by Codi Gary
By the time they’d arrived, she’d had a good buzz on, and when someone let out a catcall as they walked by, she had turned to find a group of guys drinking beer by the side of a blue lifted pickup. Val had switched directions to say hi, with Charlene and Hope giggling behind her and Thea hissing something. Val hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything except one guy with broad shoulders, leaning against the truck. She could tell he was watching her approach and it had thrilled her.
“What are you guys doing?”
“We were getting ready to take off until we saw you walk up,” one guy she recognized as Thea’s brother Carl said. His leer lasted just long enough to catch sight of his sister. “Shit, Thea! Mom catches you here and she’ll blister your hide.”
“Leave her alone, Carl,” Hope had snapped.
Carl sucked in his breath and squinted at them. “Hope. Charlene. Valerie. What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be at home having a slumber party?”
Hope walked up to Carl and hit him on the bill of his baseball cap. “You are such an ass.”
“Hey, Carl, your sisters are hot,” another guy teased, and the group roared when Carl’s expression darkened.
“You all need to get out of here.”
Finally, Thea had stepped in and stood up to her brother. “We’ll go when we’re damn ready,” she’d said with a sniff. “Come on, we should keep moving to the party.”
The rest of the guys booed and the one eyeing Thea had said, “Forget Carl. Hang with us.”
“Where are you going?” Charlene asked.
While the rest of the group argued and made suggestions, Val’s gaze kept straying to the quiet guy, who seemed to be watching her with a small smile, his ball cap set low over his eyes. Val’s heart was drumming a loud tempo in her chest and she felt warm under his scrutiny.
Finally, when the group decided to head over to the high school for some mischief, the quiet guy stood up straight and advanced toward her. She hadn’t moved, even when his hand reached up, cradling the back of her head and his other arm went around her back. He’d kissed her fast, but his mouth was soft and gentle, sweeping his tongue out to run across her lips until she’d opened to him.
With a sigh, Val closed her eyes now and envisioned that kiss, the way it had felt to be swept up in the moment. The way he’d given her one more light kiss before whispering, “I’m Justin.”
A shrill ring cut into the memory and she frowned, glancing at the caller ID on her phone. Edward Willis.
She thought about not answering and letting it go to voice mail, but depending on how bad Ellie had rattled his temper, he might just come over instead.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Is she there with you?” His voice was a dark growl, something so deep she could imagine it coming from a bear more than a man.
“Of course she is. Where else would she be?”
“Out carousing with those no-good friends of hers and dragging the family name through some more mud.”
Val sighed and continued her search for the perfect movie. “I’m sure there’s no mud dragging.”
“All day, I have been fielding phone calls because her actions made the damn paper. Did she tell you what she was caught doing in the Thompsons’ barn?”
She held the phone away from her ear as he yelled and said loudly, “No, she didn’t tell me.”
“She was screwing both the Thompson boys!”
“At the same time?” Valerie said, adding a gasp for dramatic effect. It would do no good to discuss her worries about Ellie’s behavior with her father; all it would create was more reason for him to get all riled up. But tomorrow, she would definitely have a heart-to-heart with her sister about making smart choices.
Ugh, Ellie’s right about the grandma-ishness.
“No, she was in the midst of having sex with one when the other one caught her. Apparently, she had been dating both but failed to mention it to either. Not only did that gossip columnist, Miss Whose It, write a half page about it,” her father said, referring to the new Small-Town Scandals gossip columnist, Miss Know It All, “now Joe Thompson is threatening to sue me if I don’t pay for the hole his boys put through the barn wall when they got into a fistfight over her.”
“Well, isn’t that romantic,” Val said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice and failing miserably.
“Don’t get cute,” he ordered, breathing deeply in her ear. She smirked. “I just can’t take it. I single handedly raised you girls after your mother died and every one of you has embarrassed me. How can I run for the senate on a family values platform when of my three daughters, you’re the best one?”
Val’s temper flared hot and ready. “Gee, thanks. I’m so honored.”
“What? Should I be proud that everyone thinks you were fooling around on your husband?”
“Screw everyone else. You know I wasn’t cheating on Cole.” She’d told him a thousand times that Cole had started that rumor when he was trying to make a case for the divorce, but her father hadn’t fully believed her, which hurt more than anything Cole had done to her. Of all the wild things she’d done in her life, she wouldn’t have broken her marriage vows.
“It matters how others see you, Valerie. I’ve told you that! And with the election this year, I need the people of Rock Canyon to respect me. I need some good press.”
Dread swept over Val at her father’s words. Good press were the same words he’d used when he’d urged her toward Cole, who Val had originally thought was kind of an ass. She’d convinced herself for a short time that she might have been wrong, and when Cole had asked her to marry him, she’d said yes.
But as they’d drawn closer to the date, Valerie had started to have second thoughts. Still, her father had said, “Please, princess, it’s an election year. We need good press.”
And here he was again, using those same words on her, like she was still twenty years old and itching to please him.
“Which brings me to my next point. You need to get back on the horse, so to speak. Walling yourself up in your house, shaving dogs’ asses all day, is no way to repair your reputation.”
