Things Good Girls Don't Do

by Gary, Codi

  Ryan must have caught her tone because the look she gave Katie was pensive. “Yeah, hard to imagine that six months ago I was sure I was going to end up an old maid, living alone with lots of yarn and cats. If it hadn’t been for Gracie, I probably would’ve.”

  “Please, your inner sex goddess would have come out eventually,” Gracie said.

  Katie smiled. “Yeah well, at the rate I’m going, you can add a bit of hoarding to my future.”

  Ryan’s expression was confused. “But I thought Chase was back, and from what everyone has said, is wooing you like crazy?”

  “He is; at least I think he is. But he can’t take a hint that I’m ready to forgive him and move on. Instead he just keeps teasing and pulling back, and I just want him to man up!”

  Katie’s face turned red when she noticed a couple of patrons were looking at her oddly. Great, now she was having a meltdown in public.

  Gracie set her caramel mocha down and said, “You know, jealousy is always the best way to push a man over that edge.”

  Katie took a small sip and made a soft moan. “Mmm, so good.”

  “That is genius, Gracie! How fast can you throw together a bachelorette party?” Ryan asked.

  “Do you know who you’re talking to? I’ll call Gemma. All hands on deck. When are we doing this?” Gracie asked.

  “Tonight!” Ryan said.

  Katie had no idea what was going on, so she said, “Well, you guys have fun with that. I’m off to work.”

  Ryan laughed. “Hey, where are you going? We are scheming for your benefit, you know.”

  “Me? You hardly know me? Why?” Katie asked.

  Ryan’s blue eyes were slightly dreamy. “Because I think everyone deserves a happily ever after. Especially a guy like Chase. He’s not as tough as he looks.”

  “And I like to meddle and party,” Gracie added.

  “But how is a bachelorette party going to help me?” Katie asked, confused.

  “It’s simple! Men love competition. If he feels like he’s losing you to someone else, it might be just the shove he needs to seal the deal,” Gracie said with a wicked grin.

  Katie looked from one woman to the other and grinned. “Why not? But don’t worry about decorations. I have everything you need at my house.” As they sat down at a table to plan, Katie explained why she could supply a huge, puffy veil with neon condoms all over it.

  Surprisingly, the other women didn’t think it was strange. Gracie called an un-bachelorette party a brilliant idea and, if she never found the right guy, was going to have one of those for her thirtieth birthday. Katie laughed and found that the longer she talked to Ryan, the more her initial jealousy faded. Ryan was sweet, funny, and completely in love with her fiancé. Plus, Ryan told Katie that when he’d dropped off the wedding gift, Chase wouldn’t stop talking about her, and that she shouldn’t have to push him too far to get him to declare himself.

  Katie left the coffee shop praying she was right.

  SATURDAY NIGHT AT work was crazy for Chase and he found himself unable to leave the parlor until eleven. As he was closing up, he looked at his phone and saw a missed call from Katie.

  Chase called her and the phone rang a couple times before she picked up.

  “Hello!”

  “Hey, where are you?” he asked, listening to the shouts and music in the background.

  “I’m at a bachelorette party at Buck’s! Where are you?” she said, and he heard a collection of female voices cheering.

  Chase nearly ran to the chopper, thinking about how crazy bachelorette parties could get. “I’m heading there now.”

  “Okay, see you soon,” Katie said cheerfully.

  Chase heard a guy’s voice say something that made Katie giggle. Jealousy shot through him like a lightning bolt. He didn’t want anyone else making Katie do that cute little snort laugh. Hanging up the call, he got on his motorcycle and headed to the bar.

  Seven minutes later he walked into Buck’s and almost exploded.

  Katie was up on the bar, wearing a short jean skirt, cowboy boots, and a brown tank top that had a lace-up front. She was dancing to Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and a group of guys stood beneath her, enjoying the show.

  Chase marched over to Eric and shouted, “Couldn’t you have stopped her?”

  Eric passed beers off to a couple of guys next to Chase and said, “No, she told me to fuck off.”

