Page 12 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

“No problem.”

Chase straightened the picture, turned, and paused for a moment, staring at Gabe.

The silence and tension became stifling, overwhelming Gabe. He shoved his clammy hands in his pockets to dry them. “Bet I’m the last person you expected to see here.”

“Not the last but close,” Chase said dryly.

“Yeah,” Gabe said, searching for something else to add but coming up empty.

Neither of them said anything else, and Gabe could feel his throat start to tighten with anxiety.

This was a mistake.

“So, what brings you to town?” Chase asked finally. “From what I remember, you said if you ever saw my face again, I was a dead man.” He stood in the same spot, hardly moving.

Better to just rip off the Band-Aid. “And yet, you still tried to see me.”

“What can I say?” Chase said, a wry smile twisting his mouth. “I’m a risk taker. Plus, I figured they’d have you in restraints.”

“It’s not like I was Hannibal Lecter,” Gabe said, looking around the shop. “It looks like you’ve done well for yourself.”

“I’m doing all right.”

Chase seemed to be waiting for something, and Gabe shuffled his feet, unable to meet his gaze. “Look, man, I’m sorry I refused your visit. I appreciate it now, but at the time, I was still pretty raw and wrong. I couldn’t face you, for a lot of reasons.” Chase said nothing, so Gabe added, “I was all messed up. It took me several years to get my head wrapped around everything I’d done, and I just need you to know . . . I was a major dick. Nothing that happened was your fault.”

“Dating my best friend’s sister probably wasn’t the smartest move,” Chase said.

“If I could do it over, I can’t say I would have been happy about it, but I definitely wouldn’t have attacked you. Or ridden my bike wasted.”

“Still riding those testicle ticklers?”

Gabe choked on a laugh, easing some of the tension in his shoulders. “My bike could take whatever hog you have stashed away.” Chase’s smile was small, but it was there. Maybe there was hope for forgiveness after all. “I’m actually thinking about moving here. I’ve been saving for years to open my own custom bike shop.”

Chase was silent, seeming to mull over what to say next. “Why here?”

The question was reasonable enough, but for Gabe, the reasons behind his decision were emotional, and emotions would make him even more vulnerable in an already awkward situation. Just when it seemed like they were starting to relax around each other.

“The facility where Honey’s staying is in Sun Valley, and this place is only two hours from her. It’s centrally located between many outdoor recreation areas, which would be perfect for selling my bikes,” Gabe said, fidgeting as he added, “Besides, your stepdad said you’d be here, and I needed to try to make amends.”

“Aw, you came all this way for me,” Chase said, jokingly clasping his hands to his chest. “Be still my heart.”

“Shut up, man,” Gabe said.

Chase laughed but the tone wasn’t mocking. Waving his hand toward one of the chairs, he said, “Well, you’re here. Have a seat. Where you living, anyway?”

“That’s currently up in the air,” Gabe said, adding, “I’m working on it.”

“Well, let me know when you get settled, and you can come over for dinner. Meet my wife.”

The word wife was so foreign—especially coming out of Chase’s mouth—that Gabe was still having trouble believing it. “Yeah, I heard you settled down. Congratulations or condolences?”

“Congratulations, man,” Chase said, his face taking on an almost dreamy quality. “Katie is amazing. You’ll love her.”

“Great,” Gabe said, surprised at the changes in Chase. Granted, it had been sixteen years, but still. . . . Chase had been the guy who thought serious relationships were just short of castrating yourself. Just another reason Gabe had been sure Chase would hurt Honey. But now he was a healthy, contributing member of society, with a wife, a home, and a successful business.

Everything you once imagined for yourself.

“So what all do you need to work out with your new place?”

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