Page 91 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

And was dumbstruck.

There were pictures, dozens of them, of her over the last twelve years. Pictures of her leaving the strip club. Sleeping in her car. Even when she’d been arrested. As she sifted through the scattered photos, she realized that angry, loud sobs had begun wracking her body.

He’d had her followed, had known everything all along.

And for what? What did this prove? That he’d been making sure she was still alive? Had he enjoyed watching her struggle and tread water?

Beneath the pile was a scrap of yellow paper, and with shaking hands, she picked it up, unfolding it to read the words.

Caroline,

Despite the fact that I kept my distance, I needed to know you were all right. I thought if I just gave you time, you would come home, but you never gave up. Your mother was that way—determined. It was why I married her; she never gave up on me, even when I was at my worst.

You may think that you have seen the worst of me in many ways, but I need to confess: Carl Jackson didn’t find you by chance. Carl and I knew each other, once upon a time, and I called in a favor. Initially, I just wanted you to get out of that hell hole you were working in; I never expected you to find your passion. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to accept that even I might be wrong every once in a while.

I know it doesn’t mean much to you, but I am proud of what you’ve done.

Your father,

Edward Willis

Caroline gripped the letter tightly as tears dripped onto the blue ink. She didn’t know how to take her father’s big reveal. Was she angry? Perhaps a little—just because in all the years she’d known Carl, he’d never said a word.

The path to her success had started with her father’s calling in a favor.

Let it go, she thought. This is his way of making amends. Of showing you he cares in his own, twisted way.

It was a step in the right direction.

THE NEXT MORNING, Caroline lay in Gabe’s arms, listening to the sound of his breathing. It was four o’clock, but she couldn’t sleep. Gabe was supposed to take her to the airport at ten, but she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be stuck in a car with him for two hours, with so many doubts rolling around in her head.

Last night, after they’d settled in for bed, Gabe had asked her to meet his sister.

Caroline knew how much Honey meant to him and that this was a big gesture on his part. It said he was serious about them and looking toward the future. Yesterday, she’d been so sure, so positive that all her preconceived notions about h

im were wrong, that this was the guy for her, and he wasn’t just like every other guy that she’d fallen for: a big disappointment waiting to happen.

But between the exclusivity talk with Gabe, her father’s drop-in bombshell, and all of the emotional upheaval between her sisters and her, she was in intimacy overload. She wasn’t used to “sharing her feelings” so much and taking the next step toward something seemingly better.

And suddenly, it was seriously wigging her out.

Just then, she heard Possum scratching in the litter box, and she crawled out of bed to check on him. When he saw her peek around the corner, he started whining.

“Hey, buddy, you miss brother?” she said, sitting down on the floor so he could rub on her. “Me too.”

Stroking the kitten, Caroline realized that she needed to take a couple days and clear her head. She was just confused, and with a little distance and perspective, she’d be able to decide if she could ever fully trust anyone.

If she couldn’t do that, what kind of future would she have?

SLEEPILY, GABE REACHED for Caroline, expecting a groan of irritation for trying to wake her, but his hand hit cold sheets.

Opening his eyes, he searched the room for any sign of her but saw nothing. He got up from the bed and headed down the hall, stopping off at the bathroom to take a piss.

In the living room, something was different. At first, he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Then he realized her luggage was gone.

He went back into his room to grab some clothes and saw that his clock read 10:45. They were supposed to have left at ten to get to the airport by noon. Gabe dressed quickly and went downstairs, just to be sure.

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