Val got up to grab the Advil, a headache definitely forming between her eyes. She enjoyed grooming dogs and cats. She’d used the money from her divorce settlement and the trust fund she’d received on her twenty-fifth birthday not only to buy her house but to convert the back into a grooming shop, with easy-to-sweep linoleum floors and cages against the wall. She’d installed a large bathing tub and grooming table, all of which resulted in a nice income that kept her from dipping into the rest of her money, especially during the summer months. The winter months were slower, but she did okay.
“I enjoy my job, and my reputation is my business. I’m a grown woman.”
“Your reputation affects me, which makes it my business,” he said, and she resisted the urge to go to her happy place and tune him out.
“I promise to avoid causing any further embarrassment to you—”
“What about Kyle Jenner?” her father asked, interrupting her.
Bile rose up her throat and settled at the back of her mouth, making her grimace. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not? He’s good-looking, connected. We’ve known his family for years—”
“He’s a fucking pig, and that was before—”
“I hope you don’t talk like that around town. You sound like a trucker.”
Gripping the phone in her hand, she tried to speak calmly. “I will never, ever date Kyle Jenner. I can barely be in the same room with him.”
She heard her father’s sigh, filled with exasperation and disappointment. “Fine. I have another solution, then.”
Whatever crazy scheme he had planned, he could just leave her out of it. “No, Dad, I’m done. If you want, you can disown me or something; just leave me alone.”
“Listen to me; just listen. There’s this little town in Nevada called True Love that’s rumored to have the best matchmaker in the world. P
eople come from all over to be matched by her and to learn from her. This year is their 150th anniversary, so they’re making a big splash of things. True Love relies on these matchmaking events to keep their history alive and to keep their businesses afloat.”
His dramatic pause let her know he was gearing up for the punch line. “A politician’s daughter, with a failed marriage and a broken heart, finding love at their event would be a real coup for them. With online dating sites becoming so popular, they’ve been experiencing some tough times, and the owner and I think this would be a great publicity move.”
“So, what do you get out of it?” Val asked.
“My daughter wanting to remarry and start a family”—Val winced—“would solidify my core campaign. Sure, you’ve had a rough time, but now that you’ve had a chance to mourn the destruction of your first marriage, you’re ready to move on. And what better place to do that than a town known for its romantic history? A hundred years of tradition and true love; not even the most damaged could resist the romance of it all.”
“Sounds like cheesy pandering,” she said, not buying a minute of it. “I’ve told you before, I do not want to re—”
“Next weekend is their pre-Valentine’s Day ‘Make Me a Match’ singles event, and I’ve signed you up.”
The man actually sounded proud of himself and it took Val right over the edge. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“You watch your language and your tone,” he commanded. “Your little stunts over the years have caused me enough grief, and you need this as much as me. Despite my team’s damage control, your reputation took a major nosedive after Cole’s allegations. It doesn’t matter that he retracted his accusations; some people here think you’re an adulteress, and I need support. This will give you a chance to be charming and to show the town and anyone else who still doubts your moral character, that though you made a mistake, you still want what every woman wants: to find that perfect someone.”
Damn it, he knew just what buttons to push to make her lose control. She had to keep reminding herself that he had no idea about the fertility issues or her reasons for avoiding men and relationships.
But really, did he think she was still the same girl he could manipulate into a corner and she’d just lay down and take it?
“Screw that. No, Dad, my answer is hell no.”
Just as he started yelling into the phone, she hung up and threw the black cordless across the room with a scream.
A matchmaking festival? Who in their right mind would go to a matchmaking festival? If she wanted to be set up on a parade of blind dates, she could stay home and join eHarmony or something. Her father, after years of scheming and trying to stay on top, had gone wacky in the head, but that didn’t mean she had to go along with it.
Chapter Three
* * *
JUSTIN HAD BEEN watching the young woman for a while when she started to sway against the bar, gripping the hard wood like she was going to pass out. If that weren’t bad enough, the Coulter brothers were hovering around her like a pair of vultures, and he wondered why someone hadn’t gotten her the hell out of there already.
“What are you staring at?”
Justin turned toward Gracie McAllister—his “date”—but didn’t lose his frown. He’d walked through the door of Buck’s, ready to crow about his Brad Paisley tickets, only to find a group of five waiting for him. Jared and Steph were sitting with Steph’s best friend, Katie Connors, and Katie’s husband, Chase Trepasso. And on the end had been Gracie.
He liked Gracie. She was a nice woman, but she was a little flighty and dramatic . . . and the last thing he wanted was drama of any kind.
Which brought his thoughts back to the young woman as he answered. “The girl at the bar. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.”
Gracie followed his gaze and hissed out a breath. “That’s Eleanor Willis. I don’t even think she’s twenty-one yet.”
Valerie’s little sister, drunk in a bar and being chatted up by Wayne Coulter? He’d heard about the youngest sister’s antics, but despite her reputation, Justin had a feeling she wasn’t interested in getting to know either Wayne or Walt Coulter. They were the kind of men who wouldn’t blink at taking advantage of someone who’d had too much to drink.
