by Codi Gary
Now, his constant wailing about his disappointing daughters was getting on her last nerve. When was Val going to stop worrying about gaining the man’s respect? He never seemed to worry about showing her any.
She remembered a party in college, when a small group of friends had stayed up late playing strip poker. She’d loved cards and gambling—having learned to play from her Uncle Brian at a young age—and had ended up winning several hundred bucks, but not before losing her top.
Someone had posted pictures of the “local politician’s daughter’s striptease” online that had spread like wildfire. When her father had stepped out of his first senate race to “take care of his family,” it had actually been code for storming into his daughter’s dorm room at five in the morning, kicking out her roommate, and screaming at her about “decorum.”
Flopping back on the bed, tears stung Val’s eyes. Even to this day, the tirade and his angry words ate at her. She’d heard rumors later that he had backed out due to some unethical deals he’d conducted on the side, but he’d still laid all the blame at her feet. She hated that he held such sway over her, but she still seemed to hold onto her childish hopes when it came to her father. She was still that little girl, waiting to show her daddy the picture she’d drawn of them in class and have him say it was wonderful. To have him tell her he was proud of her.
Val wasn’t extraordinary; she knew that. Caroline had been valedictorian in junior high and high school, despite her bad reputation, and her father had been willing to overlook her flaws so long as she performed well. It wasn’t until she’d told him she wasn’t going to college, especially not the one he’d picked, that he had ever regarded her with anything but shiny pride.
Ellie had been born beautiful and had excelled in drama, in school, and in life. She’d done several local commercials, and despite their father’s insistence that becoming an actress was not a logical career choice, he had been impressed with her skill.
Val had been a discipline problem and, before being sent to the all-girls’ school, had been a lackluster student. The only reason she’d kicked her grades up during her junior and senior years was because she’d wanted to get into a good college far away from her father’s reach, but that hadn’t happened. It hadn’t been until the summer before college that Val had found her true calling at the Hart’s Rescue Ranch above Fairfield. Mucking stalls, bathing animals, and just playing with all of the creatures waiting to be adopted had been the best time of her life.
And the four handsome Hart boys hadn’t been a chore to be around either.
Sighing, she sat up.
That seemed to be where all her troubles lie: boys, guys, and now with one man in particular. And Justin Silverton’s effect on her spelled nothing but.
Trying to distract herself from her dark thoughts, she turned her head and looked at several black-and-white pictures hanging on the wall. She got up, crossed the room, and read the silver tags along the bottom of each.
SHELLY AND LANCE; MATCHED NOVEMBER 2003.
HAROLD AND JENNIFER; MATCHED APRIL 1991.
A dozen pictures going back a hundred years and a framed newspaper ad from the thirties about the “World-Famous True Love Festival.”
Love, blah. Who needs it?
JUSTIN SHRUGGED INTO his jacket, ready to enter into this hell of his own making. Had he really agreed to a whole weekend of awkward encounters with strange women for a girl who kept him guessing? One minute she was giving him that kiss-me-now look and the next she was pushing him away and running off.
He wasn’t sure what it was about Val, but he reverted back to an impulsive kid every time he got near her. He’d never been the type to jump a woman like he was sex-starved, but with Val, he couldn’t seem to control himself.
She wasn’t being exactly honest with herself or him, though. She’d kissed him back. If she didn’t want him, she would have kicked his ass.
Chuckling at the image of Val’s tiny fist knocking him out, he walked outside and locked his hotel room door. The first meet and greet started in fifteen minutes and he was hoping to bump into Val before hundreds of guys noticed her.
That’s a little stalkerish, don’t you think?
He heard the door next to his open and was surprised to find Val stepping out.
So that’s where that adjoining door leads.
This was just too perfect. For the next three days, he would be just one knock away from her.
If only he could be sure she’d open the door.
As if she felt his eyes on her, she looked his way. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said, putting her key in her pocket.
She was wearing gray knitted earmuffs and her long, straight hair pulled back from her face in a sassy ponytail. Around her neck was a soft wool scarf that hid the white skin of her neck from his view . . . and his lips. Her nose was already turning red from the cold and her jacket was too puffy for him to see the smooth lines of her body. And yet he still found her incredibly sexy.
Without another word, she started walking away from him.
“Wait,” he called.
She spun around and pushed aside her bangs, her expression irritable. “What?”
“Wanna walk over to the community center together?” he asked, watching her dark eyes narrow.
“Depends. Are you going to try to kiss me again?”
He wasn’t going to lie. “Probably.”
“Then no.”
“Hey,” he said, catching up to her as she started marching away again. “That kiss was not all one-sided. You kissed me back.”
“Doesn’t mean you can just run around town kissing people. Just because I laugh when someone tickles me doesn’t mean I like it.”
He jogged ahead of her, then walked backward so he could see her face. “Are you saying you want me to tickle you instead?”
She shook her head as she tried to pass him. “You think you’re so funny; that you’re still just as slick as you were at twenty.”
“Not at all. If anything, I’m reserved. Now, I usually get a girl’s name before I make out with her,” Justin teased as he caught up with her again. Val smothered a chuckle, and Justin liked the way she laughed, a husky sound that made him want to keep at it.
