Page 88 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Caroline,” Hank said, coming from the back. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, catching the scent of whiskey as they shook.

Ole Hank likes to hit the sauce early.

“Hey, Hank. I would love to help you out, but I got to be honest, I just don’t think I can,” she said.

“What? Did Henderson offer you money not to take me on as a client?” Hank asked.

“No, sir, this is my decision, based on my own observations,” she said, waiting for the explosion.

“What in the Sam Hill do you mean, your observations?”

Preparing herself to deal with the stages of denial, she said bluntly, “Hank, I’m not going put in the time and effort it would take to improve this place if you’re just going to let your employees waste your booze.”

“Waste my . . . What do you mean?”

“You need upgrades, Hank. Upgrades that will control your bartenders’ habits to overpour,” she said, picking up one of his bottles. “But even that won’t help you if you don’t stop drinking in your own bar.”

“I don’t—”

“Please do not insult me by lying. I can smell it on you now.”

Hank blustered for a moment before explaining. “I like to have a wee nip in the morning. It wakes me up.”

“Yeah, and I bet you have nips here and there throughout the day until you’re three sheets to the wind by close,” she said, shaking her head. “Look, I just came by to tell you that I appreciated the offer. You have a great bar with lots of potential, but it’s just not for me.”

“But if I don’t start turning a profit, I’m going to lose everything.”

Caroline paused at the door and gave him one last piece of free advice.

“I suggest you hire a manager. Someone tough and business-savvy who will control the employees—and you. Good luck, Hank.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“It’s true that absence can make the heart grow fonder . . . but why tempt fate?”

—Miss Know It All

WEDNESDAY WAS A bad day for Caroline, and by the time she walked through the apartment door, she was ready to crack a few skulls.

It had started out awesome.

Gabe had brought her French toast covered with powdered sugar in bed, and although Gabe used most of the sugar as an excuse to lick her all over, it had been delicious. But then, after Gabe left, she’d jumped into the shower only to find he’d used all the hot water. By the time she was done, her teeth were chattering too hard for her to curse.

From there, the downhill slope of badness had been almost comical.

A dead battery and the hour-long wait for AAA had made her late for a business consultation in Twin Falls. The bar owner had been understanding until they’d started talking about her commission. Then he’d thanked her for the advice and shown her the door.

She’d made it back to the apartment only to find Googlie lying listlessly on the kitchen floor. Frantically, Caroline had run down to the veterinary hospital. As Zoe had examined him, she kept making these clucking and hmmm-ing noises that had grated on Caroline until she couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“What does that mean? Is he going to be okay?” Caroline had asked, rubbing his little ears nervously.

“Well, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep him for a few days. I’ll run some tests and give him some fluids, since he seems a little dehydrated,” Zoe said. Almost as an afterthought, she reached out to hold Caroline’s hand. “We’ll take good care of him.”

Caroline couldn’t help but notice that Zoe hadn’t told her he would be fine. Guess she didn’t want to give her false hope.

And so, by the time she got home, she was emotionally drained and just wanted to crawl into a dark cave and never come out. She was crying into a box of Lucky Charms when someone knocked on the door.

Getting up from the couch, she pulled the door open, and her jaw dropped.