Chivalry getting the best of him, Justin stood up and said, “Sorry, gang, I’m going to have to call it a night. Thanks for helping me feel like less of a fifth wheel, Gracie.”
“Sure, Justin, anytime.” Her tone belied her words, and he caught her eyes shift toward the back of Buck’s like she was searching for someone.
Before Steph could protest, the meddling woman, he turned and headed toward the bar.
“Where’s Eric?” Justin asked Grant Henderson, who gave him a shrug. The Henderson brothers ran most of the day-to-day operations at the bar now that their dad was semiretired, although Eric was definitely the more responsible of the two.
“Not sure, why?”
“’Cause whoever let that girl in, she’s not legal,” Justin said, pointing toward Ellie.
Grant followed his finger and frowned. “Ellie? I checked her ID. She turned twenty-one last week.”
“She can hardly stand, Grant. How much did you serve her?”
“Look, this place is slammed, but I cut her off a while ago. I can’t give you a rundown of what she drank, but I can tell you that she shouldn’t be that sloppy.” Grant told a guy down the bar, “One sec.”
“Ellie,” Grant yelled.
Ellie turned bleary eyes on him and threw out her arms. “Grant!”
“Do you have a ride home?”
Wayne leered from close by. “My brother and I can drive her home.”
“Fuck that,” Grant said firmly, meeting Justin’s gaze. “Can you do it? I can’t leave the place like this.”
Justin nodded, and Ellie caught sight of him. With a stumble, she threw herself against him and giggled, “My hero.”
Ah, hell. He caught the flash of a cell phone out of the corner of his eye and grimaced. The last thing he wanted was people taking pictures of her hanging all over him, and everyone thinking he’d taken her home with him.
And by everyone, you mean Valerie.
Hefting the sloppy girl up into his arms, he ignored the Coulter brothers’ glares as he carried her out the door toward his truck.
“Am I taking you home to your daddy’s house?” Justin asked her as he unlocked the door and put her inside.
Her eyes were closed, and he was afraid she’d passed out. He really didn’t want to face Edward Willis in the middle of the night with his unconscious youngest daughter.
“Val. Staying with Val,” Ellie slurred.
Fuck. Why did that seem like a worse scenario?
It’s not your fault the girl drank herself stupid.
Justin’s heart pounded. The question was, would Val see it that way?
VALERIE COULDN’T SLEEP. She kept checking her cell phone for a message from Ellie, but there was nothing. She was half an hour away from getting in her car and going in search of her sister.
She’d known this was going to happen, though. Ellie was spiraling. Val had no idea what had set her sister off, but she needed to stop taking chances with her safety. What if she crashed her car or went home with some psycho?
All these thoughts are just making you crazy. Stop it.
Getting up out of bed, she headed for the kitchen to make some hot chocolate, trying not to panic as scenarios raced through her mind. The most graphic was her sister in a chair, playing out the first scene of Saw.
She’d just set the pan of milk on the stove to boil when there was a knock at the door.
Frowning, she walked over and pulled back the curtain over the front-door window, gasping in surprised horror. Throwing the door open, she faced Justin carrying a half-conscious Ellie.
“What happened?” she asked, reaching out toward her sister to check for injuries, only to have Ellie belch loudly. Anger flashed white hot th
rough her as she realized her sister wasn’t hurt; she was stupid drunk.
Her gaze shot up to the man holding her, and he must have seen the fury in her expression because he said, “I had nothing to do with her being this sloppy. Your sister was having a little too much fun at Buck’s, and I thought I should get her out of there. I would have taken her to your dad’s house, but she said she was staying with you.”
“I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at her,” she said, brushing the hair off her sister’s face. “I asked her to let me know what she was doing and she never even texted. I was so worried, I was about to go looking for her.”
But beneath her anger, Val had to wonder how he knew where she lived, unless Ellie had told him before drifting into a drunken slumber.
As if reading her mind, he explained, “I called Hope Weathers to get your address.”
Why in the world he had her old friend’s number, she didn’t bother asking.
“It’s pretty cold out here . . .” he said, his smile so adorable, with his dimple and the boyishness of it, that she almost smiled back, until she realized she was blocking the door.
“Sorry.” Stepping back to let him in, she thought he looked like a hero on the cover of one of those romance novels, with his chiseled good looks, carrying a woman off to make sweet love to her. Only in her mind, it wasn’t her sister in his arms but her.
You need to get a grip on your hormones, tie them up, and lock them in a basement closet.
As he passed by her, their gazes met, and she felt a blush creep over her cheeks at the direction of her thoughts.
“It’s the second door on the left,” she said, trying not to breathe in too deeply. The spicy aroma of his cologne mixed with the smell of cold air made her want to get closer to him.
Well, as close as she could get with her sister between them.
She followed behind him and couldn’t help but admire the way his jeans hugged his ass as he walked. It was highly inappropriate for the situation, but at least it told her one thing: she might not want to date, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a fine-looking man.