  Chase blinked. “Katie told you to fuck off? Katie doesn’t say fuck, ever. And why did that stop you from hauling her down and sending her home?”

  Shrugging, Eric said, “You’re here now. You can do the hauling.”

  “Who did she come with?” Chase asked.

  “The bachelorette party,” Eric said.

  “What bachelorette party?”

  Eric pointed to the back of the room where Ryan Ashton stood, wearing a huge white veil with neon condoms on it. She caught sight of him and waved. One by one, the group of ladies turned to look at him, giving him mixed looks of disapproval and resentment. Chase caught Steph’s eye and pointed toward Katie. She threw up her hands as if to say “Oh well.”

  What the hell was wrong with everyone?

  Deciding it was up to him to get her down from there, Chase walked purposefully to the edge of the crowd surrounding Katie and pushed his way to the front. He looked up at his firecracker as she did a little turn and dip, almost knocking out a couple of “whooping Toms.”

  He reached up and said, “Come on, Katie, let me take you home.” His suggestion was met with boos and hisses from the men around them.

  Chase ignored them, his eyes glued on his girl, who had stopped dancing and was smiling at him.

  “Chase! I’m just checking flirting and drinking too much off my list. Who knew dancing on the bar would be so easy? I was sure I would have fallen off by now.”

  Chase held his hands up again. “Well, now you have, so why don’t you come down?”

  KATIE REACHED DOWN and put her hands on his shoulders as he swung her to the floor, feeling giddy as he frowned at her. She’d watched him from the minute he walked in, and by the look on his face he was furious. Gracie had said she needed to make him jealous, and she was pretty sure she’d succeeded.

  “Whooo. That was fun,” she said, leaning against him purposefully, pushing her breasts against his chest.

  His eyes flickered down to where their chests met and she almost grinned at the strained look on his face. It was nice to see Mr. Cool’s iron-clad control slipping.

  “We need to talk,” he practically growled at her.

  “Mmm, can it wait until tomorrow? I’m suddenly really tired,” she said, pretending to yawn.

  “Why don’t I drive you? We can talk on the way,” he said.

  “I think we’ve done a lot of talking this week. I feel kind of talked out,” Katie said, trying to move out of his arms.

  Releasing her, he threw his hands up and shouted, “I don’t understand what you want from me! All week I’ve tried to make it up to you, tried to earn your trust again, and you come out here, trying to complete your list. Can’t you see I am trying to show you how I feel? I thought we were finally getting back to where we were, but if you aren’t going to take me seriously, then why did you even ask me to make that list? Are you trying to make me crazy?”

  He turned away from her and started for the door.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be so overcome with jealousy, he would tell her he loved her and haul her off to his place for incredible makeup sex.

  Before he hit the door, she yelled, “I loved everything you did, but enough is enough!” He stopped and she continued, “I’ve waited thirty years to find you, and I don’t want to waste another minute! You’re my soul mate, the one guy who was meant for me, and I’m done playing games.” Finally he faced her again and, sucking in one last breath, she asked, “So do you have anything else on that list, or can we get out of here and really start making up?” />
  Chase’s feet ate up the distance between them, and he reached out to cup her cheeks in his hands. “Just one more thing,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly. She would have deepened the kiss, but he pulled back too soon. “I love you, Katie. I have never said that to another woman, but I couldn’t help myself. You are irresistible, beautiful, and keep me on my toes. You make me want to be a better man, and I need you. You are my first, last, and only love, and I never want to be without you again.”

  Katie laughed and threw her arms around him, kissing him with all the love in her heart.

  When he broke the kiss, Chase said, “Well, don’t you have something you want to say to me?”

  With a wicked smile, she said, “Hey baby, do you wanna do this thing?”

  Swinging her up into his arms with a loud laugh, he said, “Yes. Let’s do this thing.”

