Free Return of the Bad Girl by Codi Gary

but I also miscalculated my expenses, and she was there, willing to pay half the rent. I just couldn’t pass it up.”
    “I understand,” Katie said.
    “So, was she as notorious as her little sister is now?” Chase asked, popping a chip into his mouth.
    “Valerie?” Gabe said.
    “You met Valerie?” Katie asked.
    “Yeah, she came by the apartment earlier.”
    “No, not Valerie. Ellie, the youngest. She’s . . . what?” Chase paused, turning to his wife. “Twenty-one?”
    “Yes.”
    “So, what’s this girl done? Screw the football team?” Gabe joked.
    “Probably, but her latest stunt—”
    “It’s not nice to gossip, Chase Trepasso,” Katie teased, her blue eyes sparkling.
    “I’m just sharing intel.”
    Gabe waited for Chase to continue and finally prodded, “Come on, man. Don’t leave me hanging.”
    “She was screwing the Thompson brothers, and when one caught her with the other, they started fighting. They plowed through a wall and almost took down the whole barn. I heard from one of my clients that Mr. Thompson was going to sue Ellie’s dad for damages.”
    “I didn’t hear that. Who told you?” Katie asked.
    Chase pretended he was buttoning his lips. “I cannot reveal my sources.”
    While Katie tried to get the truth from Chase, Gabe couldn’t stop his mind from mulling over what kind of dirty deeds his uptight roomie might have committed in high school. Had she been wild like her sister? He’d known from their first meeting that she wasn’t a straight-laced goody-goody, but she was so uptight, he had a hard time imagining her cutting loose and wreaking havoc.
    Whatever it is, it’s in the past. Don’t dig at hers, and she won’t dig at yours.
    “What did you think about her, Gabe?” Katie’s question broke into his thoughts.
    “Sorry, what?”
    “What was your impression of Caroline?”
    That she would look great on her back, lying across your bed.
    “Just that she’s stubborn, angry, and probably going to be a giant pain in the ass.”
    They both laughed, and Katie patted his hand. “Don’t let her get to you. Remember, it’s only a temporary arrangement.”
    Gabe appreciated the encouragement, but it was hard not to react to Caroline, especially when she got all bossy. Man, was she hot with her eyes flashing and that long dark hair falling around her shoulders. She was definitely the type of woman men chased after.
    But not me.

Chapter Seven
    “The Spice Girls once sang, ‘Friendship never ends.’ Apparently, they’d never fallen for the same guy. Or seen the movie Heathers .”
    —Miss Know It All
     
     
    C AROLINE WAS CURLED up on her new couch the next day, running her hand over the soft leathery fabric. She’d spent one last night at her sister’s house, only to be woken at two in the morning by Ellie and a few of her friends’ raucous laughter. It had gone on so late that Caroline hadn’t fallen back asleep until six o’clock and almost missed her alarm to let the movers in. When she’d arrived at the apartment, Gabe was gone, but the truck had arrived right on time.
    Looking around the blank walls, she thought about checking out the thrift stores and maybe even an art studio. It would be nice to bring in some artwork to match the colors in the coffee table and the rest of the furniture. She’d already picked up sheets for her new bed and some other things at Target, and after unpacking her meager belongings into her new dresser drawers, she was eager to get out and do something.
    What she should be doing was promoting the consulting business she was trying to get off the ground. She’d already been getting plenty of interest online—especially from several bars in Chicago and New York—but she also wanted to work locally, which meant hitting up the local bars and pitching her abilities.
    After a brief shower, she threw on a tunic sweater and a pair of comfy jeans with her tennis shoes. It was April in Idaho, and the weather was unpredictable; by