“Well, as long as you have restraint,” she said, pulling a map from her pocket. “Any idea where this place is?”
“Give it to me. I was a Boy Scout.” Justin took the map, ignoring her.
“Hey!”
He scanned it. “We can cut through the next alleyway and it’s on the corner.”
“Thanks, Garmin,” she said, taking back her map and putting it in her pocket. “Anyone ever told you you’re grabby?”
Oh, honey, you haven’t even seen grabby. “Only as the highest of compliments.”
“Yeah, sure.” As they rounded the corner, she stopped abruptly and said, “Look, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but this thing with us, it stops now.”
Justin folded his arms over his chest. “What thing?”
“You know what thing. This kissing thing you do that catches me off guard. It was okay when I was sixteen, but I am not interested in dating anyone. Period. No matter how many times you kiss me or try to use that aw-shucks-I’m-just-a-nice-farm-boy charm on me, it isn’t going to change.”
“Like I said, who says I want to date you? Maybe I just like kissing you. Since when does a kiss mean I want to go steady?” The conversation was quickly making him irritable and defensive. “Sometimes a kiss just means ‘I think you’re hot and I can’t help myself’ or ‘I really want you to stop thinking about everything that can go wrong, be quiet, and just accept the fact that you . . . want . . . me . . . too.’”
Her gasp was tinged with outrage and he smiled with satisfaction. So he’d touched a nerve. Served her right, getting up on her high horse with him. Just because he was interested didn’t mean she could act like a brat.
“Fine. Well, I’m not interested in anything you have to offer. Is
that clear enough for you?” she snapped.
Forget about it; who needs her? If she really wasn’t interested, he wasn’t going to force his company on her.
“Fine. I’ll leave you alone,” he said, pushing off the wall with a salute. “Have a nice weekend, Miss Willis.”
He walked down the alley back toward the hotel with a dark cloud over his head. There was no use bothering with the conference now. The whole reason he’d come was to get to know Val better.
Except you haven’t really tried to get to know her. You’ve either been teasing her or groping her. Not exactly nice-guy behavior.
Okay, maybe that was true. He’d handled the situation badly and couldn’t blame her for putting him in his place.
That was part of her charm, though; Val had no problem saying what she meant. It was what he’d liked about her and, really, what had made him want to reconnect in the first place. She put herself out there as this tough, take-no-bullshit woman who didn’t need anyone, but after seeing the way she cared about her little sister, he knew that at least part of it was an act. When it came to someone she cared about, Val was protective, loyal, and kind. You had to be loyal to still do favors for a bastard like Edward Willis, right?
The way she’d taken care of Ellie had made him want to be one of those few people who got to get close to her, and no matter how many defensive walls she put up, he still wanted that. She was right. She didn’t deserved to be ambushed with kisses
She deserved to be respected and given the choice.
Justin turned back the way he’d come. He owed Val an apology and he was man enough to admit it.
Chapter Nine
* * *
VAL KICKED THE wall with her boot and cursed as pain shot up her leg. She hadn’t meant to attack Justin, but he acted like she was the same wild girl up for whatever, but she wasn’t that person anymore and hadn’t been for some time.
She felt bad, though, and she didn’t usually feel guilty about her behavior. She said what she meant, no regrets.
Except, if she was being honest, he had been right to be confused. It wasn’t like she’d slapped his face or pushed him away that night in her kitchen. She’d given every indication that she liked his kisses.
You do like his kisses.
Maybe, but just because she liked something, didn’t mean it was good for her.
Val headed down the alley, arguing with her inner voice. She should apologize for being rude and explain where she was coming from, but if she did that, would he think she didn’t mean what she’d said about not dating?
It’s better this way; now you’re not tempted by him and he’ll avoid you.
Damn it, why did that thought bother her so much?
She was too deep in thought to realize the alley hadn’t been salted and that she should tread carefully. Suddenly, her boot hit a slick piece of ice, and the last thing she remembered was the sensation of flying and a flash of pain as her head hit something hard.
And then the world fell away.
JUSTIN CAME AROUND the corner in time to hear Val’s startled cry and froze as he watched her feet fly out from under her. She fell back, and he heard a sickening crack as she hit the concrete.
“Val!” he yelled, racing down the alley while trying to avoid the patches of ice. Kneeling at her side, he touched her arm. “Valerie, open your eyes.”
Her only answer was a soft moan, and Justin gently checked the back of her head, his hand coming away wet and red. His first impulse was to pick her up and carry her inside.
Don’t move her. She might have injured her spine.
Reaching in his back pocket, he realized he’d left his cell phone in the hotel room. He didn’t see Val’s purse anywhere, and her pockets yielded nothing but her hotel key and some lip gloss.
“Hang on, Val, I’m going to get some help,” he said, jumping up and running the rest of the way toward the community center.
When he got there, he saw a couple on the stoop, smoking, and asked, “Can you call an ambulance?”
The woman’s eyes almost took up her face, they were so wide, as she stared at his bloody hand.
“I don’t have my cell on me,” the guy said apologetically.