  Epilogue

  * * *

  One year, seven months, and eighteen days later

  CHASE SAT IN the big oak rocking chair, humming out loud to the tiny pink bundle he held in his arms. He rocked his nine-week old daughter, Lorie Quinn Trepasso, slowly as he sang, “You Are My Sunshine.”

  Lorie’s sweet blue eyes opened briefly and she made a soft noise. Chase couldn’t get enough of his baby girl and snuck into her room to ogle her as much as he could. She was perfect.

  “You know, everyone says that’s how babies get spoiled.”

  Chase turned to smile sheepishly at his wife, who stood in the doorway with her lips pursed and her arms crossed. “That’s an old wives’ tale. Besides, I heard her fussing, and I thought I’d let you sleep.”

  Katie uncrossed her arms with a smile and padded over to give him a soft, lingering kiss. “I have such a thoughtful husband.”

  Chase stood up with Lorie in his arms and said, “Yes you do.”

  She laughed and kissed their daughter’s forehead. Katie had been the one to suggest they name her for both their mothers, and he had been thrilled with the idea. He laid Lorie down in her crib and her eyes stayed closed as they snuck out. Chase wrapped his arms around Katie’s waist as they tread quietly back to their room.

  Katie had sold her little house and moved in with him four months after their reconciliation and two months later they had been married in her church. Chase still grumbled about going to services every Sunday, but he did it for Katie. Because he loved her.

  He ran his lips down her neck and teased, “Wanna play around a bit?” He laughed when she yawned and answered his own question, “Guess that’s a no.”

  She turned around and said, “I’m sorry, I’m just so tired. Today I almost forgot to pay for milk at the store, I was so out of it.”

  “Well, then, you would have been able to cross off another item from your list,” he teased.

  She leaned her head back to look at him with pursed lips. “The list has been over for a long time, sweetie.”

  “Of course, but only because you stole something already,” Chase said.

  “What was that?”

  He moved away from her. Dramatically, he held his hands against his chest. “My heart.”

  “Ugh, gag me. Cornballs.” Opening her mouth wide, she stuck her finger inside to emphasize.

  He dropped his hands and said, “Geez, you used to think I was romantic.”

  “That was before I went through twenty-two hours of labor and started getting only five hours of sleep a night,” Katie said.

  “Okay. Okay, let’s just cuddle.”

  Giggling, Katie pointed to their bed, and Chase saw Slinks curled up on his side. Reaching out to move the devil cat, Chase chuckled as Slink’s lifted his head and gave a very whiny meow.

  “No way, dude. I told you, you start hocking hairballs and you can’t sleep in here.” He scooped him up, and the cat cuddled against him, purring loudly. About the time Katie was seven months pregnant and cranky as hell, Slinks had started warming up to Chase, rubbing against him and purring. Maybe it had to do with him scooping the litter box, but Chase had welcomed the cat’s affection. Anything to stop the constant ruination of his clothes.

  He put Slinks outside the door and the cat glared at him before swishing down the hall with his tail in the air.

  Closing the door again, he padded toward the bed and Katie said, “He loves you now.”

  Shrugging as he climbed in and pulled her close, he said, “Or he just knows who’s boss around here.”

  They snuggled under the covers and she whispered, “Have I told you what a good father you are, Mr. Trepasso?”

  His heart squeezed and he held her tighter. “A few times, Mrs. Trepasso.”

  “It’s really sexy.” He felt her hand start to drift.

  Grinning in the dark, he said, “I thought you were too tired?”

  Her hand started doing extraordinary things and she responded, “What can I say? Being here with you does things to me.”

  Sliding his hands into her hair, he said, “Me too, Firecracker. Me too.”

  See how the romances of Rock Canyon began!

  Continue reading for an excerpt from Codi Gary’s

  THE TROUBLE WITH SEXY,

  available now in Kiss Me:

  An Avon Books Valentine’s Day Anthology.

  An Excerpt from

  “THE TROUBLE WITH SEXY”

  Available in Kiss Me: An Avon Books

  Valentine’s Day Anthology

  She’s got a hot new makeover . . . and a boss to seduce! For prim and proper Ryan Ashton, sexy has always been an elusive quality. But with a little help from a new friend, she just might snag the one man who can set her seductive side loose . . .

