Bad Girls Don't by Cathie Linz Read Free Book Online Page B

had given her a very quick tour of the Tivoli when she first moved in. Red velvet seats baggy from thousands of patrons sitting in them. A deep blue ceiling painted with hundreds of faded gold stars. A screen bigger than those in the megaplexes so popular these days.
    The reality was that too many businesses in Rock Creek were boarded up with FOR SALE or FOR LEASE signs stuck in their vacant windows. The downtown area along Barwell Street was three blocks long . . . well, only two and a half if you didn’t count the south end of town, where the library, village hall, and sheriff ’s department were all located.
    Nearby was the Dairy Queen, and a block down was Angelo’s Pizza. These were the only two eating establishments in Rock Creek. No Indian curry places or Thai take-out here. No organic fusion bistros to satisfy Skye’s food cravings.
    Crumpler’s Auto Parts was on the northern end of town. Next up were three empty retail spaces, where Chuck’s Meat Market was the most recent to close its doors. Leah’s Nail Salon had been around for a while and seemed to be doing okay. Nick’s Tavern was still open next to the VFW hall on the corner, and doing a good business.
    Another place with plenty of customers was the Sisters of the Poor Charity Thrift Shop. Which was why Algee said he’d chosen the empty space beside it to open his second Cosmic Comics store.
    Gas4Less, a combo gas station/convenience store, was the only other really active business on that block.
    Skye could see the thrift shop from her living room window. She’d gotten most of her furnishings from there, and from local garage sales. The lucky bamboo plant by the door was a gift from Angel, who dabbled in feng shui more than Skye did.
    The spinning wheel in the corner of the living room was one of the few things Skye had brought with her from the West Coast. Angel was a better spinner than Skye, but Skye still enjoyed doing it when she had the time. Which wasn’t often these days. Not when she was scrambling to keep the bill collectors at bay.
    Skye didn’t have the kind of spirit to fit into the mold of a regular nine-to-five job—not that there were many of those available these days in Rock Creek. Instead, she gave yoga and belly-dancing lessons. She also helped out Algee at the comic-book store on occasion, and her sister’s friend Pam at her bridal floral business if she needed an extra hand for an event. But those weren’t regular things.
    Of course, Skye wasn’t into regular things. She was rather proud of that fact.
    “Mommy!”
    Skye was also proud of her daughter Toni. The kid was just like her. All attitude and cocky confidence.
    Skye scooped her up into her arms, where Toni hung on to her like a little monkey—arms around her neck, legs around her waist.
    “Who is this princess?” Skye demanded.
    Toni straightened her crooked tiara. “I’m Cinderella. I’m making ’viron-mental good shoes with no leather.”
    “Been telling her your version of the Cinderella story again, huh?” Skye said to Angel, who had joined them.
    “Absolutely.”
    “Cinderella is in the shoe business,” Toni recited. “But she’s not a capitalist pig even though she’s a princess.”
    Skye smothered her with kisses before setting Toni free. “What kept you?” Angel said. “Usually you’re back from class before now.”
    Skye shrugged. “I stopped at Gas4Less to get a few instant lottery tickets for Owen as a thank-you present. I hope I don’t lose them before I give them to him.”
    “I don’t mind waiting if you want to run over there now,” Angel said.
    “Really? It’ll only take me a minute. And you know how I am about paperwork.”
    “Go on, give them to him before you lose them.”
    “I won’t be long. I’ll be right back,” Skye told her daughter before racing down the stairs and across the street to the stately building of the funeral home, where DRIVE SAFE. WE’ll WAIT was displayed on the sign out front.
    Skye wasn’t