest painfully. Icy blue eyes stared back at her from a too-handsome face, a cupid’s-bow mouth splitting into a leer that knocked the wind out of her.

Kyle Jenner.

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