  GREGG CAME AROUND the corner and nearly swallowed his tongue. Ryan was wearing the same type of wool slacks she wore to work most days, her flame-red hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun and her face free of any makeup. Her nose had a little bump on the bridge, and she had a heart-shaped face with full lips. His eyes traveled down to where her buttoned-to-the-neck top should have been and instead, in its place, a slinky white camisole showed a lot more than it covered. It was usually hard to discern what her figure looked like under her drab clothes, but in the tight top tucked into the slacks he could see that her breasts were firm, more than a handful, and it made his palms itch to reach out and cup them. Her waist was slim and indented, and if he had to hazard a guess, they probably flared quite nicely under the sexless pants.

  His imagination was taking a dangerous turn and his mouth dried out as he pictured her in nothing but that sexy little see-through top. When he opened his mouth to speak, it came out a little ragged. “What happened to your shirt?”

  “Oh good, you brought my sweater.” Oblivious to his pained expression, she grabbed the cardigan and slipped it over her arms and shoulders. She buttoned the sweater, covering the upper portion of bare skin he’d been admiring, and said, “While Cammie and Joel picked out the pictures they wanted, I offered to hold Dylan, and the little booger puked on me. I tried to just wipe it off, but apparently baby puke is toxic. I couldn’t get the smell to go away and it was making my stomach turn.”

  He tried to forget about what he’d seen under the dowdy black sweater, and choked out, “So is it just the puke you object to? Or is it the actual kid you find distasteful?”

  She shook her head and walked around him. “No, I love kids. I would love some of my own someday, lots of them, but the only puke I want to clean off me is theirs. Or my husband’s, depending on how much I love him.”

  He wasn’t sure he’d ever love anyone enough to let them puke on him. He tried imagining Ryan sitting in a rocking chair surrounded by a dozen little cherub faces, and the scene made him smile. She’d make a wonderful mother, being so patient with the kids who came into the studio.

  “So how many is a lot?”

  She smiled as she sat down at her computer. “I don’t know, maybe four? I always wanted a big family. My mom had complications when she had me so she could never have any more kids, and it was
always kind of lonely by myself. We didn’t live in a neighborhood, so I didn’t really get to have friends until school, and I had a few really great ones but I was always a little . . . awkward.”

  Gregg knew that Ryan had a hard time talking to people outside of her job, and it always puzzled him. She had been a little nervous during her interview with him when she responded to his help-wanted ad, but she warmed up quickly. Of course, they had been talking about photography, which Ryan was very passionate about, but after that he hadn’t had any trouble having a conversation with her. In fact, she was actually really funny and could give as good as she got.

  This wasn’t the first time Ryan had brought up her awkwardness, and for some reason, the thought that she couldn’t see herself the way he did bothered him. To him she was funny, sweet, and easy to talk to. Their constant banter was one of the things he looked forward to most days.

  He leaned over her shoulder and whispered, “Well I don’t know if it counts for anything, but I think that you have definitely grown out of your awkward stage.”

  She looked up at him. “You really don’t think I’m awkward?”

  He stared down at her, drowning in her eyes. “Not at all.”

  She swallowed a little. “Gregg, we’re friends right?”

  He cocked his head and gave her a small smile. “Of course.”

  She twisted her hands in her lap. “And you’ll be honest with me?”

  He sat on her desk and nodded. “Sure.”

  She cleared her throat and whispered, “Do you think I’m sexy?”

  He froze above her and his mind started searching for something to say.

  She turned away from him quickly. “I’m sorry, please forget I said anything.”

  He hadn’t liked the flash of hurt in her eyes, and blurted, “No! I mean, you just surprised me. I think you have a lot of really great qualities. You’re smart. You’re funny. You are really artistic. You’re attractive. You have a great work ethic. You’re a good person.” He paused and took in her blank expression. “Yes, you’re sexy.”