Cursing, Justin rushed into the large, crowded room. Normally cool in stressful situations, he surprised himself and everyone within a fifty-foot radius when he yelled, “Will someone call a fucking ambulance?”
Hundreds of eyes turned his way, but no one reached into their pockets for their phones.
“What’s all this yelling and cursing about? Who needs an ambulance, boy?”
The crotchety voice belonged to a silver-haired old woman who had pushed through the crowd with her hands on her wide hips.
“My friend slipped in the alleyway and hit her head. She has a skull laceration and bleeding. I didn’t want to move her in case—”
“You all heard the man. Call an ambulance!” The old woman’s voice was chock-full of authority, and suddenly, everyone had their phones out, dialing frantically.
“Can I help?” A dark-haired man stepped out of the crowd.
“Only if you’re a doctor,” she said, and when he nodded, she turned to Justin and grabbed his arm. “Take us to her.”
After helping the older woman down the stairs, he led them to where Val was, but the elderly woman kept a hold of his arm so he couldn’t rush, and frustration consumed him. He wanted to get back to Val.
“She’s just up there,” he told the doctor, who jogged ahead.
“Easy, son. I know she’s a friend of yours, but you won’t do her any good by panicking or getting in the way.”
He nodded, but as they came around the corner, his heart skipped. He had hoped Val would be sitting up and groaning, but instead, she was still lying there, and he was terrified by how pale she was.
“What’s her name?” the doctor asked. He was kneeling next to Val, holding her wrist in his hand, presumably to check her heartbeat.
“Valerie,” Justin said.
“What happened?” This question was directed at him from the woman, who was eyeing him with interest.
“We took a shortcut through the alley and she slipped on the ice. She landed on her back and cracked her head.” Justin couldn’t stand the shaky quality to his voice. There was no reason for him to be so emotional over someone he hardly knew, no matter how intimate they’d been.
“Hmmm . . . Doctor?” the old woman prodded. “What do you think?”
“I think that she should go to the hospital and get a CAT scan. I don’t like that she’s still unconscious.”
Suddenly, Val moved, groaning. Justin sighed with relief and called, “Val!” just as the doctor said, “Valerie?”
Justin saw Valerie’s eyes flutter and a dazed smile formed on her lips. “My hero.”
Justin felt an involuntary slash of outrage when he realized she wasn’t talking to him.
“Hey there, Valerie. My name is Dr. Lockwood, but you can call me Trent. Can you tell me what your pain level is?”
Justin heard sirens and missed her answer, which had the old woman and doctor laughing. “What did she say?”
“That her pain level is ‘fuck,’” Trent answered, smiling down at Val before nodding at the old woman. “Pardon, ma’am.”
“Don’t worry about my delicate sensibilities. I’ve heard worse,” she said.
For the first time, Justin noticed how young the doctor was—he couldn’t have been much older than himself—and he wondered what Trent was doing at a singles convention. A young doctor shouldn’t have any trouble meeting women.
The high-pitched wail of the ambulance siren sounded closer, and a few minutes later, paramedics pushed a gurney around the corner and took over as Trent gave them his assessment.
“Anyone riding along?”
Before Justin could open his mouth, Trent was saying yes to the paramedic. Justin could do nothing but watch as they gently transferred her to the gurney.
The group rolled
out of the alley, leaving Justin alone with the silver-haired woman. She looked through her glasses at him. “What’s your name?”
“Justin Silverton, ma’am.” He still felt antsy and wished Val being hurt didn’t scare him so bad. What if she had a brain bleed?
“Former military men aren’t usually so squeamish at the sight of blood,” she said, making him start.
“How did you—”
“The stance, the look in your eye, and I remember your file. I always remember a handsome face.”
“My file?” he asked.
“Yes, I have a file on every one of my attendees. Full background checks, Facebook pages, and other pertinent information. Helps me keep out the crazies and the married men looking for a freedom ticket, or whatever they call it.”
He let out a stressed laugh. “I think you mean a hall pass, ma’am.”
“I call it cheating, plain and simple, and there are enough ways for people to do that without my help,” she said, giving a little grunt. “You’ve never been married, have you?”
“No, ma’am.” Trying to think of a polite way to extract himself, he jumped when her hand slipped down and he felt a sharp pinch on his ass.
“Hmmm, can’t imagine why. Your picture didn’t do you justice.”
His mouth flopped opened and closed in disbelief. She had pinched his ass; this sweet, innocent-looking old lady had groped him. “Are you flirting with me, ma’am?”
“If I was forty years younger, it would be flirting, but when you get to be my age, we call it being funny,” she said, patting his hand. “A few things, though.”
“Ma’am?”
“My name is Dorothy Love; use it, and stop calling me ‘ma’am.’ I don’t like it; it makes me feel old.”
“All right, Mrs. Love, but I really need to—”
“From you, I’d prefer Dorothy,” she said with a wink, and he tried to tell her he needed to get going, but she started talking again. “Now, I’ve been head matchmaker here in True Love for fifty years, and you, my boy, have just become my pet project.” Her smile was wide as she added, “And lastly, if you have any interest in your friend, I’d go clean up that blood on your hands and high-tail it after them. The good doctor looked smitten.”
